Spring Chicken

The sound of melting snow and visions of green sprouting from the yard seems to motivate me. The time to venture out of the house, say hello to the “hibernationally” forgotten neighbors (yes, I made up a word), sweep winter away from patio, clean the grill and set up the furniture for what becomes my family's second kitchen. I start anticipating the upcoming farmers markets and look forward to all that spring gives us here in Minnesota all of which is shared with family & friends. See you at the Winery!
- Richard


Now that spring is officially here, let’s start it off with a easy recipe to get the grill going for the season. This recipe has a few parts, though it really comes together and gives a great “spring’ flavor.

Grilled Rosemary & Lemon Chicken w/ Quinoa Salad

Food Note: As of late, Quinoa and other specialty grains seem to be all the rage. Quinoa has found its way into my kitchen (both home and professional) due to its wide variety of uses. Unlike rice and wheat, quinoa packs a balanced set of essential amino acids to form a perfect protein. And it's gluten free, which helps in menu planning for a large group of people.

Rosemary Chicken
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic
1 lemon, zested
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste

   In a food processor, blend together butter, rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Pour about a 1/3 of blended mixture into a small bowl or plastic ziplock bag for marinade. Set the remaining mixture aside.
   Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place chicken breasts in the marinade for 3-4 hours.
   Preheat grill to high.
   Grill chicken breasts 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken breasts from grill and top with small scoops of the remaining topping mixture to melt over the chicken.

Quinoa Salad
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cucumber, diced
3 scallions
1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper (available in any grocery store)
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons slivered almonds

For serving:
9 cups spring mix greens
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette

Directions
Combine quinoa and stock in small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cover. Cook 10-15 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed. Let cool completely.
In mixing bowl, combine cooled quinoa w/ remaining ingredients.

Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 T honey
1 T chopped basil
2 cup olive oil

In mixing bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey and basil. While still whisking slowly, add olive oil until complete emulsified.

In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, Heart Lamb Irish Stew

Here is a quick recipe to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. Sure you can sub the Lamb with Beef, but what fun would that be?
- Richard

Irish Stew
1/2 pound thickly sliced bacon, diced
6 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup water
4 cups canned beef stock
2 teaspoons sugar
4 cups carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced
3 pounds potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon dried thyme, whole
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup River Valley White wine
Chopped parsley

Using a large pan cook the bacon until crisp. Reserve the fat and the bacon.

In a large bowl place the lamb, salt, pepper, and flour. Toss to coat evenly. Reheat the frying pan. In batches, cook the lamb until evenly browned. Transfer the browned meat to a 10-quart stock pot (being sure to keep some of the bacon fat in the sauté pan.

Add the garlic and yellow onion to the pan and saute until the onion begins to caramelize. Deglaze the frying pan with 1/2 cup of water and add the garlic-onion mixture to the casserole, along with the reserved bacon pieces, beef stock, and sugar. Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, or until tender.

Add the carrots, onions, potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, and wine to the pot and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes. Season to taste and garnish.

Mardi Gras Party! Shrimp, Chicken & Andouille Etouffee

Been awhile since the last blog but it's time to come out of hibernation and get ready for Spring. In Honor of Mardi Gras let’s heat this place up and melt the snow!
-Richard

Shrimp, Chicken & Andouille Ingredients

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more if desired
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 cup minced green onions, plus extra for garnish
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
2 to 3 dashes Tabasco
2 cup chicken stock or clam juice
2 large diced tomatoes
1 large chicken breast diced
1 pound andouille sausage diced
2 pounds large shrimp peeled and de-veined
1/2 stick butter
Diced green onions, for garnish

Make the roux, mix oil and flour in a large heavy saucepan over low heat. Whisk flour into the oil to form a thick paste. Continue cooking over low heat and whisk continuously, until the mixture turns a caramel color and gives off a nutty aroma, about 15 to 20 minutes.

To the roux, add chicken and let cook for 5 minutes. Then add the onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic and cook over low heat about 5 minute. Add white pepper, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, green onions and parsley and andouille. Add stock then stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add shrimp and stir. Let shrimp cook for about s-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Whirl in the butter and let melt. Serve over cooked white rice and garnish with green onions.