Recipes

In the novel, my main character, Grace loves to cook. Here are some of the recipes for the foods mentioned in the story. I've made most of them at one time or another, or someone else has, and they are all delicious. Enjoy!
 
Conversions from US to metric

BLT Dip

I would probably add some onion powder or dried onion to this, but it's yummy without it.

  • 1 c. mayonnaise
  • 1 c. sour cream
  • 1 lb. bacon
  • 2 med. tomatoes
Cook bacon until crispy, drain grease, dice tomatoes, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, bacon and tomatoes, mix well.

Garlic-Roast Chicken w/ Potatoes

I'd never roasted a chicken before, but this turned out well. Brining really helps keep it moist, and you only have to brine this one for an hour, so it's fairly quick. If you're using a kosher chicken, skip the brining or it will be too salty.

For the brine:

  • 1/2 cup table salt
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4-lb chicken, giblets removed
Combine salt, garlic and rosemary in a sealable plastic bag; seal, pressing air out. Pound with the flat side of a meat pounder, or a rolling pin, until garlic cloves are crushed. Transfer mixture to a stockpot and stir in 2 cups of hot tap water; let stand 10 minutes to release flavors. Add 1-1/2 quarts cold tap water and stir until salt is dissolved. Submerge chicken in brine and refrigerate for one hour.

Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels (so skin will crisp). Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set v-rack in a small roasting pan and lightly oil.

Garlic-Rosemary Paste:

  • 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary (be careful not to include any stem or it will be bitter)
  • 2 med cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
  • 1/8 tsp table salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + more for brushing the chicken
Stir together rosemary, garlic, salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1 Tbsp oil in small bowl. Rub about 1-1/2 tsp of paste in cavity of chicken. Carefully loosen skin over breast and thigh on each side; slip half of remaining paste under skin on each side of breast, then, using fingers, distribute paste over breast and thigh by rubbing surface of skin. Rub all sides of chicken with 2 tsp of oil and season with pepper. Set chicken breast-side down on prepared v-rack and roast 15 minutes.

Potatoes:

  • 1-1/2 lbs small red potatoes, quartered
  • 10 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 1-1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp table salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
During first 15 minutes of roasting, toss potatoes, unpeeled garlic cloves, olive oil and salt and pepper in medium bowl. After chicken has roasted 15 minutes, scatter potatoes and garlic in single layer in roasting pan; roast for another 15 minutes.

Remove roasting pan from oven; decrease temperature to 375 degrees. Using tongs, rotate chicken breast-side up; brush breast with 1 tsp oil, and stir potatoes. Continue to roast until chicken is medium golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breat and thigh registers about 160-175 degrees, respectively (about 55-60 mins for a 3-1/2 lb chicken and 60-65 mins for a 4-lb chicken). Transfer chicken to a large plate.

While chicken rests, transfer potatoes and garlic to a large paper towel-lined plate and pat with additional paper towels.

 

Horseradish Escalloped Potatoes

I had a something similar to this at the Bellagio breakfast buffet and I searched and searched until I found it, because it's soooooooooo delicious.

  • 3-1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1-3/4 tsp salt
  • 6 Tbsp horseradish, more or less depending on your tastes
  • 2-1/2 lbs Idaho potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (1/8" thk on a mandoline)
In a medium bowl combine cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in horseradish, tasting for strength. In a 13 x 9-inch nonreactive baking dish, layer the potatoes. Pour the horseradish-cream over the potatoes. Bake in upper third of a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until bubbling, potatoes are tender, and top is nicely browned. Cover with foil and let stand in a warm place for 10-30 minutes before serving.


Lemon-Chive Biscuits

I never realized that biscuits could be anything but biscuits, these are particularly tasty (like Grace, I love lemons).

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup cold butter
  • 3/4 cup half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh chives
  • 1-2/3 tsp grated lemon peel
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp water
     
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream just until moistened. Stir in chives and lemon peel. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times. Pat or roll out to 3/4" thk; cut with a floured 2-1/2" biscuit cutter (or inverted drinking glass). Place 2" apart on a greased baking pan. In a small bowl, whisk egg and water; brush over biscuits. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Garlic Butter

I kind of play this one by ear, but this is the basic "recipe."

  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Butter, softened
  • Salt
Put the minced garlic in a ramekin with a little water, microwave for 10-15 seconds so that it's cooked a little. Drain. After it cools for 5 minutes or so, add about 1/4 cup butter and salt (to taste) and mix. Roll in waxed paper, stick it in the refrigerator, and slice into disks to serve. It's good with any kind of bread or veggies.

You can also mix honey and butter, or add spices or jelly to butter... compound butter has infinite possibilities... it's easy, and it impresses the hell out of people.
 

Onion Dip

Feel a little silly posting this one... it's hardly a recipe, but here goes:

  • (1) package Onion Soup Mix (I like to break the dried onion up by smooshing the package before I open it)
  • 16-oz Sour Cream (reduced fat actually tastes better to me, more of a twang, but you do what you want)
  • Chips or veggies
Mix that together in a bowl.  Don't you feel all chef-y now?  My mom adds chopped pecans to her dip, so I like mine that way sometimes, too.  I can eat this by the spoonful (and have been known to lick the plate).  I eat it as soon as it's all stirred up, but mom likes to let hers set for at least an hour.
 

Cream Cheese, Chive, Bacon, Croissant... um... Thingys

A friend of mine made this and they were amazing. I even made them for dinner one night.

  • 8 oz Cream cheese; room temperature
  • 2 Tbsp Chopped green onions
  • (1) 8-oz pkg refrigerated crescent rolles
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a small bowl combine the cream cheese, bacon, and onions until well mixed. Cut the dough for each crescent roll in half, to form two triangles. Place a teaspoonful of cream cheese mixture in the center of each triangle of dough. Fold the dough over the cheese and pinch the edges together. Place the rolls on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.
 

Neeps and Tatties

I haven't actually made this one, but I will someday.

Neeps: peel and quarter turnips. Boil until tender. Mash well, season with butter, salt and pepper to taste

Tatties: peel and quarter potatoes. Cover with water and bring to boil, cook until tender. Mash and whip in milk. Butter, salt and pepper to taste

Or if you're more adventurous and want to try haggis too, try this recipe (honestly, the haggis I tasted was like cajun dirty rice, it wasn't bad, but not something I could eat alot of in one sitting) http://www.realepicurean.com/2008/05/haggis-neeps-and-tatties/


Butterbeer

  • 500 ml ale (16.9-oz)
  • Yolks from 2 medium eggs, whisked
  • 60g sugar (a little less than 1/3 cup)
  • Dash of nutmeg
  • 15g unsalted butter (1 Tbsp)
Pour the ale into a warm pan on a medium heat. When the beer begins to come to the boil take off the heat and add the whisked egg yolks, sugar and nutmeg.

Return the pot to a low heat (to stop the eggs from scrambling)* and stir for 2 minutes. Take off the heat and whisk in the butter. Decant into your finest flagon and chug.

* I would temper the eggs by adding some of the warm beer to the eggs, stirring, and then transferring the egg mixture to the pan with the beer in it...

Tomato and Green Olive "Salad"

This isn't book-related, it's just really simple and really good, especially if you can find homegrown tomatoes that are picked at the right time... nothing in the world is as good as a ripe tomato!

1 red, ripe tomato, diced - or - several grape tomatoes sliced in half
4 to 5 green olives sliced

Combine the two and add some of the olive juice to the bowl. Voila, you can adjust the ratio to suit your tastes.

Chocolate-Avocado Shake

From A Lyon in the Kitchen. Sounds intriguing, and healthy. Hell, I tried butterbeer so I'm not afraid of this! (Update - I tried it, and it was good, but you definitely need to make sure the avocado is completely pulverized, I kept getting little bits of it that I had to chew)

1 ripe avocado, peeled and seeded
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk or 1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
2 cups vanilla flavored rice, soy, or almond milk
(If using 2 cups plain milk, add 1 teaspoon ‘pure’ vanilla extract plus an extra splash of condensed milk)
2 shots espresso, optional
1 cup crushed ice

Optional garnish:
Shaved chocolate
Whipped cream

Put ice, milk of choice, avocado, cocoa, and sweetened condensed milk (or honey) and espresso into a blender and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.  Serve.

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