Slow Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Tagine

This is a great slow cooker meal!!! I like this because the taste and texture is spot on in this recipe. I got this recipe  from Cooking Light Magazine. I did make one change. The original recipe was for 8 chicken thighs, I ended up using 6 chicken thighs...that is what fit in my slow cooker. Enjoy!

Chicken and Chickpea Tagine

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil 
6 (5-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups chopped onion 
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh garlic
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup unsalted chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
2/3 cup chopped dried apricots 
2 (15-ounce) cans organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Preparation:

1.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle meat side of chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Add chicken to pan, meat side down; cook 5 minutes or until well browned. Remove from pan (do not brown other side).
2. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add cumin and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, stock, honey, and cinnamon, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a simmer. 
3. Pour mixture into a 6-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in apricots and chickpeas. Arrange chicken, browned side up, on top of chickpea mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours. Discard cinnamon stick. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Brine for a Super Moist Thanksgiving Turkey!

A brine is a great way to ensure that your Thanksgiving bird will be delicious and moist. This is a simple process....but it does take up some space in the fridge so be prepared! A turkey marinated in a brine solution will also cook a little faster. I suggest not stuffing the bird  because, in my case the bird was done before the stuffing. I also found that there were less drippings from the bird that was soaked in a brine solution. With all that said this had to be one of the most moist turkeys I had ever eaten! I will never roast a turkey again without putting it in a brine solution first.

Turkey Brine

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon vegetable broth
1/2 gallon apple juice
1 cup sea salt
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried savory
1 gallon ice water

Preparation:

1. In a large stock pot combine the broth, juice, salt, rosemary, sage, thyme and savory.
2. Bring to a boil and stir frequently, until salt is dissolved.
3. Turn off heat and cool to room temperature.
4. When brine is cooled place the brine in a food storage container large enough to fit the turkey and brine so that the turkey will be completely submerged in the brine.  Add the cold ice water.
5. Remove the innards and rinse and dry turkey.
6. Submerge the turkey breast side down in brine, make sure cavity is filled with brine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
7. Remove turkey from brine, rinse and pat dry. Discard excess brine.
8. Cook turkey as desired.

Notes:

• If you have not checked it out... the Butterball website is a great source of information. There are guides on how to find the right turkey, buy the right size, thawing times, cooking times, etc.

Soba Noodles with Spicy Cumin Lamb

I saw this recipe in a Cooking Light magazine....I made a few slight changes. This is pretty quick to make and full of flavor. I will try this again down the road and substitute ground sirloin for the ground lamb. Curious if the flavors will be better for me, as I am not a big fan of lamb. If anyone tries it with ground sirloin, please message me and let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

7 ounces uncooked soba noodles
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable stock
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
1/2 pound ground lamb
1 tablespoon pure sesame oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
9 baby carrots, halved lengthwise

Preparation:

1. Cook noodles according to directions. Rinse and drain well.
2. In a small bowl combine stock, vinegar, hoisin sauce, garlic and five spice powder with a whisk.
3. Heat a large wok over medium-high heat.
4. Add lamb cooking about three to four minutes until browned. Remove lamb with slotted spoon, set aside.
5. Return pan to heat. Add sesame oil to the drippings in the wok. Swirl to coat wok. Add cumin seeds and red pepper, cook 30 seconds or until the seeds pop. Stir constantly.
6. Add broccoli, snow peas, red pepper and baby carrots to pan. Cook five minutes, stirring frequently.
7. Add lamb and stock mixture cook about two minutes or until liquid is reduced slightly.
8. Serve over cooked noodles.

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

This vegetarian chili is awesome. I love how easy it is to make, it reheats really well and it is a hearty chili. The recipe can be put together rather quickly and to save more time you could always buy precut butternut squash. I always have leftovers when I make this chili and to reheat I just add a little extra veggie broth and it tastes just as good as when it is first made. Finally, this is a filling dish...I usually serve it with some bread and it is a filling dinner! I hope you like it as much as I do. Enjoy!


Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 roasted red peppers, diced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed into bite sized pieces
1 (28 oz) no salt added canned diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
2 green onions thinly sliced

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions cook until tender about 8-10 minutes. 
2. Reduce heat to medium low. Add cumin, crushed red pepper, paprika, salt and garlic. Cook 2 minutes stirring frequently.
3. Add stock, roasted red peppers, squash and tomatoes. Simmer 20-25 minutes, stir occasionally.
4. Add pinto beans, cannellini beans and kidney beans. Simmer 25-30 minutes.
5. Garnish with green onions.

Baked Acorn Squash

When I was at the farm stand I saw some really great looking acorn squash. Not only did it look great it was very inexpensive! I decided to buy one and bake it up for a nice side dish. Not only is this recipe easy to make it is really great!

Baked Acorn Squash

Ingredients: 

1 medium acorn squash, cut in half and seeded
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar

 Preparation: 

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
2. Spray casserole pan with cooking spay. Place acorn squash cut side (orange side) touching the pan.
3. Bake 35 minutes.
4. Flip acorn squash over in pan, skin side touching the pan.
5. Spread one half a tablespoon on the inside of each half. Sprinkle each half with one tablespoon brown sugar.
6. Place back into 350 degree F oven and bake an additional 35 minutes.

Stir Fried Lemon Grass Chicken

This is a recipe for a pretty easy and very flavorful stir-fry. When making this stir fry I always cut everything ahead of time and then just toss together. If Haricot Verts are not available I use fresh green beans. I also use lemongrass paste instead of fresh lemongrass. There is a link for the paste below the recipe. Enjoy!

Lemon Grass Chicken Stir Fry

Serves 4, 1 cup portions

Ingredients

1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons low sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek (fresh chilie paste)
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon fresh Lemon Grass or Lemon Grass paste
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup sliced red bell pepper

1/2 medium red onion, sliced

8oz Haricort Verts, trimmed 

1 pound thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 Thai chile, diced

1 package (8 oz) brown rice noodles

Preparation

1. Prepare Rice Noodles according to directions on package. 
2. Combine first 5 ingredients. 
3. Heat a large wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Add lemongrass and garlic; stir-fry 30 seconds. 
4. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a small bowl. 
5. Add bell pepper, red onion, and haricot verts to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes. 
6. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; add to lemongrass mixture. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. 
7. Add chicken in a single layer; cook 2 minutes or until browned. 
8. Add Chile to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes or until chicken is done. 
9. Stir in stock mixture and vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until sauce begins to thicken. 
10. Serve over rice noodles.

Link for Lemon Grass:

http://www.gourmetgarden.com/au/product/view/Lemon-Grass

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Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

I found this recipe on the McCormick website years and years ago.I made a few modifications to adjust to my tastes. This is so simple to make, low in fat and calories. I really love this recipe. I have tried many other Jambalaya recipes but nothing comes close to this. Enjoy!


Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Serves 8, 1 cup servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into one inch cubes
1 pound mild turkey sausage cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium red onion, chopped into a large dice
1 medium red pepper, chopped into a large dice
2 celery stalks, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium tomato, chopped into large dice
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 cup long grain rice
1 3/4 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable stock

Preparation

1. In a dutch oven heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and sausage and cook for about seven minutes, until chicken and sausage is browned. Remove from skillet and drain excess oil.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, pepper and celery cook for about five minutes, until onion is softened.
3. Stir in tomato, Cajun seasoning and bay leaves.
4. Return chicken and sausage to dutch oven. Add rice and stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 25 minutes, until rice is tender. Stir occasionally. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Notes:

• This spice level in this dish is medium. If you would like mild only add one tablespoon Cajun and if you would like spicy add an additional teaspoon or two of Cajun seasoning and a spicy turkey sausage.
• If you use brown rice the cook time needs to be increased by about 15 minutes. 
• If you would like you can use a green bell pepper, I happened to have a red pepper in my CSA box so I used red, it looks a little more colorful!
• I use either chicken or vegetable stock....what ever I have on hand, both taste equally great

Roasted Garlic Recipe

Roasted Garlic is one of those things that just has so many uses.
Some of my favorites are:

• Spread on warm whole wheat French bread for AMAZING garlic bread
• Mixed with Marinara Sauce for a Roasted Garlic Marinara
• Mixed with Hummus for a yummy Roasted Garlic Hummus
• Tossed with Orzo for Roasted Garlic Orzo

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients
1 medium head of garlic
1 tablespoon  olive oil

Preparation

     1. Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
     2.Cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch off the top of the bulb of garlic to expose the cloves. Place garlic on foil with
        exposed cloves facing up.

     3. Drizzle with olive oil and close the foil lightly around the garlic. Place in a small baking dish and bake
         for 30 minutes, until garlic is golden and cloves are soft.

 4. Once garlic is cooled cloves can be peeled out of the skin or if using it for a paste the garlic can be    squeezed out by squeezing from the bottom to the top.

Notes:

•  If making several bulbs at once a cupcake tin works well.
•  I really like the Whole Wheat Demi French Bread at Target for Garlic Bread....It toasts up nicely and  still stays soft on the inside. I also find it works well on the grill for grilled Garlic Bread.

 

   

Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls

I like a good cabbage roll now and then, but I honestly do not have the patience to make them myself. Something about boiling the cabbage and then rolling them without  tearing the leaves....the whole process just frustrates me! Which is funny because, I can spend hours decorating a cake or doing multiple steps on other recipes. Probably dates back to the time one of the kitchens I managed had to make like 400 Cabbage Rolls for a dinner and they were behind schedule....I jumped in to try and help but I felt like I was all thumbs during the process, ripping more than I made. I fired myself from the task and got someone else to help and the meal went out without a hitch but I still refuse to make cabbage rolls. My solution: A deconstructed cabbage roll! All the flavor with less work. Enjoy!

Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound 93/7 ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium head of cabbage, chopped
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with chilies
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1 can (8 ounces) of tomato sauce (I use my homemade marinara sauce listed on the blog instead of a can)
2 cups cooked brown rice

Preparation

1. In a dutch oven, over medium heat cook the ground beef, onion and green pepper until the meat is fully cooked and no longer pink. Drain.
2. Stir in the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, broth and sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover for about 25 minutes, until the cabbage is tender. Stir occasionally.
3. Stir in the rice and cook until the rice is heated completely.

Note:

• For the picture I used Chinese Cabbage. Green Cabbage, Napa Cabbage and Chinese Cabbage all work well. I just happened to have Chinese Cabbage in my CSA vegetable box this week.

Meatless Dinner? Try Chickpea Burgers!

When I started the Yipson Foods school lunch program my goal was to offer one vegetarian meal and one meal with meat per day. I found it to be quite a challenge coming up with thirty different vegetarian meals. When I started in food service most restaurants I worked for offered "vegetarian upon request". Usually, the vegetarian was some sort of  pasta dish like Primavera. Needless to say, I had a lot to learn about vegetarian meals. I hired a Chef de Cuisine who was a vegetarian and began the process of learning about vegetarian meals. The fun part of learning in food service is getting to try new foods! Along with the children in some of our test groups I enjoyed trying all sorts of vegetarian foods. The Chic Pea Burgers by far are one of my favorites. Also, if you do not want it on a bun it tastes great on a salad or wrapped in lettuce. Enjoy!

Chick Pea Burgers
Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients
1/2 pound potato
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can (15.5 oz) chick peas, drained, rinsed with 1/4 cup of the can set aside
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 egg whites, lightly beaten


Preparation

1. In a small sauce pan boil potato until the potato is soft and easily pierced with a fork. Cool potato, remove skin and chop potato in small pieces. Place chopped potato in a large bowl. 
2. Add olive oil, minced garlic and can of chic peas not including the 1/4 cup that was set aside. Mash with a potato masher until well combined.
3. Stir in the parsley, salt, pepper, lemon, paprika, eggs and 1/4 cup of the chickpeas to the potato mixture.
4. Shape the mixture into four patties.
5. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet pan over medium heat.
6. Cook approx. 5 minutes on each side. Be careful when flipping. Should be golden in color and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

AMAZING Peanut Butter Cookies! (p.s. they are gluten-free and easy to make)

I like baked goods! I really like cookies!!
Needless to say, the gluten free lifestyle usually does not work so well for me.
When I saw this recipe I of course was intrigued. I had never baked peanut butter cookies without flour before.
I must say these were so simple to make but more importantly....
The results were AMAZING!
These cookies are soft, flaky and taste actually better than peanut butter cookies with flour. The cookies are also only about 100 calories each vs a traditional homemade peanut butter cookie which is 150 calories or more each....only one problem...they are slightly addictive.
Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Yield 2 dozen

Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter ( I used Skippy Natural)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

approx 1/4 cup extra white sugar in a small bowl

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl combine peanut butter, sugar, egg, baking soda and vanilla. Stir by hand until completely blended.
3. Roll dough into one inch balls then place ball into small bowl and coat with sugar.
4. Place ball on greased cookie sheet and make a criss-cross pattern with a fork pressing down gently
5. Bake 8-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cook slightly on cookie sheet before transferring over to a cooling rack.