Turkey Galantine - aka A Boneless Whole Bird with Stuffing

Every so often, I like to do a more complicated food project, just for fun.  This Easter, I wasn't hosting the actual event...just contributing a main dish, so it seemed like an opportune time to tackle such a project.  So I decided to debone a whole turkey, pack it full of stuffing, then roll and tie it back up into a bird-like shape.

Sound crazy?  Maybe.  But let's take a step back for a moment...

I first saw this technique about a year ago on an old PBS Special, Cooking in Concert, with Jacques Pepin and Julia Child.  If you've never seen the two of them cook together, it's a real treat.  They had a great friendly relationship kind of like an old married couple and they liked to jab at one another and crack jokes.

"Are you going to put garlic in that?" Julia would quip, disapprovingly.
"Yes, of course.  I'm going to put garlic in it," Jacques would retort, as he chopped 3-4 cloves and dumped it in.

Jacques is, of course, a bonafide trained French Chef (he once served as private Chef to Charles De Gaulle) and Julia is...well...Julia.  But nobody can beat Jacques' knife skills (except maybe Martin Yan, but I digress).  So in this particular episode, they decided to have him demonstrate how to debone (or as he calls it, "bone-out") an entire chicken in under 3 minutes using nothing but a paring knife.  Julia timed him with her watch--all the while, taunting him.  Once he'd finished, she walked to the back of the set, pulled something out, then unceremoneously plopped a 15-pound turkey on the board and asked him to debone it.  The audience laughed.

Here's a YouTube video of Jacques expertly deboning a bird:

Anyway, I found that episode so inspiring because he made it seem so easy to take the entire carcass out of a bird, fill it with something tasty, then roll it back up jelly roll-style and roast it.  Of course, it takes a lot of practice to be able to do it as cleanly and easily (and fast) as he can, but it was fun to try.

Fast-forward to this Easter.  I decided I needed a challenge and I'd just finished reading Jacques' auto-biography and I was reminded of that Chicken Galantine.  I knew just what I was making.

First, I purchased a 15-pound bird.  You don't really want to go any bigger than that or it'll take forever to bone-out and cook.  In fact, I'd go smaller like a 12-pound.  Watch Jacques do it a few times and then get out your sharpest paring and boning knives, roll-up your sleeves, and get to work.

Above is a turkey minus its bones with the exception of the drumsticks, more or less done with Jacques' technique (I didn't re-watch it beforehand, so it was a bit harder than it maybe would have otherwise been, but I succeeded.).  For flavor, I generously coated the meat with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic.

The filling I chose is made of 50/50 farro and short-grain brown rice, chopped drained spinach, finely chopped preserved lemon, chopped fresh tomato, and cubes of feta cheese.  If I had to do it again, I'd add an egg to bind it a bit and allow the bird to stay together in nicer slices.

 

Fill it up, though not too thick or it'll just push out.  Roll it, then tie it like a roast.

 

Coat generously with butter, salt, and pepper and roast it at 425 degrees until it reaches 160 degrees in the center.  Remove it from the oven and let rest, tented with foil for 15-20 minutes (the temp should coast to 165).  Remove the legs and string and slice as best as you can for serving.  If all goes well, it'll look like slices of jelly roll.

Overall, this was a delicious experiment.  Chickens are definitely easier to do and hold-together better, but the turkey was quite impressive coming out of the oven, so there's a trade-off.  And this stuffing was absolutely delicious.  I'll probably be using variations of it in the future for other purposes.

The Big Antipasto

For Easter this year, I decided to do an Italian-style 4-course meal.  We're not Italian (not even a tiny bit) but I just can't help appreciating the love of family and food that Italians have and I thought it'd be fun to share that appreciation with my own family.  It also didn't hurt that eating in courses makes it less of a rush to have everything ready and on the table all at once.  ;-)

The first course in a formal Italian meal is the Antipasto.  While many restaurants use the term to describe an Italian-inspired salad, the term more accurately translates to the concept of an "appetizer."  Since it comes before the pasta course, it usually does not include pasta.  Typically, it comprises of a platter of cured meats, cheese, and preserved or pickled items.  A traditional antipasto platter probably has more in common with the French "Salad Nicoise" than it does with a salad.

Here in Rhode Island, we have a local Italian restaurant that serves what I consider to be the best antipasto.  It may not be 100% authentic (it is served over a bed of lettuce), but it's darned-near close.  It's this antipasto that I wanted to re-create for our Easter dinner.

My version stayed pretty true to the original, though I substituted or omitted a couple of things to suite our tastes.  Here's what you see:

• A bed of romaine and iceberg lettuce (trust me--it's buried under there) along with cucumbers and shredded carrots
• Ham
• Genoa Salami
• Chickpeas
• Red and Yellow Roasted Red Peppers
• White Albacore Tuna (dry)
• Vinegar Peppers
• Artichoke Hearts
• Green Olives
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Sliced Provolone Cheese

The original version also has black olives and Hot Italian Peppers.  It also is served with cappicola, a spiced ham, instead of the standard American deli ham.  You might also see mortadella, a deli meat similar to bologna.

The traditional dressing for this is an Italian Vinaigrette.  I chose this recipe, which is quite delicious.  I also offered an option of a homemade raspberry vinaigrette made from the last jar of my homemade raspberry jam.

Needless to say, this salad was a hit.  I highly recommend it for your next family gathering or, heck, maybe just as a complete lunch (you *can* make a smaller one and it's very filling).

Hummus: Store-bought = $4, Homemade = $1.50--You Choose

Recently, we've been on a bit of a hummus kick.  Hummus is great stuff, nutritionally.  It's full of protein and it can really satisfy a snack craving.  Plus, it's actually healthy for you--depending on what fats you make it with.

That said, many people spend tons of money buying mediocre store-bought hummus when it takes all of 10 minutes to make your own and you probably have (or can have) everything you need in your pantry or fridge.

A word on Tahini...

I used to use a recipe that included a *lot* of tahini.  Tahini is an oily paste made from sesame seeds.  It looks and smells suspiciously like peanut butter and gives hummus that characteristic middle eastern nutty flavor.  Most store-bought hummus contains tahini in varying amounts.  In the grand scale of fats, tahini is about as healthy for you as peanut butter, so keep that in mind.

I found out quite by accident that hummus tastes just great without tahini when I didn't have it one day and plowed-on with the recipe.  It's easier to make that way (no specialty ingredients), cheaper, healthier, and lighter-tasting.  It's now our favorite snack food to have on hand when company comes and it got rave reviews when served with pita chips before Thanksgiving dinner.  I thought I'd share my version of the recipe with you today.

Healthy Hummus (No Tahini)
3 tablespoons lemon juice (bottled okay, fresh even better)
2 tablespoons water
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 14-oz can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 small garlic clove minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper

1) Place the chickpeas in the work bowl of a food processor or really good blender.  Pulse to begin chopping them.
2) Add the dry spices to the chickpeas.
3) Mix all of the liquid together in a measuring cup and stir.
4) Turn the machine on and begin drizzling the liquid in through the feed tube.  Stop and scrape-down the sides.  Resume processing until the mixture is smooth.
5) Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  It'll keep for a week or more.

Note: The recipe makes a fairly soupy dip.  If you like it firmer, omit 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and a few tablespoons of the oil.

Easter Dinner

This weekend, we're hosting our last family dinner in the old condo. It's become sort of a tradition that I make a honey-glazed pork loin for Easter, but this year, I'm changing it up a bit...

The Menu

• Cranberry-Studded Potato-Stuffed Pork Loin
• Roasted Root Vegetables (Carrots & Potatoes)
  
• Roasted Asparagus
• Popovers
• Home-Canned Cranberry Sauce
• Home-Canned Applesauce
• Banana Cream Pie
• Mixed Berry Pie (With local berries from the deep freeze)

Happy Easter, everyone!

Strong Cheese...

The other day, we stopped at Whole Foods to pick-up a few things and they had free samples out of some Frommage Forte. This fancy French-sounding dish is actually a way to use-up leftover bits of cheese to make a cheese spread. You toss in whatever bits are leftover into a food processor with a little cream and some good olive oil and process into a cheese spread. The American counterpart would be the 1970's party cheese ball. :-)

Anyway, only Whole Foods could get away with charging $8.99 for their leftover bits of cheese, but oh-MAN was it freaking good! Of course, I fell for it and tossed a container into the shopping cart. My wife just rolled her eyes and kept walking.

Of course, I've come home the last two evenings and found her, glass of wine in one hand, and a package of crackers and the container of cheese on the counter--another half of it gone. So much for the eye roll. :-) It *is* frieaking good.

Make Your Own!

• Alton Brown's Recipe for Fromage Forte
• Martha Stewart's "Cheese Balls Three Ways" - Try the Cheddar & Cranberry...it's AWESOME and tastes as good as WF's Fromage Forte.

Weeknight Meal: Pizza

Everyone loves pizza and most people order out rather than attempt to make it at home. And that's a shame, because pizza can be a quick and easy weeknight meal if you know how to do it. On top of that, it makes a fantastic meal where the entire family can get involved.


Here are my tips for making great homemade pizza:

• Not into kneading? No problem. Buy pizza dough in the refrigerated section of your grocery store (usually, near the cheese). This dough usually comes from local bakeries who drop-off bread products for the store to sell daily and is as-good as any pizzaria.
• Take the fresh pizza dough out an hour ahead of dinner, put it into a large, lightly greased bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. It's not necessary to let it fully rise, but bringing it to room temperature and letting the gluten relax will make it easier to shape the dough.
• Prep all your ingredients ahead of time. If any toppings require cooking, cook ahead and let cool in a small bowl. Use a good jarred tomato sauce.
• Shred your own cheese from the blocks of mozzarella you can usually find below the bags of shredded cheese at the grocery store. It melts so much better and tastes great. If using fresh mozzarella from the deli (a special treat), slice it thin and put the slices on the pie as you would pepperoni.
  
• Work with smaller pies and stretch them as thin as you can without punching holes in them. Roll them flat with a rolling pin or push them flat with your hands first, then gently stretch them on the countertop (not in your hands), using your palm to hold it still and your fingers on the other hand to stretch-out the thicker parts.
• If you have a pizza stone, use it. Put it into a cold oven and crank your oven to 450-475 degrees. That's how you get a browned crust. If using a baking sheet or pizza pan, choose a heavy one that won't warp under such high heat.
• If you find that the bottom isn't browning or getting crisp before the cheese begins to brown, try baking your empty pizza shell for a few minutes just until it sets. Remove it from the oven, flip it over, top it, and then continue baking it.
• Keep the toppings light. Pizza that is heavy-laden with ingredients will never cook right in a home oven.
• Don't have a pizza stone? No problem. Make several pies 6 to 8 inches each and grill your pizza. Crank your gas grill to medium-high and clean the grates well. Once it's heated, place your stretched dough onto the grate. As soon one side begins to brown, take it off. Dress the cooked side and return it to the grill to cook the other side and melt the cheese. Cheese melts best with the lid closed.

Most of all, have fun. If it doesn't come out right the first time, try again! Making pizza is a great activity for the family or to do with friends.

A Little Sparkle

A few months ago, I wrote about finding a unique cast iron casserole dish in a consignment shop near my home. I carefully cleaned it up and have put it into rotation with the rest of my cookware and it's gradually developing a beautiful patina and cooking better and better each time I use it. I love finding treasures in other people's "junk."

A week or two later, I had the opportunity to spend some more time rummaging through the same shop. It's a rather large place and the smaller items, like cookware, are often hidden behind picture frames or inside hutches in remote areas like the basement. During this trip, I happened upon a couple of silver bowls that were all black and tarnished.


I'm a huge fan of The Barefoot Contessa and one of Ina's favorite service pieces that she uses on the show is a pair of silver bowls that she found at an antique shop and had refurbished by a jeweler. They're very simple silver bowls with no ornate details, which is why I like them. She often puts dips, nuts, and other items in them. When I spotted two silver bowls for $2 and $3 respectively, I couldn't pass-up the challenge to see if if I could bring a respectable shine back to their well-worn surfaces.

After some time spent with chemical tarnish remover and some silver polishing cream, I'm very happy with the results. We even used them at the holiday dinner table this year!




What I love the most about these bowls is that they're not perfect and they have a story behind them. I may not know what that story is, but I know that someone else owned them, loved or at least liked them, and used them. The signs of use are just plain obvious. It's my hope that I can use and love them too and maybe pass them onto someone else some day.

The other beauty of these bowls is that they're reused, making them an earth-friendly choice of service-ware that I could never get in a department store.

Thanksgiving - Pot Luck Tips

Many of us attend family pot-luck parties throughout the holiday season. If you're bringing a dish to someone else's house, here are a few tips to help you out.

Serving Spoons
Never assume the host will have enough serving spoons for your dish and everyone else's. Often, they forget this too. Keep some inexpensive nylon spoons around just for pot-luck dinners and bring one along with the dish. Be sure to label your spoon and dishware so you get it back. If you're feeling generous, bring some spoons for others who will undoubtedly forget theirs.

Towels & Potholders
I always toss a few kitchen towels or even paper towels into the bag with the food in case I need to do a quick cleanup. You should also bring a couple of pot holders since this is another thing your host probably won't have enough of. Again, label them if you want them back.

Transportation
Pyrex makes a number of insulated bags that fit their various casserole dishes. They usually come in a set with the dish they're made to fit. However, I've been known to use them for any dish that will fit.

To keep a dish warm, cover tightly with plastic wrap and then place aluminum foil over the plastic. Place the whole thing into the insulated bag. The plastic will keep the food and moisture in the dish while you're driving and the foil and insulated bag will help keep it warm.

If you don't have Pyrex bags, the insulated reusable shopping bags available for about $3 at most grocery stores will do just fine. Flexible cooler bags work well too. I personally love to use my LL Bean canvas Boat 'n Totes to carry food. They don't keep it warm but they're heavy and do a good job at keeping things from falling over during travel.

One last travel tip: The foot well of the back seat is a great place to put a large pot or slow cooker as the seats can be pushed-up against them to prevent tipping. If the pot or bag is heavy enough, you can often place it on the back seat on top of a thick towel and buckle it in like a child. It sounds silly, but it works. The trunk is probably the worst place unless you can bungee the item down.

Heating On-Location
Heating can be a pain in the butt at a pot-luck, especially when everyone intends to heat their food in a single microwave oven. Always preheat your entree and attempt to keep it as warm as possible during travel to keep on-site reheating time to a minimum. If your contribution can be reheated in the oven, use an oven-safe dish so you have the option of using that while everyone else uses the microwave.

Slow Cookers
If your entree happens to serve well in a slow cooker, be sure to bring an extension cord and warn your host that you'll be needing an outlet near the buffet. The same goes for those new electric "steam tables". If you're serving something soupy, don't forget to bring a ladle and something to rest the ladle on to keep your host's tablecloth clean. To keep the food in place during transport, cover the ceramic pot firmly with plastic wrap and place the cover on top of the wrap. Use some string or a small bungee cord to hold the lid on. Slide it under the lid handle and hook it to both side handles.

Special Service Pieces
I often bring soup, stew, chowder, or chili in a slow cooker and the host doesn't usually think to buy disposable bowls or spoons. If you're bringing something that requires specialized service pieces, be sure to bring those pieces along as well. Toppings (such as crackers for soup) and sauces (ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc.) are also something you should bring along and have a serving bowl for them as well.

Instruction Card
If your food contribution is something not easily recognizable or a specific serving method is recommended, provide a small card in front of the dish that explains what it is, how to serve it, and how to eat it. For example, you may have a pot of gumbo that is intended to be served over white rice. Your card might indicate the name of the dish, "Chicken Gumbo," and say something like, "Serve over white rice with a sprinkle of chopped scallions." For spicy dishes, it may make sense to indicate whether it is mild, medium, or hot.

Special Diets
I've often been to pot-luck dinners where a guest brings a dish that caters to his or her own special diet so that he or she will have something to eat. Inevitably, that person ends-up last in line and the dish is empty by the time he or she gets there. If the dietary restriction is for medical reasons, consider putting a small portion aside and asking your host to hold it for you in another room. If you intend to simply share, make sure you make a double or triple batch so it won't run out by the time you get there.

Pre-Slicing
When bringing pies, cakes, lasagne's, or other items baked as a whole, pre-slice it before placing it on the table. I can't tell you how many times I've brought a French Meat Pie to a party and people cut such generous slices that only a half-dozen folks get to enjoy it. In the case of dessert, people seem very reluctant to be the first one to cut a cake or pie and they'll go for the brownies instead. Pre-slice these and remove one piece. It's a small, yet necessary subliminal message that it's okay to grab a slice for yourself.

Getting Your Dish Back
If you're going to a party hosted by someone you don't see on a regular basis, consider purchasing an inexpensive yet elegant dish or platter to hold your contribution. Explain to the host that the platter or dish, once empty, is also a gift for him or her to keep. This tackles the problem of food and a hostess gift all in one shot.

Another option is to bring clean disposable plastic containers (Ziploc, Gladware, Etc.) to hold leftover food. At the end of the party, scoop the leftovers into the containers to leave with the host or give away to other guests and take your dirty serving piece home. Bringing a plastic grocery bag or two along to transport the dirty dishes is handy as well.

Thanksgiving - The "Wow" Factor

I'm one of those people who truly enjoys entertaining. As such, I often take the time to do the little extras and make things from scratch. However, there are some extras that are so easy to do that anyone can do them and you'll end-up looking like Martha Stewart. Here are a few:

Whipped Honey Butter
This is great dotted on rolls fresh out of the oven or even on veggies. Serve in place of regular butter at the table.

1) In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 stick of softened unsalted butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon of honey.
2) Using a stand or handheld mixer, whip the butter on high until light and fluffy.
3) If you're handy with a piping bag (I'm not), pipe butter with a large star tip into custard cups. Otherwise, mound into custard cups using a small cookie scoup or whatever you have handy.

Extra Salt & Pepper Shakers
I dunno about yo, but there's always someone in the family who hogs the salt shaker. When you're seated at a long table, this can be problematic. Consider purchasing extra inexpensive salt and pepper shakers at a discount store. Make sure there's a pair for every 4 to 6 people. If you really want to be fancy, they sell individual mini shakers so that each guest can have his or her own.

Linen Napkins
Linen napkins are a big part of what makes an elegant affair elegant. Most discount clubs (Sam's, BJ's, Costco, etc.) sell plain white linen napkins in 6-packs for a very reasonable price (about a dollar per napkin). These are a great buy not only for the price but because they're all white. White goes with anything, they can all go into a single laundry batch, and you can bleach them if you have stubborn stains. It's a small investment that will last a long time.

Homemade Chips & Dip
Homemade chips are easy when you have pita pockets around. Combine with your favorite dip recipe (typically with a base of sour cream or mayo), and you have a fancy treat that took no effort.

1) Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2) Open a package of pita pockets. Slice each around the edge so that you have two discs. Cut each into 6 or 8 wedges, about the size of a potato chip.
3) Place pita wedges on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Spread into a single layer.
4) Bake at 350, checking and turning them every 3-5 minutes. Chips are done when all are crispy and starting to brown along the edges.

Extra Serving Spoons
We all have a set of flatware, but did you ever notice that it comes with only one serving spoon? That just won't cut it for a big family-style dinner like Thanksgiving. Purchase additional serving spoons from a kitchen store or restaurant supply warehouse and store them with your china. It beats trying to serve with tablespoons.

Use the Good China for Dessert
A lot of people drag-out the good dishware for dinner but default to paper or plastic for dessert. Dessert will seem so much more elegant if you serve it on real plates, even if you're serving buffet style. You've already committed to the dishes for dinner, you might as well go the extra step with dessert.

Mixed Drink Pitchers
Bottles of soda, wine, and beer are a must, of course, but it's always nice to serve something homemade. Purchase an inexpensive glass pitcher from a discount box store (Target, Walmart, etc.) and do some sort of mixed drink, be it alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Some ideas:

• Red or White Sangria (A delicious cross between wine and fruit punch)
• Lemon Iced Tea (Kool-Aid packets add great lemon flavor to freshly brewed iced tea)
  
• A Mixed Alcoholic Beverage - Many mixed drinks can be made by the gallon. It saves you from playing bartender all evening.
• Hot Cocoa - Believe it or not, this one is always popular. Instead of using a glass pitcher, use a thermos-style coffee carafe or pump pot. Want to go fancy? Add a tablespoon or two of mint extract, available near the vanilla extract in the grocery store.
• Shirley Temples - Lots of kids coming? Mix-up a batch of Shirley Temples (grenadine syrup and ginger ale). Provide inexpensive wine glasses and sliced orange halves so they can feel like a grown-up.
  

Weeknight Dinners: Planning So You Don't Have to Plan...

Let's face it. We'd all like to be Rachel Ray and whip-out dinner on the weeknights in 30 minutes. We'd all like to have the forethought and the time to plan ahead for 3-4 meals and do the main cooking on Sunday like Robin Miller. The reality is that most of us manage weeknight eating more like Gordon Elliot's Doorknock Dinners, opening the cabinets minutes before it's time to eat and trying to cobble-together a somewhat nutritious meal.

What I do is expect this behavior and play to it rather than try to change it. While we don't all have time to plan a menu out every week and go shopping for specific recipes, we do have the ability to put a few great meals into our toolbox that can be made with ingredients we keep in our pantries, fridges, and freezers. We can also take steps when we come home from the grocery store or when we're cooking other things to make weeknight cooking less of a chore and as quick as possible.

Make Prep a Part of Your Grocery Store Trip
Most of us do our weekly grocery shopping and then take the time to put things away. If you can squeeze in just a few more minutes to do some basic cooking prep as part of that process, you'll do yourself a big favor later in the week. For example:

• Veggie Prep - Know those pre-washed bags of veggies that are so expensive? Save your money and do it yourself. When you get home from the store, immediately wash your veggies, herbs, and salad greens, peel and cut them up, and place them into zip-top bags. For greens and leafy herbs, place a paper-towel into the bag and squeeze out as much air as you can without crushing the greens. Later in the week, a salad, vegetable side dish, a snack, or a stir-fry are just a zip-top bag away and no chopping!
• Divvy-up the Meat - Everyone knows you can save lots of money by buying the "family sized" packages of chicken, beef, or pork. When it's on sale, I buy 3 or 4. However, freezing the entire package rock solid makes it pretty much useless on a weeknight. Instead, when you get home from the store, break these packages up into two-person or four-person servings in quart or sandwich-sized zip-top bags before freezing. Trim any gristle or fat off while you're at it. If you like meat chunked or sliced for certain recipes, do that too while you're at it. Not only are you portioning and pre-cleaning the meat, but you're making it possible to defrost it in the microwave on a moment's notice when you forgot to take dinner out of the freezer that morning. Three to five minutes at half power should do it for a quart-sized or sandwich-sized bag.
  
• Season or Marinate In the Freezer Bag - Once you have all of your meat broken-up into portions, add 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup of your favorite marinade or sauce right to the bag before freezing. If you can remember to take it out of the freezer the morning you plan to serve it, it'll marinate itself as it defrosts! Note that this won't work with microwave defrosting. The microwave will cook the meat because of the oil in most marinades.

Make One Meal Work For the Next
Very often, a meal contains an ingredient that we can use later for another meal. When that happens, try to cook extra and store it in the freezer, even if you have no idea what you'll need it for. For example:

• Grilled or Baked Chicken - Chicken can be added to just about anything, including pasta dishes, stir-fries, and salads. If tonight's meal consists of grilled or baked chicken, throw an extra few pounds on. If you're roasting a whole chicken, buy a larger one or buy two. Put a portion aside before serving and after dinner, pack it into zip-top bags and freeze it. I like to cut it into pieces before freezing and, if you have the space, freeze it on a flat tray and toss into a bag once frozen. This allows you to take-out only as much as you need.
  
• Pasta - Whenever I'm making shaped pasta (penne, elbows, farfalle, etc.), I always cook the whole box or an extra box if time permits. Pasta freezes exceptionally well and reheats from a frozen state in 1-2 minutes in the microwave. Just put it in a gallonsized zip-top bag and place it in the freezer. When you want a bowl, take it out, crack it on the counter to loosen the pieces, and take-out as many handfuls as you need. Reheat for 1-3 minutes in the microwave. You can even put jarred sauce right on the frozen pasta before reheating or toss it frozen into sauce that's simmering on the stove. This works with spaghetti too but you'll need to pre-portion it in smaller bags because you can't break it apart into portions while frozen.
• Rice & Grains - Rice and grains are great for meals but the healthier varieties, like brown rice, take up to an hour to cook. Thankfully, they freeze and reheat just as well as pasta. When you're making rice, cook extra and portion it into serving-sized bags for the freezer. Defrost and reheat in the microwave. A stir-fry or fried rice is now never more than three minutes away.
  

Subscribe to the "Rule of Three"
Instead of planning-ahead for each meal, I have a "rule of three" when making dinner. A balanced dinner should have a protein, a starch, and one or more vegetables. While this would never pass muster with the FDA's food pyramid, it does discourage a steady diet of pasta and cereal, something most of us are guilty of when we just don't feel like cooking.

The rule of three can mean either three separate items like seasoned chicken or fish, roasted potatoes, and steamed fresh broccoli or a one-pot meal like a casserole with chicken, noodles, and green peas. When shopping, you don't have to plan each meal out, but make sure your cart has a nice variety of veggies (fresh and frozen), starch (potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, and other grains), and protein (chicken, fish, pork, beef, even tofu if you like it). If your cart is heavy on the cookies, pasta, and potato chips, something's wrong.

Frozen Veggies
Frozen Veggies are a great thing to have around because they keep well, cook quickly, and can be added to dishes by the handful. In particular, I keep broccoli, corn, and green beans around at all times. When I need a quick veggie side dish, I doctor them up, usually by reheating in a frying pan with some butter (the real thing), salt, and a fresh or dried herb. Fresh sage leaves pair great with sweet corn, for example.

Keep Sauces & Seasonings Around
There are a lot of great and helpful sauces and seasonings at the supermarket and some of them are even reasonably healthy. Why not let them help you out when you have no time?

• Cream Soups - I always have a can of Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup in my pantry. It can be used as a base for everything from chicken pot-pie to a quick veggie and meat blend in a cream sauce over rice. Plus, it's low-sodium and nearly fat-free if you use low-fat milk or water. The same goes for cream of mushroom, golden mushroom, and broccoli cheddar soup (try making mac and cheese out of the cheddar soup). Vary the amount of added liquid to get the consistency you want for a particular dish.
  
• Good Marinara - Keep a jar of good Marinara around. It's good for mini pizzas, pasta dishes, or even doctoring-up veggies like zucchini. If you can't afford JM Creative's (shameless plug), I recommend Newman's Own Organic Marinara. It has the least amount of "other stuff" in it and is the closest I've been able to find to "just tomatoes".
• Marinades - Marinades make quick work of adding a kick to flavorless white meats like chicken and pork. Add it to the meat in the morning and you'll have a great grillable meal in the evening with no effort. Try Teriyaki, Citrus, and others.
• Seasonings - There are some great mixed seasonings and dry rubs out there that you can sprinkle on a piece of meat with a little olive oil and salt moments before throwing it onto the grill or into a hot pan. Check out Penzy's Spices and The Spice and Tea Exchange for ideas. Allow me to recommend the Tuscan seasoning from Spice & Tea Exchange. It's out of this world.

"Let the Oven Be Your Sous Chef"
The oven is a wonderful cooking tool because it cooks evenly, slowly, and doesn't require much tending to, leaving you to do other things. Chef Michael Chiarello says, "Let the oven be your sous chef!" I couldn't agree more.

• Roasts and Chickens - Want a nice roasted chicken or pot roast for dinner? Prep and season it the night before or in the morning for work (if you're one of those early riser types) and put the entire pot into the fridge. When you get home, put the whole thing into the oven and walk away. Or, better yet, instruct a spouse or kid to put it in at a certain time and a certain temperature before you get home.
• Two Dishes in One - I love to cook veggies and meat all in one dish. For example, place two to four split chicken breasts in a large ceramic or glass baking dish. Toss cubed root veggies (potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, squash, sweet potatoes, etc.) around them. Bake the whole thing for 45 minutes to an hour until the chicken and veggies are done, checking every 15 minutes to turn the veggies. If one finishes before the other, take it out and cover with foil. You won't believe the rich, intense flavor the veggies pick-up from the meat juices.

Dessert
Let's say your weeknight dinner happens to involve a good friend as a guest. You can still impress them with your "mad cooking skillz" by whipping out a dessert at a moment's notice!

• Cookies - When I make cookie dough, I usually portion the entire batch and freeze half of the dough balls on a sheet in the freezer. Among other things, it keeps me from eating the entire batch at once. Once frozen, I put them into a container or zip-top bag. When you want fresh cookies, take them out, plop them onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for the original time plus one minute (usually less than 10 minutes). This is just like the frozen dough cubes you can buy at the store, except fresh and you know what went into them.
  
• Quicker Quick Breads - Quick breads like Banana Bread, Zucchini Bread, Pumpkin Bread, and Corn Bread all freeze well and defrost quickly in the microwave or on the countertop if you remember to slice them first and wrap tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap. The same goes for brownies and cakes. I try to make extra to freeze whenever I can. Doctor up a slice for dessert with ice cream, whipped topping, fruit, or cream cheese.
  
• Streussal Topping - Streussal or "crumble topping," usually made from sugar, flour, butter, and sometimes oats, is essentially a cookie dough and freezes just as well. Find a recipe for fruit crisp and make a batch of the topping to keep in the freezer and freeze it loosely like sand. Next time you need a quick dessert, toss some berries or sliced fruit into a baking dish, add some of your frozen topping, and bake in the oven for a delicious, warm, fruit crisp. Ask your guest to pick-up some vanilla ice cream on their way over (they usually insist on bringing something anyway) and make it even better.
  

Easter Dinner

For those interested, here's a photo of our long Easter Dinner table, squeezed into our small Condo. I'm very proud of the fact that we have all matching dinnerware this year, thanks to our generous wedding guests. It really makes it that much more special.

• Plates are "Lustre" from Crate & Barrel. Unfortunately, this pattern is discontinued at the moment due to problems with the manufacturer.
• Wine/Water glasses are "Otis," also from Crate & Barrel
• White linen napkins are bulk restaurant supply from Sam's Club
• Steak Knives are Cuisinart 4-piece steak knife set and don't seem to be available at Bed, Bath, and Beyond anymore. They were $14.99 for a each set of four.
• Table Cloth is "Origins Microfiber" in dark blue from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. The microfiber cloths are nothing short of awesome. Water or wine beads-up on them and will sit for over an hour before being wiped-off as if never there.
• Flatware is "Oneida Satin Sand Dune", also available at BBB. This is our everyday flatware, elegant enough for parties and practical enough for everyday use. We keep an extra set in the closet to use for large family gatherings.

Easter Dinner: The Little Extras

I've been hosting Easter dinner for both my wife's family and my family for the last few years. It's really the only time I get to pull out all the stops on a real "dinner party" and I really enjoy it.

Even if you're not into the dinner party thing, if you find yourself having to host one for a group of friends or family members, there are some little things that you can do to put an "extra touch" on the event without a whole lot of work. Pardon me for having a "Martha moment" as you read-on.

Whipped Compound Butter - This is a fancy name for "butter mixed with 'other stuff'." If you have an electric mixer, it's easy to do. Leave a stick or two of butter out for an hour or so to soften it. Put it into your mixing bowl, add your extra finely chopped ingredients (herbs, garlic, etc.) and mix till thoroughly combined. Scoop it out with a small ice scream scoop or a spoon and put it in a custard dish on the table. If you're handy with a pastry bag (I am not), you can even pipe it out into a nifty design. This can be made a day or two ahead and stored, covered with plastic in the fridge. My favorite additive? Honey. Nothing tastes better than honey butter on warm crusty bread or biscuits. For breakfast or brunch, try adding a chunky jam.

Linen Napkins - Something that really makes an elegant table is to use cloth napkins--even if you don't have fine china. Not only do they make the table look great, but guests love to have something substantial to keep themselves clean while eating. However, don't go out and spend $3-$5 per napkin at the home goods store. Instead, check-out your local wholesale club (Sam's, BJ's, Costco, etc.). Sometimes, you can get a package of six restaurant grade plain white napkins for about a dollar per napkin. White goes with just about anything and, if you find that you can't get one clean, you can always bleach it.

Offer an Interesting Beverage - Get yourself an inexpensive glass or clear plastic pitcher (try discount "box" stores like Target or Walmart) and fill it with a colorful home-made beverage like freshly brewed iced tea, fruit punch, or "virgin" margarita mix and float some ice and fresh citris slices in it. If it's something that can be spiked, put out the bottle of alcohol with a small jigger or shot glass for measuring and let your guests help themselves. If there are kids around, let them use sturdy inexpensive wine glasses--they'll get a real kick out of it.

Carve The Roast Beast - If you're serving a large piece of meat such as a beef or pork roast or a whole turkey, carve it in the kitchen and arrange it on a platter for serving. Pour a small amount of thin gravy or jus over it to keep it moist and hot and cover with foil if you're not going to serve it right away. While a crispy brown roast turkey on an oak board looks impressive, it's really difficult to try to carve it at a cluttered table. And, if you have a lot of guests, they're going to end-up with cold food from the wait while you carve. This way, the platter can be passed around quickly and nobody has to pick through bones (unless they choose a leg).

Fancy-up Your Mashed Potatoes - Everyone loves mashed potatoes, but they can be made even more impressive for a special occasion with very little work. Try using red bliss potatoes and cooking and mashing them with the skins on for a chunkier texture. Or, try using half sweet potatoes or half carrots mixed with your mashed white potatoes. Instead of milk, try buttermilk (which is low fat), sour cream, or cream cheese for a tangy twist. Roasted garlic is always a hit too.

Vary The Veggies - Try roasting your veggies instead of steaming them for a delicious change (asparagus, carrots, and sweet potato cubes work very well). Just place them on a sheet pan and coat them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 350 degrees, turning every so often till they're tender and slightly caramelized. If you're using frozen veggies like corn, green beans, or peas, try sweating some onions in a large skillet. Add a lot of butter (1/3 to 1/2 a stick) and melt. Then, add the veggies and cook, stirring till warm and coated. This easy "sauce" tastes great.

That's probably enough tips for now. Have a great holiday everyone!