Three hands-off centerpieces to simplify holiday hosting – The Denver Post

By Ali Slagle, The New Your Times

Thoughtful guests often offer to lend a hand in the kitchen, but they don’t have to be sous-chefs if you put your oven to work instead.

When you let ingredients luxuriate in the oven, you end up with less prep work and no nerve-wracking, last-minute sautéing in front of an audience. A low-and-slow roast or braise even frees you up to clean the house, set the table, stir together drinks and mingle with company.

Logistical perks aside, these three dishes also taste incredibly rich given their minimal effort. A tough cut of meat surrenders to a wobble. Chicken skin crisps to a brittle chip, and whole winter squash willingly yield to being pried open. The oven’s dry heat reduces liquid and browns surfaces without toughening meat and vegetables, extracting deeper flavor from ingredients so you can use fewer for grand results.

And, because the food is slow to cook, it’s also slow to overcook — if you’re distracted and leave something in the oven for a few more minutes, it’s no big deal. Then, when someone asks if there’s anything they can do to help, you can respond with glee: “Everything is done. Let’s eat.”

Recipe: Whole Roasted Squash With Tomato-Ginger Chickpeas

By Ali Slagle

With creamy squash, sticky chickpeas and tangy yogurt, this vegetarian sheet-pan feast easily serves a crowd. The method here doesn’t bother with cutting rock-hard raw winter squash. Instead, roast them whole until you can rip them apart into wedges. Meanwhile, chickpeas, tomatoes, olive oil and a warming combination of cinnamon, ginger and marjoram concentrate until the chickpeas are buttery-soft and the tomatoes caramelized. Accompany with yogurt and perhaps salad greens dressed with lemon or lime juice. To make ahead, refrigerate the cooked squash pieces, chickpeas and yogurt separately for up to 4 days; reheat the squash and chickpeas covered in a low-temperature oven or serve at room temperature. To make vegan, add lemon or lime juice to nondairy yogurt until tangy.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Total time: About 3 hours

Ingredients

• 3 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained (4 1/2 cups)
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 marjoram sprigs or 3 oregano sprigs, plus leaves for garnish
• 2 1/2 tablespoons peeled, finely chopped ginger
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 (3- to 4-pound) kabocha, butternut or koginut squash
• 3/4 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt (one 5-ounce container)

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees with racks in the upper and lower thirds. On a sheet pan, stir together the chickpeas, 2/3 cup olive oil, tomatoes, cinnamon, marjoram sprigs and 2 tablespoons chopped ginger. Season with salt and pepper and spread in an even layer.

2. Scrub the squash — the skin is perfectly edible — and prick the squash in a few places with a paring knife. Transfer to an oven-safe skillet, baking dish or a second sheet pan (line with foil for easier cleanup) and coat lightly with oil, salt and pepper.

3. Bake the squash on the bottom rack and the chickpeas on the upper rack until a knife slides easily through the squash and the chickpeas and tomatoes are dark red and thick like jam, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring the chickpeas occasionally.

4. Meanwhile, stir the remaining 1/2 tablespoon ginger into the yogurt. Stir in water until thin enough to drizzle, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. Discard the herb sprigs, then season the chickpeas to taste with salt and pepper. When the squash are cool enough to handle, cut or tear into big pieces, then scoop out and discard the stems, seeds and stringy bits. Season the squash with salt and pepper. Transfer the squash to a platter flesh side up, then top with the chickpeas, some of the ginger yogurt and a sprinkle of marjoram leaves. Serve the remaining yogurt alongside.

Recipe: Paprika-Roasted Chickens and Potatoes

By Ali Slagle

Roasting two chickens on one sheet pan with a heap of potatoes low-and-slow has perks both in flavor and practicality — plus, you’ll welcome guests to an amazing-smelling house. The rotisserie-like chicken will be so tender, carving is a cinch. It will be juicy from lemons stuffed in the cavity, a trick from Marcella Hazan. The brittle skin will be fiery from smoked paprika, cayenne and black pepper. And as a bonus, the lemon and chicken juices mingle to create a devilishly spiced, tangy sauce for the chicken and buttery potatoes. All it needs is a Caesar salad.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Total time: About 4 hours, plus overnight brine

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne
• Salt
• 2 lemons
• 2 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) whole chickens, patted dry
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 pounds baby creamer potatoes
• 1/4 cup sliced chives or scallions

Preparation

1. The day before cooking, dry-brine the chicken: In a small bowl, stir together the paprika, black pepper, cayenne and 1 1/2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or a heaping 2 teaspoons fine sea salt). Using a fork or toothpick, puncture the lemons all over. Place the chickens on a sheet pan, then place the lemons in the chicken cavities. Pinch the skin from the sides of the cavities together, then use toothpicks to pin shut. Rub the paprika mixture all over the outside of the birds. Refrigerate uncovered for 12 to 24 hours. If your refrigerator can’t fit a sheet pan, put the chickens on plates. If you’re tight on time, you can leave the chickens out at room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding.

2. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes around the chickens; it’s OK if the potatoes are piled up. Drizzle the chickens with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.

3. Roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until a leg easily wiggles out of its socket and the potatoes are tender. Tilt the chickens to pour juices into the pan, then transfer to a cutting board to rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl or platter, then pour the pan juices into a liquid measuring cup or bowl. Pour or spoon off the fat that rises to the top of the juices. Carve the chicken. To serve, stir the chives into the pan juices, then serve the chicken and potatoes with spoonfuls of the sauce over everything.

Recipe: Cola-Braised Beef With Chile-Lime Onions

By Ali Slagle

Braising tough cuts in cola tenderizes the meat, but perhaps better yet, the soda reduces into a caramelly, citrusy sauce. Here, cola’s makeup is accentuated by coriander seeds and ginger and grows savory with tomato paste, garlic and soy sauce. Because this recipe’s flavors are reminiscent of BBQ pulled pork, cochinita pibil and cola chicken, it’s equally fitting over rice or stuffed into burger buns or tortillas. However you enjoy the wobbly and rich meat, generously garnish with spicy onions, cilantro and lime for fresh pops of brightness. To make ahead, cool in the liquid and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a low-temperature oven.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Total time: 4 1/2 hours

Ingredients

For the beef:

• 3 1/2 to 4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, patted dry
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (such as grapeseed or canola)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (12-ounce) can cola
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 inches ginger, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds

For serving:

• 2 limes
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon seeded, finely chopped habanero or other very hot chile
• Salt
• 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
• Warmed tortillas, rice or burger buns, for serving

Preparation