Anonymous wrote:Is this an ad? Seriously, what's the point of writing such long descriptions without including the recipes? I'd appreciate the recipe for the lentil salad and the potatoes, too. Thanks.

ATK Baked Potatoes - Serves 4

Kosher or table salt can be used in this recipe.

Ingredients
2 1/2cups plus 1/8 teaspoon salt
4 russet potatoes
2 sprigs plus 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 whole head garlic, outer papery skin removed and top quarter of head cut off and discarded
4 tsp olive oil
4 T unsalted butter, softened

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Spread 21/2 cups salt in even layer in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Gently nestle potatoes in salt, broad side down, leaving space between potatoes. Add rosemary sprigs and garlic, cut side up, to baking dish. Cover baking dish with foil and crimp edges to tightly seal. Bake 11/4 hours; remove pan from oven. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees.
2. Carefully remove foil from baking dish. Remove garlic and set aside to cool. Brush exposed portion of each potato with 1 teaspoon oil. Return uncovered baking dish to oven and bake until potatoes are tender when pierced with tip of paring knife and skins are glossy, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, once garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze root end until cloves slip out of their skins. Using fork, mash garlic, butter, 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt (or pinch table salt) and minced rosemary to smooth paste. Remove any clumped salt from potatoes (holding with kitchen towel if necessary), split lengthwise, top with portion of butter, and serve immediately.



ATK Lentil Salad - Serves 4 to 6

French green lentils, or Lentilles du Puy, are our preferred choice for this recipe, but it works with any type of lentil except red or yellow. Brining helps keep the lentils intact, but if you don't have time, they'll still taste good. The salad can be served warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients

1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
Salt and pepper
6 cups water
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
1 bay leaf
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 large shallot, minced
1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled (1/4 cup)

Instructions
1. Place lentils and 1 teaspoon salt in bowl. Cover with 4 cups warm water (about 110 degrees) and soak for 1 hour. Drain well. (Drained lentils can be refrigerated for up to 2 days before cooking.)
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Place drained lentils, 2 cups water, broth, garlic, bay leaf, and ½ teaspoon salt in medium saucepan. Cover and bake until lentils are tender but remain intact, 40 to 60 minutes. Mean-while, whisk oil and vinegar together in large bowl.
3. Drain lentils well; remove and discard garlic and bay leaf. Add drained lentils, olives, mint, and shallot to dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with feta, and serve.


ENJOY!

Anonymous wrote:Is this an ad? Seriously, what's the point of writing such long descriptions without including the recipes? I'd appreciate the recipe for the lentil salad and the potatoes, too. Thanks.

Not OP, but you can look them up on ATK website or probably YouTube.

P.S. OP, I love ATK too!

Is this an ad? Seriously, what's the point of writing such long descriptions without including the recipes? I'd appreciate the recipe for the lentil salad and the potatoes, too. Thanks.

I feel like an ATK marketer, as I've been telling everyone I know about this, but when you find something sooooo good, you have to share. This weekend, my hubby and I hosted a backyard bbq. The entire menu (granted, it was not overly fancy) came from America's Test Kitchen tv show/website.

First, the lentil salad. I've done lentil salad before, but it's always bland or mushy or both. Their method of soaking FRENCH green lentils, then cooking them in the oven...it turns out perfectly. I double the recipe and cook it for about 20 minutes longer than they say and everyone goes gaga over it.

Next, their method of baking potatoes over a thick-ish layer of kosher salt kept the potatoes moist and fluffy on the inside, and the olive oil coating for the last 20 minutes in a 500 degree oven crisped the outside so nicely, nearly all my guests ate the entire potato. (And their garlic butter is something everyone's probably tried, but the aromatics and salt that it bakes on makes the garlic even more flavorful!)

Finally, the main dish - smoked chicken. I honestly have never tasted chicken as mouth watering good as this chicken. I'm hungry just thinking about it. I'm usually a breast person, an occasional drumstick if that's all that's around, but never a thigh. I tasted all three types, and the drumstick was to die for. The thigh was almost as good. And in this version, the breasts were my least favorite. (I will say, I think we tad overcooked them, drying them out a little, though.) We have a split grill (1/2 charcoal and 1/2 propane) and we cooked the same cuts of chicken on both sides to see if one way was better than the other. It wasn't, both ways turned out fabulously. We used cherry wood chunks for smoking over the charcoal side, and oak wood chips for the propane side. (They suggested never using mesquite, as that causes a bitter taste.)

I have tried quite a few of ATK's recipes, and everything I've done, and following their instructions on, turns out great. My only complaint has been the number of ingredients or steps involved, which cause me to deviate a little, causing it to be good, but not great. This time, there were so few ingredients and steps, I followed everything to a t, and it was the best meal I've ever made. I set the bar high, though, as this was the first time I had one group over!

I love the show, I have their book, I want their magazine, but decided instead to just join their site. It's less than $15 a year, and already we're fatter and happier! lol

If anyone wants more info on the steps, please let me know and I'll reply, I just didn't want to overwhelm this op, in case no one really cares!