Roasted Chicken Thighs with Couscous

I can't believe it's been a year since I've last posted a recipe. It's not that I haven't been cooking -- I've actually found some great recipes and made some tasty dishes. I just haven't been "feeling it" with regard to blogging my recipes. Perhaps it's that back-to-school time of year, or the fact that I tried two new recipes this week that I thought were keepers, but I am feeling inspired today to post them. Both are great for weeknights because they don't take a lot of time or ingredients. I'll post the recipe for the roasted chicken thighs here, and the other one in a separate post.

This recipe for roasted chicken thighs is my own version of a recipe that I found on the Martha Stewart Everyday Food site. In her recipe, she cooks the couscous in water which is something I find in a lot of her recipes. I don't see the point in cooking things like rice or quinoa or couscous in water when using broth will give a dish so much more flavor. So, I made that change in the recipe; I also added carrots and different spices. I think this is one of those recipes that offers a lot of versatility. You could really spice it up with cayenne or curry powder. In the fall, it might be a great way to use root veggies like parsnips or some different kinds of squashes.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Couscous
(inspired by Martha Stewart Everyday Food)
serves 4-6

• 8 chicken thighs
• cumin
• paprika
• 2 zucchini (about 1 pound total), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
• 1 -2 arge carrots cut into rounds
• 1 cup couscous
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
  
  -- Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in upper third.
• -- Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika and cumin; place, skin side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes.
• -- Remove sheet from oven, and turn chicken, skin side up. Scatter zucchini and carrots around chicken, and season with salt and pepper; toss with pan juices. Return sheet to oven, and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 7 to 10 minutes more.
• -- Meanwhile, bring 1 1/4 cups chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in couscous.
• -- Cover, and let stand until all the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in parsley, vinegar, roasted vegetables, and 2 tablespoons pan juices; season with salt and pepper.
• -- Serve chicken with vegetables and couscous.

Pasta with Steak and Arugula

Nothing like building a new house to keep you from blogging. Even in all the chaos that is my life right now, I have actually been cooking. Well, not much in the past few weeks as most of my kitchen paraphernalia is packed up in boxes. But, I've been saving some recipes that I've been meaning to post.

My hubby has what some might call a "sensitive stomach." In actuality, the poor guy has lately been suffering from reflux which really limits what he can eat. For instance, he should really stay away from onion, garlic, and tomatoes. We're Italian. I like to cook Italian food. How's this going to work? So, that takes an entire category of pasta sauces off the menu. Cream sauces, you say? Nope. He needs to avoid the heavy creams and fats of say an Alfredo or vodka sauce. Thus, I've been on the lookout for recipes with light sauces that don't rely on tomato as a base.

Of course, Giada came through for me with her recipe for Penne with Beef and Arugula. While I didn't follow her recipe precisely, I did use it as inspiration. The result was an incredibly easy meal that can be served hot or at room temperature, and would make a perfect potluck contribution. Giada's recipe called for a strip steak, but I have also used a skirt steak and tri-tip. In addition, I decreased or eliminated altogether some of the ingredients in her recipe.

Pasta with Steak and Arugula

(inspired by Giada di Laurentiis)

Serves 4

1 pound steak (strip, skirt or flank)

1 whole, peeled garlic clove

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound penne

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (you could use a little less than 1/4 cup here)

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more for steak)

1/2 teaspoon pepper (plus more for steak)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 cups chopped fresh baby arugula

Freshly grated Parmigiano cheese

-- Season steak with salt and pepper.

-- Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat and add steak and garlic clove.

-- Let steak cook about 5-7 minutes per side, depending on your desired doneness. Remove clove if it starts to overcook.

-- Once steak is finished, remove from skillet and let sit about five minutes. Once rested, slice it thinly.

-- Cook penne in boiling, salted water.

-- While pasta is cooking, add vinegar, olive oil, mustard, basil, salt and pepper to mixing bowl and whisk to mix.

-- When penne is al dente, reserve about 1/3 cup of the pasta water, and drain.

-- In a large bowl, toss the pasta with about 1/2 of the oil and vinegar mixture, and half of the pasta water.

-- Add the arugula and steak, and more dressing and water as needed.

-- Season with salt and pepper.

-- Add fresh Parmigiano cheese as desired.

Notice, that I used a whole clove of garlic instead of mincing it, per Giada's version. Since I am trying to protect R's stomach, I kept the garlic whole which simply infuses some of the flavor and aroma of garlic without actually having to eat it.

This recipe is also a great way to use left over steak. If you are going to do this, just slice the steak into bite-sized strips, and warm up in a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil. Just keep it in the skillet long enough to warm it through, but not cook it any further.

Afghan Stew

I don't have a lot of experience with Afghan cuisine except to know that it's awfully tasty, so when I found a recipe for Afghan lamb stew with spinach, I knew I had to try it. To be frank, I am not sure how authentic that recipe really is, but I only used it as a starting point anyway. I actually made a fair amount of changes to it, and I believe I came out with a more flavorful result. For instance, I replaced the water with beef broth and added red wine. I also dusted the lamb with flour for a richer flavor. In addition, I added more spices than were called for in the recipe.

One of the the things that I really like about making things like stews is that you generally have a lot of room to experiment and can easily adjust the taste of the dish with the kind and quantity of spices you use. However, it also means that I often toss things into my dishes without really measuring them. So when you check out my recipe, keep in mind that the quantities are just estimates. You should definitely feel free to adjust the seasoning according to your own tastes and what you already have in your spice cabinet.

Afghan Lamb Stew
(serves 4)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound cubed lamb stew meat
flour for coating meat
salt and pepper to taste
dash of beef grill seasoning
2 cups beef broth
1/3 cup dry red wine
cayenne pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
dash of Old Bay seasoning (optional)
3 cups chopped chard
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

-- Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat.
-- Add the onion and cook until transparent.
-- Increase heat to medium, and add garlic and lamb. Cook, stirring frequently, until meat is browned on the outside.
-- Pour in the broth, wine, and season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, and Old Bay.
-- Bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to low.
-- Cover the pan, and continue cooking for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
-- Add chard and cilantro to the meat mixture, and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
-- Serve over rice.


The original recipe calls for the stew to be served over basmati rice, but I didn't happen to have any in my pantry, so I just used some jasmine rice -- almost any rice will do. I always use broth instead of water to cook rice, so this time I used beef broth to complement the flavors of the stew.

I happen to like my food really spicy (I have an asbestos tongue), but since I am also feeding the husband and kids, I kept it toned down a little. You can easily crank up the spice by using more cayenne or Old Bay. If you make it too spicy, you can dilute it by adding more of the liquid, or even adding a little sugar. If you end up with too much liquid, you can just thicken it up by adding some cornstarch.

The original recipe calls for spinach, but I happened to have two big beautiful heads of chard in my kitchen, so I used that instead. I think that you could use just about any leafy green in this recipe.

The result was really tasty and could be tweaked in so many different ways. I think that next time I might add a little cinnamon and see what that does to the taste. You could also add diced tomatoes for an even heartier stew. I might also drop a dollop of yogurt on top when serving (this would also help cut some of the heat if you've got a spicy dish).

Is it Pasta? Is it a Salad? Is it a Pasta Salad?

My husband and I are leaving on a tropical vacation in a couple of weeks, and are just vain enough to want to make sure we'll look decent in our bathing suits.  So, we've been trying to eat lighter for the past few weeks.  Now, I know what you're thinking:  pasta isn't the way to lose weight.  But, this dish can take as little or as much pasta as you want to add.  That's why I am not sure whether to call it a salad or a pasta.  If you decide to use a pound of pasta, I guess it's really a pasta dish.  But if you want to keep it on the lighter side, you could use just a 1/2 pound of pasta and add more zucchini, spinach and/or chicken breast.   I'll write it out with the quantities I used the other night.  It was enough to be dinner for two adults and two kids.  

Zucchini, Chicken, and Pasta Salad

(serves 2-4)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper

2-3 zucchini, thinly sliced

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup, chopped fresh spinach

2 scallions, minced

1/2 pound pasta (you can use long pasta like linguine, or short pasta like penne)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

-- Add pasta to pot of boiling, salted water.

-- While pasta cooks, whisk together the 1/4 cup of olive oil and lemon juice in a large bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  

-- Add zucchini, and toss to coat.  Let rest while cooking the chicken

-- In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  

-- Cook chicken until golden on both sides, and cooked through.

-- Remove chicken from skillet and slice into thin pieces.

-- Once pasta is cooked to al dente, drain and add to zucchini mixture.  Toss with another tablespoon of olive oil to make sure pasta doesn't get sticky.  

-- Add chicken, spinach, scallions, Parmesan to bowl.  Mix and serve warm or let cool and serve at room temperature.  

What I like about this recipe is that it is so versatile and lends itself to additions and substitutions.  For instance, instead of using regular olive oil and a lemon, I used my favorite Meyer lemon infused olive oil.  If you want more veggies, you could include more spinach or zucchini.  You could even add sweet English peas or yellow crookneck squash as well.  You can adjust the amount of pasta depending on whether you're looking for a one-dish meal, or a side.  You can eat it warm or at room temperature.  And, I am pretty sure that it would make a good dish for a potluck.  In fact, I have one coming up next week -- I think I know what I'll bring!  

Green Risotto

A friend of mine was coming over to dinner tonight with her daughters and I knew I wanted to make a risotto -- I like to do the one-dish meal when we're having the dinner-playdate.  I wanted to make something different than my normal repertoire of risottos, so I was poking around the internet for some ideas when I came across a recipe for risotto with fava beans.   Given that it's the middle of March, I knew that it was probably too early to find favas.  I tried three places, including our farmers' market, and discovered I was correct:  I need to wait a couple more weeks.  Instead, I found some English peas and decided to use them instead.   Since I like the sweetness of fresh peas, I thought that it might be nice to use scallions in addition to yellow onion.  I also figured that a touch of lemon would work too, so when I pureed the peas, I used the meyer lemon olive oil that I love.  If you don't have access to lemon-infused oil, you can always use regular extra virgin olive oil and add freshly-squeezed lemon juice.  

Green Risotto

(4-6 servings)

1/2 lb fresh English peas

1/4 cup lemon-infused olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped 

3-4 scallions, white and light green parts only

5 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

1/3 cup fresh grated Parmigiano cheese, plus more to taste

-- Add shelled peas to boiling salted water.  Blanch for 1 minute, then drain and submerge in ice water to stop cooking process (and keep peas bright green).

-- When cool, puree peas with olive oil and set aside.

-- In saucepan, bring broth to a simmer and keep hot.

-- In a separate large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in medium heat.

-- Add onions and scallions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

-- Reduce heat to medium-low, and add rice.  Toast rice until opaque and it starts to release a nutty aroma, about 2 minutes, stirring the entire time.

-- Add wine and stir until liquid is mostly absorbed, and then add one ladle of broth.  

-- Continue to stir until broth is absorbed and add another ladle of broth. Stir frequently.  Repeat this process until rice is al dente and has a creamy consistency, about 2o minutes.   

-- Add pea puree to risotto, and stir until well-blended.   

-- Remove from heat, add remaining butter and Parmigiano cheese, and stir to incorporate. 

-- Serve immediately with more cheese to taste.  

The color of the pureed peas is so pretty -- a bright celery green color.  When you add it to the rice, it gives the entire dish a lovely light green hue.  I wish I had taken a photo of it, but since the meal was for guests, I didn't want to bring out the camera and start taking pictures of my meal.  Next time I make it, I'll take a picture.  Oh, and there will be a next time.  My 4-year-old (my toughest critic) loved it, and even had two helpings, consuming green veggies without even realizing it.  Another thing I could have done was to have reserved some of the peas before I pureed them, and then added the whole peas to the risotto when I added the puree.  But, knowing that I was going to be feeding four children under the age of 5, I figure that calling attention to the presence of vegetables would be a mistake.   In addition, I served the risotto with a simple arugula salad (which my 2-year old gobbled up).

I haven't given up on the fava beans.  Once they're in season, I am going to try this one again with the favas.  

Quiches (I promise not to make any jokes about "real men" and quiche)

I have a new favorite dish to make:  quiche.  Let me extol the virtues of the sublime quiche.  They're easy to make, they're versatile, they make great dishes for entertaining or for just the family, you can add all kinds of good-for-you veggies, they're a great pot-luck meal, they can be used for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and best of all, they're really tasty! 

In the past couple of weeks, I've made two recipes that I've found particularly easy.  Both are variations on recipes found originally on Allrecipes.com, but the two quiche recipes below reflect my own changes.  In addition, I use a ridiculously easy pie crust recipe that works perfectly with both sweet and savory dishes alike; it too comes from allrecipes.com.   

No-Roll Pie Crust II
Courtesy of allrecipes.com, submitted by Laura_1221
(makes one 9-inch pie crust)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons of milk

-- In a 9-inch pie plate sift flour, sugar and salt.  Make a well in the center and pour in oil and milk.
-- Mix with a fork and then press into the bottom and sides of a pie plate.  
-- Can be used as is for recipes that call for an unbaked crust.  
-- For recipes that call for a baked crust, preheat oven to 450F, bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  

Potato, Ham, and Onion Quiche
(serves 8)

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
2 cups of shredded hash browned potatoes (thaw if using frozen)
1/3 cup butter, melted
salt to taste
1 cup diced cooked ham
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
 
-- Preheat oven to 425F
-- Press hash browns into the bottom and sides of the pie crust. 
-- Drizzle with butter and sprinkle with salt
-- Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until potatoes begin to brown
-- In a small bowl, combine ham, onion, and shredded cheese.   In a separate bowl, whisk togethereggs, milk, salt, and pepper.  
-- When crust is ready, spread ham mixture evenly on the bottom, then cover with the egg mixture.
-- Reduce oven temperature to 350F, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until filling is puffed and golden brown.  

Spinach Quiche
(serves 8)

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
1 (10-ounce) package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 bunch of green onions, finely chopped (white parts only)
4 eggs, beaten
1 (16 ounce) package of cottage cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

 
-- Preheat oven to 325F
-- Place spinach in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until soft.  Drain off any remaining liquid.
-- Stir in green onions, eggs, cottage cheese, and cheddar cheese. 
-- Pour mixture into crust.  
-- Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes, or until eggs are set

 

A Perfect Dish for Delivery: Turkey and White Bean Chili

A common thing in mom communities is to bring dinner for families with new babies. So, when someone has a new baby, one friend makes a list of dates and circulates it among all the other friends. Each person signs up for a date and delivers dinner for the family. It's a really helpful thing for the new mom -- when my youngest was born, I had so many meals from my friends and the other moms at my daughter's preschool that didn't have to cook for more than a month! And if you're the one delivering the meal, you want it to be tasty, you want to appeal to all the members of the family (which generally includes toddlers or preschoolers who can be notoriously picky), and let's face it: you want it to be easy. Well, I've found one such recipe: Turkey and White Bean Chili.

I've made this a few times for other moms, and will probably be making it again this week for a meal that I am delivering on Friday. One of the great things about this recipe is that it's really quick and easy to make. It also lends itself to doubling quite well. What I have been doing is making a double batch the night before I need to deliver it. I use one half of it for my family on the night that I make it. Then, I use the other half for delivery the next day. And since chili actually tastes better the longer it sits, delivering it the next day means that my friend's family gets an even tastier version. I save it in the refrigerator in the Dutch oven in which I cooked it (with the lid on) so that the next day I can just pop it on the stove and warm it up before I deliver it. That way, I can bring it to my friend nice and warm and ready to eat.

I can't remember where I found the original recipe. But over time I've made a bunch of my own alterations to it, so by now it has really become my own. I don't have any pictures right now, but perhaps when I make it tomorrow night, I'll take some and add them to this post.*

Courtney's Turkey and White Bean Chili
makes 5-6 servings
1 red onion chopped
1/3 cup chopped pasilla pepper
1 clove minced garlic
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 14oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 14oz can chicken broth
1 tablespoon of cilantro paste or 1/2 cup chopped, fresh cilantro

-- Heat large saucepan over medium heat
-- Add the first 4 ingredients (through turkey) and cook for about 6 minutes or until the turkey is done, stirring frequently to crumble
-- Stir in chili powder and the next 8 ingredients (through broth)
-- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer at least 10 minutes
-- Stir in cilantro

And a few notes...
-- I generally serve this with shredded jack cheese, sour cream, nacho chips, and lime wedges. Not only do these things add to the flavor, but it also makes it more fun and enticing for little kids.

-- I tend to use pasilla peppers because they're not too hot. But, you can substitute any green pepper. In fact, if you are cooking for anyone who doesn't love spicy food, you can use just a small portion of the pepper in the chili, and keep the remainder aside for folks to add on their own. This is how I do it when I am delivering it.

-- I also use cilantro paste instead of fresh cilantro only because I don't use fresh cilantro often enough to warrant buying an entire bunch. Inevitably, I use what I need for a recipe, and then end up wasting the rest of it. So, I always keep a tube of cilantro paste in the refrigerator so that I have some on hand when I need it. But you can use the fresh stuff, if you like.

This dish is perfect on its own as a meal, but you can also add a salad to make sure you get your green veggies. Enjoy!

*I made it tonight and remembered to take a picture as it simmered on the stove. (4/3/08)

Risotto Rules

Once again, I've lagged on keeping up with my blog. It's not because I haven't found any good recipes, but simply because I haven't found much time to sit down and blog about them. But, this week I made a risotto and received rave reviews from the entire family -- even my hard-to-please three-year old. Newly inspired, here I am blogging about it.

I can't believe it, but it seems that I haven't yet blogged about risotto. Risotto is one of my favorite dishes to make (and eat). It's versatile, easy, relatively quick (can be completed in less than an hour), and can be used as a one-dish meal. I love finding new recipes and experimenting with various ingredients.

Recently I came across a Giada De Laurentiis recipe for Dirty Risotto and modified it in these ways:
-- I didn't have any pancetta in the house, but had some bacon that I needed to use. So, I substituted about three strips of bacon for the pancetta.
-- Her recipe calls for one link of spicy Italian sausage. I chose to use the sweet Italian sausage instead since my girls and husband can't handle the hot sausage. Personally, I would love it to be spicy, spicy, spicy, but I had to keep it low-key for them. I also added a second link since I wanted it to be meatier.
-- Giada includes red bell pepper in the recipe, but I omitted it.
-- Instead of button mushrooms, I used the cremini mushrooms that I already had in the house
-- I had a Maui onion, so I used that. It's a sweet onion, and it worked really nicely with the bacon and the sausage.
-- Mario Batali adds butter to his risotto once it's done. I've taken to doing that as well. It just adds a little more creaminess.
-- I also always add more wine than risotto recipes call for. I probably used about double (1 1/2 cups).
-- I omitted the parsley as my daughter regards anything green in her food with suspicion.

You can check out the original recipe as Giada wrote it on the The Food Network website. Here is my version.

Courtney's Dirty Risotto
(makes 4-6 servings)
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
3 strips bacon, chopped
2 links sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
1 Maui onion (or other sweet onion), finely chopped
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups Arborio or medium-grain white rice
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, and more to taste

-- In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.
-- In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bacon and sausage and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
-- Add the onion and mushrooms and saute until tender, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes.
-- Season with salt
-- Add the rice, and stir to coat, allowing it to "toast" slightly -- about 1 minute
-- Add the wine, and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute.
-- Add a ladle of broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes
-- Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth one ladle at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 minutes total.
-- Remove from heat, and mix in remaining butter. Stir in Parmesan.
-- Serve immediately with additional Parmesan to taste.

Try it out. Once you get the hang of risotto, I promise you'll be experimenting with all different variations of it.