Grilled Lime-Pepper Chicken and Rice

Floyd Cardoz's Flavorwallla boasts recipes with big flavour and bold spices. This is one example of how this offer can be satisfied with little effort. Seven ingredients. Surprisingly flavourful. I've included a simple baked basmati recipe that works every time. Add steamed green beans or a green salad, and dinner is ready.

Grilled Lime-Pepper Chicken

6-8 boned chicken thighs
6 tbsp canola oil
5 tbsp lime juice (approximately 4 juiced limes)
12 garlic cloves, chopped
1 4-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp black peppercorns

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a blender or bullet and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into a ziplock bag with chicken and marinade for 6-24 hours. Bring chicken to room temperature then grill until browned.

Simplest Basmati

1 c basmati rice
oil
1 3/4 c water
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Saute rice in oil until some grains are translucent. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and bake for 17 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving. Can add in toasted pine nuts and/or herbs or other extras prior to serving. Perfect every time.

Best Crumble Ever!

I don't even like blueberries and this is the best crumble I've ever had. Ian Knauer calls it a crunch not a crumble and maybe that is the reason. This topping is crunchy and cookie-like and goes well with vanilla ice cream. The recipe comes from Knauer's grandmother by way of his Aunt Janet, and is published in his fabulous book The Farm. If you don't have that book yet, you should order it now. Enjoy!

Blueberry Belle Crunch
Serves 6 to 8

12 ounces blueberries*
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie plate or an 8-inch square pan - ideally glass.
Toss the blueberries with the sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt. Transfer to the pie plate or pan.
Stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Blend in the butter with your hands until well combined. Crumble the topping over the berries in large clumps.
Bake until the berries are bubbling and the crunch is set and browned in places, 25 to 35 minutes. Let the crunch cool slightly before serving with vanilla ice cream.

*I've also used the Costco frozen mixed berries in a pinch - just put 12 ounces in a colander, run cold water over, and let drain well before using.

Cinnamon Iced Coffee

When the weather is warm and you work at home, it's nice to have a cool "treat" beverage at the ready at all times. This coffee is easy to make and it's wonderful. I like it over ice with soy milk. The original recipe calls for cream, but I think it would also be nice with coconut or almond milk. It's strong, so the ice and milk or cream are key. The original recipe comes from Sunday Suppers by Karen Mordechai.

Cinnamon Iced Coffee

1/2 c coffee beans, medium coarsely ground
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
4 c boiling water
1 cinnamon stick

Put beans and cinnamon in a french press coffee maker, add water, stir, cover, and steep for 4 minutes. Plunge, transfer to a pitcher, add cinnamon stick, cool, and refrigerate until needed.

Refrigerator Radish Pickles

It's official. I'm addicted to these pickles! And the best part is that they are ready after only 2 days (and will keep in the refrigerator for 6 months, although there is zero chance any last that long here). I found the recipe in the fabulous Ian Knauer's cookbook - The Farm, but it is online in a variety of places including on the Boston Globe website. Quick, run to the nearest farmer's market for some radishes while they're available! We picked ours up on Canal Road in the Holland Marsh.




Refrigerator Radish Pickles

1 lg bunch radishes, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces (about 10 ounces)
4 1/2 tsps kosher salt
1 c white vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 jalapeno, pierced all over with a paring knife

Toss radishes with 1 tbsp of the salt and let sit in a colander in the sink for an hour. Rinse well, dry with a towel, and transfer to a pint container, along with the jalapeño.
In the meantime, heat vinegar with sugar and remaining 1 1/2 tsp salt in a small saucepan until sugar dissolves.
Pour vinegar over radishes, cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 days if you can wait that long. 

Weeknight Tortilla Soup

We are reviewing Sunday Suppers by Karen Mordechai this month. This recipe was an immediate family fave. You do need to set aside about 2 hours for prep and cooking, but then you have a simple, tasty soup on top of which everyone can sprinkle or crumble their favourite toppings. I've listed our favourite toppings but feel free to ad-lib! We like to serve this with Hugh's caesar salad. And always a margarita for Mom. 

Tortilla Soup

3 tbsp canola or grapeseed oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 poblano chili (or 1-2 green bell peppers and one jalapeño), chopped
1/2 tsp salt
ground pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1/4 c chopped cilantro 
32 oz can crushed tomatoes 
64 oz chicken stock

Toppings:
diced avocado
crumbled tortilla chips
chopped green onions and cilantro
crumbled feta
diced jalapeno

In heavy saucepan heat oil over high heat. Add onion, garlic, chili or peppers, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and saute 2 minutes. Add lime juice, cumin, paprika, coriander, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and cilantro. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, over halfway, and cook stirring intermittently for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove bay leaves and puree with immersion blender.
Serve soup in bowls with toppings.

Honey-Sesame Dressing (and a salad to go with it)

The other day I was looking for a recipe for a salad that had oranges in it. I came across this one on the Vegetarian Times website. It is a great salad, but what I liked most about it was the wonderfully tasty and easy to prepare dressing. It is versatile - I used some on a quinoa bowl the next day - and it really captures the flavour of the dressing at our favourite Japanese restaurants. I've changed two things from the original recipe. I changed the oil from vegetable to canola, but you are welcome to use any light oil you have on hand. (That's another great thing about this recipe. It uses ingredients I pretty much always have in the house.) I also suggest cutting up rather than sectioning the oranges. I like small juicy chunks of orange in a salad as opposed to what can often be rather ugly sections. The best way to cut the oranges in my view is to slice off the peel as close to the orange as possible on all sides, then cut the orange into chunks.

Spinach and Orange Salad with Almonds and Honey-Sesame Dressing

¼ c slivered almonds, toasted
5 oz baby spinach (6 cups)
2 large oranges, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tbsp sesame seeds

¼ c honey
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
3 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp dark sesame oil

Arrange spinach on a platter. Top with orange sections and almonds.

Blend honey, vinegar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in food processor. Pour in canola oil and sesame oils, and blend until smooth. Drizzle 1/4 cup Honey-Sesame Dressing over salad, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Genius Baked Brown Rice

I'm so glad that our cookbook book club reviewed Food 52's Genius Recipes. This book contains many of what have become go-to recipes in our house. So I don't lose track of this one amidst the ever-expanding sea of cookbooks at my house, I'm adding it to the blog. This technique for cooking brown rice is easy and works every time. The best thing about it is that you do not have to pay it any attention, so you can get on with overseeing homework, socializing with guests, or preparing other parts of the meal.

Baked Brown Rice

1 1/2 c medium or short grained brown rice
2 1/2 c water
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375F.
Pour rice into an 8 inch square glass baking dish.
Bring water, butter, and salt to a boil in a covered saucepan. Pour it over the rice, stir, and cover tightly with foil.
Bake for 1 hour. Uncover, fluff with a fork, and serve.

Serves 4-6.

Will's Fish Chowder

We bought a chowder cookbook in Antigonish last summer. Will fell in love with chowder during our visit to Nova Scotia, eating it at every available opportunity. He wanted to try his hand at making it at home. Since then, we have been trying out different recipes and changing them up to come up with our own best family chowder recipe. We think it's ready now so we are sharing it. It's very easy. As long as you have the ingredients in the house, dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Will's Fish Chowder

1 tbsp salted butter

1/2-3/4 c each diced onion, fennel** and unpeeled potato

1 lb mixed fish, cubed (ideally salmon, haddock and cod, but feel free to change it up)

1 c fish stock*

2 c coffee cream (18%)

2 tbsp flour

1-2 tsp each chopped dill and parsley

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, fennel, and potato, and cook stirring occasionally until soft. Add fish and cook until opaque. Add stock, bring to simmer, and stir in coffee cream and flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes until chowder thickens. Season with dill, parsley, salt, and pepper.

* You can use chicken or vegetable stock but it's not quite as nice. Fish stock is easy to make using bones and bits you can get at the fish monger and it freezes well.

** Some prefer celery, so feel free to use that if you'd like, but we think fennel adds a really nice depth of flavour.

Spinach Pasta Alfredo with Pancetta

The Pollan Family Table is a surprising cookbook. I knew of Tracy Pollan - actress, married to Michael J Fox. She co-authored the book with her sisters, and her mother, who worked at New York magazine and Gourmet. The forward to the book is written by her brother, Michael Pollan - The Omnivore's Dilemma, etc. And the book is delightful. Every recipe I have tried has been a keeper. This one included. I've made a few slight variations in the interest of health, by using table cream instead of heavy cream, and reducing the butter. You can find the original recipe in the book - you'll want to pick it up!

Spinach Pasta Alfredo with  Pancetta

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces cubed pancetta
Kosher salt
1 pound fusilli pasta
2 cloves garlic, minced
One 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess liquid
3/4 cup table cream
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook pancetta until brown and crispy, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard fat from skillet. Let the skillet cool slightly, then wipe it out with a paper towel.

Cook pasta in well salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Heat remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add spinach and mix well. Add cream and stir until well heated, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Reduce heat to low and add cooked pasta. Stir in 3 tablespoons reserved pasta water. Add the butter and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, stirring to make a creamy sauce. If the mixture seems dry, add additional pasta water.

Transfer pasta to a serving bowl. Scatter pancetta over the top and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper. (Or, if you have a vegetarian in the house like I do, serve with pancetta on the side.)

Il Buco-ish Kale Salad

Il Buco-ish Kale Salad

Il Buco is one of our favourite restaurants in New York, and we have always enjoyed their kale salad. Thanks to the Garance Dore blog, I was able to get the chef's recipe (found here: http://www.garancedore.com/2015/07/12/il-bucos-kale-salad/). I've made a few small changes to technique to make things a bit easier for the home cook on the run. This recipe is loved by all in our family. Enjoy!

Kale Caesar Salad

One big bunch of curly kale or two bunches of lucinato kale
1/4 lb grated parmesan (freshly grated is always best)
juice of approximately 1/2 lemon
EVOO
salt
chili flakes (optional - to taste)
croutons

Dressing:
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 oz anchovies in oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
3/4 c EVOO
2 eggs

Wash and stem kale. Cut into 1/2 to 1 cm wide slivers (think coleslaw).
Blend dressing ingredients together in magic bullet or small food processor until smooth.
Toss kale and croutons together with a generous sprinkle of salt, lemon juice, some of the dressing, chili flakes, grated parmesan, and a splash of EVOO. Taste and adjust seasoning/dressing as appropriate. Keeps refrigerated well for next day's lunch.

Brined Grilled Chicken in Vinaigrette

This recipe from Ruth Reichl's My Kitchen Year is simply fantastic.  It is easy and has SO MUCH FLAVOUR. It's a unique technique that involves a simple brine and then tossing the grilled chicken in a vinaigrette.  You could easily use any vinaigrette you enjoy, but hers works so well I'm unlikely to change it up.

Brined Grilled Chicken in Vinaigrette

3 lbs chicken pieces (I used mixed boneless skinless breasts and thighs, halving the breasts)
1/4 c kosher salt
1/8 c sugar

1/6 c olive oil
1/8 c lemon juice
1 clove garlic
dash balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper
chili flakes (optional)

Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 quarts hot water in a large bowl and bring to room temperature. Add chicken parts and refrigerate for 4-8 hours.
Grill chicken over moderately high heat until cooked through.  I like it with some grill marks on the outside.
Mix together remaining ingredients. Toss chicken in vinaigrette as soon as it comes off the grill.

Roasted Cauliflower Two Ways

I've run across two fabulous roasted cauliflower recipes lately.  Big taste, little effort. The first comes from Made in India by Meera Sodha, and the second from Thug Kitchen, both of which I received as gifts. The Indian version is a lovely side to a saucy curry and rice, and the Thug version would be a super side dish if it ever made it that far. Often it is devoured while waiting for the mains to hit the table. It is shown in the book with a peanut dipping sauce, but I like it on its own. The large heads of cauliflower to which I am referring weigh in around 2 pounds.  Use two if yours are tending to be smaller/lighter than this. Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin, Turmeric, and Lemon

1 large head cauliflower, broken into smallish evenly sized florets

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

5 tbsp canola oil

1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Bring a pot of water to the boil, and blanch cauliflower for one minute.  Drain completely and let rest for a few minutes.

Grind together (another use for the magic bullet) cumin seeds, salt, chili powder and turmeric.  Add oil.

Toss cauliflower and spiced oil on the oven tray, ensuring cauliflower is fully and evenly coated. 

Roast for approximately 30 minutes, shaking and stirring as necessary, until beginning to brown.

Squeeze lemon over before serving.

Roasted Sriracha Cauliflower

I large head cauliflower, broken into small evenly sized florets

1/2 c flour

1/2 c water

2 tsp oil

1/2-3/4 c sriracha

1/4 rice vinegar

1/2 tsp soy sauce

Preheat oven to 450F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Whisk together flour and water. Toss with cauliflower until coated, spread cauliflower on baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes, mixing half way through.

Mix remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until warm but not bubbling.

Toss cauliflower with hot sauce mixture and return to roast for another 5-7 minutes until warm and slightly crispy.

Genius Salt-Crusted Potatoes with Cilantro Mojo

The kids are addicted to these potatoes. I'll admit, I'm addicted to the cilantro mojo, which is a versatile sauce equally at home over chicken or fish as with these tasty tatties.  This recipe too comes from the Food52 Genius Recipes, a book I highly recommend purchasing. Be patient with these potatoes, they'll take 30-45 minutes depending on your pan width and depth, but if you are patient and vigilant during the final few moments when the water boils off, you won't be disappointed.  The original recipe suggests making the mojo with a mortar and pestle.  I'm too lazy.  I use the magic bullet, although an immersion blender or small chopper or blender would work just as well.  NB. Many of the recipes from this cookbook are available online on the Food52 blog:  www.food52.com.

Salt-Crusted Potatoes with Cilantro Mojo

2¼ lbs evenly sized waxy new potatoes, such as fingerling, scrubbed but unpeeled
2 tbsp sea salt flakes

3 large garlic cloves
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded 
Leaves and tender stems from 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tsp freshly ground cumin seeds
Scant ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sea salt flakes

Potatoes: Put potatoes in a shallow pan, ideally where they fit in a single layer. Add sea salt flakes and 1 litre of cold water, bring to a boil, and leave to boil rapidly until the water has evaporated. Turn heat to low and cook for a few more minutes, gently turning the potatoes until they are dry and skins are covered with a layer of salt. (Pan cleanup is a breeze.)

Mojo: Put all remaining ingredients in your magic bullet or blender, and blitz.

Serve potatoes with dipping sauce.

Genius Granola

I make a lot of granola. I like it for breakfast with fresh berries and milk or yogurt, for an afternoon snack, or over ice cream. This recipe is our current favourite, and I suspect it will remain so for some time to come.  It comes from Food52 Genius Recipes. The book is a gem and I highly recommend it. The recipe is adapted from Nekisia Davis' Olive Oil and Maple Granola. What I like best is that it works every time, with little fuss in the making.

Genius Granola

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (not shredded coconut)
1 1/4 cup raw pecan halves, left whole or coarsely chopped
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
Coarse salt
dried cherries, optional

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cover large baking sheet with parchment.
Place ingredients (except cherries) in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Turn out onto baking sheet and bake, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until toasted, about 45 minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool completely, add dried cherries (or other add-ins) if desired, store in sealed container for up to one month.

Best Chicken Stock

David Lebovitz has a wonderful recipe for chicken stock in My Paris Kitchen. The only problem is that it uses a whole chicken, which I'm seldom willing to do. Instead, I tend to keep a ziploc in the freezer for the leftover carcasses from roast chicken dinners. When I have enough on hand, I make a batch of this stock, which is fantastic. (It is also very easy to whip up the night of the roast chicken dinner, when the guests are gone and family is relaxing in from of the TV. Smells wonderful.)
For those times when making stock from scratch is not in the cards, I still recommend Better than Bouillon concentrate, now widely available.

Chicken Stock

2-2 1/2 pounds chicken carcass
3 litres cold water
1 onion, unpeeled and quartered
1 carrot, unpeeled and cut into large pieces
1 rib celery, leaves attached
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs flat leaf parsley
4 sprigs thyme
generous pinch sea salt or kosher salt
10 black peppercorns

Put all ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.  (Add water if necessary so chicken is submerged.)
Strain through a fine mesh strainer.  Freezes well.

Christmas Day Breakfast Yorkies

Thanks to another synchro mom, this recipe joined our Christmas repertoire this year.  She calls it puffy pancake, but it seemed a lot like a breakfast version of yorkshire pudding to us.  It's easy and great!

Breakfast Yorkshire Pudding (aka Puffy Pancake)

2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2-4 tbsp butter
4 eggs
1 c milk
1 c flour

Preheat oven to 425F.

Mix sugar and cinnamon together and set aside.

Place butter in a 9x13 pan and warm in oven until melted.

In the meantime, whisk together eggs, milk and flour.  As soon as butter is out of the oven, pour in egg mixture, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and return to oven.

Cook for 20-22 minutes until puffed.

Serve on its own, or with maple syrup, fruit and/or whipped cream.

Green Beans in Snail Butter

We prepared these buttery, garlicky green beans at Easter and they have been requested for Christmas as well.  Thanks to David Lebovitz's My Paris Kitchen.

Green Beans in Snail Butter

1 lb green beans, tips removed
2-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 c finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Steam green beans until tender crisp. Drain and wrap in kitchen towel until ready to use.  (This step can be done ahead and the beans kept in the refrigerator.)

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes being sure not to brown. Stir in the parsley, salt, and generous grinds of black pepper. Add green beans and stir until the beans are completely cooked/warmed and coated with the garlicky butter. Sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice over the beans, toss a few more times in the butter, and serve.

Crisp Lemony Roasted Potatoes

This potato recipe comes from the fabulous Ruth Reichl and her newest book - My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Saved My Life.  It's a NYT bestseller and NPR calls it one of the best books of the year.  I agree.  (Last minute Christmas idea?!) Also, this technique leads to some absolutely delicious roasted tatties, and it's easy.  What's not to like?

Smashed Lemon Roasted Potatoes

2 lb baby potatoes
3 c chicken stock
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Olive oil
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 400F.

Put the potatoes in a saucepan with chicken stock, lemon zest and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 8 minutes.

Drain potatoes, picking out the lemon zest and saving it for later.

Place potatoes on an over tray and gently flatten.  Toss with olive oil and reserved lemon zest. Roast for 40 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp, golden and irresistible.

Sprinkle with sea salt.

Christmas Eve Cheese Fondue

Today was the day for the big Christmas grocery run.  But when I clicked on the link to the recipe for our now traditional Christmas Eve Crockpot Cheese Fondue (to ensure I got the right ingredients), it was broken!  I emailed the webmaster at the Calgary Herald, where the recipe was first published, and within an hour he'd saved our Christmas Eve by providing me with a copy of the recipe.  I am sharing it here so it is not lost again.  We'll be enjoying this with Hugh's caesar salad on the night of the 24th.  Easy and no fail.  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Crockpot Cheese Fondue

1 clove garlic, halved 
1 3/4 cups (425 mL) dry white wine
2 cups (500 mL) shredded Emmental cheese (8 oz/250g)
2 cups (500 mL) shredded Gruyere cheese (8 oz/250 g)
1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour
Pinch each pepper and grated nutmeg

Rub inside of slow cooker with cut sides of garlic; discard garlic. Turn slow cooker to high. Cover and heat until insert is hot, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring wine to a boil. In large bowl, toss together Emmental, Gruyere and flour; set aside.
Pour wine into slow cooker. Add cheese mixture by handfuls, stirring thoroughly after each addition.
Cover and cook on high until cheese is melted, about 30 to 45 minutes. 
Stir in pepper and nutmeg.

Butternut Squash Soup

This is perhaps the easiest and tastiest squash soup ever.  Thanks to Ruth Reichl's new book My Kitchen Year.  Enjoy on this beautifully crisp fall day!  (And find yourself a copy of the book too - it's lovely.)

Butternut Squash Soup

1 stalk celery
2 carrots
1 pound butternut squash
1 onion
1/2 pound waxy potatoes, peeled
olive oil 
salt

Chop vegetables.  Saute celery, carrots and onion in olive oil for approximately 10 minutes, until soft.  Add squash and potatoes, along with 2 1/2 cups water and 1-2 tsps salt.  Simmer for about 1/2 hour until it's all soft, then puree. 

Ruth recommends drizzling with olive oil and balsamic, or topping with diced apples or walnuts.