Gluten Free & Dairy Free One Pan Rosemary Chicken

Recipe/  One Pan Rosemary Chicken
Dietary Consideration/ Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Low Fat, Low Calorie (and tasty!)
Nutrition Facts/ Per serving: Calories 380, Fat 23 g, Carbohydrate 19 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 32 g

This is the perfect "one pan" dish. Whether you are in a rush or not, this skillet chicken looks elegant and tastes delicious. But most importantly, it is a healthy and well rounded meal. I made it for 2 people so I chopped up the left over chicken and added a bit of mustard for a "leftover chicken salad sandwich" the next day. HIGHLY recommended! I don't know about you, but I'm making it again tonight!

One Pan Rosemary Chicken
Serves 4

3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
Kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons leaves
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 8pc cut up chicken, skinned (or not... whichever you prefer)
10 ounces mushrooms, halved

Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board
(see picture above), then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet, place chicken over mushrooms and potatoes and drizzle with any marinade remaining in the bowl and the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

Who Says Cheeseless Pizza Isn't Good!?

Anyone who knows me... (or pays attention - my Dad never remembers!) knows that I am allergic to dairy, which would explain all of the dietary restrictions that I cater to*. So I cover my pizzas with veggies, herbs and eggs, and with the right combo I don't even miss the cheese. I had some friends over the other day in the midst of my bread phase so I made a herb and olive oil filled whole wheat pizza dough (see below for the recipe), then covered it with Greek marinated olives, roasted red peppers, garlic, salt, pepper and 2 farm fresh eggs. Now I know a lot of you cringe at the thought of an egg on a pizza but until you try it you cannot say anything because it happens to be phenomenal! Truthfully, ANYTHING with a runny egg on it is fantastic! All the cool kids are doing it! If you would like to try it and some other great pizzas without the hassle of making them, try OTTO Pizzeria in NYC. The Mario Batalli hot spot on 8th street between 5th ave and University Place has some great pizza and pasta selections... covered with runny yolks :D One of my favorites - Enjoy!

*If you are curious about the allergy, I wasn't always allergic to dairy actually! I lived in Florence for 4 months and while I was there I ate my lifetime supply of dairy products! So much so that I gained a solid 60lbs. Anywhoo... when I returned to Boston and took off the stretchy pants I wore for the past 4 months- I realized that NOTHING ELSE FIT ME! I immediately went on a diet and cut out meats and high fat dairy. I lost the weight pretty fast but when I tried to go back to dairy my body completely rejected it... and here I am today LOVING CHEESE-LESS PIZZA! But truth be told I have eaten my fair share of dairy for a lifetime... AND THEN SOME!

No-Knead Pizza Dough
Adapted from Jim Lahey, BREAD
Makes four 12-inch pizza crusts

Ingredients/
1.5 cups bread flour, more for dusting
1.5 cups whole wheat  flour
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1½ cups water
3 tablespoons of mixed herbs (fresh or dried)

Directions/
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the yeast and salt. Add the water and stir until blended (the dough will be very sticky). Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest for 12 to 24 hours in a warm spot, about 70°.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and lightly sprinkle the top with flour and semolina. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice, cover loosely with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Generously sprinkle a clean cotton towel with flour and cover the dough balls with it. Let the dough rise for 2 hours.
Stretch or toss the dough into the desired shape, cover with toppings and bake on top of a very hot pizza stone. (450˚F for 12-15 minutes) NOTE: if using eggs, add them halfway through cooking so they stay runny)

A Napkin Ring... THAT YOU CAN EAT!

So I posted a few of my family's Thanksgiving photos on Facebook earlier this week and I got several questions about the napkin rings that I used for my table setting... They are in fact edible and quite simple to boot! I was a bit brave and made some pizza dough but you can go the much simpler route and buy a bag of pizza dough at any grocery store. Cut the dough ball into 12 equal balls and roll out strands. Pinch together the ends of the strands and bake for 15 minutes at 400˚F or until golden brown. You can even doll em up with some cinnamon and sugar for a dessert party! Just make sure that the hole you create is big enough for the napkin to slide through we cooled. These can be made up to a day ahead and kept in a ziplock or an air tight bag. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!! Click here for Questions!

I Don't Want to TACO About it...

Sorry for the lack of posts the past few weeks but we we sent on a culinary adventure to Baja. WOW was it amazing! Check out our other blog to read about of travels through Baja's wine country and all the amazing food we ate! CLICK HERE