COOK OUT LOUD

Lavender Rosemary Roasted Chicken with White Wine Au Jus

Whole Chicken serves 4-6 people
You'll Need: 1 Whole organic Free Range chicken (thawed) about 6 pounds*, herb butter (see recipe below), 1 inch piece of ginger (peeled, left whole), 4 cloves garlic (peeled, left whole), 5 sprigs fresh rosemary (left on stems), 1 organic lemon (quartered), kosher salt and black pepper, White Wine Au Jus (see recipe below)

Herb Butter Ingredients: 2 Tbsp French organic dried edible lavender, 4 oz unsalted butter (room temperature), zest of 1 organic lemon, 1/2" piece of fresh ginger (peeled and grated or zested), 2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced), 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary (finely chopped), 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper (freshly grated), pinch nutmeg (freshly grated)

White Wine Au Jus Ingredients: 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp orange marmalade, 2 oz of reserved chicken juices (fat skimmed off and removed), zest of 1/2 organic lemon, 1/4 cup white wine, 1/4 cup beef stock, and more salt and pepper to taste.

3 Year Old, Chef Izabella, helped me make these. She inspired some of the creative ingredients, like pecans, golden raisins and nutmeg. The flavors caramelize nicely together in the bottom of the mini muffin tins. They are delicious! Izabella's Cooking Tip: Tenderize your ground meat before mixing it in with the other ingredients, for a more tender, moist meatloaf.

Makes 4 Entrees
Or, makes 20 small sliced hors d'oeuvres

Mix Ingredients Together

Meatloaf, You'll Need: olive oil spray, 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs, 1/2 cup pecans chopped, 1/2 cup golden raisins, 3/4 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated), 1 large egg (whisked), 1 medium red or yellow potato (peeled and cut into small cubes), 2 Tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature), 1/2 cup fresh chives (chopped), pinch nutmeg, pinch kosher salt, pinch black pepper, 1.25 lb ground chicken or ground turkey
Sauce, You'll Need: 1/4 cup spicy mustard (or plain yellow mustard), 1/4 cup sweet barbecue sauce
Garnish with 8 whole chives (use 2 whole chives per mini meat loaf)

Galettes on a Platter with Cranberry Sauce and Olives

Serves 4
You'll Need: 3 cups dinner rolls (torn into 1/2" pieces; about 3 medium rolls), 3/4 cup warm water (or warm stock or broth), 1/2 cup left over turkey or ham (diced), 1/2 cup left over stuffing (chopped), 1/2 cup left over mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup left over corn casserole, 1/2 cup left over steamed carrots (diced; use any left over vegetable you have), 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded), 1/2 tsp fresh thyme (chopped; optional), 1 Tbsp melted butter, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 eggs (lightly beaten), pinch kosher salt, pinch freshly grated black pepper, 2-3 Tbsp vegetable oil
Garnish Options: A handful of greens (with a splash of olive oil and vinegar or fresh lemon juice), a handful of left over olives, and left over cranberry sauce

I had a wonderful experience yesterday, making homemade pasta with friends. We made "spaghetti", "ravioli", "rotini", and "ziti" with a homemade ricotta and spinach sauce with...

Banana Scones

Serves 8

The Cook Out Loud Kitchen

For the Scones You'll Need: 2.5 cups flour, 2 Tbsp white sugar, 4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, pinch cinnamon, 1/3 cup unsalted butter (cold, cut into pieces), 2 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted on stove for nuttiness or microwaved), 2 eggs (beaten), 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 3/4 cup whole milk, 2 medium fresh bananas chopped, 1/2 cup honey roasted nuts (chopped), zest of 1 orange, 1 egg + 1 Tbsp water (whisked for egg wash on tops of scones), 1/4 to 1/2 cup additional sugar for tops of scones (on top of egg wash)

Mini Lasagna and Spaghetti Cups

Makes 24 cupcake shaped lasagna and spaghetti cups. These are fun and easy to make - and everyone in the family seems to gobble them up!

You'll Need: 1 pound thin spaghetti cooked al dente (dried pasta added to boiling and salted water and cooked for about 6 minutes; strained, not rinsed, set aside), 1 to 2 Tbsp butter or olive oil, 16 oz container ricotta cheese, 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black or white pepper, 1 egg (whisked with a fork), 2 cups red pasta sauce, 2 cups white pasta sauce, 1 cup mozzarella (shredded), 1 cup parmesan cheese (shredded), 1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped)

How to Prepare: Once the pasta is removed from the boiling water, throw it in a bowl with the butter or olive oil and toss. Set aside. In a separate bowl whisk together the ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and egg. Set aside.