Foodie Fridays: Baked Chicken, Sausage, and Vegetables

My husband and I rarely drink alcohol, but we often have a little wine for the holidays.  We usually have at least half a bottle left over, and I am always trying to figure out ways to use it up.  I recently discovered that wine is by far the best acid to use in the marinade for baked chicken (even better than something like lemon juice), as it keeps the meat very moist and tender.  We had leftover red wine after Thanksgiving, and even though I have only used white wine for baked chicken before, I decided to try the red wine.  It was excellent!  If you ever find yourself looking for a way to use up a bottle of wine, I highly recommend using it to bake chicken.

Baked Chicken, Sausage, and Vegetables

2/3 C. red wine
1/3 C. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt (or more to taste)
8 oz. peeled baby carrots
6 small red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12-16 oz. firm link sausage, sliced*
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut in half

Whisk together the wine, oil, and salt.  Toss the vegetables, sausage slices, and about half of the marinade together in a large roasting pan.  Nestle the chicken pieces, evenly spaced, into the vegetables.  Sprinkle each piece of chicken with a little salt and pepper.  Pour the rest of the marinade over everything, coating the chicken well.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are soft (be careful not to overcook the chicken).  Serves 6.

*I used small chorizo sausage links from La Tienda, but any firm link sausage, such as kielbasa or andouille, would be perfect.  Johnsonville makes a fully cooked Andouille Chicken Sausage that would work well in this recipe.
             

This 'n That Thursdays: My Essential Holiday Kitchen Tools

From Pinterest

When it comes to kitchen utensils, I am very low-tech.  I prefer to do most of my prep work by hand, or purchase pre-prepped ingredients, such as chopped vegetables, from the grocery store.  I never use my stand mixer, rarely use the food processor or blender, and generally tend to avoid any of the numerous gadgets we own that plug in or need batteries.  I do, however, have a few tools in my kitchen that I consider indispensable, especially during the holidays.  Some of them are rarely used, and some used all the time, but I would hate to be without any of them in my kitchen!  Here is my list of essential kitchen tools:

From UPC Index

1) Immersion Blender

Back before the immersion blender was introduced, puréeing anything involved scooping hot food out of a pot, putting it into a blender or food processor, puréeing it, and then returning it to the pot.  Even worse, if you had to purée in batches, the puréed food had to be placed in a second container until everything was done, and then returned to the pot.  Needless to say, because I am a lazy cook, I almost never made anything that had to be puréed.  With the purchase of an immersion blender, my cooking life changed forever!  Now the process is effortless -- just place the business end of the stick in your pot, press a button, and almost instantly you have perfectly smooth liquid food.  Immersion blenders come in a range of prices, but my $20 Hamilton Beach version has been with me for years and still works great for my needs.  The type I bought is no longer available, but the Hamilton Beach 59770 Turbo-Twister 2-Speed Hand Blender ($23.00 plus free shipping on Amazon) looks similar and even comes with a whisk attachment for whipping and beating.

2) Wooden Spoon

The only tool you need for sautéing, browning, or even blending when cooking in a skillet is that old standby, the wooden spoon.  The one I use has a point at one end, similar to the one on the right in the picture above, but honestly I don't think it makes any difference (it just happened to be the one that my husband had when I met him decades ago, and I've been using it ever since).  The Good Cook Classic Set of 3 Wood Spoons ($5.32 plus free shipping on Amazon) is a good basic set, but shop around online or locally and you may be able to find some you like better for even less money.

3) Oval Blending Spoon

A wooden spoon is necessary for skillet cooking, but for me my Gourmac 13" Melamine Oval Blending Spoon (set of 2 for $17.95 plus free shipping on Amazon) is far more useful, as it can be used for liquid or dry ingredients, and for hot or cold stirring.  Whether mixing up baked goods or stirring pasta, I find myself reaching for this spoon more than any other utensil.  I have had mine for decades and it has literally stood the test of time.  I keep thinking I should buy another one or two for backup, but so far have not needed to do so.  I think this is probably my very favorite kitchen tool.

4) Pie Crust Shield

I rarely bake pies, but pumpkin pie is a must at our house for Thanksgiving, and a pie crust shield is a lifesaver (or should I say pie saver?) for me.  Before I found this simple device, my crust always burned around the edges by the time the pie was done.  I like the silicone Talisman Designs Adjustable Pie Crust Shield (only $5.00 plus free shipping at Signatures!), but there are many options available.

5) Roasting Rack

I also rarely make roasts, but of course no Thanksgiving (and/or sometimes Christmas), is complete without one.  While you can roast a turkey without a rack (and I have in the past), the results are so much better with a rack that now I always use one.  If you do not yet have a roasting pan and are thinking of buying one, try to get one with a rack included.  If you are just looking for a rack to use in a pan you already have, there are many types available.  Most are metal racks with handles so you can lift the whole bird out of the pan, rack and all, but I just found the intriguing silicone roasting racks shown above and will probably get a set.  The Easy Made Silicone Roasting Rack can be purchased as a set of 2 ($26.97 plus free shipping on Amazon) and I would recommend getting two for a variety of pan sizes (use one in small pans, and both in larger ones).  Silicone is so easy to clean, and roasts are notorious for leaving difficult messes in pans.  And if you prefer multi-task gadgets, the racks can also be used as trivets!

Everyone has different cooking preferences, so many people may find some of my essentials to be unnecessary in their kitchens, but I hope these tools have given you some ideas for ways to make cooking easier!

From Phoenix New Times

Wish List Wednesdays: Hammacher Schlemmer's Plush Giant Tortoise

If I had any young children on my Christmas gift list, I would most certainly be ordering them the Nap Inducing Plush Giant Tortoise ($149.95) from Hammacher Schlemmer!  This huge pillow toy has glowing LED lights and soothing nature sounds which create the perfect sleeping environment for young children.  Apparently the demand for this comforting turtle is so great that Hammacher Schlemmer is taking orders but they will not arrive in time for Christmas.  The big fellow is so cute, though, that I'm even tempted to purchase one for myself!
             

Weekend Wonders: "A Christmas Story" Home for the Holidays!

From read-a-holicz

Is your favorite Yuletide movie "A Christmas Story" (1983)?  Did you ever wonder what a day in the life of Ralphie Parker and his family would be like?  Well, one lucky winner and three guests will get to find out!  Brian Jones, the owner of the Cleveland, Ohio, house which was used in the movie as the Parker family home, is auctioning off a two-night stay for four on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on eBay.

From eBay

From Yahoo! News

From eBay

The winner will also receive $800 worth of movie gifts, including the iconic Red Ryder BB Gun!  The bidding currently stands at $8,700, but closes on Tuesday, December 8th at 5:48 PM (how did I not hear of this sooner?), so if this is your idea of the perfect Christmas gift, get your bid in soon!  Apparently this charity fundraiser is an annual event, so more auctions will be held for Christmas 2016 and beyond.  I might be giving this travel adventure some serious thought -- after all, how many people can say they celebrated Christmas just like Ralphie?

From The Beach Coast

             

Foodie Fridays: Bagel Eggs

Today I present an extremely simple non-recipe, one of my favorite ways to "cook"!  Bagel eggs are pretty much exactly what they sound like, namely an egg cooked inside of a bagel hole.  This is just a variation on egg-in-the-basket (often called toad-in-the-hole, although that is apparently a different dish featuring sausage in England).  Anyway, describing this recipe takes more time than preparing it, and it is quite a satisfying breakfast as well as being an unusual-looking one.  Give this easy recipe a try for a different way to enjoy a morning bagel.

Bagel Eggs

1 T. butter
1 large bagel, halved
2 eggs

Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat.  If necessary, enlarge the hole in the middle of the bagel halves so that it will accommodate an egg (either stretch the center open if your bagel is soft and bread-like, or cut a larger hole if your bagel is denser and will not stretch).  Add the bagel halves to the skillet, cut side down, swirling them a bit in the butter to coat the bottoms.

Crack an egg into each of the bagel centers (you can break the egg into a bowl and pour from the bowl, but I don't bother).  Some of the egg white may run over the top of the bagel and into the pan, but that is all right.  If you prefer a less runny egg, use a knife and gently break up the yolk once it is inside the bagel.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cover the skillet with a lid and cook the bagel eggs for 3-4 minutes, until the yolk has begun to set (the cover will keep the egg white in the pan from browning too quickly).  Remove the cover and assess your eggs.  If they are still relatively uncooked on top, like mine were, you can gently flip the bagel halves over and cook the tops.  Bagel eggs are meant to have runny yolks, but if you prefer hard-set yolks, poke them open and check for doneness.  If the eggs are too runny for you, let the yolks run out of the middle and cook until hard in the pan.  Once the bagel eggs are done to your preference, remove them to a plate and enjoy!  Serves 1-2.
             

This 'n That Thursdays: Two Company C Paisley Rug-Inspired Living Rooms

One of my favorite online sites is Company C, a home décor source specializing in colorful furnishings and accessories.  They even offer paisley print rugs, so I thought I would put my recent passion for paisley to the test by creating a couple of living room style boards featuring two of these rugs, using only items from Company C.  As a nod to the season, I even added a couple of winter-themed pillows to the mix, but both rooms would work year-round.

The first room is styled around a mostly green rug:

Clockwise from top left: Madison Full Sofa in Jewel Grass; Madison Chair in Jewel Sand; Tatum Side Table in Driftwood; Pippin Table Lamp in Green; Bentley Pillow in Blue (no longer available); Peyton Mirror in Gold; Blizzard Bailey Pillow in Teal; Copper Lanterns; Regan Coffee Table in Driftwood; Center background: Green with Envy Rug in Willow.

In the second room, I played up the red, gold, and a bit of the blue in a multicolored rug:

Clockwise from top left: Madison Full Sofa in Jewel Chili; Madison Chair in Jewel Caramel; Warwick Side Table in Gold; Ero Lamp in Metal; Bentley Pillow in Red; Patina Artwork; Blizzard Bailey Pillow in Teal; Copper Lanterns; Warwick Coffee Table in Gold; Center background: Devonshire Rug in Dijon.

I am loving paisley even more now -- in fact, I think my paisley craze has officially become an obsession!
             

Wish List Wednesdays: Sundance Dogs Welcome Doormat

Any dog lover on your Christmas gift list would love to have the Dogs Welcome Doormat ($95) from Sundance.  The hand-hooked wool rug with canvas backing by Vermont artist Laura Megroz is strictly for indoor use.  The colors of the rug make it perfect for the holidays.  I wish there was a Dalmatian included in the design of this lovely rug, but that's just my obsession, and I would welcome this mat into my home any day!