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So the minute we finished breakfast Jim started hassling me to make dinner, as we had a 7:00 PM zoom call with Stella, Cat, Charlie, Susan, & Jim.  We had to delay until 7:30.  It took me that long to make a roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and asparagus.  

The Chicken:

I loosely followed Julia Childs directions.  After buttering the inside of the chicken I stuffed it with lemon, thyme, basil and scallions.  I did not do all the turning she does.  I buttered the outside and put it in a preheated 425 degree F. convection oven on roast.  After 15 minutes, I reduced it to 350 and basted it again with a mixture of butter and EVOO.  I continued to baste it every 15 minutes until the built in timer popped out.  

I roasted the chicken with chopped celery, carrots and onion under and around the chicken.  I added just enough stock to cover the vegetables.  When the chicken was done and resting for 10 minutes per Julia, I proceeded to make the gravy.  

Gravy:

I added more stock and smashed the vegetables.  Using a fine sieve I strained out the vegetables and then returned the veggie/ stock back to the skillet.  To thicken the gravy, I added Wonder flour and more stock to achieve the quantity of gravy I needed.  Next time I will double what I think I need.  The gravy was delicious.  

Potatoes:

My standard procedure is to peel the potatoes before I start anything else.  I cover with water and lightly salt it.  I bring it to a boil and then in this case a slight simmer.  When everything is done I strain them and mash with a little stock.  

Asparagus:

First I break off the hard ends.  rinse it and massage in some EVOO and pepper.  In my microwave on cook raw vegetables it takes twice to get them eatable.  

Dessert:

We had Peeps.

This is again from the Tucci cookbook.  On 11-11 he turned 63 according to our paper today.  This was dinner last night but it will also be dinner tonight and then we go to the Opera.  It was not the best out of this cookbook.  The pasta did not cook as I wanted and I think I know why.  While I was putting together the shrimp and asparagus, Jim turned down the pasta water.  My guess is it did not get turned back up.  It was too al dente and some was glued together.  He was in charge of pasta, but I had to say don’t walk away, stir it!  He dumped in the box of pasta and proceeded to walk away.  I changed up some of his cooking steps as I thought it would make the shrimp to leathery.  People will say, “I dislike seafood.”  They cook it until it rivals shoe leather.  It is no wonder.  

Ingredients:

1# fetuccine

1# medium size asparagus (cut in 1” peaces starting 1” below the top after breaking off tough bottoms.)

5 T EVOO, divided

2 T finely diced shallots

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/8 t red pepper flakes

1 T chopped fresh Italian, flat leafed parsley

1 T chopped fresh basil leaves

3/4# medium-size shrimp, shelled, deveined and sliced in half lengthwise (real pain)

Kosher slat and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 C dry white wine

2 plum tomatoes (ours were hard as rocks, wish I had used canned) coarsely chopped, peeled

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the fettuccine.  Cook until ardent, following the package instructions.  
2. Meanwhile (no) Prepare the vegetables ahead of time, it takes a while to do all the chopping.  
3. Warm 3 T of the oil in a large sauté pan pan set over medium-high heat.  Add the shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley, and basil and cook stirring frequently, to flavor the oil wit the aromatics, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in the asparagus and shrimp, and season with salt and pepper.  (I did not add the shrimp this early.  I did add my hard as a rock tomatoes.  Cook, stirring and tossing frequently, 2-3 minutes.  
5. Add the wine and cook until it evaporates, about 1 minute.
6. Add the shrimp and drained pasta.  
7. Stir in the remaining 2 T oil and gently toss to coat.  

I think it would have been better with a fusili or penne pasta.  Certainly easier to eat getting asparagus and shrimp in each bite.  I probably should try this again, with me in charge of the pasta cooking.  

I was going to serve the asparagus with a new shrimp recipe.  It called for shrimp in the shell.  We had 2 bags of Shrimp in the freezer all shelled.  There is also a an apparent shortage of garlic as Jim has not found any 3 weeks in a row.  I have dried garlic flakes so I melted some butter and put the garlic in the skillet and sautéed the shrimp.  Surprisingly  it tasted like shrimp scampi.  The asparagus fixed this way was a perfect with the shrimp.

Ingredients:

1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed

3 T EVOO

1 1/2 T grated (Grana Padano) Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1 t sa salt

1/2 t ground black paper

1 t traditional Balsamic reduction

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Place the asparagus into a mixing bowl, and drizzle with the oil.  Toss to coat the spears, then sprinkle with cheese, garlic, salt and pepper.
3. Arrange the asparagus onto a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) in a single layer.  Bake in the preheated oven until just tender, 8-12 minutes depending on thickness.
4. Drizzle with vinegar just before serving. (I did not do as I was out of the reduction.

They were delicious.  There is no way this feeds 4.  I would buy 2 bunches if serving 4.  

The other night I decided to make it again.  This time I remembered to take a photo.  We had it with baked potatoes and talipia.  

Well we had our skinny portions of quiche with some more Farmer’s Market tomatoes.  I served an asparagus that I can not repeat unless my brother sends me more from the AZ company he got it from.  It was the last of an asiago cheese spread.  I mixed the cheese spread with the asparagus and lined up the asparagus on a baking sheet.  On top of that I laid  pieces of proscuitto.  

This recipe looked and sounded good in the magazine and on my plate.  Quite frankly I found it a little boring.  The rice that was cooked with coconut milk didn’t taste any different than when I cook it in plain water.  Jim thought it was hot.  I did not add the optional crushed red pepper or the toasted coconut.  The squeeze of lime at the end gave it flavor.  

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C uncooked black rice

1 C unsweetened coconut milk

3/4 t salt

2 T vegetable oil

1 T finely chopped serrano chile pepper

2 t grated fresh ginger

8 oz. asparagus cut into 1” pieces

1# shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 C lime juice

2 scallions chopped

Toasted coconut (optional)

Crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the rice, 1 1/2 C water, coconut milk and salt to a boil.  Stir and reduce the heat.  Simmer, covered until tender, 25-30 minutes.  Remove from the heat, and let stand 10 minutes.  
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat 1 T of the oil over medium heat.Add the Serrano chile and ginger, and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add the asparagus, and increase the heat to medium-high.  Cook and stir until tender, about 4 minutes, and transfer to a large platter.
4. Add the remaining 1 T oil to the skillet.  Add the shrimp in a single layer, and cook until opaque, 3-4 minutes.  (I would not do over 2 minutes.)
5. Fluff the rice with a fork and transfer it to the platter with the asparagus.  Drizzle with lime juice.  Top with shrimp and scallions.
6. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and crushed red pepper if using.