Tag Archives: recipes

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Oregano

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Roasted Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Oregano

It is officially lemon season! I love lemons, I love the smell of them, the tastes of them, but most of all I love cooking with them. This recipe is perfect for the cold weather we are having here in California. Nothing warms up a house better than roasting chicken, and while I avoid using my stove  11 months of the year, I always love to use it in December. Maybe it’s the Christmas season, I don’t know, but there is just something about pulling something out of my actual oven  that makes me feel in tune with the season.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs skin on
1 lemon divided in half with one half sliced thinly into rings and the other half cut into 2 wedges
1/4 cup of onion chopped finely
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup of white wine Sauvignon Blanc
1/2 cup of low sodium chicken stock
1 clove of garlic
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425 F. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a skillet. Season chicken with sea salt and black pepper, then add it skin side down to the skillet. Allow to brown, without turning for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked half  through. Pour off excess oil, maintaining a thin layer of oil in the pan. Place half the lemon slices on the bottom of the pan, and the other half on top of the chicken.  Move the skillet to oven and allow chicken cook through about another 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken  from oven, and transfer to a plate. Add in the onion, oregano, garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet and let cook for 2 minutes, remove the skillet from the fire, add in the wine and give a quick stir. Return the skillet to the fire  cook for 2 minutes and add the chicken stock cook for another 3 or the sauce has thickened a bit,  add in the remaining olive oil. Return the chicken to the skillet. At this point you can taste the sauce to see if you need more lemon, I usually add in the juice of one of the two remaining wedges. Add sea salt and black pepper if necessary,  serve and enjoy!

What is your favorite cold weather oven meal?

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Tamales

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Now that Thanksgiving is over, you’re probably trying to think of ways to use all of the leftovers. These tamales are a great way to rid your refrigerator of all that left over turkey. They’re simple to make, but very delicious! If you’re family ate all the turkey and you don’t have any leftover, chicken works just as well for these tamales, in fact I usually make these with chicken.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked turkey or chicken shredded
1 cup corn meal
1/2 cup flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cups of buttermilk ( substitute with 3 /4 cup of yogurt, or add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to 3/4 cup of milk and let sit for 10 minutes before using)
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
1 10 ounce can of  enchilada sauce
1 teaspoon of cumin
1.5 cups of creamed corn (see my recipe Here)
1 egg
1 cup of shredded cheese cheddar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Combine 1/4 cup cheese, corn meal, egg, milk, sea salt, baking powder, baking soda, cumin, creamed corn and flour in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with turkey/chicken, and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream, and salsa, and enjoy!

Indian Spiced Cabbage

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Indian Spiced Cabbage
 

I love cabbage! I wish more people shared my love for it. I say that because, it’s rarely on menu at restaurant’s, and when I go to a friends house for dinner, it’s rarely served. I don’t quite understand that, because it’s one of the most soul fulfilling veggies I know, in the same league as collard greens, and kale. I would happily eat it any day of the week! This is one of my favorite ways to prepare and eat cabbage! If you’ve ever been to an Indian restaurant then you’ve probably had this. It’s so quick to make at home that it’s almost an afterthought!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
1 small head do cabbage, chopped finely
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Sea salt to taste

Directions:
In a cast iron skillet heat the oil along with the mustard seeds and turmeric, when the seeds begin to pop add in the the cabbage, cook for 10 minutes, allowing the cabbage to breakdown a bit. Add salt, toss, turn off fire, cover for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy!

What is your favorite cabbage recipe?
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Braised Chicken in Caper Sauce

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Braised Chicken in Caper Sauce

I love capers, something about their salty brininess speaks to my taste buds. This dish is so simple, and easy to make. All the work is in remembering that you’re cooking it, so that you don’t burn down the house!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1lb of chicken ( I used skinless, boneless thighs, you can use bone in with skin, but just be aware it will extend the cooking time a bit.)
1/3 cups white wine vinegar
1.5 cups of organic chicken broth
1/3 cup of capers drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of fresh parsley
1 medium onion
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

  • Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with sea salt and black pepper, then add the chicken and brown on both sides. Add in the  onion; cook, stirring often, until softened. Add the parsley, and capers to skillet; cook for 1 minute. 
     
     
    Stir in broth and vinegar.  Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until meat is tender and  cooked through falling off the bone, about 20 minutes.
  • Transfer chicken to a large platter. Spoon sauce over chicken; garnish with parsley.

Almond Milk–How to make Almond Milk

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Raw Almond Milk

I have made a lot of nut milks, in my life, so I would be untrue to you if I didn’t share at least one of  my recipes for them with you. We don’t drink cows milk in my house, so nut milks have been a great alternative for us. I have tried my hand at making almost every milk alternative out there, from soy milk to hemp milk, I’ve tried it all. The truth is that once you make one, you can just substitute the seeds or the nuts, and you can make them all. The only exception to that rule is soy milk. For soy milk things get a bit more complicated, because it has to be heated to a certain temperature, for it to be safe for consumption. Luckily for us all someone invented the soy milk maker. I have one and I love it! The one I have also allows me to make raw nut milks. Personally I prefer to use it only for making soy milk. My blender does a better job at making the nut milks. For this recipe, you’ll need a either a nut milk bag, which you can purchase here,or at Whole Foods, or cheese cloth. I’ve used both, and they both work well, but it becomes a bit expensive if you make nut milks a lot, to keep buying cheese cloth. The nut milk bags are reusable and more user friendly for this purpose.

Ingredients:
2 cups of raw almonds, soaked in a bowl of water overnight, then drained and rinsed
4 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)
sweetener of choice (maple syrup, agave, 4 dates) (optional) to your taste.

Equipment:
1 cheese cloth folded  into 4 layers
Blender, or food processor

Directions:
Add raw almonds to a bowl and add enough water to cover them,  then refrigerate overnight.

 Drain and rinse the soaked Almonds and add them to the blender, along with the water, vanilla extract and sweetener if you’re using them.

Cover the blender and blend on high for 2-4 minutes, depending on how high powered your blender is it could take more or less time. Blend until a milk forms and the almonds resemble a fine grain paste.

 Place your nut milk bag, or  folded cheese cloth over a large bowl, and pour the blended mixture into the bag or cheese cloth to strain it, squeezing until all the liquid is out and what is left behind is fairly dry almond pulp.

Place the milk in an air tight container like a mason jar, and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can add cocoa powder and have chocolate almond milk, or leave it plain. Whatever you choose to do, this milk is delicious. You can use the left over almond pulp too! If you spread it out on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven on 175- 200F to dry it out, what you get is homemade almond meal. You can bake muffins, make pancakes, and a number of other delicious baked goods with it.

What is your favorite milk alternative? Have you ever made it at home?

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Smoked Paprika Lime and Garlic Chicken

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Smoked Paprika Lime and Garlic Chicken

Smoked Paprika Lime and Garlic Chicken

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants serves this super yummy and tangy chicken with paprika and lime. As always I love to try to recreate my favorite restaurant meals in my own kitchen. Let’s face it, it’s not always convenient to eat out, especially with a toddler who doesn’t like to sit for an hour with her hands in her lap. This chicken dish can be made with just parts of the chicken, you don’t have to use a whole chicken. I used two kinds of paprika, but if you only have one kind use that.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon of paprika
1 Tablespoon of smoked paprika
2 large cloves of garlic grated or pasted
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
The juice of two limes
Handful of cilantro
Two tablespoons of oil

Directions:
In a bowl mix the garlic, paprika and oil into a paste, then rub it into the skin of the chicken. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425F degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until the bird is cooked through. Remove bird from the oven, pour on the lime juice and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve and enjoy! It’s tangy with a kick from the smoked paprika!

Thai style ground chicken and green beans

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Whenever we go out for Thai food my husband orders one of two things, ginger chicken or, green bean chicken. He absolutely loves these two dishes, and rarely ventures out to try anything else on the menu– unless venturing out is tantamount to him taking a few bites of my dish. I love ginger chicken, but I have yet to ever try this green bean dish that he loves so dearly. However, the ever ambitious girl that I am in the kitchen, decided to try to recreate this dish for him at home the other night. I can not say whether or not I hit the mark on what he has in the restaurant, but this dish definitely hit the mark for me! I loved it! My husband did too. He said “Mmmm…this is delicious” after every bite. You can substitute any ground meat that you choose in this dish.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minute
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lbs of ground chicken
2 cups of chopped fresh green beans
1/2 cups of green onion chopped
2.5 Tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup of cilantro chopped
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tablespoon of flour optional
1-2 teaspoons of chili pepper flakes
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of water
Sea salt to taste.

Directions:
Heat oil in a skillet. Add ginger, onion, and garlic, and saute for 1 minute, stirring so that the ginger and garlic don’t burn. Add in the ground meat, cook until browned. Add in the soy sauce, toss, then add in the flour if using. Toss again, add in the green beans, and water, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the green beans are fork tender. Remove from heat, add cilantro, serve over brown rice, and enjoy!

What restaurant meals have you had success recreating at home?

Ground chicken Larb–the ultimate lettuce cups

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One of my favorite Thai meals, besides Crab fried rice, is Larb! It’s light, refreshing, and so flavorful. It literally makes my taste buds do a happy dance with every bite. This recipe is a great way to use any ground meat that you have, but it works especially well, with chicken and pork. If you have never tried Larb before, then your taste buds are in for a real treat!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

Servings 8-10 lettuce cups

Ingredients
1lb of ground chicken
1/2 cup of green onion chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
1/2-3/4 cup of fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup of chopped red onions
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
Sea salt to taste
1 cup of shredded cabbage
1/2-1 teaspoon of chili pepper flakes or more if you like
1 head of romaine lettuce, or butter lettuce, leaves removed and cleaned to use as cups

Larb Dressing:
4 Tablespoons of fish sauce( available at any store in the ethnic food isle)
1/3 cup of fresh lime juice
2 cloves of garlic chopped

Directions:
In a small bowl add the ingredients for the dressing, mix well and set aside.
Season and brown the ground chicken with the red onions and garlic. Once the meat is browned pour out any excess liquid, then add in the green onions, half of the mint, chili pepper flakes, and the dressing. Cook for 1-2 minutes then turn off the heat.

Spoon the meat mixture into the lettuce cups, top with remaining fresh mint, shredded cabbage, cilantro leaves and enjoy!

Parchment paper meals

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These last two weeks have been unbelievably busy for us. I’ve barely had time to think, let along blog and cook. In addition to that it has been extremely hot here, too hot to cook. Turning on my oven when my house is already 100 degrees in the shade is not my idea of fun. Luckily I have a countertop convection oven. I use it all the time, especially for hot days and quick meals like this one. Our staff Nutritionist Justice De La Torre is the queen of these Parchment paper meals. She sent me over a picture of one of her meals and so I had to try it out for myself. You can put any type of fish in this that you’d like! I have done this with fresh sardines, salmon, and tilapia with great success! You literally put every thing in, fold the parchment and bake for 10-12 minutes and dinner is done. This is perfect for a quick cook meal on a hot day.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time :10minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tilapia fillets
1-2 tablespoons of Olive oil
3-4 Onion rings per piece of fish
2-3 slices of Bell pepper per piece of fish
3 cloves of garlic sliced
Lemon or lime slices

Directions:
Place the fish on top of parchment paper, drizzle with oil and season with sea salt.

Top with onion, garlic, bell pepper and lemon or lime slices. Fold the parchment into an envelope, Bake on 425 F for 10-12 minutes.

 Serve with a nice green salad, or throw some squash in like Justice did and you have a complete meal.

What do you make for dinner when it’s too hot to cook?

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How to roast chicken-Steps to making the perfect roast chicken everytime!

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Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken
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Roasted chicken is universal. Almost every culture has some version of roasted chicken in their culinary history. However, as universal as roast chicken is, many still have a hard time making it. Just yesterday someone I follow posted a before and after picture of a roast chicken on Instagram. The bird was pasty before it went in the oven, and the bird was still pasty after it came out of the oven. I felt bad for this Instagramer because I’ve been there. The truth is that roasting a bird perfectly begins with steps that are made long before the bird goes in the oven. If you master these steps, I guarantee you that your roast chickens will come out of the oven, perfectly marinated, juicy and with a skin that is crackling and golden brown.

Step 1. Pick the right chicken! Organic, non GMO, and air chilled is the way to go! Why? Because conventional chickens are stored in salt water to plump them up before you buy them. A water logged chicken can taste good, but it will likely be harder to get a crispy crust on a water logged chicken, than one that is not water logged. Note: Read the label on the chicken, most chickens in the supermarket have  up to 4% retained water because they are dropped in a 34 degree chlorinated water bath before they are sold. Air chilled chickens are not exposed to water, so getting a crisp skin on an air chilled chicken is easier.

Step 2.  Brining! Most of you are probably thinking, “but you just said not to buy a water logged chicken, now you’re telling me to brine it?!” I said it, and I meant it!  There are other ways to brine without water.
Salt brining. This will change your life! Salt brining literally is what it sounds like, you thoroughly salt the chicken, put it in a Zip-Loc and let it sit over night. Salt does two things, it retains moisture and it pulls out moisture. This is a wonderful thing for a small bird like a chicken, because it doesn’t take longer than an hour to cook, so the amount of moisture it looses because of the salt brine is not significant enough for it to dry out. But it pulls out just enough moisture on the surface of the bird to make the skin crisp. At the same time it breaks down the protein, which means moist, tender, and well seasoned chicken!

Step 3. The skin needs to be rubbed with oil, not butter. Although butter tastes great, it contains 16-18% water and 80% fat. Water is an enemy to getting perfectly crispy skin on a roast chicken. If you want to use butter to flavor your chicken, then by all means do so. Just make sure to put the butter where it will do the most good..under the skin in the breast bone. If you want crisp brown skin, use oil, it does not contain water, it is 100% fat, so it will result in a chicken that is so beautifully brown, you may not want to cut it…note I said may not, after you get a whiff of the this delicious chicken all bets are off.

Step 4. Bake on a high temperature from the start. Most people reverse bake roast chickens, meaning they bake at a lower temperature for a longer period of time so the chicken doesn’t dry out, and then blast it at the end on a higher temp in hopes of browning the skin.  Seems plausible enough but results are often not consistent. Take my advice, bake your chicken on 450 degrees farenheight for 45 minutes to 1 hour, your chicken will come out perfect every time.

Recipe for brine
1.5 tablespoons of Sea salt or kosher salt for every 1 pound bird.

Sprinkle the salt all over the bird, place in a large bag and let sit over night. When your ready to cook it, add the oil and any herb you want–rub with a little garlic, bake it for 45 minutes to one hour, and Wah-La perfectly roasted chicken!