Carrot Cake Pancakes

Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used a smidge less)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional, I skipped them)
2 tablespoons golden raisins (optional, ditto)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated carrots (from about a 3/4 pound bundle whole carrots)
3 tablespoons butter, for griddle

Cream cheese topping
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Dash of ground cinnamon

Place a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat to 200°F. This will keep the pancakes warmed as they’re fried in batches.

To make the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and, if using, nuts and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in carrots. Stir carrot mixture into dry ingredients, stirring until just Incorporated. Let rest for five minutes while you make the cream cheese topping.

To make the cream cheese topping: In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy and lump-free. Whisk in powdered sugar, two tablespoons milk, vanilla and cinnamon. If you’d like the mixture thinner, add the remaining tablespoon of milk (I did not).

Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a cast-iron skillet or griddle pan. Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into the hot pan per pancake (to me, this seemed like too little but after experimenting with larger pancakes, I advise you to listen to Joy; It’s a wiggly batter and much easier to and cook in small puddles), flipping once, until pancakes are golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer finished pancakes to a serving dish or tray in the oven, to keep warm while you repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more butter as needed.

Serve warm with cream cheese topping.

Smitten Kitchen

Cranberry and Lime Muffins

7 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1 lime
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar for topping

Put a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pan with paper or foil liners

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep an eye on the butter. Melt and cook down the butter until little brown bits appear in the pan. The crackling will subside and butter will begin to brown fairly quickly after that. Keep a close eye. Remove from heat.

Whisk milk, egg, yolk, vanilla and lime zest until combined. Add the brown butter and whisk to combine.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl Add milk and butter mixture all at one and stir gently to combine. Gently but thoroughly fold in the cranberries.

Divide the batter among muffin cups and spread evenly.

Generously sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes then remove from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Joy the Baker

Chicken and Chorizo

1 whole, bone in chicken breast with skin (about 1 1/2 lbs), thighs can be substituted
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbs veggie oil
1 lb Chorizo sausage, sliced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, diced
1/4 cup flour
2 Tbs tomato paste
4 cups chicken broth
1 15 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 cup long grain rice
Tabasco sauce, for serving

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

In a heavy pot, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, 4 minutes; turn over and cook until browned on the second side, 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and discard the skin.

In the same pan, brown the sausages over moderately high heat, 4 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the chicken.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot. Add the celery, bell pepper and onion and cook over moderate heat until lightly browned, 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the flour and the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the flour smells nutty, about 3 minutes.
Add the broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and sausages to the pot. Cover and simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. (Your meat thermometer should read at least 165 degrees F.)

Transfer the chicken and sausages to a cutting board. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Slice the sausages into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Return both to the pot, and stir in the scallions and rice. Simmer until heated through, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and serve with Tabasco

Adapted from Ezra Poundcake

Zucchini Bread Pancakes

2 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons light brown, dark brown or granulated sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk or 2 tablespoons each of milk and plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini (from about 9 ounces whole, or 1 1/2 medium zucchini), heaping cups are fine
1 cup all-purpose flour (half can seamlessly be swapped with a whole wheat flour)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg

Butter or oil, for coating skillet

In a large bowl, combine eggs, olive oil, sugar, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Stir in zucchini shreds. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini batter, mixing until just combined.

Preheat oven to 200°F and place a tray — foil-lined if you’re into doing fewer dishes later — on a middle rack.

Heat a large, heavy skillet (my favorite for pancakes is a cast-iron) over medium heat. Once hot, melt a pat of butter in pan and swirl it around until it sizzles. Scoop scant 1/4-cup dollops of batter (mine were about 3 tablespoons each) in pan so the puddles do not touch. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook another minute or two, until golden underneath. Transfer pancakes to prepared pan to keep warm as well as ensure that they’re all cooked through when they’re served. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm. Repeat next weekend.

Smitten Kitchen

Sweet Potato Garlic Knots

•  1 cup Warm Water
• 1 envelope (7g Envelope) Active Dry Yeast
• 2 Tablespoons Honey Or Agave Nectar
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil,, Plus More To Oil The Bowl
• ½ cups Sweet Potato Puree (fresh Or Canned)
• 3-½ cups Unbleached Bread Flour
• 1-½ teaspoon Coarse Kosher Salt
• Minced Garlic And Olive Oil, To Brush On Baked Knots

Note: To make sweet potato puree, wash and peel sweet potato and cut into 1-inch squares. Place in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 20-25 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and drain into a colander and return to the pot. Mash and allow them to sit while you prepare your other ingredients.  I would try puree that had been roasted.

1. Pour warm water into a medium bowl and slowly whisk in yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes, then add honey, olive oil and mashed sweet potato. Whisk until thoroughly combined and smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt. Slowly stir in wet ingredients and continue to stir until it becomes impossible to stir more. Then use your hands to continue mixing and slowly start kneading your dough, adding more flour to your hands to keep it from sticking.
3. Once you’ve created your dough ball, add olive oil to the bottom of your bowl and roll the dough ball in it until it is coated. Cover with Saran wrap or a damp towel and store in a dry place (I use my microwave) for two hours.
4. Around the last 15-minute mark, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Divide your dough into pieces you can easily hold in your fist and roll them into long strips around 8 or 9-inches long. Don’t worry if they’re skinny, they’ll still get fat when they bake. Tie each into a knot, tuck the edges under each side, then place each on the pizza stone.
5. Bake until golden, around 10-15 minutes. Brush with minced garlic and olive oil immediately after removing from oven. Allow to cool 3-5 minutes.

Mom's Bran Muffins - taste of childhood

1 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup oil 2 eggs 2 cups Buttermilk 2 1/2 cup flour 2 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup boiling water (sometimes it takes a little more water to soften them) 2 cups Kellogs All-Bran (bran flakes) 1/2 cup Nabisco All-Bran (these should be bran sticks) 1 cup raisins (optional for you!) Pour boiling water over bran and raisins, set aside Blend together sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, flour, salt and soda. Add bran to sugar, flour mixture Pour into greased muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes. Wet mixture may be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks, and they are better when you eat them freshly made.

M&S Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1 tbs at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

All Recipes

Nigella's Tarragon Chicken

2 Tsp garlic oil
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
2 chicken breasts
80 ml white wine
!/2 tsp sea salt
60 ml double cream
Pepper
Fresh tarragon

Hear garlic oil in smallish pan and add the tarragon, cook for 1 minute. Put the chicken in the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the breasts over and add the wine. Let the wine come to a boil and add the salt. Turn down temperature, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Check the chicken is cooked through.

Remove breasts from pan. Bring liquid to a boil and add cream. Add some pepper and sprinkle with fresh tarragon.

Carnitas

1 3 1/2 - 4 lb pork butt (pork shoulder), cut into 2 inch cubes*
Table salt and black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 small onion
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp juice from 1 lime
2 cups water
1 medium orange, halved

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine pork, 1tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, cumin, onion, bay leaves, oregano, lime juice and water in large Dutch oven (liquid should barely cover the meat). Juice orange into bowl and remove seeds (I did this right into pot), add juice and spend orange halves. I also used 2 oranges as they were small ones. Bring to simmer on stove top, stirring occasionally. Cover pot and transfer to oven; cook until meat is soft and falls apart when prodded with fork 2-2 1/2 hrs. Flip meat once during this time.

Remove pot from oven and use slotted spoon to removed all meat from liquid, placing in a bowl or on a plate for use later. Remove the onion, orange halves, bay leaves and gross of fat chunks (keep fat liquid) still in liquid. Simmer clean liquid until it is reduce to the point where a spatula leaves a wide clean spot when pulled through. This took me about 20 minute of boiling. About 1 cup of reduced liquid.

Pull the pork apart and return to reduced liquid to coat. Then transfer meat to cookie sheet or broiler pan and place under broiler for 5-8 minutes or until the meat is brown and crispy on one side. Rex would have liked me to have flipped the meat to get it brown on another side but it was pretty good as it was.

* the meat should have about 1/8 of an inch of fat on it, otherwise it will be too lean. you want it nicely marbled.

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Amazing Sweet Potatoes

5 sweet potatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Bake sweet potatoes 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they begin to soften. Cool slightly, peel, and mash.

In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, egg, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of course meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.

Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until topping is crisp and lightly browned.

Wild Mushroom Spaghetti

9 to 11 ounces (250 to 300 grams) wild mixed mushrooms (I would probably buy around 14 ounces (400 grams) mushrooms, as you have to trim a bit off)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 to 2 small dried red chiles, pounded or very finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 pound (455 grams) dried spaghetti
A small handful grated Parmesan
1 handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
2 ounces (55 grams) unsalted butter

Brush off any dirt from the mushrooms with a pastry brush or a tea towel. Slice the mushrooms thinly, but tear any larger mushrooms, like girolles, chanterelles. and blewits in half. Put the olive oil in a very hot frying pan, and add the mushrooms. Let them fry fast, tossing once or twice, then add the garlic and chile with a pinch of salt (it is very important to season mushrooms slightly, as it really brings out the flavor). Continue to fry fast for 4 to 5 minutes, tossing regularly. Then turn the heat off and squeeze in the lemon juice. Toss and season, to taste.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and add to the mushrooms, with the Parmesan, parsley, and butter. Toss gently, coating the pasta with the mushrooms and their flavor. Serve, scraping out all of the last bits of mushroom from the pan, and sprinkle with a little extra parsley and Parmesan.

Jamie Oliver

Rex's Fish Cakes

1 large fillet fish (we used cod)
1 large pre-cooked potato
3 Tbs mayo
1 egg
1 Tbs fresh herbs
salt
pepper
Bread crumbs(from 2 slices of bread)
2 tbs Veggie oil

Boil fish for approximately 10 minutes. Leave to cool for about 30 minutes or until you can handle the fish comfortably. Remove bones and skin from fish while flaking into a large mixing bowl.

Roughly smash the potatoes (if they aren't already) and mix into flaked fish. Add mayonnaise and egg and mix to combine. Incorporate the herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper into fish mixture.

Form into about 4-5 patties and dredge in bread crumbs. Heat oil in pan to a medium heat. Place fish patties in oil and brown on both sides. All ingredients are previously cooked, so you don't need to worry about cooking through, just browning.

* This is something Rex made up as he went along, so remember measurements weren't taken and these are only guesses. Adjust accordingly

** We used dill, thyme, and marjoram. Would like to use more dill next time but we both love it. We only used both marjoram and thyme cuz we can't tell the plants apart.

Jam Roly Poly

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
Pinch of salt
75g/3 oz shredded suet or vegetable shortening
Zest of one lemon
6 tbs jam (raspberry was great)
Cold water

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment.

Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl. Stir in suet and lemon zest. Mix with cold water, a little at a time, until you can gather the mixture into a soft ball with your fingers. Knead on a lightly floured board until smooth and pliable.

Gently roll pastry into a rectangle that is approx 8 x 12 inches. Spread jam evenly over the pastry, leaving 3/4 in boundary.

Brush the pastry edges with a little water and roll up the pastry. Take care not to squeeze out the jam. Place roll, seam side down, on the baking sheet. Cook for 30-40 minutes until risen, golden and cooked through. Leave roll to cool for a few minutes. Cut into thick slices and server with cream, custard, ice cream or whipped cream.

AMAZING!!

Chicken Piccata

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Additional all purpose flour


2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup drained capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Place chicken between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Using meat pounder or rolling pin, lightly pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Mix 1 tablespoon butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons flour in small bowl until smooth. Place additional flour in shallow baking dish. Dip chicken into flour to coat; shake off excess.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in each of 2 heavy large skillets. Add 2 chicken breasts to each skillet and cook until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter; tent with foil to keep warm.

Bring wine, lemon juice and broth to boil in 1 skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in butter-flour mixture and boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in capers, parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Gourmet

Open-Face Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 chicken cutlets (1 pound total; about 1/4 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 spinach leaves, trimmed
4 thin slices boiled ham (2 ounces)
3 ounces Gruyère, coarsely grated (1 cup)


Preheat broiler. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat butter in a flameproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides.

Sauté chicken in butter, without turning, until cooked through and undersides are golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and turn chicken over, then top each cutlet with 2 spinach leaves, 1 slice ham (folding it to fit), and 1/4 cup cheese.

Broil 3 inches from heat until cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake

Combine in a mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt:
2 sticks butter
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa. Stir together.
Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk.
Add:
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan (9x13 glass baking dish) and bake at 350-degrees for 20 (35 minutes, then start checking, mine took a lot longer than the original 20 minutes I had planned on).

While cake is baking, make icing:
Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely. (I left these out)
Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add:
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Stir together.
Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Barefoot Chicken with 40 Cloves

3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
2 (3 1/2-pound) chickens, cut into eighths
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons heavy cream


Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

**I cut the amount of chicken in half and kept the sauce as directed for 2 people. Rex likes sauce

Spaghetti with Meatballs

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion) ***I used ~2 tbs of onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or marinara sauce
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 Tbs dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
*** I would add whatever seasonings or veggies you like, probably not mushrooms

Place the ground meats, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch (I used less). Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a tongs. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don’t crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard all but 1 Tbs of the oil but don’t clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

This says it would serve 6, I would say more like 8. (I cut the recipe in half and had 9 or 10 meatballs, big ones.)

Chicken and Sausage

1 large onion
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp English mustard
1 tbs dried sage
1 lemon
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 Kg chicken cut into 10 pieces (or 10 thighs)
12 sausages
2 tbs chopped sage leaves

Peel and cut the onion into eighths, and put into a freezer bag with the oil, mustard, dried sage, a good grinding of pepper, the lemon juice, the squeezed-out husks cut into eighths, and the Worcestershire sauce. Squidge everything around to mix (the mustard needs help to combine) and then add the chicken pieces. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight, or for up to two days.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 7/220°C/425F. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature in its marinade.

Arrange the chicken pieces in a roasting tin, skin-side up, with the marinade, including all the bits and pieces, and tuck the sausages around them. Sprinkle the fresh sage leaves over the chicken and sausages and then put the tin into the oven to cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the sausages over halfway through to colour them evenly.

Serves 6
Nigella Lawson

Roast Butternut Squash

1 Medium Butternut Squash
3 Tbs melted butter
2 Tbs brown sugar
large pinch salt
several grinds black pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Peel Squash and remove seeds. Cut the squash into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch cubes and place them in 9x13 glass dish. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. While roasting, turn the squash a few times with a spatula, to be sure it browns evenly. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.



Ina Garten