Robin’s Random Recipes

from the Episode: Streamlined Chicken Skillet Suppers

Be sure to use chicken breasts that are roughly the same size to ensure even cooking.

Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
Table salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion , minced
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
5 scallions , sliced thin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 lemon , cut into wedges, for serving

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour to coat and shake off any excess. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the chicken well on one side, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

2. Off the heat, add the butter to the skillet, and swirl to melt. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and return to medium-high heat until softened, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the rice thoroughly and let toast for about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in the wine and let the rice absorb it completely, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle the chicken into the rice, browned side facing up, including any accumulated juices. Cover and cook over medium heat until the thickest part of the chicken registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.

4. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Gently brush off and discard any rice clinging to the chicken, then tent the chicken with foil and set aside. Return the skillet of rice to medium-low heat, cover, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 8 to 12 minutes longer.

5. Off the heat, sprinkle the peas over the rice, cover, and let warm through, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions and lemon juice to the rice and gently fold them in. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

ok, made tacos tonight; kept track of ratios.
i used 2.4lb gr. beef. i recommend 2-2 1/2 lbs. if you don’t eat it all, grat leftovers, taco salad, sloppy joe, omlet.
then one can of tomato paste and 3-4 cans of water is good.
cumin:salt ratio is 2:1. so i used 4 tbl cumin to 2 tnl salt.
saute beef, drain,
stir in t paste/water, smush it around until combined.
add cumin/salt…stir well, let it simmer until it is good consistency.

ours were wonderful; a home grown tomato, ripe avocado, sharp chedder, lettuce, onion, salsa…yum! l, m

Brown Sugar – Ketchup Glaze
1/2 cup ketchup or chili sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons cider vinegar or white vinegar

Meat Loaf
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , chopped medium
2 medium cloves garlic , minced
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup whole milk or plain yogurt
1 pound ground beef chuck
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
2/3 cup Saltine crackers , crushed (about 16), or quick oatmeal, or 1 1/3 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
6 – 8 ounces bacon , thin sliced (8 to 12 slices, depending on loaf shape)

See Illustrations Below: Forming the Loaf

1. For the glaze: Mix all ingredients in small saucepan; set aside.
2. For the meat loaf: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining ingredients.
3. Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, and milk or yogurt. Add egg mixture to meat in large bowl along with crackers, parsley, and cooked onion and garlic; mix with fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture sticks, add additional milk or yogurt, a couple tablespoons at a time until mix no longer sticks.)
4. Turn meat mixture onto work surface. With wet hands, pat mixture into approximately 9-by-5-inch loaf shape. Place on foil-lined (for easy cleanup) shallow baking pan. Brush with half the glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping slightly and tucking only bacon tip ends under loaf, (see illustration 1, below).
5. Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Cool at least 20 minutes. Simmer remaining glaze over medium heat until thickened slightly. Slice meat loaf and serve with extra glaze passed separately.

This is one of my family’s favorite special occasion meals. The technique is from Alton Brown’s I’m Just Here For The Food.

Bone-in ribeye roast, first cut
2 cloves garlic, slivered
Olive oil
kosher salt
pepper

With a paring knife make 12-24 shallow cuts under the fat layer and insert slivers of garlic. Rub roast with oil. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Insert a probe thermometer.

It’s easier to carve if you cut the bones off (in one piece) and tie them back on. I carve with an electric knife so it doesn’t make much difference and I don’t bother, unless the butcher has already done it for me.

Preheat oven to 250F. (You want the roast at room temperature for an hour before cooking, so heat the oven after doing the prep work.)

Place the meat in a roasting pan, bones down. If it’s boneless, use a roasting rack.

Cook at 250F to an internal temperature of 120F.

How long will this take? Good question. The good news is you can let it rest before the final browning for a while to let the side dishes catch up, if necessary. The total time depends on the starting temperature, the weight, and whether it’s boneless. I’ve made notes the last few times I’ve made it, and a 3.7 lb bone-in roast took 2:15 to go from 42F to 120F, while a 6.3 lb boneless roast took 2:55. Take from that what you will. Remember that the temperature’s the important thing, the times are very very general guidelines.

Remove from the oven and tent with foil. Turn the oven up to 450F. Once the oven is up to temperature remove the foil and thermometer (unless yours is okay at high heat) and return the roast to the oven. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown and delicious.

Rest under foil for 15 minutes, carve, and serve with Yorkshire pudding.