This is such an easy dinner. Season bone-in chicken thighs (you can use breasts if you prefer, bone-in is key) with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. I gently pull up the skin and sprinkle spices underneath and replace the skin. I brush a bit of olive oil over them and then place them on top of halved potatoes and zucchini, also brushed with a bit of olive oil. Roast at 375 degrees.
Pear Crisp is delicious. It is my basic Apple Crisp recipe (below), added some walnuts and yum!
This is such a great crisp. I’ve been transferring it to a glass baking dish before baking – I think I get a more even crisp topping that way.
Cast Iron Apple Crisp
- 2 lbs apples – mix of sweet and tart (about 3 apples)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- dash of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to taste
Topping:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (more as desired)
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
- 1 cup flour
10 inch cast iron skillet and small mixing bowl
Core and cut apples into small pieces (about 1/2 inch). Peeling is optional, but with this method the peels cook nice and soft, so it isn’t necessary.
Melt butter in skillet, add apples and sugar, stir until apples are well coated. Cover and cook on medium heat until apple mixture is soft and caramelized, stirring occasionally. About 20-30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In mixing bowl, stir together butter, sugar, flour and oats, mix until crumbly. Crumble over the apple mixture. Bake for 10-15 minutes, just until top is crispy golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes and serve warm.
What makes this so good is that because the apples are cooked on the stovetop, you can use a much higher heat in the oven and get a good, crisp top without drying the whole mixture out or under cooking the apples. Really, this is one of the best apple crisps I’ve made.
Alternately, if you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, you can transfer the cooked apple mixture to a glass baking dish, add topping and bake that way.
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Ok, I know you skimmed down here to see bonus puppeh, didn’t you? Here is Scout, 8 weeks. 12.2 lbs (by comparison – Bixby was 22.2 lbs at 8 weeks):
There are more photos of her and Bixby and a bit of how our first days have been at this link.
What’s on your menu this weekend? Cooking anything yummy we should know about?
Open thread.
Lapassionara
I love pears. Thank you for this recipe!
notoriousJRT
OMG. Scout is a cutie and a beauty.
schrodingers_cat
I made a seafood stew yesterday. Going to roast whole chicken legs tomorrow.
TaMara (HFG)
I am getting ready to make some mac-n-cheese. Time for some good old comfort food. Also, jicama slaw, a favorite here, to make up for the carbs&cheese.
Uncle Ebeneezer
My wife got me one of those Lodge grill/pan skillets that fries stuff up with the fancy grill-lines. A couple days ago I made this excellent recipe for Khmer pork chops
http://www.khmerkromrecipes.com/recipes/recipe120.html
With Kampot black pepper dipping sauce and rice.
https://maknao.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/cambodian%C2%A0black%C2%A0pepper%C2%A0dip/
I’m becoming o big fan of fish sauce in meat marinades.
Mnemosyne
I like how Emma is establishing exactly whose cage that is. ?
TaMara (HFG)
@Uncle Ebeneezer: Cast iron rules!
Jeffro
Man…the Dukes AND the Chiefs went down in flames today…it’s a sign. Time to narrow my sportsball watching even further. By the time I’m 50 I’ll be down to watching the last 10 minutes of the Super Bowl(!)
In food news, looking forward to making some
– teriyaki pork kebabs
– sausage and kale stew
– chili con carne*
and
– chicken fried rice
this week!
*in a family full of legumophobes, I have to make it, and then pull 1/3 aside for myself, to add some pinto beans. Ridiculous! But then so are the Dukes and Chiefs…
Josie
@Mnemosyne: Cats have an amazing ability to appropriate anything that looks the least bit comfortable.
Uncle Ebeneezer
We have some colder/rainy weather coming up so we are already discussing comfort food options: American chop suey, Vietnamese curry, chili etc.
trollhattan
Just look at that fuzzy, spotty puppy! Awwwwwwwwww! Scout is cute as a cute thing, congratulations!
Also, I’m now hungry. Can somebody explain to me the fondness of skinless, boneless chicken breasts? Why take a noble, tasty bird and turn it into expensive spackle?
TaMara (HFG)
@Mnemosyne: Not the first time, LOL, she use to torture Bixby by taking over the crate. One of my favorite photos of them.
debit
What an adorable puppy!
mai naem mobile
I did indeed skim down all the way first to see da puppeh!!! Seriously adorable puppeh!!! I want to scoop her up and give her a big hug.
Suburban Mom
@Uncle Ebeneezer: Those sound amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Yutsano
@TaMara (HFG): SCOUTPUPPEH!!!
I have been BUSY today. But the new apartment is starting to come together. And I’m starting to get food options together although chicken for some reason has been ridiculous.
There were those escalloped breasts at the store. All I need is capers and I could do Meyer lemon chicken piccata.
Mnemosyne
I’m not cooking much because I’m still stuck on crutches and it’s too much of a pain in the ass to do all of the prep since our counter space is across from the stove, not next to it. I may try to make some Irish oats in the crockpot tomorrow so I have breakfast for the week.
When I do cook again, I will probably make one of my new favorite low-FODMAP recipes, Stephanie Clairmont’s One Pot Lemon Chicken. Of all of the FODMAP dieticians out there, I think I like Stephanie’s recipes the best.
Sab
@Lapassionara: I also love pears and dont have many good recipes. Thanks.
Mnemosyne
@TaMara (HFG):
Emma is full of Tortietude. I like that in a cat. ?
CaseyL
There ain’t nothin’ like a pup!
I have discovered, fairly late in life, that I love fried chicken. Hell on the waistline, heaven in the mouth. The roasted looks delish, though I can’t quite muster up love for zucchini.
TaMara (HFG)
@CaseyL: @CaseyL: Try this one – it’s as close to fried chicken as I’ve ever made. The key is potato starch.
Gelfling 545
What a little darling. I had to laugh though. Flora was 12.2 lbs at her last vet visit – at 3 years!
Schlemazel
@Josie:
I am not convinced it eben needs to look comfortable. Ours love to sleep on top of the radiators. That does not look at all like a place to relax
geg6
TaMara, that little girl is the adorablest of adorables. Bixby cracks me up in that photo on your website—no, you may not lay on my bed, little interloper. So much cuteness makes a not so great day just awesome.
When I can venture out tomorrow and not freeze my ass off, I’ll be heading to the grocery store for the few things I need to make spaghetti with shrimp and lemon. Found a recipe for it that sounds delicious and I just need the lemons and shrimp. And a bottle of wine to go with.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
since this is a cooking thread: I was thinking of making cookies with almond flour. I don’t suppose it can be as simple as swapping out regular flour for the almond stuff? I looked up some online recipes and they all start talking about “paleo” and “gluten-free”. I’m looking for a slightly healthier cookie, not to join a new religion
Ruviana
How long do the chicken and veggies cook for? It looks delicious and sounds so incredibly easy!
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
I did skim for the puppy pics. She is so cute, and Bixby is so good with her. You say the cat is adjusting, but it seems to be in a cage.
TaMara (HFG)
@Ruviana: Depends on the oven and size of the veggies/thighs (some of those thighs look like they belong to a dinosaur). I just stick a fork in them to see if they are cooked through and the chicken to 170-ish. At least 45 minutes, usually an hour.
Schlemazel
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Sometimes you just have to ignore the crazy and enjoy the food. If you are looking for advice you’ll have to google. I tried almond flour looking to play with the flavor and noticed a couple of important things. 1) go by volume not weight as almond flour is heavier. 2) almond flour will require more liquid. How much more, well that depends & it is one of the reasons I gave up on it. 3) the cookies you make will be more crumbly. Let them cool down on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before taking them off or they tend to break apart.
Back in the dark ages I was on a vegetarian listserv & got a lot of great recipes but the price was putting up with a lot of woo-woo and crazy. The Web has not made that better
Ruviana
@TaMara (HFG): Thanks! I think I know what I’m making tomorrow.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
thanks, that’s what I was thinking, too, that the almond flour would add to the flavor
Schlemazel
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I didn’t really notice much flavor & is one of the reason I didn’t continue experimenting. I think the almond has a lot more fat in it which could be good if you are looking for that. In the end I was reading recipes that just used 1/4 almond & 3/4 wheat
Sab
Dog progress report:
My St Bernard mix started throwing up about three weeks ago, stopped eating, and went from 80 lbs to 50 lbs in a week. Took her to the vet three times for all kinds of testing. They couldnt figure out whatwas wrong. Eventually they put her on a special canned diet that we have to squirt into her mouth with a syringe because she won’t eat. It takes forever to load up the syringe. We’ve been feeding her three syringes at a time every hour for about a week, and she is actually improving. She hasn’t lost any more weight. She isn’t wobbly on her feet any more, and today she ate a dog biscuit and nibbled some scrambled eggs.She might survive!
raven
@Sab: Hang tough
Lymie
Gee, 8 weeks is awfully young to be placed. Most dog folks go with at least 10.
debit
@Sab: I remember you posting about this and am so happy for this update!
Lapassionara
@Sab: Yes. They are, especially this time of year. And especially in this dreadful reign of error.
Lapassionara
@Sab: Good to hear.
TaMara (HFG)
@Lymie: My friend fosters puppies specifically and not once have they waited until the puppies were 10 wks. Both my vets (Bixby and Scout’s) were fine with 8 wks.
Schlemazel
@Sab:
Man that sounds tough and it has to be worse not having a reason for the change. It is good news the pupper is at least nibbling, it indicates the bad thing might be passing. Here is hoping
Another Scott
@Sab: Thanks for the good news. Here’s hoping she’s closer to her old self soon.
Cheers,
Scott.
Eric S.
I’m debating baking some bread tomorrow. My newest foray into the culinary world. A buddy wants me to make some sourdough but that looks …. challenging for my first loaf of bread ever.
CaseyL
@TaMara (HFG): Both recipes (the potato and the original) look really really good *wipes drool off chin* – thank you!
chris
@Mnemosyne:
Thanks for teaching me a new word and, via gizoogle, opening my eyes to a new world. Pumpkin has the ‘tude but I didn’t know there was a name for it. Explains a lot about the old thing.
laura
I would hug and love that puppie given half a chance!
Instead, we’re eating homemade pizza with the last of the sketti sauce. Tomorrow is cream of roast poblano soup and prepping for several chicken pot pies for a Shop Stewards meeting.
TaMara (HFG)
@laura: Oh my gosh, I just made poblano soup and it was soooo good. Can’t wait to make it again.
Tata
Eight weeks.
Imagine being younger than cheese.
laura
@Sab: man, I wish I could be there and hold your hand and scritch your Bernard. Our Rosie was a scoffer, and sock eating was her specialty to her detriment. I wish you good health in your boon companion.
laura
@TaMara (HFG): I’m thinking avocado as a creamy addition, and a quesodilla on the side.
It’s so comforting to come home from work on a Monday to an already made bowl of alright
MoxieM
Such gorgeous puppytude! Lovely lovely lovely. sigh. All warm and giant doggy happy inside now, despite it being -17 ‘rest of the world’ degrees here, and Murphy is going stir-crazy from lack of walks.
MoxieM
@Sab: Oh, my very best to you. It’s so hard when they feel like garbage. (I assume you’ve tried the usual boiled chicken-rice-pumpkin routine?) Mine would go for smelly fish like mackerel when nothing else worked, but can the Saint keep it down?
WaterGirl
@TaMara (HFG): recipe? Can I make it with the frozen peppers from my garden?
WaterGirl
TaMara, Scout is totally adorable! And you have beautiful hands!!!
No One You Know
Made chicken soup today, using skin, meat, bones, as per Silver Palate. They’re right. It feels like a waste of meat–I do take quite a bit for later, but there’s a lot left in the pot. By the time it’s done, there’s no flavor in the meat–but the broth, ahhhhh. So much body and flavor. I’ll add egg noodles, carrots, mushrooms, leeks, parsley, the chopped meat, and Siberian pierogie on the side, that’s Sunday dinner.
Amir Khalid
@Josie:
As i write this, Bianca has claimed an as-yet unoccupied shelf in my new bookcase. Comfy? I guess she thinks so.