chicken

January in the kitchen – Chicken Chili with Beans and Sweet Potatoes
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January in the kitchen – Chicken Chili with Beans and Sweet Potatoes

Chicken Chili with Beans and Sweet Potatoes

This is the second of three chili dishes, and the only one made in a slow cooker. I used Good Mother Stallard beans, but you could use dry tepary or navy beans. You need to start by soaking the beans the night before.

Heirloom dried beans

Heirloom Good Mother Stallard Beans

  • 1 pound of dried tepary, navy or other bean of choice
  • 10 boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 4 slices of thick bacon, chopped into ½ inch pieces
  • 2 dried whole pasilla peppers
  • 4 cups of chicken stock such as Magic Mineral with Chicken
  • 2 yellow onions, chopped
  • 2 Anaheim or poblano peppers, seeded, ribs removed and cut into 1/3 inch dice
  • 1 small Serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon of mild chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon of honey
  • 2 cups of peeled, cubed sweet potatoes (1 inch)
  • Salt to taste
  1. Rinse the beans; pick them over to remove any stones. Place in a large pot and cover with at least 2 inches of cold water. Soak the beans overnight.
  2. The next day, drain and rinse the beans again. Cover with cold water, add the whole dried pasilla peppers to the water and bring to a boil and cook until the beans are soft but still retain some bite. Depending on your bean type this will take an hour or more. Cool in the cooking water, removing and discarding the dried pepper.
  3. Heat a skillet and fry the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels.
  4. In the bacon fat remaining in the skillet, sauté the chopped onions on medium heat until softened (about 10 minutes), add the garlic and fresh peppers. Continue to cook on low for another 5. Sprinkle with paprika, chili powder and cocoa, stir well then add the tomato paste and honey and stir again. Add one cup of the chicken stock to the skillet and stir up any crusty bits in the pan.
  5. Drain the beans over a bowl so you can keep the cooking water.
  6. Add the chopped chicken to the slow cooker, cover with the onion and spice mixture, drained beans, bacon, cubed sweet potatoes, and remaining 3 cups of chicken stock. Stir well.
  7. The liquid level should just cover the beans and chicken. Add some bean cooking liquid if needed.
Into the Slow Cooker

Into the Slow Cooker

  1. Cook on low for 6 hours.
  2. Serve garnished with shredded cheese, yogurt or sour cream, finely chopped red onion, and cilantro.
Chicken Chili with Beans and Sweet Potatoes

Chicken Chili with Beans and Sweet Potatoes

December in the kitchen – Marmalade chicken
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December in the kitchen – Marmalade chicken

I was all ready to create a new recipe tonight but ran out of steam, does that ever happen to you? So, what to do? I poked around in the pantry and fridge to discover what could be used as a quick, easy, hassle free “dress up” for the chicken thighs I had planned to cook. I found a jar of ginger marmalade and some whole grain mustard; together with some soy sauce they would make a simple glaze for the chicken. Three ingredients (not counting the chicken), what could be easier?

You could use any kind of marmalade you have on hand…ginger, orange or lemon. You could also use chicken breasts or legs or wings, I just happened to have thighs which are favored by my family.

Marmalade baked chicken

  • 1/2 cup of marmalade
  • 2 rounded teaspoons of Dijon mustard, regular or whole grain
  • 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
  • 6-8 chicken bone-in thighs, trimmed of excess skin and fat
marmalade baked chicken

marmalade baked chicken

  1. Melt the marmalade in a small saucepan or the microwave; mix with the mustard and soy sauce.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
  3. Line a baking pan with foil, place some racks on top (I used cookie cooling racks). The racks will keep the thighs out of the melting fat below.
  4. Pat the thighs dry with paper towels, place them skin side up on the racks in the baking pan. Brush the marmalade mix over the skin and exposed meat.
  5. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 ½ hour depending on the size of the thighs.

 This is a perfect dish for a busy weekday evening. Bake some sweet potatoes in the oven with the chicken, make a salad and dinner is ready with a minimum of fuss and hands-on time.

baked chicken

Marmalade chicken

I made a lentil and cauliflower couscous to go with the chicken, look for that recipe on another post.

You could save the juices to use in soup or another dish. Pour the juices in the bottom of the pan into a large heatproof container and put it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, skim off the fat and discard it.

Tip – I keep the cans from tomatoes or other canned goods for discarding fat. Place the fat in the can, put the can in a plastic bag and put it in the trash. Plastic yogurt containers also work.

I’m taking this to Fiesta Friday to share with Angie from the Novice Gardener as well as Real Food Fridays hosted by Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen. This is the busy season for us all.

fiesta-friday-badge-button-i-party-1

November in the kitchen – everything-but-the-kitchen-sink salad
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November in the kitchen – everything-but-the-kitchen-sink salad

Leftovers can be a life saver as far as dinner is concerned. It was a busy day on Monday and I hadn’t had much time to even think about what to serve for dinner. In addition, the ladies were pleading for a walk. How could I resist those faces? Dinner would have to wait.

Australian Shepards

Quinn and Casey, the Aussie ladies

Enter leftovers, clean-out-the-fridge and everything-but-the-kitchen-sink salad.

When I stuck my head in the cold box, I found…leftover farro, some cold chicken, a bit of cheddar cheese, last of a jar of pickled green beans, a few pomegranate seeds, and half each of an avocado and red onion.

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I also found half of a butternut squash, the rest had been used in the pumpkin humus.

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I decided to roast the butternut squash to give the salad a bit of temperature variation. Combined with the cheese and avocado, it would give the salad a creamy and buttery texture and flavor. The green beans would add a tart note. I had just purchased a package of Trader Joe’s Candied Pecans, there’s the sweet and crunchy note.

Trader Joe's Candied Pecans

  1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cube the butternut squash, toss with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and some kosher salt. Roast for 40 minutes or until brown and tender. Cool slightly.
  2. Cut the cheese into small cubes.
  3. Slice the onion and avocado.
  4. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.
  5. While the butternut squash is still warm, toss everything together with some greens (I used arugula and baby kale from the garden) and add a splash of vinaigrette.

Toss gently…ta da! Fanfare!

Assembled salad.

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This type of dinner is actually one of my husband’s favorites. Leftovers have always spurred my creativity. He fell in love with me over my Brie omelet (just a small picked over slice remaining from a cheese platter earlier that week). The saddest thing about these dinners are that they are rarely repeated, I never have the exact same leftovers waiting in the fridge.

Do you have a favorite clean out the fridge creation?

November – In My Kitchen
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November – In My Kitchen

I can easily spend an hour in a new grocery store or anywhere food related. Exploring farmer’s markets, spice shops, cheese shops, wine shops, or other foodie places is one of travels greatest joys. I’m lucky that my husband is curious and likes to go along, he has the patience of a saint as I poke around and ask questions. Don’t you think that trying out a new ingredient is an adventure and sensory joy?

Following are a few new things I’ve found and brought into my kitchen during the last month.

Urumqui Lamb Rub from Oaktown Spice

Oaktown Spice Shop is a spice store at 530 Grand Avenue in Oakland, CA. They have an amazing variety of spices and house made spice mixes. The folks in this small store are knowledgable about how to use them, they provide recipes, and it’s fun to chat with them. When I was there we exchanged several cooking ideas. It’s a great place to get holiday gifts for your foodie friends. This Urumqi Lamb Rub is hand-mixed, a combination of garlic, cumin, pepper, chili and ginger. I plan to use it this weekend with slow cooked lamb shanks with yogurt. Stay tuned for the recipe on another post if it turns out like I think it will and my mind-tastebuds say it will.

Turmeric

This is fresh turmeric root. I grated it to use in the roasted squash soup (Halloween Soup). It made my hands yellow, but was delicious. I hadn’t realized how quickly ground turmeric lost it’s scent and flavor.

I soaked the peel of Meyer lemons (from my backyard tree) in vodka for making Lemoncello. The peels have been soaking for a month and will be bottled the end of this week, to be stocked in the freezer for the holidays. I like to serve a tiny glass of Lemoncello after dinner as a digestif. It also makes a great gift.

SalinityI found this salt from Salinity in Ashland, OR. It’s flavored with Blue Cheese from the Rogue Valley. They recommended using it as a finishing salt on a butternut squash soup. I’m looking forward to trying it.

These vegetable wraps (called GemWraps) came from in a store in Ft. Bragg, CA. They are made entirely from fruits and veggies, gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan. There are several different kinds, this one is mango chipotle but I also bought tomato and BBQ. You use them to make sushi like wraps for a zero carb, gluten free lunch or snack. I made a wrap with chicken, cheese, onion and avocado. I used some fresh goat cheese (called Laychee) from Penny Royal in Boonville, CA, and Chipotle Pineapple Chicken from Bruce Aidells. 

I made a batch of hot green chili spread. It was gone in a few days and I plan to make more. Sure didn’t last long!

Hot Green Chili Spread

Hot Green Chili Spread

And lastly, do you have any favorite flavor combinations? Have you ever tried avocado and soy sauce? Yummy!

avocado and soy sauce

Avocado and soy sauce

 

What’s new in your kitchen?

 

This has also been linked to Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, the November edition of “In My Kitchen”. Check out the link for some fascinating posts about what is going on in other kitchens around the world.

October in the kitchen – Slow Baked Chicken with Carrots, Turmeric, Cumin, and Coriander
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October in the kitchen – Slow Baked Chicken with Carrots, Turmeric, Cumin, and Coriander

This recipe for roast chicken and carrots is a combination of two I clipped from the NY Times this year. The idea for slow roasting the carrots came from a column by Mark Bittman, and Martha Rose Shulman used the spice mixture in a recipe for “Roasted Carrots With Turmeric and Cumin” (she based hers on one by Suzanne Goin in the “The A.O.C. Cookbook”). Not much is entirely new in the kitchen! This combination of spices is addictive and I thought it would go well with chicken. It was a great success!

Slow Baked Chicken with Carrots, Turmeric, Cumin, and Coriander (Serves 4)

Slow Baked Chicken with Carrots

Slow Baked Chicken with Carrots

  • Two bunches of medium sized carrots, peeled and tops trimmed
  • 8 chicken thighs
  • 4 tablespoons of olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds, toasted
  • 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds, toasted
  • 1 tablespoon of turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon of Aleppo pepper or mild chili powder
  • 3 tablespoons of softened butter
  • ½ cup of fresh mint, chopped, as garnish

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Place a large roasting pan in the oven to heat.

Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small skillet. Watch them carefully to make sure they don’t burn. Remove them to a small plate and cool. Once cool grind them in a mortar and pestle or mini food processer. Combine with the turmeric and chili pepper, then all with the softened butter. Set aside.

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Season the chicken thighs with salt. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook on medium to medium-high heat until the skin is golden brown and they release easily from the skillet. Turn and brown the other side. You may need to do this in two batches. Remove the thighs to a large plate or platter.

Toss the carrots with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the fresh thyme leaves.

Without pouring off any oil, add the carrots to the skillet. Cook, turning them as they brown, until lightly caramelized all over. Remove them to the plate with the chicken.

Turn off the heat under the skillet and add the butter and spice mixture. Scrape up any crusty bits. Remove the hot roasting pan from the oven and add the contents of the skillet to the roasting pan. Add the chicken (plus any accumulated juices) and the carrots to the pan, turning to coat with the spice mixture. Try to spread things out so you have a single layer, keeping the chicken skin side up. Careful with the hot roasting pan, hold it with a thick potholder.

IMG_0105 Bake for one hour and 15 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway through, until chicken is cooked.

Add additional salt as needed and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with the mint leaves.