I am not sure about you, but the holidays seem to leave me in a whirlwind.  They always sneak up on me, and just run right through our household.  I never feel like we have enough time to really enjoy them.  And every year, on January 1, I say the same thing, “this year will be different”.  Now, I find myself staring at the calendar as I flip to December, wondering how I am going to get everything done, with no idea of where to begin.  I hate it.

I do know, that having a couple meals planned out in advance seems to help.  I am a big fan of one-pot meals, during moments when I feel like life is taking whirling by, and no better time then the holidays.  Right?  This is only one of many one-pot meals I love, and it is a favorite.  My friend, Evelyn, introduced this to me, early in our relationship.  When I first saw it, I thought she was losing her mind.  I mean, prunes with chicken?!  Then I tried it.  I was sold.  I have changed around the recipe over time.  Now I add rosemary as well as fresh Meyer Lemons.  Otherwise, it is the same comfortable meal, that I had for the first time 10 years ago.

This recipe is filled with flavors from zesty lemons, all the way down to gooey, sweet prunes.  In my opinion there is nothing like slow-braised chicken fat, mixed with lemon, rosemary, prunes, and a little sugar;   yum!  I am sure if you put this on the table, even the pickiest of your eaters will love it!

Recipe:  Chicken Marabella 

* was developed and featured for Eat Boutique

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Braising, Chicken, Dinner, Easy, Lemons, Marabella, Marbella, One-Pot Meal, Prunes, Rosemary

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It is that time of the month again;  time for the Let’s Lunch group to get together to nosh.  This month’s nibble is pies.  No, I did not instantly think of a sticky, gooey, and sweet pie.  Instead, my thoughts jumped to savory.  Particularly, chicken pot pie.  You know the kind;  thick chunks of chicken, sweet veggie niblets, and a saucy but savory gravy that wraps it all together.  The kind that drips off of your fork, and runs down your chin pot pie.

I have been thinking about this savory chicken pot pie since I picked up these cute chicken shaped ramekins.  I know …. dorky to buy a dish just for a certain meal.  I could not resist.  Let’s Lunch seemed like the perfect time to perfect my pot pie recipe. Which by the way is very simple.  I decided to fore-go the traditional chicken pot pie;  you know the one full of chicken, peas, carrots, and celery.  I wanted this one to be a little French and to ooze summer time.

I had planned to use chicken thighs for this recipe, but had a very large breast left over from another meal, so I used that.  I started by using a little carrot, celery and shallot as my base and then threw in summer fresh green beans, and summer squash. As well I added a diced russet potato which acted as a thickener.  The saucy sauce that brought the dish together was made with a little olive oil, butter, flour, chicken stock, and an abundance of fresh tarragon – the French part of the dish.  Don’t all French recipes seem to use so much tarragon.  The tarragon seemed to make, what can otherwise be a heavy meal, light.  The pot pie was fresh tasting, and the vegetables were still slightly crisp, not over cooked.  I did cheat a bit by using a premade puff pastry as the topping;  Dufour is my favorite to use, as it is light and fluffy, and browns perfectly.  Our summer pot pie recipe is so easy, that I had dinner on the table in an hour.

*note if you decide to use chicken that has not been cooked you will need to allow at least 15 minutes extra to precook the chicken.

Recipe:  Summer Chicken Pot Pie

What you need:

• 1 carrot, diced very small
• 1 celery, diced very small
• 1 small shallot, diced very small
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons tarragon, torn into pieces
• 1/4 lb green beans, cut into small pieces
• 1 small yellow summer squash, cut into small pieces
• 1 russet potato, small dice
• 1 large pre-cooked chicken breast, cut into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• puff pastry, cut to fit your baking dishes
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

What you need to do:

Heat oven to 400.  Butter two large ramekins or 4 smaller ones.  In a large dutch oven, drizzle a small amount of  olive oil; heat over medium heat.  Add the shallots, stir, and cook until soft;  about 3 minutes.  Add the carrots and celery, stir, and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add the green beans, summer squash and russet potato;  stir and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and tarragon, stir, and cook for 1 minute.  Turn off the heat and set aside.  In a small saucepan, add the olive oil and butter, heat over medium heat until the butter is melted.  Whisk in the flour, and continue cooking until slightly bubbly;  about a minute.  Add the chicken broth, whisk until smooth, and cook over low heat until thick;  about 3 – 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the sauce over the vegetable mixture, and gently stir in the chicken.  Pour the mixture into the buttered ramekins.  Cover the tops of the ramekins with puff pastry that has been cut slightly larger than the top of the dish.  Lightly crimp the sides of the puff pastry over the sides of the dish.  Beat the egg with a tablespoon of water, and gently brush the tops of the puff pastry.  Put the ramekins onto a baking sheet, and slide into the oven.  Bake until the tops are golden, and the inside is bubbly, it will begin to come out the sides;  will take approximately 25 – 35 minutes.  Serve.  Eat.

Be sure to see what other #LetsLunch folks are slurping up this month.

A Tiger in the Kitchen

Blog Well Done

A Cow Girl Chef

Geo Fooding

Show Food Chef

Hot Curries and Cold Beer

Free Range Cookies

Kitchen Dreamer

Cooking the Fruit Bowl

Can It You Nit

Beyond the Plate

Caitlin Shetterly

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chicken, Chicken Pot Pie, French, Green Beans, Let's Lunch, Pie, Pies, Savory, Summer Squash, Tarragon

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Who doesn’t love crispy chicken fat, cooked with tangy lemon, and salty capers?  Hmmmm, we feel it goes hand in hand.   We have been whipping up chicken piccata for the past couple weeks.  It is simple.  It is tasty.  Of course, we do it a bit differently;  otherwise, we’d be like all the other chicken piccata cooks out there.

We don’t use dried-out chicken breasts;  instead of we use succulent, meaty thighs.  Dark meat really does have more flavor, and is moister than a breast.  We don’t bread it, think “healthier”.  No flour coating.  No bread crumbs.  Just juicy thighs, cooked until golden brown.  We use lots of garlic, as well as finely minced shallots;  just because we can.  We toss in a sprinkling of fresh rosemary, a heavy dose of capers, and some marinated sun-dried tomatoes.  Finished off with some rich chicken stock, and a splash of white wine, and a very generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Succulent.  Really, it is succulent.  Perfectly paired with a bowl of pasta, that is lightly seasoned;  we used some left over that was seasoned with a little pancetta, garlic, and olive oil.  Pass the green salad, warm crusty bread, and a glass of wine.  Life does not get much better than this.

Do you add extra ingredients into your chicken piccata recipe?  If so, won’t you share with us.

Recipe:  Chicken Piccata

*serves 2

• 4 chicken thighs, skinnless
• 5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
• 5 plump sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 medium lemons, one sliced into slices, the other used for juice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• kosher salt
• black pepper

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil, over medium heat.  Add the shallots, stir, and cook until soft;  about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, stir, and cook another 3 minutes.  Remove from heat, and put the shallots and garlic into a small bowl.  Season the thighs with salt and pepper.  Turn up heat on the frying pan, to medium high;  add the thighs.  Cook until golden brown;  about 3 – 5 minutes per side.  It will depend on the heat of your stove.  I like to use a fork, and them them loose, from sticking to the pan.  Once browned, remove and set aside.  Deglaze the pan with the white wine.  Bring to a low boil, and cook for a couple minutes.  Add the chicken, and shallot mixture back to the pan.  Pour in the chicken stock, add the rosemary, tomatoes, capers, juice from 1 lemon, and the lemon slices;  lower heat to a simmer.  Cook until the sauce is reduced;  about 20 minutes.  Serve.  Eat.

If you like this recipe, check these out:

Chicken Piccata with fried capers

Chicken Piccata

Chicen Piccata

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chicken, Chicken Piccata, Lemons, PIccata, Recipe, Rosemary, Sun-dried Tomatoes

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Football and chicken wings pretty much go hand-in-hand.  Actually, I should say, an icy cold beer goes hand-in-hand with a big basket of chicken wings.  As soon as I got the Bite Me cookbook in my grubby little hands, the first recipe I flipped to was ……… wings.  I could not wait to gnaw on them with an icy cold one.

long post, keep reading, something fun is being given away ……

Bite Me by the sweet and spicy sisters, Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat, is the funniest cookbook I have read in a long time;  make that forever.  From the playful photos (our friend Bryan, his brother Michael Alberstat was the photographer) to the funny anecdotes with each recipe;  it is a true joy to browse through and cook from.

We have tried three of the recipes, so far, and already have our fourth on the back-burner (French Toast Souffle).  The first recipe we tried was the Fiesta Bowl Salad, I have to admit the photograph really drew me in, it  is a big bowl of chicken, tomatoes, tortilla chips and creamy dressing sitting on astro turf;  so fun.  I loved the anecdote, about how Lisa serves her husband the “best gridiron grub.  Citrus glazed wings for the Orange Bowl, Creamy Fudge for the Sugar Bowl and Fiesta Bowl Salad, for the Fiesta Bowl.”  The recipe is perfectly simple for a mid-night week dinner;  pick up some lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and a roasted chicken.  The creamy dressing is tangy and a bit spicy, it wraps the salad together with an added crunchy bite of tortilla chips.  Perfect!  The next dish we tried was the Lustful Creamy Chicken;  all I am going to tell you about this one is ….. move over Alfredo, there is a new guy in town.  Outstanding creamy dressing smothers grilled chicken breasts and fettuccine to make this to die for pasta dish;  spicy, creamy and sexy.  It would be great for your stay-at-home Valentine’s Day dinner.  The last dish we have tried, so far, is the Crunch Chicken Wings with Sweet and Savory Dipping Sauces.  Not only did the name draw me in, but I love how Julie, gives a dating tip:  less is more, let him pay, don’t eat chicken wings, respect his mother.  She sealed the deal with her husband at the $4.99 Wing Night, where she rolled up her sleeves and devoured a basketful.  Love that honesty.  I mean, come-on, how many women eat salads and carrots, during the court-ship, then blossom during the marriage;  live it up from the beginning.  Guys, this goes for you as well.  I loved that Lenny could pound an entire meat-loaf during one dinner.  This man loves to eat and loves my food.  Back to this drool-worthy, lip-smacking recipe.  The wings are marinaded in buttermilk (which makes them really moist) then rolled in a cornmeal mixture that has been seasoned with chili powder and cumin.  Baked, grease-free, until crispy.  The sweet and tangy dipping sauce is made from apricot jam and Dijon mustard.  The savory dipping sauce is a blue cheese buttermilk dipping sauce;  that has become our new favorite blue cheese dressing for salad as well.  Both sauces are perfect with the cumin scented and slightly spicy chicken wings.  We both loved that they are not greasy;  easy to finish an entire basket or two.

I love this book.  The recipes are not only fun to read but easy to make.  They are deliciously sassy and right on every time.  I can definitely see this becoming my new go-to cookbook when I need something quick, easy and delicious.

In addition to giving me permission to print the recipe for the Crunchy wings (perfect for Super Bowl), Julie, has graciously offered to send one lucky reader the following fun items:  A signed copy of the book – YEAH!!  As well as these fun Bite Me items:  a Bite Me reusable shopping tote, a Bite Me apron and a Bite Me hat (sorry no water bottle or Swiss Miss).  We will be picking a winner on February 6, 2011, Super Bowl Sunday.  What you need to do is one of the following or all of them, by mid-night (pst) on February 5:

• Leave a comment below, telling us what your favorite wing recipe is or what you are making for Super Bowl
• Sign up for the Daily Dish, so you can keep up with all of our culinary capers
• Tweet this post @chezus, with the hash tag #BITEME – come back here and leave a copy of your tweet

Recipe:  Crunchy Chicken Wings with Sweet & Savory Dipping Sauces

Chicken Wings
3 lbs chicken wings, you are suppose to remove the wing-tip, we didn’t (lazy)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sweet Dipping Sauce
1 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Tangy Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place wings in a glass 13×9-inch baking dish.  In a medium bowl, whisky buttermilk and egg.  Pour over the wings and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, up to 24 hours (we did 24 hours – super tender wings).  For the wings, preheat oven to 400 F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt chili powder, cumin and pepper.  Remove wings from marinade (discard used marinade) and working a few at a time, coat in cornmeal mixture.  Place on prepared baking sheet.  Bake 40 – 45 minutes, turning once halfway through baking.

Sweet Dipping Sauce
In a small saucepan, combine jam, vinegar, brown sugar, dijon and ginger.  Heat over medium heat until sugar has dissolved and ingredients are combined.  Cool before serving.

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
In a medium bowl, use a fork to mash together blue cheese and buttermilk until it looks like cottage cheese. Ad sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, stirring well to combine.

Serves 4 – 6 as an appetizer or snack.  Or in our case 2 very hungry wing lovers.  Eat.

Want to learn how to eat a Chicken Wing;  yes, there is a way, check it out.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may enjoy these others as well:

Spicy Asian Chicken Wings

Honey Glazed Chicken Wings

Spicy Orange Chicken Wings

THE WINNER IS MEGAN!!

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bite Me, Buttermilk, Chicken, chicken wings, Chili Powder, Cookbook, Cumin, Dipping Sauce, Give Away, Oven Baked, Sauce, super bowl

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We first heard of Chicken Normandy when we were in Paris this summer.  No, we are noshing on it over in France.   Instead we were watching a French cooking show on TV and were drooling over the tenderly cooked thighs that were being bathed in French apple cider and heavy cream.  Not only was the dish drool worthy, but it was set in the romantic countryside of Normandy in an uber intimate bistro, with dark wooden beamed ceilings and lots of sexy candle light.  We tried a few times to get to Normandy during that trip to France but never quit made it and were never able to find the dish on a menu in Paris.

I have not been able to stop thinking about how delicious that dish would taste while dining alongside a loved one.  Before we left for Boston, I had it set in my mind that we had to have it, so I took this romantic memory and recreated the dish.   I had no recipe to follow, just the notes I took while watching the show:  chick thighs, onions, garlic, crimini mushrooms, cider and cream …. the rest of the recipe was made with passion and love.  It is delicious and a bit sexy, too;  especially when served with duck fat fried potatoes.

Recipe:  Chicken Normandy

1/2 lb baby red potatoes
1/4 cup duck fat
maldon salt, to taste
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Boil potatoes, until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Pat dry. Heat duck fat in a large frying pan, over low heat. Add potatoes, stir, turn up heat to medium. Cook until the skins are slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Put into a serving dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve. Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chicken, Chicken Normandy, Chicken Thighs, Cider, Duck Fat, France, French Apple Cider, Fried Potatoes, Mushroom, Normandy, Paris, Romantic

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Rainy weekends are meant for making your own stocks.  There is nothing like a big pot of stock bubbling away on the stove for hours;  the house smells wonderful and the kitchen is warm.

I like to keep a freezer full of rich stock to use in soups, sauces, stews, risottos, etc…  homemade definitely tastes better.  I made a turkey stock for gravy over Thanksgiving and it was amazing.  Once we got home from the holiday I decided to take the same method and stock our freezer full of it.  It does take a bit of patience but it is well worth the wait.

Recipe:  Rich Homemade Chicken Stock

• 4 chicken backs
• 1/2 whole roasted chicken – leftovers from the night before
• 3 ribs of celery, washed, cut into large pieces
• 1 yellow onion, quartered; leave the skin on
• 3 large carrots, scrubbed clean, skin left on, cut into large pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, skin left on
• handful of cilantro
• 4 star anise
• drizzle of olive oil
• sprinkle of kosher salt

Heat oven to 300. In a large roasting pan, toss all ingredients together. Put into the oven and let roast until golden and slightly caramelized; about 3 hours. You may have to add small amounts of water, to prevent sticking and/or burning.  Toss the caramelized mixture into a large stock pot, cover with water, to make 8 quarts. Bring to a boil; lower heat to a low simmer. Season with kosher salt to taste. Cover. Let cook for at least 3 hours. I believe the longer the better. Let cool. Skim off any fat that has risen to the top. Strain into another large pot, using a colander. Pick through the leftovers, for pieces of chicken. Add the meat to the stock. I freeze 2 cup containers of the stock. This recipe will make about 8 quarts.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chicken, Gluten Free, Homemade, Rich Stock, Stock

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I have been on the road, traveling for work and have not had a chance to post our small but delicious round-up for this round of HHDD #35.  This recipe is really simple to make and very tasty – easy for a mid-week dinner.

As well with the holidays around the corner and everyone’s busy schedules, the next round of HHDD will be announced after the Thanksgiving holiday in the states.  It will be sweet!

Sally from My Custard Pie, made a vegetarian version of this recipe.  Instead of chicken breasts she used yellow and red peppers and stuffed them with the rice.  I loved the color of her dish – so fresh and inviting.  Thanks Sally for making this veggie friendly version of a flavorful recipe.

Jan of Kitchens Heal Soul heard about HHDD from her friend Laura, after she posted another Donna recipe.  She followed this recipe to a T.  Her dish looks so inviting and elegant.  Jan is a fan of Donna’s simple and flavorful recipes as well and she looks forward to participating every month and hopefully she can get Laura to do the same!

***********************

We made this dish last night for dinner and the the next round of HHDD (Hay Hay it’s Donna Day).  I won’t make this a long and wordy post …. you know how I love Donna Hay recipes already.  Well, this dish was equally as good as all the others I have tried.  Easy.  Delicious.  Quick.  I did make some changes to the orginial recipe;  used kabocha squash instead of pumpkin and I used rice vinegar instead of white.  The combination of roasted chicken, squash, basil, and chilis is really fantastic, the vinegar really brought it all together by adding a little “tang”.  It is the perfect one dish meal.

You still have time to make this recipe and to get your entry in for this round of HHDD!  Vegetarians I would love to see your take on the recipe???  I have some ideas of my own!

Recipe

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chicken, Donna Hay, Food Blogging Event, Hay Hay its Donna Day, HHDD, Kobocha Squash, Recipe, Roasted Garlic, Squash

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Hay Hay it’s Donna Day is back after a short but sweet summer break.  The past couple weeks I have been tweeting and asking, what do you want.  Sweet?  Savory?  Everyone came back with savory.  Savory it is.  I picked an easy and delicious spicy chicken dish with pumpkin.  Vegetarians – let’s see your take on this recipe, maybe a little tofu or just an extra dose of pumpkin?  Don’t have pumpkin available in your part of the world, maybe add some butternut squash or kabocha?

Please have your entries in to me by midnight of the 31st of October.  Complete rules can be found here.  Please keep in mind: Participants may make that exact same recipe as is, or put their own spin on the same recipe by altering an ingredient or two, while remaining within the theme.

Recipe:  Spicy Chicken, Pumpkin and Roasted Garlic Rice

• 2 x 200g chicken breast fillets, skin on
• 350g pumpkin, peeled and chopped
• 1 head garlic, cloves separated
• 2tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 2cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup torn basil leaves
• ¼ cup (60ml) white wine vinegar
• 2tablespoons olive oil, extra

Preheat oven to 220ºC (425ºF). Place the chicken, pumpkin, garlic, olive oil and chilli on a baking tray and toss to combine. Roast for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Squeeze the garlic from the skins and place in a bowl with the pumpkin, rice, basil, vinegar and extra olive oil. Mix well to combine. Slice the chicken and serve with the rice. Serves 4.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chicken, Dinner, Donna Hay, Food Blog Event, Food Blogging Event, HHDD, Pumpkin, Recipe, Roasted Garlic, Spicy Chicken

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I made this recipe a couple years ago and loved it.  It is really the perfect, go to recipe, for that left-over roasted chicken.  Or for that matter for those lazy nights (such as this one) when you pick up a roasted chicken from the market.  Not your typical chicken salad but equally as delicious.

What do I like about this particular recipe?  The exotic flavors:  zesty lime, spicy peppers and slightly sour but sweet Major Grey Chutney – the perfect balance of sweet, spicy and sour.  When I originally made this recipe, I felt it was a bit saucy, so I decided to cut the amount of mayo this time.  As well I left the almonds out, mainly because I did not have any (remember it is suppose to be a go-to recipe) but also, because I just did not feel like adding them.  I love that this salad is not slapped between a couple slices of bread.  Instead it is cuddled between crispy pieces of red leaf butter lettuce, with sprigs of basil, cilantro and a healthy dose of thinly sliced radishes.  Sounds like a lot of different flavors?  Don’t worry, it is cool, crisp, refreshing;  the perfect balance.

What is your favorite recipe for left over chicken?

Recipe:  Chutney Chicken Lettuce Cups

1 3-pound roasted chicken
1 medium red onion, cut into -inch dice
grated zest of 1 large lime
Juice of 3 large limes, or more to taste
2 jalapeo chiles, seeded and minced, or hot sauce to taste
4 ozs major grey chutney, cut into bite-size pieces if necessary
1/2 cup mayonnaise
kosher salt to taste
fresh black pepper
2 large stalks celery, medium dice

1 head red leaf butter lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
1 large bunch fresh basil, washed and dried
1 large bunch fresh cilantro, washed and dried
8 radishes, thin sliced

Pull the meat from the chicken carcass, discarding the skin and bones. Cut it into bite-size pieces.   In a large bowl combine the onion, celery, lime zest and juice, jalapeo, chutney, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Fold in the chicken. Taste the mix for lime, mayonnaise, and spice, adding more as needed. Let it stand at least 30 minutes to blend flavors.

Mound the salad at one side of a big platter. Pile up the lettuce leaves at the other side, and cluster sprigs of herbs in the center. Tuck the radishes next to the herbs.  Put a few herb leaves in the bottom of a lettuce “cup,” top them with a spoonful of the salad, a slice each of radish and roll up.  Serve.  Eat.

If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:

Lettuce Wraps

Pork & Green Bean Lettuce Wraps Recipe with Sesame Hoisin Sauce

Vegetarian Tempeh Lettuce Wraps

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Basil, Chicken, Chicken Salad, Cilantro, Lettuce Cups, Major Grey Chutney, Recipe, Salads, Savory

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I am not sure why I have not shared this with you before as it is one of my favorite meals.  The first time I ever had it, was during my second trip to Paris.  It was during Hanukkah and I was invited to a French Moroccan Jewish home (now that is a mouth full).  I loved the dish so much that I could not stop eating it and someone eventually told me that if I did not stop, the couscous would explode in my stomach.

It has been some 15+ years since that first time and the recipe has definitely adapted to my taste-buds but it is still equally as delicious.  I normally make it strictly vegetarian and use whatever vegetables I have on hand.  It is so easy that you can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes (if you make it vegetarian).  This particular evening I did brown some juicy organic chicken thighs that seasoned with some kosher salt and Ezpeletako Bipera (Basque Paprika), then I browned them in a little olive oil until golden.  After the thighs were golden, I kept them warm and cooked the veggies in the slightly seasoned olive oil.  I used shallots, carrots, zucchini, chick peas, green beans and some fresh tomato.  After the shallots are slightly soft, I add the carrots, zucchini and green beans and cook for only a few minutes, mainly to coat them in all the flavor that was left in the pan, then I add a rich stock and the chick peas.  I only add the tomato during the last 10 minutes of cooking.  You can use whatever type of couscous you like, we prefer the larger pearl size Israeli Couscous.

Recipe:  Moroccan Couscous (printable recipe to come)

6 chicken thighs
kosher salt
paprika (I like to use ezpeletako bipera)
olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 carrots, scrubbed clean, medium dice
2 zucchini, small dice (I am trying to hide zucchini from L is dishes)
1/4 lb green beans, snapped in half
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 tomato, large dice
32 ounces chicken stock
1 cup couscous

harissa to serve along side

Coat chicken thighs in salt and paprika.  Heat small amount of olive oil in a large dutch oven and brown chicken thighs until golden.  Put aside on a plate, in the oven to keep warm (low heat 200).  Add shallot to the same pot, stir and cook until slightly soft, about 5 minutes.  Add carrots, zucchini and green beans, stir and cook about 5 minutes.  Add 2 cups of the stock along with the chick peas.  Low heat to a simmer and cook.  Stirring occasionally.  Cook the couscous using the leftover 2 cups of stock instead of water.  10 minutes before serving add the tomato and the chicken thighs to the veggie mixture.  Pour any juices that were left from the chicken thighs into the pot.  Serve on a bed of couscous.  Pass the harissa.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chick Peas, Chicken, Couscous, Easy Meal, Green Beans, Moroccan, Recipe

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I love butter.  In fact, it probably can be considered a secret obsession.  I can literally eat good butter by the spoon full;  I know a bit “yick” but good butter is just so good! When Erin from Matrixx Pictures contacted me and wanted to know if we would be interested submitting a recipe with Challenge Dairy, I did not say no.   I am familiar with Challenge Butter as I do use their European version very often as it has a creamy taste to it as well it is made from cows that are not treated with growth hormones.   Once I had accepted the challenge, Erin assigned us to an entree category, which was perfect as I was planning on making a roasted chicken that week.

As you know we are obsessed with truffles and I thought they would go perfect with the butter.  I decided to make a compound butter out of the truffles.  Inside of rolling the truffle/butter mixture and letting it set, I immediately stuffed it underneath the skin of the entire bird as well I rubbed it inside and over the top and then roasted it – don’t be afraid, be very generous!  The chicken came out succulent with a nice complex earthy flavor.  I served the meal with warm baguettes, brie and a light frisee salad with Dijon dressing.

As well there was an abundance of juices not only from the chicken but also from the butter;  I saved it!   The next day I used the left over juices and tossed chunks of potatoes into it and  roasted them to serve it with the left over chicken.  Both meals ….. out of this world!

Recipe:  Roast Chicken with Truffle Butter

1 lb challenge dairy european style butter, room temperature

1 fresh truffle, thinly grated

1 organic, free-range chicken, whole

maldon salt, to taste

fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 425.  Mix the butter and truffles together in a small bowl.  Clean your chicken, inside and out and pat dry.  Gently lift the skin, do not tear it, and fill with the butter/truffle mixture.  You will need to repeat this all over the chicken.  When finished, rub the top and the inside of the chicken with more of the butter, until all is used.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.  Roast for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours, depending on how big the chicken is.  When fnished, remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Butter, Challenge Dairy Challenge, Chicken, Dinner, Recipe, Roast Chicken, Truffle Butter, Truffles

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Our friend Bryan was coming over for Sunday night dinner.  I love Sunday night dinner and we have not done one in a very long time.  When I planned this meal, I had hoped for a cold or at least crisp autumn evening, instead it was warm and somewhat balmy.  Regardless it was still the perfect night for a little comfort food.  As well is always fun to have an actual professional photographer roaming your kitchen while you are doing the cooking!  Lenny was in charge of lights and Bryan worked his magic snapping away photos of our “Sunday dinner”.

This dish use to be my signature dish.  Friends use to always ask me to make this for dinners.  I actually cannot believe I have not shared it with all of you as we do eat it often enough.  I like to start out by using a cage free and organic chicken as they always come out so plump and juicy, sometimes they are so plump, they could be a small turkey!  After preparing the chicken I stuff it full of what I like to think of as heaven!  There really is nothing like the smell of fresh rosemary from the garden after you pick it, the needles are slightly crushed and the scent against a balmy night takes one to the Mediterranean for a brief moment.  Now combine that with ripe fragrant lemons and slightly sweet red onions and you have the perfect meal.

I am sure this dish will become your signature dish after you serve it to your family and friends.

Recipe:  Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken

• 1 whole chicken 3 – 4 pounds
• 2 lemons, cut in half & then into quarters
• 1 small red onion, cut in half & then into quarters
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary or another herb of your choice
• Grape seed oil – it will not burn with high heat

Heat oven to 425.  Remove any giblets, etc… from the chicken.  Wash chicken inside and out.  Pat dry.  Lay the chicken in a roasting dish.  Stuff the chicken with the lemons, red onions and rosemary.  I grab a piece of lemon, onion, rosemary and stuff them in and alternate this process.  Rub the chicken well with grape seed oil.  Slide the chicken into the oven and let roast for 1 ½ hours – may be a little less or a little more depending on the size of your chicken.  I test the meatiest part of the chicken let by slightly cutting into it, if there is any sign of blood, cook longer.  Remove from the oven, let sit on the counter for 10 minutes.  Serve.  Eat.

*I usually save the bones and what little meat is left as well as the juices from the chicken and put it all into a zip lock bag and toss it into the freezer for a day when I will be making chicken stock.  When I am making stock I add the contents to my stock pot.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chicken, Dinner, Easy Dinner, Lemon, Organic Food, Recipe, Rosemary

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