A New Caprese

We’ve gotten so many tomatoes this summer in our CSA and our basil plants are growing faster than we can eat it so we’ve being looking for ways to use them both. Andy recently saw a “recipe” for an easy way to change up a caprese salad. I use the word recipe lightly because it’s so easy it’s not even a recipe. We’ve made it a few times over the past few weeks so I decided to share.

Fresh Tomatoes - whole cut into quarters or cherry tomatoes 

Fresh Basil - slightly torn or cut into a chiffonade 

Ricotta Cheese - Charlotte folks we bought some locally made from Pasta and Provisions – so good!

Top with olive oil, salt and pepper

That’s it. It’s a caprese with ricotta instead of mozzarella and it’s amazing!

This past weekend we switched it up a bit with a warm snack instead of our new go-to salad. We roasted the cherry tomatoes then topped the ricotta and put it back in for about 10 minutes. Topped it with basil, olive oil, salt and pepper and ate it with toasted French bread. So warm and delicious! 

Two super simple but different ways to use basil and tomatoes. We've been using our leftover ricotta for these Portuguese baked eggs which are amazing too. 

I'd love to hear your go to easy summer recipes!

- Heath 

PS MK talked about adding peaches to her caprese salad for another twist! 

Latest Cookbook Love

 

I've been finding my way back to the kitchen lately, and it's made the biggest difference.  I feel so much better, healthier and more organized when I'm cooking nightly and my little family has their meals planned.  (Sounds dorky I know, but we're seriously in a better grove when I have time to cook real dinners nightly!  For a while there, things were getting a little crazy around here :)

 



We shared a few of these cookbooks around the holidays.  I was gifted a few and a few I've had for years, but these seem to be my "go-tos" lately and I'm loving this fresh inspiration.

Charcuterie Plates of Instagram

Charcuterie Plates of Instagram: Because we're clearly obsessed with charcuterie plates, and I want a place to file away inspiration for ingredients and ideas to copy for presentation....

ONE | From fashion designer Heidi Merrick's Instagram feed (@hmerrick).  Love the simple presentation on a wooden slab.  Paired with a big green salad in a wooden bowl, a blanket and a carafe of water or wine, this looks like a perfectly simple picnic dinner.

TWO | From Camille Styles stylist Chanel Dror's Instagram feed (@chaneldror).  I know grapes are popular with wine and cheese, but I don't often include them on a cheese plate.  This combo looks fresh for summer - brie, baguette, olives, grapes, almonds, blue cheese plus pomegranate seeds.  (Also, this technically isn't a charcuterie plate without cured meat I don't think, but it still looks like the perfect combo to enjoy with wine to me.)

THREE | From stylist and bloger Tiffany Mitchell's feed (@tifforelie).  Of course Tiffany can make cheese cubes look chic!  I usually stick to full wedges of cheese on charcuterie plates, but I think these small cubes make an unusual presentation.  Lots of different cheeses, almonds, olives, a few strawberries, salami plus different cured meats, all crammed on a wooden slab, plus wine and that's my perfect Friday night.

Also, I think that these smaller bites above may encourage younger kids to try these yummy treats.  Virginia is obsessed with really good olives now after nibbling them off our charcuterie plates.  They're seriously her favorite things.  I get a small container from the olive bar every week now and she will munch on them while I make dinner.  I think these kind of little nibbles are a good way to extend a child's taste buds.  We had company this past weekend and a friend gave his 14 month old a nibble of creamy blue cheese.  The child's face lite up and he grinned when he tasted it.  You won't have that luck every time, but I'll take even just a few successes every so often.

~Mary Keller

The Easiest Appetizer Ever!

All credit for this perfect idea goes to Jenny at Dinner a Love Story, a favorite source of realistic inspiration!  She shared this a while back, and I've wanted to file it away as the perfect appetizer ever since.  It a simple, no-cook, elegant appetizer to have around for guests all summer.  A few slices of prosciutto from the deli counter, creamy burrata cheese (surprisingly Trader Joes carries!) and a fresh baguette.  Doesn't that sound perfect with a crisp glass of white wine right now....perfect Hump Day treat!

~Mary Keller

inspiration via Dinner a Love Story, photo cred @vickimorton

Friday Night Meatballs

UPDATE - we forgot to include the link originally!  It's now added below :)


I've seen this article floating around the internet a few places, first on Cup of Jo and also on Oh Happy Day, and I think it's getting attention for good reason.  If you haven't heard of this Friday Night Meatballs tradition, go check it out....


Doesn't this sound like the most fun idea?  This lady and her husband host friends every Friday night for spaghetti and meatballs. I love this idea! It's a no fuss, no formal invitation kind of night - everyone's invited including kids!

It got me thinking about dinner traditions in general. Wouldn't it be great to take the thinking out if dinner one night a week? It almost makes that meal more special when it's a tradition too! 

Charlotte friends stay tuned we may try to implement this tradition or something similar soon!

- Heath

image via Kinfolk Magazine

The Easiest Dessert Ever!

As much as I love to spend time baking sometimes you just need to whip something up in no time at all. So a little while ago while watching Chuck Hughes' show (another show I'm pretty sure no one knows exists except us!) I was so excited to find the easiest dessert ever. Chuck incorporated this dulce de leche as an ingredient in his Banoffee pie but it's just as delicious on it's own so I wanted to share.

It's as easy as heating a can of sweetened condensed milk for 3.5 hours. I think we've done it both ways, once boiling and once as Chuck instructed in the oven. Either are super easy and give you a rich delicious dulce de leche perfect for topping a bowl of good (store bought) vanilla ice cream. That's it, dessert is ready! So simple right? You can use this recipe for more detailed steps. 

If you're coming to my house for a dinner party anytime soon don't be surprised if you get to try this! Any other super easy desserts I should try?

- Heath 

PS these dulce de leche brownies look so good and now I'm dying to try these salted dulce de leche bars too!

image one and two 

Mexican Hot Chocolate (& Christmas Cards)

Sticking to my schedule, I got to work on my Christmas cards last Thursday night.   I swung by the grocery store after picking up Virginia from school that night and picked up a few things to try homemade hot chocolate.  Have you guys ever tried homemade?  Guys, it's sooo good.  It's very rich, very different from the powered kind and surprisingly it was super easy to make.  Homemade hot chocolate is much more like a full dessert rather than just a cup of hot cocoa.  I tweaked the recipe a bit, making it even less rich, but it was still delicious.  I highly recommend giving it a try if you want an homemade chocolaty treat with a little kick....

Mexican Hot Chocolate

a variation of Ina Garten's (who else?) recipe

Serves 2-3

 

2 cups of 1% milk

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

small pinch cayenne pepper

 

Bring milk and sugar to a simmer in a saucepan.  Remove from the heat and mix in chocolate, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and vanilla.  Allow to steep for a few minutes, then place back on the heat on low to warm to a simmer.  Pour in mugs, top with cinnamon sticks and marshmallows, and extra cayenne if you really like heat!

 

We liked ours with a little heat, but if you don't like much spice start off with just a tiny bit of cayenne and add from there.  We really loved it, but I'll warn you, this is VERY rich.  J.D. couldn't finish his (I happily could :) so I think you could even cut down on the amount of chocolate used. 

 

I think this may be a new fun little tradition.  Also, side note, for the first time I had Minted address my Christmas cards.  You may know they were offering this for free this year.  Holy cow guys, that was a game changer for me.  I'm never going back.  Seriously, it made the evening so much more pleasant - hot chocolate (and wine), plus just jotting fun notes to my friends on their cards instead of writing a million addresses.  So much better!!  I don't know why I waited this long to let them handle that part. :)

 

~Mary Keller

Cookbook Talk

Last week MK shared some of her favorite coffee table books, perfect gifts for the holidays.  Today I wanted to share some cookbooks that are on my Christmas wish list too!  I think books make the perfect gifts, especially cookbooks, because every time you make a recipe you're going to think about the person who gave you the cookbook.  Nothing better than that association to me, well maybe a glass of wine too! 

A few cookbooks to add to your Christmas list...

Sunday Suppers Recipes + Gatherings - we've been long time fans of Sunday Suppers over here. We even tried to convince my cousin to start a similar concept in Charleston! This book is just gorgeous and the simple aesthetic makes it the perfect book to curl up with a glass of wine this fall. 

The Yellow Table - we've talked about Anna Watson Carl a few times here so I won't say too much but Andy and I tried her sausage ragu with parmesan polenta a few weeks ago and it was so wonderful.   It made me want to incorporate more polenta into our routine and the ragu steps were so simple, easily altered for a pork or meatless ragu too! 

Callie's Biscuits and Southern Traditions - we visited Callie's Hot Little Biscuit last time we were in Charleston and I was instantly sold.  I almost bought the cookbook on the spot but resisted and added it to my (long) list instead.  The biscuits were seriously good but the cookbook is full of lots of other traditional southern recipes and techniques too. 

Ina Garten Make it Ahead - we all know MK's love for Ina but really all the reviews back up this cookbook too.  The best part of this one is all the recipes are to be made ahead of time, perfect for your next holiday party.  No one wants to be in the kitchen while their guests are all enjoying themselves in the other room. 

Joy the Baker Homemade Decadence - this one is for all the bakers out there, like me!  I've made a few of her recipes throughout the years (i've always been a big fan!) and they're all amazing.  I've been dying to try homemade marshmallows and I think these gingerbread spiced ones are just the trick.  Don't worry non bakers, she has lots of savory items too. 

Camille Styles Entertaining - this one is more of an entertaining book but I wanted to include it because her concept is all about making everyday moments feel special which I love! And bonus it includes some floral excepts and table top tips too!

- Heath 

Kitchen images via Lonny, Amber Interior Design and Lonny

Classic Cocktails

 

While we were doing all of that football watching this past weekend, we were definitely enjoying Bloody Marys.  Do you guys like Bloodys?  J.D. didn't like them at all until I forced them on him at too many tailgates.  I LOVE Bloody Marys, especially this time of year when the weather's a bit cooler and they're especially perfect for a noon kick off like our game this past weekend.

Halley's Kitchen | Fromage Fort

 

My cousin Halley is in culinary school in Charleston we're always picking her brain on all things food when we see her.  She shared this recipe for Fromage Fort with us and we thought we'd share.  It's seriously the easiest thing ever, but it sounds and tastes very fancy and gourmet.  And I promise, you already have everything you need to make it in your fridge.

Formage Fort is basically a spread made up with tons of different leftover cheeses.  (Sounds delicious right?!)  Basically you just chop any soft cheeses and shred/grate hard cheeses you may have sitting in your fridge and pulse them in the food processor with a little white wine.  Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.  We used the cheese combo below (because it's what we had on hand) but mix it up and use cheese whatever cheeses you love - you can follow this for proportions but it's really trial and error.

 

Fromage Fort:
 basic white cheddar
Appalachian (leftover from Dean and Deluca)
basic blue cheese
aged gouda (leftover from Dean and Deluca)
 a soft but pungent brie (leftover from Dean and Deluca)
cream cheese
1/2 cup white wine

toss all chopped/shredded cheese in the food processor, pulse with white wine until you reach a spreadable consistency



This spread is perfect with a baguette or crackers as a little appetizer or cocktail snack.  We enjoyed ours with a little store bought pesto and it was delish!

~Mary Keller

Cocktail Testing | Jack Rudy Tonic

This past weekend we imposed on MK and JD (again!) on Saturday night.  We brought our standard wine and goodies but this time we also brought some Jack Rudy tonic for everyone to try too!  I know we're super late to the game on this but I was hesitant at first... I'm anti tonic in general, so it wasn't even appealing to me at first.  Once I read a little more about it and discovered it's crafted in small batches in Charleston, SC with a "delicate mix of botanicals and sweetened with real cane sugar" complimenting the otherwise perfect quinine concentrate, I thought it just may be worth a try.

Recipe Box | Summer Caprese with Peaches

So this summer caprese with peaches salad is seriously so easy that it's kind of silly for me to even post a "recipe" for it.  It's more like you just take a few really simple ingredients and mix them together and then you have seriously the most perfect, delicious summer salad.  A few weeks ago J.D., and I were cleaning out the fridge and saw a wedge of fresh mozzarella that needed to be used so we sliced a few tomatoes for dinner and remembered how amazingly delicious caprese salads can be in the summer when tomatoes are fresh.  We've pretty much had caprese salads weekly since.

Overnight Oats

In an effort to clean up my eating I’ve starting brainstorming go to recipes for weekday breakfast and lunch.  Those seem to be my trickiest meals in keeping clean.  Not because I’m eating cheeseburgers but because I’m not eating enough good stuff.  My typical breakfast is cereal and while that isn’t the worst thing in the world it’s not the best either.  Recently I’ve started doing overnight oats and I’m really liking it so I thought I’d share the recipe and ask you to share any of your healthy breakfast recipes too.

Overnight Oats

adapted from Skinny Taste

1/2 cup old fashioned or quick oats
1/2 to 3/4 cup almond milk (test to determine what you like best)
1/2 banana, sliced

1/2 tablespoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon chopped pecans (or anything you have on hand)

1 handful of berries (Andy prefers his berries soaking with his oats overnight, I prefer mine fresh)

A pinch of salt and honey

Place all ingredients in a jar/bowl, shake/stir, cover and refrigerate overnight. Before eating, add any fresh berries or crunchy topping and enjoy.
 

 

Here’s the thing with this recipe, there are never ending variations and you don’t even have to measure once you make it once or twice.  It’s super healthy and it’s so easy to make.  A few things we’ve found after trying different recipes:

- You can substitute cow’s milk for almond milk but skim or lower fat milks are thinner so you’ll need to add a little more. I have successfully used coconut too but almond if my favorite.

- The banana dissolves and helps thicken the oats, it’s yummy!

- If you throw the berries in overnight with the oats you can easily substitute frozen berries or any frozen fruit here.

- You can add yogurt too, which I’m sure is delicious, but my standard grocery doesn’t sell coconut milk yogurt and I wanted to keep this dairy free.

- You can easily make a handful in advance for breakfast all week.

- This size portion is pretty big, I find it keeps me full for a while, much longer than cereal.  

Anyone have any healthy breakfast and lunch recipes you want to share?   I’m all ears!

 

- Heath

PS lots of variations here!

Summer Chopped Salad

If anyone's looking for dinner ideas, J.D. and I made a combo of two of Gwyneth Paltrow's salads over the weekend, and it turned out really well.  I'd highly recommend if you're looking for an easy, fresh summer salad.  We combined her Classic Chopped Salad and Club Salad, added her homemade chive dressing, and loved the results.  I chopped everything and made the dressing Sunday morning, and then J.D. threw chicken breasts on the grill that night to serve sliced on the salad.  Super easy, fresh and overall healthy, and bonus that it's pretty too if you're having guests.  This would also be really good served with a salmon filet or a few shrimp instead of grilled chicken.

Summer Chopped Salad

adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow's My Father's Daughter

 

8 slices of bacon, chopped/crumbled (I bake mine on a baking rack at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes.)

2 heads of romaine or Boston lettuce, torn into bit size pieces

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1 cup grape tomatoes (or more if you love tomatoes) chopped

handful of crumbled blue cheese

 

Lay lettuce down on a large platter or bowl then top lettuce with bacon, avocado, tomatoes, and blue cheese.  Add vinaigrette to taste.  You won't use all of the vinaigrette but it's delicious leftover too.

 

Chive Vinaigrette:

2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons of maple syrup

4 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons of finely chopped chives

salt and pepper to taste

 

Wisk together mustard, syrup and vinegar.  Slowly wisk in the olive oil, then stir in the chives.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

~Mary Keller

Grilling with Chimichurri

MK mentioned here that we enjoyed a yummy dinner and wine last Saturday night. Andy and I had a few chicken breasts and some veggies laying around the house so we picked up a steak and headed over to MK's to grill with some friends. The weather didn't hold up quite as well as we had hoped, with scattered showers, but we (Andy) managed to grill everything to perfection still. It was a perfect little Spring evening spent with the doors open and food on the grill, I loved it!

Have you guys ever had chimichurri? My uncle made a delicious one last Christmas and we've been obsessed ever since. It's one of our favorite condiments for this time of year. Such bold herby flavors that go with everything! We tried this one from a cookbook we have but weren't thrilled with it so I think we'll try something like this next time.

Overall it was a delicious meal and was so easy. The chimichurri is just thrown into a food processor, veggies chopped and thrown on skewers and meat grilled. Note - we don't usually cook our meat on skewers mostly because its never works that well for us.  We usually just grill the chicken and steak whole and slice it.  It's super easy that way but either way is fine.  Everything can be served family style afterwards. The perfect little springtime meal.

Happy grilling!

- Heath

PS apologies for the iPhone photos

Go To Pork Tacos

Guys, do yourself a favor and the next time you're at the grocery store pick up all the things that are needed to make this recipe, and keep them in your pantry at all times.  This is our favorite go to pulled pork recipe, and it really is super easy to whip up anytime if you have these ingredients on hand.  Just have your husband stop by on his way home from work to grab a Boston Butt, throw all this together in a crock pot, and the next day you have a perfect meal.

Okay, are there other recipes out there that actually make better pulled pork, maybe.  (As a matter of fact, I'm bet Andy has one.)  BUT, let me tell you what I love about this recipe.  It is EASY, and still really good.  Easy as in J.D. can easily sip his evening cocktail while thoughtlessly putting this together.  Besides being easy, the flavor of this recipe is just a good general pork flavor so we can use this for so many recipes.  We use it for bbq sandwiches, pulled pork tacos, burrito bowls, etc.  The recipe is perfect to entertain with because it serves a ton and all the work is done in advance, and if you're not entertaining you'll have leftovers for days.  Okay, go get everything you need now and make these Sunday night for Monday Cinco De Mayo tacos!!

Go To Pulled Pork

adapted from Epicurious

 

6 lb. boston butt pork (or any size will really work just fine)

 

rub:

3 tablespoons ground black pepper

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 

mop:

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 cup water

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons ground pepper

2 tablespoons coarse salt

4 teaspoons vegetable oil (or similar oil)

 

Mix the rub together and rub it all over the boston butt.  Let the butt rest for a while with the rub, ideally an hour if you have it.  Mix the mop together.  Put the boston butt in the slow cooker and pour in the mop.  Cook in the slow cooker for 10-12 hours on low.  Once cooked and cooled, pull apart all of the meat.  It will fall off the bone, and pick away all the remaining fat. 

 

We like our pork tacos simple, but top your tacos with anything you like.  We like simple flour tortillas, pulled pork, cilantro, diced onion, avocado and tomatillo salsa!  Just add a margarita and you're set!

 

 

~Mary Keller



Spring Spreads | Arugula and Edamame & White Bean

Last weekend Andy and I tried a few new recipes we had flagged. Some worked and some didn't but I wanted to share those that did work because they were super easy and perfect for an impromptu porch party as we proceeded to do…

Arugula and Edamame Spread 

adapted from Gourmet Magazine

1 cup of shelled fresh or frozen edamame

1 1/4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups packed baby arugula

3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon grates lemon zest

Cook edamame according to instructions. 

Pulse ingredients in a food processor until desired consistency. 

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy! 

White Bean Spread

1 can white/cannellini/northern beans

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

water

Start with 1 tablespoon of olive and pulse ingredients in a food processor. 

Depending on the moisture in your beans you may need up to 2 tablespoons. 

Add oil and/or water to achieve desired consistency. 

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Drizzle top with olive oil when serving. 

I know this one seems absurdly easy but it really is just that simple. 

Enjoy!

We cut and grilled a baguette to serve with these dips but any form of bread or crackers will work. We ate a similar white bean dip with bread all over Italy last year on our honeymoon. After realizing how easy this one it's a new staple! 

It was the first nice day in a while in Charlotte so after Andy and I whipped these up we knew we needed to get outside and take advantage. Bonus points for getting to squeeze Virginia's sweet cheeks while snacking with her parents! 

We also attempted to make homemade ricotta cheese after reading how easy it was in the latest Bon Appetit. Ours didn't set quite like we would have liked but the flavor was great so we're going to try again. Stay tuned… 

- Heath

New twists on a southern classic - deviled eggs

 

Deviled Eggs are a pretty standard Southern staple that I absolutely love. While I'll never tire of a good classic egg it's fun to update the classics every now and then too. Each of these caught my eye for different reasons, some for looks, the color from those pickled beets is just too pretty, and some for flavor, I think the salt in country ham is the perfect compliment to the creamy filling! Wouldn't the jalapeno and siracha eggs be a fun appetizer at a cocktail party, just a little kick to keep you on your toes. I think the caesar salad eggs would be perfect served for brunch and the kimchi - well I'm just curious how those flavors mix.

 

For any Charlotte folks, King's Kitchen has a good classic deviled egg and Fran's Filling Station used to have updated unique takes on deviled eggs every day but I dont see them on the menu anymore.

What do you think, stick to the classic or switch it up a bit? What's your favorite?

 

- Heath

clockwise from top right - siracha, country ham, kimchi, caesar, japaleno and pickled beet

Perfect This Recipe | Lee's Brothers Roast Chicken

So you guys may remember that Heath and I have been testing tons of Roast Chicken recipes the past two weeks in search of THE Perfect Roast Chicken.  Between the two of us, we've tested 11 birds in the past 14 days.  That's a lot of chicken, but guys, I've learned that I'm pretty much obsessed with roast chicken.  It's seriously the best dinner.  So, after much testing, the winner is....Lee Brother's Roast Chicken!   Ina's Roast Chicken was a close second!  The Lee Brother's recipe wasn't even in our planned line up, but our friend Katherine commented that it was their go to recipe so we decided to test it too.  Guys, it was SO good.  (Thank you Katherine!)

If you're looking for a good, classic roast chicken, perfectly juicy with crispy skin, definitely go with Lee Brother's recipe.  It was super easy.  You basically chop a few onions and potatoes, put them in the bottom of a pan, put the roast chicken on top and squeeze half a lemon over the chicken.  Then pop it in the oven.  After about 20 minutes, you flip the chicken and squeeze the other half of the lemon over the chicken and back into the oven it goes.  Using only lemon on the chicken makes the skin crispy and delicious. 

If you really love a simple gravy with your roast chicken, I'd recommend Ina's Jeffrey's Roast Chicken Recipe.  It's really delicious too.  If you're not a lemon lover, I'd cut the lemon way back.  In Ina's recipe, you chop onions and lemons and put them in a dish with the whole bird on top.  You roast the entire bird for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, and while the chicken is resting you add some wine and chicken stock to the pan ingredients to create a simple gravy.  Super good but definitely the lemon stands out.

J.D. and I loved all of this roast chicken so much we've basically decided it's our new Sunday staple.  Basically roast chicken is SUPER easy (the entire bird looks/sounds a little intimidating) but seriously it's as easy as chopping a few things and tossing it in the oven.  It's healthy, and it's so comforting.  Even after having chicken night after night testing different recipes, J.D. and I never once got tired of having a really delish roast chicken dinner.  And finally, it's so versatile.  You can add whatever veggies you're in the mood for along side the chicken.  One night we threw in extra potatoes and quickly sautéed spinach, and another night we made rice and roasted brussels sprouts.  We usually had leftovers that I made into chicken quesadillas the following night.  Super good guys, we'd highly recommend giving a roast chicken a try if you've been intimidated in the past!  (Bonus, perfect for entertaining but you fix it and then forget about while it cooks!)

~Mary Keller

Perfect this Recipe: Roast Chicken

This season's pick for the recipe we want to "perfect" is a simple roast chicken.  It just seems like one of those dishes I should be able to whip out beautifully.  For times like when you have family friends over or your mother in law is in town, it would be nice to be able to cook a perfect roast chicken without giving it much thought.  I think a really good roast chicken is actually supposed to be really easy to make.  We've picked 5 recipes to test that each get rave reviews. 

So here's our line up with recipe links:

Jamie Oliver's "Perfect Roast Chicken."  Jamie Oliver is becoming a favorite around here so I'm betting this one has a strong chance.  He uses carrots, celery, onions and garlic to flavor his.

 

Smitten Kitchen's Flat Roasted Chicken.  This one definitely seems to be the simplest and requires little time.  Her recipe was Parisian inspired which makes it a win in my book.  I think it's important to use a small bird (about 3.5lbs) for this one.

 

Glamour Magazine's "Engagement Chicken."  This recipe is rumored to make men fall in love and propose.  How romantic. :)

 

Ina Garten's "Jeffery's Roast Chicken."  You know how much I love Ina.  She roasts a chicken for Jeffrey every Friday night so I'm thinking this has to be good.  Cute little tradition I think!

 

Café Zuni's Chicken.  I've seen this roast chicken mentioned a million places, raved about from lots of bloggers and even the New York Times deems it the best so we shall see!

 



Each of these use different techniques.  Of course, they are all roasted, but some of these recipes use high temps, some low, some have quite a few things to season the chicken, and others just simple salt and olive oil.  So I'm really curious to figure out which one wins out.  Over the next two weeks we'll be testing each of these contenders.  We'd love if you do the same to share which one you love.  If you already have a go to recipe please share.  We'll take notes and report back on which one is best.

 



p.s. As far has past perfect recipe results, we can say definitively that Jamie Oliver's pizza dough really is the best.  It is our Friday night staple in this house and is a tried and true go to.  And for Fish Tacos, Cooking Light's Blackened Baja tacos are the clear winner.

~Mary Keller

Images via Jamie's Oliver and Lucy Dylan Weddings