Engagement Chicken

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (approximately 4 pounds)
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 3 whole lemons—including 1 sliced for garnish
• 1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Fresh herbs for garnish (4 rosemary sprigs, 4 sage sprigs, 8 thyme sprigs, and 1 bunch fl at-leaf parsley)

1. Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the giblets from the chicken, wash the chicken inside and out with cold water, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander for 2 minutes.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down in a medium roasting pan fi tted with a rack and pour the lemon juice all over the chicken, both inside and out. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper inside and out.

3. Prick 2 whole lemons three times each in three different places with a fork and place them deep inside the cavity. Chicken cavity size may vary, so if one lemon is partly sticking out, that’s fine. (Tip: If the lemons are stiff, roll them on the countertop with your palm before pricking to get the juices flowing.)

4. Put the chicken in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, turn the chicken breast- side up. Insert a meat thermometer in the thigh, and return the chicken to the oven and roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 180°F and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork. Continue roasting if necessary. Keep in mind that cooking times in different ovens vary; roasting a chicken at 350°F takes approximately 18-20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.

6. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. And here’s the secret: Pour the juices from the roasting pan on top of the sliced chicken— this is the “marry me juice.” Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.

Courtesy of Glamour.com:
Read More http://www.glamour.com/magazine/2006/07/engagement-chicken#ixzz1HqZfqPcJ

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 whole roasted peppers (from jar or roasted yourself)
• 2/3 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons clover agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more for added spice)

Directions

In a blender or food processor, combine the peppers and all the remaining ingredients. Taste, and add more spice or salt as necessary.

Image from: http://www.closetcooking.com/2008/10/muhammara.html

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 1/2 cups slivered almonds, toasted medium well
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cup olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

Coat the bottom of a pan on medium heat with olive oil. Add slivered almonds and toast until golden to dark golden. Take off the heat and set finished almonds aside to slightly cool.

In a food processor, blend garlic and warm almonds until you reach a small but still chunky consistency. Set aside in a container. Blend basil leaves until pieces are a medium chop. Add in nuts, garlic and cheese. Pour in oil slowly while still mixing until sauce hits a perfect texture of smooth and slightly chunky. Stir in salt and pepper.

Ingredients:

• 1 can whole kernel yellow corn, undrained
• 1 can cream style yellow corn
• 1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 cups asiago cheese, split into .5 and 1.5 cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Before melting the butter, take the stick (or a piece of) and grease the casserole dish.

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, one half cup asiago cheese and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Evenly coat top of the casserole with the remaining one and a half cups of cheese. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden to dark golden brown or until an inserted toothpick removes cleanly. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

A couple notes: Those cheese amounts are estimates. I usually use a handful to mix inside and 3-4 handfuls to evenly coat the top.

Consider the thickness of your casserole dish. Glass or ceramic will take a bit longer to cook in then metal. Also, the deeper the casserole the longer it’ll take to cook.