Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (46 page)

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. When it boils, salt the water, add the pasta, and cook to al dente.

While the pasta cooks, heat the EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown for 3 to 4 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks, and season with salt and pepper. Add the jalapeño, onions, and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, then season with the chili powder, cumin, and coriander. Stir in the tomato paste, cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the stock and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the chili for 5 minutes. Stir in the pasta and cheese and serve.

In a sauce pot, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water and cook the potatoes until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and mash with 1 teaspoon of the butter, the sour cream, milk, chives, egg yolk, hot sauce, and salt and pepper.

While the potatoes cook, heat the EVOO in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown, breaking it into crumbles, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bay leaf, garlic if using, and onion, carrot, and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Push the meat and vegetables off to the side of the pan and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter to the middle of the pan. When it melts, stir in the flour, cook for 30 seconds, then whisk in the stock and steak sauce. Combine the gravy with the meat and vegetables, stir in the peas, and heat through for a minute or two. Taste to adjust the seasoning. Discard the bay leaf.

Preheat the broiler.

Transfer the meat mixture to a small casserole, large ramekin, or serving dish and top with the potatoes. Brown the potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes under the broiler and garnish with paprika.

Italian Bbq Chicken with Polenta

Serve this with a green salad or steamed vegetables.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat.

Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper and poultry seasoning. Heat 1 tablespoon of the EVOO in a skillet and brown the chicken for a few minutes on each side to put some of its flavor and drippings into the pan, then transfer to the heated baking sheet and place in the oven. Roast the chicken for 15 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Meanwhile, add the remaining tablespoon of EVOO to the skillet and add the pancetta if using. Cook until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes, then add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, tomato sauce, and ½ cup of the chicken stock, reduce the heat to low, and let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes more.

Bring the remaining ½ cup stock and the milk to a boil in a sauce pot. Whisk in the polenta and season with salt and pepper and cook, whisking, for 2 to 3 minutes, until it thickens. Stir in the butter and cheese and remove from the heat.

Serve the chicken oven polenta, topped with the barbecue sauce and basil.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the egg noodles.

While the water comes to a boil, heat the EVOO with the cracked garlic in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook in the garlic oil for 6 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and discard the garlic. Cover the chicken loosely with foil to keep warm. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet the chicken was cooked in and reduce the heat a little. Whisk the flour with the melted butter for 1 minute, then whisk in the stock and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Salt the boiling water and cook the egg noodles until al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. During the last minute or two of cooking, drop in the asparagus tips. Drain the noodles and asparagus and toss with the remaining ½ tablespoon butter.

Slice the chicken on an angle. Place the noodles and asparagus in a shallow bowl and top with the chicken.

Add the mustard and tarragon to the gravy, then stir in the cream and heat through. Pour the gravy over the noodles and chicken.

Chicken and Biscuit

When the meat counter is closed or the line is too long, you are stuck buying packages of three pieces of chicken breast. Rather than making a big batch of something you'll reheat for the next three nights, use these next few recipes to rollover the extra breasts into new recipes. A family favorite of mine is the
Italian BBQ Chicken
, but these recipes are classic comforts, not to be ignored or replaced in your repertoire.

Heat the EVOO in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and sauté until lightly browned on each side, about 3 minutes. Add the thyme, mushrooms, and onions to the chicken and cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 minutes more. Add the peas and carrots to the pan, stir, and scoot the mixture to the sides of the pan. Add the butter to the space you've cleared and when it melts, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the stock and mix the sauce with the chicken and vegetables. Simmer everything together for a couple of minutes to thicken. Stir in the Dijon or hot sauce, if using, then transfer to a shallow bowl and top with the warm split biscuit, or split the biscuit and ladle the chicken mixture on top.

If you walk on the spicy side, this one's for you! As always, the reason to make your own takeout is to take control of the fat and the quality of the ingredients. Plus, if you order Chinese food, you end up eating three or four portions rather than one.