Fallen Souffle

Monday night is usually the night I make a typically “Sunday meal.” Something like a roast, or elaborate pasta dish or chicken. This Monday I wanted a roast chicken because it just felt like a roasted chicken kinda day. We woke up at 5:30am with a trembling black lab on our bed. Bella is deathly afraid of any loud type of noise like fireworks or thunder. She shakes uncontrollable and there is really nothing we can do for her but pet her and try to comfort her. She always wants to be close to us in times like these, so we always let her up on the bed or couch.

So anyways, we were plagued with nasty storms all day so I wanted something comforting and warm. Roasting chickens are quite easy to perfect when you have a digital thermometer. Mine was from Target and cost about $16 and it is totally worth it. This particular one includes an alarm which goes off when the temperature of your dish is ready. It’s amazing! It is perfect for chickens, pork chops or anything that you would normally have to hack into to check for doneness.

For this chicken I rubbed roasted garlic under the skin and shoved the remaining garlic bulb in the cavity. I them smeared a tablespoon of softened butter over the skin to make it crispy and yummy. Bake it at 425 degrees for about an hour and 15 minutes or until done (180 degrees internal temperature)

To compliment this juicy chicken I decided to try my hand at risotto. I have been a little intimidated by this just because you have to babysit this thing for 30 minutes while getting your arm workout for the day. It’s not something that sounded fun to me. But I did get the real rice from the Italian market and decided to give it a try. Though because I was catching up on a weeks worth of DVR-ed shows I was not interested in the constant stirring. So I broke a cardinal Italian rule by microwaving it- but it was SO MUCH EASIER! The microwave literally does all the work. I stirred it about 4 times total and the result was really yummy. I added a load of Parmesan cheese to this but you could add anything- peas, prosciutto mushrooms…yum! Evan even enjoyed it even though he doesn’t really like rice…but even he couldn’t turn down this cheesy delight.

Microwave Risotto
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
3/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a 3 quart, microwave safe casserole dish combine butter, garlic and onion. Place dish in microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes.

2. Place vegetable broth in a microwave safe dish. Heat on microwave until the broth is hot but not boiling (approximately 2 minutes).

3. Stir the rice and broth into the casserole dish with the onion, butter and garlic mixture. Cover the dish tightly and cook on high for 6 minutes.

4. Stir wine into the rice. Cook on high for 10 minutes more. Most of the liquid should boil off. Stir the cheese into the rice and serve.

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There is nothing better than watching basketball and eating cheese for dinner. Ok maybe the basketball part doesn’t thrill you but trust me, this dinner is perfect for watching your sport of choice, a movie or even just hanging out with friends.

I haven’t had fondue in about a year when we took Evan’s Mom out to the Melting Pot for Mother’s Day last year. Fondue is a funny concept…you have to basically cook your own food. But it is a great way to eat your veggies! Ok, truthfully I ate all of the veggies and Evan ate the meat but that’s beside the point.

Fondue can be a finicky thing to make, it is like risotto in that is required a bit of attention and constant stirring but the ingrediant list is accessible and you can dip in whatever you like. It’s also a great way to clean out the fridge and use up all of your leftover meat and veggies.

I seared some beef stew meat, cut up some green apples and brought out some leftover roasted broccoli and dinner was done! The top picture is our creation, a Philly Cheese Steak on a Stick!

Classic Swiss Fondue
1 garlic clove cut in half
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 T kirsch or brandy
8 ounces shredded Swiss or Emmental cheese (2 cups)
8 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese (2 cups)
3 T all purpose flour
1/8 t black pepper
pinch ground nutmeg
dippers of your choice

1. Rub inside of fondue pot or heavy non reactive pot with garlic, discard garlic. Pour wine into pot and heat over medium-low heat until very hot but not boiling. Stir in kirsch.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl toss cheeses with flour until mixed. Add cheese mixture one handful at a time, into the wine and stir constantly and vigorously until cheese is melted. If the mixture separates, increase the temperature to medium stirring until just smooth. Stir in nutmeg and pepper.

3. Transfer fondue to table, placed over a tabletop heater to keep hot. Dip with your choice of fruits, veggies, meats and breads!

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