Category Archives: Poultry

SHEET PAN CHICKEN THIGHS WITH GARBANZO BEANS AND CAULIFLOWER

Posted in Poultry by

Every blog should have an OMG FOLDER. Mine does not. If it had, this recipe would be rushed into it with great enthusiasm. Normally I bake chicken thighs low and slow, but this method won my heart because it gave a full meal with side-dish included, with very little effort. This would be great for company. Keep that in mind, if dinner parties are coming back to your world.

SHEET-PAN CHICKEN THIGHS WITH GARBANZO BEANS AND CAULIFLOWER
(adapted from several sources)

6 chicken thighs, bone-in, with skin on
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground turmeric, divided
2 tablespoons water
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small head of cauliflower, florets cut in small pieces
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil

Season chicken parts with salt and pepper to taste. Combine yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric and water in a large bowl, add 1/2 tsp additional salt. Add chicken and toss to coat evenly. Let sit at least 2 hours in the fridge, up to overnight.

Heat oven to 425F.

In a large bowl, mix the oil with the spices (fennel seed, cumin, remaining teaspoon of turmeric). Add the garbanzo beans and cauliflower florets, toss well to coat. Add the veggies to a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil, open small spaces to fit the chicken pieces, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the chicken is golden brown, and the skin starts to get crispy.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This was one of the best meals of 2022. I did not touch the veggies during the roasting time, although I intended to. But a lot was happening and I never got to it. It turns out that some of the garbanzo beans caramelized so intensely that they had this delicious crunchy texture at the bottom. Same for some pieces of cauliflower. So I advise you to keep an eye on it, but don’t worry about mixing things often. Let the oven do its magic.

If you want to make a full meal just with this sheet pan, I advise on doubling the amount of veggies. We paired it with a simple salad. Couscous would be perfect, if you don’t mind some carb-indulgence. Tahdig rice would take this into sinful territory. I intend to explore that territory in the near future, because life is short, and tahdig too good.

ONE YEAR AGO: Clay Pot Cornish Hens with Rice-Pecan Stuffing

TWO YEARS AGO: Ivory Lentils, my newfound love

THREE YEARS AGO: Bouillabaise for a Chilly Evening

FOUR YEARS AGO: Bergamot-Cherry Macarons

FIVE YEARS AGO: Roasted Veggies with Queso Cotija Dressing

SIX YEARS AGO: Creamy Broccoli and Mushroom Casserole

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Maple Walnut Biscotti

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Barley Risotto with Peas

NINE YEARS AGO: Oatmeal Fudge Bars

TEN YEARS AGO: Cauliflower Steaks

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Soft Spot for Chevre

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Quick sun-dried Tomato Crostini

ASIAN-STYLE CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Posted in Poultry by

I’ve been a user of “Copy-Me-That” for a very long time. It is a breeze to save recipes from any site in the internet. Much to my own amazement, I noticed that over the years I’ve saved 1,700 recipes! They can be retrieved with a search for main ingredients, cuisine, whatever you feel like. Sometimes I log into the site and have fun browsing through, re-visiting favorites from years past. This delicious meatballs were patiently waiting for me and I finally made them, with a few changes to accommodate our taste buds… These will go into regular rotation in our kitchen, the sauce is a dream!

ASIAN-STYLE CHICKEN MEATBALLS
(adapted from Confessions of a Fit Foodie)

Cooking oil spray
1lb ground chicken
1 T soy sauce
1 egg
1 T minced ginger
1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)
½ cup of carrots, finely minced in food processor
¼ cup almond flour
½ tsp salt

for the sauce:
1/4 cup of honey
1/3 cup of soy sayce
1 T tomato paste
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 T finely chopped ginger
1 t Gochujang sauce

In a large bowl, gently mix ingredients for meatballs. Begin forming the meatballs and place on a plate or tray. I made 14 meatballs. Mix the ingredients for sauce and set aside.

Place meatballs on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil lightly coated with oil spray. Bake meatballs at 350 for 30 minutes or until cooked through. While meatballs are cooking, combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on the stove until sauce begins to thicken.

Mix meatballs with sauce and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Carrots have a lot of water, so expect the meatballs to ooze some liquid as they bake. In her site, she gives options for air-fryer and Instant-Pot, but I made too many to fit in our small air-fryer, so I went with regular baking. Don’t worry about the liquid, just flip them over mid-way through roasting and lift them gently to add to the sauce later. I actually allowed them to simmer for a minute with the sauce.

A little white rice, some green beans with almonds, and we ate as Royals of The Bewitching Kitchen!

I love adding veggies to meatballs, meatloaf, and even burgers. They contribute moisture and a more complex flavor. Carrots were perfect with the ground chicken, and don’t skimp on the ginger!

ONE YEAR AGO: Cookies for the Holidays, SPRINGERLE

TWO YEARS AGO: Bread – Episode 2 of Great American Baking Show

THREE YEARS AGO: Apple and Sobacha Caramel Dome Cake

FOUR YEARS AGO: Cocktail Spiced Nuts

FIVE YEARS AGO: How the Mighty Have Fallen

SIX YEARS AGO: Festive Night at Central

SEVEN YEARS AGO: The Perfect Boiled Egg

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Light Rye Sourdough with Cumin and Orange

NINE YEARS AGO: Homemade Calziones

TEN YEARS AGO: Plum-Glazed Duck Breasts

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Holiday Double-Decker

TWELVE YEARS AGO: New York Deli Rye

CORNISH HENS WITH YOGURT-MACE MARINADE

Posted in clay pot cooking, Poultry by

Best if made in a clay pot, but will work if you adapt the temperature and cooking times for regular roasting. I was intrigued by the use of mace, that ingredient that sits in the pantry feeling neglected until a rare recipe calls for it. It works wonders in this preparation, so consider bringing that little bottle to shine in your kitchen.

CORNISH HENS WITH SPICED YOGURT MARINADE
(inspired by 660 Curries)

2 Cornish game hens, cut in half lengthwise
¾ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup slivered blanched almond
2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground mace
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional, I omitted this time)
a few small potatoes

To make the marinade, combine the yogurt, almonds, salt, turmeric, nutmeg, and mace in a blender or food processor. Puree, transfer to a bowl and fold the cilantro leaves. Pour the marinade over the hens, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Soak your clay pot. Add potatoes to the clay pot then place the hens with a bit of the marinade still clinging to them over the potatoes. Place the covered pot in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 450F.

Roast covered for 1 hour, remove the lid and roast further until the skin is nicely browned. If your oven heats too slowly, roast for 1 hour and 10 minutes covered then remove the lid.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I’ve made this recipe three times in the past couple of months. Tying the legs together makes for a nicer presentation, but it is optional. The marinade is perfect, and will also work on chicken, either whole or cut in pieces. I’ve been using ground almonds in marinades often, and it does add a nice substance to it. The book 660 Curries is one of my favorites. It is rare that I love a cookbook with no photos, but the narrative and variety of recipes makes up for it. Plus, everything I cooked from it has been fantastic. A great recommendation from my future daughter-in-law, Courtnie.

Full disclosure: I wrote this post and set to publish. Tweaked it 5 or 6 times after that. Before going to bed I decided to take one final look, and there it was, in the very last paragraph:

It is rare that I love a cookbook with no recipes…..

Glad I caught it… but could not resist sharing the boo-boo.

ONE YEAR AGO: Cookies for the Holidays – Gingerbread

TWO YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple Times Four

THREE YEARS AGO: White Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse Cake

FOUR YEAR AGO: Panettone Time!

FIVE YEARS AGO: Pistachio Creme Brulee

SIX YEARS AGO: Fast and Furious Bison Chili

SEVEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, December 2014

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Braised Fennel with Saffron and Tomato

NINE YEARS AGO: Revenge of the Two Derelicts

TEN YEARS AGO: Grilling Ribbons

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Peppery Cashew Crunch

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta

BUTTERMILK ROAST CHICKEN

Posted in Poultry by

This could go into the Incredibly Simple files but because it does take 24 hours marinating, I will treat it as a “regular” recipe. I cannot quite believe how easy it was and how gorgeous the skin looked (and tasted) at the end of roasting. I bet this will work great with chicken pieces also, but it’s hard to beat the wow-factor of bringing a whole bird to the table.

BUTTERMILK ROASTED CHICKEN
(adapted from Cooking Classy)

4 to 4.5 lb whole chicken
2 cups buttermilk
2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Remove the neck and any giblets from the cavity of the chicken. Freeze for a later use or discard. Place the chicken in a gallon size resealable freezer bag in a large bowl then place the chicken in the bag with the legs toward the opening of the bag.

Make the buttermilk brine by whisking together buttermilk, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme until well mixed. Pour the mixture over the chicken while also pouring some into the rib cavity of the chicken. Seal bag while pressing out as much excess air as possible. Rub marinade over chicken. Transfer to fridge and let marinate at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

Heat the oven to 400F. Remove chicken from marinade and scrape off buttermilk mixture. Transfer to a small roasting pan. Adjust wings, optionally tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Roast chicken for 40 minutes, then rotate the pan and continue to roast until the chicken is cooked through about 30 to 45 minutes longer (internal temp should be 160F for the breasts and 175F for the thighs. If the skin starts browning too much, tent with foil. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, rest 15 minutes then carve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: OMG for the color of that skin! The meat turned out tender and juicy, with very nice flavor from all the herbs. I intend to use the exact same marinade on spatchcocked chicken, and perhaps on chicken thighs. Make sure you use a thermometer to check the temperature, I find very hard to judge by any other method, and there’s nothing worse than undercooked chicken. We will be re-visiting this recipe very soon!

ONE YEAR AGO: Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes in Yogurt-Curry Sauce

TWO YEARS AGO: Panettone, Wild-Yeast Version

THREE YEARS AGO: Turkey Chili Under Pressure

FOUR YEARS AGO: Tiramisu Macarons

FIVE YEARS AGO: Cider Mini-Cheesecakes with Caramel Sauce

SIX YEARS AGO: Rustic Ciabatta and Mini-Meatloaves

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Green Rice

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Potato-Crusted Italian Mini-Quiches

NINE YEARS AGO: Beetroot Sourdough for the Holidays

TEN YEARS AGO: Cod Filet with Mustard Tarragon Crust

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Soba Noodles: Light and Healthy

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Potato-Rosemary Bread

TURKEY-BISON JALAPENO CHILI

Posted in Beef, Poultry by

This was made in a pressure cooker, but if you don’t own one, no problem. Follow my modifications for a stove-top version. I often make chili exclusively with ground turkey but this version with 50% bison won our seal of approval. Not that much additional fat, but definitely a more complex flavor.

TURKEY-BISON JALAPENO CHILI
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 jalapeños, minced (remove seeds for less heat)
2 large sweet potatoes, diced
1 pound ground chicken
1 pound ground bison meat
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or other red pepper of your choice)
1 can (28 ounce) whole tomatoes
garnishes of your choice

Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker. Sautee the shallot, bell pepper and jalapeños with a little salt and pepper. When fragrant, add the two kinds of meat and saute for a few minutes. Add all other ingredients, close the pressure cooker and bring to full pressure.

Reduce heat, cook for 25 minutes. Release the pressure quickly according to the method recommended for your pan. Simmer the chili gently for a few more minutes and serve. Adjust consistency with water or by reducing it further. Serve with toppings of your choice. If making in a regular pan, simmer gently for 1 hour, adding more liquid if needed during cooking.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: As you may know, we cook with leftovers in mind, and chili is one of the perfect recipes to enjoy in subsequent days, it gets better and better. Bison meat is widely available where we live, but any ground beef will work, although the fat amount will be higher with most other cuts. We love the mixture of the two types of meat. If you have pickled jalapeños hanging around, they are a nice topping idea also. We used guacamole and yogurt seasoned with salt and lime juice.

ONE YEAR AGO: Chocolate Bonbons with Mango-Ganache Filling

TWO YEARS AGO:  Giant Cookie Meets Mousse

THREE YEAR AGO: The Brazilian Battenberg

FOUR YEARS AGO: Salzburg Sourdough

FIVE YEARS AGO: If I had One Hour

SIX YEARS AGO: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cake

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Sourdough Rye Bread with Flaxseeds and Oats

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Apricot-Raspberry Sorbet: A farewell to Summer

NINE YEARS AGO: Marcela’s Salpicon

TEN YEARS AGO: Pork Kebabs

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Fondant au Chocolat

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Got Spinach? Have a salad!