Summer Avocado Salad

It has been a wild July for Shea and me. We spent our 4th of July holiday road tripping through the Northeastern states (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, etc.), and since then have had a slew of visitors come spend time with us here in DC (Steve, Chris, Kyle, Dunya, and Dorothy). It has been TONS of fun, but as you probably could guess, we haven't been eating in the most healthy way possible.

Now that things have slowed down for us a little bit, we are back to cooking. And what better way to get back in the saddle than with a healthy and delicious salad. I don't even typically like grapefruit, but this salad is fresh, bright, and creamy. It is a definite keeper!

Summer Avocado Salad

Courtesy of "The Food Lover's Guide to Noodles and Rice"

Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 grapefruit
1 small lettuce
1/4 cucumber
1/2 cup vinaigrette dressing
1/2 cup cooked shrimp
1/4 cup long grain rice
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded
salt and pepper

Directions:
Peel the avocados. Cut them in half and remove the stones. Cut the flesh in slices and pour on the lemon juice to prevent discoloration.Using a small sharp knife, cut a slice from grapefruit exposing the flesh. Cut round in strips removing all the white pith.

When the grapefruit are peeled and showing no pith, cut into each section between the membranes of each slice. At the end you will have segments of grapefruit without skin. Squeeze the juice of the membranes by hand over the fruit. Line individual dishes with washed, drained lettuce leaves and cucumber slices.

Pour some of the vinaigrette dressing over the grapefruit. Mix the cooked shrimps with the rice and dressing.
Cut the yellow bell pepper in thin strips, Retaining some for garnishing, chop the remainder and mix with the rice and shrimps. Season well.

Arrange shrimp and rice mixture in the dishes on the cucumber and lettuce. Top with sliced avocado and grapefruit. Garnish with bell pepper rings.

Chicken Satay and Grilled Broccoli (Two for One Post!)

Last weekend my brother, Ed, and his girlfriend, Jamila, came to DC to visit. We had an amazing time together all in all, but perhaps my favorite part of the trip was when we went out to my friend Nazo's boathouse to do some grilling and canoeing.

Ed and Jamila are great cooks; they have a garden where they grow fruits and vegetables and make all sorts of yummy homemade goodies whenever I see them. So naturally while they were here, we decided to join forces to have an amazing cookout. We found a couple of recipes and decided to divide and conquer the cooking and prep, then headed out to the river for some fun.

In this post I am going to include both the main dish and the side dish that we created. Both were delicious and I would definitely make them again!

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

1. 3 plump lemongrass stalks—bottom 8 inches only, outer layer removed, stalk cut into 2-inch lengths
2. 2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
3. 2 large garlic cloves
4. 1/3 cup light brown sugar
5. 1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
6. 1 tablespoon ground cumin
7. 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
8. 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
9. 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
10. 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for grilling
11. 4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

Make Dairy-Free Cinnamon Roll Waffles

 

PEANUT SAUCE

1. 1/4 cup canola oil
2. 4 medium shallots, thinly sliced (3/4 cup)
3. 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4. 1 plump lemongrass stalk—bottom 8 inches only, outer layer removed, stalk cut into 2-inch lengths
5. 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
6. 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
7. 1 1/2 cups unsalted roasted peanuts
8. 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
9. 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
10. 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
11. 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
12. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
13. Pinch of crushed red pepper

1. PREPARE THE SATAY In a food processor, combine the lemongrass, shallots, garlic, brown sugar, coriander, cumin, turmeric, fish sauce, salt and the 2 tablespoons of canola oil and process to a paste. Transfer the marinade to a bowl and add the chicken, gently tossing to coat each piece. Thread the coated chicken pieces onto 12-inch skewers and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
2. MEANWHILE, PREPARE THE PEANUT SAUCE In a medium saucepan, heat the canola oil. Add the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, jalapeño and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the aromatics are softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a food processor. Add all of the remaining ingredients along with 1/2 cup of water and process until a smooth paste forms.
3. Scrape the peanut paste back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until very thick and the fat separates, about 20 minutes. The peanut sauce will turn a deeper shade of brown. Whisk in 1/2 cup of hot water until incorporated. Keep the peanut sauce warm over very low heat.
4. Light a grill and oil the grates. Grill the chicken skewers over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until charred in spots and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with the peanut sauce.   
   

Grilled Broccoli with Chipotle-Lime Butter and Queso Fresco

1. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2. Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
3. 1 tablespoon Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
4. 1 teaspoon honey
5. 1 garlic clove, finely grated on a Microplane
6. Salt
7. 4 heads of broccoli—stems trimmed, cut into large florets
8. Olive oil, for drizzling
9. 1 cup crumbled queso fresco(see Note)

Make Raspberry-Coconut Chocolate Cupcakes

 

1. In a bowl, stir the softened butter with the lime zest, lime juice, Tabasco, honey and garlic and season lightly with salt.
2. Light a grill. Drizzle the broccoli florets with olive oil and season with salt. Grill over moderately high heat, turning the florets occasionally, until crisp-tender and lightly charred, about 8 minutes.
3. Transfer the broccoli to a platter and toss with the lime butter. Garnish with the queso fresco and serve.

Braised Moroccan Chicken and Olives

Long time, no blog! As you might know, Shea spent about 4 months in Greenland, and I have to admit that during that time I ate a lot of pizza and take-out. I am SO happy he is home, and SO happy to back in the kitchen cooking together!

When Shea was gone I discovered the deliciousness and cheapness of chicken thighs, so I had to show them off to him when he got home. I found this recipe and thought it looked perfect. 

I didn't have persevered lemons, so I used fresh lemons instead. It still turned out delicious. It is a spicy recipe, so be careful with the cayenne if you don't like spice!

Braised Moroccan Chicken and Olives

Courtesy of Food52 at http://food52.com/recipes/1017-braised-moroccan-chicken-and-olives

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2.5pounds chicken legs and thighs
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 1 1/2cup small diced onion
• 1teaspoon minced ginger
• 1teaspoon minced garlic
• 1tablespoon ground coriander
• 1tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2teaspoon paprika
• 1/2teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2-3cups chicken stock
• 1/4teaspoon saffron
• 1/2cup green olives, rinsed
• 2preserved lemons, pulp removed; rind cut into strips
• 2tablespoons chopped cilantro

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or large, deep skillet or over medium high heat. Dry the chicken pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Place them in the skillet in batches and brown on all sides. Remove the chicken and place on a plate.
2. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until slightly softened. Add the ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric and cayenne pepper and stir together. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat with the spice mixture. Pour the chicken stock into the skillet so that 2/3 of the chicken is submerged. Add the saffron and stir to combine. Bring liquid to a simmer, cover the skillet and simmer on medium low heat 20-25 minutes. Add the olives and preserved lemons. Cover and cook another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and turn the heat to high. Cook for another 6-8 minutes until sauce reduces slightly. Stir in the cilantro. Adjust seasoning to taste.
3. Serve chicken on a bed of couscous. Spoon sauce over the top. Garnish with cilantro.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
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Braised Chicken Thighs with Onions and Bell Peppers

I was at the store the other day, and I saw that chicken thighs were on sale. I bought them thinking they looked yummy, and then searched for a recipe that would work for them. During my google search, I saw that there are tons of recipes online for chicken thighs, but this one looked both easy and delicious, so I gave it a try.

It turns out that I love chicken thighs! The thighs that I got were boneless and skinless (healthier), but still had that rich dark-meat flavor that I love. The thighs cooked in this method were perfectly juicy and tender, and the sauce that was a result of the braising liquid had a great mix of brightness and depth. This is definitely a recipe to try again!

Braised Chicken Thighs with Bell Peppers and Onions

Serves 4 to 6

6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Wondra or all-purpose flour, for dredging

Neutral cooking oil (such as canola, peanut, or safflower)

3 bell peppers, cored and cut into 1/4-inch strips (assorted colors)

1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch strips

3 - 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, divided 

2 cups chicken stock

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooked white rice, to serve

Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Dust the tops with a light coating of flour and season with salt and pepper. 

In a large braising dish or Dutch oven, heat a few glugs of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering and hot. Working in two batches, add the chicken—seasoned side down—and sear until golden, about 3 - 4 minutes. Before flipping, dust the other sides with flour and season with additional salt and pepper. Flip and continue searing. Remove to another plate and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium and add another tablespoon of oil if needed. Add the peppers, onions, garlic, and Dijon to the pan and cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. 

Increase the heat to high. Pour in 1/4 cup vinegar and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits that have formed. Add the seared chicken and the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until chicken can easily be pulled apart with a fork, 30 - 35 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to another plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining tablespoon vinegar to the cooking liquid. (If you love vinegar, add two.) Increase the heat to high and cook at a rapid boil until the sauce is thickened and reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Nestle the chicken back in the pan and cook until heated through. Serve with cooked white rice. 

Italian Wonderpot!

It has been raining ALL weekend. That, paired with Seamus being gone makes me want to stay inside and just take it easy. On weekends like this, I like to cook a big pot of comfort food that I can eat all weekend and even into the next week.

I actually heard about this recipe for the first time on BuzzFeed. It made sense to me; recipes always say to add pasta water into your sauces, so why not just cook it all right in? Turns out, it makes a tasty, velvety sauce, and there is no easier meal out there (plus it is CHEAP to make)! Give it a try!

Italian Wonderpot!

Courtesy of BudgetBytes at http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/05/italian-wonderpot/

Ingredients

• 4 cups vegetable broth $0.52
• 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.32
• 12 oz. fettuccine $1.33
• 8 oz. frozen chopped spinach $0.79
• 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes $1.73
• 1 medium onion $0.43
• 4 cloves garlic $0.32
• ½ Tbsp dried basil $0.07
• ½ Tbsp dried oregano $0.07
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes $0.02
• freshly cracked pepper to taste $0.05
• 2 oz. feta cheese $0.87

Instructions

1. Add four cups of vegetable broth to a large pot. Break the fettuccine in half to make stirring easier later, and then add it to the pot. Also add the canned tomatoes (undrained), olive oil, frozen spinach, onion (thinly sliced), garlic (thinly sliced), basil, oregano, red pepper, and some freshly cracked black pepper.
2. Make sure the ingredients are submerged under the liquid, place a lid on top of the pot, and then turn the heat on to high. Allow the pot to come up to a full, rolling boil over high heat then remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium.
3. Allow the pot to continue to boil over medium heat, without a lid, for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir the pot every few minutes as it cooks to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom, but avoid over stirring which can cause the pasta to become sticky and mushy. The pot must be boiling the entire time.
4. After the pasta is cooked, crumble the feta cheese over top and serve.

Slow Cooker Soy-Braised Chicken

Believe it or not, it is St.Patrick's day and we are having a snow day here in Washington DC! I spent the weekend drinking outside in the sunshine celebrating my birthday and St. Patrick's day all weekend, and we were suddenly hit by 4 inches of snow that shut the whole city down today. There is nothing better on a cold, snowy day than using the slow cooker, so luckily I had some chicken thighs on hand to make this dish!

I was drawn to this recipe because it reminded me of two things that I loved to eat in Hawaii; pork adobo (basically pork boiled in vinegar) and chicken shoyu (basically chicken boiled in soy sauce). I decided to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they were on sale at the store, and I added some fresh ginger to the recipe. After about 5 hours of cooking, the chicken was tender and flavorful. It's no corned beef, but I'm still happy to be eating it this St. Patrick's day!

Slow Cooker Soy-Braised Chicken

Courtesy of Real Simple at http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-adobo-with-bok-choy-00000000050978/

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• black pepper
• 8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 3⁄4 pounds)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 large head bok choy, cut into 1-inch strips
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the onions, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, bay leaf, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle with the paprika.
2. Cook, covered, until the chicken and onions are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total cooking time).
3. Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
4. Ten minutes before serving, if the slow cooker is on the low setting, turn it to high. Gently fold the bok choy into the chicken and cook, covered, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with the rice and sprinkle with the scallions.

Beef Burgundy with Egg Noodles

This week for my Tuesday night dinner with Nazo, I decided to make something easy and delicious. This recipe is essentially just a pot roast, but served over egg noodles (yum!).

I got the entire dish prepped and ready in about 10 minutes in the morning before I went to work, and when I got home all I had to do was make some noodles and chow down. I would definitely make this recipe again!

Beef Burgundy with Egg Noodles

Courtesy of Cooking Light at http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/beef-burgundy-egg-noodles-50400000124208/

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean beef stew meat 
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour (about 1 3/4 ounces) 
• 2 cups (1-inch-thick) slices carrot 
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen pearl onions, thawed
• 1 (8-ounce) package mushrooms, stems removed
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine 
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces uncooked egg noodles 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme

1. Directions
2. 1. Place beef in a large bowl; sprinkle with flour, tossing well to coat. Place beef mixture, carrot, onions, mushrooms, and garlic in an electric slow cooker. Combine beef broth and next 6 ingredients (through pepper); stir into beef mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
3. 2. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Serve beef mixture over noodles; sprinkle with thyme.