Korean stewed chicken with spinach (dak bokkeum)

My, it has been awhile, hasn’t it?  I have no excuse except for the baby.  Oh, also the running!  I’m training for another half marathon with Team In Training.  My site is here if you’d like to donate.

I’ve been back at work for three months now, and the concept ruling our dinners during the week is FAST.  Followed closely by EASY.

We’ve been making a lot of stuff on the weekends, so that during the week Curt can pull dinner together while I feed E right after we get home.  We get home between 5:30 and 6 pm, and E is going to bed right around 7 pm – so our evenings are a race against the clock, and against eating dinner at 9 pm.

It has taken me four days to write this.  There are no photos of the dish.  But what I wanted to say is that you should make this.  I don’t think it’s particularly authentic because I googled some other recipes and they all seemed more stew-like than the way this turned out.   But it is awesomely tasty and very, very easy.

 

Leaving me with a little more time to figure out the loopy ball thing.

Maybe sometime soon I’ll be able to figure out the whole “blogging regularly” thing too.

Daring Kitchen February 2012 – Flipping frying patties!

Blog-checking lines:  The Daring Cooks’ February 2012 challenge was hosted by Audax & Lis and they chose to present patties for their ease of construction, ingredients and deliciousness! We were given several recipes, and learned the different types of binders and cooking methods to produce our own tasty patties!

I SWORE to myself that this time, I was going to post at the right time.  Unfortunately, the patties that I made barely count as a recipe at all – but I’m still posting them, dammit.

Incredibly lazy buffalo chicken patties

2 (12.5 oz) cans of chicken breast meat (I KNOW!  Take away my foodie card now.)

2 large eggs

0.5 C panko or breadcrumbs

Hot sauce, as much as you like (we used Cholula – if you have it, Frank’s Red Hot would be better)

Salt & pepper

Kira supervises the prep work.

Mix everything until thoroughly combined.  form into patties – we did four.  You could do six or even eight if you have small slider rolls.

Warm about 0.5 TB oil (we used olive oil) over medium to medium-high heat.  Add patties and fry until golden brown on each side, about 3 – 4 minutes per side.

Serve with additional hot sauce.

If I wasn’t pregnant  I would totally have covered it with blue cheese too.  Mmmm, blue cheese…

Thanks to Audax and Lis for a great challenge!  Also, if you’re reading – you should check out some of the other posts because they did a MUCH better job and didn’t use canned chicken.  What can I say, I’m a slacker.  Blame the baby.

Daring Kitchen January 2012: Tamales!

Blog-checking lines: Maranda of Jolts & Jollies was our January 2012 Daring Cooks hostess with the mostess! Maranda challenged us to make traditional Mexican Tamales as our first challenge of the year!

I was super excited for this challenge, because I’ve been wanting to make a batch of tamales for after this kid is born – and now I had an excuse to make Curt help!  I’ve made tamales several times, and they are one of my favorite easy dinners.  They freeze and reheat extremely well.

I followed this recipe for the dough, and we used cooked spiced chicken and cheddar cheese for the filling.

Also, I swear this post was ready to go last weekend except the pictures were on the camera still – and there they stayed until today.  Better late than never?

Prepping masa in the corn husk.

Ready to roll!

The finished product, ready to steam.

Thanks to Maranda for a great challenge!

Artichoke dip chicken

Between my travels over Labor Day weekend (thanks Peter, Erika and Dylan for letting me come visit!) and the nasty cold I picked up, cooking motivation has been very low.  I resolved on the Wednesday after that to make something new and take a few pictures, dammit, so at least I would have SOMETHING to write about.

And then I spent 2 days solid paddling around in Cunningham Lake for the Kayak Polo U.S. Nationals tournament and didn’t write a post.  And then I spent two weeks thinking that I needed to post something more interesting that some chicken thing we had for dinner on a random Wednesday, but that didn’t really happen either – and now it’s been forever since I posted but this is all I’ve got.

The dish isn’t anything too fancy, but it tasted good and came together really quickly – just what I needed for  a low-motivation Wednesday night.  Even if it was three weeks ago.

Artichoke dip chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs.)

1 C plain yogurt (I used Fage 0%)

1 C feta cheese, crumbled

1 C marinated artichokes

1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 large egg

Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare a baking dish with butter or cooking spray; set aside.

Butterfly the chicken breasts (lay flat on a cutting board, slice into the center far enough so that you can open them up but not far enough that you cut them in two).

Salt & pepper both sides of the chicken, and set aside.

Combine yogurt, feta, spinach, artichokes, garlic, egg, and salt & pepper in a food processor.  Pulse until completely combined, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Stuff a good amount of artichoke & spinach mixture into the center of each butterflied chicken breast, then close gently around filling.  I had some filling left over so I put it on top of the chicken breasts as well.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the center of the filling reads 165F.

 

We served it with some Israeli couscous that was cooked with lemon, kalamata olives, and oregano.  Easy weeknight dinner!

Hopefully this is the beginning of more-frequent posting.  Fingers crossed.

You jerk

I had originally planned to do a Fridge Friday post today, because it’s been way, way too long.  But because of some crazy storms in Omaha last night, we don’t have any power in the house – so the fridge is dark.  And I’m afraid to open it and let in any warm air, because who knows when the lights will go back on?

Anyway, so instead here is a post I’ve been working on for ages –  jerk chicken, rice & peas, and collard greens.

I love how well greens grow in our garden.  Traditionally, collards are boiled (usually with pork) for ages and ages.  I hate them this way – they’re really, really soft and mushy.

I like to sautee them briefly in olive oil and salt & pepper, then add some chicken stock and steam them for a bit.  They’re soft enough to eat but still have some bite to them.

For jerk chicken, I buy jerk marinade at this place (links to UrbanSpoon page for Caribbean Delights Restaurant, they seem not to have a webpage).  If you’re in Omaha, you must go – amazing, amazing stuff.  I like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

Note:  Grill the chicken outside or cook it in the oven.  If you use a stovetop grill, the jerk paste will fill your kitchen with peppery smoke that is much like using pepper spray on yourself.  And your dogs.  Poor pups.

For the rice and peas, I used a recipe that’s similar to this one.  Rice & peas isn’t rice with green peas – it’s rice with beans, and they’re spicy and delicious.

I’m off to Des Moines this weekend, to visit the Iowa State Fair for the first time!  I am looking forward to red velvet funnel cake and lots of foods on a stick.  Don’t think I will be trying deep-fried butter though.

Hopefully I will return on Saturday evening and there will be power in my house.  It’s the little things that count, right?

Happy Friday, everyone!

Tastespotting at Random: Hanoi noodle soup

This post is brought to you by Saveur’s recipe for Hanoi noodle soup with chicken, baby tatsoi, and bok choy.

I used leftover turkey from Friendgiving, and the stock that I made from the turkey bones after the birds were carved.  I didn’t have any fresh cilantro or mint as called for in the original recipe.  I had frozen mint, and some of the Thai pesto I made last summer, so I improvised using those.

Also, I couldn’t find any tatsoi, so I bought some mustard greens and decided to use spinach we already had instead of the bok choy.

Mustard greens are pretty.  And really delicious.

Now I’m starting to sound like the reviewers on Epicurious or the Food Network website – except I promise not to say “I changed EVERYTHING it was possible to change, and made the recipe vegan. This recipe is TERRIBLE!”

Hanoi noodle soup, inspired by Saveur’s recipe

8 cups stock

2 TB fresh ginger, sliced

3 cloves garlic, smashed whole

2 TB Thai pesto (or 0.5 C fresh cilantro), divided

0.5 C frozen mint (or fresh if you’ve got it), divided

3 – 4 cups chopped cooked turkey

1 bunch mustard greens, thinly sliced

0.5 lb. raw spinach

0.25 lb. rice noodles (preferably 0.5 inch wide)

Sliced scallions

Bring stock to a simmer over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, Thai pesto and half of the mint (half the cilantro too if you’re using fresh).  Simmer for 30 minutes.

Strain out the solids and return the liquid to the pot over medium heat.

Add turkey and mustard greens and cook for 10 – 15 minutes, until greens are tender.  Add spinach and cook 5 minutes, until wilted.

While greens cook, soak rice noodles in hot water for about 10 minutes, until very soft.  Add to soup and serve immediately, with remaining herbs, sliced scallions, Sriracha or chili-garlic sauce, and slices of lime.

Despite all my changes, this was REALLY good.  Really really really good.

And naturally gluten-free!

Friendgiving recap, and planning

Friendgiving was fabulous.  FABULOUS.  There was roast turkey, and grilled turkey breast with a bacon mat.

Yes, the bacon mat.

Eeee.

Turkey breast wrapped in the bacon mat.  Sooooooo good.

Also, Curt and Megan had a green-bean off.  Megan insists that green bean casserole must be made with canned green beans; Curt believes that it should rightfully be made with frozen green beans and homemade sauce.

And then we topped it with bacon for good measure.  I think my sister’s boyfriend put it best when he said that Curt made good green beans, but that Megan made good green bean casserole.

The final menu was:

• Spinach artichoke dip
• Havarti shrimp
• Smoked salmon + capers, creme fraiche, onions
  

• Turkey (roasted, cider-brine and grilled, bacon wrapped)
• Gravy
• Mashed potatoes
• Swiss potato gratin
• Green bean casserole two ways (canned vs. frozen)
• Whipped sweet potatoes
• Dressing
• Corn spoonbread
• Roast carrots
  

• Date & toffee cupcakes
• Pie (apple and peach/raspberry)

It was amazingly good.

Why can’t I change that font?  So annoying.

***

Our meal plan for this week is as follows:

Turkey meatloaf & mashed potatoes/cauliflower

Turkey & noodle soup

Portuguese green soup

Mapo tofu & rice

Chicken & black bean enchiladas

Aloo gobi & rice

Pasta with Italian sausage & spinach

Hummus wraps & Greek salad (really, just salad with feta and a vinaigrette heavy on the oregano)

Should be a good week.

What is your blizzard food?

Apparently, ours is roast chicken.  We made it during Snowpocalypse Christmas 2009

and now again during Snowmageddon 2011.  No photos, but I butterflied it, rubbed the skin with olive oil, and then rubbed it with salt, pepper, sage, and thyme.  It was tasty.

Man, it is cold out.  Stupid winter.

Good dinner though.  What are you eating while the weather is god-awful?

Daring Kitchen January: Cassoulet

Our January 2011 Challenge comes from Jenni of The Gingered Whisk and Lisa from Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. They have challenged the Daring Cooks to learn how to make a confit and use it within the traditional French dish of Cassoulet. They have chosen a traditional recipe from Anthony Bourdain and Michael Ruhlman, which was originally featured on an episode of “No Reservations.”

I changed some things (of course) – one of the suggested changes was not to use the pork rind, so I didn’t.  Also I didn’t confit duck legs (although Curt has been dying to do so), and instead did some chicken legs.

Chicken confit, inspired by this Emeril Lagasse recipe for Chicken Confit

Ingredients

2 chicken legs, thighs, and wings, excess fat trimmed and reserved (about 2 pounds)
1 TB kosher salt
0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
5 garlic cloves
4 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme (about 1 tsp dried)
1.5 tsp black peppercorns
0.5 tsp table salt
About 2 C olive oil

Instructions

1. Lay the chicken pieces on a platter, skin side down. Sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the garlic cloves, bay leaves, and thyme on top.  Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.

2.  Get out your slow cooker.  Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Remove the garlic and  bay leaves and reserve. Rinse the chicken with cool water, rubbing off some of the salt and pepper. Pat dry with paper towels.

4. Put the reserved garlic and bay leaves in the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle evenly with the peppercorns and salt. Lay the chicken on top, skin side down. Cover with olive oil – you may need a bit more.  Cover and cook on low for 12 to 14 hours, or until the meat pulls away from the bone.

And then totally forget to take a picture of the finished product.  Oops.

Cassoulet, inspired by Cassoulet by Anthony Bourdain and Michael Ruhlman (as featured on the Travel Channel’s “No Reservations”)

Ingredients

2 lb. dried beans (they recommend Tarbais.  I used half Yellow Eye and half Mayacoba, from Rancho Gordo as always)
2 lb. fresh pork belly
salt and pepper
0.25 C duck fat (I actually used goose fat for this)
6 sausages
3 onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 confit chicken legs, meat pulled from bones and coarsely chopped

Day One

1.Place the beans in the large bowl and cover with cold water so that there are at least 2 or 3 inches of water above the top of the beans. Soak overnight.  (Beans will double in size upon soaking, so use a big bowl!)

Day Two

1. Drain and rinse the beans and place in the large pot.
2. Add the pork belly, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and continue to simmer until the beans are tender, about 30 minutes more.

3. Let cool for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the pork belly, cut it into 2-inch squares, and set aside. (If you plan to wait another day before finishing the dish, wait to cut the pork belly until then.)
5. Strain the beans and set aside, reserving the cooking liquid.

6. In a sauté pan, heat all but 1 TB of the duck fat over medium-high heat until it shimmers and becomes transparent.
7. Carefully add the sausages and brown on all sides.

8. Remove sausages and set aside, draining on paper towels (I decided to cut them up as well).

Mmmmm, sausages and chicken confit.

9. In the same pan, over medium-high heat, brown the sliced onions, and the garlic.
10. Once browned, remove from the heat and transfer to the blender. Add the final TB of duck fat and purée until smooth. Set aside.

11. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

12.  Arrange all your ingredients in alternating layers in a very large dutch oven or other oven-safe pot, beginning with a layer of beans, then sausages, confit, and pork belly, beans, more meat, and finally more beans, adding a dab of the onion purée between each layer.

13. Add enough of the bean cooking liquid to just cover the beans, reserving 1 C in the refrigerator for later use.
14. Cook the cassoulet in the oven for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 250ºF and cook for another hour.
15. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate overnight.

Day Three

1. Preheat the oven to moderate 350ºF again.
2. Cook the cassoulet for an hour.
3. Break the crust on the top with the spoon and add 0.25 C of the reserved cooking liquid.
4. Reduce the heat to 250ºF and continue cooking another 15 minutes, or until screamingly hot through and through. Then serve.

Ok not the most beautiful photo ever.

DEFINITELY not the most beautiful plate ever. But certainly in the running for most delicious. Making my own confit is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, but who knows when I would have gotten to it. And I love cassoulet – even more, I love that cassoulet is gluten-free!  And that it makes a VAT of food, half of which is now in my freezer waiting to be eaten on another cold winter night.

In summary:  awesome challenge, awesome food.  Thanks Daring Kitchen and thanks Jenni and Lisa!

Tastespotting at Random 3: Pasta with mushrooms

This week’s post comes from this LiveJournal post – wholemeal pasta with mushrooms.  I think it is just the ticket coming off a lot of rich holiday food!

Of course I had to find a completely different recipe and change it until nearly unrecognizable… but still.

Pasta with Mushrooms, inspired by this recipe.

12 ounces cremini mushrooms

3 garlic cloves

2 TB  extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 lb. skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 0.5 inch pieces

1 small sprig rosemary, crushed to release oils

3 TB balsamic vinegar

1 (14-oz) can tomato sauce

1 C chopped fresh tomatoes, or a 14-oz can of chopped tomatoes, drained

1 lb. dried whole wheat spaghetti

5 ounces greens (I used 1.5 cups frozen mixed beet greens and chard)

Grated Parmesan, for serving

Pulse mushrooms and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.

Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until just golden, about another 3 minutes.

Add mushroom mixture, rosemary, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes or until mushrooms begin to give up their juices.

Add vinegar and cook until evaporated.  Add chicken, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and greens and bring to a simmer.  Simmer sauce until just thickened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pasta pot of boiling salted water until very al dente.

Stir drained pasta into sauce and cook for 1 minute.

Serve topped with grated Parmesan.