Meatloaf

Adapted from Ina Garten and Recipe Tin Eats

Ingredients:

• 50 g panko breadcrumbs (Note 1)
• 1 large onion , grated (brown, yellow)
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• ½ cup peas, frozen or fresh
• 1 kg / 2 lb ground meat (minced), not lean (I like ½ pork)
• 2 eggs
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 55 g tomato ketchup
• 2 tsp dried basil (optional)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat the olive oil or butter in a medium saute pan. Add the carrots & celery & peas, thyme, and cracked pepper and cook over medium-low heat, cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, until the carrots are tender, stirring every so often. Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce and ⅓ cup ketchup. Cook for another minute and remove from heat to cool slightly.
3. Place breadcrumbs in a very large bowl. Grate onion over breadcrumbs and mix until all wet. Then, combine the ground meat, herbs, and eggs. Use your (very clean) hands to mix them together until everything is evenly distributed. Don’t mash or the meatloaf will be dense!
4. Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper or place the meatloaf mixture into a loaf pan (5- x 9-inch) and press to make compact in the pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top.
5. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven, under the meatloaf, will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot. Stand for 10 minutes before turning out and cutting into thick slices. You will probably get a bit of crumbling just on the edges of the first couple of slices,

I accidentally bought seasoned breadcrumbs with 100% Pecorino Romano Cheese, so the cheese melted out.

Ideal served with a dollop of ketchup, creamy mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables. The meatloaf makes great leftovers, just chill and reheat. Slices are good in sandwiches as well. My mother used to make a recipe we really enjoyed as children, with peas! So much better than the diner.

~Jessica

Instant Pot chicken soup

Adapted from Alton Brown (directions from A Saucy Kitchen)

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 medium carrots, cut into half-moons
• 4 stalks celery, cut into half-moons, with the leaves reserved for garnish
• 2 large leeks, green tops removed and reserved, whites cut into half-moons
• 1 (20- to 30-gram) packet mixed dried mushrooms
• 10 black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 5-lb (2-kg) roaster chicken, cut into 8 to 10 pieces, with the skin removed
• 2 quarts (< 2 L) water, filtered or good-tasting tap
• ¼ cup (60 mL) shoyu (we used soy sauce)
• 1 – 2 tsp (~8 g) shichimi togarashi (basically ground red chili pepper & ginger)
• 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into quarter-moons
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt (optional)
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste, optional
• Freshly ground black pepper, for serving

Directions:

1. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the Instant Pot and press the “Sauté” button.
2. When the oil is simmering, add the chopped onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook for about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the chicken breast-side-up to the pot (whole chicken) and cover with chicken stock, water and add the bay leaves.
4. Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button to stop the sauté function. Secure the lid and make sure the steam valve is set to closed. Press ‘Soup’ and set a timer for 30 minutes.
5. After the time is up the Instant Pot will automatically switch to ‘keep warm’. Let it keep warm for at least 15 minutes before releasing the steam valve. Jesse did a full natural release, but maybe would stop after 15-20 minutes.
6. Once the steam has been fully released after opening the steam valve, remove the lid of the instant pot. Use a pair of tongs or slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the pot. Transfer to a plate or bowl to shred. The chicken will likely come apart as you remove it from the pot so be careful and move it slowly so that the hot soup doesn’t splash on you.
7. Remove the chicken from the skin and bones and discard the remaining carcass and cartilage. Shred the chicken meat into bite sized pieces.
8. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot along with the lemon juice and fresh herbs (we only had dried herbs, no fresh). Give everything a good stir then taste and season with more salt, pepper and lemon juice as needed. How much salt you add at the end will depend on how salty your stock was.
9. Serve warm and enjoy. Leftovers will keep in the fridge up to 5 days. Once completely cooled you can freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months.

Jesse made this while I was at work this past week. Next time, I would add the mushrooms (they didn’t fit in the pot) so we would get a 3-4 lb. chicken instead of the 5.5 lbs we could only find with a “natural” label. Jesse made me chicken soup when I was sick before, and my friend recommends white cut chicken when someone is sick, but no one was sick this time; it’s just really cold out this week.

~Jessica

Fricassee de poulet a l’ancienne

Adapted from RecipeTin Eats and a Julia Child adaptation

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds of chicken (drumsticks, thighs, bone-in chicken breasts or mix of all)
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 2 medium-sized carrots, diced finely
• 2 celery stalk, diced finely
• 1 medium white onion, diced finely
• 3 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
• Salt & white pepper
• 3 tablespoon flour
• 3 cups of chicken stock, boiling hot
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• Small herb bouquet: (2 parsley springs, 2 thyme sprigs, and 1 bay leaf — tied in a cheesecloth)
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• Dash of fresh nutmeg

for the Stewed Mushrooms (Champignons à Blanc):

• 8 ounces small cremini mushrooms or fresh baby bella mushrooms, quartered
• juice of half lemon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ cup water
• Salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Pat the chicken pieces down with a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
2. Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Place a few pieces of the seasoned chicken in the dutch oven skin side down, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. I recommend frying in batches to get a nice color on the chicken. Once the chicken pieces are nicely browned, remove them from the pot and set aside.
3. In the now empty dutch oven, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Sauté the mirepoix (carrots, celery and onions) over medium high heat and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper to your tastes. Once the mirepoix has softened, add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Continue cooking for about 30 seconds to 1 minute to cook off the flour.
4. Add the wine to the pot and stir, picking up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Then add the chicken stock. The liquid should start to thicken a bit.
5. Add the herb bouquet and chicken back to the pot, nestled on top of the vegetables. Make sure the liquid covers the chicken and add additional chicken stock or water if needed. Taste for seasoning. Cover the dutch oven and cook at a low simmer for 30-35 minutes.
6. For the stewed mushrooms (which should be done while the chicken fricassee is simmering): Bring the water, butter, lemon juice to boil in a small saucepan. Add the mushrooms and stir, ensuring they are covered by liquid. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside until until called for below (step 9).
7. Uncover the dutch oven and increase heat to high. Let the sauce reduce and thicken. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
8. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the egg yolks and heavy cream and whisk to combine. Carefully add a few spoonfuls of sauce from the dutch oven to the egg and cream mixture, while continually whisking. Be careful to not let the eggs scramble. Continue to add the sauce to the egg and cream mixture until it becomes warm to the touch. At that point, add the egg liquid mixture into the dutch oven. Mix well and the sauce should be a beautiful golden liquid.
9. Bring the dutch oven to a boil and taste for seasonings, adding salt and pepper as needed. Add the lemon juice and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Bring the heat down to a low simmer and add the braised onions and mushrooms; stirring well to incorporate.
10. Add 2 tablespoons of softened butter and chopped fresh Italian parsley to the pot and stir again. Serve the chicken fricassee with steamed rice or creamy mashed potatoes. Garnish with additional Italian parsley if desired.

Lotta work, especially if you make the Champignons à Blanc and the oignons glacés à blanc. I like Julia Child’s chicken fricassee — think chicken pot pie reduction — but I think the payoff to work ratio was better for the chicken supreme! It’s nice to explore more French cuisine, mostly because it’s usually a lot of added steps and rarely a one-pot meal. I topped off with fresh cilantro, rather than the more traditional parsley.

~Jessica

Lentil soup with sausage

Adapted from Recipe Tin Eats

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped (white, brown, yellow)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large carrot , chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 2 celery ribs , chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 2 cups / 400g dried lentils , green or brown, rinsed (Note 1)
• 400g / 14 oz crushed tomato
• 1.5 litres (6 cups) vegetable or chicken stock / broth, low sodium
• 1/2 tsp each cumin and coriander powder
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika powder
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 lemon (all zest + 1/4 lemon juice)
• 1/4 tsp salt and pepper, each
• 1 lb. hot Italian sausage

TO SERVE

• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• Warm bread, to serve

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it starts to brown, about five minutes.
2. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add celery and carrot. Cook for 7 – 10 minutes or until softened a bit and the onion is sweet. Don’t rush this step, it is key to the flavour base of the soup.
4. Add all remaining ingredients except the lemon and salt. Stir. 
5. Increase heat and bring to simmer. Scoop scum on the surface off and discard (do this again during cooking if required). Place lid on and turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 35 – 40 minutes or until lentils are soft.
6. Remove bay leaves. If blending, remove sausages before doing the next step.
7. Thicken Soup: Using a stick blender, do 2 or 3 quick whizzes to thicken the soup (see video below). Or transfer 2 cups to a blender, let it cool slightly, then hold lid with tea towel and blend then transfer back into pot.
8. Add a touch of water if you want to adjust soup consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grate over the zest of the lemon then add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve with warm crusty bread slathered liberally with butter!

Start checking if the lentils are done at around 30 minutes. Use dried lentils instead of canned lentils. We used leeks instead of celery and Trader Joe’s baby carrots of many colors. If you want more kick, feel free to add some chili powder, or double the spices above! I never grew up with lentils or pulses at all, so discovering them in grad school from the South Asian PhD students in my department was a real revelation. After some internet research, I’ve learned the difference between brown, green, and red lentils (I got red for this attempt, might try brown next time):

• Brown Lentils: most common variety of lentil, generally have a mild, earthy flavor; cook in about 20 to 30 minutes and hold their shape very well
• Green Lentils: have a robust, somewhat peppery flavor; generally take the longest to cook, upwards of 45 minutes, but they keep a firm texture even after cooking; ideal for salads and other side dishes.
• Red Lentils: the sweetest and nuttiest of the lentils; usually done in about 30 minutes; tend to get mushy when cooked through, so perfect for Indian daals and other curries, or for thickening soups; find them in Indian or Middle Eastern markets labeled as masoor (red lentils) or channa (yellow lentils).

~Jessica

Pollo alla cacciatora

Adapted from Giallo Zafferano and Il Cucchiao d’Argento

Ingredients:

• 1 (2-3 lb.) chicken cut into 8 pieces or 4 wings and 4 thighs
• a knob of butter
• 800 g (28 oz) tomato pulp, peeled
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 stick of celery
• 1 carrot
• ½ cup (100 g) Red wine
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 sprig of Italian parsley, chopped
• EVOO (olio extravergine di oliva)
• salt
• black pepper

Directions:

1. Put the meat in a saucepan with the butter, three tablespoons of oil and the sliced ​​onion. Brown them well for about 15 minutes.
2. Then add the onion, chopped carrot, and celery. Saute until aromatic, then add the garlic. Add the wine, then chopped tomato pulp.
3. Mix well, add a ladle of hot water and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and cook for another 40-45 minutes or until the meat is cooked and the sauce reduced. If it gets too dry, you can add a little hot water during cooking.
4. At the end add the salt and a pinch of pepper. Let the chicken cacciatore rest for about ten minutes in the heat, then serve with a handful of chopped parsley.

I picked up a container of mirepoix at Trader Joe’s and was looking for recipes for which I could use it.

~Jessica

Potato soup

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 6 slices thin bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
• 1 whole medium onion, diced
• 3 whole carrots, scrubbed clean and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 6 whole small russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 8 c. low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. milk (omitted)
• ½ c. heavy cream
• ½ tsp. salt, more to taste Black pepper, to taste
• ½ tsp. spice mix (e.g. Sazón with Saffron)
• paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. minced fresh parsley (subbed with arugula)
• 1 c. grated cheese of your choice (optional)

Directions:

1. If you’re using meat, add bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook bacon until crisp and fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside. Pour off most of the grease (I save this in a jar for cooking), but do not clean the pot.
2. If you’re not using meat, add some butter to your pot. Return the hot to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so, then add the diced potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt, pepper, and spice mix.
3. Pour in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together the flour and the milk, then pour into the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Blend with immersion blender, taste for seasonings, adding more of what it needs. Stir in cream, then stir in your greens, reserving a little for garnish.
5. Serve in bowls garnished with greens, grated cheese and crisp bacon pieces.

I used the wonderful Dutch oven to cook this, and my immersion blender — highly recommend both pieces of kitchen cookware. I also had plenty of Sazón with Saffron leftover from that fideo soup, so added that packet. We had some leftover arugula from this excellent salad, so I added that instead of parsley for fresh greens. I’m so glad I was able to find an immersion blender at HomeGoods for making lovely soups easy — a food processor can be so explosive! I needed the baby carrots, celery, and potatoes for science lab experiments (prepping for next school year), so I was inspired to try a recipe like this.

~Jessica

LotR Rosie’s Shire pie

Adapted from Middle-earth Recipes. Serving size: “4 – 6 hungry little hobbits”

Ingredients:

• 1 pound whole mushrooms
• 1 pound ground sausage
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, diced (we used 1 leek)
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1/4 Cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 Cups chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 teaspoon sage (we subbed with 2 bay leaves)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 pie crust (if not using cornmeal crust)

Directions:

1. Clean mushrooms and cut into quarters. 
2. Crumble the sausage & place in a large, deep pan.  Cook over medium heat. 
3. Add onions, garlic, then celery and carrot, and cook about 5 minutes. 
4. Add mushrooms and cook 5 minutes more until vegetables are tender. 
5. Stir in flour and cook a couple of minutes, still stirring. 
6. Add wine and half of the stock, stirring and working out any lumps.  Add remaining stock and bring to a boil. 
7. Turn heat to low, add herbs, salt and pepper and cook 10 minutes. 
8. Pour into deep pie dish or 8×8 baking dish and set aside.
9. Place pie dough over top of filling in pie dish. Bake pie at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or so, until crust is lightly browned and filling is bubbly.

Cornmeal Crust (makes enough for two pies)
Mix 1 3/4 c. flour, 3/4 c. yellow cornmeal, and 1 tsp. salt in a large bowl. Cut in 1/2 lb. cold butter. Add 1/4 c. shortening and continue to work dough until texture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle 1/3 – 1/4 c. ice water over dough and knead with hands. Refrigerate dough 30 minutes to 24 hours (can also be frozen). Roll dough on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness.

I am not a baker, so I usually just buy pre-made pie crust. Eat this with green salad and warm bread. #LotR We currently have a crop of fresh marjoram, rosemary, thyme — so a sprinkling of those we added to the stew because we didn’t have a bottle of dry white wine. I would use different sausages next time than the random breakfast sausages I found at the local farmer’s market.

~Jessica

Polpette al sugo (Italian meatballs)

Adapted from Lidia and Recipe Tin Eats

Yield: 6 servings, plus about 3 quarts extra (total of about 4 dozen meatballs and 3 quarts sauce)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano (omitted)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped (basil sub!)
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (or parmesan), freshly grated

Sauce ingredients:

• 2.5 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
• black pepper
• 1 fresh bay leaves, or 2 small dried bay leaves
• 3 tsp dried Italian herb mix (parsley, basil, thyme, oregano)
• 1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes
• 24 oz / 700 g tomato passata, preferably San Marzano
• 1 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, optional to serve

Directions:

1. Grate the onion using a standard box grater in a large bowl until you have about 1/2 cup of grated onion and juices. 
2. Add bread, mix to combine so the onion juice soaks the bread and disintegrates. Set aside while you prep the other ingredients (5 min or so).
3. Add all the remaining Meatball ingredients. Use hands to mix well.
4. Measure out a heaped tablespoon and roll lightly to form a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. (Note 5)
5. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large non stick fry pan over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and brown all over – about 3 – 4 minutes. 
6. When they are browned but NOT cooked through, carefully transfer them onto a plate.

Sauce Directions:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil into the fry pan. 
2. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add the remaining Sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer, then turn down to medium low so it bubbles gently rather than splattering everywhere. Let simmer for 2 hours.
3. Carefully transfer the meatballs and any juices that have pooled on the plate into the Sauce.
4. Cook the meatballs for 8 – 10 minutes, turning and stirring occasionally. Adjust Sauce salt and pepper to taste.
5. While the meatballs are cooking, cook your pasta of choice.
6. Serve the meatballs on pasta, garnished with extra parmesan and parsley if using.

I wanted to cook Lidia’s recipe authentically, but it was so much quantity! And I’m not a fan of beef, much less veal, so… I incorporated another website (she has delicious chicken stew!) that fried the meatballs instead of baking them. These were wildly delicious and approved by all. We didn’t incorporate the carrot and celery (considering the 2 lbs. or meat vs. 3 lbs from Lidia), but we did use the red onion, eggs, and basil instead of parsley (Jesse’s family doesn’t like oregano for some reason). I would throw in a bay leaf into the sauce next time (we forgot). We used gluten-free bread crumbs, and crumbled Grana Padano into the meatball and on top to serve. Grana Padano was not incorporated into the sauce. Ground meat came from the Ossining Farmer’s Market, Sunset View Farm. I also made some garlic bread with EVOO and rubbed garlic to clean up the sauce after, demi baguette from Farmer’s Market too.

~Jessica

Salsa di pomodoro

Adapted from Lidia’s Italy and her alla marinara

Ingredients:

• 2 28 oz. cans crushed tomato
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1/2 carrot, peeled and chopped fine
• 1/2 celery stick, chopped fine
• 2 dry bay leaves
• salt and red pepper flakes (peperoncino) to taste
• 10 fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden (about 10 minutes).
3. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves. Rinse the tomato cans with 2 cups of water and add that as well. Bring everything to a boil. Add the basil.
4. Season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper. Lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes.
5. Remove the bay leaves. Taste, and season with more salt and red pepper to taste. Serve!

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We were renting an AirBnB and I wanted something delicious but easy peasy and super tasty. For some protein, we picked up the Spicy Jalapeño Chicken Sausage. I recommend coating the pasta in the sauce, rather than just topping with it. Don’t be afraid to garnish with parmesan cheese and more fresh basil as the mood strikes! The photo shows a leftover overloaded potato skin which reheated well in the oven.

~Jessica

Chicken stew

Adapted from Recipe Tin Eats

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 kg / 3 lbs bone in, skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks (6 to 8 pieces)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 onions, halved and cut into wedges
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 large carrots, cut thick end into 1.5cm / 3/5″ pieces, thin end 2.5cm/1″
• 4 celery stalks, cut into 2cm / 4/5″ chunks
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) white wine (or water)
• 3 tbsp (35g) flour
• 3 cups (750 ml) chicken broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 sprigs thyme, or 1 tsp dried thyme (or other herb)
• 2 bay leaves (dried or fresh)
• 600 g / 1.2 lbs baby potatoes, halved (quarter large ones)
• Warm crusty bread (homemade garlic bread!!)
• OPTIONAL: Fresh thyme or parsley (chopped)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Brown chicken on both sides until light golden, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Remove from pot. (Do in 2 batches if pot not big enough).
3. If there’s too much oil in the pot, discard some. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes until onion is translucent.
4. Add carrots and celery, cook for 1 minute.
5. Add wine. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to dissolve the brown bits into the liquid. Cook for 1 minute until liquid is mostly gone.
6. Sprinkle flour across surface, stir.
7. Add broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to dissolve tomato paste.
8. Add potatoes, pushing them into the liquid. Place chicken on top, keeping the skin above the liquid level as much as you can, so they sit on top (for lovely crispy skin).
9. Bring to simmer then cover. Bake for 45 minutes.
10. Remove from oven, remove lid.
11. Return to oven without the lid for a further 40 minutes until the chicken skin is deep golden and super crispy, the potatoes are soft and the sauce is thickened.
12. Taste sauce and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
13. Serve with warm crusty bread on the side to dunk in the sauce – or go all the way with Garlic Bread! Optional: garnish with extra fresh thyme leaves or parsley.

Ingredients for Garlic Bread:

• 1 French stick / baguette , ~ 60cm / 2ft long (I use half a loaf of Whole Foods peasant bread)
• 125 g / 1 US stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp fresh garlic , minced (~3 – 4 cloves, pack the teaspoon)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp finely chopped parsley (optional)

Directions for Garlic Bread:

1. Preheat oven. I left it at the same temperature as the chicken stew.
2. Cut the French stick in half. Then cut the bread almost all the way through into 2cm / 4/5″ thick slices.
3. Mix together the butter, garlic, salt and parsley. Taste to see if it’s salty / garlicky enough for your taste.
4. Smear garlic butter over cut side of bread.
5. Bake for 15 minutes until the crust is crispy (check through foil).

I wanted a Dutch oven for a long time, and my sister Jennifer recommended the affordable Lodge cast iron 6 quart. She also recommended this chef’s blog! This came out super tasty — and every reheated leftover tasted better and better. HIGHLY recommend. Perfect for cold winter’s days to heat up your whole apartment.

~ Jessie