Category Archives: entrees

Recipe: Braised Moroccan Chicken with Dates

05 Thursday Jul 2012

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When I first made this meal, I could not stop bragging to whoever would listen; namely, Gaspar and the dog, and with them that whole “listening” thing is subjective. But seriously? It’s effin’ amazing! The flavors are just outstanding, so bright and intense. As someone who dreams of traveling to Morocco one day, I can promise you if the food tastes like this, I will return with some significant extra meat on my bones.

There’s so much to love about this combination of flavors, I’m pondering where else I can apply them. And I really want to experiment more with dates. I’ve always loved the bacon-wrapped variety, particularly when they’re also stuffed with manchego, but I suppose that’s a bit obvious. What type of person wouldn’t love bacon-wrapped cheese-stuffed anything, really? But in this recipe their sweet candied taste and meaty texture really shine and bring the whole dish together. I’m on the hunt for more ways to prepare them, so send me your date recipes!

Bin full of dates at Mercado de San Telmo

I love making this in my round Le Creuset French oven, not only because the results are stellar, but also because it’s just such a beautiful piece of cookware. Shout out to the Director of Indulgence for the excellent gift! I’m sure it would also do well (and appear all the more authentic) in a tajine, but any heavy pot with a lid will do just fine.

This recipe is adapted from one that appeared in Bon Appetit. I serve it over quinoa or couscous.

BRAISED MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH DATES

3 1/2 pounds chicken breast halves, thighs and drumsticks (skin on)

1 Tablespoon flour

1 Tablespoon olive oil

10 large shallots, peeled

3 cinnamon sticks

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you’re making this in Argentina, where cayenne pepper doesn’t have the same kick)

3 cups chicken broth

5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided

12 dates, pitted and halved

1/2 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

1/4 cups fresh cilantro

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper and flour. Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken pieces to pot and cook until well-browned on all sides, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to baking sheet or platter. Repeat with remaining chicken. Pour off all but 2 Tablespoons of fat from the pot and discard. Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots to pot, and saute until golden, about 6 minutes. Add cinnamon sticks, ginger, cumin and cayenne. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase heat to high and add broth and 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until shallots begin to soften, about 18 minutes. Place chicken pieces on top of the shallots in the pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until juices run clear when thickest part of drumstick is pierced with a knife, about 25 minutes.

Transfer chicken and shallots to platter and tent with foil. Boil juices in the pot until slightly thickened. Stir in dates and remaining 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice. Reduce heat and simmer gently until dates are heated through, about 2 minutes. Pour sauce and dates over chicken. Sprinkle with almonds and cilantro, and serve.

Recipe: Chorizo Empanadas

05 Tuesday Jun 2012

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Empanadas are everywhere in Argentina. In Buenos Aires, not a block goes by where you can’t pick up this fast food, and many people make them at home as well. Common fillings including ground beef, chicken, ham and cheese, and tomato and mozzarella.

Empanadas differ all over the country, and most would agree that you can find the best empanadas in the northern provinces like Salta and Tucuman. I concur, and add Mendoza to the list as well. For me, the pastry makes a lot of difference, and I prefer an empanada encased in a crisp, flakey crust.

I became a fan of chorizo empanadas before we moved to Buenos Aires, and haven’t seen a chorizo version here. If you’re noticing a theme, yes, I’m a big fan of chorizo. These don’t take long at all to put together, and do well as part of a tapas style meal. In the States, I made them using ready-made puff pastry and would buy raw Spanish chorizo from Whole Foods. Here in Argentina, I’ll use store-bought empanada pastry and hard chorizo sausages.

This version’s adapted from a cookbook I picked up at World Market called “Spanish: a collection of over 100 essential recipes.”

CHORIZO EMPANADILLAS

4 1/2 oz chorizo sausage

flour, for dusting

9 oz ready-made puff pastry, thawed if frozen

beaten egg, to glaze

paprika, to garnish

If you’re using raw chorizo sausages, remove the casings and cook the sausage. If you’re using hard, cut the sausage into small dice. On a lightly floured surface, thinly roll out the puff pastry, if using. Cut into circles using a round 3 1/4 inch cookie cutter. Gently pile the trimmings together, roll out again, then cut out additional circles to produce 12 in total. Put a spoonful of the chopped chorizo onto each of the pastry circles. Dampen the edges with a little water, then fold one half over the other half to completely cover the chorizo. Seal the edges together with your fingers. Using the prongs of a fork, press against the edges to give a decorative finish and seal them further. With the tip of a sharp knife, make a small slit in the side of each pastry. Place the pastries onto baking sheets and brush each with a little beaten egg to glaze. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed. Dust the top of each pastry with a little paprika to garnish. Best served warm.

Recipe: Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

24 Thursday May 2012

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Fall has arrived in Buenos Aires, and while it’s certainly mild by my northeastern USA standards, there’s a definite chill in the air. Which means I’m spending a lot more time in the kitchen, now that I can cook without turning the entire apartment into an oven.

I love making soup when the weather gets cold; it’s easy, makes the apartment smell delicious and we have leftovers for days. Of course by the third day, I’m annoyed that I’ve been eating the same soup for lunch and dinner. Depressingly, I was recently told by a taxi driver who was appalled that I’ve never had an affair (or as they call them here, aventuras, which literally means “adventures”) that there’s a saying in Argentina amongst married people in regards to their spouses: otra vez, sopa. Soup, again. According to this charming taxista, no matter how good-looking or how good at (ahem) extracurricular activities you may be, your spouse will eventually look at you and think, “otra vez, sopa.”

And yes, this is apparently a normal and accepted topic conversation between a cab driver and his passenger. God Bless Argentina.

On that uplifting note, on to the recipe! The good thing about making tomato soup is there are so many ways to riff on the original batch, you really can’t get tired of it quickly. Stir in some goat cheese or cream, make it with grilled cheese on the side, add some pasta…the possibilities are endless.

Although I’ll never turn up my nose at good ol’ Campbell’s, I love making this robust roasted tomato version from scratch with plenty of fresh basil. For a spicy kick, I add crushed red pepper.

ROASTED TOMATO BASIL SOUP

1 1/2 pounds plum or Roma tomatoes

2 T. olive oil plus 1 1/2 tsp for later

one large yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup fresh basil

1 quart chicken stock (you can use vegetable stock to make this vegetarian)

14 oz. canned plum tomatoes in juice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh thyme

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp canola oil

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Mix tomatoes, pepper and salt. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons canola oil and toss gently to coat, then spread on baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Saute onions and garlic with remaining 1 1/2 tsp canola oil and red pepper in large pot on medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until onions brown. Add canned tomatoes, stock, basil and thyme to the same pot, then pour in baked tomatoes with liquid from baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Blend in a blender or food processor, in batches if necessary, until only slightly chunky. Can be served hot or cold.

Recipe: Chickpeas and Chorizo

11 Friday May 2012

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When Gaspar and I were living in Miami Beach, one of our favorite restaurants was Tapas y Tintos on Española Way. We’d loll away the evening with plates of queso de cabra al horno, garbanzos con chorizo, and calamares a la plancha. And maybe a watermelon martini or five. My mouth still waters when I think about it.

This recipe for chorizo and chickpeas always takes me back to those evenings. It’s quick and easy to make, super flavorful and works well as part of a tapas-style meal.

Depending on where you live, pimientos del piquillo may not be readily available. You can find them at Tienda.com, along with an array of high-quality Spanish food and cooking products, but standard roasted red peppers work as well.

CHICKPEAS & CHORIZO

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

9 oz hard chorizo sausage, casing removed and cut into small cubes

14 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

6 pimientos del piquillo, drained, patted dry and sliced

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar, or to taste

salt and pepper

fresh parsley, to garnish

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottom skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened but not browned. Stir in the chorizo and continue cooking until it is heated through. Add chickpeas and peppers and cook until just hot. Splash with red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature, sprinkled with parsley.

breakfast of champions

23 Tuesday Mar 2010

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i’ll never forget my first crepe encounter. with no fear of the notorious attitude and only a few short days to spend roaming around paris, i was quickly enticed by the smells coming from one of the many food carts dotting the street corners. that monster crepe set me back a mere €3, was stuffed with ham, cheese and mushrooms, and was handed to me wrapped in foil, burrito-style. it was bliss.

i continued to eagerly seek out crepes when i returned to the states, trying many restaurants in both philadelphia and miami beach before i finally decided to try my hand at them at home. i’m embarrassed that it took me so long! especially considering how simple they are to make.

CREPES

1 cup flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

2 T. melted butter

sugar (couple Tablespoons, to taste)

cinnamon (a teaspoon or so, to taste)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

the original recipe I started using was sans sugar, cinnamon and vanilla but i find that a touch of sweetness adds a lot. i usually follow this recipe when i’m cooking for just the two of us (it’s one of my husband’s favorites, so though it makes a lot, he takes care of it) and i double or triple the recipe if we have guests or are hosting brunch. in a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, eggs, milk & water. add salt, butter, sugar, cinnamon & vanilla. beat until smooth. heat a lightly oiled 10-inch frying pan over medium high heat. pour 1/4 cup of crepe batter into the pan, and roll it around to coat the bottom of the pan. wait a minute or so, until the crepe starts to bubble up a bit and the edges come up easily, and flip for about 10 – 30  seconds before removing to a plate.

i find, for some reason, the first two to three are not my best work. not sure if it’s me, the heat of the pan, or what. but just saying.

this past weekend, my friend and former roomie susannah was visiting, and i opted for a decadent, option-filled spread. in addition to the obligatory mimosas, we had sauteed mushrooms, cheddar, brie, goat cheese, pears, strawberries, blueberries, honey and nutella. we started out savory and ended sweet. the combinations were endless!

gaspar went for cheddar, sauteed mushrooms and some leftover pulled beef from his crockpot experiments, while sus and i opted for sauteed mushrooms and brie. goat cheese and pear, nutella and strawberries…i could do this all day.

potato lasagne

03 Sunday Jan 2010

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another perfect sunday evening project! home fries are, hands down, delicious. as is lasagne. so logically, if you combine the two, you’re in for a garfield-worthy treat.

this is a recipe i stole from my sister amanda, who got it amidst a food delivery to the restaurant where she works. so naturally, all of the measurements were restaurant-sized and the recipe yielded enough to feed way more people than even the best dinner party can handle. so to bring it down to family-size or couple/single-size you have to do some estimating. i’ve attempted to do this, but numbers have never been my strong point. so i still end up with enough food to feed a couple for a week, for lunch and dinner. which is not necessarily a bad thing.

POTATO LASAGNE – courtesy of Amanda Limbaugh, via an industrial food vendor (thanks!)

3 – 4 lb. sliced home fries (i use the cubed ones, but the shredded would work as well)

1 can diced tomatoes (large can, not the 16 oz one)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. black pepper

2 yellow onions, diced

3/4 T. dried basil (I prefer fresh basil, I use it liberally)

24 oz. cottage cheese

1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 T. parsley

1 lb. Italian sausage

2 1/2 lb. mozzarella

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In large saucepan, brown sausage, drain fat. Add tomatoes, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and basil. Cook over high heat til boiling.

Cover and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes. Put egg in medium bowl and beat well. Add cottage cheese, parmesan, some mozzarella and parsley. In 9 x 13 pan (or larger), spread a quarter of the sauce, half of the potatoes, 1/2 of the cheese mix, another quarter of the sauce, and 2 1/2 cups of mozzarella. Repeat. (The order and amount of layering really doesn’t matter, so don’t stress). Bake for 60 minutes. Your final product will look something like this:

I typically serve it with a salad and red wine. I like to make my own salad dressing, I try to tell myself it’s healthier and conveniently turn a blind eye to the massive amount of olive oil I use. Usually something like two parts balsalmic vinegar, one part olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Simple, but delicious, and light enough to balance out the lasagne which you may need help lifting out of the oven. Enjoy!

stuffed pork chops…annnnd i’m stuffed

14 Monday Dec 2009

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sundays are my favorite. minus the “i soon must go back to the office” anxiety, sundays are made for relaxation and culinary creations that take more time than what i can spend during the week. this sunday was devoted to savory stuffed pork chops and garlic green beans. now, this pork chop recipe was borrowed from a cookbook of admittedly odd origins. when i was in college, i bought a toaster. it came with a cookbook. the cookbook contained recipes for basically any and every kitchen gadget created by oster, hence the recipe for savory stuffed pork chops that clearly cannot be made in the toaster. p.s. the toaster has long since ceased operations, while these recipes just keep going and going. there’s a lesson in there, somewhere.

so i’ll figure this out as i go, but this time, i’ll start by sharing the recipe.

SAVORY STUFFED PORK CHOPS – courtesy of Oster, “The Art of Food”

2 pork chops cut 1 ½ inches thick

1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

½ cup chopped celery

¼ cup chopped onion

1-1/2 cups seasoned bread cubes

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1-1/2 tsp minced parsley

2 tsp melted butter

2 T. sliced almonds

1 egg

3 T. milk

2 T. vegetable oil

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

½ tsp red pepper flakes

¼ cup calvados, cognac, brandy or apple juice

okay, so a couple of notes on the ingredients list. i’ve found that this recipe is best with everything bagels used for the bread cubes. trust me on this, i’ve used everything from light wheat bread to dried italian, and everything bagels are the way to go. also, the red pepper flakes are kind of optional. they do add a spicy kick, which seems a little odd with this dish but personally, i love it. BUT if you are anti-hotness (you fool) then leave it out, cause it’s spicy. and i’ve tried this recipe with calvados, cognac, brandy AND apple juice, and believe it or not, alcohol lover that i am, i prefer the apple juice to the rest.

okay, so here we go.

with a small paring knife, make a pocket starting from rounded side of each chop. combine next 11 ingredients and mix well. here’s what it should look like:

stuff each chop with mixture. then, combine last 5 ingredients. here’s what that should look like:

brush or rub onto stuffed chops. before you put them in the oven, they’ll look like this:

bake at 350 degrees for about one hour.

i decided to make garlic green beans with this. now, i have my own way of making these, but i will admit it’s not quite right just yet. i used to eat fried string beans at a tiny, hole in the wall chinese restaurant in philadelphia (empress garden, for my philly friends) and i obsess over trying to re-create their recipe. so far, i’ve been completely unsuccessful. so if anyone has suggestions, please do help me out.

in any case, i make the string beans by boiling them for a couple of minutes, til they’re tender-crisp. i love string beans for a couple of reasons. one, because snapping off the ends reminds me of sitting on the porch swing with my ma and snapping beans, which at the time was a necessary evil to be granted permission to actually do something fun. now, i just miss it. and TWO, because i love how when you throw them in the boiling water, they turn so bright green.

so once you’ve boiled them a few minutes, you drain them, and toss them into an ice bath. like this:

the reason for this is to stop them from continuing to cook. it brings the temp down quickly, allowing you to pan-fry them without them turning to mush. right before i toss them into the ice bath, i make sure i have a pan heated on the stovetop, with some melted butter. i toss in some garlic – probably two tablespoons, to be honest, i LOVE garlic – and allow the garlic to brown a bit while i’m doing the ice bath. then, remove the beans from the ice and add to the pan with the garlic. cook for a few minutes and serve.

um…YUM.