Lemon-Garlic Roasted Chicken

I’ve made secret of my lack of affection for chicken.  I mean, when there are so many other interesting things to eat chicken just seems so pedestrian.  So, I rarely make it.  BUT every once in a while I get inspired when I see a pack of chicken on sale to give it another go.

I was flipping through Essence magazine and came across a totally mouth-watering photo that accompanied their recipe for Lemon-Garlic Roasted Chicken. I’d never made a recipe out of Essence before and wasn’t sure what to expect.  I’m not that person that will make just any recipe – I have my recipe sources and don’t usually stray too far.  But I figured that this was just chicken so it would be fine.

And it totally was!

The marinade was totally delicious and really penetrated the chicken.  Any and all chicken-y flavour was toned down enough for it to be palatable for me and I was left with lemony/garlickly goodness.

I served this alongside Roasted Asparagus and some Mashed Rutabaga… both perfect accompaniments.  If the rutabaga seems kind of random, it is.  I got half a rutabaga in my food box weeks ago and had NO CLUE what to do with the sucker.  After some internet creeping I discovered that mashing it was totally an option.  SOLD.

So I’m adding this recipe to my list of chicken recipes that are actually delicious… and did I say easy?  Because it totally was.  A perfect weeknight dinner option.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 item garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/4 cup lemon juice, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 8 item medium-size chicken thighs; remove and discard visible fat
• 2 item zucchini, halved crosswise, quartered lengthwise

PREPARATION

Optional Garnishes: Lemon Slices, Wedges or Zest; Rosemary Sprigs

In a reseallable plastic food-storage bag, combine rosemary, oil, garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt, pepper and paprika. Add thighs;  seal and turn to coat. Marinate 15 minutes at room temperature or longer in refrigerator, turning cicken occadionally. Heat oven to 400ºF. Remove chicken from marinade; arrange skin side up in roasting pan. Roast, basting frequently with remaining lemon juice and pan drippings, until chicken is cooked, about 30 minutes or until juices run clear when cut at bone. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, steam zucchini in lightly salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Garnish and serve with zucchini.

(From Essence May 2009)

Barefoot Bloggers: Outrageous Brownies

Every time I make another Barefoot Contessa/ Ina Garten recipe it makes me want to write a love letter to Ina.  It would go something like this:

Dear Ina,

I know we haven’t met but I’m pretty convinced that we could be BFF. We could make a Vegetable Tian, maybe some Shrimp Scampi or maybe even some Italian Wedding Soup and Meringues Chantilly for dessert. It would be grand, I promise. We both love butter and cheese.  Perhaps we could spoon feed each other?  I’m not into girls that way but like I said, it could be grand.

We could go to your tailor and get matching custom-made shirts, hang out in the Hamptons, hit up a few gourmet shops, cook side by side in the barn and then take off on a bicycle built for two and lunch on the beach.  Are you more a of a Main beach or Two Mile Hollow kind of gal?  Jeffrey could come along too.

If this sounds like fun (and I’m sure it does) holla at your girl.

xoxo

Tonya

Ok, so clearly these brownies have my heart if I’m writing love letters to Ms. Ina.  They are so rich, so chocolately, so sinful and so delicious.  I’m on a two-brownie a day diet — and by diet I mean way of eating having nothing to do with restriction.  A brownie with lunch and a brownie with dinner. Totally sensible.

I made these by the recipe and was so pleased.  The coffee adds a nice depth of flavour to the brownies that really brings out the chocolate.  Nothing much to say but YUM.

Oh, and props to Eva at I’m boring. for the Barefoot Bloggers pick!

Outrageous Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
• 2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (1 cup for batter and 1/4 cup in the chips and nuts)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups diced walnut pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

(Copyright 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook)

Creamy Shrimp Grits with Prosciutto

Now that I’m off this cleanse I find myself gravitating towards the foods I haven’t been able to eat.  There is pretty much NOTHING in this dish that I could have eating while on the cleanse.

I’ve said this before, and here too but I’m pretty much convinced that I was a Southern grandmother in a past life.  My love for grits way too deep for this lifetime.  Even despite the fact that grits can cause third degree burns (you grit cookers know what I mean! ) I still love them.

I have a few grit recipes that I enjoy (just type grits into the search box) but I’m forever looking for new ones.  I decided to do a quick search on Epicurious and came up with this recipe which sounded really interesting.  I mean prosciutto in my shrimp and grits? Sign me up!  I figured it’s a bit of an Italian twist to it.  I mean if you call the grits polenta then that’s a start.

This turned out really great.  The grits were pure creamy goodness.  I would consider reducing the amount of butter in the grits – the oil kept on separating from the grits during cooking.  They didn’t taste overly buttery but the separation caused some concern.  The shrimp were flavourful and delicious.  The prosciutto added a really yummy flavour.  I would be cautious about adding salt to the shrimp though.  I feel like shrimp start out a bit salty and then you add prosciutto.  Pass on the salt!

Definitely making this again.

Creamy Shrimp Grits with Prosciutto
Grits
4 1/4 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup whipping cream
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup corn grits* (such as Arrowhead Mills)

Shrimp
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, drained, juice reserved
4 ounces prosciutto, cut into thin strips (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

For grits:
Bring chicken stock, whipping cream, butter and garlic to boil in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk in corn grits. Return to boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered until grits thicken, whisking often, about 15 minutes.

For shrimp:
Melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add shrimp and sauté 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to large bowl. Add white wine to skillet and boil until reduced to glaze, about 5 minutes. Add drained diced tomatoes and half of prosciutto and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add parsley, chives and sautéed shrimp and simmer until shrimp are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Thin sauce with some of reserved tomato juices, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon corn grits into shallow bowls. Top each serving with shrimp-prosciutto-tomato mixture, dividing equally. Garnish with remaining prosciutto strips and serve immediately.

*Corn grits, also known as polenta, are available at Italian markets, natural foods stores and some supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute 1 cup regular yellow cornmeal and cook about 8 minutes.

Bon Appétit November 2000

Babycakes NYC! Raspberry Scones

Babycakes NYC is one of my favourite bakeries. They make a variety of allergen-free baked goods. We’re talking vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free etc. While I don’t have problems with these ingredients I like the idea of “safe” foods. Babycakes wasn’t a regular stop for me while in NYC but every once in a while I’d pop in for a snack. I love the cupcake tops and the chocolate chip cookies. Can I get a yum yum?

Toronto definitely lacks this type of bakery so I was totally pumped when I saw that Babycakes was finally release their own cookbook! I mean, what took them so long?  I was up one night ordering my latest bookclub selection from Amazon and as usual I got sucked into the spend $39 and get free shipping deal so I ordered the Babycakes book and a DVD of The Devil Wears Prada.

I digress…

I’ve been pouring over the cookbook for a few days and decided to start with something simple – scones!  The ingredient list is short and uncomplicated.  The hardest to find items are spelt flour and coconut oil but even those aren’t hard to find.  I’m lucky enough to have a great (and cheap) bulk store in Toronto called Bulk Barn and they are a great place to get alternative ingredients for cheap.  We’re talking everything from spelt flour to coconut flour! Amaranath and Quinoa.

I was originally going to make these with raspberries but the supermarket was sold out of raspberries so I went with blueberries instead.  The recipe uses coconut oil but I used canola instead.  I also sprinkled the tops of my scones with evaporated cane sugar.

They turned out great.  They were lighter than scones but that doesn’t bother me.  I’ve been having them for breakfast with some fruit.  I can’t wait to cook my way through this book.

The ladies at Babycakes have put up answers to FAQ about their cookbook here. Super helpful!

Check out what others have to say…
BitterSweet
Another One Bites The Crust
Pleasant Eats

Raspberry (or Blueberry!) Scones

2 cups spelt flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup canola oil
⅓ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup hot water
1 cup fresh raspberries

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk the spelt with the baking powder and salt. Stir in the oil, agave nectar and vanilla. Stir in the hot water, then the raspberries.

Scoop 12 mounds of batter ⅓ cup each onto the prepared baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with oil. Bake the scones for 20 minutes, or until golden. Let the baking sheet cool completely on top of a rack.

(From Babycakes NYC cookbook)

White Turkey Chili

*Sorry I’ve been MIA… BIG test yesterday but now I’m back!  AND the cleanse is over! *

I’ll be the first to admit that this looks a bit like a swampy mess but trust me, it was delicious!

I make chili all the time but they are usually tomato-based.  Since I can’t have tomatoes on the cleanse I got to thinking about doing a white chili.  There are all sorts of recipes out there for white chili.  Some involve dairy, some involve bean purees and others, like this one use grains to thicken it.

I made a few changes to this one because of the cleanse.  I swapped the barley out for short grain brown rice.  I was going to leave grains out all together but then noticed that the chili just wasn’t thick enough.  I didn’t use any turkey breast slices and instead used 1lb of ground turkey.  Not for any particular reason though.  I didn’t have marjoram or savoury on hand so I used oregano which gave it a nice flavour.  I also added zucchini to the mix. Last but not least for the toppings I skipped the dairy in favour of avocado.  YUM!

This was such a great substantial dish.  The combination of chickpeas, white beans, rice and turkey was so filling.  The creamy avocado and the scallion were the perfect mix-ins.  I was prepared to think that the white chili would be bland and boring but it wasn’t at all.  Even my roommate enjoyed it and took some to work the next day.  That’s the true test.

White Turkey Chili
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound uncooked turkey breast slices, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 pound ground turkey

3 cups (or more) chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
1/4 cup pearl barley
2 tablespoons chopped seeded jalapeño chilies
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried summer savory

1 15- to 16-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans) or Great Northern beans, rinsed, drained
1 15- to 16-can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed, drained
Several dashes of hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Chopped green onions
Grated cheddar cheese
Sour cream

Heat vegetable oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cubed turkey breast and ground turkey. Sauté until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

Add 3 cups stock, barley, jalapeños, marjoram and summer savory to turkey mixture. Cover and simmer until barley is almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.

Add cannellini and garbanzo beans to chili. Simmer uncovered until barley is tender and chili is thick, about 15 minutes. Season with hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.Bring to simmer before serving.)

Serve chili, passing green onions, cheese and sour cream separately.

Bon Appétit
November 1996

Chickpea Curry with Spinach

I totally thought that this cleanse would make me explore my inner legume and grain lover.  Not so much.  I haven’t made quinoa once.  I had visions of chomping down on various grain and bean based salads.  Alas it wasn’t meant to be.

The other day I was feeling kind of guilty about my lack of super healthy eats so I decided to make a chickpea curry.  I usually go the Indian curry route but it never comes out the way I like it AND it also has tomatoes which is a no-go for the cleanse.  This time around I decided to go the West Indian route.  My favourite roti from Island Foods (my fave roti spot) is their Channa roti with spinach.  I’ve had their doubles and the chickpea filling there is delish as well.  Sooo I decided to search for doubles recipes so that I could get a feel for what goes into a Trinidadian chickpea curry.

In my search there was one recipe that came up over and over again. And for good reason apparently because it was great! I played around with the proportions a bit – adding more curry powder and water and I added spinach too. This is definitely one of my fave curry recipes. I really appreciated that the spices were simple. In an Indian curry you can easily use over 6 spices whereas with this recipe it’s just curry powder and cumin. Done! It also makes a difference which brand of curry you use and how fresh it is. That part totally boils down to a matter of preference depending on what type of curry you’re used to.

Curried Channa

1 14 oz channa, tinned
1 tablespoon curry powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tsp ground geera (cumin)
1 tsp Pepper sauce
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

1. heat the oil in a heavy skillet, add onion, garlic and 1 heaped tablespoon of curry powder mixed with 1/4 cup water.
2. Sauté for a few minutes. Add the channa, stir to coat well and cook for five minutes.
3. Add 1 cup water, gheera, salt and pepper; cover, lower heat and simmer until the peas are very soft (20-30 minutes).
4. When the channa is finished it should be moist and soft.
5. Add pepper sauce and season to taste with additional salt if desired.
(Recipe from TriniGourmet.com)

Tuna Salad (with Salmon)

It’s that time of the month again… time for another Barefoot Bloggers recipe! This one comes courtesy of Kate at Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails (love that blog name!).

When I first saw the recipe I was totally pumped. I love fresh tuna (although I rarely buy it) and avocado is my middle name. I also LOVED the Japanese influences in the recipe. All was fine and dandy until I started looking for tuna. Now, admittedly I was a bit lazy with this one. I could have easily gone to Kensington Market to visit one of the many fish mongers but I didn’t feel like heading that way. I figured between the 3 grocery stores in my neighbourhood and Costco SOMEONE would have tuna. I was totally wrong. Not even FROZEN tuna did I find. I finally found tuna at Loblaws but they only had wild tuna and it was $19.99/lb. PASS! While I was at Costco I bought a side of salmon and decided to use that instead of going the canned tuna route.

Aside from the salmon I made a few other modifications.  Luckily this recipe is pretty “cleanse friendly” so I didn’t have to do much.  The recipe calls for soy sauce but not much (2 tsp for the full recipe) so I used that.  I omitted the wasabi powder because I didn’t have any on hand.

This is such a great springtime recipe.  It’s light, flavourful and barely requires effort.  The flavours of the lime and hot sauce work so well together and the avocado I bought was perfectly ripe.  The one thing I struggled with was what to serve along side.  I ended up just going with brown rice which was a good choice.  I would have easily been happy with quinoa and steamed veggies.

Keeping this recipe on hand for sure!  Next time I will try tuna.  Another Barefoot Contessa / Ina Garten hit.

Tuna Salad

Ingredients

• 2 pounds very fresh tuna steak, cut 1-inch thick
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black, plus extra for sprinkling
• 2 limes, zest grated
• 1 teaspoon wasabi powder
• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (3 limes)
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 10 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 1 to 2 ripe Hass avocados, medium diced
• 1/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
• 1/4 cup red onion, small diced

Directions

Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the tuna steaks in a very hot saute pan and cook for only 1 minute on each side. Set aside on a platter.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, lime zest, wasabi, lime juice, soy sauce and hot sauce. Add the avocados to the vinaigrette.

Cut the tuna in chunks and place it in a large bowl. Add the scallions and red onion and mix well. Pour the vinaigrette mixture over the tuna and carefully mix.

(Recipe via Food Network)

Apple-Strawberry Crisp

*this is a pre-cleanse treat that I made… oh how I miss sugars*

This is less of a recipe post and more of a “hey, here’s an idea!” kind of post…

The other day I wanted to make a simple dessert so I went for my default apple crisp/crumble (I put the slash because I can never remember which one’s which!).  I was going to jazz it up like I normally do and use some pears but then I noticed that strawberries were on sale.  So I thought… why not make an apple/strawberry crisp/crumble concoction?

It was AMAZING.  I didn’t have to add a lot of sugar because the strawberries were naturally sweet.  The apple and strawberry combo might very well be my fave.  It tastes even more desert-like than your typical apple crumble.  Now I’m wondering what else people put in their crisps/crumble.  Right now I’m thinking a blueberry/mango crips may be in order.  How delish does that sound?

I’m on it!

Lamb Burger and Sweet Potato Fries

The cleanse is doing some pretty special things to my eating habits.  I think because I’m stuck on what I can’t eat I’ve been going to town on what I can eat.  Meaning certain meats.  In my day to day life I rarely eat chicken, turkey and lamb.  The last time I had lamb was probably in September for my birthday and before that it had probably been  years!  But I had a craving for a burger and fries and decided to make something that would fit in with my cleanse.

I didn’t want to go the chicken/turkey route, I wanted more substance so I chose lamb.  I went to Whole Foods and picked up some super fresh ground lamb (looked like it had been ground moments earlier).  I figured I’d also pick up some gluten free buns but the options were slim. They all just looked so… gluten-free.  There were some that were made out of rice flour but looked like tea biscuits.  There was another option but it was equally unappealing.  So I decided to forgo the bun all together.  I figured I’d top it with something special to make up for the lack of bun and so I settled on sauteed spinach, caramelized onions and Dijon mustard.

To make the lamb burger I mixed the ground lamb with some chopped onion, chopped garlic, salt and pepper.

The “fries” were simple enough.  Sweet potatoes are definitely encourage on the “foods to eat” list of the cleanse.  So I sliced them up, tossed them with olive oil, salt and pepper and baked them in the oven.  I served this with my fiddleheads from the last post.

I have to say this was one of my fave meals in a while.  Who knew that lamb burgers were so delish?  Maybe I’ve been too burger-deprived over the past 2 weeks or something because the lamb tasted a little bit like heaven.  Even my roommate aka mom LOVED the lamb despite some initial reservations.

Again, no recipe here as this was just “whipped” up but feel free to comment or e-mail me with questions.

Fiddleheads!

Around this time of year in Ontario (and probably other places too) fiddleheads become all the rage.  Growing up I remember seeing fiddleheas in the supermarket and thinking that they look totally weird.  I was curious but not curious enough to buy.

Fast forward to yesterday when I was cruising through Whole Foods and spotted TONS of fiddleheds. I noticed them primarily because of this thread on my beloved Chowhound. I decided to pick up a handful or two to go alongside my dinner. The sign next to the fiddleheads said to boil them for 10 minutes as recommended by the people that tell you to do that sort of thing because of toxins. Noted. A quick chat with my friend suggested maybe sauteeing them in garlic and oil. YUM!

I didn’t do anything to prep the fiddleheads at all, I just dropped them in boiling water.  When I took them out they were pretty limp As a person that likes my veggies crisp I was not loving the texture!  I then sauteed them in the oil and garlic for a quick minute or two.

The verdict: While I enjoyed the taste for the most part (kind of like broccoli rabe) I did not appreciate the “boil for 10 mins” instruction.  I’m wondering if that’s an antiquated direction.  What if I boiled them for 5 minutes?  Or steamed them?  Would I buy them again?  Sure, but I wouldn’t go on a citywide hunt for them!