Artichokes are in season and they are one of my favorite vegetables. They can be a bit daunting to prepare at first glance, but with these few simple steps they are ready to cook and easy to eat. Here I show you how to prep them along with this lovely and easy recipe for Roasted Artichokes with Lemon and Garlic from My Recession Kitchen.

You will need: artichokes, olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt and dried oregano. That’s it!

Begin preparing the artichokes by cutting off the top with a sharp or serrated knife so that the top surface is flat.

Next slice off the bottom tip of the stalk, leaving most of it so that you can eat it. It’s delicious!

With kitchen shears, cut the pointy and sharp tips of the remaining leaves that weren’t cut when you flattened the top.

Like so!

With a peeler or paring knife, remove the woody outer layer of the stalk.

Give them a rinse and they will look like this! Now you can steam them this way in a pot with some lemons and salt, or …

You can cut them in half and roast them. Aren’t they beautiful? Artichokes are one of nature’s wonders.

To roast them, place them in a roasting pan or skillet and drizzle them with olive oil.

Cut some lemon slices …

And some garlic slices …

And lay them on top of the artichoke halves. Pop them in the oven and let them roast so that the meat becomes tender.

When they’ve finished roasting, sprinkle with some dried oregano or your other favorite herb.

And they’re done! Pull off the petals one by one and enjoy their flesh. And don’t forget the magical artichoke heart and stalk—it’s such a treat!

Thanks to Rachel for the easy recipe. Check out her blog My Recession Kitchen … and Garden for more of her recipes and great tips on gardening!

Recipe

Roasted Artichokes with Lemon & Garlic

by myrecessionkitchen on July 2, 2012 in Sides, Vegetables
See this recipe post on myrecessionkitchen’s site! July 2, 2012

SidesVegetables

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Prep Time 10 Minutes

Cook Time 45 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 6

6

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Recipe Description

The best way to cook little artichokes.

Preparation Instructions

Note: Use organic ingredients whenever possible.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Cut off the very tip of the artichokes and cut them in half. Pour the olive oil in a baking dish big enough to hold the 6 halves. Roll the artichokes in the oil to coat them.

Slice the very ends off the lemon and cut it into 6 slices. Put the lemon slices in the bottom of the baking dish.

Peel and cut the garlic cloves in half. Put one piece on each lemon slice.

Put the artichokes on the lemon, cut side down. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes.

When they’re done, turn them lemon side up and sprinkle with salt and oregano.

Serve them hot or at room temperature.

Inspired by a Sunset Magazine recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 whole Small Artichokes
• 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 whole Lemon
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 3 pinches Salt
• 3 pinches Dried Oregano

 
 
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There’s so much to say about Georgia, we don’t know where to start. Leaving Wall Street for the French Culinary Institute, followed by a stint at the Gramercy Tavern and La Chassagnette in France, her passion for food and food traditions are evident and inspiring. Visit her site at Georgia Pellegrini, where you’ll find more recipes, photos, learn all about her wonderful books Girl Hunter and Food Heroes, and enjoy her latest adventures.

 
A few weeks ago, I invited my mom to join me in my kitchen for a day of pie making. She’s made hundreds of pies over the years and is known for her tender, flaky crusts. Working beside her brought back memories of making pie with her as a child. I love to watch her hands at work, her touch on the dough is so light and sure. We had a lovely day together and delicious pies to show for our work.

As we worked, my mom and I talked about pie. I told her I know many great cooks who are daunted by pie crust. Her answer was simple: if you want to be good at making pie, practice.

There are lots of tips you can use to improve your crust—how much to cut the fat, how wet the dough should be, and how to roll out and handle your dough. But in the end, there is no substitute for doing.

You don’t need fancy tools to make a good pie crust. The essentials are a mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, a pastry cutter, a rolling pin and a pie plate.

I use one more tool that’s not a necessity but is my favorite pie secret, and that’s a pastry frame. A pastry frame is canvas stretched tight over a wood and metal frame. It can be used for pies, pastries and even rolls. They are inexpensive (I paid about $15 for mine) and they roll up compactly to store. They make it incredibly easy to roll out your dough without sticking, and thanks to the canvas, your dough absorbs less flour, making your crust lighter and more tender. My frame even has guides so you know exactly how large to roll your dough.

The ingredients for pie are simple too, no matter which recipe you use. Each recipe has dry ingredients, usually all-purpose flour, salt, sometimes sugar, a liquid (ice water, milk or even vodka), and a fat.

There is great debate in the pie world about which fat is best: butter, shortening, lard, or a combination of those fats. The two best pie makers I’ve known, my mom and my husband’s late grandmother, both use(d) lard. Their crusts speak for themselves—flaky, delicious, out of this world. So lard is what I use, too. Whatever fat you choose, it must be cold, cold, cold. Cold fat makes for flaky crust.

So let’s get baking.

Before anything else, measure the lard and put it in the freezer to get it extra cold. Then prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Measure 2 cups of flour and sift onto a piece of parchment or wax paper.

Re-measure the 2 cups of sifted flour. My mom lifts the parchment like a funnel and pours it back into the measuring cup. She also re-measures over the surface where she will be rolling out the dough. The overspill helps to flour the surface. My mom is all about economy of action.

Tap across and level with a knife.

Add the salt to the flour and sift again, this time into your mixing bowl. Then add the cold lard. Using a pastry cutter, cut the lard into the flour. Some pie makers turn this step over to their food processor. Resist the temptation! It’s too easy to overwork the flour and end up with a tough crust. The pastry cutter, on the other hand, will give you a nice workout. I like to think I’m burning off a few bites of pie.

The motion with the cutter is down and twist your wrist one quarter turn, Daniel-san. Down and twist. Continue this motion until the flour has been worked into the lard and your dough resembles small peas. Don’t overwork the dough at this point.

Next add liquid. My mom uses very cold milk. Grandma Eva used ice water. Both work equally well. Start by adding about half the liquid, which for my mom’s crust recipe is 2 tablespoons. Then slowly add one to two tablespoons more, using a fork until the dough pulls together into a ball. Stop before the dough gets too wet but is nicely pulled together.

Cut your ball in half and lightly work into two disks. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for half an hour or up to a day.

Remove one ball from the refrigerator at a time and turn onto your nicely floured work surface. Don’t be shy about the flour if you are rolling out on a counter or cutting board. It’s not fun to have your dough stick. This is why I love my pastry frame—the dough never sticks, even with a moderate amount of flour.

Work the dough with your rolling pin, applying gentle pressure. Roll away from you, then turn the dough a half turn and roll away from you again. As you turn the dough, make sure to add more flour underneath as needed.

Continue this until your dough is too large to turn. Roll until your dough is about a 12″ circle for a 9-inch pie plate and about 1/8 inch thick.

Many pie makers will tell you to fold your dough in quarters then gently lift it into your plate. Our method is much simpler and works like a charm. Gently roll the dough over the top of your rolling pin, slip the plate under, center and roll the dough into the plate.

When it comes to pie plates, my mom and I agree: a simple style glass Pyrex is best. It does a wonderful job of evenly cooking your pie crust. We even prefer Pyrex over more expensive ceramic plates.

The next step is important. Working around the pie, lift the edges of the dough and make sure the dough is snugged into the corners of the pie plate without stretching the dough. This will keep your dough from slipping down when baking.

If you are making a double crust pie, roll out the top at this point. I like to cut my vents while my dough is still on the pastry frame and the surface is firm. That way I can use a cute little cookie cutter to cut a small shape in the center of the crust.

Fill the pie with your filling. Wet the edge of the dough in the plate with a little water. Roll the top over the rolling pin, carefully center it over the pie, and roll into place. Trim around the pie using kitchen scissors or a knife, leaving about a 1/2-inch overhang.

If you are making a single crust, trim around the pie, leaving about 1/2 inch overhang.

My mom and I both flute the edge of the pie by using a thumb and two index fingers, folding the edge, crimping and fluting as you go. Follow the same process for a double crust pie.

Finish your double crust pie by brushing the top with milk or egg wash and sprinkling the surface with sugar to make a lovely crisp sheen on your crust. If you didn’t before, make sure to cut vents for steam.

For a single crust pie where the filling needs to be baked in the pie, fill and bake according to your recipe. Trust me on this one: once you fill your pie, bake it immediately.

For a pie requiring a precooked crust, use a fork to pierce evenly around your pie crust. Bake in a 400ºF oven for about 15 minutes until your crust is golden brown.

You may wonder why I don’t mention pie weights. The need for them depends on your recipe. My mom and I have never had trouble with our crusts slipping into the pan, and have never needed or used weights. If you feel you need them, line your pie crust with parchment or foil and use dry beans or rice to fill the pie.

We never throw away our leftover pie scraps. Cinnamon pie scraps are a favorite treat. Place your scraps on a cookie sheet cut in bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and cook at 400ºF for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Just look at that crust, so light and flaky.

The pre-baked pie crust can be made several days ahead until it is ready to be filled with coconut or banana cream …

Or one of my favorites: fresh peaches. That’s the pie we made today. While peaches are in season, it’s a treat not to be missed.

The first few pie crusts I made tasted good but weren’t very pretty. I’ve even had a few epic failures, like the time I filled an apple pie and put it in the refrigerator overnight so I could cook it fresh on Thanksgiving morning. It came out of the oven gorgeous and golden. But when I served the pie, the bottom crust had turned to goo. So awful! I’ve lived and learned and gotten better with every crust. It’s a skill worth working at, and one your family and friends will love you for.

There are many ways to make a great pie crust, this is simply one method. But it’s a good one. It creates a flaky, tender, delicious pie crust every time. This tutorial is mostly about technique and could be applied to other recipes.

You can also find the printable recipe for my Mom’s Fresh Peach Pie here on Tasty Kitchen and a step by step tutorial on my blog. And thanks, Mom, for sharing your skill and wisdom.

Recipe

Perfect Pie Crust

by callimakesdo on August 4, 2011 in Desserts, Pies
See this recipe post on callimakesdo’s site! August 4, 2011

DessertsPies

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Prep Time 30 Minutes

Cook Time 15 Minutes

Difficulty Intermediate

Servings 16

16

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Recipe Description

This crust is simple, yet tender, flaky and delicious. It works for sweet or savory pie fillings. Makes 2 single or 1 double pie crust.

Preparation Instructions

Measure lard and place in the freezer. Sift flour onto a piece of parchment or wax paper. Re-measure flour and sift again with salt into a mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut cold lard into the flour mixture until the dough resembles small peas. Do not overwork. Add 2 tablespoons milk and work into the dough using a fork. Add one or two more tablespoons of milk, working with a fork until the dough pulls together into a nice ball. Divide into two equal pieces and lightly work into disks. Wrap disks individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1/2 hour or up to one day. On a floured work surface, roll out into a 12-inch disk about 1/8 inch thick and place into a pie plate.

Fill and bake according to your pie recipe. If a recipe calls for a pre-baked pie crust, pierce evenly around the crust with a fork and bake in a 400ºF oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes one double crust or 2 single crusts.

Ingredients

• ⅔ cups Cold Lard
• 2 cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 4 Tablespoons Cold Milk

 
 
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Calli is truly a woman of many talents, from cooking, sewing, crafts, beautiful photography and gardening. Her blog, Make it Do is a treasure trove of recipes, household tips, crafts projects, sewing patterns … you name it. It’s also peppered with photos of her beautiful kids. Go visit her site, and visit it often. There’s always something new to learn there!

 
Stock is an essential ingredient and a secret to great cooking. A good stock is necessary to make soups, sauces, gravies (among many other things) that really shine. Sure, you can grab a box or can of “stock” or broth from your local grocer, but it seriously pales in comparison to the real thing. Not to mention that they are almost always loaded with sodium.

It used to be that when I heard or read the word “stock” I would think, “Oh, come on! Who has that kind of free time? I can’t stand around all day tending a stockpot. I have a life, people!” It’s true that making stock the traditional old-school way takes many hours. Yes, the results are worth it, but that doesn’t change the fact that most normal folk don’t have that kind of time.

I recently stumbled upon a method of making stock that reduces the stock cooking time to a mere hour. At first I thought that this would be akin to making a great prime rib in a microwave. Then, once I researched and pondered it further I realized that it actually produces a better product. How’s that? I’m glad you asked.

Stock is literally all about creating a flavorful liquid by wringing flavor and nutrients from the ingredients. This usually entails simmering bones, veggies, herbs, and seasonings in water for several hours. You have to simmer it long and slow in order to allow all of the good stuff to be released. You should avoid boiling a stock because the violent bubbling breaks down the ingredients and produces an overly cloudy product.

Enter the pressure cooker. The magic of a pressure cooker is that the sealed environs allow the boiling point of water to be raised significantly above the usual 212 degrees. This causes foods to cook much quicker while retaining more of their nutrients. Additionally, because the water never boils, there is no violent bubbling. Think of it as turbo-boiling in still water. It’s a beautiful thing.

Here, let me show you how this works.

Caution: Pressure cookers can be dangerous, so please make sure you read and heed the manufacturer’s instructions and warnings. (If you don’t have a pressure cooker, I have a great tip at the end of the post that involves a stockpot, the oven, and no stirring.)

First, we need to roast the turkey parts. Sure, you can use a carcass of a previously-roasted bird, but I find this to be far easier, better, and more consistent. I use one package of wings (about three pounds).

Preheat your oven to 350ºF.

Using a cleaver or large knife, carefully cut each wing at each joint. I discard the tips.

Season the wing pieces with kosher salt and pepper.

Roast the turkey parts on a sheet pan for 90 minutes, then remove them from the oven and let cool to room temperature or refrigerate for up to three days.

In addition to the roasted turkey parts, you’ll need three large carrots, three stalks of celery, one medium (or two small) yellow onion, ten sprigs of thyme, two bay leaves, a tablespoon of minced garlic, half a teaspoon of black peppercorns, and three quarts of cold water.

Clean the carrots (there’s no need to peel them), celery, and peel the onions.

Rough chop all of the vegetables. The size doesn’t really matter, just chop them up.

Dump everything in your pressure cooker.

Add the water.

You want to just barely cover the ingredients, so add more or less water as needed.

Seal your pressure cooker per the directions and bring to 15 pounds of pressure.

Reduce the heat as needed to maintain a pressure of 15 pounds and cook for 45 minutes.

Remove the cooker from the heat and let it cool until the pressure is completely relieved.

Open the cooker and remove the large pieces of meat, bone and vegetables with a large slotted spoon.

You can see what a great job the pressure cooker does. The meat completely falls off the bone with almost no effort. Our dog really appreciates this part (the leftover meat, not the bones).

Filter the stock through a very fine strainer and cool immediately. If you want a clearer stock, filter it through a colander that is lined with a clean kitchen towel. I used this batch to make gravy, so I didn’t care about it being a little cloudy. Now that I think about it, I rarely care.

Once the stock is cold, you can easily remove the solidified fat from the top.

Store in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze for long-term storage.

Use as needed.

Enjoy!

 
Notes:
1. You can use this recipe to make other types of stock, like chicken or beef. Just use those meats and bones in lieu of the turkey. For example, you can use a cut-up roasted deli chicken to make chicken stock, or use cut-up beef back ribs (roasted just like the turkey) to make beef stock. When making beef stock, I would add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste for added richness.
2. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, just use a large covered stock pot. Bring it just barely to a boil, then move the covered pot to a 180-degree oven for six hours. There is no need to stir or tend it at all.

Recipe

Pressure Cooker Turkey Stock

by patiodaddio on December 27, 2010 in Brothy Soups, Soups
See this recipe post on patiodaddio’s site! December 27, 2010

Brothy SoupsSoups

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Prep Time 20 Minutes

Cook Time 2 Hours

Difficulty Easy

Servings 36

36

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Recipe Description

Here’s a much easier way to make a great quality stock in a fraction of the time that it typically requires. This recipe will also work well with other kinds of stock.

Preparation Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Using a cleaver or large knife, carefully cut each wing at each joint. I discard the tips.

Season the wing pieces with kosher salt and pepper.

Roast the turkey parts on a sheet pan for 90 minutes, then remove them from the oven and let cool to room temperature, or refrigerate for up to three days.

In addition to the roasted turkey parts, you’ll need three large carrots, three stalks of celery, one medium (or two small) yellow onion, ten sprigs of thyme, two bay leaves, a tablespoon of minced garlic, half a teaspoon of black peppercorns, and three quarts of cold water.

Clean the carrots (there’s no need to peel them), celery, and peel the onions.

Rough chop all of the vegetables. The size doesn’t really matter, just chop them up.

Dump everything in your pressure cooker.

Add the water.

You want to just barely cover the ingredients, so add more or less water as needed.

Seal your pressure cooker per the directions, and bring to 15 pounds of pressure.

Reduce the heat as needed to maintain a pressure of 15 pounds and cook for 45 minutes.

Remove the cooker from the heat and let it cool until the pressure is completely relieved.

Open the cooker and remove the large pieces of meat, bone and vegetables with a large slotted spoon.

Filter the stock through a very fine strainer and cool immediately. If you want a clearer stock, filter it through a colander that is lined with a clean kitchen towel. I used this batch to make gravy, so I didn’t care about it being a little cloudy. Now that I think about it, I rarely care.

Once the stock is cold, you can easily remove the solidified fat from the top.

Store in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze for long-term storage.

Use as needed.

Enjoy!

Notes:

* You can use this recipe to make other types of stock, like chicken or beef. Just use those meats and bones in lieu of the turkey. For example, you can use a cut-up roasted deli chicken to make chicken stock, or use cut-up beef back ribs (roasted just like the turkey) to make beef stock. When making beef stock I would add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste for added richness.

* If you don’t have a pressure cooker, just use a large covered stock pot. Bring it just barely to a boil, then move the covered pot to a 180-degree oven for six hours. There is no need to stir or tend it at all.

Ingredients

• 1 package Turkey Wings (about Three Pounds)
• 3 whole Large Carrots
• 3 stalks Celery
• 1 whole Medium Yellow Onion (or Two Small)
• 10 sprigs Thyme
• 2 whole Bay Leaves
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic, Minced
• ½ teaspoons Black Peppercorns, Whole
• 3 quarts Water, Cold

 
 
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John Dawson has always been one of our favorite men here at Tasty Kitchen. His blog, Patio Daddio BBQ is a great resource for great recipes of every kind. Go visit his site for good food, equipment reviews, cooking competitions, video clips, and occasional photos of his lovely family.

I was like, wha?! A snack? I can hardly open the thing. I’d have red juice everywhere and would’ve grabbed a pack of Ho-Hos by the time I got the seeds out.

Besides, it seemed so exotic. And sometimes Jalapéno Cheetos are as exotic as I can get. Yeah, I’m not typically a healthy snacker.

Just keepin’ it real, folks.

But seeing Sallie, the woman who can swim three laps to my one … Sallie who is ten years my senior but who could easily pass as my younger sister … Sallie who eats pomegranates for a snack … I’m thinking Sallie may be on to something.

So, on my next trip to the grocer I picked up a few to give it a go. When I got home I did a little checking, first on the pomegranate and second how to approach the strange-looking fruit. Sakes alive, have you ever read about the pomegranate? Truly an amazing fruit.

And have you ever opened one? They really are unbelievable. Pictures don’t do it justice. The vibrant red, ruby looking seeds are a marvel. And pretty tasty too. Not to mention that pomegranate seeds and the juice are a great addition to many recipes. The arils burst with a sweet, tart flavor, ending with a crunch. They’re to be enjoyed whole, seed and all.

Plus, the possible health benefits alone make the price of this fruit seem not so expensive. These include the antioxidant benefits of helping keep bad cholesterol from developing further, preventing blood platelets from forming clots (similar to aspirin), and even helping reduce inflammation, which can aid in treating arthritis. At least, what’s what I read in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the American Journal of the College of Cardiology.

These are just a few of the possible benefits from the pomegranate that I ran across. Do a thorough check yourself. You may be surprised at what you find.

There seems to be a variety of recommended ways to open a pomegranate. I’ve tried a few, but have two that I prefer. Wanna see?

Before beginning, I’d recommend—unless you own a red cutting board—laying parchment paper or paper towels out on the surface where you’ll be cutting. I’ve found that no matter how careful you are, unless you’re a professional pomegranate opener-upper, it’s difficult to avoid the juice splattering. Also, have a medium-large bowl filled halfway with cold water ready.

On to the two ways I get to the goodness.

The first way: halve the pomegranate, cutting it from top to bottom.

Place both halves in the water. Working with one half face down, using your fingers, gently coax the seeds out.

Eventually you’ll be able to turn the pomegranate peel inside out to extract those closest to the outer skin. The seeds will sink to the bottom, while the white pith floats. Skim off the white pith and strain the water out.

 
The second way to cut a pomegranate is my favorite. It requires more cutting but I think is less messy in the long run.

Start by gently cutting a circle around the top of the pomegranate, just barely piercing the skin. (Of course you can use a much smaller knife than this one. A small paring knife should work well.)

The idea is to take the top off without popping any of the seeds, like this.

As you can see, I cut a few seeds. I could use some more practice. But how pretty is that? It’s like a little bowl of jewels.

Once the top is off, you can easily see the different sections of the pomegranate. There should be six different “chambers,” roughly the same size. See the white pithy areas separating each section?

Using those pithy dividers as a guide, and, again, gently piercing the skin of the fruit but not cutting all the way through, cut down the sides of the pomegranate following where the individual sections seem to be. You’ll make six different cuts working around the pomegranate.

Next, gently pry open the pomegranate.

It opens up like a beautiful gift revealing all the tasty jewels inside. Simply an amazing fruit, huh?

To remove the seeds, either gently pick them out or repeat the steps above with the bowl of water.

All of these seeds are from a single pomegranate. One pomegranate holds hundreds of these little beauties. A handy tip to remember when purchasing pomegranates is the heavier the pomegranate, the more seeds it will have.

 
So there you go. Next time you’re in the grocery store, grab one of these babies and take it home for a snack, or as an addition to a recipe. Be sure to let me know how it goes. And a big thanks to my friend Sallie for turning me on to this super fruit!

 
 
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Amy Johnson is a blogger who writes about food, travel, the home (both inside and out), and various observations and random musings about anything and everything. Visit her blog She Wears Many Hats for a dose of deliciousness, practicality, hilarity, or just plain fun. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.

 
It’s Memorial Weekend, and do you know what that means? Time to lounge at the pool and hang out by the BBQ. We’re grilling this entire weekend; the weather is perfectly straddling between warm and hot (when it gets hot we jump in the pool … when it gets warm, we EAT!).

This week, I asked my friend, Steve, to share a grilling tip and recipe. He’s the publisher of Grilling Companion recipe site and developer of the brand new iPad app. Steve is sharing a recipe for a Grilled Whole Chicken with Balsamic Glaze and will show us how to spatchcock a chicken (i.e. flatten that sucker for even cooking!).

 
Grilled Whole Chicken with Balsamic Glaze

I have nothing against a whole chicken. It still cracks me up when I open the lid of the grill and see a bird perched up on a beer can. I just find it easier to handle a flattened chicken on the grill. A flat chicken cooks quicker and more evenly, and has the added benefit of not rolling off the platter on your way to the table (yeah, been there and cleaned up the mess). So today’s recipe is a bonus, with equal parts Chicken Butchering 101 and recipe for a delicious and simple honey balsamic glazed whole chicken. Grab a bird and a cutting board and let’s get started!

 
Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (around 4 – 5 pounds)
1/2 cup honey
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Let’s disassemble a bird. Lay the whole chicken breast side down on your cutting board.

2. Feel around his (or her) back until you feel the backbone running straight down the middle. I haven’t read about any cases of scoliosis in chickens, so it should be straight down the center of the back.

3. Using kitchen shears or a knife, cut down both sides of the backbone. The bones are pretty thin in this area, so you should be able to cut through with little effort.

4. Remove the backbone completely and trim off any excess fat around where the tail used to be.

5. Ok, here’s where it’s a little tricky the first time. Spread the chicken open and locate the white piece of grissel you see here just to the right of my finger? Cut through it with the knife.

6. There is a bone starting under that piece of grissel called the keel bone and it runs down the length of the breasts. If you bend the chicken back a little farther, you’ll start to see the keel bone poke out between the breasts.

7. Work your fingers down each side of the keel bone to loosen and then pull it out. See why they call it a keel bone (boat reference)?

8. Now you can either leave the chicken flat or cut all the way through where the keel bone used to be to form two half chickens. I prefer to work with two halves; they’re easier to move around the grill.

9. Light your grill for a two zone, indirect grilling session. If you are using gas, you’ve got it easy—just light half of your burners to medium high and leave the other half off (preferably the center burners should be off). For you charcoal folks, pile up a chimney full of charcoal on one side of the grill.

10. Combine the honey and balsamic vinegar in a bowl and whisk thoroughly to form our glaze.

11. Generously salt and pepper both sides of your chicken.

12. Once the grill is ready, place the chicken skin side down on the hot side of the grill. Stay close by, the fat from the skin is going to flare up! When it does, just move your chicken off the flame until the flare up goes out.

13. Sear the chicken for 5 – 10 minutes (depending on the temperature of your grill). We are looking to crisp up the skin and create a little char, but not burn the entire skin.

14. Once you are done searing, flip the chicken over skin side up and move the chicken to the cool side of the grill.

15. Using a mop or brush, baste the chicken with the honey balsamic glaze and close the grill’s lid.

16. We want to keep the grill at as close to 350 degrees as possible and only open the lid to baste the chicken. Just like your oven, the grill loses all of the heat each time you open the lid.

17. Continue to baste the chicken with the glaze every 10 minutes or so and keep the lid closed in between basting.

18. Grill the chicken until a thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast reads around 160 degrees and the outside skin has darkened.

19. Hit the chicken with a little more glaze and place on a platter to serve.

20. Allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes before you carve.

See? Told you this was easy! Sure, you can buy half chickens, but they are little more expensive and you won’t be able to impress your family with your new butchering skills. With a little practice, you’ll disassemble that bird in no time flat. (Get it?)

 
 
Along with that grilled chicken, I’d love to top it with some Fresh Watermelon Salsa from HowSweetEats.

 
 
 
And then we move on to BLT Bites from LanaAnn. How cute are these! I’ll take 4 of them please!

 
 
 
Another summery side perfect for this weekend is Karly’s Corn with Bacon and Green Onions. Because how can you have a celebration without bacon? Love it.

 
 
 
And for dessert, to top it all off, Mangiodasola’s Chocolate Crumb Cheesecake Bars. Truly decadent.

 
 
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Jaden Hair is a food writer, television personality, and food photographer based in Tampa Bay, Florida. Find more of her recipes in her blog, Steamy Kitchen, where you can also read more about Jaden’s new book, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, and the rave reviews it’s received!

 
I love my guac! And if a big bowl is in front of me with fresh tortilla chips, I can eat the entire thing in one sitting. Just don’t expect me to share any of it!

To make a big bowl of guacamole (I love saying that word), you have to start with lots of perfectly ripe avocados. Not too soft, not too hard, with just that perfect give. I’ve been known to fondle every avocado in the store before selecting one. Notice I didn’t say squeeze, abuse or push … just a light pressure with the hands.

The first time I ever opened an avocado, I tried dislodging the pit the way that I saw fancy chefs do it on television. But thwacking a sharp chef’s knife into the center of the pit and then wrestling the slippery pit off the knife’s edge is a dangerous activity. I’m not going to go into detail on how that ended, other than we didn’t have guacamole that night.

Let’s start with these two lovelies.

Go ahead and make that first cut into the avocado. Have your hand resting on the cutting board to steady the avocado.

Go all the way around the avocado.

Now sing with me: “Twist! Twist! Let’s do the twist!”

And open! Okay, this avocado has a couple of brown spots. But that’s okay, you can either spoon out that portion or just leave it. When you mash it up for guac, no one will notice, I promise.

You can hold it like this and thwack the end of the knife in the pit of the avocado—but it’s dangerous. What if you MISS??? The pit is slippery and round. The bottom of the avocado is curved. There’s lots of room for error.

Instead, hold the avocado in a thick towel and then thwack. You want the edge of the blade to lodge in the pit.

Twist again …

And pull out the pit. But how do ya get the sucker off your knife? The pit is lodged in there! Chefs will show you to use your thumb and push the pit away and off the blade. I’ve also seen people try to PRY the darn pit off with their bare hands. Yikes! I don’t know about you, but that seems mighty dangerous to me. Here’s a better and safer way.

Hold your knife just like so at the edge of your kitchen sink.

Put your thumb on the outside edge of the counter top.

And PUSH using your thumb as leverage! The pit should pop right off.

Score! 2 points right in the basket.

This is a great method to teach kids, too. Anyways, that’s the way that I do it!

So, tell me, what’s your favorite recipe using avocados? Gimme some ideas! Send me links to your blogs if you have one or links to recipes here on Tasty Kitchen!

 
 
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Jaden Hair is a food writer, television personality, and food photographer based in Tampa Bay, Florida. Find more of her recipes on her blog, Steamy Kitchen, where you can also read more about Jaden’s new book, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, and the rave reviews it’s received!

 
I just came back from a week of blissdom at the famous Rancho La Puerta spa in Tecate, Mexico, where they’re known for their invigorating hikes and healthy, low-calorie, mostly vegetarian gourmet meals. It’s a place where you go to recharge, restore and get back in touch with how wonderful nourishing food tastes and feels.

Don’t get me wrong, I missed my meats like crazy (a few of my co-conspirators and I snuck out for a beer and taco run … twice).

Since I’ve been home, I’ve been trying to keep a little of that Rancho La Puerta experience with me, and I’m specifically talking about enjoying healthy vegetarian dishes.

A spaghetti squash is a pretty intimidating pain. It’s large, heavy and when uncooked, you’d need a hack saw to pierce through its thick skin. But pop that baby in a 375F oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour (until you can easily pierce it with a paring knife) and it will look like this:

Grab knife and cut it all the way around:

 
 
 
Then open it up:

 
 
 
Scoop out the seeds:

 
 
 
Then use two forks to lift the strands out:

 
 
 
Oops. I must’ve forgotten to take off the sticker on the squash:

 
 
 
Gently scrape until all the squash is gone:

 
 
 
And now you’ve got a mound of golden, tender strands, ready to do whatever you please.

 
 
 
You can simply toss it with a little bit of butter or olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

 
 
 
Or, you can sauté some chopped onions until softened in a bit of olive oil. Then add the spaghetti squash, season with salt, minced parsley, a quick squeeze of lemon and just toss until warmed through.

 
 
 
Add just a sprinkling of grated cheese, and feel good knowing that you’re doing good for your body.

 
 
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Jaden Hair is a food writer, television personality, and food photographer based in Tampa Bay, Florida. Find more of her recipes on her blog, Steamy Kitchen, where you can also read more about Jaden’s new book, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, and the rave reviews it’s received!

Hollandaise sauce begins with a lemon juice and butter base, and is emulsified with the addition of egg yolks. Hollandaise is the chief ingredient in Eggs Benedict, but is also perfect on asparagus and other vegetables, as well as fish and even a rare piece of beef tenderloin. While making it by way of a whisk can be a little on the challenging side, this is a nifty Blender Hollandaise that’ll make your spirit soar. And your tummy jiggle. And your hips spread. And your hiney droop to the floor.

 
 
In a small saucepan, melt 2 sticks of butter until sizzling. But don’t let it burn!

 
 
Separate three eggs…

 
 
And place the yolks into a blender.

 
 
Now, pay attention, darlings! Turn the blender on low to allow the yolks to combine, then begin pouring the very hot butter in a thin stream into the blender. The blender should remain on the whole time, and your should be careful to pour in the butter very slowly.

 
 
Keep pouring butter until it’s all gone, then immediately begin squeezing lemon juice into the blender. You should use the juice of one lemon. And check the blender to make sure the sauce is still liquidy and moving easily through the blades. If it’s not, add a little more juice and give it a stir, then blend again.

 
 
I like to add a generous shake of cayenne pepper. It takes a lot before the sauce gets too spicy, so don’t be too shy with this stuff.

 
 
You’ll notice the sauce is quite thick. But when I turned the blender back on to mix in the cayenne, it moved along just fine. Remember, if it’s too thick to blend, just squeeze a little more juice in there and give it a stir. But please remember to remove the spoon before you turn the blender back on. Please? Thank you.

 
 
That’s it—Hollandaise! (Here’s my Eggs Benedict recipe if you’d like it!.)

Make some this week. It’s a wonderful journey through decadence.

 
Start by cutting the onion in half from root to tip.

 
Then lop off the top end.

 
Then peel off the outer layer.

 
Then make several small, vertical slices all the way through the onion.

 
Next, rotate the onion 90 degrees and slice again, creating a dice.

Rocket Science: that’s what I have to offer the world.

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Republished from The Pioneer Woman Cooks’ archives.

They make me feel frilly and fancy.

Try them sometime!

 
 
Grab some Crisco and some semi-sweet baking chocolate. (Any brand will do, and you can even use semi-sweet chocolate chips if you’d like!)

 
 
Place three ounces (usually three squares) of chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl.

 
 
Now place one tablespoon of Crisco (vegetable shortening) into the bowl.

 
 
Now throw it in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, or until the shortening is melted and hot.

 
 
With a fork…

 
 
Stir to combine thoroughly.

 
 
And there you have it—chocolate curls!

Just kidding. I just love doing that, though.

 
Now, grab a metal cookie sheet, turn it upside down, and pour the melted chocolate on.

 
 
Then, with a flat spatula (or heck, a knife), spread the chocolate in a thin layer…

 
 
Keep going until it’s very, very thin. Then…and this is the key…stick it in the freezer for a few minutes.

 
 
Now, this is after one minute in the freezer. I gave the chocolate the ol’ fingerprint test, and it failed miserably. It’s still way too soft to make the curls. So I put it back in for exactly two minutes.

 
 
Be sure to give it the ol’ fingerprint test. And when it’s ready, it should leave the slightest mark, but not an actual depression.

Next, get a somewhat sharp-edged spatula and begin to scrape the chocolate from the bottom of the pan. When the chocolate is just the right temperature, it’ll curl instead of break.

 
 
See, right now it’s still just a tad too cold/hard. So I waited one minute and tried again.

 
 
And guess what? It’s just right.

 
 
Now you have a couple of minutes before the chocolate gets too soft.

 
 
So just scrape along the bottom of the pan…

 
 
…And the chocolate will curl right up. If it’s too hard, give it a minute, then try again. If it gets too soft, stick it back in the freezer for a minute.

 
 
Pretty soon you’ll have a bunch of fun little chocolate curls. If you’re not trying to take photos with one hand while you’re doing this, the curls will turn out better. But you get the general idea!

 
 
And I have no idea how this one happened, but I think it’s kinda neat. And I totally meant to do it.

Important: as soon as possible, transfer the curls to a cold pan or plate, then stick them in the freezer to harden. Store in the freezer in a Ziploc bag until you need them. Use them to adorn pies, cakes, or platters of fruit. You’ll feel instantly fancy!

And frilly.

Then end.

*This Tasty Kitchen How-To was extracted from the Pioneer Woman recipe, “Delicious Chocolate Pie”. I recommend making it sometime before you croak.