Random Thoughts

They call me Rosie Rockit, I'm addicted to pickled ginger, the front row of a rock show and calling people babycakes. I work for the world's largest indoor aquarium, but the thoughts here are my own. Sometimes I write for Atlanta Music Guide Pin It

[marvie3grl]

Rockit Recipes - Creamy Dijon Braised Chicken

This is a mashup of several recipes that I kind of cobbled together into a dish that my sister seems to really enjoy (and she's rarely enthusiastic about anything.) When I cook in the kitchen, I usually have tunes going, so I decided that I would also recommend a record to play along with the dish and the reason why. Recommended Album: SO by Peter Gabriel This recommendation is a little on the nose, but as I was cooking chicken, it made me think of the dancing chickens in the Sledgehammer video, so I put this record on and even did some interpretive dancing in the middle of the kitchen for my sister before she rolled her eyes at me. Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs (with skin and bones) or 4 leg and thigh quarters

2 Tbsps. olive oil

2 onions (diced)

6 garlic cloves (minced)

2 cups white wine

2 cups chicken stock

1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 Tbsp. Better Than Bouillon (I used Nom nom paleo magic mushroom powder for extra umami)

6 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

2 Tbsps. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

A couple of dashes of paprika

1/2 cup half and half, whole milk, or cream

Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Directions:

Dice the onions and mince the garlic

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Heat up olive oil in a great big Dutch oven over medium heat (you want it big enough that you can put all of the chicken in 1 layer

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Once the oil is hot cook the chicken thighs, skin side down first for 5-10 minutes per side (depends on the thickness of your chicken pieces. The chicken will not be completely cooked through, but you want a nice crispy and golden brown texture on all of the skin). You may need to do this in a couple of batches to give the chicken room to crisp up and flip them over. Once the chicken is cooked put it aside on a plate uncovered while you prep the sauce.

Drain all but a tablespoon or 2 of the drippings out of the Dutch oven and put back over medium heat. Add the onions and the garlic and let them release their liquid so that you can scrape all of the brown tasty bits off the bottom of the pan. Caramelize the onions and garlic for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to get the drippings off the bottom of the pan. But, do not burn the garlic. If it is cooking too quickly, turn the heat down a notch or two.

Once the onions are mostly done, turn the heat back up to medium high and add the 2 cups of white wine to the pan, using it to scrape the last of any brown bits off the pan and incorporating all of the onions into the wine for a couple of minutes. (At this point you may as well also pour yourself a glass of wine because you'll have some down time to sit and enjoy it in a bit.)

Once the bottom of the pan is clear, add the 2 cups of stock, thyme, bay leaves, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and bullion cube. Stir together until it comes back up to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half and has thickened considerably. I reduce if until it is about an inch or so deep in my Dutch oven. I want the top of the chicken to stay out of the liquid and stay crispy, but the bottom to absorb all of that flavor.

Once it has reduced down, turn off the burner, add in the dashes of paprika and the half and half and stir until incorporated.

Use tongs to layer your chicken on top of your oniony sauce mixture.

Place the Dutch oven in the oven uncovered for 30 minutes.

Baste the chicken in the sauce and braise for another 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted near the bone reads 160 degrees. (I can usually eyeball beef and pork, but I do not mess around with undercooking chicken. Because this is using dark meat and is braising in the sauce, it is very hard to overcook it and dry it out.)

Once the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit in the Dutch oven, uncovered for 10-15 minutes.

To serve, you can remove the chicken to a plate and reduce the sauce down further to a thicker consistency, or just give it a good stir it and spoon it over as it is pretty thick after cooking down even further in the oven. I like to roast carrots, potatoes, and green beans or broccoli in the oven to go along with this dish and slather everything in the sauce. But, it also pairs well with mashed potatoes and Brussel sprouts.

[marvie3grl]

Rockit Recipes - Veggie Alfredo Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 whole onion

1/2 carton of whole white mushrooms

2 whole carrots (small to medium or 1 whole large)

2 packed cups chopped spinach (divided)

6 cloves of garlic

1 cup freshly grated pecorino romano

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan (divided in half)

1 15 oz container of whole milk ricotta

1/4 cup half and half, milk, or cream

1 egg

1 Tpsb black pepper

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp parsley flakes (or 2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley)

8-10 fresh basil leaves

2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp salt (divided)

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 jars alfredo sauce (any brand/flavors you like, I usually use either Newman's Own or Rao's garlic alfredo)

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 cup shredded mozzarella

10-12 lasagna noodles

2 cups breadcrumbs

4 Tbsp butter

First thing I do is prep all of the cheese and veggies so that all I have to do is cook and assemble.

Finely chop/dice the onions and mushrooms.

Peel the carrots and then use the peeler to make fine carrot shreds. Finely chop the shreds to about the same size as the onions and the mushrooms.

Mince the garlic as finely as possible (protip - after slicing the garlic, sprinkle it with salt to help absorb the juice and keep the garlic sticking together so that it is easier to chop)

Destem and chop the fresh spinach.

Chop the basil (protip - take the basil leaves, stack 3-4 of the same size leaves on top of each other and roll them up along the long side like a little tiny cylinder. Chop the stemmy bit off of the end and then finely chop the cylinder into tiny slices and you'll have very thin slices of basil that is much easier to manage than the flat leaves by themselves.)

Grate the romano and the parmesan

Next, I prep the ricotta cheese mixture:

Combine the ricotta, half of the parmesan, egg, half of the chopped spinach, basil, black pepper, 1 tsp of salt, parsley, garlic powder, basil, and the nutmeg together in a medium mixing bowl. You want to fully incorporate everything together fully and then let it sit in the fridge while you're putting the sauce together and cooking the pasta. You can even make this a day ahead. YOU MUST ADD THE NUTMEG. It's the secret ingredient that makes this work.

Now, for the sauce:

In a pretty large sautee pan (large enough to hold all of the veggies and both jars of sauce) heat the olive oil up over medium heat.

Add the chopped onions, carrots, and mushrooms to the pan and brown for a few minutes until the onions start to turn clear (you don't want too much colors on this so that the sauce stays white, but you do want to work it all together so that the flavors meld).

Add the garlic and continue cooking and stirring in the pan for another 3-4 minutes over medium heat until the onions and garlic are almost done. Add the lemon juice and the rest of the black pepper to the mixture and keep stirring until the lemon juice has almost cooked off.

Add the 2 jars of sauce (protip- add the half a cup of wine to the jars and shake them to get as much of the saucy goodness as possible out of the jars.) and bring to a good simmer. Taste as you stir and adjust spices to your liking. Once it comes to simmer, turn off the heat and let the sauce sit while you cook the pasta.

Cook the pasta:

Use the biggest pot you have. The more room for the pasta to move around, the more evenly it will cook.

Salt the water. I use about a Tablespoon.

Most lasagna noodles need about 10 minutes to reach al dente.

Drain the pasta and run them under cold water to keep then al dente (remember, they've gotta go in the oven)

Lasagna lovers, assemble!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Take a 9x11 casserole pan and spray it with a bit of Pam or olive oil (I swear by my Misto)

Put a fourth of your veggie sauce in the bottom of the pan and spread it into an even layer.

Add a layer of lasagna noodles. I don't overlap them. Give them some room to absorb the saucy goodness around them.

Add a third of the ricotta mixture, spreading it evenly across the noodles (don't miss the corners and sides)

Sprinkle with a third of the romano.

Sprinkle with a third of the remaining chopped spinach.

Sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella. (This is important, you want the romano and the mozzarella to blend with the spinach.

Add a layer of noodles, another layer of ricotta, a layer of veggie sauce, a layer of Romano, a layer of spinach, a layer of mozzarella. (Repeat this again.)

To top off the lasagna, you want to pour the rest of your sauce on top (make sure all of the lasagna noodles are fully covered to prevent them from getting overcooked in the oven), another thin layer of the cheeses (no spinach on the top) and your top layer of breadcrumbs mixed with the butter, spreading them evenly on top.

Pop it into the preheated oven and bake for 30-45 minutes (check at 30 minutes to make sure the breadcrumbs aren't browning too fast, you can always cut the oven down to 375 for the last 15-20 minutes or tent with foil, if needed)

Once it's done, take it out of the oven and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. The cheeses and sauce have to come back together and it'll also be molten lave if you try to slice it right out of the oven.

Slice it up and enjoy. I live to garnish mine with a bit of grated romano and some fresh basil, but you can also add sliced tomato or whatever you want.

[marvie3grl]

Moroccan Lamb & Couscous Stuffed Acorn Squash

I had enough folks asking me for the recipe for this dish that I made yesterday that I decided to type it up and post it here for easier sharing, so here goes. 

(Makes 6 meal-sized servings, or 12 if you split the stuffed halves and serve a veggie side)

Tools:

Sharp knife Big spoon Measuring spoons and cups Large cookie sheet or roasting pan, preferably with a lip all the way around 1 small pot (for the couscous) 1 large and deep skillet (I have a giant non-stick one with deep sides that is perfect for making large batches of filling like this) 1 spatula (remember that you can’t use metal spatulas on nonstick pans!)

Ingredients:

3 acorn squash (or squash of similar size) 1 lb ground lamb 1 box whole 365 garlic and olive oil pearled couscous 1 large onion 4 large cloves garlic 2 tsp cinnamon 2 Tbsp paprika (invest in good smoked paprika if you don’t already have some) 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/4 cup of lemon juice (you can also use harissa or tomato paste, but you will want to reduce to 2 Tbps) 1/4 cup of white wine (or use a stock)  8 dried apricots 1/2 cup roasted pistachios (preferably unsalted, but salted will work too, you will just likely need to use less salt) 5 Tbps of finely chopped fresh mint (do not use dried!)  12 Tbsp of sour cream (for garnish) 1 small container of feta cheese (for garnish) kosher salt or sea salt olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place the rack in the middle position. 

1. Prepare the squash by cutting them in half length-wise (like slicing a pumpkin or butternut squash, you’ll want a very sharp knife to do this. Start on the fleshy side and work your way around the bottom back up to the top. You should then be able to split the squash at the stem. Scoop out the stringy insides and the seeds with the big metal spoon and discard. You may need to cut a little slice off the back of the squash so that they lay flatter on a roasting pan with the orange flesh facing up. Drizzle a little olive oil on the flesh side of the squash and season generously with salt and pepper (use about a Tbsp of salt here, acorn squash doesn’t have a lot of flavor on its own. It needs salt and acid to bring out the flavor.) One the squash is seasoned and the oven is preheated, place the squash in the oven and roast, uncovered for 30-40 minutes. (most recipes will say 40 minutes, but you don’t want the top to burn, so I checked min at 30 minutes and it was done. Once the flesh is tender enough for a spoon to sink in, it’s done.)

2. While the squash is roasting, finely dice the onion, finely mince the garlic, finely dice the apricots, and finely mince the mint. Once everything is prepped, you’re ready to bring the stuffing together. 

3. Prepare the box of couscous per the directions on the box. It’s pretty easy and takes about 15 minutes of cook time. You’ll let the couscous rest off the heat while you assemble the rest of the stuffing. 

4. Heat a Tbsp of olive oil in the nonstick pan on medium to medium-low heat. Err on the side of lower heat here. Add the onions and dry spices (cinnamon, paprika, cumin, cayenne and black pepper) and saute for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This is where low heat is important. You want to onions to cook through, but you don’t want t burn the spices, you want them to warm up slowly with the onions so that the onions absorb the flavors and the juices from the onions make almost a paste-like consistency for the spices. Once the onions are translucent, add the minced garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Raise the heat to medium and add the ground lamb, crumbling it as it cooks using the spatula until browned. Again, don’t rush the meat and keep the heat on medium, turning and crumbling the meat and incorporating the onion/spice mixture as it cooks. Once the meat is browned, add the apricots, wine, lemon juice, two-thirds of the mint (you’ll use the rest later) and the prepared couscous. You will also want to scoop about a Tbsp of acorn squash out of the bottom of each squash and add that to the filling mixture. Stir everything together with the spatula, cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the excess liquid has cooked away and everything is thoroughly mixed together. Turn off the heat and stir in the pistachios. 

5. Once the squash is finished roasting, remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven to 375 degrees. Using the big spoon from earlier, spoon and pack the mixture into the roasted acorn squash halves, equally distributing it among the 6 halves. (Some halves will be deeper than others. That’s just how acorn squash works.) Once you’ve got all of the filling in the squashes, put them back in the oven for 10-15 minutes (you’re just heating everything through and getting a little color on the top of the filling). 

5. Serve with a garnish of about 2 Tbsp of crumbled feta and 2 Tbsp of sour cream and the fresh mint. You can also add a dash of paprika, some pistachios or even pomegranate seeds on top if desired. 

[marvie3grl]

There's this concept of "eating oneself to ruin" that I learned from one of @anthonybourdain's shows. I had already made plans for dim sum @cantonhouse with my dear friend Jennifer for today, so I felt like we were channeling a little bit of Bourdain's spirit as we indulged in tons of different pork and shrimp filled dumplings, sticky rice, steamed veggies with oyster sauce, bbq pork buns, radish cake, and sesame black bean balls. We also made a run to the @bufordhighwayfarmersmarket afterwards for lots of tasty Mexican, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Russian goodies. (at Canton House Chinese Restaurant)

[marvie3grl]

I haven't posted anything personal in a while. The truth is that I feel like I've finally started crawling out of a cave of sadness and depression that I've been trapped in for months. I'm still not all the way out, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Weekly therapy sessions and new meds have helped me turn a corner. In light of losing @anthonybourdain to suicide today, I decided to post this because I know that dark place that leads you to believe the world is better off without you. I know the place where it feels like it will never get better and that you have nothing more to offer the world. It doesn't matter how famous, rich, or successful you are. Your brain chemistry creates demons in your mind constantly telling you that you're not good enough, not worth loving, and not worth living. I have been there. You can't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes. I've seen a lot of judgement about some of the recent high profile suicides and you have no way to judge until you've battled those same demons in your brain convincing you of your own unworthiness to exist. Luckily, I reached out for help. Luckily, I have friends and family that made me get the help I needed when they saw me struggling (even though they had no idea how long and hard I'd been struggling for months prior to that.) I went into therapy about 3 months ago and changed my meds recently, and I can say that I'm finally starting to live my life again instead of enduring it. I looked in the mirror the other day and actually liked the face that I saw staring back at me in stead of judging it. My skin looks better than it has in years (thanks to @corgimouse and her product recommendations), I have some exciting news to share soon, and I'm finally starting to see my worth again. I'm living proof that it can get better, but it is not easy. I know I still have more work ahead of me, but I actually feel strong enough to do that work now. Take care of yourselves. Take care of your friends and family. Reach out. Tell them you love them and that you care. It will make a difference. #depressionsucks #anxiety #therapy #mentalhealth #depression (at Atlanta, Georgia)

[marvie3grl]

I haven't posted anything personal in a while. The truth is that I feel like I've finally started crawling out of a cave of sadness and depression that I've been trapped in for months. I'm still not all the way out, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Weekly therapy sessions and new meds have helped me turn a corner. In light of losing @anthonybourdain to suicide today, I decided to post this because I know that dark place that leads you to believe the world is better off without you. I know the place where it feels like it will never get better and that you have nothing more to offer the world. It doesn't matter how famous, rich, or successful you are. Your brain chemistry creates demons in your mind constantly telling you that you're not good enough, not worth loving, and not worth living. I have been there. You can't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes. I've seen a lot of judgement about some of the recent high profile suicides and you have no way to judge until you've battled those same demons in your brain convincing you of your own unworthiness to exist. Luckily, I reached out for help. Luckily, I have friends and family that made me get the help I needed when they saw me struggling (even though they had no idea how long and hard I'd been struggling for months prior to that.) I went into therapy about 3 months ago and changed my meds recently, and I can say that I'm finally starting to live my life again instead of enduring it. I looked in the mirror the other day and actually liked the face that I saw staring back at me in stead of judging it. My skin looks better than it has in years (thanks to @corgimouse and her product recommendations), I have some exciting news to share soon, and I'm finally starting to see my worth again. I'm living proof that it can get better, but it is not easy. I know I still have more work ahead of me, but I actually feel strong enough to do that work now. Take care of yourselves. Take care of your friends and family. Reach out. Tell them you love them and that you care. It will make a difference. #depressionsucks #anxiety #therapy #mentalhealth #depression (at Atlanta, Georgia)

[marvie3grl]

I haven't posted anything personal in a while. The truth is that I feel like I've finally started crawling out of a cave of sadness and depression that I've been trapped in for months. I'm still not all the way out, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Weekly therapy sessions and new meds have helped me turn a corner. In light of losing @anthonybourdain to suicide today, I decided to post this because I know that dark place that leads you to believe the world is better off without you. I know the place where it feels like it will never get better and that you have nothing more to offer the world. It doesn't matter how famous, rich, or successful you are. Your brain chemistry creates demons in your mind constantly telling you that you're not good enough, not worth loving, and not worth living. I have been there. You can't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes. I've seen a lot of judgement about some of the recent high profile suicides and you have no way to judge until you've battled those same demons in your brain convincing you of your own unworthiness to exist. Luckily, I reached out for help. Luckily, I have friends and family that made me get the help I needed when they saw me struggling (even though they had no idea how long and hard I'd been struggling for months prior to that.) I went into therapy about 3 months ago and changed my meds recently, and I can say that I'm finally starting to live my life again instead of enduring it. I looked in the mirror the other day and actually liked the face that I saw staring back at me in stead of judging it. My skin looks better than it has in years (thanks to @corgimouse and her product recommendations), I have some exciting news to share soon, and I'm finally starting to see my worth again. I'm living proof that it can get better, but it is not easy. I know I still have more work ahead of me, but I actually feel strong enough to do that work now. Take care of yourselves. Take care of your friends and family. Reach out. Tell them you love them and that you care. It will make a difference. #depressionsucks #anxiety #therapy #mentalhealth #depression (at Atlanta, Georgia)

[marvie3grl]

Went to the birthday party of a dear friend and came home with a present of my own. A friend of the birthday girl is moving internationally and decided that since I'm a huge Bowie fan, that he would give me his copy of Aladdin Sane that was an early pressing bought by one of his parents and gifted to him. The sleeves show some wear and tear, but the vinyl itself is pristine and it still has the original insert with the lyrics AND the Bowie fan club application. Y'all, I cried that a guy I've maybe met 2 or 3 times gave me this record without a second thought and completely made my weekend. #bowie #davidbowie #aladdinsane #vinyl #records #ilovedavidbowie

[marvie3grl]

Very pink cookies and chocolate covered strawberries in celebration of our 1 yr partnership with Lyft. Fun times.

[marvie3grl]

Many thanks to the Hammonacos for letting me crash with them and trusting me to watch over their kitties for the weekend. Some NYC adventures and kitten hugs were a perfect vacation. #catsofinstagram #kitties #vacation #adventuresincatsitting

[marvie3grl]

Many thanks to the Hammonacos for letting me crash with them and trusting me to watch over their kitties for the weekend. Some NYC adventures and kitten hugs were a perfect vacation. #catsofinstagram #kitties #vacation #adventuresincatsitting

[marvie3grl]

I've barely spent any money on this trip (the perks of flying for free, free theatre tickets, a free place to stay, and a kitchen to fix your own meals in) because I knew this exhibit would take all of my money. I bought a ticket that included a merch bundle that included the exhibit catalogue (which is currently out of stock and this ticket package has a special edition hardbound version), a framed album cover print, matching magnet, 3 exhibit specific vinyl releases (one of them is silver!!!), a pencil, a pin, a notebook, and the tite bag it all came in. I also bought myself a tshirt, a decal for my car, a couple of posters, and some postcards. No photos are allowed in the exhibit, but the emotions I felt looking at all of the items are still a bit overwhelming. I honestly don't have the words. Looking at the handwritten lyrics for "Heroes", "Rock n Roll Suicide", "Lady Grinning Soul", and "Life On Mars" made me get all weepy. Everyone who is a Bowie fam should drop everything and come see it. It's the best 2 and a half hours of my year so far. (Though the Celebrating David Bowie show is a very close second.) #davidbowieis #davidbowie #bowie #itotallycried #brooklynmuseum @davidbowieishere @brooklynmuseum (at Brooklyn, New York)

[marvie3grl]

I made it!!!! Squeeeee!!!! I'm shaking because i'm so excited!!!! #davidbowie #davidbowieis #brooklynmuseum #brooklyn #nyc #bowie #iamsoexcited (at David Bowie is At Brooklyn Museum)

[marvie3grl]

8th row center orchestra is not bad for my first time seeing @anastasiabway My 17 year old self is freaking out right now!!! #broadway #theatre #anastasia #anastasiabroadway #wheresdmitry (at Anastasia The Musical)

[marvie3grl]

Finally made it!!!! #henson #hensonmomi #muppets #labyrinth #fraggles #thedarkcrystal #jusrignorethegirlcryinginthecorner (at Museum of the Moving Image)

[marvie3grl]

Having dim sum delivered = a very happy Rosie. #dimsum #noms #vacationmode #vacationnoms

[marvie3grl]

Most people on the plane were watching kids movies. I chose the Mick Ronson documentary. Especially appropriate since I'm coming to NYC for the Bowie exhibit!!! #iloveny #nyc #bowie #davidbowie #mickronson (at New York, New York)