NEW AGE SOUL FOOD
- Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken
- Wild Mushroom Risotto
- Cauliflower Steaks
- Mama Guzman’s Cilantro Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, 5-6 pounds
4 lemons – divided
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
Fresh herbs [4 rosemary sprigs, 4 sage sprigs, and 8 thyme sprigs
Roasting rack
Drip pan
Meat thermometer
Method
Wash and clean the bird. Let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander for 2 minutes.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
In a medium roasting pan, line the bottom with the fresh herbs then place the chicen breast-side down in the pan and pour the marinade all over the chicken, both inside and out.
Prick the remaining 2 lemons with a fork in 3 – 4 places to release the juices and then place them inside the chicken.
Cover, refrigerate and let the chicken marinate 2 – 3 hours.
Using kitchen twine, tie the legs of the chicken together.
Stick meat thermometer into the thigh portion of the bird (in between the breast and drumstick)
Place chicken and the roasting rack on the grill, baste with the marinade and close the lid. Cook until the meat thermometer read 165F (around 1 ½ hours) basting with the marinade every ½ hour.
Ingredients
4 cups of water
1 teaspoon sea salt – will be used throughout recipe
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion
Freshly ground pepper to taste
½ ounces dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces shitake mushrooms, sliced thin
12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
1 shallot, diced
¼ cup chopped parsley, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 ounce grated parmesan cheese – Optional
In a medium saucepan, add 4 cups of water, ¼ teaspoon sea salt and bring it to a boil. Add the dry porcini mushroom and boil for 1 minute. Remove pot from the heat and set aside, for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the sliced shitake mushrooms and the cremini mushroom in a large bowl along with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon granulated onion, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Massage the oil and seasoning into the mushrooms then place them in a single layer on a sheet pan and roast in/on the oven/grill 12 – 15 minutes.
While mushrooms are roasting, strain the porcini mushrooms through a wire mesh strainer into a heat safe bowl. Discard the porcine mushrooms. Return the pot to a medium high flame and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, shallots and parsley (reserve a few pinches of parsley for garnish) stir constantly for 2 minutes.
Add the rice and stir constantly until rice is toasted and opaque about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the hot mushroom broth. The rice should just be covered by broth. Stir constantly until nearly all broth is absorbed. Add ½ cup of the mushroom broth and stir constantly until broth is nearly all absorbed. Repeat this process stirring often, 18 – 20 minutes. Taste risotto as you cook, checking for tenderness. When rice has no more crunch. It is done. Remove from burner and stir in half the roasted mushrooms, parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.
When serving, add the remaining mushrooms and garnish with the reserved parsley.
- Choose the largest cauliflower you can find. Large heads are much easier to cut into steaks.
- Remove the outer leaves and trim the stem to make it flat and even with the head.
- Place the head of cauliflower on a cutting board with the flat side on the board.
- Using a very sharp knife, cut the cauliflower in half straight through the center.
- Now cut each half in half again into approximately ¾ inch thick slices.
- Trim off the rounded ends.
Place the cut off ends in a freezer bag and freeze for use in soups, salads, stir fry, etc.
