Oven Fried Chicken

  The picture of the chicken in the Barefoot Contessa’s Family Style looked so good that I just had to try it. I think one of the things I really like the most about her cookbooks, besides recipes that really work are the photos. Marvelous pictures on glossy paper make reading and looking a real pleasure.

  The chicken turned out just as great as the photo and will be on my rotation list from now on. It is more of a method than a recipe and was fairly easy to prepare, I did take her tip and browned it in a high sided pot instead of a skillet, a lot less mess. I could not find a three pound chicken. Mine was about 5 pounds, left some nice leftovers and I used the back to make some stock for gravy with the meal.

Oven Fried Chicken

2 chickens (3 pounds each) 

1 quart buttermilk ( just to cover well)

1 ½ to 2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt (I used about ½)

Freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil or shortening

Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour the buttermilk over them.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

  Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Take chicken out of the buttermilk and coat each piece with the flour mixture. Pour the oil into a large high sided pan to about 1 inch.*  Heat to 360°. Adding chicken, do not crowd, brown on both sides about 3 minutes on each side. They will continue browning in the oven. Remove to a wire rack set on a sheet pan. Making sure the oil is hot, brown the rest of the pieces. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Serve hot and crispy.

*A skillet works, but it is messier on the stove and you.

Sunday in Iowa...

Log Cabin Garden in the Historical Village
Pella, Iowa

10 Kitchen Tools

Ina Garten has a little article in one of her The Barefoot Contessa cookbooks about her 10 favorite kitchen tools.  She includes big things like her Kitchenaid mixer and Cuisinart food processor.  We have and like those too, but as Myrna and I looked at this – standing in Myrna’s kitchen, I could see the small tools she had hanging up or in her tool “crock”.  It got us thinking – what are “our” favorite small tools?

Sue says:

My kitchen scissors – I use them all the time for cutting up herbs, cutting up things like chicken, trimming pie crust…on and on. 

Next is my  Rösle can opener – once I figured out how to hold it, I love this.  It cuts through the fold around the top of the can, and you can put the lid back on if you wish.  It stays cleaner because it never touches the food.  It has a nice big hole to hang it, and I do.

Then a good bottle opener…I use this all the time to remove lids from home-canned jars.  Again, it hangs up.  I have a couple of OXO tool racks that are cheap, sturdy and adjustable to hang tools on.

I love this old (45 years or so) spatula I got for a wedding gift in a set.  It’s just the right size to serve bar cookies and cake squares; remove cookies from the pan, etc.  It’s got a 2” wide blade and is about 10” long overall.  If I ever broke or lost it, I would have to find something like it pronto.  I also have a ½ cup ladle and a narrow metal spatula from this same set that I still use.

I like this stainless shaker with the plastic cover.  It sits out all the time – I keep it filled with flour for my pastry mat – for pie crust, biscuits, bread, homemade noodles – you name it.  The cover keeps it from getting moisture inside and keeps it cleaner.

I don’t have a wooden spoon anymore!  I use these OXO silicone spatulas to stir and scrape everything I mix or cook.  They don’t melt; the handles go through the dish washer… I have about a half dozen of them in my tool crock.  I have, however, broken a couple of handles.

I have more of these flat whisks too…I like the little size for beating up an egg, for instance, and the silicone-coated one won’t scratch your pan or bowl when you cook custard or pudding or make salad dressing.

These OXO tongs are great.  I have 2 sets this size and another longer one for canning.  I keep them hanging above my range.  Perfect for turning chicken, serving pasta, all kinds of chores.

I use this microplane zester (it has a slide-on cover) for my citrus zest.

Last, but not least, my favorite Wingen Soligen bird’s beak knife I purchased from my landlady’s kitchen shop in Germany…it’s still razor sharp after all these years and perfect for preparing fruits and vegetables.  It’s MY knife!

Myrna says:

Unlike Sue, I use wooden spoons. I have several. This is a size I use a lot. I like them and find they can be bleached to sanitize them if necessary.
Next to the spoon are two different spatulas. The green is silicone I also have a yellow silicone which are the two I use the most. The white one is longer and a little harder and fits in jars well.

Then the offset frosting spatula - great for frosting cakes, brownies etc.

Last is the tool I use the most in my kitchen, a wire whip. This is all purpose and I would be lost without it.

     
 The first tool is a spaghetti fork? Not sure what the correct term is. I bought this stainless steel one   when my old one finally died. I use it to lift many items out of hot water besides spaghetti.

The ladle is from the first year I was married so is over 50 years old. They don’t make tools like that anymore.

The pancake turner is one of my personal favorites. I use it for everything. It is shorter than many others and just fits in anywhere.  I use it for pancakes, eggs, etc.; but also use it to dish up pies and cakes and brownies. I would really be lost without this because of its size.

Every kitchen should have a two tined fork. I have this long one and a short handled one, they are useful for about anything.

I wonder how many of you will know what the last one is. It came with a “Fry Daddy” I owned over 15 years ago. The fryer is long gone, but this tool will always be in my kitchen. You can use it to scoop up or out of most anything. If it breaks I have seen them in several thrift shops so should be able to replace it.

I do have a few other tools I use just not as extensively as these.

Sue says:  I have a scoop like Myrna’s Fry-Daddy scoop.  My first one had a painted wooden handle until I broke it from hard use; I bought the one I have now used because I couldn’t find a new replacement.  My first one I purchased by itself as a “thing-a-ma-jig”. 

A good tool is worth its place in the kitchen…good quality, versatility and appropriateness for its use make them just as important as good tools are to any workman.  I love to browse old kitchen tools at Flea Markets and Antique Malls – there are some very inventive ones out there.

Orange Marmalade

First day, notice the light color

  Once again, another winner from The Barefoot Contessa. I made this simple recipe just as written and wouldn’t change a thing. It took a little time, only about 1 hour hands on, and made marvelous marmalade. It does sit over night and that is what makes it so good. The color will change and become a lovely deep orange.    The directions are right on, the marmalade jelled perfectly and makes enough to give a few as gifts and one for yourself. If I was going to keep all of the jars, I would hot water bath them (see these canning tips), but as they will all be eaten soon it isn’t necessary. Really, really good stuff.

Notice the color change from the first day

  I used a mandoline to slice the fruit and would recommend it, as it made it much easier to slice them thinly. The color of the finished marmalade is so attractive and it is just right in flavor. Not too tart and not to sweet. I am not a big fan of the store bought Marmalade, but I could get addicted to this. Great gift for your child’s favorite teacher or the mail man or any other small gift you need. Do look for the Barefoot Contessa’s books at your book store or library.

 Anna’s Orange Marmalade

4 large seedless oranges

2 lemons

8 cups sugar

 Cut the oranges and lemons in half crosswise, and then into very thin half moon slices. Discard any seeds. Place the sliced fruit and their juices into a stainless-steel pot (Do not use aluminum as it will pit from the acid in the fruit). Add 8 cups of water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Cover and allow to stand overnight at room temperature.
  The next day, bring it back to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Turn the heat up to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms on the top. Cook the marmalade until it reaches 220 degrees or place a small amount on a plate and refrigerate till cool. It should be firm - neither runny or hard. If it’s too firm add more water and if it is too runny cook a little longer. Mine was just right at 220 degrees on my candy thermometer. It will be a lovely golden orange color. 

  Pour into clean, hot Mason jars; wipe the rims thoroughly and seal with the lids and rings. The recipe says they will store for up to a year in the pantry, but if I was planning on keeping them I would hot water bath them to be sure.

Tri-Berry Muffins

These are a nice muffin to serve with coffee and use up the fresh fruit you might have on hand. I make half the recipe and that is what I am going to give you. The recipes from the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks always use extra large eggs. I left out the strawberries as I didn’t have any on hand. They are really better with them in though.

Tri-berry Muffins

Makes 8 to 10 muffins

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

½ tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼  teaspoon kosher salt 

¾  tablespoon cinnamon  ( I would cut this back to a half tablespoon next time)

½ plus ⅛ cup milk

1 extra large egg, lightly beaten

¼ pound (1stick) butter, melted

½ cup fresh blueberries

¼ cup fresh raspberries

¼ cup diced fresh strawberries

¾ cup sugar

  Preheat the oven to 375°. Line muffin tins with paper liners. 

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl, Stir to combine. In another bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and melted butter, Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture., pour the liquid mixture into the well and stir until just combined. There will be some lumps but don’t over mix the batter. Add the fruit and sugar and stir gently to combine.

  Spoon into liners. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops are nicely browned.

Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake

  
As always, pound cakes are a favorite in our house. Today, I tried the Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake from the Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. As with all of her recipes it came out great. Never have I had a recipe of hers fail. These are great cookbooks.

  This is different in that there is no butter in the recipe. Yogurt and salad oil take the place of the butter and it is moist and tender. Dense the way a pound cake should be and the lemon adds great flavor to it. 

  No need to get the mixer out for this cake. It is simple to stir together and using a wire whip worked well.
Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake
1 ½ cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt (I used plain salt)
1 cup plain yogurt

1 ⅓ cups sugar (divided)

3 extra large eggs (I used regular size as that is what I had)

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup vegetable oil

⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

 For The Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

  Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 8 ½ x 4 ¼ x 2 ½ inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease and flour the paper. (my pan is no stick so I did not use the parchment paper).

  Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl. In another bowl whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup of the sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter making sure it all incorporated. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until cake tester placed in the center comes out clean.

  While cake is baking cook the ⅓ cup of lemon juice and the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar together until mixture is clear. Set aside.

  Cool cake 10 minutes and turn out of pan. Slowly pour lemon juice and sugar over cake letting it soak in. This will take a few minutes. 

  Let cake cool and then glaze with the 1 cup of confectioner sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

What’s special about these chicken salad sandwiches?  Roasting the chicken.  It’s much more flavorful than poached chicken.  If I didn’t have time to roast my chicken, I would think about rotisserie chicken breast meat from the grocery. 

I had some tarragon in my herb planter box, and I used baby mixed lettuce from my lettuce box too.  I used some homemade two-tone rye bread for these sandwiches.   Ina’s “Honey White Bread” would be good too.  I didn’t use all the mayo called for; it didn’t need that much.                  

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

  2         Whole  Chicken Breasts -- bone in, skin on

             Good Olive Oil

             Kosher Salt and Black Pepper

     ¾     Cup  Mayonnaise -- plus more for bread

  1 ½     Tablespoons  Fresh Tarragon -- chopped

  1         Cup  Celery -- small dice (2 stalks)

  2         Teaspoons  Salt

  1         Teaspoon  Pepper

  10       Slices  Healthy Bread

  1         Package  Mesclun Salad Mix

Preheat oven to 350°.  Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil.   Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.  Set aside to cool

When chicken is cool, remove and discard skin and bones and cut into 3/4" dice.

Place the chicken in a bowl and add the mayonnaise, tarragon, celery, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and toss well.

To assemble sandwiches, spread a little mayonnaise on half the bread slices, top with the chicken salad and mesclun mix, and cover with remaining slices of bread.  Cut in half and serve.

Serves 4-5  (use 8 or 10 slices bread)

  "Barefoot Contessa at Home"

Per Serving: 441 Calories; 39g Fat (77.1% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 86mg Cholesterol; 1134mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meats; 0 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat.

Honey White Bread

Ina Garten says she doesn’t usually spend time making bread, but that this is her foolproof recipe for the “good white bread” that she calls for in many of her recipes.   It is nice egg bread that had a very even grain.  Like many egg breads, it gets dry quickly, and she and I both recommend freezing the second loaf to use later.  I like to use egg bread for French toast; if you do, slice the bread ¾” to 1” thick.  

 I altered the method to use instant or “bread” yeast, and added the weights of ingredients for you.  Check out our mixer bread information HERE.  Remember, you can also make this recipe by hand too, the way I did for years. I used 4 ½ x 8 ½” Calphalon bread pans; they are a good size for a 3 cups of flour loaf.   The egg white wash gives a nice, crisp, but not chewy crust.           

 Honey White Bread

     ½    Cup  Water

  1 ½    Cups  Whole Milk

  6        Cups  Flour, All-purpose -- 1# 11 ounces

  4        Teaspoons  Instant Yeast

  1        Teaspoon  Sugar

  6        Tablespoons  Butter -- 3/4 stick (3 ounces)

  1 ½    Tablespoons  Honey

  2        Extra Large  Egg -- Yolks

  1        Tablespoon  Salt

  1        Extra Large  Egg White -- lightly beaten

Heat water and milk to 120-125°.

Place flour except 1 cup in mixer bowl.  Add yeast, sugar, salt, softened butter, honey and egg yolks.  Add liquids and beat 5 minutes with paddle attachment.  Add remaining flour until dough doesn't stick to bowl.  Change to dough hook and knead on speed 2 for 8 minutes, adding flour if necessary. 

Let rest 10 minutes.  Shape into 2 loaves, (about 1# 9 ¼ ounces each), place in greased 9 x 5" loaf pans. 

Let rise until 1" above pan (or doubled), about 25 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350° while loaves are rising.  When the dough is ready, brush the tops with egg white and bake the breads for 40-45 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped.  Turn them out of the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

2012 Cost:  $2.38 or $1.1.19 per loaf

  "Barefoot Contessa At Home"

Yield:  "2 Loaves"

Per Serving: 120 Calories; 3g Fat (23.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 21mg Cholesterol; 234mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Do You Remember...?

Do you remember?
When one convenience food Mom used was canned soup?
When you slurped the noodles out of your chicken noodle soup?
When a favorite lunch for the kids was tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches?
When you crushed your saltines in your tomato soup like Myrna and I did?

Yeast Bread Ingredients and Finishes

French Bread with Egg White Wash

I thought it would be a good time to visit about bread ingredients and finishes.

BREAD INGREDIENTS

Essentially all you need to make bread is wheat flour, water or other liquids, yeast and salt.   
You can add all kinds of other ingredients, some which strengthen the structure of the bread, like whole eggs and milk, and those which make the dough more tender, like sugar, fats, egg yolks and acids.

That’s why you’ll see French and Italian breads with chewy crusts with not much more than the flour, water, yeast and salt, and sweet rolls and breads like Challah with fair amounts of butter or fats, eggs and sugar added.  Potato, potato flour and potato flakes help keep loaves moist and make them keep longer.

Other ingredients are often used for variety, like rye and oats, and additions like wheat germ and wheat bran or cracked wheat, for instance.  They need the gluten formed from regular wheat or bread flour to make a nice loaf of bread.  If I am using whole wheat, rye or oats in a yeast bread recipe, I look for ones that have no more that 25-35% of the weight of the wheat flour in these grains or flours.  Otherwise the bread is simply too heavy, small and coarse or crumbly for most tastes, since these other additions don’t contribute to the gluten-formation in the bread.

Whole Wheat Bread with Buttered Tops

I personally would rather have a partial bread flour, partial whole wheat loaf than have to buy and keep on hand all sorts of additives that are hard-to-find, like vital wheat gluten and dough enhancers, but I'm also not able to grow my own wheat.

BREAD FINISHES

For a nice look on homemade breads, many recipes recommend a “finish”.  I usually try their suggestions at least once to see how I like it.  These finishes can make your bread much more appetizing to look at and can improve the taste or texture of the crust too.

I like natural bristle brushes for this, and mark one to use for eggs and one for butter.

Beaten Whole Egg:  Gives a shiny, crisp crust.  Carefully brush the top of the risen, shaped dough with a glaze made from beating an egg with a pinch of salt.

Brushing on Egg Wash 

Beaten Egg Yolk Wash:  Even more golden than a whole egg wash.  You usually add 2 teaspoons of water to an egg yolk wash.

Egg White Wash:  This is usually beaten with 2 teaspoons of water and is usually used for crusty, chewy breads like Italian and Fresh breads and rolls.

Milk Wash:  The also makes a golden loaf, but it is more tender and less shiny, often used on sweet doughs.

Cornstarch and water:  For a dull finish and crisp crust, carefully brush unbaked loaf with a mixture of one teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup hot water.  Brush loaf again after 15 minutes of baking.

Whole Wheat Buns with Egg Wash

Flour dusting:  Dust the risen dough with a teaspoon or two of flour right before baking for a rustic “snowflake” effect.  Rolls  can also be brushed with milk and then dusted very lightly with flour.

Butter:  For a tender crust, lightly brush the top of baked rolls or bread with melted or soft butter.  This is usually used on doughs containing milk as part of the liquid.

Summer Fruit Crostata

  This is an excellent variation of a summer fruit pie. Instead of using a pie crust the pastry is formed free style on a baking sheet. I have made it with various fruits. We like Peaches and plums the best. I rarely put the blueberries in. I will warn you that it is a little juicy and not as neat as a slice of pie. But, much easier to make and this is an excellent crust recipe. 

  Here again, I must say that the recipes in this Barefoot Contessa cookbook work just as written. The times and temperatures are right on. So nice whether you are an old hand at cooking or a newbie.

Summer Fruit Crostata

Ingredients

For the pastry 

1 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 cup granulated or superfine sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 pound (1 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

3 tablespoons (3 ounces) ice water

For the Crostata

1 pound ripe peaches, peeled

½ pound firm ripe black plums, unpeeled

½ pint fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup all purpose flour, divided

1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup granulated sugar, divided

¼ cup grated orange zest

2 tablespoons orange juice

¼ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold butter, diced

Directions

For the pastry

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor  fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and toss quickly (and carefully!) with your fingers to coat each piece of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, roll it into a ball,  Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the baking sheet. (I roll it on the parchment and then you can slide it on the baking sheet.)

For the filling:

Cut the peaches and plums in wedges and place them in a bowl with the blueberries. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the orange zest, and the orange juice. Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.

Combine the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt. Add the butter and mix until crumbly. Rub it with your fingers until it starts to hold together. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Gently fold the border of the pastry over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge.

Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Let the crostata cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Honey Vanilla Pound Cale

  This recipe from the Barefoot Contessa  is one of the closest I have come to a good plain pound cake. The kind you can use for a trifle, or strawberries and cream, etc. (Really like a very good Sara Lee pound cake,only much better). Just plain ones are hard to find a recipe for. This is why her cookbooks are among my very favorites and I use them often.

Honey Vanilla Pound Cake

¼ pound (2 sticks) butter at cool room temperature (just softened enough to push your finger in, no more than one hour)

1 ¼ cups sugar

4 extra large eggs at room temperature

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 cups sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

  Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease the bottom of an 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.

  In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light. Meanwhile, put the eggs, honey, vanilla, and lemon zest in a glass measuring cup, but do not combine. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the egg mixture, one egg at a time, scraping down the bowl and allowing each egg to mix well.   Sift together the flour salt and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, add it slowly to the batter until just combined. Finish mixing the batter with a rubber spatula and pour it into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, turn out onto a baking rack and cool completely.

Homemade Granola bars

  This recipe from the Barefoot Contessa is one of my favorites. The jury is still out on oatmeal for Celiac diets. I seem to be able to tolerate it. Do not buy your oatmeal at a bulk food store. There is too much chance of cross contamination. Also, of course, if you are wheat intolerant you will want to leave out the wheat germ. Other than that this is a great recipe for anyone and keeps well if you can hide it long enough. I must confess I am not a big fan of granola and I love these. They are moist, chewy and just plain good. I am going to give you the recipe with the wheat germ in it just omit it if you cannot eat wheat.

Homemade Granola Bars

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (I used regular as that was what I had on hand)

1 cup sliced almonds 

1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ (Optional)

3 tablespoons butter

⅔ cup honey

¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed (This is a different measurement)

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup chopped pitted dates chopped

½ cup dried apricots chopped

½ cup dried cranberries

  Preheat oven to 350°. Butter an 8 x 12 inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

  Toss the oatmeal, almonds and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Put mixture in a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ. (Since I did not use the wheat germ I added more nuts)

  Reduce the temperature to 300°. Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dried fruit and stir well.

    Put the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.