One of the very first things they teach you in culinary school is to K.I.S.S - which stands for Keep It Simple (Stupid). They say that the simplest dishes are almost always better than overly complicated dishes with hard-to-find, exotic ingredients. I completely agree with this theory. This roasted chicken and vegetable dish is as simple as they come, but I'm telling you - it is as flavorful and delicious as any dish you would find in a 5 star restaurant.
This one is so simple you don't even need a recipe. Heat oven to 400 F. Spray a large baking pan with sides with non-stick cooking spray. Season bone-in, chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Roast chicken. When chicken is half cooked and fat has rendered off it, add chopped vegetables ( onions, carrots, celery, green beans, cauliflower florets, tiny potatoes, Brussels sprouts etc.) Toss the vegetables with the chicken drippings. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until everything is golden and chicken is thoroughly cooked. Enjoy!
My cauliflower addiction is getting out of control. I just can't get enough of this delicious vegetable. I think my favorite way to prepare cauliflower is to roast it. If you are not a fan of cauliflower - try roasting it. I promise you will love it! Roasted cauliflower has a sweet, nutty flavor - it almost reminds me of popcorn. Top the whole thing off with a soft, drippy egg or two, and you have a super filling, healthy, yummy breakfast.
Roasted Cauliflower and Poached Eggs
serving: 2 or 3
!/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/4 onion, chopped
about 1 Tbsp. olive oil or chicken fat
salt and pepper
1 or 2 eggs per person
1 Tbsp. vinegar
Preheat oven to 375 F. Toss the cauliflower and onion with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown - about 40 minutes. Stir once or twice during cooking.
Toward the end of cooking time, heat a few inches of water in a medium saucepan. Add vinegar. Bring water to a gentle boil. Crack eggs into ramekins and drop in one at a time. Cook until desired doneness 3 -4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a clean dish towel. Top cauliflower with eggs.
Button bones are very similar to spareribs, but have a flat, circular bone. A quick Wikipedia check tells me that they are taken from the bottom 5 or 6 bones located underneath the rib cage. I think button bones sound like something in a children's nursery rhyme - "Have you seen the button bones.. the button bones...the button bones... La La Laaaaa
Sweet and Spicy Glazed Button Bones
servings: 4
recipe source: Beer. Butter. Bacon
2 tsp. Sambal Olek
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. Sriracha
1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper
1 lb. pork button bones
sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds for garnishing
Pour all ingredients in a large plastic zip lock bag. Marinade in fridge 6-8 hours. Preheat oven to 400 F. Bake on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet 40-50 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly. Turn once during cooking.
At the moment, Calgary is experiencing a record- breaking heat wave. I am sure the last thing on any one's mind would be to cook up a big pot of hot soup! Well, my timing is impeccable as usual. I made this soup on what ended up being the hottest day of the year, but it was so insanely delicious it was worth it! This was probably the best thing I have made all year!
I roast whole chickens quite often. I pour off all the pan drippings into a jar and keep the drippings in the freezer. The fat rises to the top, and the pan juices end up on the bottom. This stuff is like liquid gold! Vegetables roasted in chicken fat has to be one of the best things ever. Seriously!
This recipe is a great way to use leftover roasted chicken. To save time, I roast the vegetables at the same time I roast the chicken. The next day, the soup comes together fairly quickly. Did I mention it's insanely delicious? I shouldn't write about food before I have eaten breakfast. My stomach is growling so loudly, I am sure my neighbours can hear it!
Creamy Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Soup
servings: 4 - 6
2 cups roasted chicken, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
chopped thyme
2 Tbsp. chicken fat
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
4 oz. light cream cheese
1 cup of chicken drippings, fat skimmed off
2 cups milk
3 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 F. Heat two large baking sheets in the oven with 1 Tbsp. chicken fat on each one. Spread the sliced mushrooms on one in an even layer ( don't add salt until they are cooked). Spread the onion, carrot and celery in an even layer on the other one. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Roast vegetables until golden brown and liquid has evaporated from mushrooms - about 35 minutes. Give the vegetables a stir once or twice during cooking.
In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for about a minute. Whisk in cream cheese, milk, chicken drippings and chicken stock. Add the cooked vegetables, roasted chicken, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often.
Recipe Source: Beer. Butter. Bacon.
Have you heard about shirataki noodles? Made from Japanese yams, these noodles are gluten-free, low-carb and are very low calorie ( about 20 calories per serving!) Wow! They almost sound too good to be true, don't they? Well, yes and no.
I was super excited to try these out, so my husband and I headed over to our local Asian market and purchased a couple of packages. The noodles come pre-cooked and are packed in a liquid. You are supposed to rinse the noodles really well before dropping them in boiling water. Well, turns out shirataki noodles have a very "distinctive" aroma about them. I am not gonna lie - they smell pretty funky.
At this point, I was getting really worried that they would taste awful. Actually, they taste fine- very similar to rice noodles - but they have a very, verrrry chewy texture. So, not only do they have a unpleasant aroma, they also have an unpleasant texture. I probably won't buy these again.
Shortly after this disaster, I discovered a similar product called tofu shirataki noodles. These are made from Japanese yams and tofu and are very similar to regular pasta. Yes, they have the same " distinctive" aroma ( I should mention that the smell goes away as soon as you rinse them) but have a much better texture than the regular shirataki noodles. They are also easier to find - I can find these in the produce department of my local Safeway store. I don't think I would give this product two thumbs up, but it is an interesting option for people who are on a very restrictive diet.
Asian - Style Turkey Meatballs with Shirataki Noodles
serves: 4
Meatballs:
1 1b. lean ground turkey
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 onion, grated
1 tsp. finely grated ginger
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. Sriracha, or to taste
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 egg, beaten
1 clove minced garlic
salt and pepper
Sauce:
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
2 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Sriracha to taste
2 tsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water.
cooked noodles, shirataki or thin rice noodles
thinly sliced scallions for garnishing
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix together all meatball ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Cook a small taster meatball in a skillet until cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning. Form meatballs into small balls ( mixture will be very soft, add more panko if needed). Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until cooked thoroughly, approx. 15 minutes.
In a large skillet or wok, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the peppers and stir-fry until tender-crisp. Add the garlic and ginger and cook just until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the stock ,soy sauce, Sriracha, vinegar and brown sugar to skillet. Bring to a boil and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Let cook for a few minutes. Add the cooked meatballs and toss the cooked noodles with the sauce. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions.
Recipe source: Beer. Butter.Bacon
Don't worry - I haven't gone all vegan on you. My love affair with BACON would never let that happen! I am just trying to incorporate more meatless meals into my diet. It's better for my body - and the planet.
I am a meat-lovin' girl through and through - give me a medium-rare steak or a juicy burger and I am a happy girl. I just realized I was eating way too much red meat and that isn't good for anyone. I love meat too much to ever become a vegetarian, but that doesn't mean I can't cut back on my meat consumption. I found that this rice bowl was satisfying and pretty darn yummy. I didn't even miss the meat!
Vegan Rice Bowl
serves 4 - 6
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
a little less than 2 cups of cold water
1/2 yellow onion
2 ribs celery
1 large carrot, peeled
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, minced
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
juice of half a lime
2 scallions, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
fresh cilantro, about 1 Tbsp. chopped
a good pinch of salt and pepper
Finely chop the onion, celery and carrot or pulse them in the food processor. In a medium- sized saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot to the pan and cook until softened. Add the rice, jalapeno, smoked paprika, cumin and drained chick peas. Cook for about one minute. Add the water and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit on the burner for another 5 minutes, without removing lid. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Add lime juice, scallions, tomato and cilantro. Serve warm or cold.
Recipe source: Beer. Butter. Bacon
Crunchy on the outside - soft and fluffy on the inside. These little nuggets of sweet potato goodness are a new twist on an old favorite.
Sweet Tater Tots
about 1 1/4 lb. sweet potato. peeled and cubed
1/2 medium onion, finely grated
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 Tbsp. potato starch
1 1/2 Tbsp. rice flour
about 1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups panko
Spicy ketchup - ketchup mixed with sriracha
Cook potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain. Let sit in the colander for a few minutes. In a medium size bowl mash the potatoes with a fork. Add next 6 ingredients. Roll into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball. Use wet hands to prevent sticking. Place the panko in a shallow bowl. Roll the balls in the panko. These turn out the best when they have chilled for about an hour. In a medium- size skillet heat a 1/2 inch of canola oil over medium heat. When the oil has reached 360 F, add the tots and cook until entire surface is golden brown, turning as they cook. Don't crowd the pan. Season with a little salt as soon as they come out of the oil. Serve with spicy ketchup or your choice of dipping sauce.
