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I’ve been craving a good home-cooked, home-style meal.  These gray days just make me want to turn on Netflix, get under a blanket and eat something warm and comforting.  Enter the Crockpot – a little work with a bigger return.  This time, I put an entire chicken in it and wow, it was literally falling off the bone when it was done.  Now this isn’t your beautiful, golden, crispy skinned chicken – this one is all about tenderness and flavor, and it delivers on both.

While a big pile of mashed potatoes would have been amazing with this, I opted for a slightly healthier, lower-carb option – mashed cauliflower.  I cut up an entire head and steamed it.  Admittedly, I did include one Yukon Gold potato, just to help with the texture – I mean come on, try as I might, that cauliflower is not going to turn out like potatoes do.  At any rate, when it was all tender, I followed the same process that you do with potatoes – a little butter, a splash of milk, some salt & pepper, and in this case some garlic powder….quite tasty if I do say so myself!  Tasty enough to fool my stomach (this time at least).  It’s definitely worth a try, if you haven’t already done it.

But back to the chicken.  It’s pretty simple – you cook up some onions, garlic and tomato paste, add a few other flavor components, then pour it all into the Crockpot.  Place the chicken on top and let it go.  The recipe calls for cooking it for 4-6 hours.  I went with 5, and I think I easily could have cut off at least 30 minutes, but it will depend on the size of your chicken as well as your Crockpot.   Get ready to enjoy the amazing aroma that will soon fill your house.

Here’s the recipe:

Brown Eyed Baker

By the way, this says to skim the fat from the cooking juices, then strain it and serve with the chicken.  I went ahead and cooked it down with a little flour to make it more of a gravy than juice.  I highly recommend that method.

And if what you’re looking for is that crispy-skinned version, look no further than this one – Oh. My. Yum:    The Bitten Word

It got cold here in DC, and that means its chili season.  In fact, I can’t believe I haven’t already made it this winter.  Beef stew made it into the line up once, but no chili…  I decided to follow the masses and make a chicken chili, which seems to be the cool thing to do these days.  I think I’ll always be partial to the ground beef variety that I grew up with, but if I’m going to stray from that, this is a good direction to go!

I first had this chili at a chili-tasting, of sorts, that my office held a while back.  Three people hauled in their crock-pots, each with a different kind.  I loved this from first bite.  I did make a couple changes to the recipe, but only slight ones, and it was mostly due to my grocery store not having the proper ingredients.  Here’s how it’s done:

Recipe adapted from: Chicken Chili

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or store-bought rotisserie chicken)

1 14.5oz can white beans, partially mashed

1 Tbsp canola or olive oil

1 medium jalapeno pepper, minced (I used 1 red jalapeno and 1 serrano chili)

2 medium poblano peppers, diced

1 large yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt & Pepper

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 ½ tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ancho chili powder (I used ¼ tsp chipotle chili powder and ¾ tsp regular chili powder)

1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes (my addition - chili isn't chili without some tomatoes)

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 limes, juiced (plus additional wedges for serving)

¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Instructions

So in the event that you are unaware, I am somewhat of a chicken salad queen around these parts.  That’s right.  So much so in fact, last week when a friend sent out a birthday invite, an immediate response from one of the guests was “Will there be chicken salad?”, and I think he was serious. 

I’ve been making the same kind for years.  One I just concocted on my own – it’s a basic recipe but with a couple little twists to give it some extra flair.  Obviously people like my flair as I’ve been asked for the recipe multiple times and finally had to actually think about each step and write it all down.  Seriously…once you’ve had a taste of my salad, you’ll definitely be back for more… 

I’m always on the lookout for new variations to try.  Last year I discovered a recipe for a poppy seed version, which I posted about here.  It’s also quite good.  The almonds add some crunch and the grapes give it a summery sweetness.

But now it’s on to the third!  This recipe was actually for a chicken salad wrap, which just sounded awesome.  I don’t know about you, but sometimes I go through phases of pretty much only wanting sandwiches or wraps, they are just so satisfying – a full meal wrapped up in one package.  However as I’ve mentioned before, I try to keep the carbs at a minimum as summer approaches (beach body, baby!), so I actually ate this over a bed of arugula.  It was delicious as a salad, and I’m sure would be even better as a wrap.  If you like Greek salad, this is a no-brainer, it’s healthy, filling and chock full o’ flavor.

Ingredients

1 (16 oz) can Chick Peas/Garbanzo Beans, drained

¼ cup Italian of Greek dressing (I made my own Greek dressing, see note)

¼ cup Greek yogurt or light sour cream (I used about 1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt)

1 cup cooked chicken, diced or shredded and cooled (Use 2 cups – its chicken salad!)

½ cup diced cucumber

2 Tbsp diced red onion

1 roma tomato, cored and diced

6 (8 inch) flour tortillas, warmed slightly for easy rolling (optional)

1 cup spinach (or arugula/mixed baby greens)

½ cup feta cheese

6 olives (regular or Kalamata), quartered

*I upped most of the ingredients, especially the chicken – stick with 1 can of beans though.

Instructions

Note:  For the Greek dressing, I measured nothing, but here is what I used – red wine vinegar, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, Dijon mustard, salt & pepper to taste, and EV olive oil.

The blog has taken a hit this year – I haven’t been writing nearly as much and there are several factors at play.  First, I’ve been thinking a lot about my next moves for Bakeri.  The trademark should (knock-on-wood) be going through any day now, and there is potential for my products to be sold at a venue I frequent on the regular, so that would be really cool.  But more details on all of that as I know more…

Next, I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to survive this race.  Ha.  I’ll make it through, of course, but this is definitely one of the biggest physical challenges I've placed on myself, possibly ever.  Well, there was this moment in New Zealand a couple years ago:

But that was quick – it was like, “Ok, are you going to do this or no?  What the f*@!, just do it – it’s New Zealand!!”  And it was amaazzzing.  I’m sure the relay will be as well and I really can’t wait for it, but it has definitely been at least a partial cause of my lack of sleep.  I wake up early and run, then come home from work and go to pilates.  Of course then I still try to be out and about having fun as much as possible – I mean, a lady needs a social life, right?!  And oh yeah, time to cook and bake too.  It’s been rough!  Assuming I manage to keep it all in check, it’s worth every minute of stress and exhaustion. 

All excuses aside though – let’s get to the cooking I did manage to do last weekend…

So who doesn’t love a big tender meatball?  I know this girl certainly does.  And ahem, I’m talking about chicken, people!

Summer’s coming (someday), and like it or not, that means less clothing, which means I start looking for more lean protein, low(er) carb meals.  I’ve made these meatballs a few times now and they have yet to get old.  First you sear them for a good crust, then you bake them in a basic marinara sauce topped with cheese.  The flavor comes mainly from the seasonings in the meatballs themselves, rather than the sauce, and that isn’t always the case with meatball recipes.  It means they taste great when they are first served.  However, the next day when you go back for more, the sauce has seeped into them and added even more flavor…basically you just can’t go wrong with this recipe.

You could definitely use whatever type of ground meat you like, or a mixture, but so far I’ve only used turkey and chicken and I like that they aren’t as heavy as beef.  Also, for added lightness, you could follow my lead and just omit the cream from the sauce altogether.  Sure, it adds richness and mellows out the acidity of the tomatoes, but in my opinion it’s just unnecessary fat and calories.  Other than that, I pretty much stuck to the recipe on this one, with the exception of increasing the herbs and crushed pepper a bit, as well as adding about 1 tsp. of dried oregano to the sauce. 

Of course you can serve these over pasta or as a sub, but if you wish to keep it a “light” meal, I often either eat the meatballs on their own, or over some spaghetti squash, which is a great low carb alternative.   Pick your poison and enjoy! 

If you’re anything like me, at the beginning of a new year all you want to do is try to stop eating.  By this point you have gorged yourself at a whole slew of holiday gatherings beginning way back in November and now you need to reign that shit in!

I love chicken salad, and the way I make it, it’s really not that bad for you.  I generally mix low-fat mayo with nonfat greek yogurt and always useless boneless skinless chicken breast that I cook with no additional fat (no butter, no oil).  In my holiday laziness a couple weeks ago I was watching Food Network and saw this version of chicken salad that I’d never had before.  I was intrigued.  Even though the person making it was  -gasp!, Trisha Yearwood – seriously.  I never thought I’d be taking cooking tips from a country singer.  At any rate, assuming you like each individual component of this salad, I think you’ll really like it – great combination of savory and sweet, crunchy and soft, and to be quite honest, I think it’s the prettiest chicken salad I’ve ever made – so colorful!  To compensate for the fact that I went all mayo this time (still low-fat), I’ll be eating it over a bed of arugula, rather than between two slices of bread.  You do what you gotta do though….

Ingredients

I’m afraid I don’t really measure anything when I make chicken salad.  I’ll indicate amounts where I remember what I used, but otherwise, it really is a matter of personal taste.

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, poached in chicken broth and seasonings

5 stalks celery, small dice

scallions, finely chopped – maybe 5-8?

Seedless red grapes, halved – I probably used about 1-2 cups

½ cup slivered almonds – recipe doesn’t call for it, but I dry-toasted these first

Fresh dill, chopped – about 2 tbsp

2 tbsp poppy seeds

Mayo – maybe about a cup?

Salt & Pepper to taste

Chop cooked chicken to the size dice you prefer, add all other ingredients, mix well with mayo, season with salt & pepper.  Enjoy!

I’m willing to bet that even if you’re not hungry, you’d start salivating a little when you get a whiff of fresh garlic hitting a hot pan.  We’re talking Pavlov style here.  There are a few things that always do it for me – garlic, the sound and smell of sizzling onions, and on the sweet side – the scent of cinnamon wafting from the oven - I’m a sucker for it.

This super simple recipe starts out with sautéing some chopped fresh garlic.  If you like to cook as I do, the smell invokes instant relaxation and puts everything swirling around in your head to rest, at least for the 30 minutes it takes to put this together. (Kind of how the sound of a running dishwasher makes you want to curl up on the couch with a blanket and nap….no?  Just me?)  It’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal and can easily be adapted as you’ll see below.  After cooking up the garlic and some peppers for a couple minutes, it’s really just a matter of tossing everything into one pot and letting it go.  Healthy, flavorful and high in protein, you can’t argue with that.

Recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats: 

(http://www.annies-eats.com/2012/11/05/mexican-quinoa/) 

Ingredients

2-3 tsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced – I used 3 medium sized cloves

3-4 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped – I subbed about 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained – I used red, but color doesn’t matter

1 ¼ cups vegetable broth – I used chicken broth

1 can (about 1 ½ cups) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, with juice

1 cup frozen corn (or kernels from 2 cobs)

½ tsp kosher salt

⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro – I used about 1 tsp dried cilantro

Squeeze of fresh lime juice

3 scallions, thinly sliced – my addition

Instructions

Heat olive oil in large saucepan (one that has a lid) over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and jalapeños/crushed red pepper and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in the quinoa and let it toast for 2-3 minutes.  Add broth, black beans, tomatoes, corn and salt and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the liquid is fully absorbed.  If using dried cilantro, add it when you have about 5 minutes of simmering left.  Once the liquid is absorbed, remove from heat.  Add the fresh cilantro and lime juice.

*Couple notes:  I had a leftover chicken breast, so I chopped that up and added it at the same time as everything else.  Nothing wrong with even more protein, right?  I also couldn’t believe this recipe didn’t include onion of some sort so I chopped up a few scallions and tossed them in for the simmer as well.  I think it adds a flavor that would have been lacking.

Optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream/plain Greek yogurt, salsa, avocado, etc.  Enjoy!

I flagged this recipe months ago and set it aside for when I had the itch to make something new and had a good group to cook for.  The opportunity came up last week and I’m glad it did as this one is pretty kick-ass.  Admittedly, I didn’t actually use soba noodles when I made it but that is only because they weren’t available at the grocery store I went to (seriously, why do I ever stray from the uber-reliable Giant in McLean, VA???).  I have since bought some soba noodles and definitely plan to re-do this recipe the way it was meant to be made.  My substitution was rice noodles (pad thai noodles) and they worked out really well, but I think the flavor of the soba would make it even better.  I doubled the recipe and 5 of us chowed on two servings each, finishing off the dish – a definite keeper.  I made a lot of little changes which I’ll note in the recipe below.  Who’s in for round 2?!

Ingredients

Recipe courtesy Brown Eyed Baker (www.browneyedbaker.com)

8 oz. buckwheat soba noodles (subbed rice noodles)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced in thin strips

1 cup shredded cabbage (for a shortcut, used the bagged pre-shredded stuff for coleslaw)

1 cup broccoli florets (use fresh not frozen)

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 tsps. fresh ginger, minced (omitted and used some ginger powder on the chicken I added)

4 scallions, thinly sliced

½ cup almond slivers (toast these in dry pan for better flavor and a little extra crunch)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Crushed red pepper flakes (omitted and added ground cayenne pepper to sauce instead)

Boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in thin strips (my addition – needed more protein – see notes in instructions)

Sauce:

3 Tbsp. almond butter (may need one extra for better consistency)

3 Tbsp. water

3 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

Instructions

If adding chicken, sauté in a large skillet (when doubling this recipe I used 3 chicken breasts) with some olive oil, S&P, garlic powder and several shakes of ground ginger), cook just until done and set aside.  Wipe out skillet and use for vegetables.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt.  Cook soba noodles just until al dente, rinse, drain and set aside.

In the skillet with a splash of olive oil, sauté the broccoli and red pepper for about 2-3 min then add shredded cabbage and cook a few minutes more.  Add the garlic and scallions (and ginger if using fresh) and cook for a couple more minutes until desired crispness.  Reduce heat to low, add noodles, chicken and slivered almonds then mix everything together.  Pour sauce over and toss to coat, warm through.  Serve immediately.

Oh and we also had this – yum!

As promised, I am finally sharing the recipe for chicken nuggets that I have now become famous for - “famous” is obviously used very loosely here - though apparently I am using the word “nuggets” too loosely as well.  I suppose these should be classified more as chicken chunks, but you get the idea…I take chicken breasts and cut them into 4-5 pieces each – can I help it if chicken is now genetically engineered and saline injected to be enormous?!  Perhaps if I was in France where the animals are still of their original natural size these would look more like the fast food size nuggets we Americans are used to.

At any rate, these are great and relatively healthy since they are baked rather than fried.  They have been a go-to for dinner since college, and they’re perfect for Winter Classic or Superbowl parties.  If you make a bunch, it’s a little time consuming but when you’re just making them for a couple people it’s quite simple.  Here’s the deal:

Preheat oven to 425º.  Place a cooling rack in a half sheet/jelly roll pan (or use a broiler pan) and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Prepare chicken by dipping each piece in flour, shaking off the excess, then dipping them in the eggs and finally into the bread crumb mixture.  Coat each piece well with the crumbs then place on the prepared pan.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes, flipping each piece half-way through.  You can also broil these to shorten the cooking time to about 14-15 minutes, but you have to pay close attention not to let the tops burn.  Cut one piece in half to ensure they are cooked through.

Serve with your favorite condiments, a side of mac-n-cheese or broccoli, or turn them into mini servings of chicken parmesan with some marinara and mozzarella.  Whatever you prefer, it’s hard to go wrong.

While it’s still unofficially summer, it is officially Wolf Trap season.  For those of you not familiar, Wolf Trap Farm Park in Virginia is, in my opinion, one of the absolute best outdoor venues for live music.  This is due in part to the fact that you are allowed to bring in your own food and alcohol.  I try to make sure I get to at least one show per summer – going there is what makes it truly feel like summer to me.  Sitting out under the stars, chowing down on too much food, and possibly even making nice with your picnicking neighbors and getting to try their homemade frozen whiskey sours – yum!

I recently went to Wolf Trap to see the Indigo Girls perform.  I know, I know, lesbian rock isn’t everyone’s thing, but let me tell ya, the people watching at their shows is amazing!  And you can usually overhear some pretty funny conversations – not to mention see more women with short spiky haircuts in one place than you could ever imagine.  Ahhh, good times.  But really, if you think you don’t like their music, give them another try and start with these songs….the super political “Shame on You” (because come on, this is the DC area), the make-you-want-to-roll-the-windows-down-and-go-on-a-road-trip “Get Out The Map” and the heart-wrenching “Power of Two” – wow.

Now on to the food.  A picnic generally calls for some sort of pasta salad, but I personally can’t stand the “macaroni salad” you find in pretty much every grocery store – ugh, way too sweet and often too soupy with mayo.  Several years ago my mom came across this recipe and I’ve been making it ever since.  I have no clue where she found it so unfortunately I can’t give credit where credit is due…sorry!

This pasta changes things up a bit.  It combines sweet and savory, adding fruit where you may not expect it and it works amazingly well.  Even if you’re not a fan of curry, try it – you can add as little or as much as you want.  The flavor combination is really delicious.

1 lb tri-color spiral rotini (I used whole wheat shells this time and I think I’m sticking with that)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in bite-sized pieces

1 cup red seedless grapes cut in half

1.5 cups cantaloupe cut in bite-size chunks (this was in the original recipe but I usually omit)

¾ - 1 cup celery thinly sliced   

1 cup mayo (More or less, depending on your preference.  I use Hellman’s Light)

Curry powder - to taste

S&P - to taste

1) Boil pasta according to package directions.  Drain, rinse and set aside.

2) Sauté chicken with a little olive oil, S&P, a couple shakes of curry powder and I use McCormick Montreal Chicken seasoning, of course.

3) While chicken is cooking, slice grapes, celery and cantaloupe and set aside.

4) Also while chicken is cooking, put mayo in a small mixing bowl, add curry powder, stir and taste until you reach your desired flavor.

5) Combine all ingredients in large bowl and stir to coat everything in the mayo.  Chill and serve.

What happened to spring?  It seemed to be here a couple weeks ago, but then I woke up to snow on the ground on Sunday….WTF?  Thankfully it looks like it may be reappearing this coming weekend.  The cold weather did allow me to get in one more batch of soup for the year. 

I’ve wanted to make popovers for a while now.  I got a King Arthur Flour gift card for Christmas and bought a popover pan – Step 1 complete!  It only took a couple months to get to Step 2, finding a recipe and actually making them – not bad for me.  I don’t know if you’ve ever been to BLT Steak, but they serve delicious popovers that have cheese melted on them.  So good.  I knew I wanted to do that for my first attempt and when I decided on Asiago cheese, it was also decided that the soup should have a Mexican theme, hence Tortilla Soup!

As I’ve never made Tortilla Soup before I decided to turn to old trusty, America’s Test Kitchen, and they did not disappoint.  This is actually a pretty easy dish to put together.  You puree what is essentially salsa and that becomes the soup base.  At the same time you boil some chicken in what will become your soup broth.  You separate, deconstruct, shred and recombine the ingredients and voilá – soup! 

The popovers are just as easy with only 4 ingredients (5 with my cheese addition), but way more impressive.  I felt like a little kid watching for Santa (I’m not the only one who has done that right??) as I peeked into the oven every few minutes and called to people to “Look look, they’re getting so big!”.  Ahhh, good times.  And wow, they were as good as I'd hoped.  Looks delish, huh?  For the popover recipe, check out this link:   ­http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/popovers-recipe

Now the details on the soup….

2 bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts (about 1 ½ lbs)

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 large white onion, peeled and quartered

4 medium cloves garlic, peeled

2 sprigs fresh epazote or 8-10 sprigs fresh cilantro + 1 sprig fresh oregano (I used 2tsp dried cilantro and a ½ tsp dried oregano)

2 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered (I used 3)

½ medium jalapeño chile

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce + up to 1 Tbsp adobo sauce

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Lime wedges

Avocado, diced into chunks

Cotija cheese, crumbled or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Fresh cilantro leaves

Crema Mexicana or sour cream (I used non-fat plain Greek yogurt)

Put chicken, ½ of the onion, 2 cloves garlic, herbs and broth in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Transfer cooked chicken to a large plate to cool.  Strain broth to remove all solids.  Discard solids and set broth aside.

Puree tomatoes, remaining onion and garlic, the jalapeño and chipotle with adobo in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Heat oil in dutch oven over high heat until shimmering.  Add puree and about ¼ tsp salt and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Stir strained broth into tomato mixture, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.  Taste and add seasonings as appropriate (salt, additional adobo, etc.)

When the chicken has cooled, remove skin and bones and shred (use two forks to pull it apart).  Add the shredded chicken to the soup and simmer until heated through.  Serve in bowls over tortilla strips and topped with the garnishes of your choice.

*This recipe calls for making your own tortilla strips, which I did, however I think my corn tortillas were too thick as they remained a bit chewy even after baking them longer than recommended.  I would say, take a shortcut and buy some good quality corn tortilla chips instead of making your own.  But if you want to….. cut 8 corn tortillas into strips, toss with 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and bake at 425 degrees for about 14 minutes, tossing once during baking. 

I love Indian food, but it’s always been sort of an intimidating cuisine for me in the kitchen.  There are so many flavors going on, and generally so many steps in the preparation of a meal that it’s certainly not something you can easily whip up during the work week unless you plan to eat at 9pm.  Well, yesterday was the perfect day for it – a lazy Sunday with rain beating down all day.  What better to do than invite over a cooking buddy and go to town….

My friend and I are both super anal in the kitchen – we like things sliced, chopped, stirred, poured, etc. all in a certain way (and not necessarily the same way!).  You’d think this would make it difficult to cook together, but for some reason it always works out well.  Especially in the case of yesterday where we each had our own dish to prepare.  She made a vegetable curry with chickpeas and potatoes while I focused on Chicken Tikka Masala, something I have been talking about making for at least a year now.

Was it as good as I had hoped?  Hell yes, it was delicious!!  America’s Test Kitchen does it again, with my little tweaks of course since I can’t seem to ever follow a recipe exactly….

Here are the basics-

Toss the pieces of chicken in the spice rub and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  In the meantime mix up the yogurt mixture.  After the chicken has marinated, dip each piece in the yogurt mixture (make sure it has a good amount coating it) and place on a foil-covered broiler pan.  ATK says to broil the chicken about 6 inches from the heat for 10-18 minutes (internal temp should be 160-165º).  My old-school oven does not let me regulate distance to the heat source so I thought it would be safer to bake the chicken, then just finish it off in the broiler.  I baked it at about 425º for 20-25 minutes then broiled it for about 3 minutes, just enough time for the yogurt coating to form a crust.  Remove from oven and set aside until the sauce is ready.    

While the chicken is baking, heat oil in a large dutch oven and sauté onions for the sauce (I used about an extra ½ cup of chopped onion).  After about 8 minutes or so when they have become translucent, add in the garam masala and other flavorings (garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, tomato paste).  Cook everything for a few minutes, then pour in the can of chopped tomatoes, sugar and salt.  Let this come to a boil then reduce to simmer for about 15 minutes.  At this point I did a taste test to see if the serranos made it spicy enough – of course they didn’t so I added a dash of cayenne, a dash of salt as well as about a ½ tsp of cumin.  The extra seasonings may depend on the garam masala used.  This version seemed a bit cinnamon-heavy so the extra cumin was needed to add more of that warm earthy/smoky flavor.  When the flavor is to your liking, add the cream and stir to combine.  Since dutch ovens stay hot for quite some time, I recommend turning off the heat and just letting the sauce sit for about 15 minutes or so to allow the flavors to meld.

**SIDENOTE – even though your friends may laugh at you, as mine did, I recommend wearing latex gloves to chop up the serrano chili – the last thing you want is to accidentally rub your eyes before washing your hands.  Also a great trick for avoiding 3 days of garlicky smelling fingers!**

While waiting on the sauce, cut the chicken into chunks about ½” – 1” in size, making sure to sneak a few bites as that yogurty crust is awesome!  After letting the sauce sit, turn the heat back on low and stir in the cilantro and chunks of chicken just until everything is hot.  Serve over steamed basmati rice and try your best not to eat the entire pot yourself.

If you still have some energy left, mango lassis are a great accompaniment to this meal and they’re super simple to make.  Just puree fresh mango, plain yogurt, mango nectar, some agave syrup or honey (if necessary for sweetness) and a bit of ice until smooth.  Yum!  This is what I call a great Sunday dinner.

Recipe from America's Test Kitchen

Chicken:

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut in half)

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp minced or grated fresh ginger (I used ginger powder)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced or through a press

Sauce:

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 medium cloves garlic, minced or through a press

2 tsp minced or grated fresh ginger (again, used powder)

1 serrano chile, minced

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 tsp sugar

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I used 1/2 tsp dried)

Everyone has a go-to weeknight dinner right?  I mean something other than fried eggs on toast…though that is also one of my faves!  Well, this chicken & broccoli dish is really easy and quite delicious.  It’s hard to go wrong with chicken and pasta in general, but when I discovered this flavor combination, it quickly became a repeat dinner.

First, cut a boneless skinless chicken breast into ½” cubes. (One breast should be enough to serve 2 people)  Sauté with some olive oil and McCormick Montreal Chicken Seasoning.  Add in a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or some Turkish biber (a dried red pepper) to give the chicken a little kick!

At the same time, boil the pasta of your choosing (I like whole wheat penne or whole wheat orzo), and either sauté or steam some broccoli.  When everything is cooked and the pasta is drained, combine everything in one pot.  Add more olive oil and either milk or cream.  You need just enough milk or cream to make everything come together – probably a couple turns of the pan as you pour (maybe ¼ - ⅓ cup).  Add a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese, stir to combine and heat through just until cheese melts and becomes creamy.  Salt and pepper as needed.

Not the prettiest dish out there, but super tasty – enjoy!

The holiday binge is over and eating habits are getting back to normal….thank goodness!  I got a fabulous present this year – a gorgeous Le Creuset Dutch Oven that I have been wanting for years (thanks again!!), so of course I keep trying to come up with things to make in it.  So far, it’s just been soup (butternut squash was first), but my next endeavor will be the whole wheat bread mentioned in my last post – can’t wait to see how that turns out!

In the meantime, let me tell you about this soup.  Since I’m trying to get back to my normal (relatively) healthy diet I wanted to make something simple and low-cal but still tasty.  I remembered this recipe from an old Women’s Health magazine (Jan/Feb 2010) and thought it would be perfect for this weekend.  It has to simmer for quite a while and I knew I’d be inside most of today taking down Christmas decorations, hauling the tree to the curb (sad!) and getting my apartment back in order.  Everything is done and my dinner was delicious!  Here’s how it’s done:

2 tsp olive oil

1 pound chicken breast, cut in bite-sized pieces (I doubled this recipe and used 3 boneless skinless breasts)

1 large carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

¼ leek or 3 scallions thinly sliced (I used scallions)

⅓ cup brown rice

2 tsp dried thyme

1 can (14.5oz) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, including juice

6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of cayenne pepper (my addition, optional)

Pinch of garlic powder (my addition, optional)

Heat olive oil in saucepan.  Add chicken and sauté until just cooked.  Transfer to a dish and set aside.  Add carrots, celery and leeks/scallions and sauté about 3 minutes.  Add rice and thyme and sauté another 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.  Add the chicken back to the pot.  Add tomatoes and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer 30-45 minutes until rice is cooked.  I continued to let it simmer for another half hour or so to let all the flavors meld.

As mentioned, I added a little cayenne and garlic.  I think it needs the garlic to mellow out the thyme, and as for the cayenne – well I seem to like everything with a little kick these days.  The result?  Very good.  Hearty and comforting yet still light….just what I needed today.  Enjoy!

This dish started with a recipe at some point, likely from The Washington Post, but I haven't referenced one in years.  I eat a lot of chicken so I am constantly looking for things to do with it.  I had cacciatore at a friend's house many many years ago and have been making it and tweaking the recipe ever since.  Its a great hearty comfort food that isn't too heavy.  I think at this point, my mish-mash of ingredients is quite consistent from batch to batch so I thought I should finally write it down.  Here goes!

(enough for multiple servings)

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" chunks

1 large or 1 ½ medium yellow onions, cut in a large dice

3-4 Bell peppers, cut in a large dice (definitely use at least one green for that peppery flavor)

3 cloves garlic, minced (or about 1 tsp garlic powder)

2 28oz cans tomatoes (stewed or diced work very well, but for this batch I used whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes that I mashed up in the pot)

1 small can tomato sauce (optional/if necessary, depends on how thick you want the sauce)

Couple splashes of wine (white preferred but red will work in a pinch)

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried parsley

Couple pinches cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

In a large pot with some olive oil, cook the chicken on medium-high heat until just beginning to brown on all sides.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and anything else you may like (I highly recommend McCormick Chicken Seasoning).  When starting to brown, remove from pot and set aside - it will finish cooking later in the sauce.

Add the onion and garlic to the pot with a little more olive oil if necessary.  Cook until the onion begins to become translucent, then add the peppers.  Cook for a few minutes until the onions and peppers have softened.  Add the tomatoes and sauce, if using, followed by all of the herbs, wine and cayenne.  Give everything a good stir then turn down the heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes add the chicken back to the pot, including any juices that have accumulated.  Stir to combine and once again, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Do this one or two more times, tasting each time to see if you need to add anything - more spices, garlic, salt, etc.

After 30 minutes or so of simmering you should be good to go!  I have seen cacciatore served over both rice and pasta. I personally prefer rice and I typically use long grain brown rice - gotta make sure the carbs you take in are healthy ones, right?  One note - a general rule of thumb, at least in my kitchen, is that rice should almost always be cooked in some sort of broth or stock rather than water, its a great way to add a little more flavor.  For this dish, I use chicken broth.  Enjoy!