Eggplant Gratin

August 13, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts I’m following along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Memory Lane”

The Set-up: Ina is cooking up recipes from the past – question is, will Jeffrey pick up the hint?

The Menu: Steak Sandwiches, Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies, Eggplant Gratin

0:49 – Ina says she used to send Jeffrey boxes of brownies at school and calls it the “culinary equivalent of a low-cut dress.” She’s guessing that after nearly 40 years of marriage her ploy worked – yowza those must be some brownies.

1:16 – She is not messing around with Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies - not only do they have 1 lb. of chocolate, she’s also swirling peanut butter through the batter.

2:23 – As Ina cracks eggs for the batter we get a clip of Jeffrey presenting Ina with a box of brownies as an anniversary present. Romantic indeed. Mike, are you taking notes?

3:07 – Pro Tip#1: to keep the brownies dense carefully whisk the eggs to incorporate as little air as possible.

4:32 – That is an ocean of melted chocolate. I have zero doubt that these brownies are legit because now she’s also adding chocolate chips.

5:11 – Pro Tip #2: Dusting chocolate chips with a small amount of flour will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the batter.

5:54 – Is it just me or did the music go all “sexy” when Ina started swirling the peanut butter through the tray of brownies?

6:48 – A quick break in sifting through snapshots from the 60s (do your parents have boxes of those too?) to enact Pro Tip #3: half way through baking the brownies rap the pan against the rack to release any trapped air.

10:15 – Time to make the Steak Sandwich – a throwback to the first thing Ina ever cooked for Jeffrey. In her words that inaugural sandwich was “tough, dry and grey” so she’s redeeming herself with this one.

11:02 – Pro Tip #4: Get the pan and the oil really hot before adding the steak (NY Strip in this case) so that the outsides sear nicely.

11:39 – Ina remarks that she can’t believe that the smells of steak, brownies and caramelizing onions haven’t lured Jeffrey out of his office. This is a mystery to me too – who could resist investigating?

12:56 – We get a brief peek of Mr. Garten hard at work, and I can’t help but notice that he types ‘hunt and peck’ style. No seventh grade keyboarding class for him I guess.

13:22 – Back to Ina still hating on that bland, 1968 steak sandwich. She’s mixing some mustard – coarse grain for texture, Dijon for flavor – mayonnaise, and sour cream to make a spread.

14:23 – Steak is cooked and Ina exhorts us in Pro Tip #5: to cover it with foil and allow the meat to rest before slicing and serving.

18:27 – We come back from a commercial to Ina cutting the pan of brownies into the most perfect squares. I would love to know how long those cooled, because mine are always a sticky mess when it’s time to pry them out. Side note: Jeffrey is not to be trusted with an entire plate of brownies.

19:35 – Steak, caramelized onions, and arugula with a schmere of mustard spread are assembled on focaccia bread and if this doesn’t wipe out the memory of The Worst Steak Sandwich of All-Time TM pending I don’t know what will. Yum.

20:18 – The Most Adorable Lunch of All-Time TM pending is delivered to Jeffrey, who looks both intrigued and suspicious. “Did I do something right? Did you do something bad?” Ina remains coy and says it’s a special treat and he has to figure it out…

21:29 – A few more snapshots (no Instagram filter required) and Ina makes a startling statement: she and Jeffrey honeymooned in France for four months living in a tent and she cooked in there. I need a minute to process.

22:04 – Eggplant Gratin was the first meal the Gartens treated themselves to in Paris after their camping trip. I’d probably love anything I didn’t have to prepare on a camp stove too…

22:41 – Pro Tip #6: heat the olive oil until it’s very hot before adding the eggplant to prevent the vegetables from becoming soggy.

26:56 – Now Ina is making a mixture from ricotta, cream, and an egg, which looks like a thinner version of lasagna filling.

28:12 – Actually, lasagna is a good proxy for the layering-style assembly of this dish and a lot of the flavors seem similar. Also, I am coveting Ina’s adorable little gratin dishes.

29:22 – Finishing touches on dinner – mescalun salad, baguette, red wine – to be held on the terrace Chez Garten. So simple, but really elegant.

29:55 – Now, for Jeffrey’s test: he correctly identifies all the occasions that these recipes reference and passes with flying colors! Great job Mr. Garten. Gold star.

Final Thoughts:

Recipes that repeat throughout a lifetime or a marriage are always so special, even if and especially if they’re simple classics.

Ina always has just the right equipment to make each dish like those adorable individual gratin dishes. Maybe someday…

The Gartens are seriously so cute, people. I hope the years will be as kind to Mike and I!

Lessons Learned:

I’ve never made a gratin before, so I was excited to try adding Eggplant Gratin to my repertoire. The actual steps of the recipe aren’t overly difficult, especially if you’ve made lasagna or another layered casserole, so the hardest part for me was patience.

Making sure that the olive oil was quite hot before sautéing the eggplant, resisting the urge to overcrowd the pan – these are my kitchen struggles. I managed to go slow, sauté in batches and take my time with the star ingredient, which paid off when the texture of the eggplant was firm and not greasy.

The ricotta mixture is very straightforward measuring and mixing – but I found that 1/4 cup of ricotta plus 1/4 cup of cream and an egg made for a really thin sauce and I was worried about having too much liquid, so I added another tablespoon or so of ricotta to thicken it up. It seemed to work well, so something to note for the future.

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, absolutely - in the grand scheme of cooking this is really low impact. I used a medium sauté pan to cook the eggplant in batches, 8” pie plate in lieu of gratin dishes, a large dinner plate lined with paper towel, small bowl, and a medium cutting board. For tools I needed a chef’s knife, microplane grater (for the parmesan cheese), measuring cups and spoons, and lastly TONGS. Tongs are an absolute lifesaver when the sauté pan is spattering from the eggplant and it’s time to turn them over.

The Verdict:

I didn’t realize that Mike knew what a gratin was when I made this for dinner on a rainy Tuesday night, but based on his experience with Potatoes Au Gratin he correctly identified it as Eggplant Gratin before I revealed what we were having.

The eggplant and cheese are really satisfying even though there’s no meat involved, and neither of us missed it. The flavors are simple and delicious which made it a perfect meal that’s not too heavy for summer. I would definitely make this again for us, or when I needed a vegetarian main course at a dinner party.

Lastly, I didn’t think about this before I made the recipe, but Eggplant Gratin is not the most attractive dish. A brownish vegetable under browned cheese – not so cute to take pictures of even if it turns out perfectly, leading Mike and I to coin the phrase #gratinproblems. But I promised to show you how things really look (you’re welcome) and if this goes viral you heard it here first!

Lemon Curd Tart

August 06, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts I’m following along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Home Comforts”

The Set-up: Jeffrey is due home for the weekend and he’s in luck - Ina has a whole menu of great treats cooked up for him.

The Menu: Lemon Curd Tart, Grown-up Mac & Cheese, Mussels in White Wine, Green Salad with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette

0:43 – Ina thinks (correctly) that mac & cheese is high on everyone’s list of comfort foods and has decided to make it even more awesome via the addition of blue cheese and bacon to make a Grown-up version. Twist my arm.

1:10 – Pro Tip #1: cook strips of bacon on a rack over a baking sheet in the oven (400 degrees) rather than on the stove to prevent splattering.

2:01 – For the base of the cheese sauce Ina is making a roux, which is essentially butter + flour + whisked in hot milk.

3:36 – As Ina grates the cheese – Gruyere and cheddar to start – she tells us that she’ll also crumble in some Roquefort “for a nice piquant” flavor. I don’t know why but her little French accented em-phasis on that word is cracking me up.

3:55 – Pro Tip #2: Stir the cheeses to the roux while it’s off the heat. She only mentions this in passing, but this is an important one because it keeps the cheese sauce nice and smooth.

4:22 – The bacon is out of the oven and has been added to the cheese sauce. I really need to add this recipe to my list of dinners to make, Mike would probably love this.

5:49 – The Grown-up Mac & Cheese can be made ahead of time and baked before serving. I now have zero reason not to make this except maybe my waistline…

6:14 – On to the Lemon Curd Tart, which starts with a shortbread-esque crust instead of a traditional pastry. This is good news for pastry-phobes like me.

7:28 – Pro Tip #3: for a smooth edge, use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the dough into the tart pan.

10:07 – The tart shell has finished chilling and now Ina explains the technique of “blind baking.” I’ve seen her do this a ton, but I’m still fascinated by the process.

11:34 – We have a brief garden interlude to cut some enormous (and totally perfect) dahlias for a flower arrangement.

12:11 – Stage 1 of the tart shell process is finished and the dried beans Ina uses as pie weights have been returned to their pantry container. I feel a little sorry for those beans always being baked and re-baked, but it hasn’t stopped me from having some of my own. #heartless

12:44 – Ina mentions that Jeffrey is on his way home which reminds me, we usually see more of him in an episode – why no check in with Mr. Garten? It also reminds me of this hilarious post from The Hairpin.

13:08 – The lemon curd is underway and I’m surprised to see Ina using a peeler to take off the zest of the lemons instead of her trusty microplane grater. Maybe four lemons are too many to zest that way?

14:16 – Ina cautions us that there is no substitute for freshly squeezed lemon juice and “not to even think about using the stuff in the bottle.” Consider yourself warned; Ina will totally know if your thoughts stray toward the temptation of pre-squeezed citrus.

15:25 – The mixture Ina poured from the mixer into the pan was gloppy and unappetizing, but cooking it for a little bit it turned smooth and thick. Lemon curd is probably magic.

19:39 – Now that tomorrow’s dinner is done Ina changes gears to make Mussels in White Wine for tonight.

20:02 – Pro Tip #4: Soaking the mussels in water with a little flour will help rinse them of any sand.

21:17 – The sauce for this reminds me of the first time I tried mussels in a small restaurant called Hungry Mother in Cambridge, Mass. and I’ve been a convert ever since.

22:23 – Jeffrey, you’re alive! Ahh, I mean – Mr. Garten makes his first appearance proving that he is not a ghost. Ina greets him with smooches confirming for me that they are just too sweet. Sigh.

23:44 – Mussels are served with the requisite chunks of crusty French baguette. Seriously, do not skimp on “the bread for sopping” as it is called in the Messersmith household. This is not a time to count carbs!

26:16 – Montage of Sag Harbor adventures, lots of giggling, Ina wrapped in a red scarf. Jeffrey is dubious about her ability to pull off a dinner with no prep time. Little does he know…

28:51 – This is actually a brilliant plan – while the Mac & Cheese bakes Ina whips up a Green Salad with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette and smooths the lemon curd into the tart shell. Done and Done.

29:49 – Jeffrey teases Ina a little about spilling the proverbial beans (pun totally intended on my part) on her domestic goddess secrets and we wrap up with a toast to fun “weekends together.”

Final Thoughts:

I really can’t highlight Pro Tip #2 enough – I once added the cheese over the heat and my sauce turned out horribly gritty. Not a mistake I intend to repeat!

I absolutely love Lemon Curd and now I have to try making this tart.

Ina should definitely keep her domestic goddess secrets – preserve the mystery a little.

Lessons Learned:

I’ve baked exactly one tart shell in my life for a savory pumpkin recipe that went fairly wrong and I’ve never made a curd of any kind, so I was a bit nervous about making a Lemon Curd Tart.

The shortbread crust is not at all dissimilar to baking Christmas cookies and the step-by-step instructions on blind baking while kind of ‘fussy’ aren’t necessarily difficult. The lemon curd steps are also not difficult, but the stage between mixing and cooking does look disturbing – it’s important to trust the process because it does turn out beautifully smooth and lemony.

One item to note: my oven continues to be a challenge, so my tart shell needed a few extra minutes, but instead of checking carefully under the foil I just yanked the whole piece off taking a bit of the edge with it. Don’t be me! If the foil is sticking a little then put it back in and check again in 2-3 minutes.

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, surprisingly. I used my stand mixer, but a hand held would work fine too. I also used a 9” false bottom tart pan (would recommend a 10”), medium sauce pan, a medium bowl (dry ingredients), and a small bowl (eggs). For tools I used a rubber spatula, dry & liquid measuring cups and spoons, and a microplane grater instead of the food processor step in the recipe. Lastly, I also used a small package of dried beans as my pie weights.

The Verdict:

My mother-in-law, Lucy, loves lemon so I brought the Lemon Curd Tart out to Pennsylvania for a family dinner giving it the scrutiny of about 10 taste-testers all of whom were very pleased with the results. The curd is quite lemony and the crust turns out firm and buttery – lovely.

I, personally, could go with a bit more lemon flavor (but I love strong flavors) and Mike thought perhaps having it chilled a bit, rather than serving at room temperature, would be nice on a hot day. Both of these slight changes are really just us being uber finicky about a recipe that’s pretty perfect. I’m dying for an excuse to make Lemon Curd Tart again – hint: invite me to dinner!

Baked Ricotta Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce

July 30, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts I’m following along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Brunch Bunch”

The Set-up: Ina has enlisted her BFFs Miguel and Michael to create a Pinterest-perfect brunch spread. I will indubitably be jealous.

The Menu: Roasted Hazelnut Granola, Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce, Apricot Butter, Fruit Platter

0:36 – We begin with Ina chopping hazelnuts for Roasted Hazelnut Granola and waxing poetic on the charms of day-time entertaining. Highlights: loves the food, people are full of energy, and (she says this more nicely) then they get the heck out so she can take a nap! That last bit is close reading on my part…

1:10 – Granola time! Pro Tip #1: Starting with roasted nuts (hazelnuts, cashews, almonds) gives the granola a deeper flavor.

3:22 – Split screen time with Miguel and Michael working on their tasks (table setting and flowers, respectively). Ina selected the theme of blue & white but now their on their own. No pressure!

3:30 – Michael selects blue muscari (aka grape hyacinth) since they’re “blue, low, and not too formal, which is perfect for brunch.” So far so good, although a second later he seems to be plotting something involving eggs?

3:45 – Now over to Miguel. He’s using the blue and white tablecloths Ina gave him and large, bowl-sized tea cups in a blue chinoiserie pattern for a “touch of whimsy.” You officially have my attention, Miguel; tell me more about this whimsy….

5:04 – Granola is in the oven looking very much like one of those deliciously sticky Nature Valley bars and now it’s back to Miguel pouring OJ and grapefruit juices into pitchers and delighting us all by saying ‘teacups’ one more time.

9:16 – We’re back with Ina for instructions on making the best Fruit Platter. Pro Tip #2: Smell the pineapple before buying to see if it’s ripe (it should smell like pineapple.)

10:23 – Fruit Platter 101: line the platter with large leaves (fig, hydrangea, lemon) for a touch of green. Make large blocks of color by staggering the slices of melon and pineapple together. Scatter a ‘stream’ of blueberries over the top and then another of strawberries and raspberries, again keeping the colors uniform.

10:52 – I can’t believe she put together a picture perfect platter in about 30 seconds. Apologies to future guests if I practice this on you…

11:07 – Croissant time and Ina (again) blows my mind with her perfect technique for lining a breadbasket with a napkin. Hard to describe, but essentially fold in the middle one direction and then again in the other. Confused? Is there anything she can’t do?

12:28 – Pro Tip #3: Leave the croissant baking to the professionals, but heat them up in the oven for a few minutes and serve them warm with Apricot Butter.

13:01 – Ina talks us through how to make it, but the true takeaway is that anything can be mixed into butter.

13:49 – We check in with Michael who has really committed to his egg idea by turning them into little vases for the grape hyacinth and placing them in porcelain egg cups. Never underestimate a florist.

14:56 – On to the Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce, which Ina explains are basically like a large pancake with ricotta filling. Sounds good to me!

19:24 – The filling (ricotta, mascarpone, eggs, lemon) seems like it would please both people who prefer sweet breakfast and people who prefer savory. Good news for me since Mike and I are a house divided on that subject.

21:18 – Miguel is stealth – he snuck a peek and discovered the Apricot Butter, so he chose apricot colored napkins to finish the table and honestly the contrast of the soft blues and whites with the bright orange and salmon colors is gorgeous. Miguel definitely knows what’s up with table setting.

22:03 – The first layer of the Baked Blintzes is done and Ina has spread the ricotta filling evenly before adding the top layer of ‘pancake’ mix. Pro Tip #4: Pouring the batter into a spoon, rather than directly onto the filling, will keep the layers from mixing. (Think: bartender making a ‘float.’)

26:31 – Blueberry sauce time and it looks amazing – like liquid blueberry pie. Yum.

28:19 – Blintzes are done, flowers are on the table, fruit platter and croissants have been set out. Seriously, this is magazine perfect – not that I had any doubts with Ina, Michael and Miguel on the case.

29:42 – Ina and Michael are more patient than I would be as Miguel snaps away (we get some of his shots interspersed with compliments from Ina on their work) and then everyone dives in!

Final Thoughts:

I’m excited to have a brunch idea that A.) requires one dish and B.) should be a crowd-pleaser for both savory & sweet.

I adore the blue/white/apricot color scheme of this brunch – gorgeous.

The hunt is on for ‘whimsical’ over-sized teacups. I will keep you posted.

Lessons Learned:

I’ve never made blintzes before and the steps of the Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce recipe worked well for me through the ricotta cheese and top layer stages. That’s where I ran into some issues….

First things first, I used a blender to mix the pancake batter, which I think added a lot of air to the mixture. See how fluffy the blintz is - it puffed up like a soufflé! A food processor or just a spoon is probably a better option.

Second, the consistency of the ricotta mixture was a little thinner than ideal - something closer to the thickness you'd use in lasagna would be better - in the future I’d add a little more mascarpone to thicken it up. The combination of these two factors made it really tricky to keep the layers from mixing together, even using the spoon-pouring method Ina demonstrated and I wasn't totally successful.

The final factor is the baking vessel. I cut the recipe in half and baked it in a medium oval casserole dish, but I think this made the layers too thick and really increased the baking time. Next time I’d use a larger dish so that the layers are spread over a larger area and bake more evenly.

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, definitely. I used a blender (recommend: food processor), medium bowl, small sauce pan, and a baking dish in addition to a rubber spatula, microplane grater, wire whisk, small paring knife, along with the usual measuring cups (liquid and dry) and spoons.

The Verdict:

Mike and I were one week into a two week busy-spell of travel, work, and evening plans, so I wanted to slow down over Sunday brunch and have Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce. I like a ‘sweet’ breakfast, especially waffles, while Mike would rather have something like an omelet. So, this seemed like a great compromise that we’d both like.

While the flavors are good and we thought the blueberry sauce was awesome (excellent over warm croissants, btw.) this dish didn’t really check the box for either of us. Not quite eggs, not quite a waffle. However, the next morning I had a piece still chilled from the refrigerator and actually like it a lot better cold. Bizarre, I know. Final decision: I will probably save this recipe for times when we have guests for brunch and will be making more than one dish to choose from.

Lemon Chicken

July 23, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts I’m following along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Cook Like A Pro”

The Set-up: Ina’s sharing really simple recipes with high impact from chefs and restaurants so we can summon our inner kitchen god(dess) and impress our friends.

The Menu: Lemon Chicken, Sticky Toffee Date Cake, Baked Fontina

0:52 – First up: Lemon Chicken a blast from Ina’s past life when she owned the Barefoot Contessa specialty food shop.

1:17 – Ina explains that the dish takes about five minutes and includes garlic, lemon, thyme and white wine. She definitely has my attention. Tell me more!

2:04 – We also learn that in addition to cooking the chicken this recipe also makes a sauce – efficient.

2:55 – Pro Tip #1: always zest the lemons before squeezing the juice! Also, microplane rasps are the bomb.

3:26 – Pro Tip #2: lightly crush dried spices to release the oils before adding them to the sauce.

4:07 – The sauce is done and Ina recommends putting it in the bottom of the baking dish (versus pouring it over the top) so that the chicken skin browns nicely. Good call!

4:48 – A short soliloquy on the merits of boneless, skin on chicken breasts for entertaining. Ina has the butcher prepare them for her and trust me when I say it’s probably the only way to get them considering it’s tricky to find anything other than boneless skinless these days. Lingering evidence of the low-fat 1990s.

5:14 – Final step before they go into the oven – Ina cuts a whole lemon into eighths and nestled the wedges in between the chicken. I bet that sauce is so so good.

6:39 – The chicken is out of the oven and it looks awesome. I have a feeling that this is going to be the recipe I make….

7:21 – Ina makes some serving suggestions: basmati rice or couscous to soak up the lemon garlic sauce and a green vegetable like steamed string beans. A woman after my own heart – all meals need a green veggie.

10:16 – We’re back with Ina and her friend Laura Donnelly. Ina reminds us that learning to cook isn’t a solitary pursuit, so she’s implored Laura to come and show her how to make one of her specialties: Sticky Toffee Date Cake.

11:27 – Ina and Laura have just finished chopping the most massive pile of dates. Good Lord.

12:34 – Laura doesn’t look anything like the Dowager Countess, but something called Sticky Toffee Date Cake just screams Downton Abbey, right?

13:03 – Oooh, that’s interesting. Dates are acidic, so when Laura adds the baking soda to the water they’ve been boiling in it fizzes up. A good thing because air = fluffy cake.

14:19 – Second cake fluffiness factor: 3 ¼ tablespoons baking powder. If you do much baking you’ll note that’s equal to a metric butt-ton of baking powder.

14:56 – Laura is a pastry chef so I’m trying to extend trust here, but she seems awfully laissez faire about the parchment paper in the cake pans.

15:11 – We get a quick toffee how-to in Laura’s restaurant kitchen and the process seems pretty similar to caramel except it calls for brown sugar instead of white.

16:25 – Cakes are out of the oven and are tapped out of the pan successfully. My trust has been rewarded!

17:43 – Ina and Laura poke the dickens out of both cakes with toothpicks, which looks really fun, but served the purpose of making little spaces for the liquid toffee to soak in. Gardening analogy alert: it’s like aerating a lawn to allow water/fertilizer to reach the roots.

20:51 – Next, Ina’s visiting The Red Cat in Chelsea to learn about making Baked Fontina. It looks like fondue and the cheese from a well-seasoned pizza hopped into a cast iron skillet together.

21:40 – I think I was right. The recipe is essentially: diced Italian Fontina + olive oil + thyme + rosemary + slivered garlic + salt & pepper.

23:16 – Ina gets a little meet & greet love from the chef/owner Jimmy Bradley and they bond over their love of melted cheese.

27:05 – Ask Ina Time and she’s turning the tables and asking restaurant chefs for their tips on how to cook like a pro. Paying close attention here…

27:11 – Kevin Penner (1770 House) says: make your own stock and Daniel Boulud (Daniel) offers a recipe for making your own Light Mayonnaise

28:10 – Ina retakes the reins and answers the age-old question: what makes really good olive oil? She suggests tasting several and looking for a round, non-bitter, full olive flavor.

28:32 – Really getting down to the essentials with question 2: the difference between salts. Ina uses three in order of ‘saltiness’: Kosher salt for cooking, flaked sea salt and fleur de sel for finishing.

29:13 – Final question: how to keep vegetables bright green? The answer: blanching and shocking. I really need a pun here but I’m at a loss….

Final Thoughts:

Making note for the future that Lemon Chicken that can be made almost entirely in advance. Hello, dinner!

Hmm, I really never thought that carefully about salt other than just using Kosher salt for everything. This may require further study…

Still waiting for a ‘blanching & shocking’ joke to occur to me… Let me know if you think of one!

Lessons Learned:

I’m not such a huge fan of dates, and baked fontina, while delicious I’m sure, doesn’t really appeal during hot summer months. And, okay I really just wanted to make the Lemon Chicken – you got me!

This recipe is really, really simple, requires minimal ingredients and easy techniques. Honestly, the hardest part might be sourcing the boneless, skin on chicken breasts. I can usually find split chicken breasts with the skin and then with a little willpower/chef’s knife finagling separate the meat from the bones. It doesn’t always look super pretty in process, but it can be done and I’ve noticed that (like with many things) I’m improving with practice.

Do follow Ina’s advice and put the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, chicken on top so that the skin browns. Even if you don’t intend to eat it, it’s still much more appetizing with a little color.

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, definitely. I used a 9x13 baking dish, a small sauce pan, one chef’s knife, a microplane grater (these really are awesome and take up so little space), a pastry brush, and two cutting boards (one for the chicken prep and one for the garlic, etc.), a liquid measuring cup and spoons. I also found tongs and a rubber spatula helpful, as well as a large serving spoon.

The Verdict:

Mike and I were both very, very happy with the way the Lemon Chicken turned out – it was super flavorful and tender. The flavors of the sauce reminded me of steamed Mussels in White Wine, which is usually paired with crusty bread to soak them up, so I decided to serve it with slices of fresh French baguette compliments of Levain Bakery and (green vegetable alert!) Roasted Asparagus.

This is a perfect recipe for an easy summer dinner that requires almost zero slaving over a hot stove. Cooking the asparagus in the oven during the last 10 minutes makes it even easier.

Roasted Asparagus (serves 4 ppl)

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh asparagus

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus (about ½ inch) and, if stalks are especially thick, peel them.

Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Kosher salt and ground black pepper then toss to coat the asparagus completely.

Spread the asparagus in a single layer and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until ‘al dente,’ tender but still firm. Time will vary depending on thickness of asparagus stalks; test with the tines of a dinner fork to check tenderness.