After visiting Spain in the spring of 2023, and loving the chicken paella when we were in Valencia, we modified our favorite Rosemary Chicken recipe to be sort of paella-like.

Ingredients

• 8 Boneless chicken thighs, skin on. (Bone in ok too)
• 2 Tbl Ground Rosemary
• 2 Tbl Assorted other herbs: thyme, sage, oregano, etc.
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 cups of cooked brown rice
• 1 cup green beans, sliced into 1-inch segments, uncooked
• 1 cup mushrooms, slices, uncooked

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix the herbs and salt, a mortar and pestle is very helpful.
3. Prepare the chicken thighs by creating a pocket between the skin and thigh, being careful not to fully separate it. Then put some of the herb mix in the pocket.
4. In a large, flat baking dish, mix cooked rice, beans, mushrooms.
5. Place chicken thighs on top, spritz with olive oil.
6. Bake for 30-45 minutes until chicken reaches 165 F.

We often serve this in a large cast iron dutch oven which keeps it warm and moist. This is excellent as left-overs, we often chop up the chicken and mix it in before reheating to keep it moist and yummy.

Modified from Ree Drumand’s Perfect Pot Roast on the Food Network.

We love pot roast on a chilly day with some buttered rosemary toast, there is nothing more yummy!

Ingredients

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• One 3- to 5-pound chuck roast 
• 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered (or 1 large, in eighths)
• 5 yellow potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 to 8 whole carrots, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 cups beef broth (freeze leftover juice from last pot roast as a starter)
• 2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. 
2. Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast. 
3. Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides. Remove the onions to a plate. 
4. Brown carrots and potatoes in a similar manner in the same pot, removing each to a plate when done
5. If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate. 
6. With the burner still on high, use red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom with a whisk. Place the roast back into the pot and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway. 
7. Add in the onions, the carrots and the potatoes, along with the fresh herbs and raw garlic.
8. Put the lid on, then roast for 3 hours for a 3-pound roast. For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours. The roast is ready when it’s fall-apart tender.