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By mlb, on May 13th, 2013%
This is a great spring or summer meal. First of all, it has an easy one pot type set up (always a plus) and it’s Spanish in influence, which always makes me think of sunny weather. You could easily skip the chorizo if you can’t find any (this requires the real, cured Spanish variety) but if you can track some down it’s highly recommended.
In the oven, the broth, spices, and chorizo kind of work this magic and transform into a thick, flavorful broth. The potatoes are well, potatoey and get all infused with that awesome broth and the fish makes it healthy for you. If you added some bread and a hunk of manchego cheese on the side, you would be even happier. Trust me on that.
As a side note: I often wonder how I got along in the world before I discovered smoked paprika.
Baked Fish, Potatoes and Spanish Chorizo
Adapted from Real Simple magazine; serves two, easily doubled.
1 tbsp . . . → Read More: Baked Fish, Potatoes and Spanish Chorizo
By mlb, on April 15th, 2013%
Recently, Freekehlicious offered to send me some Freekeh from to try, which was very exciting, as I had heard of the grain before and had wanted to experiment with it for awhile.
So, what is freekeh, you ask? Well, freekeh is a grain that I think looks a little like spelt. “Young roasted green wheat is harvested while still young and green, then parched, roasted and dried. The process captures and retains the grains at the state of peak taste and nutrition.” And besides that, it’s just a really tasty whole grain and a healthier replacement for rice (or even pasta).
The cooking time is about what you would expect — 20-30 minutes. For the sake of experiment, I tried soaking it for 8 hours, while I was as work, before cooking and was able to then cook it in about 10 minutes (this was the cracked freekeh, but I’m sure that would work with the whole grain freekeh as well).
When looking for inspiration for freekeh, I turned to one of the cookbooks that I usually look to first when I need some ideas on what to do with . . . → Read More: Freekeh with Green Onion Sauce, Toasted Walnuts, Asparagus and Tuna + a Giveaway
By mlb, on March 10th, 2013%
Over the next couple of days I’m going to be posting two ideas for St. Patrick’s Day meals and this first one uses two very Irish ingredients — Guinness stout and lamb. It does take awhile to cook but the reward is worth it.
Of course, there’s also the challenge of finding a pot big enough to fit the lamb shanks in (usually my downfall), which is definitely tricky, but again, very much worth it in the end. If you have leftover braising sauce (and you probably will), it’s great used in lentil soup. Just thin with a little more chicken broth and cook your lentils in it. Mmmmm….lamb-y.
On the side — Polenta & Cabbage: This is sort of a colcannon-type dish but with polenta instead of potatoes. Just cook up a batch of polenta like usual (one part polenta whisked into four parts boiling liquid), and when it’s almost done, saute some sliced cabbage in separate pan, using about a tablespoon of butter. Add salt and pepper and let it get a little golden in places. Add the cooked cabbage and butter to the polenta and stir in . . . → Read More: Guinness Braised Lamb Shanks for St. Patrick’s Day
By mlb, on May 17th, 2012%
So, this was a cooking fear that I faced recently — fried chicken. Seriously, I’ve always been a little intimidated by it and by imagining the bubbling oil overflowing the pot and burning my house down. That didn’t happen, hooray! Instead, the chicken was just awesome. I used 6 thighs here, but you can use any combination of chicken parts you like. If you are feeding more than 2-3 people, just double the ingredients below.
I think this recipe worked out really well by cooking the chicken almost all the way through, letting it rest while cooking the other batch, then finishing in hotter oil. It was crisp, juicy and nicely seasoned. Oh, and I gave mine a little sprinkle of sea salt after it came out of the oil for the second time.
You can also use a half and half ratio for the Sriracha honey, of course, that was just a little too much for me.
Twice-Fried Chicken with Sriracha Honey
Recipe adapted from Michael Symon
1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
Kosher salt
6-8 assorted bone-in chicken pieces, (I used all thighs), but you can use whatever pieces you like. If you use breasts, just . . . → Read More: Twice-Fried Chicken with Sriracha Honey
By mlb, on May 6th, 2012%
This right here is a great dinner. Or a lunch even, in fact that’s what I made it for mainly, a lunch for both jwa and I to bring to work the next day. So awesome. It’s salty and spicy and basil-y. And a great vehicle for Spring asparagus.
I altered this a bit in that I decreased the chicken and asparagus a little but kept the sauce measurements the same. Because you need extra sauce to soak into the rice. You just do. Okay, on with the delicious stir-fry!
Chicken Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Almonds
Adapted from Food & Wine magazine — 2-3 servings
1/3 cup slivered almonds
3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 tbsp Asian fish sauce
2 tbsp peanut oil
1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
3/4 pound asparagus, sliced on the diagonal, 1 inch thick
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped basil
2 tbsp chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the almonds out on a small baking dish and toast in the oven for about 8 minutes, until they are nicely browned and fragrant. Let cool.
 . . . → Read More: Chicken Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Almonds
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