FETA-STUFFED TURKEY MEATLOAF

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

Let me set the record straight right now. This recipe is not going to win a beauty contest. It is definitely not the best looking dish in the world, but sometimes beauty is in the eye of the fork-holder. Once again – in fact two posts in a row – I am joining spinach and feta to bring a humble ingredient (first cauliflower, now ground turkey) into the spotlight. This meatloaf turned out moist, and quite flavorful with the salty bite of feta cheese in the middle. I think this recipe could work very nicely made in muffin tins, with feta cheese in the center. Individual servings are always a lot of fun. Note to self: try that next time.

FETA-STUFFED TURKEY MEATLOAF
(adapted from All Day I Dream about Food)

1 large shallot, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 lbs ground turkey
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and heat your oven to 325 F.
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Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots, salt and pepper and saute until shallots are translucent but do not allow them to brown. Add in spinach and stir until heated through. Allow it to cool before proceeding with the recipe.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine sautéed shallots, ground turkey, coconut flour, chicken stock, egg and Worcestershire sauce. Mix until very well combined. Place half of the turkey mixture on prepared baking sheet and shape into a flat rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Cover with feta cheese, pressing on feta to adhere to meatloaf. Place remaining turkey mixture over top of feta and shape the whole thing into a rough loaf.
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Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 160 F on an instant read thermometer.

Cut into slices and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

(image from Google database)

Did you know that there are some words in English that I am a bit afraid of? Worcestershire is one of them. I refer to it as “that sauce”, so that my dignity is preserved. In Brazil we call it “molho inglês” (English sauce), a clever move if you ask me. Speaking of tricky words, I also avoid saying “beach” and “sheet” because apparently I tend to lead both words into the wrong direction. But, I digress. That sauce is very important in this recipe, it adds the umami component so fashionable right now. Or maybe it was so fashionable a couple of years ago, and I’m slow to catch up. Still, add it. If you can pronounce it correctly, even better! 😉

This topic of tricky words for foreigners made me think of the name of a city in the state where I was born, São Paulo. Please try to say it before you listen to the correct pronunciation in the file below it. Ready?

The name of the city is… ITAQUAQUECETUBA

and now see how you did, by listening to yours truly…

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In closing, a little language trivia for you: the name Itaquaquecetuba comes from tupi-guarani, meaning “a place of abundant bamboo sharp as knives”.

ONE YEAR AGO: Artichoke-Saffron Souffle

TWO YEARS AGO: Cinnamon-Wreath
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THREE YEARS AGO: Yeastspotting 11.11.11
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FOUR YEARS AGO: Oven-baked Risotto
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FIVE YEARS AGO: Potato-Roquefort Cakes with Ripe Pears

26Oct2014

SECRET RECIPE CLUB: PECAN-CRUSTED CHICKEN WITH HONEY-MUSTARD DRESSING

Posted in Poultry, Secret Recipe Club by sallybr

Not sure what happened, we were waiting for Spring to arrive, I blinked twice and October is about to end. As those who follow my blog know very well by now, I look forward to the last Monday of each month, because it is Reveal Day for The Secret Recipe Club. Food bloggers are paired in secret, choose a recipe to make from their assigned blog, and post about it on the exact same time. This month I was assigned the blog hosted by Traci, Burnt Apple. Her choice of name for her blog gave me a huge smile – apparently she was not a very good cook, and had a tendency to burn stuff. Evidently, those are days left behind in her distant past. Not only her site is full of great recipes, but she deals with a tricky situation as far as cooking is concerned: her husband was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes when he was very young, so Traci adapts all sorts of recipes to accommodate his requirements. I feel that I have it all so easy! Both Phil and I can eat anything, so if I decide to bake something gluten-free, or opt for a Paleo-friendly recipe, it’s just for experimenting and for fun. It is a totally different story when one deals with diabetes or serious food allergies. I am in awe of her efforts, and the way she uses her blog to help others faced with the same type of problem. Now, quoting a paragraph from her About page:

“I’ve become a master recipe manipulator. I can make anything healthier and still taste great. I’ve also learned how to eat healthy on a strict (aka teeny tiny) budget. I’ve taught what I’ve learned (and made) for stores like Whole Foods Market and Sunflower Market. I’ve even shared my creations and ideas on my local TV news programs”.

Isn’t that amazing? I was paired with a superstar! Usually I decide on a recipe pretty quickly, but this month I went through a bit of a struggle. I kept going back and forth, tempted by her Winter Squash Cheese Flatbread, her Ham and Cornmeal Cakes, her Greek Yogurt Lemon Drop Cookies, and – this might surprise you – her Arby’s Beef and Cheddar Sandwiches. It turns out that in one of my first road trips with Phil, we were in the middle of nowhere and stopped for a bite to eat at Arby’s. I had never been to that fast food place, and ordered that exact sandwich. My gosh, I loved every single bite of it, could not care less if it was fancy or not fancy, healthy or not healthy. In fact, just writing about it makes me crave one… Anyway, after a full week of indecision, I made her delicious version of boneless chicken breasts, and a tasty dressing to go with it.

PECAN-CRUSTED CHICKEN WITH HONEY-MUSTARD DRESSING
(from Burnt Apple)

for chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup finely crushed pecans
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

for dressing:
1/4 cup honey
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp green onion, finely chopped (I omitted)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 tbsp lemon juice (or the juice of 1/2 lemon)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking dish or use a dish with a rack to keep the pieces surrounded by air all around.

In a food processor, pulse grind the pecans, cornmeal, parmesan cheese, onion powder, rosemary, salt and pepper until fine. Pour mixture into a bowl. In another small bowl, mix together the egg and milk.

Dip the chicken pieces in the milk mixture, than into the pecan mixture, lightly coating both sides. Arrange chicken pieces in the baking dish.

Bake at 425 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, flipping the chicken once halfway through baking time. Make the dressing while the chicken is cooking: whisk together all dressing ingredients until combined. Transfer dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. Shake before use.

Remove the chicken from the oven when the center of the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Allow the chicken to cool for several minutes before slicing.

Drizzle with honey mustard dressing when you serve it.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This was a fun recipe to prepare, and the chicken turned out surprisingly moist for boneless pieces baked straight in a hot oven. I guess the coating performed its beautiful magic. I baked the pieces over a rack, and turned the pieces half way through baking time, as recommended.

The dressing went perfectly with it, at least for my taste. Phil preferred his chicken without any extra flavor, he thought that just the breading with the nuts and cheese was perfect to showcase the natural taste of the meat. You will have to make it and decide if you side with me or him… Of course, if you side with the hubby, this shattering blow to my ego will not affect my relationship with you. We will still be friends. I promise.

Traci, now that the secret is out, I will be following your blog adventures, your style of cooking matches mine quite well…

For those who want to see a nice collection of recipes from my friends over at The Secret Recipe Club, click on the funky frog at the end of the post. She is funky, but nice, and loves to be poked…

ONE YEAR AGO: Bewitching Kitchen on Fire!

TWO YEARS AGO: Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

THREE YEARS AGO: Chiarello’s Chicken Cacciatore

FOUR YEARS AGO: Donna Hay’s Thai-Inspired Dinner

FIVE YEARS AGO: Panettone

22Oct2014

COOKING SOUS-VIDE: TWO TAKES ON CHICKEN THIGHS

Posted in Poultry, Sous-Vide Cooking by sallybr

I am still having fun and getting more and more comfortable with my Anova sous-vide gadget. Many recipes tried, some will go un-blogged due to photos that did not turn out well. A lobster tail, for instance, was quite spectacular cooked sous-vide, but the pictures did the recipe no justice whatsoever. I shall re-visit that in the future to share the method in the Bewitching. But here I am today to show you two ways to deal with chicken thighs. The first preparation uses boneless and skinless pieces, a departure from the classic Chicken Cacciatore that I found on this site, great source for sous-vide cooking tips and recipes. Before I share my recipes, I invite you to take a look at this recent post from my friend Maureen, at The Orgasmic Chef. Beautiful caramelized onions, without having to stand by the stove baby-sitting them. She got her sous-vide toy not too long ago, so I guess we are both newbies at this. Sous-vide sisters!

chicken-cacciatore11

CHICKEN CACCIATORE
(slightly adapted from SVKitchen)

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

1 can (28.2-ounce) cherry tomatoes (or regular canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus extra for final garnish
4 tablespoons mascarpone

Salt and pepper to taste (about ½ teaspoon each)
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Preheat the water bath to 152°F (67°C).

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and add the shallot and garlic. Cook until soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes, being careful not to brown. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tomatoes, stirring to combine. Gently stir in the basil and the mascarpone. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool slightly.

When the sauce has cooled, place about a third in a 1-gallon zip-lock bag. Add 3 of the chicken thighs. Add another third of the sauce, the other 3 thighs, and then the remaining sauce. Seal using the water displacement method.

Cook for 2 to 4 hours.

If serving immediately, transfer the chicken and sauce to a oven-proof dish or ramekin large enough to easily hold all the ingredients. Heat a broiler to high. Place the casserole under the broiler for a couple of minutes, watching closely, just to brown the sauce.
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ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

served1

Dinner is served! Chicken sous-vide, spaghetti squash, and roasted asparagus…

And now, for a second method, in which the chicken thighs are cooked with skin and bone-in. As the sous-vide will cook the meat perfectly but leave you with mushy skin, all recipes include a final step to crisp the skin up. If you search the net, you’ll certainly stumble on a recipe by Michael Voltaggio that is described by many as “the best chicken thigh ever”. I tried it, I really did, and the mess it made on my stove left me on the verge of tears. Plus, the whole house smelled like fried chicken for weeks. Ok, for 18 hours. Chicken thighs were not going to meet the Anova gadget for as long as I was in charge of cooking. But, certain ordeals tend to be forgotten as time goes by. Since I really liked the texture of the meat, I decided to give it another try, using a very hot oven for the final step of crisping up the skin. Worked like a charm! The inspiration came from this cookbook by Jason Logsdon, which I own in its Kindle version, but I modified the recipe quite a bit, so I feel ok about sharing it with you. In his version, he crisps the skin on a cast iron pan, evidently, I didn’t.

Neat-freak + Drama-Queen = Cast-Iron-Repudiation

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ROASTED TOMATO SALSA
(inspired by Sous-Vide Help for the Busy Cook)

for the chicken:
6 chicken thighs, bone-in
salt and pepper to taste
New Mexico chile powder
1 lemon, juiced

for the tomato salsa:
7 Roma tomatoes, very ripe
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
dried thyme, about 1 teaspoon
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Prepare the roasted tomatoes in advance, they will keep for several days. Cut the tomatoes in half, mix them with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast in a 325 F oven for 2 hours. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate.

Set your Anova or other sous-vide apparatus at 148 F. Remove excess skin and fat from the chicken thighs. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle chile powder, and squeeze a little lemon juice over the flesh. Place inside plastic bags and vacuum-seal, three pieces of chicken per bag. Place in the water-bath and cook for a minimum of 2 hours. I like to cook chicken thighs for 5 to 6 hours.

Turn your oven to 450 F. Remove the chicken pieces from the bags, pat dry. Place in a baking dish and roast until the skin is brown and crispy to your liking. You can also run them under the broiler for a few minutes if you prefer. As the chicken roasts, transfer the previously prepared tomatoes to a skillet, cook for a couple of minutes, add the vinegar, brown sugar, and adjust the seasoning. Mash the tomatoes lightly with a potato masher or a fork if you like it chunky. You can also transfer to a blender or food processor, if so inclined. I prefer my salsa to be on the chunky side.

Serve the crisped up chicken pieces with the salsa alongside.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: So as I promised, here you have two completely different takes on the same type of meat using the Anova sous-vide. If you want to enjoy a saucy, stew-type meal, go for boneless chicken thighs, cooking them in liquid from the beginning. Obviously, in this case you’ll need to use the water displacement method, as vacuum won’t be feasible. If crispy skin is more what you are looking forward to, season the pieces with dry rubs, and use your oven in the end. The meat will be perfectly tender, very moist, and the skin super crispy.

Dinner is served! Chicken sous-vide, cauliflower-spinach puree, and a salad…

I highly recommend Jason Logsdon’s book “Sous-Vide Help for the Busy Cook”. The recipes are all geared for people who work all day and want to maximize the use of sous-vide to get a nice meal at dinner time. The main advantage of this cooking method is the flexibility of timing: if you are late to arrive home from work, no problem, two or three more hours at the target temperature will not affect your dish. Seafood is a bit more delicate and you should probably save that for weekends or weeknights in which you have a couple of hours to devote to dinner preparation.

I cannot resist including this photo of my oven-roasted tomatoes, they were absolutely delicious, with intense flavor, but not the unpleasant texture I find in most commercially available sun-dried tomatoes. In Jason’s recipe, he uses a quicker method to deal with the tomatoes, so if you are at all interested, stop by amazon.com and click away! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Miso Soup: A Japanese Classic

TWO YEARS AGO: On my desk

THREE YEARS AGO: A must-make veggie puree

FOUR YEARS AGO: Vegetarian Lasagna

FIVE YEARS AGO: Brazilian Pão de Queijo

17Oct2014

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

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