CHICKEN BREASTS IN CREAMY TURMERIC-MUSTARD SAUCE

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

This is very rich with heavy cream, but if you don’t mind splurging a bit for a special meal, totally worth it. Boneless chicken breasts can dry up easily but in this method they stay moist and tender.

CHICKEN BREASTS IN CREAMY TURMERIC-MUSTARD SAUCE
(adapted from epicurious)

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
¾ tsp kosher salt, divided
1 + ½ tsp. ground turmeric, divided
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
Herbes de Provence, to taste
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 375°. Mix 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp. ground turmeric in a small bowl to combine. Sprinkle 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts all over with flour mixture.

Heat 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Cook chicken until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to a plate. Reduce heat to medium; heat remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in same skillet. Cook the shallots sprinkled with Herbes de Provence until soft and fragrant. Add the heavy cream, turmeric, mustard, honey, black pepper and the remaining salt. Bring to a simmer, then return chicken and any accumulated juices to skillet.

Transfer skillet to oven and bake until sauce is slightly reduced and chicken is cooked through, 20–25 minutes.Remove skillet from oven (HANDLE WILL BE HOT!) and transfer chicken to a cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice against the grain ¼” thick. Return chicken to sauce, place back on the stove for a couple of minutes just to warm up the slices in the sauce. Serve right away.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Normally I do not make recipes with so much cream and saturated fat, so this was a departure from the way we eat. It was delicious indeed! I was afraid the heavy cream would dry out too much during baking, uncovered, but it was not the case. Keep an eye on it, add a little water if it is getting burned. I love turmeric… And PLEASE be sure to remember the handle will be hot. I did not, and paid a painful price. Enough said.

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4Dec2024

NOVEMBER COOKIE ROUND UP

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

A little peek into my “baby blog”, in fact more of a toddler now, at 3 years old and growing fast… Here’s what happened last month…

Starting with my favorite, although it was not easy to pick one, if I am to be honest…

Snowflake Platter…

Baby, It’s cold outside!

The Autumn Leaves

For the love of Peacocks

Tunde’s Cookie Platter

For the love of Games

A Trilogy of Swirls

Let’s Get Pumpking

My Puzzled Heart

Halloween Withdrawal Syndrome

So many cookies, so little time!

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FIVE YEARS AGO: A Really Big Announcement

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ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Own Your Kitchen with Cappuccino Panna Cotta

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THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Tartine Bread: Basic Country Loaf

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

29Nov2024

FALL LEAVES PANCH PURAN SOURDOUGH

Posted in Breads by sallybr

PANCH PURAN SOURDOUGH
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

500g bread flour
350g water
75g starter at 100%
9g salt
1 tsp pinch puran spice mix

Make the levain mixture about 6 hours before you plan to mix the dough. It should be very bubbly and active.

When you are ready to make the final dough, place the water in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer and dissolve the starter in it, mixing with a spatula briefly, then add the flour, salt and spice mixture. Turn the mixer on with the hook attachment and knead the dough for 4 minutes at low-speed all the time. You will notice the dough will gain quite a bit of structure even with just 4 minutes in the mixer. Remove from the machine, and transfer to a container lightly coated with oil, cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to ferment for 4 hours, folding every 45 minutes or so. Because the dough is already a bit developed from the initial time in the mixer, you should get very good structure after 3 and a half hours, or even sooner than that.

After four hours bulk fermentation, shape the dough as a ball, and place, seam side up, in a lightly floured banetton. Leave at room temperature one hour, and then place in the fridge overnight, from 8 to 12 hours.

Next morning, heat the oven to 450F.Place a parchment paper on top of the dough, a flat baking sheet, and invert the dough, flipping it out of the banneton. Flour the surface of the dough, score with a razor blade, and bake at 450F for 45 minutes, preferably covered for the first 30 minutes to retain steam. Cool completely over a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I love the yin-yang feel of this design which is quite popular for batard-shaped loaves, you can see examples everywhere in social media. Coupling razor blade with small scissors is all you need to get this simple look going.

Before I leave, let me share a few more designs of the recent past…

For the above look, a very simple grid is the initial scoring, then just a few extra touches in the center of each square.

Another batard shape that is super simple and effective, relying on a central deep cut and a few decorating light touches with the blade…

A little stencil adventure…

And a festive scoring coupled with a slightly heavier coating with tapioca flour…

That’s all for now, folks, stay tuned for more soon!

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TWELVE YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana, the Thriller

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

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FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

21Nov2024

A DUET OF VEGGIES

Posted in Salads, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

I love Delicata squash, but it is not easy to find at the grocery stores in our town. My first recipe incorporates the squash as a salad ingredient, still warm from the oven, although it will be equally tasty served cold. The second calls for Brussels sprouts, much more widely available. A super simple way to cook it, I hope you’ll give it a try.

ROASTED DELICATA SQUASH SALAD
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

for the salad:
2 small Delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeded, cut into ½-inch pieces
olive oil, for drizzling
a handful of pepitas
3 cups baby spinach leaves
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored and diced
a handful of dried cranberries
salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the dressing:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Toast the pepitas on a small pan with a smidgen of olive oil and a touch of salt. When fragrant, remove to a bowl and let them cool.

Heat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the squash on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and roast until the squash is golden brown on all sides, about 25 minutes.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Assemble the salad: Combine the spinach, toasted pepitas, cranberries and apples. Add half the dressing, toss to coat well. Add the warm roasted squash, drizzle the leftover dressing, gently toss everything together, so that the spinach gets slightly wilted by the warm squash. Adjust seasoning if needed with salt and pepper. Serve right away.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: You can definitely roast the squash and just serve as a side dish for a nice dinner. I do not peel Delicate, the skin is tender enough that I don’t mind eating it. This was a hearty salad, that we enjoyed with roast chicken thighs.

And now, for a real super simple recipe that will go into our regular rotation.

CHEESY BRUSSELS SPROUTS

CHEESY ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Cook whole sprouts in gently boiling salted water for 8 minutes.

Drain and place on paper towels to dry.

Cut each sprout in half.

Transfer to a bowl and coat them with olive oil, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, place the sprouts as a single layer, cut side down.

Roast at 425F for 15 minutes.

Add grated Parmigiano cheese all over and roast for another 15 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.

Keep an eye on it, you don’t want the cheese to burn.

to print, click here

Comments: This was a real nice way to get tender sprouts with no bitterness and the right amount of char. It may seem a bit fussy to cut them in half after cooking, but I think it was worth the small effort. If they are cut in half before simmering they do not retain the shape well and get a bit too mushy in the end. Of course, this is a matter of personal preference. See what works best for you…

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27Oct2024

MUERTOS RANCHEROS

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

The moment I stumbled on this amazing blog – Ghoulatheart.com – I knew I had to make something from it right away. The recipe for Muertos Rancheros called my name really loud, as I had the right pan for it and the timing could not be more perfect: the week before Halloween! I made a tomato-free version, so if you want a more authentic version, check her blog post.

MUERTOS RANCHEROS
(inspired by Ghoulatheart.com)

Mock tomato sauce:
1 jar of roasted red bell pepper (12 ounce)
8 ounces mushrooms
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely minced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 pound ground turkey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 can black beans
cilantro leaves to taste
chicken stock to adjust consistency

jumbo eggs, whites and yolks separated
olive oil spray

garnish (optional)
flour tortillas cut in ghost shapes
olive oil spray

Heat oven to 350F.

Cut flour tortilla in ghosts shapes of varied sizes. Spray olive oil on both sides and bake until golden. Reserve for garnish.

Make the bell pepper sauce by running all ingredients in a food processor until super smooth. Reserve.

Heat the olive oil on a large skillet, add the celery and shallots, season lightly with salt. Sautee until fragrant. Add the ground turkey, salt, chili, cumin, and cook until the turkey is almost cooked through. Add 1 cup of the red bell pepper sauce, cook gently in low heat for 10 minutes, with the lid on. Add the black beans, cilantro, and a little chicken stock to loosen the sauce and make it a good environment to place the eggs over. Cover the pan and keep it at a simmer.

Make the eggs. Spray the skull pan with olive oil, add the egg white of the JUMBO egg, season lightly with salt. Cook in the oven for 4 minutes. Remove the pan, add the egg yolks, one per cavity. Put back in the oven and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove the pan from the oven, go over the edges of the eggs with a plastic knife or spatula to make sure it is loose enough to slip off the pan. Place a parchment paper and a baking sheet on top of the pan (careful, it is HOT), invert it. Eggs should slip off easily. Carefully place them with a silicone spatula over the sauce, with the heat turned off. You might need to add more chicken stock depending on how dry the sauce looks. Serve immediately decorated with tortilla ghosts.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you ever need to adapt a recipe that calls for tomato sauce due to food sensitivities, I recommend you try this red bell pepper version. I saw it online in a discussion forum and was intrigued. We really like it a lot. It is of course a huge departure from the ranchero sauce, but I hope the Ranchero Police won’t come after me. Cooking the eggs in the pan can be tricky, I had a big mess on my first try, I did not use spray, I rubbed olive oil in the cavities and that was clearly not effective. Some readers of her blog recommended adding the yolk to the sauce and just cooking the whites in the pan, but I found it harder to invert the egg whites only as the volume is very shallow. I think what works best is add the eggs to the sauce with the heat OFF, and let the yolks just cook in the residual heat. You might want to practice with one egg in your oven and see how it goes. Nudge the egg gently with a plastic spatula before inverting on the parchment paper.

Such a fun meal for scary times! The tortilla ghosts I saw on FoodTV The Kitchen show, and thought it was a good way to add something else to this meal. Poor little ghost was a little scared, knowing his end – another end – was near!