One of me and L's favorite things to do together is find new recipes and cook dinner. I thought I'd share our Saturday night menu with all of you. The first two recipes are courtesy of the Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics (photo: marthastewart.com)


Crispy Mustard Glazed Chicken

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub chicken breasts lightly with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Combine 2 tablespoons butter with the mustard; reserve 2 teaspoons for sauce. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter; mix with breadcrumbs and thyme, and season with salt and pepper.
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sear chicken skin side down until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Smear with mustard mixture, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Turn skin side up; apply mustard mixture and breadcrumbs.
4. Transfer skillet to oven, and roast until chicken is cooked through and top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Transfer chicken to serving platter. Add stock and cream to skillet over medium heat, and stir with wooden spoon until creamy and reduced to 3/4 cup, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in reserved mustard mixture. Strain through a fine sieve, and serve with chicken. Garnish with thyme.

Glazed Carrots with wholes spices and rosemary

• 2 pounds thin tender carrots
• Salt
• 3 Tablespoons packed light brown suger
• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 Teaspoon pink peppercorns (I used regular peppercorns)
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 whole star anise (we did not include this but feel free)

Bring lg. pot of water to boil; add 1 Tablespoon salt. Add carrots; cook until just tender (3-4 min). Immediately plunge into ice bath. Drain.

Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together honey, sugar, vinegar and peppercorns.

Heat oil in large over proof skillet over med-high heat. Add carrots, rosemary (and anise if you choose) stirring until carrots are tender ( about 5 min). Stir in honey mixture. Sea son with salt. Bring to a boil over medium hight heat turning carrots to coat.

Transfer skillet to oven. Roast carrots until slightly carmelized, 20-25 minutes. Drizzle with oil if desired.



To bring the meal together we added some grilled corn on the cob--yum! You can leave the corn in the husk if you like, we shucked the corn and wrapped the ears in foil adding salt, pepper and melted butter. Grill for about 10 minutes turning the corn every few minutes.

photo: bfeedme.com

xoxo,
EHK