I posted a recipe on November 15th for curried chicken, brussel sprouts, butternut squash and onion. I made it tonight and made some changes. The original recipe called for boneless chicken thighs and I used bone in thighs. The first time I cooked the chicken on top of the vegetables like the recipe. Last night I cooked the chicken separately. This method worked out much better for bone in chicken. The chicken takes longer to cook and the vegetables don't get overcooked.
My friend, Jane, has also made this a couple of times. Once with broccoli, once with cauliflower and then with carrots. I guess this means use your favorite root vegetables. Mike and I can't get enough brussel sprouts. Jane said the broccoli was overcooked. If you cook the chicken and vegetables separately you could substitute any of these. If you use broccoli, start the chicken, then the squash and finally add the broccoli for the last 10 minutes.
The other thing that I did last night was that I only used about 1/2 of the butternut squash because it was so large. I will make soup out of the remainder.
Roasted Chicken and Vegetables my way
1 small butternut squash, trimmed, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1/2 large red onions, cut into thick slices
4 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon curry powder
4 skinless chicken thighs
Warm naan, for serving
Preheat the oven to 425° and position rack in the middle third. In a very large bowl, toss the butternut squash with the brussel sprouts, onion slices and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables on a large, sturdy rimmed baking sheet.
In the baking dish sprayed with vegetable spray, combine the cup of yogurt with the ginger, garlic, curry powder and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated. Roast for about 20 minutes, rotate the pan, and put the vegetables in the oven on the rack below the chicken. Cook another 15 minutes and stir vegetables, rotate pan and cook until the vegetables are tender and browned, and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to plates and serve with warm naan and yogurt.
Enjoy...again!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Everything but the kitchen sink minestrone
Mike has been enjoying the soups and chili I have made. He had suggested the split pea and his next suggestion was minestrone. I realized that between my pantry and freezer I could make a pretty good version of minestrone via my Southern roots and California home. I think minestrone is one of those soups where there as many versions as there are cooks in Italy so this is my version.
I used the canned beans I had in the pantry and the frozen veggies I had in the freezer. I used a Parmesan rind and anchovy paste to add richness and depth for unami. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami for an explanation.
Check out this article in Prevention magazine about not using canned tomatoes. Try using Pomi tomatoes in the tetra packs if you don't have your own canned tomatoes. http://www.prevention.com/7foodsthatshouldnever/list/1.shtml
I also like the idea of using chilis for the health benefits of capsaicin.
Minestrone
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 can pinto beans or whatever is in your pantry, rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken stock
3 cups tomato puree
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
12 ounces pasta
4 Italian turkey sausages, cooked and chopped into bite size pieces
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 inch piece Parmesan rind
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 cup red wine
Heat the olive oil and add the onion. Saute until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook until soft and fragrant.
Add the beans, chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add vegetables. Return to a boil and add the pasta. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook until the pasta is tender. If you are not going to eat the soup that night turn off the heat and let the pot sit until it cools down. When you reheat the soup the pasta will cook completely.
We ate it with crusty bread and the rest of the red wine. Enjoy!
I used the canned beans I had in the pantry and the frozen veggies I had in the freezer. I used a Parmesan rind and anchovy paste to add richness and depth for unami. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami for an explanation.
Check out this article in Prevention magazine about not using canned tomatoes. Try using Pomi tomatoes in the tetra packs if you don't have your own canned tomatoes. http://www.prevention.com/7foodsthatshouldnever/list/1.shtml
I also like the idea of using chilis for the health benefits of capsaicin.
Minestrone
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 can pinto beans or whatever is in your pantry, rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken stock
3 cups tomato puree
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
12 ounces pasta
4 Italian turkey sausages, cooked and chopped into bite size pieces
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 inch piece Parmesan rind
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 cup red wine
Heat the olive oil and add the onion. Saute until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook until soft and fragrant.
Add the beans, chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add vegetables. Return to a boil and add the pasta. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook until the pasta is tender. If you are not going to eat the soup that night turn off the heat and let the pot sit until it cools down. When you reheat the soup the pasta will cook completely.
We ate it with crusty bread and the rest of the red wine. Enjoy!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
White Turkey Chili
I made the White Turkey Chili while cooking the chicken thighs with yogurt and mustard. This is from Bon Appetit. November 1996. Here's the link: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Turkey-Chili-4560
I have made it many times including for my book group. Always a big hit! I made it one night ahead. I will serve it with warm crusty bread and unsalted butter.
White Turkey Chili my way
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced red onion
2 garlic cloves, pressed
4 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 pound ground turkey
26 ounces chicken stock
1/4 cup pearl barley
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 15- to 16-ounce can butter beans rinsed, drained
1 15- to 16-can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed, drained
Several dashes of hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
Chopped green onions
Grated cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Heat oil in large heavy saucepan. Add onion and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add cumin and stir for about 30 seconds. Add ground turkey and saute until no longer pink.
Add stock barley and herbes. Cook approximately 40 minutes until barley is tender.
Add beans and simmer another 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to simmer before serving.
Serve chili, passing green onions, cheese and sour cream separately.
Enjoy!
I have made it many times including for my book group. Always a big hit! I made it one night ahead. I will serve it with warm crusty bread and unsalted butter.
White Turkey Chili my way
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced red onion
2 garlic cloves, pressed
4 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 pound ground turkey
26 ounces chicken stock
1/4 cup pearl barley
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 15- to 16-ounce can butter beans rinsed, drained
1 15- to 16-can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed, drained
Several dashes of hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
Chopped green onions
Grated cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Heat oil in large heavy saucepan. Add onion and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add cumin and stir for about 30 seconds. Add ground turkey and saute until no longer pink.
Add stock barley and herbes. Cook approximately 40 minutes until barley is tender.
Add beans and simmer another 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to simmer before serving.
Serve chili, passing green onions, cheese and sour cream separately.
Enjoy!
Chicken with Yogurt and Mustard
This is one of my go-to chicken recipes. It is from Chef Laurence Jossel formerly of Chez Nous and now with Nopa. There are few ingredients and it is easy but has great flavor.
Chicken with Yogurt and Mustard my way
8 ounces plain non fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 skinless, chicken thighs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large baking ceramic baking dish mix yogurt and mustard. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.
Drag chicken through yogurt mixture on both sides. Bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake until done, approximately 15 more minutes.
I served this with roasted brussel sprouts tossed with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. It is also good with roasted sweet potato slices.
Enjoy!
Chicken with Yogurt and Mustard my way
8 ounces plain non fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 skinless, chicken thighs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large baking ceramic baking dish mix yogurt and mustard. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.
Drag chicken through yogurt mixture on both sides. Bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake until done, approximately 15 more minutes.
I served this with roasted brussel sprouts tossed with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. It is also good with roasted sweet potato slices.
Enjoy!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Split Pea Soup with Ham
Mike and I have had colds lately so we've been laying low. Mike requested split pea soup so here it is. I had no leftover ham and all the hams at the store looked like they had been injected with water and chemicals so I bought 2 slices of organic non cured ham (no nitrates!). If you prefer use smoked turkey.
Split Pea Soup with Ham
14 ounces organic green split peas
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, split, cored and pressed
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
approximately 8 cups chicken stock
2 large slices ham, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons thyme
kosher salt and pepper
Heat olive oil in large pot. Add onion and cook until it begins to soften. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add carrots and celery and cook about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add peas and cook approximately 60 minutes. Add the ham and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook until peas soft and ham heated through, about 30 minutes. Taste and season accordingly.
I'm serving this with warm crusty bread and red wine.
Enjoy!
Split Pea Soup with Ham
14 ounces organic green split peas
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, split, cored and pressed
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
approximately 8 cups chicken stock
2 large slices ham, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons thyme
kosher salt and pepper
Heat olive oil in large pot. Add onion and cook until it begins to soften. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add carrots and celery and cook about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add peas and cook approximately 60 minutes. Add the ham and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook until peas soft and ham heated through, about 30 minutes. Taste and season accordingly.
I'm serving this with warm crusty bread and red wine.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Fresh Pasta with Chicken Livers
I know that everyone does not love chicken livers like Mike and I do but remember they are high in iron, low in fat and very inexpensive-besides delicious. As far as substitutions, if you are like my mom use calves liver instead. I'm not sure what else you could substitute possibly sausage. But if you're open to new things please give it a try. I made a chicken dish on Monday from Food and Wine by Grace Parisi and guess what? This is one of hers too. It is from the December 2010 Food and Wine issue. http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/fresh-fettuccine-with-chicken-liver-sauce
I bought fresh pasta from Marin Pasta Works here in San Rafael. The shape I bought, tripoline, was a wide-ish noddle with 1 ruffly edge. You could use fresh fettuccine or tagliatelle. Here's their link: http://www.marinpastaworks.com/
The recipe called for shallot but I missed that somehow and didn't have any on hand so I used onion.
~1/2 pound chicken livers, trimmed
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon extra olive oil
1/2 large red onion, minced
1 garlic clove, halved, remove core and pressed
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
10 ounces fresh tripoline
2 cups quartered grape or cherry tomatoes
In a medium bowl, cover the chicken livers with the milk and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and pat completely dry.
In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken livers and cook over high heat until lightly browned on the bottoms, about 2 minutes. Turn the livers. Add the onion, garlic and thyme to the skillet and cook until the onion and garlic are fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and cook, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is evaporated and the livers are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Cut the livers into small bite size pieces. Add the butter and season with salt and pepper.
In a large pot of generously salted boiling water, cook the pasta until just al dente. Using tongs add the pasta to the chicken liver pan, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water. Add the tomatoes and the reserved pasta cooking water. Bring to a simmer over moderately low heat, tossing until the pasta is coated with the creamy sauce. Transfer to bowls and serve right away.
Mike was saying Wow! 10 minutes after he had finished his meal. We had it with a bottle of Vina Robles Signature 2007 Estate Cuvee, a blend of Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. Incredible!
Enjoy!
I bought fresh pasta from Marin Pasta Works here in San Rafael. The shape I bought, tripoline, was a wide-ish noddle with 1 ruffly edge. You could use fresh fettuccine or tagliatelle. Here's their link: http://www.marinpastaworks.com/
The recipe called for shallot but I missed that somehow and didn't have any on hand so I used onion.
~1/2 pound chicken livers, trimmed
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon extra olive oil
1/2 large red onion, minced
1 garlic clove, halved, remove core and pressed
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
10 ounces fresh tripoline
2 cups quartered grape or cherry tomatoes
In a medium bowl, cover the chicken livers with the milk and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and pat completely dry.
In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken livers and cook over high heat until lightly browned on the bottoms, about 2 minutes. Turn the livers. Add the onion, garlic and thyme to the skillet and cook until the onion and garlic are fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and cook, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is evaporated and the livers are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Cut the livers into small bite size pieces. Add the butter and season with salt and pepper.
In a large pot of generously salted boiling water, cook the pasta until just al dente. Using tongs add the pasta to the chicken liver pan, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water. Add the tomatoes and the reserved pasta cooking water. Bring to a simmer over moderately low heat, tossing until the pasta is coated with the creamy sauce. Transfer to bowls and serve right away.
Mike was saying Wow! 10 minutes after he had finished his meal. We had it with a bottle of Vina Robles Signature 2007 Estate Cuvee, a blend of Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. Incredible!
Enjoy!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Curried Chicken, Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash Roast
Mike and I love roasted vegetables, especially brussels sprouts. We also love butternut squash so I was very excited to see this recipe in the November 2010 issue of Food & Wine. I am also a fan of Grace Parisi who came up with this recipe combining my favorite fall vegetables. Here's the link: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/curried-chicken-and-vegetable-pan-roast
Roasted Chicken and Vegetables my way
1 small butternut squash, trimmed, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1/2 large red onions, cut into thick slices
4 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon curry powder
4 skinless chicken thighs
Warm naan, for serving
Preheat the oven to 450° and position rack in the middle third. In a very large bowl, toss the butternut squash with the brussels sprouts, onion slices and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables on a large, sturdy rimmed baking sheet.
In the same bowl, combine the cup of yogurt with the ginger, garlic, curry powder and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables. Roast for about 30 minutes, rotate the pan, cook another 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and browned, and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to plates and serve with warm naan and yogurt.
I love one dish meals and this is a winner!
Enjoy!
Roasted Chicken and Vegetables my way
1 small butternut squash, trimmed, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1/2 large red onions, cut into thick slices
4 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon curry powder
4 skinless chicken thighs
Warm naan, for serving
Preheat the oven to 450° and position rack in the middle third. In a very large bowl, toss the butternut squash with the brussels sprouts, onion slices and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables on a large, sturdy rimmed baking sheet.
In the same bowl, combine the cup of yogurt with the ginger, garlic, curry powder and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables. Roast for about 30 minutes, rotate the pan, cook another 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and browned, and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to plates and serve with warm naan and yogurt.
I love one dish meals and this is a winner!
Enjoy!
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