Pappa al Pomodoro

Menu:
Pappa al Pomodoro || Tales of Me and the Husband via Ina Garten
Super Greens Salad with Pomegranate

Ingredients ////
1/2 cup good olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
1 cup medium-diced carrots, unpeeled (3 carrots)
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium-diced (1 1/2 cups)
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes, crusts removed
2 (28-ounce) cans good Italian plum tomatoes (whoops, I only used 1 -- it was still great)
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

For the croutons:
3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes
2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, chopped (I used 4 oz.-- why not?)
24 to 30 whole fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper

Directions ///
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes. Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process just until coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. For the topping, place the ciabatta cubes, pancetta, and basil on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the ingredients are crisp. The basil leaves will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine. Reheat the soup, if necessary, beat with a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. Stir in the Parmesan and taste for seasoning. Serve hot sprinkled with the topping and drizzled with additional olive oil.

Perfect Roasted Chicken

Menu:
Ida Garden's Perfect Roasted Chicken || Food Network
Brussels Sprouts
Apple Crisp || Wednesday Chef

NOTE: My friend Ali posted this recipe, and I pretty much trust anything she recommends. This chicken was the best roasted chicken I've ever made.

Perfect Roasted Chicken
Ingredients:
1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Stuffed Mushrooms & Roasted Beets

Menu:
Grandma Barbara's Stuffed Mushrooms || Practical Paleo
Roasted Beets & Fennel || Practical Paleo
Salad with Avocado and Pea Shoots

Grandma Barbara's Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients
12 mini portobello mushroom caps (or 4 large)
1 tbsp. bacon fat (I used coconut oil)
1/4 c. red bell pepper, minced
1/4 c. small yellow onion, minced
1 lb. Italian sausage (removed from casing - I used bulk turkey Italian sausage)
2 cups spinach, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place mushrooms cap-side down on a baking sheet and bake for around 10 minutes.

While waiting on the mushrooms, prepare your stuffing. Heat the fat over medium in a large skillet. 

Add red pepper and onion and saute about 3 minutes.

Add Italian sausage to the pan. Break the pork up with a spoon and cook until little pink remains. Toss in spinach and garlic and combine well. Spoon the mixture into each of the mushrooms caps and place them back in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until stuffing has browned on top.

Kale Market Salad

Menu:
Kale Market Salad || 101 Cookbooks
Brie with Rosemary Raisin Crackers

NOTE: To me, this was a perfect summer dinner.

Grilled Chicken & Buttermilk Farro Salad

Menu:
Grilled Chicken Thighs || Well Fed
Buttermilk Farro Salad || 101 Cookbooks