Lauren’s Roast Chicken and a side of Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Horseradish Dressing

       They say that the mark of a good cook is whether they can deliver a perfect Roast Chicken.  Perfect…as  deeply juicy and tender meat covered with the crispest and crunchiest skin.  Frankly, I have never been satisfied with my Roast Chicken.  I’ve tried everything from Marcella Hazan’s very simple recipe of stuffing a bird with a lemon and an onion.  I’ve tried sitting the bird atop a medley of onions, carrots and shallots.  I’ve buttered and herbed under the skin.  I’ve rubbed chickens with canola and olive oils.  I’ve cooked them at every temperature imaginable from 325 to 550 degrees.   I have brined birds, cooked kosher ones and free-rangers and organic offerings.  Never have I cracked the Roast Chicken code. Until now.  And I did it with Andrew’s sister Lauren’s recipe.  And it’s insanely easy. 

Melissa Clark’s Spicy Garlicky Meatloaf and a recipe for Broccoli Slaw

      I am always surprised at what the most popular recipes are on Chewing the Fat.  There’s no real common denominator at all.  I’d let you guess but since we are now onto post number 158, it might speed things up if I cut to the chase. 

The number one recipe of all time is for Doughnut Muffins. At 567 page views it comes in so over the top it doesn’t have any real competition.  Coming in a very distant second is Mario Batali’s take on Pasta Primavera.  But close behind that is the recipe for Sicillian Meatballs from the guys at Frankie’s Spuntino.  Now I have to admit, the meatballs are fantastic and a garlic lover’s dream.   They’re loaded with the stuff yet light as air and unique in their use of pine nuts and raisins.  So when I came across Melissa Clark’s recipe entitled Spicy Garlicky Meatloaf and read how she incorporated some meatball basics into it, I wanted to try it. Meatloaf is one of my favorite things.  It was one of my first posts and this will be the third recipe for it.  So you know it must be good.  And along with it, I served a very easy-to-make salad that's very healthy and crunchy and delicious. Its key ingredients come from Trader Joe's.  
I could do a complete story on my relationship with Trader Joe's which opened not too long ago very close to us in the city.  I know my daughter-in-law does a fantastic job of putting meals together using Trader Joe's marinated meats and prepared dishes.  I admire her so much but it's not my kind of cooking.  What I love about TJ's are the prices for organic foods and salads.  I'm intrigued by some of them as I had not even been aware of some of them until now.  Into that category, I would have to add Broccoli Slaw.  

  Broccoli is a super food and loaded with anti-oxidants.  Here it comes so ready-to-go, it’s irresistible. So when I found a recipe in Bon Appetit that was centered on the stuff, I had to try it. And at the risk of sounding like Sandra Lee, it’s so simple to use and a really nice contrast to the very garlicky meatloaf.  

Garlic was not something I grew up with.  My grandmother Stewart positively whinnied whenever garlic was mentioned. My father tortured her every Sunday by claiming it would be the main event at our family dinners.  My grandmother was born in a small town in New Brunswick where I doubt there was much exposure to the bulb. Since her father was the member of Parliament for the district, she spent over half the year in Toronto when the legislature was in session.  Now Toronto may be a reasonable place to eat now, but I can quite promise you it certainly was not then.  So where this loathing of the ‘stinking rose’ came from I’ll never know.  I certainly didn’t inherit it.  That being said, Melissa’s meatloaf is best left to garlic lovers.  And even then, you might want to cut back a little.  Here’s the recipe:

Recipe for Spicy, Garlicky Meatloaf courtesy of Melissa Clark.

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

5 garlic cloves, minced

3 scallions, white and light green parts, finely chopped

1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup dried bread crumbs

3 tablespoons chicken stock, heavy cream or milk

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional).

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, garlic, scallions, jalapeño, sage, salt and black pepper.

2. In a separate bowl, stir together bread crumbs and stock, cream or milk. Let stand five minutes.

3. Add pork, beef and soaked bread crumbs to egg mixture. Knead ingredients together until just combined. Press mixture evenly into an 8- or 9-inch loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, whisk together the tomato paste and olive oil. After meatloaf has finished baking, brush top with glaze; sprinkle with pine nuts, if using. Bake 15 minutes more (glaze will be thick and a meat thermometer should read 160 degrees). Let meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Yields: 6 to 8 servings.










Recipe for Broccoli Slaw courtesy of Bon Appetit

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons white miso

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 12-ounce bag broccoli slaw

3 large green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk vinegar, miso, ginger, and oil in small bowl. combine slaw, green onions, and cilantro in large bowl. toss with dressing.