Maple-mustard Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potato and Asparagus

Friends, I have stumbled upon a beautiful combination of flavors.  It is sweet and savory, salty and succulent, and best of all, surprisingly healthy. The secret formula? Maple, sweet potatoes, and asparagus with a bold dash of mustard. Yep, it's heavenly.

I got the idea for the maple-mustard roasted chicken from Serious Eats.  I had some chicken in the fridge and that was about it, and I couldn't stand the thought of another plain old grilled chicken and potatoes or chicken with pasta and red sauce.  When I found this recipe online, I immediately just had to try it.  But I wanted to create something a little more colorful than potato wedges, and so I chopped up some asparagus and sweet potato I had on hand, popped it all in the oven, and bam! it was a gourmet weekday, without even trying!

Here's what you need.  Keep in mind that while this recipe doesn't take too long to prepare or cook, the chicken will be much more tender if you let in marinate for 2 -3 hours before cooking.  Plan ahead!

• 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbs maple syrup
• 3 tbs olive oil
• a dash of Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• Pepper to taste
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 sweet potato
• 1/2 lb asparagus, stalks cut into thirds
• 3 tbs feta cheese
• 3 tbs pecans

1. In a medium bowl, combine your vinegar, maple syrup, 1 tbs olive oil, mustard, 1/2 tsp of salt, and a dash of freshly ground pepper.  Mix well and then toss the chicken in, toss to coat, cover tightly, and let it marinate in the fridge for 2 - 3 hours. 
2. When you are ready to start cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  
3. Chop sweet potato into small cubes, and place in 9"x 13" baking dish. Drizzle in olive oil and shake them up to make sure they are coated, then sprinkle with the rest of the salt.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until they are tender but not entirely cooked.  
4. For an extra kick of flavor, I removed the sweet potato cubes from the pan and sauteed them in a large frying pan for 2-3 minutes to give them that wonderful charred flavor, and for an extra dose of heat to make sure they were good and tender before going back into the oven.
5. Put the sweet potatoes back into the baking dish, and add the chopped asparagus.  
6. In the same frying pan, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil over high heat and brown the chicken, about 2- 3 minutes on each side. Place on top of the asparagus and sweet potatoes.
7. Before baking, I sprinkled the top of the chicken and veggies with feta cheese and a handful of pecans to add more complexity to the dish.  Mix up the cheeses and the nuts,  or leave 'em out.  I'd love to hear other combination recommendations for this dish! Finally, pour the remainder of the marinade over the chicken and vegetables.
8. Pop the uncovered baking dish into the oven at 400 degrees and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the sweet potatoes are soft. 

This chicken dish immediately became one of my favorites.  It comes out looking elegant, and tastes divine.  And it is so simple.  If you enjoy this recipe and would like to continue finding more wonderful, weekly recipes at the Gourmet Weekday, please support our local business and pick up your very own veggies4u box, which is stuffed with the fresh vegetable ingredients you need to make the recipes you find here into reality.  

Much love,
 Deidre

Stove-top Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

This soup is the greatest soup of all time.  I made a huge pot of it on the snow day on Thursday because it is so comforting and just lovely all around.  The things I love about it most are a.) You can stuff it to the brim with completely fresh vegetables and herbs, b.) Making the melted buttery roux, which seems just magical to me and c.) That it is hearty enough to make even my husband groan about how full he is.

The recipe says that it makes 2 quarts, or about 8 servings.  Since there were only two of us eating, I tried to cut back a little on all the ingredients.  However, I have a teensy problem with soup - I go crazy and just throw everything I can find into it.  Add that to my lacking fraction skills and you end up with one huge pot of soup. Oh well - I ate some for lunch on Friday and some more today, and it was equally delicious!

*This recipe is adapted from Today'sMama.

So here's what you need:

• 3 cups diced tomatoes with juice (I have tried it with fresh AND canned tomatoes.  Do what you want - they're both amazing.  But my vote is that fresh is always better!)
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 1 cup finely diced carrots
• 1 cup finely diced onions
• 1 Tbsp fresh oregano or 1 Tsp dried
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (Ok, mine was from a plastic container. So what?)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 Tbsp fresh basil or 1 Tsp dried
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups half and half (You can use milk for a lighter version)
• 1 tsp salt

Before moving on, I have to be honest.  I am all for always making a healthier version, and I encourage you to do so most of the time, too.  But on my cold, snowy day stuck in the house, I wanted nothing more than a hearty, cream-filled soup and I didn't care how many fat calories it took to get there.  That being said, I used the butter, and created my own half & half by mixing my fresh cream with milk.  Yeah, so worth it.

1. Heat your oil in a large soup pot.  Add the celery, onions, and carrots and saute them for 5 or 6 minutes.  Then, add basil, oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes, and chicken broth.  Bring everything to a nice rolling boil, and then reduce to low heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
2. While the soup simmers, it's time to make the roux (yay!).  Melt the butter over low heat.  When it's melted, add the flour and stir constantly until it's smooth (about 5 minutes).  Then, slowly stir in 1 cup of hot soup.  Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth.  Add back into the soup pot.
3. Simmer, stirring constantly, until soup beings to thicken.  Add the Parmesan cheese and whisk to blend.  Stir in half & half and salt and pepper.  Simmer over low heat 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
   
   
   

Voila! You have a gorgeous tomato bisque soup that will warm you from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.  I served mine with a spinach salad, but some fresh bread would be another wonderful side to complete the meal.  

Much love, 

Deidre

Something Savory - Spinach and Spring Herb Torta in a Potato Crust

I am so excited about this torta. It's savory, it's healthy, and it's exuding freshness.  Plus, it's in a glorious potato crust that will make you feel super fancy and leave you in absolute awe of your own culinary cunning.  When my husband sat down at the table last night and saw the torta glowing in all its glory, his words were, "Wow baby! Did you actually make this?" Win.

I found this recipes from a lovely blog called Grown to Cook - it's chock full of ideas for how to create dinner excellence.  Here's what you're gonna need - you will find your veggies4u box already stuffed with the russet potatoes, spinach and fresh parsley.

• 3 large russet potatoes
• A splash of olive oil
• About 4 handfuls of spinach 
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup ricotta
• Fresh parsley
• 100 g feta
• Salt and pepper to taste

I tossed in some rosemary and onions to the mix - some of my favorite add-ins for basically everything I cook.  After a dinner full of thoughtful chewing and pretending we were flavor gurus, my husband and I also came up with a few extra ingredients that we thought would really give this torta a delicious pop, including chives, dill, a little bit of lemon zest,  and maybe a garlic clove or two.  I also accidentally left out the salt, pepper, and feta in my excitement over the potato crust and haste to get to yoga.  Don't do that. Get creative and be fearless - add something exciting!

Time to cook: 20 minutes preparation, 40 minutes in the oven

Peel your potatoes.  Cut two of them into thin, crosswise slices and cut the other into thin, lengthwise slices (these will be the outside of your crust).  

Heat your olive oil in a large skillet and let it get nice and hot.  Then, reduce your heat to medium, or medium-low if you're using a gas stove, and fry up your potatoes on both sides until they are golden brown.  Be careful - that oil is hot and will fly a bit.  I made a game out of standing as far as possible from the stove and trying to toss my potato slices into the skillet. Smart? Maybe not. Once your potatoes are tender, remove them from the skillet and set them aside on a paper towel. 

Add the spinach to the same pan and cook until wilted, about 3 or 4 minutes.  Make sure to rinse your spinach and let it stay wet - the water will prevent the spinach from sticking and burning in the skillet. 

Meanwhile, whisk together your eggs and ricotta in a medium bowl, and then add your herbs and feta. Chop your spinach and toss it into the mixture.  And don't forget your salt and pepper like I did!

At this point, your potatoes should be cooled enough to handle. Cover the bottom of a lightly buttered spring form pan (I used an 8 in) with the small, round potato slices, and line the long slices on the sides.  Pour in your ricotta and spinach mixture and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.  It should be firm and golden when you take it out. 

I paired the torta with this light green pear, pecan, and raspberry jam salad. 

Be careful when you take your torta out of the pan - ease it out gently with a spatula and transfer it to a plate.  I recommend serving it right out of the oven, but I had a leftover piece for breakfast this morning and it was heavenly.  Prepare to awe and inspire.  Happy gourmet weekday! 

With love, 

Deidre 

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