chicken thighs in riesling

I'm often in amazement of the simple meals I manage to put together. Really, did I just make something taste freakin' amazing out of the humble crap I found in my fridge? When I found myself with some defrosted chicken thighs, a half bottle of riesling and a bit of heavy cream, I saw a recipe that looked like it would be an ideal fit. Chicken braised in wine, accompanied by root vegetables and kissed with cream. Perfect comfort food for a chilly evening.

Now the photos don't do this meal any justice. Fall and winter evenings with dim lighting do not make for appetizing or tantalizing shots. Instead you get those weirdly orange photos that look more at home in a thrifted cookbook from the 1970s. But that's okay because you'll just have to take my word that this meal was incredible. In fact, I think it's the best single meal I've ever ever ever cooked in my life. High praise indeed. This meal was so good it should have been shared with friends or at least with a little candlelight and cloth napkins.

It's humble in it's main ingredients: chicken thighs, carrots, shallots, potatoes. But it's the riesling and cream that make you want to shout out to the world. So go on, pat yourself on the back and dig in.

chicken thighs in riesling
(adapted from Gourmet)
1 serrano pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t oregano
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 t ground cumin
4 skinless chicken thighs
salt & pepper
1 T olive oil

1 T butter
4 large shallots, roughly chopped
4 medium carrots, cut into 2 inch long rounds
1/2 - 3/4 c riesling
4 potatoes, cut into quarters
1/4 c heavy cream
1/2 lemon, juiced

1. Rinse and pat dry chicken thighs and add them to a bowl with the garlic, serrano peppers, oregano, cumin and lemon juice. Stir and let sit for 30 minutes. Heat olive oil over med-high heat, and add in chicken and marinating liquid. Brown chicken on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside.

2. Heat butter and saute shallots and carrots for a few minutes and add chicken back into the pot. Pour riesling over top and cover over med-low heat until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes or so.

3. Meanwhile, cook potatoes separately in boiling water until just tender. Drain and add to the chicken pot. Add in heavy cream and lemon juice, stirring gently so everything gets coated. Serves 2 very hungry people or 4 people with small appetites.

brown rice bowl with vegetables & roasted chickpeas

Sometimes when I'm getting dinner ready I don't even have a plan about what's going to happen. A few frantic moments to quickly catalogue what's the cupboard and fridge and something should happen. But sometimes it doesn't. The other weekend, I cooked up some brown rice with the intention that whipping up some fried rice the following evening would be perfect. But I didn't have a clue what I was going to make for dinner that night. I took stock and let a few ideas germinate and this is what I came up with.

This rice bowl is simple and delicious and I've really been digging on these healthy bowls lately as they're filling and really quite flavourful. The roasted chickpeas added a spicy, nutty crunch to the dish while the vegetables were just simply sauteed. I used what vegetables were in my crisper but this is highly adaptable, so throw in what you like! Cornelius topped his dish with a bit of soy sauce, but I used some mango chutney and a bit of hot sauce on mine. Delicious!

Oh, and if you want to get to know me a bit more, Scout Magazine did an interview with me. Take a look!

brown rice bowl with vegetables & roasted chickpeas
1 c brown rice
2 c water
1 t salt

1 can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 T curry paste
1 T olive oil
1 T cumin seeds, toasted & lightly crushed
1/4 t salt
1 t hot sauce

1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch bit of ginger, diced
1/2 zucchini, sliced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 c leftover diced chicken or tofu (optional)

1. Boil water and add in salt and brown rice. Simmer covered over medium heat until most of the water has been absorbed. Turn down heat to low and simmer until ready.

2. Turn oven to 400F. In a bowl, mix up the chickpeas, curry paste, cumin seeds , salt and hot sauce. Spread onto a baking dish and bake for 30-45 minutes, until chickpeas shrink and get a bit crunchy. Shake the dish a few times to get things moving.

3. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat, adding garlic, ginger and onion. When soft, add in remaining vegetables and protien. Saute until the vegetables are bright and crisp and the protien is heated through.

4. Dish out brown rice into deep bowls and top with roasted chickpeas and vegetable mixture. Serve with soy sauce, mango chutney or hot sauce, if desired.

hotcha! spicy thai noodle soup

After quite a battle, I'm waving the white flag. I'm sick. I've lost my voice and have turned into quite the sad sack. On Thursday night, I realized that we were out of broth. Nothing frozen, no cubes, no cartons, nada. I wanted ramen soup and so I bravely ordered out for some from a local Japanese restaurant. What arrived on my doorstep was an insult to ramen soup everywhere. The broth was murkey in the worst way and stunk to high heaven. I tossed it. Luckily, I had also ordered some passible agadashi tofu so I was able to at least eat dinner. The next day, I picked up a few needed ingredients and decided that a homemade ramen soup was going to be on the menu for dinner. But since I was sick, I was drawn to the kick-ass flavours of chilis, ginger root and lemongrass. Screw the ramen, I was going to make a spicy Thai soup with Japanese noodles instead.

This soup is really easy to make, despite the long list of ingredients. First, you want to infuse the broth with goodness, so I threw in a frozen chicken carcass I had in the freezer along with some very heady, aromatic ingredients: ginger, chili, lemongrass, garlic. If you don't have old bones laying about, skip it! Make it vegan! Don't have fresh chilies? Used dried. And for noodles, I found some fresh Japanese ramen noodles at the grocery store, but you are welcome to use rice noodles, udon, soba or just plain old spaghetti. Just use a long noodle with a bit of chew that gives a good slurp...because with an asian noodle soup, slurping is the best part! Enjoy.

spicy thai noodle soup
1 carton of chicken or veggie broth
1 chicken carcass (optional)
2 hot yellow or red peppers, seeds removed
2 inch knob of ginger, smashed
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 green onions, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, smashed
1 T soy or fish sauce
zest & juice of 1 lime
8 mushrooms, sliced
2 t toasted sesame oil
2 individual packets of Japanese ramen noodles (or other noodle)
1 carrot, julienned
1/2 c shredded chicken, bbq pork or diced tofu
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped

In a large pot, bring the broth, carcass (if using), chilis, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, green onions, soy/fish sauce and lime zest to a low, simmering boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain out all the solids and discard while placing the broth back into the pot.

Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in a frying pan and add the sliced mushrooms. Saute until golden and juicy. Add the mushrooms and their liquid into the broth, along with the julienned carrots, ramen noodles and your choice of protein and bring the pot to a low boil for 2 minutes, careful not to overcook the noodles. Add in lime juice, adjust for seasoning and serve. Top bowls with fresh cilantro.

now that's a mouthful: smokey bbq chicken sandwich topped with north carolina coleslaw

First off, I'm not from the South (obviously) and I don't know a helluva lot about the art of barbecue. My first real taste of a Southern barbecued meal was at a BBQ joint smack dab in the middle of my old hippy/Italian neighbourhood, Commercial Drive. The food may not have been the most authentic as the pacific northwest is a bit off-course from Kansas City, the Carolinas, or any other territory that prides themselves on some sweet ol' BBQ...but that 'cue was tasty.

I may not have the history or even a smoker, but I've got gumption. I've tried (to great success, I might add) my hand at making pulled pork sandwiches and this weekend I wanted to recreate some of that taste in a new way. And it all started with an article in Bon Appetit and a recipe for North Carolina coleslaw. I made the slaw the night before, intending to serve it with some pan-fried cod. While it was okay as a side dish, the slaw really needed to be a part of something meaty and spicy to get things singing. So out from the fridge I pulled some chicken thighs, seasoned them and cooked them up in the remainder of the vinegary, spicy coleslaw dressing. After the chicken was cooked and well-sauced, I deboned them, shredded the meat and put them into hamburger buns. Of course, I topped them with the North Carolina slaw. Hot-diggity, this was a tasty sandwich!


smokey bbq chicken sandwich topped with north carolina coleslaw
I small green cabbage, shredded
1 c shredded carrot
1 small onion, grated on a box grater

2 c cider vinegar
1 T kosher salt
1 T ground white pepper
1 T red pepper flakes
2 T white sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c ketchup

6 chicken thighs, skin removed
salt & pepper
1 T cumin
1 t chipotle powder
1 t dried thyme
1 T olive oil

1. Combine the cabbage, carrot and the onion in a large bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients in a medium sized bowl and pour about 1/3 of it over the slaw. Refrigerate the slaw and keep the remainder of the dressing aside.

2. Turn on oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Season the chicken thighs and on the stove, heat up the oil a large oven proof dish. Add chicken thighs to dish and brown on both sides. Pour in remaining dressing and cover the pot with a lid. Place in oven and cook for about 40 minutes or until the meat is cooked and is falls easily from the bones.

3. Remove the bones, shred the chicken and place on white hamburger buns. Top with coleslaw.

one bowl of comfort please: spicy chicken and rice

After reading Ximena's post about a comforting one-bowl chicken and rice dish, I wanted something similar. But instead of picking a meal with an eastern flare, I headed south...errr, well, actually, to September's issue of Bon Appétit and found this recipe. I had to make concessions and additions based on what I had on hand, but it was the perfect dish to make for a rainy day.

I love one dish meals because it means that I'm probably using my old thrifted Le Cruset orange dutch oven. Somehow, whatever comes out of that pot turns out wonderfully. And when the weather turns grey and dark and it rains more than there is sunshine, well, that's when the orange beast and I really bond. While I may turn my eye and covet something brand new in, say, turquoise, this beast hasn't failed me yet.


This dish is spicy and sweet and truly comforting. It's also versatile. You could easily whip up a vegetarian version by substituting the chicken for chick peas and adding a few more vegetables near the end. I added a spoonful of mango chutney to serve with this dish, but it's not necessary. Just steam up some broccoli or serve this along side a green salad and you've got yourself dinner. Or, just tuck right in and you'll find comfort in a bowl.

spicy chicken and rice
2 T olive oil
4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin removed
salt & pepper
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground chipotle pepper
1 large orange pepper, diced
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/3 c raisins
1 1/2 c jasmine rice
2 c chicken broth
mango chutney (optional)

1. Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt, pepper, cayenne, chipotle, cinnamon and cloves. Heat oil in a large dutch oven and add chicken, browning each side for 5 minutes.

2. Remove chicken and add in onion, orange pepper and garlic and saute until soft. Add in raisins and rice and stir until rice glistens. Add broth and then return chicken to the pot, nestling each piece into the broth and rice mixture.

3. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve with mango chutney and steamed vegetables.

sloppy seconds

I eat lunch in front of my computer. I feel a bit guilty typing that out but it's the truth. In fact, I've got my lunch right beside me just waiting for the right pause to dig in. Normally, I can type and click away on my tablet pen while stuffing green stuff into my mouth. Certain sandwiches are just made for eating while working because they cause minimal drippage and can comfortably be held in one hand. Unfortunately, today's sandwich is a bit more high maintenance. There is so much drippage and sliding around that I'm kicking myself for wearing my brand new white floaty blouse when I really should be wearing a plastic bib and some overalls. But for the sake of a really fantastic lunch, I'll grin and bear it. This sandwich is worth the slop.

Last night, I made some chicken and a greek salad and today I just scooped some of the leftovers on top of a pita and called it a wrap. What I should have done was cut the pita bread in half, created a double layer pocket (like some of the falafel stands I've visited) and then just poured the leftovers right in. That way, I might have been able to turn this sandwich into something I could eat one-handed while catching up on my blog roll. Hindsight is 20/20, after all.


The chicken was amazingly flavourful and juicy and my Greek salad was fresh, crunchy and perfect. Last night it was great easy meal on it's own and today it's a fantastic lunch. Just remember that there are pits in the olives, so don't chomp down without looking!

greek lemon chicken
4 chicken thighs, skin & fat removed
a handful of fresh oregano
a handful of fresh thyme
zest of 1 lemon and juice of 1/2 lemon
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Place washed chicken into a small baking dish and sprinkle both sides with salt & pepper, lemon zest and fresh herbs. Drizzle lemon juice over top and bake for 40 minutes or until juices run clear.

greek salad
1 English cucumber, chopped*
1 tomato, seeded and chopped*
2 red peppers, chopped
1 small bunch of parsley, torn into bite sized bits
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 c kalmata olives
1/2 c feta cheese, crumbled
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
dollop of honey
dollop of Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed

In a large bowl, toss together the first 6 ingredients. Sprinkle with lemon juice. In a small jar combine the last 5 ingredients and shake well. Pour over salad.

* You will note that I have indeed come far in my eating habits! Last year, my greek salad was more of a mockery of the real thing, but now I'm coming along. I now actually like a bit of cucumber in my salad and while I'm not crazy about the tomatoes, I do like them stuffed into the pita for a sandwich. This little girl is finally growing up!

greek salad & chicken pita sandwich
Cut a pita in half, place 1 pita half into the other pita half so that you have a sturdy double layer. Spoon in some of the above greek salad and some de-boned chicken pieces and call it lunch. Eat with 2 hands just in case.

birthday break

Thank you for all of your birthday wishes! Birthdays are the best and I'm excited for Birthday Week^TM to continue with picnics and cake to keep things festive!

Before I create any new picnic recipes, I'll just mention this fantastic dinner we ate last weekend. I had some chicken thighs in the fridge and a full bottle of really nice balsamic vinegar. It was a perfect match. Accolades were coming at me from every direction (well, at least to my right, since there were only 2 of us in the room) and there may have even been some plate-licking involved. I always seem to add rosemary to most things I roast...it's my favorite herb after all, and it certainly worked well in this dish too. Simple to put together and the results were outstanding enough that you could easily serve this to all your fancy friends. Throw in terms like "balsamic reduction" and well, you've staged yourself a successful coup.

balsamic chicken
6-8 skinless chicken thighs
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, sliced thinly
salt & pepper
1 T dried rosemary
1 c balsamic vinegar
6 cloves garlic, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9x13 baking dish, toss around onion slices and olive oil. Add chicken to dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. Peek in on the chicken to make sure that the onions don't burn up.

2. In a small saucepan, bring the balsamic vinegar and garlic to a boil. Keep sauce boiling until it reduces into a nice thick, syrupy consistency. Turn off heat and set aside.

3. When chicken is cooked, about 45 minutes later, scrape up all the onion bits from the bottom of the dish to loosen all the yummy bits and then pour over balasamic vinegar sauce over the chicken. Set dish to broil for 2-3 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with sauce heaped over chicken.

soup-ernatural

Movie trucks, production assistants and traffic hold-ups are a regular sight in "Hollywood North". In our 'hood, production shoots are pretty much a monthly occurance as apparently, this small neighbourhood is a movie location scout's dream. Almost every week there is a movie or television show shooting right outside our apartment. A few weeks ago, we received a notice that the show "Supernatural" was going to be filmed outside our door...and this past week, it was the tv show "Men in Trees". For my New Year's Resolution, I gave up cable, so I couldn't even watch these shows if I wanted to. But when I met with friends for a bit of league bowling, I was told that on last week's episode of Supernatural (a hunky sausage-fest ghostbusting show), my neighbourhood, tiny grocer and street were featured prominently. Oh well, I never watched that show anyway, but it still would have been nice to see!

Now, back to regularly scheduled programming. Trust me, there is nothing spooky or supernatural about this creamy chicken and vegetable soup. It is brimming with flavour, warmth and history plus has the power to slay through any gray day this northwest weather has to offer. Even if your grandmother never made you soup like this before, you can feel tradition in every slurp. Creamy but not heavy since it's made with milk rather than cream, each spoonful carries a bright tang with the addition of lemon juice. It's like a chicken pot pie in soup form and there is nothing wrong with that. This soup is a perfect meal for this grey, damp month. When it comes to Februarys and soup, I agree with Molly, they go hand in hand.

creamy chicken & vegetable soup
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 c button mushrooms, sliced
1 c celery, chopped on the diagonal
1 c carrots, sliced into coins
1 t dried thyme
3 T flour
6 c chicken stock
1 cup short cut whole wheat pasta
1 1/2 c milk
1 c cooked chicken, diced
1/2 c frozen peas
salt & pepper to taste
juice and zest of 1 lemon

1. Melt butter in a large pot. Add in onion, garlic, mushrooms, celery, thyme and carrots and saute until wilty. Add flour and mix well, cooking for about 3 minutes. Add in chicken stock and pasta and cover. Stir occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

2. When pasta is tender, add milk, chicken and peas. Stir gently and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper and mix in lemon juice. Serve.

a schmaltzy offering

What's the next step after roasting a chicken? Why make stock of course! It's really simple. Just remove as much meat as possible (reserving for another use), dump the bones, skin and debris in a large pot (a stock pot is ideal!), add in an unpeeled onion with the skin (the skin adds a lovely roasty hue to the broth), a whole wack of garlic cloves, a couple of carrots and a couple stalks of celery (leaves and all). Then comes the seasoning. Throw in a couple of bay leaves, salt, whole peppercorns, and some dried herbs of your choice (I love rosemary). Cover the whole shebang with water, add a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and within the hour, your kitchen will truly smell like home. I like to simmer my stock for about 2 hours or so, which really brings out the gelatin from the bones making your stock hearty and rich and sticky with flavour. Remove from heat and strain. Chill stock in the fridge.

Now you have the base of a really, really great soup. But the soup most suited to this rich broth is matzoh ball soup. I've made matzoh ball soup many times from a mix and it's easy, but the last time I went to the store, I found ground matzoh in a large container and decided that it would be just as easy to make my matzoh balls from scratch. And so yesterday, that's just what I did. And the results? Heavenly. The dumplings were light and fluffy and so flavourful! And the secret to this soup not only relies on the homemade broth but on the schmaltz, which is a lovely Jewish term for plain ol' chicken fat. Once you remove your sufficiently chilled stock from the fridge, you will notice a layer of white fat resting on top of your stock. This is the golden stuff of your matzoh dreams, so carefully remove the fat layer with a spooon and set aside in a small dish. This is the schmaltz that really makes your matzoh balls come alive. If you don't have any schmaltz, you can always use plain old vegetable oil in your dumplings, but trust me when I say that those matzoh balls won't elate your soup to heavenly levels.

heavenly matzoh ball soup
2 T melted schmaltz
2 eggs
1/2 t kosher salt
1 t baking powder
1/2 c ground matzoh meal
1 large pinch of dried dill weed
1 heaping t of dried parsley
1/2 t granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
a large pinch of black pepper

homemade chicken stock (see 1st paragraph)
1/2 c diced carrots
1 celery stalk, diced
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 c diced cooked chicken

1. In a measuring cup or small bowl, stir gently to combine the schmaltz and the eggs. Set aside.

2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the matzoh meal with the salt, baking powder, dill, parsley, granulated garlic and pepper. Stir until everything is blended.

3. Pour egg mixture into the dry mixture and gently blend with a fork. OVERMIXING IS THE DEVIL. Don't do it. Put it in the fridge for half an hour.

4. In a large pot, dump in the stock, carrots, celery and onion, cover, and bring to a boil. Add in diced chicken and turn down heat to a simmer.

5. After matzo mixture has set, gently remove teaspoon fulls of the batter and lightly roll into 1" balls and drop into the soup. Cover and cook without stirring or peeking for about half an hour. Remove matzoh balls with a slotted spoon and place into soup bowls. Ladle soup over top and serve.

sexy beast

I love making a whole roast chicken. Lemon and rosemary is always a favorite flavour combo, as is a really garlicy pesto and roasting a chicken stuffed with homemade preserved lemons is to die for. But you want to know the secret to a juicy, moist and flavourful chicken? Buy free-run organic. That's it. Ever since I saw the documentary, The Corporation, I decided that I could make some small life choices and buying organic free-run chicken would be one such ethical choice. I've been happy ever since! It may cost a few dollars more, but it's worth every penny.

So now that you've got your plump and juicy free-range chicken, you need to boost that goodness with some flavour. My local grocer had blood oranges dirt cheap, so I bought a whole bag full and decided to use some of that flavour to enhance my chicken. The results were stunning and the gravy I made from the pan juices were incredible.

blood orange & rosemary roast chicken with roast vegetables
1 free-run organic roast chicken
1 T kosher salt
1 T dried rosemary
pepper
1 blood orange, zested & quartered
4 cloves garlic
1 small onion, quartered
2 T olive oil
3 large carrots, cut into large 2 inch chunks
4 potatoes, cut into quarters
dried rosemary, salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and pat dry chicken. Rub chicken inside and out with the orange quarters. Set aside orange husks.

2. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and orange zest. Rub the salt mixture under the skin, inside the cavity, and over the skin. Stuff the chicken with the orange husks, garlic and onion.

3. Add half the olive oil to the bottom of a roasting pan or a rectangular baking dish. Swirl about the carrots and potatoes in the olive oil and sprinkle with some salt, pepper, and rosemary. Move the vegetables to the perimeter of the pan. Add the chicken breast side up in the middle and drizzle the leftover olive oil over top. Roast chicken in oven for 1 hr or until juices run clear. Serve.

sandwiches. surprised?

It's rainy, it's icy and there is slush galore outside. My shoes got quite a soaking from stepping into too many slushy puddles and I had to change into warm, dry clothes as soon as I got home. It certainly doesn't seem like a day for something like sandwiches...but regardless of the weather, I decided that sandwiches would make the perfect lunch. Using some leftover chicken and Portugese buns fresh from the market, I whipped up a totally delicious meal that had Cornelius and I clamouring for seconds. Lucky for us, there is plenty of leftover sandwich filling for tomorrow and lucky me, these sandwiches taste great with a nice hot cup of tea.

curried chicken sandwiches
2 c leftover cooked chicken, chopped
1 rib of celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 c dried cherries, chopped
2 T pecans, chopped
2 t curry paste
2 T mayo (plus additional, if needed)
salt & pepper
fresh spinach
buns

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Add in the curry paste and mix well so that everything gets combined. Add in the mayo (you may want to use more if you like a wetter consistency) and the salt and pepper to your taste. Combine well.

2. Split your Portugese buns and lightly toast. Spread a thin layer of mayo and add on a couple spoonfuls of the chicken salad mixture and spread over the bottom bun. Cover with fresh spinach leaves and add the top layer of bun.

kicking it old skool

While I love fusion flavours, Thai food and sushi, sometimes there's nothing better than a meal that harkens back to those rose-coloured 1950's that never really existed except in advertisements for eggshell blue refrigerators. I'm talking about meatloaf. It's a pretty contested meal with vocal camps on either end of the meatloaf debate. You either love it because it reminds you of your mother's cooking or you venemously hate it for the exact same reason. Me, I'm a meatloaf lover and I guess that's because my mom never turned out a bad meatloaf recipe.

So when I found myself with almost a pound of ground chicken, a meatloaf sounded like a pretty reasonable dinner. But I should warn you, ground chicken is quite different from the traditional ground beef. Let's face it, the raw texture is pretty icky stuff. It's mushy and sticky and did I mention mushy and sticky? It's bad enough raw (which is why I use a spoon to mix all the super-sticky ingredients rather than my bare hands) and even when cooked, the texture is much softer than beef, which for some can be a bit off-putting. A chicken loaf also has to be strongly flavoured because a bland meatloaf is a bad meatloaf that will leave you stranded along with all the other meatloaf-haters. But warnings aside, this meatloaf is wonderful. It's nicely flavoured with lots of fresh garlic and the grated zucchini and oats work as a binder to really improve things texture-wise.

This meatloaf is pretty darn yummy. Next time I make this recipe, I'm totally doubling the sauce used for the topping. The amount listed is perfect for topping the meat while it cooks, but I ran out of ketchup and would have loved more sauce heated up and served alongside for dipping purposes.


Serving this kicked-up retro feast totally put me in the mood for afternoon heels and a pretty apron. Now if only I could weasel myself matching teal kitchen appliances....

garlic & zucchini chicken meatloaf
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 grated zucchini
1 egg
1/2 c quick oats
salt & pepper
8 cloves of garlic, minced
2 T worchestershire sauce
1 T ketchup

topping:
2 T ketchup
2 T mango chutney

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend all everything but the topping ingredients into a large bowl and mix everything well with a rubber spatula. Pat into a loaf pan and bake for about 10 minutes.

2. Stir up the topping ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup. Remove meatlof from the oven and spread the chutney mixture overtop. Put back in the oven to bake for another 45 minutes or so until meat is done. Slice and serve.

leave your fancy pants in the closet

One of my best friends is taking 6 months out of her Vancouver life to ride her bike to Mexico with her boyfriend. They are still enroute, but after weeks of cycling in the rain and wind and cold, they certainly appreciate a home-cooked meal and basic shelter. Central heating wouldn't be amiss, either. You can read about their journey here and if you like, take a peek at Kristen's etsy shop. What's all this got to do with food? This may not be a vegan post (Kristen & her boyfriend are vegans), but it is a post that features some truely comforting food. And I'm sure something hot and home-cooked would go down nicely while riding down a cold, wet highway.

Comfort food ain't pretty, but pleasing the belly is sometimes more important than pleasing the eye and this stew fits the bill perfectly. It's nothing fancy. The flavours are simple, the directions are straight forward and once you add the ingredients, the dish pretty much takes care of itself. Nice. This recipe is also pretty flexible. You can add different vegetables (some rutabaga would be great) and you can control the amount of gravy by the amount of liquid and flour you use. And if you want to pull out all the comfort stops, certainly some dumplings cooked in the pot during the last few minutes wouldn't hurt a thing.

paprika chicken & vegetable stew
6 chicken thighs, skinned
2 T smoked hot paprika
1 T olive oil
4 medium potatoes, quartered
1 onion, quartered
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 c mushrooms
2 T flour
2 c chicken broth (+ more water or broth, if needed, to generously cover vegetables)
1 T dijon mustard
1 t dried sage
1/2 bottle of beer
1/2 c frozen peas

1. Sprinkle chicken on all sides with paprika, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large pot and add chicken. Saute until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate. Add vegetables (except the peas....those come in later) and saute for a few minutes. Sprinkle vegetables with flour and stir to coat. Stir in broth and beer.

2. Return chicken and any juices to the pot. Add dijon mustard and sage. Stir to combine and reduce heat. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Add frozen peas during the last 10 minutes of cooking time. Serve with rice or crusty bread.

oh, summertime

Stir-fries are probably the most common go-to dinner in this lil' apartment. Quick to cook, stir-fries are more than ideal for hot summertime kitchens, plus it's a healthy option and you can mix up the flavours and ingredients and always come up with something special. I know that some people find chopping up so many vegetables tedious, but I find it relaxing. Chopping brightly coloured orange and yellow peppers, cutting the ends of vibrant green beans and pulling out the florets of bright white cauliflower is an almost artistic endeavor for me. I love looking at my handiwork staring back at me in neat little colour-coordinated rows. My summertime kitchen is extra special because the glory of golden hour brings the evening sun into our orange kitchen which bounces off our disco ball hanging by the window. With all the light dancing around the room along with my loud* music**, it's almost too easy to imagine I'm somewhere exciting and other-worldly. But truth is, I'm quite content in my tiny little orange kitchen and I certainly wouldn't give up chopping vegetables for the most beautiful food processor in the world.

I make many stir-fry variations depending what I've got in the kitchen. I usually add tofu or chicken for protein, or I make it a simple vegetables-only affair. And of course, use what veggies you've got in the crisper. I usually add some orange or pineapple juice to the sauce but this evening I decided to use a grapefruit that had found hidden away in the vegetable crisper. The stir-fry didn't have a strong grapefruit flavour, but I like adding fruit juice instead of adding vegetable broth because I think it adds an extra depth to the fresh flavour to the meal. What can I say, I like things with a touch of sweetness!

chicken & vegetable stir-fry
2 chicken thighs, cut up into strips
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 red onion, large dice
1 orange pepper, large dice
1 yellow pepper, large dice
1 large handful of green beans, cut in half
1/2 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
1 T oil
1 T soy sauce

Sauce:
1 T brown sugar
1 grapefruit, juiced
1 T sesame oil
1/2 t chili flakes
1 T soy sauce
1 T cornstarch

1. Mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside.

2. In a wok or large pan, heat up oil and add garlic and onions and heat until translucent. Add chicken and use tongs to stir it all about for about 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Add the cauliflower and 1 T of soy sauce into the pan. After a few minutes, add the green beans and then the peppers, stirring everything about. When the vegetables look bright and tender-crisp, give the sauce one last stir and add it to the wok. Again, toss everything about so that everything is well coated and the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat and serve over rice or Chinese noodles.

---

Today's musical selection provided by local Vancouver band, The Pink Mountaintops. There are a few mp3's online at their label site, but really, do yourself the favour & buy both cds.
* "Can you do that dance?", from their S/T release
** "New Drug Queens", from Axis of Evol

an angel peed on my tongue

I don't quite understand the Dutch. Cornelius is part Dutch and take it from me, they're a bit wacky. They wear wooden shoes, their national food is the Indonesian rice dish Nasi Goering and then they exclaim a Dutch phrase that when translated means "an angel peed on my tongue". This Dutch phrase is uttered after eating something so wonderful that it verges on heavenly. This is what Cornelius said to me after last nights dinner. No doubt, we both laughed hard.

This recipe for jerk chicken isn't exactly traditional as I didn't have any scotch bonnet peppers laying around, but it did pack quite a punch in the spice department. It was so tasty and pretty and colourful that I'm sure all the angels everywhere let out a communal sigh of relief.

We used boneless skinless chicken thighs, but breasts would work too. We also grilled these using our cast iron grill pan, but on an outdoor grill these would be amazing. We served these over rice and a side of asparagus. Yum!

jerk chicken pineapple skewers
marinade:
1 t cayenne powder
1 T fresh ginger, crushed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 t thyme
1 t sage
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 c soy sauce
1 T oil
1/4 c orange juice
1 lemon, juiced
1 T brown sugar

6 skinless chicken thighs, cut into managable peices
1 red pepper, large dice
1 green pepper, large dice
1 yellow pepper, large dice
1/2 red onion, quartered
1 pineapple, large dice

1. Mix together the marinade ingredients and pour most of it over the chicken. Put the chicken in the fridge for at least an hour to marinate. Pour the remaining mixture over the chopped vegetables and toss.

2. Skewer the chicken and vegetables using bamboo skewers making a pretty colour-coordinated mixture of vegetables, pineapple and chicken. If using an outdoor grill, soak skewers in water for at least 1 hr. Add skewers to lightly oiled grill and cook for about 4-6 minutes per side.

3. Boil up the left over marinade until it has reduced by half. Plate the skewers over rice and pour the jerk sauce over the skewers. Let the angels do their thing.

my lazy sunday

The weekends are typically times to relax, get stuff done and enjoy life a little more. This weekend was no exception. Every year around this time, there is a huge 30 block garage sale that I go to every year and this time I managed to find some pretty sweet scores. I bought a pretty 1950's teal n' green floral tablecloth for $3, a great pack for 3 day hikes in the woods for $5 and a complete speedball screenprinting kit for $3! But somehow in the kafuffle of thrifting and biking around for groceries, I managed to break the screen on my camera, so this will be a no-picture post.

On Saturday night, I met up with the EMB (Electric Moon Banana) crew at a nearby park at 11pm sharp for a full moon bike ride around the city and although I cut home early in the ride, I still didn't make it to bed until 3am. Sunday was rough and tiring, so I needed something bright and simple to make the day move along a little faster. A brown rice curry salad and some grilled chicken fit the bill. This would make a great picnic meal.

This is a great way to prepare chicken and you can use the meat to add to salads, natchos, burritos, etc. and this chicken is even tasty cold.

lemon & garlic grilled chicken
4 chicken bone-in parts (I used thighs)
1 lemon, juiced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 T ground cumin
2 T chili powder
salt & pepper

1. Wash chicken peices in cold water and remove skin and visible fat. Place chicken in ziplock bag with lemon juice and spices. Refrigerate for 2 - 4 hours.

2. Spray cast iron grill pan with a light coating of oil and heat on high. Add chicken, presenation side down. Turn when chicken is slightly blackened, about 15 minutes or so. Repeat on the other side for another 15 minutes.

3. Cover the pan with foil and place in a 400 degree oven. Cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

+++

This salad tastes great the day it's made....but it's almost better the next day as the flavours get real tight! If you've got some chopped almonds, I think they'd be a lovely addition to this flavourful salad.

brown rice curry salad
2 c brown rice, uncooked
4 T curry paste (I use Patak's "korma" paste)
1 T ground cumin
1 t sesame oil
1/3 c vegetable oil
1/3 c major grey or mango chutney
1/2 of a large onion, chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/2 c raisins
1 granny smith apple, diced
1 bunch of parsley, chopped fine

1. Cook rice according to package directions. When all the water is absorbed, pour rice into a large bowl.

2. In a small saucepan, heat vegetable oil with the curry paste until well mixed and add the onion. Cook until translucent. Add the cumin and sesame oil and mix well. Turn off heat and add the chutney, stirring until everything is combined. Add mixture to rice, mixing well. If you want more curry taste, cook up some more oil and curry and add it to the mix.

3. Add in all the finely chopped vegetables and the raisins and blend everything well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.

4. Stir in chopped apple and parsley and stir the salad once again to combine. Serve.

the squidgy bits

I like chicken well enough but I do get queasy around those squidgy bits that reside close to the bone. I could just buy the expensive skinless, boneless chicken breasts, but I'm too much of a skinflint to justify chicken breasts on a Wednesday night. Call me old fashioned, I don't mind. So when I'm buying, I go for the thighs. I peel off the skin, remove as much fat as I can and then find a recipe that imparts so much flavour that when it comes to the eatin', I can joyfully munch around all the bits that make me queasy. This recipe definitely has a tasty sauce with my favorite flavour combination of sweet and sour and it manages to put my mind to rest. Plus, it's super easy to whip up when watching a round of America's Next Top Model. And I can almost guarantee it that those models don't eat the squidgy bits either.

oven baked chicken in a sweet barbeque sauce
6 chicken thighs, skin & fat removed
1 small onion, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced into thin coins
1 small can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
2 T molasses
3 T apple cider vinegar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 c ketchup or spicy salsa

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place thighs close together in medium sized, high walled glass baking dish. Cover with onions and carrots.

2. In a medium sized bowl, mix the remaining ingredients and pour sauce over chicken. Bake chicken covered for 30 minutes or so and then uncover and cook for 1 hour.

3. Remove chicken from oven and spoon out the sauce into a small saucepan. Boil down sauce until it's been reduced by half and nice and thick. Pour over chicken and serve. This last step can be skipped if you find the sauce thickness to your liking.

Makes 3-4 servings.

carcass = awesome

After our Christmas dinner spent with Cornelius' family, C's mom kindly wrapped up the turkey carcass for me to take home. Am I the only one who finds free turkey carcasses thrilling? The next day, I set about to make some homemade stock. First, I pulled off any remaining turkey from the bird and set it aside for later. Then I plopped the carcass into a stock pot and covered it up with water. I threw in some fresh thyme, peppercorns, bay leaves, a large onion, carrots, celery, hot pepper flakes and salt and set the whole shebag to boil. I then turned it down to a simmer and enjoyed the pleasant smells that filled the entire apartment for the rest of the afternoon, making me feel hungry and drowsy all at once. I strained the broth and then packed it up into lidded bowls and refrigerated them over night.

The next day I set out to make Cornelius' favorite soup. I set the broth to boil and added some chopped onion and carrots and the remaining turkey meat. Then I opened a package of Manischewitz's matzo ball mix and followed the directions on the box. Maybe next time I'll try to make them from scratch as it really doesn't seem much more difficult than using a mix. Once they settled in the fridge for 15 minutes or so, I rolled them into balls and added them to the broth. Twenty minutes later, the balls had puffed up to fluffy gigantic deliciousness and we ate like kings.

off the cuff.

Today I took work off my plate and decided to concentrate on Christmas crafting. Inspired by last night's button-making party/ANTM watching at my friend Carley's house (I brought those mint chocolate cookies!), I decided to sew rickrack on my screenprinted tea towels and tie up everything in ribbon. I also had plans on making felt ornaments, but didn't get as far along as I had hoped. Before too long, it was time for dinner and I had 4 chicken thighs defrosted just waiting to be used. I wanted to make an African-style meal that had a bit of spice, a bit of sweetness and a bit of sour. I looked through my cookbooks and I spent a few runs through Google typing in various ingredients, but my search was fruitless. So I decided to tackle dinner on my own. The end results were fantastic and it was a perfect meal for a chilly evening.

I used a homemade spiced pear jam in the recipe, but you really could use anything you had handy; peach jam, mango chutney, honey, molasses would all do a fine job I'm sure! I also didn't have any onions. If I had one, I would have added one. Have fun & play!

my african-inspired chicken stew
½ c flour
salt & pepper
4 skinless chicken thighs
1 T olive oil
1 large can of tomatoes
water
1 T spicy onion soup base
½ head of garlic, chopped
1 large knob of ginger, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 carrot, sliced into rounds
1 c broccoli, chopped
1 t red chili flakes
3 T raisins
2 T spiced pear jam
1 ½ t ground cinnamon
salt & pepper
juice of ½ lemon

1. Mix salt, pepper and flour together in a plate. Dredge chicken thighs in the flour.

2. Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot. Add the chicken and brown on both sides.

3. Add the can of tomatoes into the pot and fill half the can with water and add that too. Add ginger, garlic, chili flakes salt, pepper, and onion soup base to the simmering pot and mix to combine. Simmer over medium heat.

4. Add celery, carrots, broccoli, mix to combine and cover for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add the jam, raisins, cinnamon and lemon juice and mix well. Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice into pot and mix well before serving.

6. Serve over rice or couscous.

warm up a little

It's dark and gloomy and the weather is always threatening rain, but this simple meal really hits the spot. This recipe originally comes from Martha Stewart's little magazine, Everday Food. I've made it several times and have played with the ingredient list so many times, that I think I've truely made it mine. You can increase the heat all you want (I usually do) and it's best served with a really good hunk of crusty buttered bread. A nice pumpkin ale (or ipa) would also be totally delicious and very seasonal.

chicken & bean chili

1 T olive oil
3 lbs ground chicken
2 onions, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
1/2 head of garlic, minced or chopped
2 medium fresh jalapeño chiles, minced
3 T chili powder
4 T unsweetened cocoa powder
4 t ground cumin
1 t ground chipotle powder
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes, broken with a spoon
3 T unsulfured molasses
salt & pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Heat olive oil in a heavy 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add ground chicken, stirring and breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Add onion, red and green peppers, garlic, and jalapeños; cook until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cocoa powder, and cumin; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes. Add molasses, salt, pepper and hot sauce if using; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, partially covered, 30 minutes. Add beans; continue cooking, uncovered, until meat and beans are very tender, and chili is thick, about 30 minutes more.