I know, I know, I cheaped out on you with the last blog entry. But trust me, today’s post is gonna make up for it in spades.

Thursday’s dinner was a variation on Mexican; a sort of bean and rice salad topped with avocado and chicken. No real intense flavors here just a very fresh-tasting meal.

Truth be told, I love any dinner where I get to eat avocados. Guacamole is nice but a nice avocado sandwich with a light spread of mayo and a little sharp cheddar is heaven.

Last night the LSC and I had Michael, Leah and Jake over for dinner (of course, those lovely ladies brought dessert!). Seeing as how I ended up making pizza last time for them, I decided—courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa—to try my hand at a roast chicken. Admittedly, meat on the bone makes me squeamish so I had my husband do all the icky parts regarding raw whole chicken prep for me.

I made a couple of side dishes; the one featured above is an autumn panzanella (yes, I know it’s not autumn but I couldn’t resist).

The LSC had made some noise earlier in the week about trying the new potato salad recipe in the most issue of Cook’s Illustrated. He knows I get easily frustrated when making enough food for multiple people—it always happens, without fail—so he was going to make it beforehand, only to discover that the recipe recommended preparing it four hours before serving. It was okay; I had all of Friday afternoon to make everything. The chicken was moist, flavorful; the panzanella vinegary and crunchy; and of course, the potato salad was a hit. Though I am not a fan of meat on the bone, I would make a roast chicken again were I entertaining family and friends. It made the house smell so good!

Of course, this all leads up to the coup de grace. I forget exactly what Leah and Jake called these but long story short: super fudgy cream cheese brownies with a bit of chili powder and cinnamon thrown in. Before you get up in arms about this, think about it: the tang of cream cheese, the rich chocolate and just the faintest hint of spice. A beautiful tingle at the back of your throat when you swallow. Doesn’t sound so nuts now, does it? I know they converted me. Even better, the recipe can be watched on YouTube. I figure that’s loads better than me writing it out, yeah?

Mexican Green Rice with Chicken and Avocado

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 (15 oz.) can rinsed black beans

1 cup chopped tomato

1 cup shredded lettuce

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I subbed parsley because I have ton of it)

3 tbl.  oil and vinegar salad dressing, divided

1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken

3 ripe avocados, halved and then cut into cubes

In a large bowl, combine rice, beans, tomato, lettuce, cilantro and half the salad dressing; toss. Arrange on a platter, lined with lettuce if desired. In the same bowl, combine chicken, avocado and remaining half of dressing. Spoon over rice salad. Serve with warm tortillas on the side.

Perfect Roast Chicken

from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (Potter, 1999)

1 5-to-6-lb. roasting chicken

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch fresh thyme

1 lemon, halved

1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise

2 tbl. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of the lemon and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and a thigh. Remove to a platter and let stand for 5 minutes.

Autumn Panzanella

3 cups butternut squash in 3/4-inch cubes

2 cups small cauliflower florets

1 large Asian pear, peeled, cored and diced

8 soft sun-dried tomatoes, slivered

2 tbl. chopped sweet onion

2 tbl. capers

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, approximately

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3 cups cubed country-style whole grain bread

1 tsp. ground cumin

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbl. minced fresh dill

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a saucepan, add squash and cauliflower, cook 2 minutes, drain and place in bowl of ice water to chill. Drain when cooled and place in a large bowl. Fold in Asian pear and sun-dried tomatoes. Add onion and capers, and mix gently. Add 1/2 cup olive oil and the vinegar. Mix again.

Place bread in a bowl of warm water, soak a few minutes, then squeeze dry. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet, add bread and saute until bread dries out and is starting to brown. Season with cumin, salt and pepper. Fold into mixture in bowl.

Allow ingredients to marinate at least 4 hours at room temperature. Check seasoning and fold in dill. Add a little more olive oil if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl or to individual plates and serve.

Austrian-Style Potato Salad

from Cook’s Illustrated, Sept./Oct. 2009

2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes (about 4 large), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

table salt

1 tbl. sugar

2 tbl. white wine vinegar

1 tbl. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 small red onion, chopped fine (about 3/4 cup)

6 cornichons, minced (about 2 tbl.)

2 tbl. minced fresh chives

ground black pepper

Bring potatoes, broth, water, 1 teaspoon salt, sugar and 1 tablespoon vinegar to boil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until potatoes offer no resistance when pierced with paring knife, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat to high (so cooking liquid will reduce) and cook 2 minutes.

Drain potatoes in colander set over large bowl, reserving cooking liquid. Set drained potatoes aside. Pour off and discard all but 1/2 cup cooking liquid (if 1/2 cup liquid doesn’t remain, add water to make 1/2 cup). Whisk remaining tablespoon vinegar, mustard and oil into cooking liquid.

Add 1/2 cup cooked potatoes to bowl with cooking liquid mixture and mash with potato masher or fork until thick sauce forms (mixture will be slightly chunky). Add remaining potatoes, onion, cornichons and chives, folding gently with rubber spatula to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.