CITRUS AND HERBS ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

Two types of citric fruits, loads of herbs, fingerling potatoes, all slow-roasting together… Great dinner, fit for company if you so desire…

CITRUS AND HERBS ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

8 chicken things, bone-in, skin-on
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
2 whole lemons, one juiced and one sliced
2 whole oranges, one juiced and one sliced
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1 to 2 tsp salt
fingerling potatoes, cut in half

In a small bowl, make the marinade by whisking the oil with sugar, juice of lemon and orange, herbs, and 1 tsp of salt. Place the chicken thighs in a large bag or shallow dish, and pour the marinade all over. Leave it in the fridge for several hours.

Heat oven to 350F. Place chicken pieces in a large baking dish, skin side down. Pour the whole marinade over the pieces. Season the chicken with the remaining teaspoon of salt. Add pieces of fingerling potatoes all around the chicken, and the thin slices of orange and lemon all over them.

Bake covered with aluminum foil for about 1 hour. Remove foil, flip the pieces and increase the temperature to 425F. Roast for another 20 minutes or until the skin is golden brown. If desired, run it under the broiler for a couple of minutes, I did not have to do that.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Sometimes it is not easy to get intense flavor on roast chicken when you use a marinade, but this one did a very good job. I am partial to a two-stage roasting, first being gentle and then finalizing with high heat, because to me that produces the best possible texture in the meat and at the same time crispy skin. The fingerling potatoes turn it into a pretty complete meal, although if you are super hungry, couscous could go pretty well as a side dish.

These days, with temperatures getting higher and higher – just the way I love – I am partial to a simple refreshing salad. In this case, lettuce, grape tomatoes, and hard-boiled eggs. A lemony vinaigrette, and that was all…

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15May2022

ONE BOWL, ONE WHISK CONFETTI CUPCAKES

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Cannot get much simpler. These are egg-free cakes, easy and fast to prepare. The buttercream icing is a lot more involved than the cake, but if you prefer you can serve them with a dusting of powdered sugar, or a simple glaze. Many cookbooks and blogs have versions of these cupcakes, I based mine on smittenkitchen.com

CONFETTI CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
(adapted from several sources)

200g all-purpose flour
160 grams granulated sugar
1 + 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup full-fat milk
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles

for the buttercream:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature (1 stick, 113 g)
4 cups powdered sugar (32 oz)
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Make the cupcakes: Heat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in a 12-cup standard muffin tin.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. To the center, add the milk, oil, lemon juice, and flavoring extracts. Whisk very well until smooth. It will be very liquid. Add sprinkles, fold them gently. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake lines 2/3 full.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat the butter with 2 cups of the powdered sugar, the milk, vanilla, and salt. Once that is smooth, keep adding the rest of the powdered sugar. You might not need it all, add it until you have the desired spreading consistency.

Frost the cupcakes using a Wilton 1M tip, then add confetti sprinkles, if desired.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: As I mentioned, these are probably the easiest cupcakes ever to make, even a cake-o-phobe will have no issues. They are tender, light, and delicate. Also festive, because rainbow sprinkles make anything festive… I like the addition of vanilla buttercream, even if it increases the complexity of the bake a bit. You can omit it, the cupcakes are delicious without it also.

ONE YEAR AGO: Incredibly Simple Times Four

TWO YEARS AGO: Phyllo Parcels with Moroccan Turkey

THREE YEARS AGO: Roasted Corn and Zucchini Salad

FOUR YEAR AGO: Fraisier Cake, A Celebration of Spring

FIVE YEARS AGO: Zucchini Frittata with Roasted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

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12May2022

ORIENTAL-STYLE SESAME SLAW

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

I love cole slaw, but prefer a dressing without mayonnaise. Something fresh, light, and bright. This version couples orange juice with sesame oil. I add just a little squirt of lemon juice at the very end because I crave that extra acidity. Some might try to convince me that incorporating the lemon juice in the dressing would do the same job, but I beg to differ. In fact, when I ate the leftovers, I did a little lemon juice encore, and loved it even more.

ORIENTAL-STYLE SESAME SLAW
(adapted from several sources)

for the dressing:
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

for the salad:
3 cups shredded napa cabbage
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
fresh cilantro leaves, amount to taste
black sesame seeds to serve
fresh lemon juice to serve

Start by making the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a measuring cup or flask with a lid, and whisk or shake to emulsify. Reserve.

In a large serving bowl, add all ingredients for the salad except the black sesame seeds, combine tossing gently, then pour the dressing on top. Toss again and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds, add lemon juice, adjust seasoning if needed, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: f you like cole slaw but mayonnaise is not your thing, this will for sure please you. It gets even better next day, as all components are so sturdy. I made it twice already, the second time I added fresh orange zest together with the black sesame seeds before serving and that was a nice extra touch of flavor. Avocado goes quite well with it, keep that in mind. Not much else is needed to make this a complete meal. We enjoyed ours with a rotisserie chicken, so that was a super easy dinner to put together. The recipe can be easily adapted to a Whole30 system, if you don’t use soy sauce, and replace it with coconut aminos.

ONE YEAR AGO: Revelation Veggie-or-Not Egg-Roll Bowl

TWO YEARS AGO: Covid Update and Stayin’ Alive

THREE YEARS AGO: A Brazilian Hummingbird

FOUR YEARS AGO: A Cookbook Review

FIVE YEARS AGO: Air-Fried Carrots, Two Ways

SIX YEARS AGO: Sweet Potato Crust Quiche

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Chicken Thighs with Artichokes and Capers

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Pea Pancakes with Herbed Yogurt

TEN YEARS AGO: Mushroom Stroganoff

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Tomato Sourdough

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9May2022

CAULIFLOWER WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND OLIVES

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

This is cauliflower that deserves a spot at your table when you have special guests for dinner. Amazing that we can now write such a phrase after a couple of years of social isolation. I go as far as saying that even cauliflower haters will be pleasantly surprised. The sun-dried tomatoes add richness and the olives and balsamic vinegar that acidity that lightens things up. Absolutely delicious. And, by the way, it is vegan-friendly.

CAULIFLOWER WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND OLIVES
(inspired by Crossroads)

1 head cauliflower, florets only, chopped in pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil (for oven roasting) or olive oil spray for air-frying
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
slivered almonds, slightly toasted, to taste

If roasting the cauliflower in an oven, drizzle the florets with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in 425F oven for about 30 minutes. If using the air-fryer, spray the florets with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and air-fry for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden. Reserve. The cauliflower can be roasted hours in advance or even the day before.

Put a large saute pan over medium-heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the celery and shallots, season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes, add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers and cook for a few minutes longer, stirring often. Add the reserved cauliflower, the balsamic vinegar, adjust seasoning. Right before serving, add lemon zest and juice, and top with the toasted slivered almonds.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I don’t know which ingredient elevates this recipe, it is a tight match between the sun-dried tomatoes and the green olives. At any rate, it was an outstanding side dish. I highly recommend it. We enjoyed it with grilled chicken breasts, super simple. Just a marinade with olive oil, Garam masala and salt.

ONE YEAR AGO: Curry Sourdough with Sesame Seeds

TWO YEARS AGO: Chocolate-Crusted Passion Fruit Tart

THREE YEARS AGO: Lemony Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Almonds

FOUR YEAR AGO: Savory Oatmeal with Bacon and Cheddar

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TEN YEARS AGO: Tomato Sourdough

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Gamberetti con rucola e pomodori

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Flirting with Orzo

6May2022

A TRIO OF COOKIES

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

As you may remember, I have a blog dedicated exclusively for cookies (click here), but it does not include recipes. It is a venue to document my path through cookie decorating. Come to think of it, check out my 3D macs that were published yesterday...) When I try a new, blog-worthy recipe, it will be shared right here. Today I offer you three recipes, all from bloggers I follow and love. They are listed in chronological order, the last one I made last weekend.

SPRITZ BARS
(from Helen Fletcher)

I made these cookies in October last year, and they were a huge hit. The instructions in Helen’s site are super detailed, and you’ll end up with little cookies that look very professional, uniform in size, the type of bake that makes me think of a certain tent of my past. For the full recipe, visit this post. I just love the use of Swedish pearl sugar.

CREAM CHEESE SUGAR COOKIES
(by Tanya Ott)

When Tanya raves about a sugar cookie, I listen. She knows her cookies well… The addition of cream cheese tames the sweetness and gives it a wonderful texture. She mentioned they hold the shape well – notice the recipe does not call for leavening agents – so I put it to a harsh test, using a patterned rolling pin. As you can see, the recipe passed the test with no issues! This batch was made in November last year, right after Tanya blogged about it (for the full recipe, click here)

The cookies would be perfect without any adornment, but I could not resist brushing a little pink luster dust and then some pearl. Just because…

TOFFEE SANDWICH COOKIES WITH BROWN BUTTER BUTTERCREAM FILLING
(from Josette, TheBrookCook)

If you read Josette’s post about it, you’ll understand why I jumped on making them right away. I was intrigued by the use of Toffee bits in the dough. Works like a charm. And the combination of cookie plus brown butter buttercream is outstanding. Make them, you won’t be disappointed. I changed the decoration to a drizzle of chocolate, but check her version for the authentic recipe (click here).