Cuisine Eric

I make homemade bone broth regularly from bones of whole chickens I roast, stored in the freezer until soup day - about four chickens. But even store-bought broth will produce a fine result with all the other love and fresh ingredients you put into this soup! It's the perfect homeopathic relief from the sniffles. 2 carrots, peeled and diced 4 stalks celery, diced 1 large onion, peeled and diced 1 shallot, peeled and diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp fresh sage, minced 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced 2 Tbsp fresh thyme, pulled 1/2 lb kielbasa, diced 4 cooked boneless chicken thighs (I used leftovers from yesterday’s grilling), cubed 1 cup cooked ham, cubed 2 quarts chicken bone broth (ideally homemade) 2 cups fresh kale leaves, diced 1/4 cup pearled barley 2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, diced (I leave skins on) 1 cup frozen petite peas Sauté the carrots, celery, onion, shallots and kielbasa in a few tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot. Add a dash of salt (about 1/2 tsp) and coo...

If you grow your own basil as I do, you know you need to regularly trim the plant to keep it bushy and  vibrant. That means you need to cook with basil a lot - too bad! Here's a great way to dispatch some of that fragrant basil. 4 bone-in chicken thighs 2 bone-in chicken breasts 1 pint hot and sweet pickled red cherry peppers, halved Pistachio Pesto 1/3 cup shelled, roasted pistachios 3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved 1 cup, packed, fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 1/2 tsp Kosher salt Pat chicken pieces dry on their skin side. Salt generously. Preheat oven to 375F. In a small food processor, prepare the pistachio pesto.   Pulse together the pistachios and the garlic until you have a coarse meal. Add the basil and pulse until the basil is incorporated. Add the oil, red pepper flakes and the salt and blend until well mixed. Heat a cast iron or other oven-going skillet. Add a good dash of olive oil and heat just until smoking. ...

I love cooking for our soul mate Nancy, who enjoys being cooked for! She raved when she and my brother came over for a summer BBQ recently and said about this recipe "This is a keeper!". So I'm keeping it; right here. 3 chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/2-inch thickness Marinade 1/4 cup olive oil Juice and zest of 1 lemon 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced 3 cloves garlic, finely minced 12 fresh basil leaves, julienned 2 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar 1 tsp kosher salt Freshly ground back pepper, to taste Fresh basil leaves to garnish Whisk together the marinade ingredients and submerge the chicken in it. Allow to marinate a good hour in the refrigerator, turning often. Heat grill to high. Grill breasts on high turning every 2-3 minutes. About halfway into cooking, I pour on the remaining marinade - this assures it gets cooked through, and generates a good bit of flame-up to brown the edges of the chicken nicely - so use caution with the flames! Cook only until t...

A chowder is always welcome as the season cools. There are as many varieties as time in eternity - here is one with corn and clams. I also add spinach and tomatoes, which are not typical, but I'm making it my own with what I have on hand - and my cherry tomatoes are producing still profusely! 3 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 3 stalks celery, diced 1 large carrot, diced 1 medium onion, diced 1 Yukon Gold potato, diced 1/2 inch 1/3 lb cooked ham, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried) 1/4 cup flour 1 quart chicken broth 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 can kernel corn, drained 5 oz fresh baby spinach leaves 1 15-oz can Snow’s minced clams, drained, broth reserved 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 1 cup heavy cream Melt the butter in the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the celery, carrot, onion, potato and ham and cook until the veggies soften and just begin to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook another 2-3 mi...