Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (59 page)

SERVES 6 AS AN APPETIZER

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Trim the artichokes by cutting off the stems and tops with a knife. Snip the tips of the side leaves with scissors. Rub all the cut surfaces with cut lemon halves. Squeeze the lemons into a large pot, add the juiced lemon halves,
and fill the pot halfway with water. Bring to a boil. Add the artichokes to the boiling water and place a small kitchen towel on top; this will keep them submerged. Boil the artichokes until tender, 12 to 15 minutes, then remove them with tongs and place them upside down on a towel to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, use a teaspoon to scoop out the spiny choke.

While the artichokes cook, heat the ½ cup of EVOO in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the anchovies, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the anchovies melt away. Add the bread crumbs and toast until deeply golden. Season with parsley and lots of black pepper. Remove from the heat, add the cheese, and toss to combine.

Add ¼ inch water to a shallow baking dish and arrange the artichokes in the pan. Spoon the filling into each leaf and the center of the artichokes. Drizzle more EVOO over the stuffed artichokes, cover the pan with foil, and bake for 15 minutes to set the stuffing. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes uncovered to crisp up the tops.

Serve out of the hot baking dish with a bowl alongside to catch the leaves.

On cold winter nights we gathered in the dining room near the wood-burning stoves, and we would spend our time listening to stories and eating braised casseroles. This is one such meal. We loved this garlicky, spicy meat and potato casserole—a holiday version of potatoes Anna. ——Vicki and Annette

SERVES 4 TO 6

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Heat the EVOO in a heavy-bottomed roasting pan. Brown the beef in batches, making sure to brown all sides. Return all the meat to the pan, add the crushed garlic, and sprinkle with grill seasoning. Make layers over the meat in this order: potatoes, onions, diced tomatoes with the chopped garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and parsley. Continue layering to use all ingredients, then cover the pan with foil and roast to 150 to 160°F, 40 to 50 minutes. Uncover for the last 10 minutes.

John has always been a big beef eater, but his brother Andy, who loves beef now, never liked the texture as a youngster. This recipe was hearty enough for John, tender and tasty enough for Andy, and super easy for a busy mom (Dad always seems content). —Vicki and Annette

SERVES 4 TO 6

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line a roasting pan with enough aluminum foil to wrap the entire brisket. Place the meat in the middle of the pan. Surround the meat with the carrots and potatoes.

In a bowl, mix the marinara sauce and onion soup mix. Pour the mixture over the meat and vegetables. Carefully fold the foil over the meat, veggies, and sauce, and fold to seal. Cook for 2 to 2½ hours, until the meat is fork tender.

This is the first dinner I made for Rachael when John brought her home to Poughkeepsie. Even after all those years of cooking for friends and family, I was more than a little rattled. Among other things, I forgot to marinate the meat and to season the asparagus. It was one of the blandest meals I ever made! —Vicki and Annette

SERVES 6 TO 8

With a skewer or the tip of a sharp knife, pierce the pork in a few places to allow the marinade to be absorbed into the meat. Place the meat in a resealable plastic bag with the teriyaki sauce and marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, turning once or twice.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the meat from the marinade and place it in a roasting pan. Cover it with the sweet-and-sour sauce. Transfer to the oven and roast for about 2 hours total, basting occasionally.

When the meat has cooked for 45 minutes, scatter the potatoes and baby carrots around the meat and return to the oven. After another 30 minutes, add the apples to the pan. Continue to roast for 45 minutes, or until the meat reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer and the veggies are tender.

Another easy but good one from John's mom! —Rach

SERVES 4

Fill a large Dutch oven to the rim with hot water for several minutes to heat it. Combine the onions, salt and pepper, chicken stock, wine, rice, butter, bay leaf, carrots, and garlic in a bowl.

Empty the water from the pot and place the chicken in the warm pot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper inside and out, then add the rice mixture to the pot, placing it around the chicken. Cover the pot, place it on a baking sheet in a cold oven, and turn the oven to 350°F. Cook for 2 hours, or until very tender. Just before serving, discard the bay leaf, stir in the peas and parsley, and cook just to heat through.

This was always a Friday-night dish at our house. While other families kept it simple on Fridays, our mother was straining clam juice through cheesecloth. We felt so deprived, because our friend's mother worked and they actually ate TV dinners on certain Fridays. How lucky we thought she was because she got to eat her dinner out of an aluminum plate with separate compartments for each food. It just seemed so modern! —Vicki and Annette

SERVES 4 TO 6