Lemon-oregano Roast Chicken and Potatoes

Everybody needs a good roast chicken recipe. This one, is definately a contender because a) it's roasted in pieces, so it cooks reasonably quickly and is easier to serve, and b) the side dish cooks right along with it. And, while it's cooking, your house smells great.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2. 3 large garlic cloves, minced
3. 3 teaspoons dried oregano, divided use
4. 2 1/4 pounds red-skinned potatoes, each cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
5. Salt and pepper to taste
6. 1 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
7. 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush large rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons oil. Combine remaining 4 tablespoons oil, garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano in a bowl. Add potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper. Sprinkle chicken with remaining oregano, then salt and pepper. Arrange chicken, skin side up, in single layer in center of prepared baking sheet. Arrange potatoes around chicken. Drizzle chicken with lemon juice and any remaining oil mixture from bowl of potatoes.
2. Roast chicken and potatoes until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Notes

Baked Ziti

I saw this Baked Ziti in The Biggest Loser Cookbook. It uses fat-free ricotta cheese and a bit less mozzarella than other recipes might employ, along with whole-wheat ziti. And this version is meatless.It's a decent facsimile of the more sinful classic. And it's easy to make ahead and take to a potluck, although it does take a while to reheat (at least 30 minutes at 350 degrees).

Yield:

Serves 8

Ingredients

1. one 14 1/2 ounce box fiber-enriched ziti or penne
2. one 15-ounce container fat-free ricotta cheese
3. 2 large egg whites
4. 2 cups finely shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (divided use)
5. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
6. Salt, to taste
7. Ground black pepper, to taste
8. Crushed red pepper flakes, to taset
9. 3 1/2 cups low-fat, low-sodium marinara sauce (divided use)
10. 2 tablespoons grated reduced-fat parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly mist a 13-by-9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish with olive oil spray.
2. Cook the ziti according to package directions until al dente. Drain. In a large mixing bowl, mix ricotta, egg whites, and 1 cup of the mozzarella until well combined. Add the garlic powder and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the cooked pasta until well combined.
3. Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish. Add half the pasta in an even layer over the sauce. Top the pasta evenly with another 1 cup sauce. Layer the remaining pasta over the sauce. Spoon remaining sauce evenly over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan over the top.
4. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the mozzarella is melted. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces or spoon among 8 bowls and serve.

Notes

Orange Chicken With Scallions

The economy is so bad that even pretty cheap Chinese takeout food has become a luxury. And since January is the month when we all look at the scale and gasp, it's also not a great time to indulge in delicious but fattening crispy Orange Chicken.The good news about this recipe from the latest annual cookbook from Fine Cooking is that it replicates the takeout version really well. Serve it over rice and you've got a quick, affordable family meal...

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 1 large navel orange
2. 1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
3. 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
4. 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
5. 1⁄8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6. 2 pounds chicken thighs or boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes (skin removed)
7. 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
8. 2 extra-large egg whites
9. 1⁄3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
10. 4 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
11. 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (keep whites and greens separate)

Directions

1. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the zest from the orange in long, wide strips. If necessary, remove any large patches of bitter white pith from the zest strips with a paring knife. Juice the orange into a small bowl and mix with the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes.
2. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt. In a mini chopper or food processor, process the egg whites, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt until smooth. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the cornstarch batter.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or large stir-fry pan over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Using tongs, transfer about half the chicken to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, flipping every minute or so, until the chicken browns and crisps all over and is firm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes. With clean tongs, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and repeat the cooking process with the remaining chicken; transfer to the plate.
4. Put the orange zest strips in the skillet and cook, stirring, until they darken in spots, 15 to 30 seconds. Stir the orange juice mixture and add it to the pan. Let it boil for about 10 seconds and then add the chicken and the scallion whites. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce reduces to a glaze and the chicken is just cooked through—check by cutting into a thicker piece—1 to 2 minutes. If the chicken isn’t cooked through but the glaze is cooking away, add a couple tablespoons of water and continue cooking. Serve sprinkled with the scallion greens.

Notes

Blue Moon Pancakes

Pancake recipes often require the cook to combine the wet and dry ingredients separately, to mix them gently and let the batter "rise" before ladling it onto a griddle. Other recipes call for cake flour to give the pancake more density. Separating wet and dry is just a hassle, in this recipe, you throw it all in together, stir it up and you are ready to go.The result is a slightly thinner pancake, but one that is more than just a way to serve fruit or syrup. Simington's secret is vanilla. A lot of vanilla.

Yield:

Makes 4 to 6 five-inch pancakes or 12 to 14 silver-dollar pancakes

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 tablespoon baking powder
3. 2 eggs
4. 2 to 3 tablespoons vanilla
5. 1 1/2 cups milk
6. 3 tablespoons melted butter
7. 3 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and stir until lumps are gone. Ladle onto a hot (350 degrees) griddle coated with vegetable oil or clarified butter.
2. If you would like to add extra ingredients, such as chocolate chips or berries, sprinkle them on the wet side of the pancake now, while the underside cooks.
3. Look for bubbles on the wet surface (a sign that the air is cooking out of the pancakes), or use a spatula to peek underneath, making sure the pancake is golden brown. Flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Serve with syrup, whipped cream and more berries or chocolate chips.

Notes

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

Really faithful readers will remember an early Dinner Together attempt at Vegetable Mac 'n' Cheese, which the grownups liked but the kids did not.This mac 'n' cheese fared much better, with a big added bonus: you make it in a skillet, and it takes just about 20 minutes instead of the longer prep time needed for the baked version.The kids ate well, though Leah commented that it needed more cheese. (With 4 cups in it already, I don't recommend adding more.)

Yield:

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1. 3 1/2 cups water
2. one 12-ounce can evaporated milk (divided use)
3. 1 pound elbow macaroni
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
5. 1 teaspoon cornstarch
6. 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
7. 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, to taste
8. 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
9. 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
11. Pepper to tste

Directions

1. Bring the water, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, macaroni, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a large nonstick skillet over high heat, stirring often, until the macaroni is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup milk, cornstarch, mustard, and hot sauce together, then stir the mixture into the skillet. Continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
3. Off the heat, stir in the cheeses, one handful at a time, adding water as needed to adjust the sauce's consistency. Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Notes