shrimp and fennel in hot garlic sauce

1 tbl olive oil
3 1/2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 3/4 pound)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3/4 pound large shrimp, pelled and deveined
2 tbls fresh lime juice

heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. add sliced fennel, salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic, and bay leaf, cook 5 minutes or until fennel is crisp tender, stirring occasionally. add red pepper and shrimp to pan. cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring occasionally. stir in lime juice.


risotto with butternut squash, pancetta and jack cheese
1 `1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes, (about 3 1/2 cups)
cooking spray
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbls madeira wine or sweet marsala
1 tbl minced fresh tarragon
4 ounces chopped p[ancetta
1 cup finely choppe3d onion
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup uncooked arborio rice or other short grain rice
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) 1/2 inch cubed monterey jack cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbls pine nuts, toasted

preheat oven to 475 deg.
place squash on a nonstick jelly roll pan, coasted with cooking spray. back at 475 for 20 minutes or until tender, turning after 10 minutes.
reduce oven temperature to 325 deg.
combine broth, water, wine and tarragon in a saucepan. bring to a simmer. keep warm over low heat.
cook pancetta in a large ovenproof dutch oven over medium high heat until crisp. remove pancetta from pan, drain on a paper towel. discard pan drippings. add onion and oil to pan, saute 10 minutes or until onion is tender. add garlic, saute 1 min. add rice to pan, saute 1 minute. stir in broth mixture, bring to a boil over medium heat. reduce heat and simmer over low heat uncovered for 10 minutes. (do not stir, rice will have a liquid consistency similar to stew)
place pan in oven, bake at 325 deg for 15 minutes. remove from oven, stir in the squash, pancetta, cheese, salt and pepper. cover with a clean cloth. let stand 10 minutes. (rice will continue to cook) sprinkle with pine nuts


cider roasted chicken

3 qts water
1 qt apple cider
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 tbl black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 6 pound roasting chicken
2 cups applie cider
1 large onion, peeled and halved
4 flat leaf parsley sprigs
4 garlic cloves, peeled

combine the first 5 ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. removed from heat, cool completely, removed and dischard giblets and neck from chicken, rinse chicken with cold water, pat dry. trim excess fat. pour brine into a 2 gallon zip top plastic bag. add chicken, seat. refergerate 8 hours or overnight, turning the bag occasionally.

preheat oven to 400 deg

bring 2 cups cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium high heat. cook until cider has thickened and reduced gto 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). set aside

removed chicken from bag. discard bring. pat chicken dry with paper towels. place the onion halves, parsley and garlic into cavity. lift wing tips up and over back, tuck under chicken. tie legs. place chicken on rack of a broiler pan. bake at 400 deg for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 175 deg. remove from oven (do not turn oven off) carefully remove and discard skin. baste chicken with half of reduced cider, return to 400 deg oven for 10 minutes. remove from oven basted with remaining cider reduction. transfer chicke to a platter.

place a zip top plastic bag inside a two cup glass measure. pour drippings into bag. let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top) seal bag, carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. drain drippings into small bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening. discard fat.serve. serve "jus" over chicken.

all three of these recipes comes from the october issue of cooking light. i have made them all and they are great, especially the risotto. hope you give them a try also.