Rao's Lemon Chicken

The other day, Carson and I were watching the Food Network and we caught Frank Pellegrino show Ina Garten how to make his famous Lemon Chicken and then the following happened...

Carson only had to look over at me, and his eyes asked, "you are going to the market, aren't you, to go get all of the ingredients to make this, aren't you?"  I looked back at him, and my eyes replied, "yes, yes I am going to do that, just as soon as you get the kids away from me so I can go shop in peace."  And then my son said, out loud, "why are you guys staring at each other like that."  He doesn't understand Eye Talking, I guess.  Alas, I did go later that day and picked up a chicken (and had the butcher butterfly it and remove the spine), some fresh lemons and parsley.  I had the rest of the ingredients at home, that's how simple this dish is.

As Ina says in the episode, if you're going to call something 'Lemon Chicken' than it better taste like lemon, and THIS tastes like lemon.  The chicken is juicy, the skin is crisp, and the lemon flavor is off the charts.  For the recipe, click here.

Chicken Marsala

Oh, June.  June... you are a nutty, nutty month.  You are living la vida loca, and yes, I am still living in 1999.  I am also still living in a world where June means summer... not recitals, teacher gifts, preschool graduations and camp registrations because, oh right, I'm a mom now and not a teenager living at the turn of the century listening to Ricky Martin.  It's just that when I was a kid June used to symbolize the beginning of summer, and now it feels like the end of so much.  Perhaps that's because I'm an emotional wreck about my kids growing up and my daughter starting elementary school next year with her big bro.  Time is speeding by, and this time of year is making me nostalgic for simpler times... when a new Backstreet Boys song was all I really cared about.  

Maybe I'm feeling this way because my mom has been staying with us for a few weeks and the other night she cooked dinner.  This always causes me to feel a bit like a teenager.  (By the way, does anyone else have a child that says "a bit" all of the time because Peppa Pig is everywhere??)  As much as I love to cook, there is nothing better than someone taking over every once in awhile.  That particular night, she made us a Chicken Marsala which was delicious!  It felt like comfort food but tasted light and refreshing - like something you could eat again and again. 

She followed this recipe :)

Stay tuned later this week for an epic ice cream cake!           

Spicy Chicken Rice Bowls

HELLO BLOGGING WORLD!  

Ok, how did I do this again?  This blogging thing?  I would type nonsensical thoughts, you would read them, chuckling loudly while slapping your knees, there were food photos, recipes... ok, it's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now.  There were moments of gold and there were FLASHES OF LIGHT.  

I haven't forgotten about you, it's just we were out west for eleventy days (my favorite not-a-number), and as my kids get older it seems to be taking them longer and longer to adjust back to their accustomed time zone.  My son becomes a teenager, staying up too late and playing dead in the morning (like seriously, I know you can feel that I've just ripped the blankets off your body and I know you can see the sunlight burning through your closed eyelids as I've just violently opened the shades).  My middle child decides to pick 8pm to run laps around the house, wearing three winter coats (??), until I finally decide to give her a leeeeeeeeetle Benadryl (hahahahahahahaha, kidding).  My toddler keeps waking up with night terrors... first, there was a "bird" in her bed and the next night a "crab" (I won't go there).  Needless to say, I am a walking asleep person...

...but I haven't forgotten about you.

In fact, I've made the same dinner the last 3 nights in a row in an attempt to get more photos so I can post the recipe, but somehow I just have one?  Remember how I said I was a walking asleep person? 

Alas!  It's time for me to just POST it already.  Because it's so delicious, and because you deserve it.  It's basically a chicken and rice bowl on top of arugula and topped with various yummy things, and it's based on a dish called 'Le Bowl' from a restaurant called Zinque in Los Angeles.  I toss the chicken in a little mayo and sriracha, which is why I'm calling it spicy, and if you watch "Sing" as much as I do, then you just heard Gunther the pig in your head.  Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Rice Bowls

Servings: 2 bowls

Printable Recipe

2 cups arugula

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 cups roasted chicken, shredded

Sriracha sauce

Mayonaise 

Shaved Manchego cheese (or Parmesan)

1/2 avocado, diced

Cherry tomatoes, diced

Corn shredded off the cob

Divide the arugula and brown rice among two bowls.  In another small bowl, add chicken and desired amounts of mayo and sriracha (I do about 1 Tbsp mayo and 1 heaping tsp sriracha), stir together.  Top each bowl with chicken, cheese, avocado, tomatoes and corn.  Drizzle some more olive oil and more hot sauce (if desired) on top.  Season to taste with salt and pepper!   

It is a honeyed life on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

 This morning on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with interim host Nadia Kidwai, I presented dishes that featured honey.  Please support both the bees in our Manitoba environment, when considering the impact of cosmetic pesticides on human and environmental health, and consider the bee keepers and their hard work to produce excellent honey for our enjoyment.

The gorgeous cutting board is made locally by Silverbirch Designs. 

1.Honey Miso Grilled Chicken Thighs

1 inch fresh ginger, minced
3 tbs miso
1 green onion, finely chopped
3 tbs honey
3 tbs Mirin
a drizzle of chili oil
4-8 skinned and boned chicken thighs

Combine first 6 ingredients until well blended. Mix with the chicken pieces and let marinade for at least one hour. Grill, broil or saut� until done, about 4-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Serve immediately or enjoy cold.

Enjoy!

2. Tuscan Squash Salad

1 lb squash (butternut, hubbard, or any small firm variety except spaghetti), peeled, seeded and cut in 5-inch slices
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs honey, warm and divided into two parts
� cup chopped walnuts
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs walnut oil
� tsp kosher or sea salt
� tsp ground black pepper
~ 6 cups mixed baby greens, lightly packed
� cup crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 400�F. Toss the squash and olive oil in a large bowl. Spread on a parchment-lined  baking sheet and lightly brush with half of the honey. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn and brush with the remaining honey. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the squash is cooked through. Some varieties  take longer to cook.

While the squash is baking, toast the walnuts lightly. Whisk together the lemon juice, walnut oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Toss the greens with the vinaigrette in a large bowl and place on serving plates. Top with 3-5 slices ofsquash. Sprinkle with the walnuts and feta, season and serve while the squash is still warm.

3. Honey drizzled on Chevre with herbs

On a cheese board, place amount of chevre. Sprinkle your favourite dried herb mixture on the cheese,

such as Herbes d�Provence, Za�atar, Sumac, etc. Drizzle liquid or warm melted honey over cheese and

herbs. Enjoy with breads or crackers.

How to make a great Chicken Paillard

The other day I put up an Instagram story about our dinner and got so many requests for the recipe.  So here you go!  Your wish is my command!  Well, it's sort of my command, because I'm not actually going to write out a recipe... because I'm too lazy.  Sorry not sorry.  However, I will be as descriptive as possible on just how I make this salad that has become a weekly staple in our house!

It's all about the chicken.  I like to buy boneless, skinless, thinly sliced breast cutlets, but breasts or tenders would work as well.  Whatever chicken you have, the key is to pound it so that it's as thin as can be.  I place my breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and I pound it with a meat tenderizer, however you can use just about anything: wine bottle, soup can, your fist (this is particularly fun if you have anger issues).      

Next, you need to set up a breading station (of course, you can skip this step if you'd like to just grill your chicken as is, but I like a little crunch to mine).  I use flour, whole wheat breadcrumbs combined with Parmesan, and two egg whites.  IMPORTANT: salt and pepper each bowl.  This will help with developing flavor.  The order for dredging is: flour, egg whites, breadcrumbs.  Get your skillet ready by covering it with olive oil, about 1/4 inch deep, over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken for no more than 3 minutes a side, less if you're using cutlets or tenders.  You'll know when to flip because the bottom of your chicken will become nice and golden.    

As for your salad, anything goes!  Last night I used arugula, cherry tomatoes, sweet yellow peppers, toasted pine nuts, leftover corn, avocado and grated Parmesan.  I make the same dressing almost every time: 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, about 1/4 cup of good olive oil and salt and pepper, all whisked together.  Chicken on the bottom, salad on top, voila!

Catering prize for Manitoba Eco-Network's Reel Green Gala on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning I presented the following recipes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with interim host, Nadia Kidwai.  These are full of flavour but I've also made them very easy to prepare. 

On March 16th, Manitoba Eco-Network will be hosting our annual fundraising event, The Reel Green Gala.  Sponsors include Assiniboine Credit Union, Tire Stewardship Manitoba, Stantec, and other amazing supporters such as VIARail, and local producers.  I'm offering catering for four, supported by Almost Urban Vegetables, for the chicken, Vita Health for many other ingredients, and I'll prepare Moroccan food.

Tickets are available at www.reelgreen.brownpapertickets.com.

Moroccan Chicken with Prunes and Almonds

 1 chicken � (3 1/2 lbs)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup prunes
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup whole blanched almonds
vegetable oil for frying

Rub all the chicken pieces with salt, pepper and cumin. Let stand for one hour.

Soak prunes if very dry.

Place onions in a wide shallow casserole with turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste, 1/4 cup water, cover and steam for 15 minutes.

Brown the almonds in 4-5 tbs oil in a large skillet and drain on paper towels. Brown the chicken evenly on all sides in the oil and transfer to the steamed onions. Cover with parchment paper and cook in tajine on the lowest heat for about 1 1/4 hours.

Discard the parchment paper. Add the prunes and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat. Serve with almonds sprinkled on top.

Enjoy!

Beet Salad I and II

1 lb Beets
1 tb Sugar
1 Lemon; juice of
1 tb Olive oil
1 lg Pinch of cinnamon
1 tb Chopped parsley
Salt; to taste

Wash beets well, being careful not to break their skins. Cut off the
tops, leaving a stalk of about 1 1/2". Boil in a 3 quart saucepan
until tender, covered. Allow the water to cool, then slip off the
skins, trim off the tops, and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the beets. Let marinate
for 1 hour before serving.

Beet Salad II: Prepare as described above, but add 1 tsp. orange
flower water, 1/8 tsp. cumin, a pinch of paprika, and a little water
to the sauce.

Local Halal Valentine's Aphrodisiacs on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Tomorrow on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with guest host Nadia Kidwai, I will be presenting the following dishes, Rack of Lamb with a Ras el Hanout rub, and Solberry Chicken.  Both feature my Ras el Hanout spice blend, which is considered an aphrodisiac.  Recipes to impress but so easy to prepare, these are full of flavour and sumptuous for a Valentine's dinner.  (Photos tomorrow when food is cooked).  

There are many reasons to love Halal meats.  They are raised ethically and organically from birth to processing but you don't pay for the word Organic.  The meat is always excellent quality when it comes from producers and suppliers that are so ethical and particular.  

The chicken is from Waldner's Meats that I purchased from Millad's Supermarket on Notre Dame.  Waldner's were the first Halal producers in Manitoba.  They are now at risk of closure from potential changes in government regulations.  Manitobans LOVE their local chicken.  Please get to know your producer and make sure that you will have access to excellent quality products.

1. Ras el Hanout Rack of Halal Lamb

1 rack of lamb (This Halal Lamb is available at Millad�s Supermarket on Notre Dame)

1 + Tbs Ras el Hanout (or your favourite spice blend), available this weekend at St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market on Saturday from 10-1PM, or the Pop-up market at VIA Rail Station on Sunday.

Salt, to taste,

� preserved lemon peel, finely chopped (make your own earlier than today or find at Millad�s, Dino�s, etc.)

Olive oil

 Rub rib rack(s) all over with mixture of spices, preserved lemon peel. Sprinkle with salt.   Place in a thick plastic bag with olive oil. Spread oil around so that it coats the lamb rack(s) all over. Squeeze out as much air as you can from the bag and seal. Place in a container so that if the bag leaks, the container catches the leak.

 If you want, place in the refrigerator overnight. Or, if you are not marinating overnight, let lamb rack(s) sit in the rub marinade as it comes to room temperature before cooking.

 Bring lamb to room temp: Remove lamb rack from refrigerator to 1 1/2 to 2 hours before you cook it so that it comes to room temp. (If the meat is not at room temperature it will be hard for it to cook evenly.)

 Preheat oven to 450�F, arrange the oven rack so that the lamb will be in the middle of the oven.

 Place the lamb rack bone side down (fat side up) on the pan. Wrap the exposed ribs in a little foil so that they don't burn.

Roast first at high heat to brown, then reduce heat to finish: Place the roast in the oven roast at 450�F for 10 minutes (longer if roasting more than one rack), or until the surface of the roast is nicely browned.

Then lower the heat to 300�F. Cook for 10-20 minutes longer (depending on the size of the lamb rack, if you are roasting more than one rack, and how rare or well done you want your lamb), until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat 125�F on a for rare or 135�F for medium rare. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.

Cut lamb chops away from the rack by slicing between the bones. Serve 2-3 chops per person.

2. Solberry (Soulberry) Halal Chicken

2 tablespoons Ras el Hanout*

1/2 cup Solberry puree (found at Vita Health, Red River Co-op Stores, etc.)

1/4 cup good olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

pinch salt

1 Chicken, skinned and pieced

Mix first 7 ingredients together well to blend in the olive oil. Place chicken thighs in marinade in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1-4 hours. Place chicken thighs on a hot BBQ for up 4 minutes a side if boneless, twice as long if with bone in.  Let meat rest and enjoy with grilled Naan bread, salad, rice, etc.

*Ras el Hanout can be used as a spice rub for your BBQ meats, in vegetable stews (recipe in blog), on roast chicken, lamb, goat, etc.

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Taco Tuesday used to be such a thing in our house.  When we moved to New York, it seemed we kept the tradition alive for awhile but it has slowly faded and now, it's not a thing.  I want it to be a thing!  I like having "things"... sigh.  I think part of the problem is that we start to get bored of the same old tacos, so in search of something new the other day I made this Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole!  That's a mouthful, in more ways than one (chuckle, chuckle, knee slap).    

I followed this recipe but threw in some butternut squash when I added the chicken (that I first diced into cubes and saut�ed with some finely chopped onions in butter for 8-10 minutes).  I will make this again and again and by the way, it's even better the next day.  Make it a THING in your house!

Creamy White Chicken Chili

Have you ever made something, and after your husband takes one bite of it he sends a photo to the neighbor, and five minutes after that the neighbor shows up?  That's what happened when I made this chili.  This is easy, hearty comfort food at it's best with so much flavor and just enough kick.  I would probably double the recipe if I were you and make it for Game 7 of the World Series.  Go Cubs!!  

Recipe here.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Hello!  Welcome back to me!  We just returned from California where we were for almost two weeks, and I won't lie, I don't mind that my kids are still jet lagged and sleeping in until 8:00 am every morning.  Especially because I know it won't last!  I've missed you guys, I've missed cooking, I've missed my routine... and non-travel-sized toiletries.  I finally got back into the kitchen last night to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and my Mama's birthday!  She wasn't with us (lives in Minnesota), but we toasted to her (tequila, obviously) and enjoyed these delicious Chicken and Sweet Potato Enchiladas.  

I followed this recipe with a few alterations: used an already cooked Rotisserie chicken, added two chopped sweet potatoes with the chicken (that I microwaved for 8 minutes first), and used mini corn tortillas (which fit into one pan - the recipe calls for two).  It was superb!  I would highly recommend adding it to your weeknight meal repertoire.  

For a behind-the-scenes look at my prep, hurry on over to Snapchat (siriouslydelish) and follow me!  I think I'm slowly getting the hang of it... sloooooowly (I'm an old person now).  

Fajitas and Queso on TODAY

Yesterday morning I woke up bright and early and made chicken fajitas and queso dip on the Today Show.  The recipes were based on some dishes from one of my favorite childhood restaurants, Chili's!  Today I woke up bright and early to write this blog post.  Ok that's a lie, my daughters woke me up bright and early... at 1:30 and 4:30 and 5:00 and 5:30.  You know how it goes, right?  PLEASE TELL ME YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES.  Sometimes people ask me, is it hard to wake up so early for the show and I say no, no, no, no, no.  I get to drink my coffee in peace.  Someone blow dries my hair, and I get to wear eyeliner that doesn't make me look like a cat (I've never been able to do my own makeup properly).  It's the mornings when I wake up, milk bottle, vitamins, breakfast, pack lunch, pack snack, get clothes, stop fighting, brush your teeth, wipe the nutella off your face, brush your hair WE'RE GOING TO MISS THE BUS... those are the hard mornings.  Sooooo that said, I better go!      

You can find the recipes and video from yesterday here.  

Stay tuned for some delicious pasta later today!

Beets for Tandoori Chicken and Fish Tikka Masala! For CBC's Weekend Morning Show

I'll be presenting two recipes tomorrow for CBC's Weekend Morning Show, with guest host, Laurie Hoogstraten.  Tandoori Chicken and Fish Tikka Masala.  

Quite often, Tandoori Chicken has red food colouring added to give it the desired colour.  The Beet Sauce from Dr. Beetroot takes care of that.  It also has all natural ingredients and a great flavour!  I'll be using it for dips as well.  

I used local Arctic Char, available year round, fresh on Fridays at Gimli Fish.  It is a consistently great product.  One can also use other firm fish for the recipe.

Tandoori Chicken (serves 4-6)

10 pieces skinless chicken (I prefer to use chicken thighs as they are very easy to skin and then are lower fat)
Marinade:
2/3 cup Dr. Beetroot Sauce (available at St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market, Osborne Village Farmer�s Market and Co-op stores)
1/2 cup rich yoghurt (I used Dairy Fairy�s yoghurt, also available at St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market and daily at the Osborne Village Farmer�s Market)
1 tbs lemon juice
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1-2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
pinch salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
pinch cayenne (optional)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 cup olive oil

Mix marinade until smooth.  Place skinned chicken in marinade and let chill for several hours.  Remove from refrigerator at least 20 minutes before grilling.  On a medium high grill, place chicken pieces and BBQ until tender and falls from the bone, less time needed if boneless chicken.  Serve with lime slices, fresh coriander (optional) and enjoy!

Fish Tikka Masala (serves 4-6 as an appetizer)

1 filet firm fish (I used local Arctic Char, available at Gimli Fish, fresh each Friday)

Skin and cut fish into medium cubes if you wish to cook fish on skewers.

Marinade:

1/2 cup Dr. Beetroot Sauce
1/2 cup Rich yoghurt, strained, if desired
1 tbs lemon juice
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
pinch cayenne
1 tbs curry spice blend or, cumin, garam masala, chilies
1/4 cup olive oil

Place fish cubes in marinade for a few hours.  Skewer, if desired. Cook on medium hot grill until done.  VERY SHORT TIME FOR FISH!!!

Serve immediately with naan, yoghurt, limes, etc.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie

Holy Moly, people, you will need to try the dish I made on the Today Show this morning.  There may be a few more steps than your average "throw it all in the crockpot" meal, but I'm telling you, it's worth it.  Slow Cooker Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie will be a hit this weekend, between the blizzards and the football and the "oh come on, January is almost over and I deserve some comfort food" attitudes.  Click on the link above for the recipe, and please enjoy these photos of when Savannah and I realized we were out of time, and when Carson randomly posed with a vase of flowers...

Photos by the lovely Samantha Okazaki

Crockpot Italian Chicken and Broccoli Rabe Chili

It's hard to write about how delicious this chili was when I've been dealing with my son's stomach virus all night/day.  So just trust me, this was delicious.  One of those easy crock pot recipes that are comforting, healthy and can feed an army.  I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and when it came time to shred them, they just fell apart.  This isn't your ordinary, same old chili... it's uniquely different with loads of broccoli rabe, sliced red peppers, cannellini beans and parmesan cheese.  

You can find the recipe here.  Now if you'll excuse me, back to Lysol'ing my entire house.

Crispy Korean Chicken and Gingerbread Biscotti for CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning I'll be featuring the following recipes on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.

This may look like a long and detailed recipe but once you have all of the elements together (mise en place), it is quite simple to prepare.

Enjoy for your Grey Cup snacking or make it a regular feature!

1. Crispy Korean Chicken
from:  http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/easy-dakgangjeong

Steps:
Mix chicken with seasonings and cover in starch.
Fry in hot oil for 7 to 8 minutes.
Shake off, let sit, then fry for another 12 to 15 minutes.
Coat in seasoning sauce.
Sprinkle sesame seeds over top and serve immediately.
Ingredients

3� pounds chicken wings (about 1.6 kg), washed and drained
� teaspoon salt
� teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2/3 cup potato starch or corn starch
? cup peanuts (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 to 4 large dried red chili peppers, seeded, cut crosswise into ? inch pieces (optional)
� cup soy sauce
� cup rice or corn syrup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard (optional)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Grapeseed oil (or vegetable oil, peanut oil)
Directions

Cut off the tip of each wing and chop the wing in half. After this is done you should have about 3 pounds of chicken, with 24 to 26 pieces.
Put the chicken in a bowl and mix with salt, ginger, and ground black pepper by hand.
Put 2/3 cup potato starch in a bowl and dip each wing in the powder to coat it, one by one. Squeeze each wing to press the coating to it tightly.
Make the sweet, spicy, and sticky sauce:

Heat a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons cooking oil, minced garlic, and the dried red chili pepper.
Stir with a wooden spoon until fragrant for about 30 seconds.
Add soy sauce, rice syrup, vinegar, and mustard sauce (optional). Stir with a wooden spoon and let it bubble for a few minutes.
Add the brown sugar and continue stirring. Remove from the heat. Set aside.
Fry the chicken:

Put 4 cups of cooking oil in a frying pan or pot and heat it up for 7 to 8 minutes over high heat.
See if the oil�s ready by dipping a test wing into it. If the oil bubbles, it�s hot enough to start frying. Slide the coated wings one by one into the hot oil and cook for about 12 to 13 minutes, turning over a few times with tongs.
Take the wings out of the oil and shake them off in a strainer. Turn off the heat, and let the wings sit for a few minutes.
Reheat the oil and fry the wings again for another 12 to 15 minutes until they all look golden brown and feel super crunchy through the tongs. If your frying pan or pot is not large enough to fry all the chicken at once, divide it into batches like I do in the video. If you use a larger frying pot to cook them all at once, you�ll have to use more cooking oil.
Coat the fried chicken with the sauce:

When the chicken is done, reheat the sauce until it bubbles.
Add the hot chicken and mix well with a wooden spoon to coat.
Remove from the heat and transfer the coated chicken to a large platter. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over top and serve immediately. This chicken won�t lose its crunchiness, even by the next day. You don�t need any dipping sauce.


2. Gingerbread Biscotti

2/3 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 tsp Frangelico (or try kirsch, or coffee liquors)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch sea salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325�F. Mix butter sugar and molasses until smooth. Add one egg at a time and mix. Add vanilla and liquor and mix until smooth. Combine dry ingredients and mix slowly into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated. Turn out dough onto floured surface and form into a large log. Divide dough into three pieces and flatten out each piece into rectangles onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Take out of oven and cut into biscotti pieces. Turn cookies and bake for 5-7 minutes at 300�F. When cooled, drizzle melted chocolate or make a simple icing of icing sugar and liquor.

Enjoy!

A rare evening of entertaining. A Labour Day traditional BBQ?

Last night I had the pleasure of having some lovely friends for dinner.  Great wine, good beer and wonderful celebration foods to share over lively conversations.  Perfect!

1. Appetizers:
Georgian Eggplant
Pesto Escargot
Tuna Tataki

2.  Mains
BBQ'd French Fries 
Roasted purple potatoes
Ras el Hanout Pomegranate grilled chicken
Lamb Shashlik

3.  Dessert.
Didn't make it that far.  :)

BBQ French Fries

2-4 potatoes, washed and then cut into thin fries, skin-on
Olive oil, to coat


Cut the potatoes into fries and soak for a while in very cold water.  When ready, drain and dry the potato pieces and toss with olive oil. 

On a hot BBQ grill, covered with a Cookina BBQ sheet, spread out the potatoes and cook, stirring, until potatoes are crisp and brown.  Remove from heat and toss with seasoning.  Serve immediately.

Tagine cooking demo

I've been a bit busy and forgot to post this from Saturday's cooking demonstration at D.A. Niels.  Both are so yummy.  The chicken recipe is adapted from Paula Wolfert's The Food of Morocco as I used apricots instead of prunes.  Such a great cookbook.  An invaluable resource, actually.

The eggs in the second dish are placed whole, on top of the vegetables in the tagine.  They cook whole and are remarkably creamy in texture and not rubbery. 

Chicken Tajine with Apricots and almonds

1 chicken � (3 1/2 lbs) (or, your favourite pieces)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup cut dried apricots
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup whole blanched almonds
vegetable oil for frying

Rub all the chicken pieces with salt, pepper and cumin. Let stand for one hour.
Place onions in a wide shallow casserole with turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste, 1/4 cup water, cover and steam for 15 minutes.

Brown the almonds in 4-5 tbs oil in a large skillet and drain on paper towels. Brown the chicken evenly on all sides in the oil and transfer to the steamed onions. Cover with parchment paper and cook in tajine on the lowest heat for about 1 1/4 hours.

Discard the parchment paper. Add the apricots and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat. Serve with almonds sprinkled on top.

Zucchini Tajine with whole eggs

2 onions, thinly sliced

4 medium zucchini, sliced on the bias

1 medium sweet potato, cubed

1 tbs good tomato paste

2 tbs Ras el Hanout

salt, to taste

splash rose water or orange blossom water

4-8 whole eggs

olive oil

Place all ingredients except for eggs mixed together in a tagine with � cup water.  Place whole eggs on top of vegetables.  Slowly simmer until zucchini is soft, about 20-30 minutes.  Remove egg and shell and place on plate of zucchini for service.

Enjoy!

Optional, green olives, black olives,

A Dinner with DRY + Lemony Roasted Chicken Legs with Garlic and Rosemary

I did something fun and rad and I've been keeping it a secret! Picture this: a bunch of your favorite people, a sunny warm spring evening, twinkly candles, and vases full of colorful flowers. A record playing lightly in the background, a well-rounded cocktail in one hand, a crostini in the other, and an enormous cheese plate in front of you. This is basically the PERFECT evening for me. You guys, I am SO almost 30. And I love it.


As you may remember, one of my goals for this year was to do more entertaining (and keep my house clean�because I�m almost 30. It�s about time). I had the perfect opportunity (for both) recently when I collaborated with DRY Soda on a spring dinner party! DRY is a local Seattle-based company that makes sparkling beverages worthy of gourmet food pairing and premium mixology. They have ten crisp, fun, unique flavors, �inspired by art, fashion & foodies.� I like art, I wish I had fashion sense, and I love food! Perfect match! So, I invited a bunch of my friends over to help ring in spring! Some folks from DRY joined (including their CEO and founder! AH!), to teach us how to make amazing DRY cocktails (like this one and this one), the talented Brittany Wright captured the event on camera, and I made a menu paired with DRY's fizzy flavors. 

First: For starters, we had a cheese plate and a crostini. For cheese plates, a good rule of thumb is to have at least one aged, one soft, and one firm cheese. And then I like to throw in one blue (Humboldt Fog is my favorite). I really, really like cheese. You can go two routes with a cheese plate: charcuterie, or not charcuterie. I decided to pair this cheese plate with DRY's light floral lavender flavor, so I went the not charcuterie route, which includes fruits (in this case, blackberries and figs), honey, nuts (candied walnuts and marcona almonds), and something herbaceous or floral (Lavender DRY and, fresh rosemary, and rosemary crackers). I could live off that cheese plate. I�m still dreaming about it.

For the crostini, I wanted something bright and springy, so I made a minty pea pesto, similar to this one, and served it with ricotta on little toasty bread rounds. We paired these little bites with Cucumber DRY. Cucumber and mint are such a classic, refreshing combo! This is also a good make ahead option: the pesto keeps in the fridge overnight and you can top the crostini just before serving. Just note that it is the brightest green when it�s fresh.  

Second: Next up, I made a salad with butter lettuce, avocado, red onion, pistachios, chevre, and a citrusy-mustard vinaigrette, which I paired with Blood Orange DRY. I love this type of salad with orange segments mixed in, so this time I just put the oranges in your glass instead of your plate! 

Main: For the entr�e, I made lemony roasted chicken thighs with garlic and rosemary, served with roasted thyme fingerling potatoes and fennel, and paired with my favorite DRY flavor: Juniper Berry! You guys. This chicken! If you can find the full thigh-leg pieces, get those, because they�re super impressive looking. If not, go with thighs and legs/drumsticks. This chicken is so tender and flavorful. My secret is to over-cook it. I�m not even lying. Everyone talks about overcooked, dried out chicken all the time, but I think the biggest mistakes people make with chicken is undercooking (I think it gets weirdly rubbery at that stage) and under-seasoning. This sauce is so juicy that it keeps the chicken moist even at a higher temp for a longer time. Just check often, as my oven might not run as hot as yours! It�s so good!


Dessert: To round out the night, we had the easiest (and most appropriately soda-themed) dinner party dessert ever: an ice cream float bar! I put out vanilla, ginger, coffee and coconut ice cream, to be mixed and matched with Rhubarb and Vanilla DRY. My favorite combo was ginger ice cream + Rhubarb DRY! Tart, sweet, and a little spicy!

Read more about our dinner party over at DRY, and get some of their fun sparkles for your next shin dig� you can do such cool cocktails and food pairings with them, or just sip �em straight up! 

Lemony Roasted Chicken Legs with Garlic and Rosemary
Inspired by this recipe and this recipe

4 full bone-in chicken legs (thigh and drumstick) OR 8 bone-in chicken thighs (or a combo of both)
Salt & Fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
2 lemons (one juiced, one not)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, removed from stem and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 large shallot, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

If the chicken has skin on, I like to remove it, but it�s up to you. Pat the chicken DRY, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken in a baking dish so that the pieces are touching.

Stir together olive oil, juice from one of the lemons, rosemary, garlic, shallot, and about 1.5 teaspoons of salt. Pour over chicken.

Slice 1/2 of the remaining lemon in thin slices (keep the peel on), then cut those into small wedges, and arrange over the top of the chicken. Set the remaining 1/2 aside.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, baste with the juices, then roast another 25-30 minutes, checking every once in a while. Once your chicken is fully cooked through, but not quite falling-off-the-bone tender, baste it one more time (you can even just flip the pieces), and then crank the heat to 425. Roast another 10 to 15 minutes (checking to make sure you�re not burning it). You want the chicken to be crispy on the outside, but tender enough that it practically falls of the bone when you try to lift it out of the dish.

Just before serving, while chicken is hot, douse with juice from remaining lemon half, a sprinkle of flaked sea salt, and fresh black pepper. Serve with a rosemary spring for cuteness.

Note: Beverages and ingredients for this dinner party were provided by DRY, but all opinions are my own. Photos in this post by Brittany Wright, provided by DRY. 

BBQ Chicken two ways on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning I presented the following two BBQ chicken dishes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.   Very easy to prepare in advance and impress at the grill.

BBQ Chicken

4-8 chicken thighs (or pieces), skinned

1 heaping tbs good Dijon mustard
1 heaping tbs ketchup
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs molasses
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika
drizzle olive oil
1 oz bourbon (optional)
1/4 tsp dried chipotle (or chopped with adobo sauce from a tin)

Mix the marinade together and set chicken pieces in to marinade, at least a few hours.  Heat grill to high heat and place on grill, ~ 2 minutes per side, turning.  Longer time if bone in chicken.  Baste with marinade.

If using the marinade as a sauce, Cook up to boil for at least a minute, adding more bourbon or other liquid such as apple or pear juice.

Enjoy the BBQ!

Grilled Pomegranate Chicken thighs with Ras el Hanout
(serves 2 for 4 chicken thighs)

2 tablespoons Ras el Hanout*
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses** (can also use pomegranate juice)
1/4 cup good olive oil
splash orange blossom water (optional)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch salt
1/4 � 1/2 chopped peel preserved lemon*
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Mix first 7 ingredients together well to blend in the olive oil. Place chicken thighs in marinade in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1-4 hours. Place chicken thighs on a hot BBQ for up to 4 minutes a side, turning NOT flipping every two minutes for grill marks.

Let meat rest and enjoy with grilled Naan bread, salad, rice, etc.

*Ras el Hanout can be used as a spice rub for your BBQ meats, in vegetable stews (recipe in blog), on roast chicken, lamb, goat, etc.

**Orange blossom water, pomegranate molasses and preserved lemon are available at Halal Meat Centre and Specialty Foods at 206 Maryland and Dino's Grocery Mart at 460 Notre Dame Avenue in Winnipeg.

Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

Over the holidays Evan and I decided to work on a puzzle�just a simple 500 piecer that we borrowed from a friend. We were never big puzzlers in my family� I honestly can�t remember ever completing a puzzle until now.
You guys! Did you know puzzles are SO FUN!? I�m obsessed. After we finished the first one, I bought 4 Thomas Kinkade Disney puzzles. I�m a bit of a competitive puzzler, but I also like the camaraderie of a good puzzle sesh. Ya know? I get to a point, though, where we just need to really wrap one up and move on to the next. It�s serious business.
Amanda happens to be a very skilled puzzler, so I invited her over for dinner one night� dinner was really just the carrot I dangled in front of her to force her into puzzling. I mean, dinner wasn�t literally a carrot, it was enchiladas (with carrots), but I wasn�t going to let her leave til the Jungle Book puzzle was complete.
These enchiladas were just a thrown together thing, but turned out so, so good! They�re semi-homemade, with a rotisserie chicken and canned enchilada sauce that we spruce up a bit. I had a big thing of roasted vegetables in the fridge that I made earlier in the week for lunches. You could really use any combo of vegetables, but I highly recommend including sweet potatoes and onions. Below is what I used, but feel free to switch it up. These make an extra large batch, which is perfect for weekday consumption! 

I hope you know that reading beyond this point makes you contractually obligated to come puzzle at my house�

Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
Makes 24 enchiladas

1 (28 oz) large can red enchilada sauce (I like Herdez brand)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Juice from 1 lime
2 cups roasted vegetables (below)
1 small rotisserie chicken, chicken removed and shredded
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
24 small corn tortillas (taco sized)
2.5 cups shredded cheese (Monterey jack, Colby jack, etc)
1/2 cup sliced black olives

Optional Toppings:
Sour cream (mixed with a little lime juice to thin it out)
Cilantro
Hot sauce
Avocado slices
Crumbled cotija cheese
Fresh sliced radishes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together sauce, cocoa powder, cumin, and lime juice. Remove about 3/4 of the sauce and set aside. 

Add vegetables, shredded chicken, and black beans to the bowl of 1/4 of the sauce, and toss to mix everything together and coat.

Spread a thin layer of the remaining sauce on the bottom of one large (9x13) or two medium sized (baking dishes 8x8-ish). You should still have a lot of sauce left after doing this.

Warm tortillas: If you don�t have a tortilla warmer, you can wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds.

Put a spoonful of the mixture in each tortilla, with a about a teaspoon of cheese. Roll, and place side by side tightly in the baking dish. Should make about 24 enchiladas Once they�re all rolled up and placed in dish, top with remaining sauce and cheese. Evenly distribute olives over the top.

Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until cheese is super bubbly. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving. 

Simple Roasted Vegetables

1 unpeeled small-ish acorn squash, seeded and cut into bitesize pieces
2 yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bitesize pieces
1 large red onion, halved and sliced into thick wedges
4 large carrots, sliced into bitesized pieces
Olive oil
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
Heavy pinch of salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spread squash, yams, onions, and carrots on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat, and sprinkle with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. 

Roast for about 45-50 minutes (flipping everything once) until the edges are browned but not burnt.