Dinner with Guests on Friday

Friday we are having company for dinner.  On Thursday I made the Tuscan Chickpea spread, the Spiced Nuts and the salad dressing ahead of time.  I also cut up the chicken.  I finished the main course early on Friday and kept it in the oven on warm.  I bought the olives at Whole Foods and used Idahoan mashed potatoes.  I really like this brand and only peel potatoes at Thanksgiving.  The inspiration for this menu comes from the Barefoot Contessa.  I got the main course and salad dressing from her new show in Napa.  The Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas is from her new book, Foolproof as is the Crab Strudels (blogged earlier and froze).  I got the Spiced Nuts from my friend Linda and she got it from Epicurious.  The dessert is from Trisha Yearwood’s show on FoodTV.

Menu

Tuscan mashed Chickpeas

Olives

Spiced Nuts

Crab Strudels

Chicken with Mushrooms

Green Salad and Napa Wine Vinaigrette

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Easy Peach Cobbler

Ingredients: Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas

2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas

½ C chicken stock

3 T EVOO

2 ripe medium-size tomatoes, seeded and small-diced

2 garlic cloves

¼ C freshly grated parmesan cheese

3 T minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grilled country bread, for serving (I used small squares of Pumpernickel bread, toasted)

Directions:

1.       Pour the chickpeas into a colander and rinse them under cold running water.  Drain well.  Place the chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.  Add the chicken stock and pulse until the chickpeas are coarsely chopped but not pureed.

2.       In a 10” sauté pan, heat the 3 T of EVOO over medium heat.  Add the tomatoes and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the tomatoes are softened.

3.       Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

4.       Add the chickpeas, stirring to combine with the tomatoes and garlic. 

5.       Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through. 

6.       Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, lemon juice, 2t salt, and 1 t pepper.

7.       Pile in a serving bowl, drizzle with EVOO, and serve warm or at room temperature with grilled or toasted bread. 

Ingredients: Spiced Nuts

2 t vegetable oil

1 C (packed) golden brown sugar

¼ C water

3 T chili powder

2 T unsalted butter

1 T sriracha sauce

2 t salt

3 C pecans (I think you could easily use 4 C)

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.       I lined a baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil.

3.       Attach candy thermometer to side of heavy medium saucepan.

4.       Add sugar and ¼ C water to the saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Increase the heat and boil without stirring until thermometer registers 240 degrees, about 4 minutes. 

5.       Remove from heat.  Quickly stir in chili powder, butter, chili sauce and salt.

6.       Workings quickly, add nuts; stir until coated. 

7.       Transfer to baking sheet, spreading to separate nuts. 

8.       Bake until nuts are browned and mixture bubbles, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. 

9.       While they were baking I laid out parchment paper on top of 2 dish towels.  I poured the nut mixture onto the parchment paper and quickly using a spatula spread the nuts out to cool. 

10.   Start breaking the nuts apart when they are still warm, but won’t burn your fingers. 

11.   Store in an airtight container. That is if there are any left.

I put them in a container that was a little too small.  After dinner I told Jim he could snack on them.  I had to take them away so I had some left for company. 

Ingredients:  Chicken with Mushrooms

2 (3 ½ - 4#) chickens cut in eights (as no one eats other than breasts, thighs, legs, I only kept these pieces for the dish and froze everything else for chicken stock.  I had about 2# of pieces to use in stock)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour, ½ C + ¼ C

½ C EVOO

8 whole garlic cloves

1 ½ # assorted mushrooms, such as porcini, cremini, cut in quarters

8 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string

1/4 C dry sherry

1 T minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 C white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

2 C chicken stock

3 T unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2.       Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and pepper.  (I laid out parchment paper for this purpose)

3.       Place ½ C flour in a bowl and dredge the chicken in the flour.

4.       In a large ovenproof pot heat the oil.  Add the chicken in 3 batches and brown lightly over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side.  Remove the chicken to a plate and continue until all the chicken is browned.

5.       Add whole garlic cloves, mushrooms, and thyme to the pot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

6.       Add the sherry and cook for 1 minute, scraping up the brown bits. 

7.       Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

8.       Add the wine, chicken stock, 1 T salt and 1 t pepper and bring to a simmer. 

9.       Add the chicken, large pieces first, cover, and place in the middle of the oven for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

10.   Remove the chicken to a bowl and discard the thyme. 

11.   With a fork, mash together the butter and ¼ C flour and add it to the sauce. 

12.   Simmer, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.  Season to taste. 

13.   Put the chicken back in the sauce, and serve hot. 

I put the oven on warm and put it back in the oven.  The kitchen could be cleaned and ready for company.  The meal was finished. 

Ingredients:  Green Salad and Napa Wine Vinaigrette

3 T sparkling wine vinegar (this is hard to find, I had pomegranate vinegar that I used, but it was too strong)

1 t Dijon mustard

½ t whole grain mustard

½ t minced garlic

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 t kosher salt

½ t freshly ground black pepper

½ C EVOO

Baby salad greens for 6-8

Directions:

1.       In a 2 C glass measuring cup, whisk together the first 7 ingredients.

2.       Slowly whisk in the EVOO to make an emulsion.  You should have about 2/3 C vinaigrette. 

3.       For a container of greens that serves four, you only need about 1T of this dressing.  It is very strong.  I also added pomegranate seeds to the salad. 

Finally dessert called Easy Peach Cobbler.

Ingredients:

Two 15 oz. cans of sliced peaches in syrup (I actually think 3 would have been better)

1 stick of butter

1 C self-rising flour

1 C sugar

1 C milk

Directions:

1.       Drain 1 can of peaches completely; reserve the syrup from the other can of peaches.

2.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3.       Place the butter in a 9” x 12”oven proof baking dish. Heat the butter on the stove or in the oven until it’s melted. 

4.       In a medium bowl, mix the flour and sugar.  Stir in the milk and the reserved syrup. 

5.       Pour the batter over the melted butter in the baking dish. 

6.       Arrange the peaches over the batter.

7.       Bake for 1 hour.  The cobbler is done when the batter rises around the peaches and the crust is thick and golden brown. 

8.       Serve warm with whipped cream.  I make my whipped cream with 1 t vanilla and 2 T powdered sugar to one cup of heavy whipping cream. 

This meal was delicious.  There is not one thing I would change.  If you make the chicken dish the way I did and are having more than 4 people you could easily add two more breasts, thighs, and legs to the basic dish.  There is plenty of gravy.  As it is with leftovers we will have another meal from this dish.  When I was last in Paris we have lunch at a bistro and they had the best salad dressing.  The chef added an egg to basic vinaigrette.  He obviously had the key that you also need very light vinegar and possibly just the Dijon mustard.  The dressing was a little strong for me.  You could easily substitute rice for the potatoes with the chicken also.  The chickpea spread is a great party spread.  It is easy to make and very tasty.  The nuts are to die for.  Jim served wonderful wines.  We started with Chateau Labory De Tayac, Grand Vin Margaux, 1998.  With dinner we tasted both, Clos des Mouches from Beaune, 1996 and a David Bruce Pinot Noir 1964.  I preferred the David Bruce Pinot Noir. The dessert was a little to cake like for me.  It was good, but I think I would add more peaches