But what if the meal you were tossing together actually had the power to transform your life; a chicken recipe that is said to guarantee a proposal from your boyfriend, a pasta designed to help you conceive a baby, and even a salad said to send you into labor, once your penne gets you a 'positive'.
Well, according to a very smart & talented chef I know, who shared these delicious recipes with me, now you can test out this claim yourself, and perhaps you will be picking out dresses, choosing a date, or painting the nursery before you know it!
Engagement Chicken:
It may sound old-fashioned for a modern woman to hope that a chicken recipe would bring her a proposal. But Glamour magazine editor Cindi Leive points out that cooking for a boyfriend brings "the kind of flurry of domesticity that even the most modern young woman can experience."
Try the recipe, give it to a friend—oh, and let us know when it works!
Ingredients:
~ 1 whole chicken (approximately 4 pounds)
~ 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 3 whole lemons—including 1 sliced for garnish
~ 1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt
~ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
~ Fresh herbs for garnish (4 rosemary sprigs, 4 sage sprigs, 8 thyme sprigs, and 1 bunch fl at-leaf parsley)
1. Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the giblets from the chicken, wash the chicken inside and out with cold water, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander for 2 minutes.
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down in a medium roasting pan fi tted with a rack and pour the lemon juice all over the chicken, both inside and out. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper inside and out.
3. Prick 2 whole lemons three times each in three different places with a fork and place them deep inside the cavity. Chicken cavity size may vary, so if one lemon is partly sticking out, that’s fine. (Tip: If the lemons are stiff, roll them on the countertop with your palm before pricking to get the juices flowing.)
4. Put the chicken in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, turn the chicken breast- side up. Insert a meat thermometer in the thigh, and return the chicken to the oven and roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 180°F and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork. Continue roasting if necessary. Keep in mind that cooking times in different ovens vary; roasting a chicken at 350°F takes approximately 18-20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.
6. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. And here’s the secret: Pour the juices from the roasting pan on top of the sliced chicken— this is the “marry me juice.” Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.
Recipe: Let’s make a baby pasta: Penne with Spicy Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
~ Kosher salt
~ 3⁄4 pound penne
~ 2 tablespoons olive oil
~ 2 garlic cloves, minced
~ 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or slightly more for spicier results)
~ One 14-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
~ 1⁄4 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Preparation:
We don’t know why this pasta is so good at what it does. All we know is that Glamour.com food blogger Sarah Jio has made it three times for her husband; now they have three babies. You do the math.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add a large pinch of salt.
Add the penne to the pot and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Set aside 1⁄2 cup of cooking liquid, then drain and reserve the pasta in a serving bowl.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 30 seconds, being careful not to let the garlic brown. Add the tomatoes and crush them with the back of your spoon (leaving the sauce a bit chunky). Simmer until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. (Sauce will keep for up to three days in the fridge.)
Scrape the tomato sauce into the serving bowl with the pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle the cheese on top and serve — with red wine and candlelight!
Serving Size
Serves 2 to 4
Labor-Inducing Salad:
Ingredients:
Equal parts of:
~ Romaine lettuce
~ Watercress
~ Red Cabbage
Chop and toss together. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegrette (1 part balsamic vinegar, 3 parts extra virgin olive oil). Garnish with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese.
Want more delicious recipes to turn your serving spoon into a magic wand? Check out this fun & fantastic cookbook from Glamour editor-in-chief Cindi Leive:
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