CHICKEN MARSALA MEATBALLS WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

I rarely buy ground chicken, opting for ground turkey instead, but this time I followed the recipe exactly as designed by Giada in a recent show on FoodTV. The chicken meatballs can be prepared many hours in advance and kept in the fridge, uncooked. Or you can cook them, make the sauce, and re-heat everything together when you want to serve dinner. The mushroom sauce is a perfect complement, all that’s needed is a starchy side to soak it all up. On her show, she suggested egg noodles. I went with a golden cauliflower puree and green beans. Now, on a tangent, can I share a little pet peeve of mine? I get a bit irritated when people use “compliment” when they actually mean “complement”. I know, English is not my first language, who am I to point the finger, when I make mistakes on a daily basis? But still… the compliment thing annoys me to no end. A compliment is a flattering remark, a complement complements. The mushrooms are not having a conversation with the meatballs saying “wow, you look gorgeous today!”… Ok, stepping off my soap box. Back to cooking. 😉

CHICKEN MARSALA MEATBALLS IN MUSHROOM SAUCE
(slightly modified from Giada de Laurentiis)

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons almond milk, room temperature
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Marsala wine
1 pound ground white meat chicken
1/4 cup grated pecorino, plus extra for serving
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 large shallot, minced
1 teaspoon cepes powder (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
1 cup chicken broth (slightly more if sauce seems too thick)

In a large bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, almond milk and 1 tablespoon Marsala. Leave it soaking for 5 minutes. Add the chicken, pecorino, egg, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Gently mix together the ingredients until just combined. Form the mixture into tablespoon-size balls and place on an oiled baking sheet. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the meatballs are beginning to brown and are just barely cooked through. Flip them around and broil the other side for a few more minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
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In a straight-sided skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mushrooms are brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots, the cepes powder, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for another 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the flour and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the 1/3 cup Marsala and stir until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the chicken broth and simmer for a few minutes. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for an additional 5 minutes to let the flavors blend, under very low heat.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: We both loved this meal! One of the important tips for success is handling the meatballs as softly as possible. Wet your hands if you prefer, form the balls and do not pack them tightly, or you might compromise the texture. I used regular mushrooms, but cremini or a mixture or wild mushrooms could be great. Of course, having that special cepes powder to splurge only added a touch of sophistication to the meal. A little bit goes a long way, the smell is terrific! I know that it is a very unique ingredient I was lucky to receive as a gift, but even without it this will be a delicious meal.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well the yellow color of the golden cauliflower was preserved during cooking and mashing. Shockingly yellow, like a burst of sun in the middle of the plate…

ONE YEAR AGO: PCR and a Dance in the Mind Field

TWO YEARS AGO: October 16th: World Bread Day!

THREE YEARS AGO: San Francisco Sourdough

FOUR YEARS AGO: A Real Oscar Winner (Oscar joins our home!)

FIVE YEARS AGO: Pane Siciliano

20Jul2014

CHICKEN IN GREEN PIPIAN SAUCE, SOUS-VIDE STYLE

Posted in Poultry, Sous-Vide Cooking by sallybr

This classic Mexican recipe was featured in Marcela Valladolid‘s show on Food TV, Mexican Made Easy. It pairs a delicious sauce of cooked tomatillos and pumpkin seeds with boneless chicken breasts. I decided to adapt her recipe for sous-vide cooking, and was very happy with the outcome. The meat ended up perfectly cooked, not a hint of dryness. The sauce is simply to die for, if you are a vegetarian, skip the bird, but make the sauce. Roasted cauliflower would be amazing paired with a little pipian…

CHICKEN SOUS-VIDE WITH GREEN PIPIAN SAUCE
(adapted from Marcela’s Mexican Made Easy)

for the chicken:
4 boneless chicken breasts
4 little pats of butter (probably ok to skip it)
1 large lemon, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the sauce:
1 + 1/4 cup green pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 Serrano chile, stemmed
1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped
1 + 1/2 cups chicken broth, warmed (I used a lot less)
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, place them in sealable plastic bags, add a tiny pat of butter and a few slices of lemon over each breast. Seal the bags. Place in the water-bath set at 140 F for three hours.

While the chicken cooks, prepare the sauce (can be made a couple of days in advance). Preheat a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot. Toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring constantly, until they have expanded and begin to pop, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a plate to cool. Reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish.

In a medium, heavy saucepan, simmer the tomatillos, Serrano and onions in salted water to cover until the tomatillos turn a dark green color, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatillos, Serrano and onions to a blender and puree with the chicken broth, cilantro, sugar and toasted pumpkin seeds until smooth (the sauce will be a little coarse). Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, slice the chicken crosswise on the bias. Transfer to a serving plate. Spoon the green pipian sauce on top and garnish with the reserved toasted pumpkin seeds.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I am having a great time with my Anova sous-vide gadget. Most recipes I tried were big hits, a few disappointed me, but isn’t that true for any type of cooking? You cannot win them all. For boneless chicken breasts, it is hard to come up with a better cooking method. I included butter in the bag, but it would probably be just as nice and tender without it. With sous-vide, you will never get the beauty of grill marks or that copper, enticing tone that roasting or broiling would offer. But, in a recipe such as this one, in which the meat will be served under a sauce, the cosmetic aspect will be taken care of. Imagine a very delicately poached chicken, boosted with the flavor of a spicy sauce with the crunchy pepitas on top: Mexican heaven, in sous-vide form! No sous-vide around? Check Marcela’s original recipe using a regular oven. I am sure it will be amazing too…

ONE YEAR AGO: Classic Shrimp Gobernador Tacos (another Marcela Valladolid’s recipe!)

TWO YEARS AGO: A Walk Towards the Sunset

THREE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen

FOUR YEARS AGO: Heavenly Home-made Fromage Blanc

FIVE YEARS AGO: A Perfect Sunday Dinner

25Jun2014

CELEBRATE WEDNESDAY WITH A SPIRAL KICK

Posted in Celebrate Wednesday, Poultry, Salads by sallybr

When I planned this dinner, I did not think it would turn out so delicious, and definitely not something that could go into my files of “Celebrate Wednesday“. A simple grilled chicken served with a humble zucchini salad? What could be so special about that? Hard to pinpoint a particular reason, but I feel this meal was a gastronomic jackpot: the whole combination of flavors is perfect. Refreshing, light, and satisfying. You can change the salad around in lots of ways, as long as you add the dressing a few minutes before serving. That will make sure the zucchini will get the right texture, losing some of its raw bite. Fresh mint, shaved celery, shaved fennel, those are some of the ingredients that come to mind as add-ons. The chicken marinade will go with pretty much any protein. Including tofu, if you are so inclined… 😉

GRILLED MISO CHICKEN
(adapted from Happy Food Happy Home blog)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons miso paste
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
juice of 1 lime (2-3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of salt

Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a small bowl.

Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag and add the marinade. Toss everything around in the bag to coat all the chicken pieces. Marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to two hours.

Grill the chicken using the 7-6-5 method: seven minutes on the first side, flip the pieces over, grill for 6 more minutes. Turn the grill off without opening the lid, and let the chicken stay inside for 5 minutes. Remove from the grill, let the meat rest for 5 to 10 minutes slightly tented with aluminum foil, slice and serve.

to print the Grilled Miso Chicken recipe, click here

SPIRALIZED ZUCCHINI AND CUCUMBER SALAD
(from the Bewitching Kitchen, inspired by Skinny Kitchen)

2 zucchini, ends trimmed, cut on a spiral cutter
1/2 English cucumber, end trimmed, cut on a spiral cutter
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoon olive oil or to taste
1 avocado, cut in pieces
handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Use a spiralizer or a mandolin fitted with a julienne blade and cut the zucchini into very thin, spaghetti-like strands. Do the same for the cucumber, but place it over paper towels to drain excess liquid. To make it easier to serve, trim the strands cutting with scissors or a sharp knife, so that they are about 8 inches long. Place both veggies in a large serving bowl. Reserve.

In a small bowl, make a quick emulsion whisking the olive oil and lemon juice, a touch of salt and pepper. When it’s all emulsified, add the lemon zest.

Drizzle the dressing all over the strands of zucchini, and toss to coat. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the avocado pieces, the tomatoes, toss gently to combine. Sprinkle cilantro, adjust seasoning, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the salad recipe, click here

Comments: First, my apologies for being unable to give immediate credit to the grilled chicken marinade. I found it in the internet, thought I had bookmarked it, but instead I did a cut and paste of the ingredients and sent to myself by email. (Palm hits the forehead!) Since I clear my bookmark history every week, no luck tracking it down. (Head shake in disbelief…) Hopefully a lesson was learned. However, thanks to one of my dear readers, I could retrieve the source, and correct my mistake. It came from Happy Food Happy Home. Cute name for a blog… 😉 Thank you, Nan, for finding the source for me.

The salad. Of course, the spiralizer makes it super fun and interesting, but taste should come first, and in this category we also have a winner. However, depending on how watery your cucumber might be, you could run into problems. One way around it would be spiralizing only the zucchini and adding the cucumber in small pieces together with the avocado & tomatoes. You can salt them very lightly and wait for a few minutes until the salt draws most of the excessive liquid out. A brief rinse, a brief encounter with paper towels, and voilà: perfect cucumber! This is harder to do with the strands, so keep this in mind if you try this salad.

The husband verdict: you can make this recipe ANYTIME. It is awesome!

When you witness a man who loves pasta, rice, and potatoes giving such a compliment to zucchini, you know you got something special going… As special as offering two recipes in a single post (wink, wink). Almost as special as a Wednesday evening rescued from the boring middle of the week…
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ONE YEAR AGO: Carrot Flan with Greens and Lemon Vinaigrette

TWO YEARS AGO: Granola Bars

THREE YEARS AGO: Awesome Broccolini

FOUR YEARS AGO: A Twist on Pesto

FIVE YEARS AGO: Ciabatta: Judging a bread by its holes

29May2014

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH TAMARIND AND COCONUT GLAZE

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

For most people, there is such thing as a grilling season, and it’s starting right about now. For us, the grill is going all year-long, no matter the temperature outside. We never stop. Of course, it is a lot nicer to be out moving stuff around the grill wearing shorts and a t-shirt instead of a down jacket. Let me rephrase that: it’s a lot nicer to do anything wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

This is the perfect recipe for those busy days. Boneless chicken thighs stay the whole day in the fridge, marinating in coconut milk, tamarind, and a few selected spices. When you get home, bring the chicken to room temperature as you heat your grill and get your side dishes going. The meat will be moist, tender, with the right amount of heat. You will love this!

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH TAMARIND AND COCONUT GLAZE
(slightly modified from One Perfect Bite)

1/2 cup coconut milk (or yogurt)
1 tablespoons tamarind paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon garam masala (or ground cumin)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 lemon, cut in wedges
Sprigs of fresh cilantro for serving (optional)

In a large bowl, combine coconut milk, tamarind paste, garlic, salt, garam masala and cayenne. Add chicken and turn to coat well with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade, and grill for 8 to 10 minutes per side. You could also brown chicken in a skillet on stove, place on a baking sheet and finish cooking in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Garnish with lemon wedges and cilantro.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click

The classic substitution suggested for tamarind paste is lime juice, as the main purpose of the tamarind is to bring acidity into the equation. Of course, it’s acceptable, but the paste is one of those ingredients that once you start using, you will get more and more fond of. Just like miso, it keeps forever. You can use it in drinks, in desserts, in all sorts of recipes. Not sold yet? Let me share a few delicious options:

Tamarind-Glazed Honey Shrimp, from A_Boleyn

Chickpeas and Chana Dal Cooked Together in a Mint Sauce , from Eats Well with Others

Thai Red Curry with Pork Belly, from Rachel Cooks Thai

Creamy Peanut Chutney, from Love Food Eat

Prawn Sambal, from Sea Salt with Food

Indian-Spiced Pulled Pork with Tamarind Barbecue Sauce, from Angela’s Food Love

Tamarind Date Cake, from Dan Lepard

Tamarind and Fresh Ginger Cake with Lime Glazing, from Anh’s Food Blog

Mozambique Chicken, from The Perfect Pantry

Tamarind Rice (Puli Sadham), from Chitra’s Food Book

Agua de Tamarindo, from A_Boleyn

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ONE YEAR AGO: Chicken-Apricot Skewers

TWO YEARS AGO: Asparagus Quiche

THREE YEARS AGO: Two-stage Pea and Prosciutto Risotto

FOUR YEARS AGO: Mellow Bakers: Corn Bread

27Apr2014

SECRET RECIPE CLUB – TURKEY CHILI WITH ALMOND BUTTER

Posted in Poultry, Secret Recipe Club by sallybr

Last Monday of the month, and here I am once more sharing with you the recipe I chose to make from the blog Natural Noshing, which I was thrilled to receive as my assignment in The Secret Recipe Club. Natural Noshing, as the name implies, is a blog centered on healthy cooking, whole grains, a lot of gluten-free recipes, but as will become clear as you browse Nora’s site, there is no compromise of flavor. I love the way she describes herself:

I am an active, twenty-something “foodie” with a passion for nutrition and eating natural, real food — nothing too fussy, over-processed or complicated. Growing up, I was the girl that didn’t read novels or magazines – I read cookbooks and recipes.

This was a super busy month for us for many reasons, including a trip to Arizona and wrapping up experiments to get a big manuscript ready for publication. To make life easier, I concentrated my search on her poultry recipes, and had three serious contenders fighting for the spotlight in the Bewitching Kitchen: her Chicken with Pepian Sauce, her Kickin’ Cashew Chicken, and this amazing Turkey Chili that ended up as our dinner. I am unable to resist anything with almond butter these days. 😉

TURKEY CHILI WITH ALMOND BUTTER
(slightly adapted from Natural Noshing)

1/2 lb ground turkey
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 small shallot, diced
1 zucchini, shredded
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp New Mexico Chile powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
cayenne pepper to taste
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can Pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp creamy almond butter
salt and pepper to taste
minced fresh cilantro, to taste

In a large skillet, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add turkey and shallots and saute until cooked through and shallots are translucent stirring frequently, about 5-6 minutes. Break up any large chunks of meat while stirring.

Add zucchini and spices and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, beans and almond butter and stir until combined.

Turn heat to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until thickened. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocados, or other toppings of your choice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This chili rocks. I was surprised by how much flavor it packed in such a short cooking time, making it doable on a weeknight. In fact, I stopped at the grocery store on my way home, grabbed the ground turkey and the zucchini (I had everything else at home), and in less than 45 minutes we were enjoying this meal. The zucchini disappears during cooking, you won’t be able to see it, but it definitely contributes to the complexity of flavor. And the almond butter, oh, my… what a great addition to this chili! Once you add it, you will see that the texture changes and the sauce gets that substance that normally you would get only with a long and slow cooking. Awesome recipe. We enjoyed leftovers for a couple of days, it only got better. By the way, you can use any type of meat for this chili, as well as any type of beans, so go ahead and improvise. Keep the zucchini, and of course, if you skip the almond butter I might have to stop talking to you… 😉

Nora, it was great to stalk your blog this month, I hope you had as much fun with your own assignment!

For my readers: if you want to marvel at the productions of other members of my group, go poke a blue frog… (now that sounds pretty nasty, but she is harmless, and enjoys the attention).

ONE YEAR AGO: Secret Recipe Club: Leek and Cheese Tart

TWO YEARS AGO: Secret Recipe Club; Triple Chocolate Brownies

THREE YEARS AGO: Shaved Asparagus Salad

FOUR YEARS AGO: Indonesian Ginger Chicken