We interrupt the travelogue that hasn’t yet begun, to accommodate the pêche and his warped concept of a contest worthy of the #IACPPP (that is, the International Association of Culinary Professionals Pity Party… I think). This is for a prize, y’all. We don’t even know what the prize is, and yet, we are willing to humble ourselves and reveal our darkest secrets. For a prize. Yes, we are pathetic. And just when did I adopt this royal “we” thing, anyway? But I digress…

Once upon a time, many, many, many years ago, I lived in a then-modest city in southwest Ohio. It was just large enough that, sure, we had plenty of grocery stores, but just small enough that it was a short drive to the “country” and actual farms.

Very early one morning – oh, around o’dark-thirty – when I was just a wee, impressionable five year old, my dad woke up with the idea of going out to the “country” to an actual farm to buy some chickens.

His grand plan was to go buy the chickens, come back home, pick me up to take me to school, then to go have the chickens killed and dressed at our friendly neighborhood kosher butcher. Of course, he didn’t think to inform me or my mother, for that matter, that he was going to do this. It was a surprise.

Along about the time that I needed to leave for school, Dad pulled up in front of the house and called me out to get in the car. I didn’t realize that there were burlap bags and old wooden crates filled with LIVE chickens in the back seat until it was too late.

We were half-way to school, when the soft clucking turned, first into panicked screeching, then into a full-scale poultry riot. One of the chickens had worked its way loose from a burlap bag, releasing a couple of the others, as well, and flapped wildly to the back of the bench seat in Dad’s old 1956 Buick Special, pulling at my hair, and shrieking at me what I could only interpret as chicken-speak for “I’m not going that easy, kid! You’ll not have ME for supper!” while the others flapped and “flew” around the back seat, hurling themselves at the windows in attempted escape, and echoing her sentiment at the tops of their lungs.



And so, I didn’t. I was so traumatized by the experience, that I refused to eat chicken in any way, shape, or form, in my own home, for a solid year and a half, until I was 100% sure that all of the chickens that I had shared the car with on that Hitchcockian ride to school, were gone.

To this day, I can’t even conceive of eating anyone (anything?) that I’ve known personally – even peripherally. Look at that face. ->Shiver<-

* All chicken photos in this post are used with permission of Beth Compton Ayotte of You Know What You Oughta Do Thanks, Bethie!

Don’t get me wrong – we’re as romantic as the next couple. We love to pamper each other, go out for a nice meal, give each other little gifts. But we don’t reserve these things for Valentine’s Day. We do them all year round. And with life as hectic as it’s been, lately, when Valentine’s Day rolled around, neither of was, well, in the mood to go all out this year. I still wanted to prepare a nice meal, though. You know, at least acknowledge the day and make it a little bit special. I had no idea what I was going to do.

Timing – not usually my friend – stepped in, when I received a lovely Valentine bouquet of both red (Belles Rouges) and white (California Pearl) California endive (ohn-deev, people) from Rodger Helwig of California Vegetable Specialties, who was the very first person I’d met at the International Food Bloggers Conference in Seattle, last August.

California Vegetable Specialties is the only grower in the United States that grows Belgian-style endive commercially. When I visited it’s website (endive.com), I learned more about the health benefits of this sweet, but slightly bitter, little relative of chicory. Don’t we all have relatives like that? But you love ‘em anyway, don’t you? I also learned that it’s not just for appetizer dippers and salads. Apparently, 90% of the endive eaten in Europe, is eaten cooked.

Earlier last week, I received several sample bottles of Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur wines from Mike Wangbickler – who I’d also met at IFBC (#ruke!) – on behalf of Planet Bordeaux.

Now, I’m not a wine geek. I fall into the category of wine-drinkers who – like most people who buy art – may not know much about wine, but I know what I like. The Planet Bordeaux campaign is “…an effort to elevate awareness of the wines of Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur in the United States. The goal is to show Americans that Bordeaux is about more than classified growths and wine reviews. It’s about the people who make the wine, the land that grows it, and the lifestyle that surrounds it.” Couldn’t have said it better, myself. The wines are made to be drunk young, but age gracefully (unlike me), and are extraordinarily reasonably priced – most under $20. In fact, this lovely Château Loudenne 2007 Bordeaux Blanc we had last night, was the most expensive of the lot, at SRP $20. It was dry, but lush and fruity, and a perfect complement to our meal.

Seems the fates were speaking to me and shooting some divine inspiration my way, right? And so they were. The combination of the endive and the Bordeaux Blanc resulted in a simple, yet elegant, Valentine’s Day meal that moved my husband to declare, “I think I have a new favorite vegetable!”

Wine-Poached Chicken With Braised Endive & Mushrooms
(serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
6 heads endive (I mixed white & red)
1 large shallot, peeled & sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced thinly
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
2 cups chicken broth (or stock)
1/2 cup white wine (in this case, Bordeaux Blanc)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. mushrooms (your choice), sliced
2 heaping tsp. cornstarch
water

Special equipment: large (12″) frying pan with tightly-fitting cover, tongs

Preparation:

Heat the frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Slice about 1/4″ off the bottoms of the endives, and core by running the tip of a paring knife around the core at an angle. A little cone should pop out. Place the whole heads of endive in the pan and sear for about 2-3 minutes. Turn them with the tongs and allow to sear – again, about 2-3 minutes. The endives are a bit triangular, so you may want to sear the third side, as well. And don’t worry if you lose a leaf or two – they’ll just add to the sauce.

When the endives are seared, add the sliced shallot and garlic to the center of the pan, followed by the chicken broth and wine. Move the endives so they are now ringing the pan, and add the chicken, pretty-side-up. Add the mushrooms to the pan. Don’t bother stirring, just spread them around evenly in the pan. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and cover the pan tightly. Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for about 20 – 25 minutes.

Remove the chicken and endive to a plate and keep warm. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the contents of the pan to a boil. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

Spoon the cornstarch into a measuring cup, then fill with cool tap water to the one-cup mark. Stir vigorously until the cornstarch is completely dissolved and add to the pan. Stir the sauce and allow it to simmer until it thickens a little. Remove from heat.

To serve, arrange one chicken breast and 3 endives on a plate and spoon the sauce and mushrooms over all.

Disclaimer: This is not – strictly speaking – a sponsored post. I received endive from endive.com and wine from Balzac Communications, at no cost to me, and with no promise from me. The opinions expressed – as always – are my own.

A friend recently presented me with a veritable cornucopia of assorted fresh herbs she’d gotten in her CSA box, as she was leaving on vacation the next day and she wouldn’t be able to use them. “What do you do with tarragon, anyway?” she asked.

Tarragon is a really pungent herb that, when used judiciously, enhances poultry, citrus, eggs, and especially cream sauces. Oh, yesssss… especially cream sauces…

I actually discovered tarragon some years ago, when Mike and I used to co-host big St. Patrick’s Day parties at a friend’s home. Back then we lived in a teensy condo and it became a bit too crowded, what with two home businesses going at the same time (don’t ask), to entertain much. Among the advantages of the arrangement, though, was that I didn’t have to put together a kosher St. Patrick’s Day party. I know. Weird. Anyway, I found a recipe for chicken in a tarragon cream sauce in The Best of Irish Cooking, edited by Rosemary Moon. Not exactly low-fat or particularly heart-healthy, but ohmygod delicious!

The conversation with my friend about tarragon motivated me to try to come up with a version that uses no dairy. That accomplished two things: First, I could now prepare this decadent delight in my kosher kitchen, and second, it eliminates pretty much all of the saturated fat and replaces it with soy. I’ve paired it here with some simple steamed Yukon Gold potatoes that I created on the fly, prepared in the microwave.

All in all, you’ll be surprised how quickly this meal comes together – fast enough to fix for your family on a weeknight – but elegant enough for company. You can also multiply this very easily for a large party. I once prepared it for 50+ people and served it buffet-style on warming trays! I’m going to give you the recipe as it appears in Ms. Moon’s collection, with my changes in red next to the original ingredients.

We were really happy with the outcome. As Mike said, when he went into the kitchen searching for seconds, “If you don’t tell anyone that there isn’t any cream in here, they’d never know.”

Chicken in (Non-Dairy) Tarragon Cream Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. unsalted butter (Smart Balance Light Spread)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 Tbs. fresh tarragon leaves
1/2 cup white wine (I was out of white wine – horrors! – and used Calvados)
3/4 cup heavy cream (1/2 cup Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream + 1/2 cup plain soy milk)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Heat a 10″ skillet on high heat and brown the “pretty” sides of the chicken breasts in the butter. Turn them over, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a heat-safe plate and keep warm while preparing the sauce.

Raise the heat back up to medium-high, add the wine to the skillet (off the stove, please, for safety), then add the fresh tarragon leaves, deglazing the pan and scraping up all the good brown bits. Allow to boil for about a minute, then reduce the heat again to medium. Add the “cream”, salt and pepper to your taste (you won’t need much), and simmer gently (reducing the heat again, if necessary) for another 2 minutes. (Thin with a bit more soy milk if it becomes too thick) Return the chicken to the pan (along with any juices accumulated while it was waiting), for just another couple of minutes.

Serve the chicken with a generous dollop – or two – of the sauce, along with some Simple Microwave Steamed Potatoes and a green salad.

Simple Microwave Steamed Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 medium gold potatoes
1 1/2 Tbs. butter (Smart Balance Light Spread)
Salt & pepper

Preparation:

Wash and then roughly cube the potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place on a large dinner plate and dot with the Smart Balance Light Spread. Cover the plate with plastic wrap, leaving a gap to vent the steam, and microwave on high for 10 minutes, or until fork-tender.

If you, too, have always wondered “what do you do with tarragon, anyway?”, I recommend you start with this dish – either in its original form, or my kosher, lower-fat version. You’ll want to add this versatile herb to your culinary arsenal!

Disclaimer: I was not compensated or induced in any way to use or recommend Tofutti or Smart Balance brands. I wish I had been – I use them all the time in my kitchen, and you should keep them on hand, too. By the way, regular Smart Balance Spread contains dairy. I use the Light version, because it is kosher, pareve, and vegan. Although the package states that it’s not intended for cooking/baking, I use it in both with excellent results. Word.

For this edition of #GoJunkFood, the Twitterverse decided that we would take on Hot Wings. And what goes better with friends getting together to watch a game on TV than wings, people? With an orange juice base, freshly ground chipotle chile powder, and Washington State buckwheat honey, I put together a sweet, hot, and sticky concoction that’s a fusion of Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest that’ll get the party started in your mouth!

Chipotle Orange Hot Wings

For the Sauce:

4 Tbs. butter or margarine (I used Smart Balance Light spread)
3 tsp. minced garlic (about 3 large cloves)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
4 tsp. chipotle chili powder
2 cups orange juice
3 Tbs. honey

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter or margarine over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and salt and cook until the garlic appears to soften a bit (about 3-4 minutes). Add the chipotle chili powder and cook for a few seconds, then add the orange juice. Mix well and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and, stirring occasionally, simmer till the sauce reduces to nearly half. This should take about 15-20 minutes.

Add the honey and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

For the Chicken:

1-1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup rice flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. chipotle chile powder

1/2 cup peanut or canola oil for frying

Cut the chicken into 1-inch wide pieces, crossways. Place all the dry ingredients into a one gallon-sized zip-top bag and mix well. Toss the chicken pieces in the dredge, zip the bag closed, and toss until completely coated.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. With a pair of long tongs, take the chicken pieces out of the bag, one by one, shake off the excess flour, and drop into the hot oil. Don’t crowd the pan – you will probably have to do this step in two batches.

Fry the chicken until lightly golden on both sides. This should take about 5 minutes per side – maybe even a little less. It cooks pretty quickly – since there’s no skin or bones here, you don’t want the meat to dry out. If you’re using real wings, cook a little longer. Lay the fried chicken pieces on a paper towel-lined plate until they’re all cooked.

To Assemble:

Put the cooked chicken in a large bowl, pour the sauce over, and toss till every piece is completely coated. Serve with the traditional celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing on the side for dipping.

*Notes:

This version is “boneless wings”, in that I couldn’t locate any kosher chicken wings (What’re you doing with all those wings, Empire? I used to be able to find bags of wings in my grocer’s freezer!). I cut up boneless, skinless chicken cutlets, so I guess they’re just a tad healthier, and they definitely fry up a lot faster than traditional wings. But whether you use wings or go boneless, the sauce is definitely the key.

Depending on your heat tolerance, this sauce is not painful-burn-your-mouth hot. I was going for a balance of heat and sweet, and really wanted the flavor of the chipotle to shine. If you want to go hotter, add more chili powder, but taste it first.

I used buckwheat honey here because its dark, smoky flavor enhances the smoky chipotle beautifully. If you don’t have buckwheat honey, try to use a darker variety available where you live. If I had wanted to accent the orange juice more, I would have used a lighter orange blossom honey. What can I say – I’ve become a honey freak lately, and I just love the flavor variations between the different types. Experiment! See what’s available in your area and try it all!

Speaking of trying it all, here are the rest of the #GoJunkFood bloggers – see what they’ve cooked up for you, too!

Chris at Blog Well Done
Elle at Elle’s New England Kitchen
Paula at The Dragon’s Kitchen
Heather at He Cooks, She Cooks
Judy at No Fear Entertaining

What’s next? Who knows – but it’ll be tasty!

It’s still Monday, right?

I really wanted to come up with a sexier name for this, but it was either that, or Soccer Mom Chicken. Which one do you like better?

What it really comes down to, is the ability to put a healthy and delicious meal on the table in a limited amount of time and on a budget. Because, who’s got time these days? Or money. With a little bit of forethought, though, you can do this. Okay, first the recipe, then we’ll chat.

Middle Eastern Style Freezer Chicken

Ingredients:

1 cup orange juice
Juice of one lemon
4 Tbs. olive oil or grapeseed oil
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder

1 cut-up chicken or parts of your choice, equalling 2 – 3 pounds

Ready? You’re going to love this.

Combine all ingredients, except the chicken, in a gallon-size zip-top freezer bag. Zip the bag closed and swish it all around to evenly mix. Open the bag and put in the chicken. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Label the bag with the contents, throw it in your freezer.

Either the night before, or the morning of the day you want to use it, take the bag out of the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator. If you take it out the same morning, you may want to take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 375º. Empty the contents of the zip bag into a roasting pan or large casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of your chicken pieces.

Seriously. That’s it. Moist, juicy and some rockin’ flavors. Serve this with maybe some jasmine rice (put a few drops of sesame oil in the cooking water), or couscous, or the roasted brussels sprouts and fingerling potatoes, pictured (recipe follows).

Ready for version two?

Italian Style Freezer Chicken

Ingredients:

1 cup white wine
4 Tbs. olive oil or grapeseed oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil

1 cut-up chicken or parts of your choice, equalling 2 – 3 pounds

Combine all ingredients, except the chicken, in a gallon-size zip-top freezer bag. Zip the bag closed and swish it all around to evenly mix. Open the bag and put in the chicken. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Label the bag with the contents, throw it in your freezer.

Beginning to sound familiar?

Either the night before, or the morning of the day you want to use it, take the bag out of the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator. If you take it out the same morning, you may want to take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 375º. Empty the contents of the zip bag into a roasting pan or large casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of your chicken pieces.

Serve with the roasted veg below, or maybe some orzo or farfalle (bow-tie) pasta dressed with a little butter and chopped parsley.

Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Fingerling Potatoes

1 to 1-1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes (I get them at Costco. Way cheaper than the grocery store)
1 lb. fresh brussels sprouts with the ends and any bruised leaves trimmed (Ditto.)
2 – 3 Tbs. olive oil or grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Wash, but don’t dry the potatoes and brussels sprouts. Place them on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with foil.

Drizzle the oil and sprinkle the seasonings over the veg and toss with your hands until everything is well-coated. Put the pan in your preheated (375ºF) oven for about 30 minutes, or till the potatoes are cooked through (easily pierced with a fork).

*Notes*

These chicken marinades will work with any chicken parts – dark meat, breasts, mixed parts – so buy what’s on sale, bag up a few of these, and toss ‘em in the freezer.

I am reminded to remind you: Never ever ever EVER ever re-freeze chicken that has been frozen and thawed! Use only fresh, just purchased chicken for these recipes, OR if using thawed chicken, put it in the marinade, and put it in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours (you could throw it together in the morning), and cook the same day as directed.

The nice thing about the roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts, is that you can put them in the oven to cook at the same time as the chicken. Everything done at once!

Tasty enough to serve company, this is one of my go-to recipes. I keep a couple of bags of this in the freezer at all times, and for good reason. You should, too!

Continuing my love affair with chipotle chili anything, and looking for a quick, easy, and inexpensive weeknight supper, I bring you the humble pizza.

I love making pizza at home. You can slap pretty much anything you like on a pizza crust, and you’ve got a meal that appeals to everyone! And when you make your own pizza, you’ve got control over the fat, calories and every ingredient.

Who says it has to be Italian, anyway? Coming soon: Hummus Pizza. Really. You will love it.

Chipotle Chicken Pizza

1 12″ pizza crust (either homemade or store-bought)

2 Tbs. olive oil or grapeseed oil

1 medium onion, sliced in half-rings

2-3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder, or to taste

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 large (about 10 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

Several pinches of dried cilantro

Optional: 1/4 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, or mozzarella)

Preheat oven to 450º F.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, non-stick skillet. Add the onions, garlic, and salt. Reduce heat to medium and sauteé until onions are soft. Add the chili powder, cumin, and pepper, stir, and cook for an additional minute.

Add the chicken, stir to combine, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are white. Pour in the tomatoes and their liquid, stir.

Turn up the heat to medium-high, and cook until the liquid is reduced to a thick sauce, about 10 minutes.

Spread the chicken mixture over the prepared pizza crust, sprinkle with dried cilantro. Top with cheese, if using. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Notes:

Using a pizza/baking stone will enhance the flavor and give you a nice, crispy crust. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can bake this directly on the oven rack, placed in the lowest position. Alternatively, you can use a baking sheet.

I didn’t use cheese because I have a kosher kitchen and therefore don’t mix meat with dairy in my home. Ultimately, MJ said he missed the melty, stretchy fun of the cheese that makes it pizza. I liked the flavors and textures, as is. Your choice.

Enjoy!

I haven’t been grocery shopping since we got back from vacation, and the only protein on hand in my freezer was a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Hmmph. But, do you know when it’s really fun to cook? When you stop thinking about that room as the kitchen, and start thinking of it as a playground.

It’s no secret that we love Indian food – so much so, that I like to infuse some Indian flavors into my everyday cooking from time to time, too. Don’t be afraid! Indian cuisine doesn’t have to be searingly hot, is generally very healthy, and it’s incredibly flavorful. It’s really easy to do, if you keep a few basic spice mixtures in the pantry and play.

This is a one-pan dish that’s done in under an hour and is both low-fat and big on flavor – without the heat many people associate with Indian food.

American Chicken Curry Masala

4 Tbs. olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced crosswise into thin half circles
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced thinly
2 large cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 cup brown basmati rice
1 Tbs. Meat Curry Masala Powder (see Notes)
Salt to taste
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup baby carrots
1 quart (4 cups) chicken broth

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, and lay in the chicken breasts, top side down. Brown for 5 minutes. While browning, sprinkle the raw side of each piece with a pinch of salt and half of the meat curry masala powder. Turn the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the onions, garlic and bell peppers, stir, and saute until the onions and peppers soften, approximately 5-6 minutes, then the rice and remaining masala powder, and stir. Now add the broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Notes:

Meat Curry Masala Powder is a blend of Coriander, Cumin, Chili, Turmeric, Black Pepper, Cloves, Fenugreek Leaves, Salt, Nutmeg, Dry Ginger, Cardamom Seeds, Cinnamon, Bay Leaf, Ground Lentil, Fennel, Caraway, Mustard, Garlic Flakes, Onion Flakes, Mace, Green Cardamom, and Asafoetida. It is commercially available in any Indian/East Asian market or online.