Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves plus 3 fresh cilantro sprigs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves plus 3 fresh oregano sprigs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves plus 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
4 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed in resealable plastic bag with mallet
1 5 1/2- to 6-pound roasting chicken, rinsed, patted dry; neck, heart, and gizzard reserved
2 large onions, each cut into 8 wedges through root end, leaving root ends intact
12 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
8 warm corn tortillas
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Using fork, mix butter, all chopped herbs, chipotle chiles, and crushed coriander in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.
2. Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Place chicken, breast side up, in large roasting pan; place reserved neck, heart, and gizzard alongside.
3. Starting at neck end of chicken, slide fingers under skin to loosen, being careful to avoid tearing. Spread all but 1 tablespoon seasoned butter over breast meat and thigh meat under skin. Rub any butter remaining on fingers over outside of chicken. Sprinkle main cavity of chicken with salt and pepper; place all herb sprigs in cavity. Tie legs together loosely.
4. Place onion wedges in large bowl. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon seasoned butter in small saucepan over low heat; pour over onion wedges and toss to coat. Arrange onions around chicken. Sprinkle onions and chicken with salt and pepper.
5. Roast chicken and onions 30 minutes.
6. Scatter garlic cloves around chicken; add 1/4 cup broth to roasting pan. Continue to roast chicken until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170°F, basting occasionally with pan juices and adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls as needed to maintain juices in roasting pan, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
7. Remove roasting pan from oven. Tilt chicken, draining juices from cavity into pan. Transfer chicken, onions, and garlic to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm.
8. Add 1/4 cup broth and wine to pan. Place over 2 burners and bring juices to boil, scraping up browned bits. Strain juices into bowl. Discard fat from top of juices.
9. Cut meat from chicken. Serve, making tacos with warm tortillas, chicken, onions, and garlic. Drizzle tacos with pan juices.

Serves 6-8.

print recipe

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 cups bread flour plus extra for flouring work surface
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Peanut oil for frying
Confectioners' sugar for serving, as much as you think you'll need—then double that!

Directions

1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until small bubbles form at the surface. Remove from the heat, add the buttermilk, and then pour into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk in the yeast and the sugar and set aside for 5 minutes.
2. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed, using a dough hook, until the dry ingredients are moistened, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough forms a loose ball and is still quite wet and tacky, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the dough aside in a draft-free spot for 1 hour.
4. Pour enough peanut oil into a large pot to fill it to a depth of 3 inches and bring to a temperature of 375°F over medium heat (this will take about 20 minutes). Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
5. Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out on it. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, gently press to flatten, fold it in half, and gently tuck the ends under to create a rough-shaped round.
6. Dust again and roll the dough out into a ½-inch- to ¹/³ -inch-thick circle. Let the dough rest for 1 minute before using a chef's knife, a bench knife, or a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares (you should get about 48).
7. Gently stretch a beignet lengthwise and carefully drop it into the oil. Add a few beignets (don't overcrowd them, otherwise the oil will cool down and the beignets will soak up oil and be greasy) and fry until puffed and golden brown, turning them often with a slotted spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain while you cook the rest. Serve while still warm, buried under a mound of confectioners' sugar, with hot coffee on the side.

Makes about 4 dozen beignets.

Make ahead: The beignet dough can be made up to 8 hours in advance of frying. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. After cutting the dough, place the beignets on the paper and place another greased sheet of parchment paper, sprayed-side down, on top. Wrap the entire baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The beignets can be fried straight from the refrigerator.

print recipe

Ingredients

1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes in puree
1 jalapeno chile (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat), minced
2 small onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves (2 whole, 1 minced)
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (19 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 large poblano chiles, halved lengthwise (stems left intact), ribs and seeds removed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. In a blender, combine tomatoes in puree, jalapeno, half the onions, and 2 whole garlic cloves; puree. Season with salt. Pour sauce into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine beans, cornmeal, 1/2 cup cheese, remaining onions, minced garlic, cumin, and 3/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper.
4. Dividing evenly, stuff poblano halves with bean mixture; place on top of sauce in baking dish. Sprinkle poblanos with remaining 1/2 cup cheese; cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
5. Bake until poblanos are tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover, and continue to cook until sauce is thickened slightly and cheese is browned, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes.

Serves 4.

print recipe

Ingredients

3 Tbs. olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green portions, halved, rinsed well and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 1/4 cups vegetable broth, warmed
1 1/2 lb. asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 Tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400°F.
2. In a 3 1/2-quart wide Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, thyme and salt and cook for 1 minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Stir in 3 cups of the broth, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
5. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and bake, stirring once halfway through, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes.
6. Coat the asparagus with the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Preheat a stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, grill the asparagus, turning occasionally, until tender, 7 to 8 minutes per batch. Cut the asparagus on the bias into 2-inch lengths.
7. Stir the remaining 1 1/4 cups broth into the risotto, then stir in the cheese, butter, asparagus, salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into warmed bowls and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

print recipe

Ingredients

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1-1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil
Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
Lemon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Pound chicken breasts until they are 1/4 inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.
2. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
3. Coat chicken breasts on both sides with flour mixture, then dip both sides into egg mixture and dredge both sides in bread crumb mixture, pressing lightly.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.
5. Meanwhile make the lemon vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
6. Toss the salad greens with the vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Serves 6.

print recipe