Lemon Chicken Oven Roast French Style

French Lemon Chicken

It's major to select a good free range chicken for this dish! I tried the same cooking method brining the chicken 6 - 12 hours before the cooking process, using 4 cups of water with 1 table spoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar, but actually I didn't notice a big difference skipping this step, in fact I've found the flavor little more intense and carrying on without brining.

French lemon chicken is good served with saffron rice and steamed vegetable as well .. enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4 lb free range chicken
• 4 oz butter or about 1/2 stick
• 3 tablespoon crushed dried chillies
• 1 lemons
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• several spring fresh thyme
• 1 onion
• 2 potato
• 2 carrot
• Salt and pepper

Method:

Prepare the lemon butter first: In a small bowl, mash the butter with a wooden fork or spoon until creamy and add a good pinch of salt, freshly ground pepper and crushed dried chillies to taste.

Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon into the flavored butter. Add the dried thyme. Mix well and rub mixture all over the chicken. Slice the second lemon with and stuff inside the cavity with part of the chopped carrot and fresh thyme.

Preheat the oven 350 F, place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and spread the remaining vegetables around the chicken, roast in the pre-heated oven for 55-65 minutes, basting the chicken with its buttery juices from time to time.

Potato Soupe French Vichyssoise

Vichyssoise is refreshing soup

This is a great summer soup served cold, and even butter winter soup served hot! Although it holds a french title, but actually was created originally in New York, may be by a French chef!! However you may call it a potato leek soup.

By all virgins hot or cold, it's an extraordinary deep and rich flavor, yet very light and refreshing. the depth of the potato and leek flavor remarkably intense.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups chopped leeks
• 2 cups chopped potatoes " about 2 potato "
• ¼ stick of butter
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup whipping creme
• Finely grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• finely chopped parsley

Use the white part of the leeks, by cutting it 1 inch pieces. In large casserole sauté the leeks gently in butter until soft. Don not over cooke may take about 2 -3 min.

Peel and slice potatoes cut it into pieces, and add to leeks, with chicken stock, salt pepper and grated nutmeg to taste, and simmer 10 -15 min.

Transfer the mixture to electric blender, add the milk and process until smooth. Add the whipping crème just before serving and sprinkle the parsley on the top… enjoy

Kofta Kebabs Ground Beef on Weber Grill

Kofta Kebab Syrian Style

Kofta kebab is another famous dish in the Middle East, it's also served as sandwich with hummus onion and tomato! Therefore I called it : the burger virgin of the Middle East Originally made with lamb, however I made it for this recipe with beef, but it's good idea to have it mixed lamb and beef together, using 1/3 lamb.

Very important on mostly all kofta's recipe is the smooth texture that comes from grinding the meat twice or more, what I've found useful with almost similar results, using the food processor, only for the steps of the meat and onion, the rest should be handled and mixed by hands.

There are few difference dishes made of kofta, however when we say "Kofta Kebab" normally meant the charcoal grilled kofta. The ideal grilling is to permit you to shift the level of grilling heat rack or charcoal, so that you may place the food closer to, or further from, the heat source. Important factor of the art of grilling is to adjust the distance of the meat! Unfortunately this feature is not easy to find at the movable grills.

America's favorite grill, the Weber is good for long, however I used this gill with little trick to achieve the heat distance for controlling the kofta grilling, I sued two charcoal holders, one of them was full and the second one is half, so it gave me high heat for sealing , and medium heat for the desired cooking.

Ingredients:

• 2 pound ground beef 15% fat
• 1 mediume size onion
• 1 cup chopped parsly
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground pepper

Method:

Chopped the onion, dive the meat, so will fit the size of your food processors, add them batches and part of the onion with each. Process the meat till get smooth. Add the parsley, allspice, cinnamon , salt and freshly ground pepper, and mix it very well, you may use hands to do this job. Let the mixture set in the dredge for at least one hour, and transfer it on skewer ready for grilling. Grease the grilling surface, and place the skewer on the hot area for few minuets while you turn on all sides, move the skewer to less hot area and let cook through... enjoy

Italian Spaghetti Tomato Sauce and Meatballs

White Pasta and Chicken Sauce

• 3 table spoon butter
• 1/2 minced onion medium size
• 4 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 3 tablespoon Gruyère cheese
• salt and pepper

Method:

In heavy sauce pan add the butter, fry the minced onion until golden brown, add thyme and the flour and stir for another minute.

Add the milk and chicken stuck and keep stirring, butter use a whisker in this step, near the boiling point add the cheese while you stirring.

When it's warm transfer the mixture to blender and process it till smooth. This sauce is great for meatball, with grilled chicken breast and pasta..yumm..enjoy

Original Remoulade Sauce

Remoulade a Delicious Seafood Sauce

• 1 raw egg yolks
• 2 boiled egg yolks
• 1/2 cup salad oil
• 5 tablespoon sour cream
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1teaspoon French mustard
  
• '1/4 small onion
• 1 small pickled cucumber
• 1 anchovy
• 1tablespoon capers
• 1 pinch of sugar
• salt and pepper

Method:

Place blender, place the oil and raw egg yolk and process it for few seconds, then add the rest of the ingredients in order as listed, and precess them till smooth..

It's a great sauce with sea food, fried fish, grab cakes or spread for sandwich.. enjoy!

French Onion Soup with Gruyere Cheese

Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onions
• 3 tablespoon butter
• 2 table spoon flour
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tea spoon thyme
• 4 slices baguette
• Gruyère cheese as desired

Method:

Chopped the onion or slice it julienne, I personally prefer it julienne, add the butter to saucepan and fry the onion till became translucent and golden color.

Add the thyme beef stock, wine, salt and pepper and simmer on low heat until the onions are tender, about 25 min.

Transfer to soup to oven proof bowl ad slice or toasted baguette sprinkle cheese on top and broil on oven till melt the cheese.. enjoy!