Does anyone really need another recipe for a roast chicken?  I doubt it, but this version is so exceptionally easy, flavorful and juicy, that I had to share it.  It's a little unusual to roast a chicken in a cast iron pan, but once you try it, you will wonder why no one thought of this before.

Most of the prep work is done the day before, so an hour before dinner, you can get this in the oven in five minutes.  It's the world's easiest dinner.  This recipe is fast enough to serve on a weeknight to the family, but gorgeous enough to serve guests.



Roast Chicken and Potato Dinner

1 T. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 whole chicken, 3-4 #
4 T. butter, softened
2 lemons
4 medium size potatoes, cut into chunks
Optional: garlic infused olive oil and truffle salt


The night before you plan to cook the chicken, mix the salt and pepper in a small dish. Sprinkle the chicken all over with the mix, the gently work the mix under the skin of the breast (between the skin and the meat). Put the chicken in an uncovered bowl and refrigerate 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 400.

Place the chicken in a 12 inch cast iron skillet, breast side down. Place half the butter in he cavity and smear the rest on top of the bird. Cut lemons in half and place inside the cavity. Tie the legs together with a piece of kitchen twine.   Place the chicken in the hot oven and cook for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, add the potatoes to the pan. If you want, drizzle a little garlic infused oil over the potatoes for extra flavor. Cook an additional 50 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 165 F.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for 2 minutes. If the potatoes are not golden brown, remove the chicken to a cutting board to rest. Mix the potatoes well and return the pan to the oven for 5-10 minutes. When the potatoes are done, sprinkle with salt and pepper OR sprinkle with truffle salt.  

After the chicken has rested for 10 minutes, it is ready to carve. Serve with the pan drippings drizzled over the top.

Every once in a while, I need a shortcut in the kitchen.  As much as I am trying to eat healthy, home cooked meals and eliminate processed food from my family's diet, we all know that it is unrealistic to switch everything completly.  There are a few items that I will never give up.  One of them is Lipton Onion Soup mix.

Lipton Onion Soup brings back memories of childhood for anyone who grew up the 1970's and/or  1980's.  When I went to birthday parties as a child, my favorite snack was potato chips dipped in Lipton Onion Soup-sour cream dish. One afternoon, when I was pregnant with Jamie, I had a huge craving for potato chips and Lipton Onion Soup dip.  I waited days for it to pass, but it just got stronger.  I finally relented and drove to the grocery store to buy potato chips and sour cream (I already had the Liptons).  I got home and whipped up the dip in about 30 seconds.  I took it to the couch and consumed the entire bag of chips and almost the entire batch of dip!!!!!  I kept thinking to myself was, "This is the best food in the world".  I do not recommend doing this, because when I went to the doctor's office for my 6 month weigh-in, I had gained 9 pounds in one month!!  In addition to the chips and dip, the weight gain could probably be attributed to my new daily lunch that month.  I was working at a fitness store back then and took an hour or so for lunch.  I would go to a nearby sub shop, and get the large sub (12 inches), a bag of corn chips, and a candy bar!!!!  In addition, I would pick up a large chocolate milkshake from McDonalds to have with my lunch.

Another reason that I cannot give up this product is that it is so versatile!  Seriously, other than salt and pepper, I do not know of any ingredient that can be used for so many different dishes.  Brisket, fried rice, oven roasted vegetables, chicken, casseroles, potatoes, burgers, BBQ sauce, chili, pot roast, soup, meatloaf, and many others.  There is actually a "Copycat" recipe for the mix, that I have not tried, but you can check it out here.

Even David Lebovitz (author, chef, award wining pastry chef), who lives in Paris, makes Lipton onion soup dip, when entertaining the French in Paris!

It is inexpensive, especially if purchased in bulk from Costco, and very low in calories (but high in sodium).

This potato dish is ridiculously simpe and quick.  It is made with all pantry ingredients, so you can whip it up at the last minute.  I use the canned potatoes because they are cheap, easy to use and the perfect size, but you could boil your own peeled New Potatoes, and substitute then for the canned.

Quick and Simple Roasted Potatoes

4 (8oz.) cans peeled whole potatoes, drained

1 package Lipton onion soup mix

1 tsp. paprika

2 T. EVOO

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 9 X 13 roasting pan with nonstick spray.

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour or until potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Every once in a while, I need a shortcut in the kitchen.  As much as I am trying to eat healthy, home cooked meals and eliminate processed food from my family's diet, we all know that it is unrealistic to switch everything completly.  There are a few items that I will never give up.  One of them is Lipton Onion Soup mix.

Lipton Onion Soup brings back memories of childhood for anyone who grew up the 1970's and/or  1980's.  When I went to birthday parties as a child, my favorite snack was potato chips dipped in Lipton Onion Soup-sour cream dish. One afternoon, when I was pregnant with Jamie, I had a huge craving for potato chips and Lipton Onion Soup dip.  I waited days for it to pass, but it just got stronger.  I finally relented and drove to the grocery store to buy potato chips and sour cream (I already had the Liptons).  I got home and whipped up the dip in about 30 seconds.  I took it to the couch and consumed the entire bag of chips and almost the entire batch of dip!!!!!  I kept thinking to myself was, "This is the best food in the world".  I do not recommend doing this, because when I went to the doctor's office for my 6 month weigh-in, I had gained 9 pounds in one month!!  In addition to the chips and dip, the weight gain could probably be attributed to my new daily lunch that month.  I was working at a fitness store back then and took an hour or so for lunch.  I would go to a nearby sub shop, and get the large sub (12 inches), a bag of corn chips, and a candy bar!!!!  In addition, I would pick up a large chocolate milkshake from McDonalds to have with my lunch.

Another reason that I cannot give up this product is that it is so versatile!  Seriously, other than salt and pepper, I do not know of any ingredient that can be used for so many different dishes.  Brisket, fried rice, oven roasted vegetables, chicken, casseroles, potatoes, burgers, BBQ sauce, chili, pot roast, soup, meatloaf, and many others.  There is actually a "Copycat" recipe for the mix, that I have not tried, but you can check it out here.

Even David Lebovitz (author, chef, award wining pastry chef), who lives in Paris, makes Lipton onion soup dip, when entertaining the French in Paris!

It is inexpensive, especially if purchased in bulk from Costco, and very low in calories (but high in sodium).

This potato dish is ridiculously simpe and quick.  It is made with all pantry ingredients, so you can whip it up at the last minute.  I use the canned potatoes because they are cheap, easy to use and the perfect size, but you could boil your own peeled New Potatoes, and substitute then for the canned.

Quick and Simple Roasted Potatoes

4 (8oz.) cans peeled whole potatoes, drained

1 package Lipton onion soup mix

1 tsp. paprika

2 T. EVOO

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 9 X 13 roasting pan with nonstick spray.

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour or until potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

This month, our first Barefoot Blogger recipe is Ina's East Hampton Clam Chowder, chosen by Laura from Family Spice.

If you have never made homemade clam chowder before, this is the recipe to try.  Ina's recipes are fool-proof, they are written for the average home cook, use ingredients that can be found in most grocery stores and the results are worthy of a restaurant.  This clam chowder is flavorful, creamy, and rich.  It took about an hour to make and only uses two pots.

If I were having guests staying over my house for the holidays, I would definitely make this our first meal.  I would serve a huge pot of East Hampton Clam Chowder with a bowl of oyster crackers (or Phil's homemade pumpernickel bread); a pear, walnut and brie salad; and maybe a homemade chocolate cake for dessert.  I would go back on my low-carb, low-sugar diet the next day!

East Hampton Clam Chowder

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided

2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)

2 cups medium-diced celery (4 stalks)

2 cups medium-diced carrots (6 carrots)

4 cups peeled medium-diced boiling potatoes (8 potatoes)

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 quart (4 cups) clam juice

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

3 cups chopped fresh chowder clams (1 1/2 pounds shucked clams)

Directions

Melt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of the butter in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the clam juice, bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

In a small pot, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and whisk in the flour. Cook over very low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in a cup of the hot broth and then pour this mixture back into the cooked vegetables. Simmer for a few minutes until the broth is thickened.

Add the milk and clams and heat gently for a few minutes to cook the clams. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.

I am so excited about my introduction to Indian Cooking.  I was always intimidated by it because of the long list of strange ingredients.  Thanks to Aarti Sequeira of Aarti Paarti and winner of Next Food Network Star, I decided to give Indian cooking a try.  She explains Indian spices in a way that makes them seem as unintimidating as oregano.

These Samosas, which are savory Indian pastries, usually served at tea time, or as a starter course to a meal, are addictive.  When you bite into a warm samosa, you taste a combination of salty and sweet.  You will also taste the warm spices that infuse every bite.  You will feel the creaminess of the filling with contrast the crunchiness of the pastry, and then the sweet-spicy combination of a mango chutney that I like to serve on the side.   How can this not be delicious.

Usually Samosa's are deep fried, but this version, is baked.  The technique has been copied from Aarti Party, but I changed the recipe quite a bit.  Click here if you want Aart's original samosa recipe.  The original recipe calls for using puff pastry.  Here is the batch of samosas I made using puff pastry:

They were delicious, but very puffy and messy to eat.  I had a package of ready-made pie dough in the refrigerator (yes....I sometimes use ready made pie dough!!!), so I made the next batch with the pie dough.  That is what I photographed in the top picture.  It is easier to eat, less messy and, IMHO, looks nicer.  The puff pastry is lighter and crunchier and the pie dough is thinner and easier to eat.  They are both very easy to work with, so it is just a question of personal preference.

Vegetarian Samosas

printable version

Filling:

2 large potatoes, cooked and mashed

1 T. butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced

2 medium garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. dry mustard powder

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1/4 tsp. curry powder

1 mango, peeled, pitted and finely diced

1/2 c. cooked peas

cayenne pepper and kosher salt, to taste

big handful cilantro leaves, finely chopped

juice of 1/2 lime

Samosas:

2 pkgs. puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

1 tsp. water

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat butter in a large skillet. Add onions and saute for 2 - 3 minutes. Add carrots, garlic, ginger and mustard. Saute another 4 - 5 minutes until carrots are slightly soft.

Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.

Samosas:

Roll the puff pastry out slightly, to flatten the seams. Using a paring knife to trace a 7-inch ring mold or bowl, cut the dough into 8 (7-inch wide) rounds. Cut each into 2 semicircles.

Put a tablespoon or so of the filling in the center of a semicircle. Have a small bowl of water handy. Dip your finger in the water and run it along the edges of the semicircle. Arrange the samosas so the flat side is facing away from you. Grab the left corner and fold it over the dough in a triangular motion, so that this corner lands on the bottom right side of the filling. Do the same with the other corner.

Squeeze bottom shut, and fold over, sealing with water. If you like, seal using a fork. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Arrange the 8 samosas on a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and 1 teaspoon water with a fork until thoroughly combined. Brush the tops of the samosas with the egg wash.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 375 and bake for 10 more minutes.

Serve hot.

Optional: Serve with a mango or peach chutney on the side.

I usually don't like restaurant "Copycat" recipes.  With a few exceptions, like Houston's Spinach Artichoke Dip, the recipes are extremely complicated and time consuming to make (like restaurant dishes usually are).  One time I found a recipe for one of my favorite restaurant dishes, Chili's Southwestern Chicken Eggrolls (we had little kids at the time, we went to Chili's a lot).  I printed out the recipe.  It printed out in two pages, which already had me worried.  Then I began to make my grocery list.  Wow...it was long.  Then I read the entire recipe.  There were so many steps involved...cooking the chicken, cooking the filling, rolling the eggrolls, freezing the eggrolls, cooking the eggrolls, making the dipping sauce...  By the time I finished the shopping and preparation, I could have gone to Chili's and just ordered the darn dish.  Plus, if you factor in all of the groceries I had to buy, it wasn't any cheaper to make it at home.  Check out the recipe for yourself here, and see what you think.

Every once in a while, I would just check out the occasional "Copycat" recipe, more out of curiosity than any actual desire to make it.  Last week, Jamie had her wisdom teeth removed.  Obviously, she is on a soft food diet for the next few days.  I got a grocery list from her and one more simple request.  Could I possibly make the potato soup I made last winter?  "Sure, no problem."  Actually, there was a problem.  I made several different versions of potato soup over the past few years and I had no idea which one she wanted.

I pulled out my ridiculously large collection of recipes, and began to look through them, only to discover the only potato soup recipe I saved was one that I last made a least five years ago.  No problem, I went to one of my favorite recipe websites, typed into the search bar "Potato Soup" and about 100 recipes came up.  I then had the computer sort the recipes in order of popularity, and the Panera "Copycat" recipe came up near the top.  It had a 5 out of 5 star rating and over 450 reviews.  That was all I needed.  I saw a few changes I wanted to make (like sauteing the onions and adding in a shallot), but the recipe looked simple and delicious.

It may not be the most photogenic bowl of soup, but it is super yummy.  The ingredients are all pantry staples and the entire pot can be ready in under an hour.

Copycat Panera Creamy Potato Soup

4 cups chicken broth (homemade will really stand out in this soup)

4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes

1 T. butter

1 T. EVOO

1 chopped onion

1 shallot, minced

1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into chunks

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, saute onion in the butter and EVOO, until onion is soft.

Add in shallot and saute one more minute.

Add in broth, potatoes, and spices.

Boil on medium heat until potatoes are tender.

Smash a few of the potatoes to release their starch for thickening.

Reduce to low heat.

Add cream cheese.

Heat, stirring frequently, until cheese melts.

Adjust seasonings to taste.

Thank to my friend Stephanie for passing this on to me.

This is a commonly used technique called blanching.  I have used it for removing the skins of tomatoes, peaches and beets, but never potatoes.  Very clever!  Plus..doesn't Dawn Wells look fantastic?  I think she is 72?!?!!?!

Healthy and tastes good?  Sign me up!  This soup only looks like it has been thickened with cream, but all of the creaminess in this soup comes from pureed vegetables.  Loaded with flavor, filling and delicious, everyone will love this Creamy Artichoke Soup, recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentis.  If possible, use homemade chicken stock.  It adds an extra layer of flavor to this luscious soup, that makes it taste even more decadent, without adding any extra calories.

My good friend Melissa was organizing her cookbooks a few weeks ago, and came across her mother's copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", volumes 1 and 2.  These are original editions from 1963, and Melissa was kind enough to let me borrow them.  I was so thrilled!  I read cookbooks like they are novels.  Especially, with the movie "Julie and Julia" being released in a few weeks, I have had a renewed interest in French cooking.

I came home that afternoon, and began leafing through volume one.  The beginning of the book contains lots of good basic cooking information for a beginner cook....a chapter on basic culinary terminology, a chapter on measurements and temperature conversions, a basic cutting skills illustration, and some very basic wine information.  Then we get into the good stuff, the recipe chapters.....soups, sauces, eggs, fish, poultry, etc.

Any cookbook from 1963 is going to have parts of it that seem terribly outdated in 2009.  For example, when cooking one particular seafood dish, the recipe calls for pike.  If pike is not available, some suitable substitutes include silver hake, green or ocean cod, conger or sea eel.  Huh?  Also, there are 14 pages of recipes using sweetbreads, brains and kidneys.  Okaay...  Plus, there are entire chapters devoted to aspics, molded meat mousses (don't even ask!), pates and terrines.  I find it interesting to think that people actually prepared these recipes at one time (maybe they still do!).

After much debate on what recipe I should try first, I decided to try recipe #1.....Potage Parmentier...Leek and Potato Soup.  It is literally, the first recipe of the book.  Mainly because I had 6 huge leeks in my fridge, and I needed something to do with them before I ended up throwing them away.  Also, because it is one of the few simple recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  I have prepared Julia Child's recipes before, for a Gourmet Dinner group I was in.  Our theme was "Recipes by Julia Child".  I was shocked at how time consuming the recipes were, not to mention how much cream and butter was in each dish.  But the final results were delicious!  I believe I made a Scalloped Potato dish and a Chocolate Tart (this was years ago, I cannot remember my exact recipes).  I was cooking for 2 straight days!!!

This recipe calls for 5 ingredients...leeks, potatoes, salt, butter, and water.  If you don't have leeks, you could use yellow onions, but then it would be onion and potato soup.  I think leeks are much more French!

Julia Child's Potage Parmentier (aka Leek and Potato Soup)

1 # peeled potatoes, sliced or diced (4-5 medium potatoes)

1 # thinly sliced leeks (3-4 large leeks)

2 quarts (8 cups) of water

kosher salt to taste

4 T. softened butter or 4-6 T. whipping cream

After slicing the leeks, soak them in a large bowl of water for a few minutes to remove the dirt and grit.  Once you have thoroughly cleaned the leeks, place them in a large pot with the potatoes, water and salt.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 - 50 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Julia instructions are to mash the vegetables with a fork,

or to run the vegetables through a food mill.  She

specifically says to NOT run the soup through a

blender, stating that the consistency would be

too similar to baby food.  I do not have a food mill,

so I had to improvise.

I began by using my potato masher.  I thought this would be closest to mashing the vegetables with a fork.  It worked OK, but the resulting soup was too chunky for what I was going for.

I then pulled out my immersion blender.  That worked perfectly.  I think Julia would have approved.

Now, taste the soup for seasoning, adding more salt if needed.  At this point, you can set aside the soup until you are ready to serve it.  When ready to serve, reheat to a simmer.  Remove from heat and stir in the cream or butter (I used butter), small spoonfuls at a time.

Pour into a soup tureen or soup bowls.  Optional:  sprinkle the top with minced parsley or chives.

Next time I will use boxed chicken broth in place of the water, to add some extra flavor to the soup.  Even though I prepared this soup on a warm summer day, it really hit the spot.  Of course, it will be perfect on a cold, winter day, but it is a surprisingly refreshing summer soup.  Some variations that Julia suggests in the book are:

Watercress Soup - add in 1 c. packed watercress leaves and tender stems to the above recipe

Vichyssoise - same technique, but use 3c. sliced potatoes, 3 c. sliced white of leek, 1 1/2 c. chicken broth and 1/2c - 1 c. whipping cream; serve chilled

Cold Watercress Soup - self explanatory

Add any combination of the following vegetables to the leeks and potatoes:

sliced or diced carrots or turnips

peeled, seeded, chopped tomatoes

half cooked dried beans, peas or lentils

cauliflower

cucumber (?)

broccoli

lima beans

peas

string beans

okra

zucchini

spinach

mushrooms

cabbage