Sunday, April 24, 2011

Chicken with Tomatoes, Dried Apricots, and Garbanzos


This past March in the Pacific Northwest has been an especially soggy one. There (may) have been one whole day without raindrops but don't quote me on that. Now that April and spring have officially arrived I am hoping for a few more clear days, but I know the weather won't really be balmy until July. In Portland, summer and (gulp) bathing suit season come later then where I grew up in Central California, where it is definitely bikini time by Memorial Day. However, I'm okay with that this year especially after just having a baby. I need the extra time. So I've been trying to focus on meals that have lean proteins and healthy ingredients. You know a little less carbs and cheese, a little less (fat) action. This is particularly hard to do when one is in the middle of a cheeseburger obsession, but I try......

These ingredients sounded a little strange together at first, but they actually pair very nicely , creating a great balance of sweet and savory. This recipe is healthy, but doesn't sacrifice on flavor at all. Serve with a nutty couscous. If your grocery store carries them, get dried Turkish apricots from the bulk bins. I prefer their less sweet, jam like flavor over regular dried apricots.

Chicken with Tomatoes, Apricots, and Garbanzos
Adapted from Sunset Magazine
Serves 4

4 Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots (Turkish, if available)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
Kosher salt and pepper

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add cumin, coriander, and cayenne; cook 1 minute to heat spices, stirring constantly. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes each side. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add tomatoes, apricots, sugar, and garlic to pan and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and return chicken to the pan. Cook, covered until chicken is heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir in garbanzos and parsley and cook until heated through.

Friday, April 22, 2011

BBQ Chicken Cheddar Burgers with Spicy Slaw


Cheeseburger. Cheeseburgers. That seems to be all I can think about these days. I finally know how Jimmy Buffett felt when he wrote his slightly annoying but catchy little ditty "Cheeseburger in Paradise." He was obviously in the middle of his own cheeseburger obsession and also probably really stoned, so maybe I don't Totally know how he felt, but I finally get this whole cheeseburger thing.

Born and raised in California, I was fortunate to be well accustomed to the whole In n Out burger phenomenon, but I was always more interested in their animal fries than their double doubles. I just was not a burger girl, ground beef really wasn't my thing . Maybe I had just never had a really good one? Maybe I just preferred having tri-tip at bbqs? Who knows, but thankfully (and not so thankfully to my wallet & waistline) I've had the privilege of tasting some delicious burgers in recent months, and this has turned me into an unabashed cheeseburger lover. Where I live in Portland, Oregon there seems to be a bit of a burger boom right now, which has only been aiding in my burger addiction. My ultimate favorite place to get a cheeseburger is at Lucy's Original food cart. My favorite menu options are the Messenger (blue cheese, apple butter, bacon, & arugula) and the Pineapple Express (cheddar, grilled pineapple, bacon, sriracha mayo, & peanut sauce). Insanely good. For a little finer dining, the burger at Tasty N Sons & Toro Bravo is top notch. If I'm in the Pearl, and in the mood for a more fast food type atmosphere, I also really like Little Big Burger (think perfectly cooked french fries spritzed with truffle oil!).

Have I made anyone hungry yet? Where are your "best" burger places? At home, what are your favorite special toppings or condiments?

BBQ Cheddar Chicken Burgers with Spicy Slaw
Adapted from Rachael Ray

I can't always go out for a burger, nor can I successfully recreate the above burgers at home. So when I am wanting cheeseburgers, I will usually make this version at home. The spicy slaw is really what makes this burger feel special. It would also work great on a french roll with some grilled chicken too, a la "bahn mi" style.

For the Spicy Slaw:

1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tablespoon habanero hot sauce
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (if you don't like cilantro, substitute Italian parsley)
1/2 small red cabbage, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

In a bowl combine all ingredients and set aside. Season with salt and pepper.

For the burgers:

2 pounds ground chicken
1/2 cup bbq sauce
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into tiny diced pieces
4 kaiser rolls or pub buns

In a bowl combine chicken, bbq sauce, cheese, and salt and pepper. mix together and divide mixture into 4 patties. They should be about 1 inch thick. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat (electric skillets work great for this) Drizzle with olive oil if necessary to keep from sticking. Cook burgers about 7 minutes on each side until cooked through. Toast buns, top with burgers and spicy slaw!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Humble (Hangover) Biscuits



One Sunday morning we woke up feeling a little groggy after a particularly long game of Trivial Pursuit the night before and a little over indulgence with some Russian Imperial Stout..... (Aren't our Saturday nights exciting??)  I needed to find something hearty to fill our bellies with and I was out of bacon. Did you know that bacon cures everything? Really! It does! I decided to try this biscuit recipe off one of my favorite food blogs the Orangette. Molly Wizenberg's writing is so honest and thoughtful, if you haven't already done so, check her blog out! Like most recipes she posts these biscuits were delicious and super simple! They won't win any beauty awards, but it's the taste that counts! I have already taste tested them on my mom and good friends and they were a big hit all around. Serve with Jam!

Cream Biscuits
Makes 12


2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon TABLE salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it really well. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl with a fork. Slowly add about a cup of cream, stirring. Gather the dough together, when it starts to hold together it's ready to knead. If it feels shaggy, add a little more cream. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for about a minute. form the dough into a square about a 1/2 inch thick. With a knife, cut into 12 equal squares. Place on baking sheet and brush all biscuits with melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes.

Stir Fry Sauce


During the Lenten Season, it's hard for me to think of tasty meatless Friday night solutions. We have meatless dinners, plenty of nights without even thinking about it, so what is my problem during Lent?  It must be that whole "you shouldn't eat meat thing" that makes me want it! The minute I know I can't use certain ingredients to cook with, I get immediate writers block of the culinary kind, sending me into a panic mode, and before you know it, I am reaching for the fish sticks in the freezer case of my grocery store. Um, yikes is right. Then I feel like a really horrible mother because what exactly am I teaching my daughter? Certainly not any type of problem solving, or creativity,  most certainly not that fish should taste like fish and last but not least "there go all my Top Chef dreams! Do you see how I can go from zero to sixty (in my head) sometimes with very little provocation? Yeah I know, I'm working on that whole "chill out" thing.....Thank goodness I have this tasty little sauce to fall back on, making many nights a lot easier, not just Fridays and helping to eliminate the mommy guilt.....

This sauce is wonderful with shrimp, chicken, tofu, or just veggies!

Stir Fry Sauce:

6 tablespoons soy sauce (I recommend Yamasa)
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sriracha hot sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water


In a small bowl mix together the cornstarch and water until smooth. then add the other ingredients and mix together well. Set aside.

For Stir fry:

1-2 pounds sliced, chopped vegetables. (Bok Choy, Red Bell Pepper, Cabbage, Broccoli, Carrot, Snap Peas)
3/4 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp
( 3/4 pound firm tofu or 1 pound chopped chicken breasts)
1 tablespoon sesame oil

In a wok or large skillet heat sesame oil over medium high heat. Add shrimp. Add vegetables. Cook 4-5 minutes until about done. Add stir fry sauce and continue cooking until heated. Serve with rice!