Leftover Roast Chicken

"Honey make sure you do something with the Blog-Worthy Roast Chicken in the fridge! Lot's of good meat still left on the bone. Don't let it go to waste!" Goodness gracious.. "OK, Dear!"
Such an easy thing really, picking the meat off the bone. Therapuetic actually. Pick, pick, nibble, nibble... Of course when my hubby gave me the little reminder this morning he didn't really have any suggestions of what to do with the meat. It isn't that I couldn't think of anything, but I wanted to make something other than chicken soup (a popular standby in our house). Actually, he did suggest Chicken Enchiladas. Yummm.... Still having made them many times before I wanted to switch things up a bit. So, I went off to Whole Foods and spied a jar of Frontera Red Chili & Roasted Garlic (with tomatillo and sweet onion) Mexican cooking sauce. I figured, I could get creative with this sauce, and it was a good price at 2 for $6.00 for a 12oz. jar. On the way home I stopped into Sanchez Market on Atwells Ave. here in Providence. They make wonderful corn tortillas fresh everyday and at $1.00 for 3 dozen a true bargain!!! Joy of joys, on this day they had made some blue-corn tortillas! Haven't had any since my last trip to New Mexico! I splurged on these :$1.50 for 3 dozen :) When I got home, I decided to make New Mexican style free-form Chicken Enchiladas. I invited my Mom over and the girls and I devoured our servings! We left some for Jim (lucky for him) who was late getting home. I am shocked there are leftovers! (The recipe is something i just put together, so you can be lax on the measurements.) Give this easy breezy recipe a try (sorry I didn't take a picture!):
New Mexican style Free-form Chicken Enchiladas
1 16oz (plus another half a jar) jar of Frontera Red Chili & Roasted Garlic cooking sauce
1 cup Half-N-Half
1 4oz. can of Diced and Peeled Mild Green Chilis
1 Cup Frozen Corn
1 Cup frozen sliced peppers (I used Trader Joe's Tri-Color pack)
1 Medium Onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
About 3-4 cups leftover cooked-Chicken cut or shredded
12oz. shredded Colby Jack cheese
12-16 corn tortillas
garnish with: shredded lettuce, sour cream, diced avocado and salsa.
Saute the onion in a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil.
Add frozen corn and peppers saute for about 5 minutes.
Add Chicken and one 16 oz. jar of sauce.
Add the half-n-half and cook till heated through, about 5-7 minutes on medium heat.
In the meantime, lightly spray a 13x9" pan with cooking oil.
Pour a ladle full of sauce to coat the bottom.
Cover with 6 corn tortillas (they will overlap a bit)I dip my corn tortillas in the sauce mixture to soften them up.
Add some more sauce and sprinle with cheese.
Repeat procedure for another layer or two as if you making lasagna.
The final layer should have remaining (half jar of sauce) and shredded cheese on top.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 for about 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Serve with rice and shredded lettuce.
ENJOY!
This is a relatively mild dish, so feel free to sprinkle on the hot sauce afterwards.

1st Annual Jen's Dish Event!

The first ever Jen's Dish event was held the Saturday before the Super Bowl :(, at Washington Hill Liquors in Lincoln, RI. The afternoon was made all the more festive by the addition of Mike Murray and his Saugy Hot Dog cart! Who can resist free Saugy Frankfurts? A big THANK YOU to Kent & Gregg for putting together a terrific list of Super Bowl pairings accompanied by special Super Bowl prices! Another big THANK YOU to Mary O'Brien of Saugy,Inc. for supplying the frankfurts and Mike Murray for bringing his cart along and making up some yummy dogs! Inside my Mom and I (thanks Mom!)gave out samples of False Alarm Chili. 5 Alarm was more like it! A hearty, vegetarian chili packed with heat!

When making the chili the night before, I was reading over the recipe and measuring out my herbs and spices. The recipe called for 1/3 cup of chili powder. Seeing as i was doubling the recipe, I scooped away! Well, you'd think i would take a dose of my advice and taste first before adding too much heat. But Noooo, I just plopped the second 1/3 cup in! Oh my goodness, have you ever stuck your nose in chili powder? No, probably not. Well, I couldn't breathe! I had to put on the ceiling fan to get the air circulating. I realized quickly that this was going to be way too much heat, so luckily I was able to scoop out some of the chili powder that was sitting at the top of the liquid, having not yet dissolved. Still, even after I did that it was almost inedible - except for the most daring of palates! Mmmm, 9pm what to do???? Call MOM!
My Mom suggested I split the chili in half, and add more tomatoes (28oz. can diced in juice) to each pot and let it sit overnight. The next morning, well, it still had heat but much more bearable! By the time we set up the table at Washington Hill, the chili had mellowed out nicely and was: PERFECT! Certainly woke up the hung over University students that came in to try it.
Here is the recipe I adapted from Martha Stewart
You will not miss the meat in this one!!
Five Alarm Chili (otherwise known as False Alarm chili!)
Ingredients
Serves 10.
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· 1 medium onion, chopped
· 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
· 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
· 1 large carrot, chopped medium
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 pound dried lentils, rinsed
· 1/3 cup tomato paste
· 1 (15-ounce) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
· 1 (15-ounce) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
· 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
· 2 Tablespoons (or more to taste) chili powder
· 4 teaspoons ground cumin
· 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, green and red peppers, carrot, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in 7 cups water, lentils, tomato paste, kidney beans, and pinto beans. Stir to blend, adding diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and crushed red-pepper flakes.
2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. If the chili starts to dry out, add hot water as needed. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Adapted from a MSL recipe.
Will certainly let you know when and where the next Jen's Dish event will be!

Jambalaya with Jarvis

On January 5th I had the privilege of cooking with and interviewing Jarvis Green, #97 Defensive Lineman for the New England Patriots! What a great experience that was. Jarvis is a kind, humble, talented athlete and generous individual. He also loves to cook! Jarvis is an entrepreneur at heart and will soon be opening up a restaurant in his home state of Louisiana and has spent some off season time learning the ropes from the terrific folks at Prime Steakhouse and The Oyster Bar in Providence's Federal Hill. At the time of the interview the Patriots were undefeated at 16-0, so with thoughts of The Super Bowl looming ahead, I thought we would cook up something yummy and easy to serve at any Super Bowl Party! Seeing as Jarvis is from the New Orleans area, I thought maybe a hearty one pot meal like Jambalaya would be perfect. I found an easy recipe on Martha Stewart's site and adapted it a bit.

Firehouse Jambalaya

Ingredients
Serves 8 to 10.
· 1 whole chicken, (3 to 4 pound), rinsed and patted dry
· 1/2 medium onion, plus 2 chopped medium onions
· 3 whole garlic clove, plus 3 minced garlic clove
· 1/4 cup coarse salt
· 1 28oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
· 1 tablespoon ground allspice
· 1 tablespoon dried thyme
· 1 teaspoon dried basil
· 1 teaspoon dried oregano
· 1 tablespoon hot sauce
· 1/4 cup vegetable oil
· 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
· 1 green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
· 1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
· 1 pound andouille sausage or kielbasa, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
· 2 cups long-grain white rice
· 1 pound medium shrimp, (about 30), peeled, deveined, and tails removed

Directions
1. In a large stockpot, combine chicken and enough cold water to just cover the chicken. Add 1/2 onion, 3 whole garlic cloves, and 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium, and cook for about 1 hour. Allow to cool. Remove chicken from pot; remove meat, discarding skin, and shred. Set aside. Strain broth, discarding solids. Set aside.
2. In a large Dutch-oven, combine 3 cups of the chicken broth, tomatoes, allspice, thyme, basil, oregano, and hot sauce over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.
3. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery, chopped onions, bell peppers, and minced garlic. Cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes; add to Dutch-oven.
4. In the same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over high heat; add sausage, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to Dutch-oven. Add shredded chicken, rice, and remaining 2 tablespoons salt; simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add shrimp, and simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand for a few minutes, and serve.
First published MSL September 2005

We paired the Jambalaya with a 2005 X Winery Syrahtica
An ample,but not overbearing red with hints of blackberry and plum and a bit of toasted oak.

Something almost as important to Jarvis as his family and football is his Foundation: "The mission of the Jarvis Green Foundation, a non-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, is to provide support to single working mothers in disadvantaged, low-income areas", especially those mothers affected by Hurricane Katrina.
You could win a lunch with Jarvis Green! enter to win tickets to his Fundraiser at Capital Grill on Feb. 11, 2008.

I want to thank some folks for making this interview & videos possible!
Eric Eisenberg
Wendy Hanson of The Sassy Ladies Coaching Group
Mike Ritz of The Genesis Center
Mike Degnan, Chef Emily and Mimi of Providence Prime
Michelle Girasole of Precision Web
Arty Goldstein and the gang at A Gold Production
and of Jarvis Green himself!
I hope you enjoy the videos! This will be the start of a new venture for "Jen's Dish" stay tuned.......

This Wednesday on "Jen's Dish" radio show

It’s a Pep Rally for the Patriots on “Jen’s Dish”!!!
Joining Jen this Wednesday Jan. 30th will be Mike Murray of Saugy’s Frankfurts, Derek Archambault, writer of the Blog: Hot-n-Saucy Wings, and don’t miss Jen’s interview and cooking segment with Jarvis Green, #97 / Defensive Lineman for the NE Patriots!

Jen’s Dish can be heard every Wednesday from 9am-10am on WNRI/1380am or you can listen live online: www.wnri.com
For more information please e-mail Jen: jensdish@cox.net

Snow Day!

I think I have formed my ideal Monday routine, Clean, Bake, Play & Cook...Yesterday was a Snow Day here in RI. Not that we were hit with an enormous amount of snow or anything. I think the City didn't want any school buses stuck in the snow for hours again (don't even get me started!).

The girls ended up staying in their PJ's all day (wouldn't that be nice?!). They played, read and watched TV while I cleaned a little and baked some really yummy Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies. Check out the recipe on the back of the Nestle Toll House White Chocolate Chip Bag. Watch out, they are slightly addictive and oh so chewy! In the fridge I had some Italian Sweet Sausages purchased the day before from Venda Ravioli. I was inspired by a recipe I saw in Jamie Oliver's book, "Jamie's Dinners". In olive oil I sauteed 3 chopped cloves of garlic and some dried oregano. I then added some Tomato puree I had just pulled from the freezer (fresh from my garden roasted, pureed and frozen this summer), sprinkled with a little Salt and pepper and warmed up. I put some of the warmed up sauce in a baking dish, added a 14 oz. can of (drained) cannellini beans, and added the sausage that i had cut up into chunks. Placed into my oven which was preheated to 45o and baked for 30 minutes. In the meantime, I made some polenta:

• 3 cups of milk
  
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup stone ground cornmeal (give Kenyon's a try)

1. Combine the milk, butter, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan and heat to simmer.
2. Slowly add cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Lower the heat and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture has thickened and leaves the sides of the pan, about 10 minutes.

Boy when the sausage mixture came out, the sauce was so sweet and the sausages were a perfect texture. I sliced them and put dollops of the mixture on top of the polenta and grated some Parmesan cheese to put on top. Jim and Emma loved it , but alas Zoe said, "Ewe, YUCKY" and pushed it away! Don't listen to a three year old. Give it a try, I know you will say YUMMM!

Blog-Worthy Roast Chicken

In the midst of all of this inevitable Holiday chaos, I yearn for comfort food. One of my favorites is Roast Chicken. Emma's Fourth grade teacher (last year), visits family in Greece every summer. When she got back back this Fall, she brought me Greek Oregano & Bay Leaves from her Mother's garden & a beautiful wooden Mortar & Pestle (which I look forward to christening as soon as the kitchen renovation is complete!). Along with the oregano came a recipe for her famous Roast Chicken. I thought I would share it with you. Be forewarned: if there is any leftover, you will find yourself tearing off bite-size pieces and dipping them into the juice! Yummmmmm....................

Holly's Greek Chicken
Wash and dry a whole chicken. Place it in a baking pan and generously lather it with olive oil. completely cover the chicken with oregano. Mix half a cup of water, half a cup of olive oil and the juice of two fresh lemons. Pour the mixture around the chicken in the baking pan. You may add peeled and quartered potatoes around the chicken for a real treat. Bake at 425 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours or until the juices from the thigh run clear!
NOTE: I served my chicken this evening with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes I made with local potatoes purchased from the Winter Farmers Market in downtown Providence.
ENJOY!!!

How 'bout them Apples?

A few weeks ago, I purchased a bushel of apples at a Farm that was closing for the season that week. We ate some of the Apples, but seeing as most of them were a bit blemished, I decided the rest were going to be "saved" for cooking. Well, they sat and sat, till one day My husband said, "Honey you need to do something with those apples, they are getting mushy!!!" "I know I know, don't worry I'll be using them soon...." I was keeping them in a bag at the top of the cellar stairs where it was nice and chilly. Figuring of course that they would, oh I don't know, keep through the winter?! The smell was just too much. Jim and Zoe picked a bunch out and pulled out the Apple- Peeler-Corer-Slicer I had purchased last year (and hadn't even used yet!). While Emma and I were at rehearsal for the play we are in together, they baked a yummy apple pie! Jim said Zoe went to town with the contraption. Peeling and coring those apples in 5 minutes. Truth be told I had avoided the Apple Peeler-Corer-Slicer. I am just not that technically inclined. Oh I love appliances like my Kitchen-aid Mixer, but sometimes I would just as soon peel and core things like apples by hand!
Even after they baked the pie, I still had a ton of apples left, and I did NOT want them going bad! I made a pie to take to NH for Thanksgiving, but peeled and cored the apples by hand!
"Honey, just use it, it will take 5 minutes! Heck, even a 3 year old can do it!"
So,,, today Zoe and I put on our aprons and got busy. I set up the Apple Peeler-Corer-Slicer, and put Zoe to work! You should have seen her, grunting as she cranked the handle round and round. I'll be darn, it WAS easy. I plopped the Apple slices (about15 apples in all) in a big pot, added 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, dash of cinnamon and 1 cup of water. There you have it, easy yummy Applesauce!

DYNAMITES!

The beauty of having a radio show all about Food is, the food! Sometimes it's guests bringing breakfast, like Maria from El Rancho Grande in Providence. Last Wednesday she brought me the most amazing Tamales! Perfect with my morning cup of coffee. Other perks of the job? Getting to judge, emcee and attend Cook-Offs & Galas! This Fall has proven to be especially busy! I used to think I couldn't wait to start judging cook-offs, but it is so hard!

At the Dynamite (a spicy Sloppy Joe) Cook-Off held recently in Woonsocket, RI, there were 50 competitors vying for the top prize of King or Queen of the Dynamite. Luckily, I was an emcee and didn't have to try and judge 50 different Dynamite Sandwiches. It was great fun getting to know the contestants and hearing their stories about the origins of their secret Dynamite recipes that have been passed down through the generations. The youngest competitor was just 4 years old. The oldest was 83!
Third place winners were Lynne Leroux And Michelle Marcotte of The Friendly Home, Second Place was GiGi Therien. Michelle Shiavo took top honors, winning Queen of the Dynamite! She got to ride in the coolest car in the Autumnfest Parade held this past Columbus Day. Her winning recipe will be mass-produced and sold on supermarket shelves, with Michelle being credited by name on every label! The proceeds from the sale of what will be called "Dynamite Sauce" will serve as a permanent fundraiser for the nonprofit Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. For more pictures and information about the cook-off and the history of Dynamites, go to www.tourblackstone.com and click on Dynamite Highlights.

Judging the event were: State Sen. Marc Cote of Woonsocket; GianCarlo Iannuccilli, of GianCarlo’s Ristorante in Woonsocket; Larry Lovejoy, of Vintage restaurant in Woonsocket; local entertainer Noel Pincince; Ron St. Pierre, host of WPRO radio talk show; Sue Tessier-McKenzie, of The Call in Woonsocket; and Tom Ward, publisher of The Valley Breeze.

Sponsors besides the tourism council were: Narragansett Beer, Northern Rhode Island Council for the Arts, Jen’s Dish, Calise Bakery, Li’l General Stores, The Woonsocket Call, City of Woonsocket, Lions Club of Woonsocket, Government of Canada, Blackstone River Valley National Corridor Commission.

Organizing your Kitchen!

Ever try to produce a favorite recipe, only to find halfway thru you didn’t have the next ingredient on the list? Or perhaps you thought you did have the ingredient, but items in your fridge were jam-packed and pantry staples were hidden behind big boxes of cereal, so you ended up repurchasing the ingredients? That happened to me recently while attempting to make skillet lasagna! I decided to: Become more organized in the kitchen! So to start, I enlisted the help of a professional: Kathleen Madden of “Get Organized, LLC”.

We started off with the Pantry:

1.1.) Create a Space

2.) Purge: We pulled everything out of the Pantry. Gave it a fresh coat of paint, and threw away any expired items. I then donated canned & dry goods I knew I wasn’t going to consume.

3.) Reinstall: Kathleen went to The Container Store and purchased bins, shelving, liners & the like, to see which items would best maximize the space. Kathleen recommends purchasing more than you think you are going to need. You can always return what you don’t use. If you stick with the same brands the bins and what not will nestle together and stack easier. Plus, it looks neater and more streamlined. After spending an hour or so with various configurations, we settled on the following:

· Clear plastic shoe bins: used to gather snacks, pastas, beans & sauce packets.

· Large plastic bin: used to corralle extra juice, soda water & paper towels on the bottom of the pantry.

· Expand-A-Shelf: terrific for organizing your canned goods! It has an expanding tiered design, which elevates contents exposing items and labels.

· Stackable shelving: to maximize space towards the ceiling.

· Three-drawer organizer: for breads & baking ingredients.

Some excellent tips when reinstalling: clean & wipe down items before putting them back. Group like items together (i.e.; spices, canned goods, snacks). Have what you access the most, where you can reach it the easiest. Kathleen says, “The pantry system should be family friendly & SIMPLE. If you don’t make the system simple, it won’t be maintained.”

After Kathleen left I was inspired to tackle the Fridge & Freezer!

When organizing your refrigerator & freezer, apply the same organizational steps that you used with your pantry:

· Purge & clean! Throw any “science experiments” or items you can’t identify. If you aren’t sure when you first stored that leftover “Chicken ala King”, it’s probably best to throw it away!

· Wipe down all of the shelves and wash the fruit and vegetable drawers with hot soapy water.

· Purchase a refrigerator thermometer (available for about $2) & place in the middle of the unit. The temperature should be around 38 degrees and never over 40 degrees. Check it at least once a week.

· Don’t cram items in your freezer and fridge. Make sure there are spaces between products.

· Label your leftovers so you know how long to keep them before tossing.

· Don’t keep perishable foods on the door shelves. That is the warmest area of your fridge. The shelves are designed for dressings & condiments.

· Keep eggs in their original container on the main shelf.

· Use clips and zip lock bags to keep items like frozen vegetables sealed and fresh.

· Use a Sharpie to label frozen items so they will be easy to identify.

Now that I have an organized & clean freezer, refrigerator & pantry, I am a happy, inspired and stress-free cook!

Kathleen & I did consult with the folks at Closet & Storage Concepts in Franklin, MA. After taking measurements they came up with a plan that includes the installation of all new adjustable shelves. The cost starts with a base price and goes up depending on any components you might want to add on. You certainly could spend thousands for a custom-made deluxe pantry. Perhaps the next house!

To have a professional organizer such as Kathleen, come to your house: preview, assess, shop and install an organized pantry, can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands. Depending on the size and scope of the project.

Kathleen is a member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers). To find a member near you or for more information, go to:

www.napo.net

Many thanks to my sources: Closet & Storage Concepts

(508) 553-3550

1-800-THE-CLOSET

http://www.closetandstorageconcepts.com/

Get Organized, LLC

Kathleen Madden

(508) 528-6158

GetOrganzd@aol.com

Happy Organizing!

March 7th's show

Pictured at left is my guest from March 7th, Sanjiv Dhar, the owner and Executive Chef of Rasoi. A terrific new restaurant in Pawtucket, RI. Rasoi, Hindi for kitchen is the fruition of a dream by Chef Sanjiv Dhar and his team to balance healthy food, personalized service and Indian culture. The menu is traditional and creative and features diverse regions of India.
For example:
Rasoi features coastal cuisine of India where boiling and steaming are preferred to frying and where people can specify just how spicy their meals are to be.
In the west of India, fish is considered to be an essential component of every meal so get ready for plenty of seafood choices you have probably never tried before.
In nearby Gujrat, most of the population is Vegetarian so dishes are simpler, healthier and nutritional, accompanied by a range of breads.
In Northern India meat is popular and the Kashmiri and Punjabi cuisine features hearty and wholesome meat dishes.
He brought a trio of dishes for me to try; Chicken Tikka Lababdar, which my 9 year old devoured and now asks for every night! Lamb Saag, cubes of lamb cooked in a Punjabi style spinach puree (smooth and heavenly), and Gujarati Mango Curry, fresh vegetables stewed in a mango curry infused with jaggery and gujarati garam masala, a delicious combination of sweet and spicy! All were served with a light basmati rice.
If you would like to know more about Indian Cuisine and you live in the Rhode Island area, you can take a cooking class at Rasoi! The next class will be held on March 31st and will feature regional cuisines of the Northern and Southern parts of India. If I have wetted your appetite for Indian Food and you would like more information about Rasoi, check out their website:
www.rasoi-restaurant.com

Last week's Encore Awards were so much fun! I got to meet some folks I have always wanted to, and say hi to some friends and former guests. The food was fabulous as was the entertainment.


Tina Wright of Wright Martini Media








Heather and Tom Toupin of White Electric Coffee in Providence.
Terrific Coffee!!!!!!







Gail Hulbert, Marketing Director, Gamm Theatre and Jan Faust, writer of eat. shop. rhode island.

Maria Evans, Executive Sous Chef, Castle Hill Inn & Resort, Newport.
She made some amazing scallops!










Joe Hafner, Executive Chef, GRACIE'S, Providence.


Looking forward to tomorrow's show. Sanjiv Dhar, Executive Chef & Owner of Rasoi Restaurant in Pawtucket, RI will be my guest. We will learn all about Indian Cuisine & how varied it can be. I'll be sipping some hot chai and hoping for a yummy samosa to eat!

Encore Awards

On Thursday March 1, 2007, a newly refurbished factory space in Olneyville sang with a fusion of art, music, food and dance as The Arts and Business Council of RI presented the 17th annual Encore Awards. 10 area chefs from celebrated restaurants around the state, prepared special menus for the night in original spaces created by different area designers using elements as diverse as neon, paintings and floral displays.







Special Guest Ruth Reichl, Editor-in-Chief, Gourmet Magazine








Arts and Business Council of Rhode Island Executive Director Peter Bramante and Jessica Wall










Chocolatier Extraordinaire, Andrew Schotts, of Garrison Confections










Matt Foley, Sous-Chef, Citron, making delightful hand-rolled Purple Peruvian Potato Gnocchi.









Brian Counihan, Executive Chef, Vintage Restaurant, Woonsocket

Holiday Foodie Frenzy

Hi All!
I am up to my elbows in flour, baking up a storm. Found three new cookie recipes I think are so easy. I will give them a try first and then let you know. Here are those recipes from recent "Jen's Dish" episodes I have promised!
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds (from Cook's Illustrated online)

1 cup raw green pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1.) Preheat oven to 350d. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin seeds, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and lime juice; toss to coat.
2.) Spread on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until puffed and browned, about 10 minutes

Blizzard Drink (from Cherie Fisher/Diabetes Foundation of Rhode Island)

Fresca - up to 8oz.
Grapefruit Vodka - 1oz.
less than 5 Carbs!!!!

It was so much fun last week to talk with Ellen Hollander, my good friend Lauren's Mom. She shared some of her Latke making secrets with me. For a good, easy recipe, check out the NY Times online from the Weds. Food edition from Dec. 6th!

Tomorrow (Weds. Dec. 20) my guest will be Gian Carlo Iannucilli, owner of Gian Carlo's Ristorante in Woonsocket, RI. We will be talking about the Italian Christmas Eve tradition of Feast of the Seven Fishes!
Happy Baking!

Edible Holiday Gifts

Hi!I really need to update my blog more frequently! Just takes a bit of getting used to. Thanks so much for the comments. Keep them coming! :)
Looking forward to tomorrow's show. My guest will be Licette Comanzo Walker of Comanzo Biscotti. Delicious & beautifully packaged cookies ready to dunk in your morning cup of joe! Her biscotti are served at Harpo Studios to all of the guests and employees!!!! Looking forward to making some edible gifts this week. I really enjoy making chutney & spiced nuts. Cookies & truffles are easy & fun as well.
I'll be giving some great foodie gift ideas tomorrow, so try to listen in! I will also be heading up to Whole Foods Bellingham tomorrow evening (weds. dec. 6), for a Holiday themed ladie's night out! Looking forward to promoting the show & helping folks pick out some great gifts. Well, i must go now, I have to write two more ads for the show. Until next next time,
Buy Local, Eat Fresh!
Jen

Welcome to "Jen's Dish"

Hi Welcome to my blog! (Wow, was this easy....)

This will accompany my weekly radio show, "Jen's Dish", which airs live every Wednesday at 9am until 10am (EST) on WNRI 1380am or find me live at www.wnri.com.

"Jen's Dish" is an hour long live radio show all about FOOD. I talk about shopping, cooking & eating. During the hour, You'll come with me on "Foodie Field trips", you'll meet with "Special Guests", You'll learn about the latest kitchen gadgets in my "Counter Space" segment and more. You can even call in and talk to us live!

I hope you get a chance to listen in. Check here for weekly recipes, upcoming topics, special guests and much, much more.

Please use this blog to send me your comments and suggestions! I would love to hear from you!

In the meantime, buy local, cook fresh, eat well!
Jen Huntley-Corbin