New Beginnings

Well I hope for new beginnings, anyway. This last week, I was busy finishing my applications for graduate school. It's been a difficult, multi-year process (studying and taking the GREs, finding my academic reference and professional references, finding the schools and programs that I want, writing my applications, etc.) Not so difficult in the process; it was just difficult to get myself motivated. I am happy to report that everything has now been submitted. Now I just have to wait for the results.

During this whole process, my inclination towards procrastination manifested itself in cooking. The good part was the food itself. The bad part was that there are no pictures because I was too busy/guilty to take pictures.

However, I would like to recommend a couple of easy, very satisfying dishes for when you're stressed and need to take time out for yourself. My friends like to point out that I'm still insane and that these recipes are still very time consuming. But these are dishes that I find infinitely satisfying and things that I find myself craving when I've had a hectic week and haven't had time to cook anything for myself.

The first is the easiest and best roast chicken recipe that I have ever encountered. It's so good, in fact, that I haven't really tried another one since I found this one. It easily feeds 6-8 people if you also serve it with a pasta and a vegetable. The leftover meat is a great base for chicken salad, soup or simply a roast chicken sandwich. Anyway, here it is, Marcella Hazan's Roast Chicken with Lemons:
A 3-4 lbs. chicken
Salt
Pepper
2 small lemons

First, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Next, I wash the chicken and patted it dry. Then I mix some salt (about 2 tsp. or so) and freshly ground black pepper (half as much pepper as salt) in a small bowl. Then I rub the chicken with the salt and pepper, making sure that I cover the inside and outside. Then I wash the lemons and dried them and puncture holes (about 20 all over) in them with a fork and stuff the lemons into the body cavity of the chicken. Afterwards, I place the chicken in a roasting pan, breast side down, and place it into the oven for 30 minutes. Then I turn the chicken over and cook it for another 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, I increase the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees and cook for another 30-45 minutes. (I use an instant-read thermometer to make sure that the thigh of the chicken has reached 180 degrees to make sure everything is done.) That's it. To serve, I carve the chicken and spoon on some of the pan juices for a simple gravy.

With this dish and depending on my mood, I will serve pasta, plain rice or mashed potatoes. I'm not really a mashed potatoes kind of girl, so I usually go for pasta or rice. A great pasta recipe, actually the one that is listed in the first entry is Pasta with Butter, Tomato and Onion Sauce also from Marcella Hazan:

A 28 oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes (I recommend the Whole Foods Brand)
1 onion
5 tbs butter
Salt
Pepper

I dump everything in the can into a saucepan or skillet, and crush the tomatoes with my hands. (I try to puncture the tomato with a finger before fully crushing it so I don't spray myself with tomato juice.) Then I cut the onion in half and peel it and place it into the pan with the tomatoes. Then I put in the butter. I turn the heat on the pan and cook the sauce on a slow, steady simmer for 45 minutes. After it's cooked, I take out the onion and stir in salt and pepper to taste. I usually serve the sauce with whatever pasta I have on hand with more pepper and some parmesan cheese grated on top.

I also usually serve whatever vegetable I have on hand as well as a salad. One thing my mom did drill into me was the notion that you always had to have a lot of green stuff on the table. A simple salad with lettuce and onions and a great salad dressing is really all I need. One of my roommates, however, is the queen of salads and always does great combinations with cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, etc. I love it whenever she has the time to make one for us. If it's up to me, though, simple is the switchboards.

I do however, insist on making my own salad dressing. It's not as complicated as it sounds and always yields great results. My basic vinaigrette comes from Patricia Wells' Paris Bistro, which calls for:

2 tbs dijon mustard
2 tbs red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup peanut oil

I mix the mustard and vinegar together and add salt and pepper to taste. Then I slowly drizzle the oil into the bowl while I whisk everything together. The resulting emulsion will last on the counter for a several weeks. It's enough to use for 2 salads.

The recipe is infinitely variable. I've used all of these ingredients in exchange for the listed ones and have never been disappointed: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard powder, orange juice - One is only limited by one's imagination.