Sauteed Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary

 Wow, it has been a long time since I updated this little blog. The pandemic has not done much for my cooking -- if anything I've gotten tired of doing it all the time, of being stuck at home by requirement rather than choice, of spending hours and hours in my kitchen for lack of anyplace else to do my work. For a while, it was difficult to do real menu planning, since it was hard to guess what the store would have. I made a lot of "throw together" meals that didn't rely on a recipe.

Now that the weather is getting cooler, and the situation is clearly going to drag on well into next year, I am trying to be a little more intentional about things, and to spend more time in the analog world. I have loads of cookbooks, and I've barely touched them in ages. This book in particular I don't know if I have ever used -- Bon Appetit's Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook, a goliath of a compendium from years of the magazine. I subscribed for ages, but there came a time where it began to feel stale and repetitive, like I had seen the seasons of their publication year come and go too many times. I use my back issues during the holidays, and that's about all.

This entry may be a one-off--I don't try to predict much these days--but it is a solid recipe and worth recording.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken thighs with bones and skin
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (or use 2 tsp dried)
• 1 c chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat. Add chicken to skillet and saute until browned, about 5 minutes per side. 
2. Reduce head to medium-low, cover, and cook until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 15 minutes
3. Transfer chicken to bowl. Discard all but 2 Tbsp drippings from skillet. Add garlic and rosemary, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
4. Add broth and vinegar. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 7 minutes. 
5. Return chicken and any juices to pan and simmer over low heat until chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. 

 

Aloo Gobi

An easy, mild dose of Indian flavors that cooks quickly enough to make on a weeknight. I got this from Pinterest somewhere and made a few adjustments.

Ingredients

2 1/2 Tbsp canola oil, divided
1 1/2 lbs cauliflower florets; you'll want them fairly small so they cook evenly
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup red onion finely chopped
1 inch of ginger root, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can small diced tomatoes or equivalent fresh
1 Tbsp tomato paste 
1/2 tsp Salt 
1 tsp chili powder  (will make a mild dish; use more if you want heat)
1/2 tsp turmeric 
1 tsp whole cumin seeds 
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp Garam Masala 
3 Tbsp plain yogurt 
4-5 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Heat 1 1/2 Tbsp oil in a heavy pot. Add diced potato and saute for 5 minutes on high heat. 
2. Add cauliflower and cumin seeds, and cook until cauliflower is little tender (5-7 minutes) Remove from the pot and set aside.
3. To the same pot, add the remaining Tbsp oil, onion, ginger, and garlic. Saute until onions are lightly browned (3-4 minutes).
4. Add all of the spices and cook for 30 seconds.
5. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt, and cook until the oil separates. (5-6 minutes on high heat.)
6. Return the potatoes and cauliflower to the pot, add a half cup of water (or as needed to provide enough liquid for the vegetables to cook), cover tightly and cook until tender. (10-20 minutes depending on how big you chopped things). Check once or twice to make sure the pot hasn't dried out. 
7. Remove lid, add yogurt and chopped cilantro. Stir a few times so the yogurt doesn't curdle; cook until the cilantro wilts, which might take less than a minute. 

Chicken Tikka Masala

A new recipe we tried this week, this is easy as advertised and absolutely delicious! Note that you can adjust the amount of cayenne to taste; I used 1 tsp, and it was about as hot as I find comfortable. Great on a cold Boston night.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 to 2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large white onion diced
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup heavy cream
15 ounces tomato sauce
2 large chicken breasts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine all spices together in a small bowl. 
2. Add the diced onion and butter to a large pot over medium heat and cook until onions are translucent, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. 
3. Add garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently so as not to burn. Add more butter if needed. 
4. Add half of the spice mixture and stir to combine. 
5. Add tomato sauce, heavy cream, and the remaining spices and stir to combine.
6. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until sauce thickens, stirring frequently,10-15 minutes.
7. While the sauce is cooking, slice chicken breasts into two filets each, creating four equally sized pieces, season the chicken with salt and pepper.
8. Add vegetable oil to a large pan and cook the chicken breasts over medium heat until golden brown on both sides and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. 
9. Chop the chicken into chunks and add it to the sauce, then let lightly simmer for a couple of minutes. 
10. Serve over basmati rice with naan.

Spicy Fish Stew

This is an ancient recipe in my personal repertoire - it came from Cooking Light at least fifteen years ago. I have no idea where my physical copy of the recipe is, and had to hunt for it online using what I remembered from the ingredient list. It is just as good as I remembered it!

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups red potato, halved (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 1/2 cups chopped seeded peeled tomato
1 1/2 cups clam juice
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 pounds cod or other lean white fish fillets, cut into 3- x 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. 
2. Add onion, bell pepper, crushed red pepper, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. 
3. Add potato and next 7 ingredients (potato through bay leaf); bring to a boil. 
4. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. 
5. Stir in cod and sherry; cook an additional 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Stir in parsley.

One-Pot Orzo with Italian Sausage and Kale

So, I know that I need to get some pictures on this blog eventually, but for the love of Julia Child, why do so many food blogs these days include a half dozen pictures of the dish? Sure, I want to know what it's supposed to look like, and maybe it's a really nice presentation, but surely one or two photos will do.

Ahem.

Anyway, this is a straightforward recipe, easy to make, warm and yummy on a chilly autumn evening, and a great way to use ingredients that you might find in season at your farmer's market. It will find a place in our rotation (which is very full).

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 hot Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch (5-6 leaves) of kale, stems removed and chopped
• 2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
• 3 cups chicken broth (no salt added preferred)
• 1½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and sausages. Crumble the sausages using a wooden spoon, letting the meat brown slightly. Then add in the onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir occasionally until the onions begin to soften, 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the kale and sauté until it begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and add the orzo; mix the ingredients together*. Bring the broth to a boil and then reduce the heat down to a simmer. Cook with a lid on for 12-15 minutes until the broth is absorbed into the orzo and the orzo is tender.
3. Add the cheese and stir to coat the orzo and vegetables. Taste for additional salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Chickpea and Spinach Coconut Curry

All things have their cycles, and I wonder if mine is swinging back around to food. I spent some time this past weekend just reading a cookbook, something I haven't done in ages. I'll hunt through them for a recipe I want, or entertain wistful memories of a more ambitious period in my food-life and then move on to something else, but I haven't been reading them.

It was Patricia Wells' Vegetable Harvest, by the way, a lovely volume and a pleasure to browse through. I found some soup recipes I had quite forgotten about, and look forward to trying them when the weather cools off.

Last night was another Pinterest find, however, Sweet Potato Chickpea and Spinach Coconut Curry, which apparently was sourced in turn from a different blog, which has altogether too many recipes on it for me to find the page for this one. The whole cumin seeds in this added a very different flavor, and we agreed that it was an excellent recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
• Salt to taste
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch
• 1 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 14-ounce can light coconut milk (or if you're me and think "light" products are ridiculous, use full-fat)
• 5 oz baby spinach
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. The oil is hot enough when a cumin seed sizzles when tossed into the pan. Add the cumin seeds and toast for about a minute, until fragrant and lightly darkened in color (be careful not to burn them). 
2. Stir in the onion, season with a pinch of salt, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and sauté for a couple of minutes, until the garlic softens.
4. Add the sweet potato, chickpeas, tomatoes with their juices, and coconut milk. Stir to combine, cover, and simmer over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
5. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. 
6. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve over rice.