Recipe: Mains and Grains
Roast Chicken with Quinoa-Vegetable Pilaf
- one 3½ pound whole chicken
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- Quinoa-Vegetable Pilaf:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
- ½ cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup red quinoa, rinsed
- 1¼ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh tomato, chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas, slightly thawed
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled or cut into ¼-inch dice
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
To roast the chicken: Rinse the chicken under cold running water. Drain and pat completely dry, inside and out, with paper towels. To truss the chicken, place the wings back behind the body joint. Using kitchen twine, truss the chicken to hold the wings and thighs firmly against the body. Tie the drumsticks together. The goal is to form a compact bird. Let the chicken stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before roasting.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. With the chicken breast-side up, sprinkle the kosher salt over the chicken. (Don't worry about the grains of salt that don't adhere the chicken.) Transfer the chicken, breast-side-up, to a baking dish or roasting pan.
Place the chicken in the center of the oven and roast for 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes, until an instant read thermometer inserted into a thigh reaches 175 to 180 degrees. When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and sprinkle with chopped rosemary. Baste the chicken with the pan drippings. Let rest for about 10 minutes before carving (see directions below).
After the chicken has been in the oven for about 30 minutes, prepare the Quinoa-Vegetable Pilaf.
Quinoa-Vegetable Pilaf: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the carrot and onion and cook until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the rinsed quinoa, chicken or vegetable broth and salt. Stir in the tomato and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the peas and feta cheese. Cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
Wine sauce for the roast chicken: Pour the drippings from the chicken into a fat separator. When separated, pour the defatted broth into a saucepan, add 1/3 cup of white wine and simmer over high heat for about 3 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly.
When ready to serve, remove the trussing string from the chicken and cut it into quarters (breast-wing and leg-thigh combinations). Spoon some of the Quinoa-Vegetable Pilaf on each plate and arrange roast chicken quarters on top. Spoon some of the wine sauce over each serving. Serves 4.
Wine recommendation by Jayni: 2008 Columbia Crest H3 Horse Heaven Hills Chardonnay.
Recipe by Jayni Carey, ©Copyright March, 2012.
Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Farro Pilaf
- 1 to 1 ½ pounds flank steak
Rub:
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Chimichurri Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, rinsed, stemmed and minced
- Farro Pilaf:
- 1 cup farro (simi-pearled)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small (1 cup) red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- ½ cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ cup fresh, frozen or canned yellow corn kernels
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- olive oil for grilling steak
- 1 cup fresh, chopped tomato
Place the flank steak on a plastic cutting board or in a shallow pan.
Rub: Combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Rub about half of the mixture into each side of the flank steak. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
Chimichurri Sauce: Place the red wine vinegar, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the minced parsley. Taste, and adjust seasonings if needed. Let stand for at least one hour to allow the flavors to blend.
Farro Pilaf: Place the farro in a strainer and rinse under cold running water. Drain well and let dry. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the red pepper and onion and cook until tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Raise the heat to medium and stir in the farro. Toast, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Add the broth, corn kernels and salt. Raise the heat to high. When the mixture comes to a boil, partially cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the farro for about 20 minutes, or until tender to the bite, but still chewy. (The pilaf should have a brothy consistency.) Cover until ready to serve.
To grill the flank steak: Let the steak stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling. When the grill is hot, drizzle or brush the topside of the steak with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to prevent sticking to the grill. Sear the flank steak (oiled side down), over high heat on a covered gas grill, or over hot charcoals for about 3 to 5 minutes. Drizzle or brush the topside of the steak with olive oil and turn it over, placing it over indirect heat. Cover and grill for 4 to 6 minutes more, until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 130 to 135 degrees for medium-rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board or platter, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes before carving. Slice the flank steak into thin slices.
To serve, place a generous scoop of the Farro Pilaf along with some of the pan broth in the center of each dinner plate. Arrange slices of flank steak over the farro. Whisk the Chimichurri Sauce and spoon some over the steak. Garnish each serving with chopped tomato. Serves 4 to 6.
Wine recommendation by Jayni: 2008 Columbia Crest H3 Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon.
Recipe by Jayni Carey, ©Copyright March, 2012.