Harissa Chicken Kabobs

Harissa is a delicious North African hot sauce.  A spicy paste made of red chilis, garlic and warm spices including cumin and caraway. It has a zillion uses, add it to soups or stews, marinate meats, use it as a sandwich spread, infuse grains like rice or couscous or use it to make a great, quick pasta sauce.  Check out this Harissa Spaghettini recipe from 101 cookbooks, really delicious and innovative stuff.  Today's recipe for chicken kabobs uses Harissa as a base for a marinade.  The addition of more warm spices, garlic, olive oil and a hint of lime juice packs a ton of flavour and moisture into this chicken.  I serve the kabobs with Harissa spiked aioli for dipping and Israeli salad (which I'll tell you about before tomato season is over).

Harissa Chicken Kabobs
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes:  I make my own Harissa to avoid the small amounts of sugar that the store bought varieties usually contain.  I find the spices are more fragrant in the homemade variety which is a bonus, but seriously, buy yourself a jar/tube, save some time and you'll bump up the spices in the chicken marinade.  The recipe I use for homemade Harissa is here.

Ingredients:

3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
3 generous tablespoons Harissa
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup olive oil
skinless boneless chicken breasts (the marinade makes enough to coat 2-4 lbs of chicken)
Harissa Aioli for serving (see recipe below)

Prepare the marinade.  In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, lime juice, Harissa, spices and olive oil.

Cut the chicken breasts into cubes about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches in size.  Add cubed chicken to the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (the longer the better).

When you are ready to grill, thread chicken onto skewers.  Grill over high heat for 12-15 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.


Harissa Aioli
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use homemade olive oil mayo)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Harissa
salt

Combine mayo, lime juice, garlic and Harissa in a medium bowl, season with salt and whisk to combine.  Chill until ready to serve.

Roasted Chicken with Fennel & Lemon

Since I started this clean eating thing, this has been the meal I have made most often.  It's so easy to prepare and turns out beautifully every time.  Juicy chicken with crispy flavourful skin and sweet and tangy, caramelized fennel.  I turn to it when I am lacking inspiration or if I have a million things to do around the house.  I just throw the ingredients together on a baking sheet, toss it in the oven and I'm free of dinner woes. 

Roasted Chicken with Fennel & Lemon
Origin: Adapted from The Kitchn

Notes:  My favorite way to buy chicken is the "cut up chicken".  My butcher offers a whole chicken, skin on and bone in, cleaned up and cut into 8 pieces, breasts, thighs, legs and wings.  I love getting the variety of cuts (I love thighs and my husband loves wings) and it's more economical than buying just breasts.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin on, bone in (or 4 large chicken breasts)
1 large fennel bulb, or 2 small (with fronds)
1 large onion, or 2 small, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 lemons, 1 sliced and 1 zested and juiced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Trim the stalks and fronds off your fennel, save the fronds and chop them finely.  Cut the fennel bulb lengthwise into quarters and slice the core out of each quarter.  Slice each quarter into 1 inch strips.

Place chicken, fennel and onion on a baking sheet.  Slice one lemon into 1/4 inch rounds and add to the baking sheet, zest and juice the second lemon over the chicken and vegetables.  Add the minced garlic and chopped fennel fronds.  Drizzle the whole thing with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Toss everything with your hands and make sure the seasonings are distributed evenly. Place the chicken, skin side up, in the center of the baking sheet and arrange the fennel and onions around it.  Sprinkle the chicken with a little more salt and pepper.

Roast for 1 hour, rotating the baking sheet once during cooking.  If things are browning to quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees.  Remove from oven, tent the baking sheet with foil and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.  Serves 2-4.

Chipotle Steak with Brussels Sprout Slaw

This is a meal I have been wanting to recreate for a while now.  It's an attempt (a successful one!) at a fabulous dish I had at a favorite local restaurant, Allium, on one of their tapas nights.  The sadly small (but appropriate for tapas) portion size left me wanting more, I couldn't get this dish out of my head.  Robust, smoky chipotle flat iron steak with creamy chipotle aioli, accompannied by a light, grassy brussels sprout slaw.  It was great!  I did a very decent job with my copycat recipe.  I finally got my fill of this great dish!  Try it out...or visit Allium for the real thing!

Chipotle Flat Iron Steak

Origin: Inspired by Chef Arup Jana, Allium

Notes:  Allium used "flat iron steak" for this dish, my cut of beef was called an "inside blade steak", I believe both are from the shoulder, just cut slightly different.

Ingredients:

2 chipotle peppers, finely chopped (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)

1 teaspoon adobo sauce

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper
upto 2 lbs beef steak, flat iron or blade steak

Mix the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a glass baking dish or a resealable plastic bag large enough to hold your beef.  Add steaks and toss to coat, marinate for about an hour (or more if desired).

When you are ready to grill, remove steaks from marinade, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill.  This a tougher cut of meat so medium (even medium-rare) doneness is ideal.  Make sure to get a good sear on the meat but don't cook it too long.  We grilled it on high heat for about 4-5 minutes per side.

Chipotle Aioli
Origin: Inspired by Chef Arup Jana, Allium

Notes:  You can adjust the amount of chipotle pepper to control the heat to your liking.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I make my own olive oil based mayo)
1 chipotle pepper, finely chopped (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)
1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce
1 small clove garlic, minced
salt

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, chipotle, adobo sauce and garlic.  Season with salt.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Brussels Sprout Slaw
Origin: Inspired by Chef Arup Jana, Allium 

Notes:  This slaw is really good!  Forget everything you think you know about brussels sprouts.  The raw, shredded brussels sprouts are surprisingly mild with a nice crunch.

Ingredients:

brussels sprouts, about 5 cups shredded
1 green pepper, sliced as thin as possible
4 shallots, halved and sliced as thin as possible
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

To prepare the brussels sprouts, trim the end slightly and slice them in half lengthwise.  Starting at the top of the brussels sprout, thinly slice them, stopping when you get the the core/hard bits. 

In a large bowl combine the shredded brussels sprouts, sliced green pepper and shallots.  Drizzle with the vinegar and olive oil, season with a generous amount of salt and pepper and toss to combine.  Serve immediately or chill for an hour before serving.  Serves 4.

Kofta Burgers

This past weekend marked the unofficial start to summer in Canada with our Victoria Day long weekend.  The time has finally come for cottaging, gardening, boating and BBQs!  These burgers are outstanding and would be a hit at any summertime event.  Taking cues from my recent trip, I took one of my favorite Israeli meals, the kebab, and changed it up a bit to fit right in at a North American cottage or backyard party.  In Israel, Kofta kebabs are usually made of ground lamb or beef, mixed with spices and then formed into logs around skewers.  The kebabs are grilled over open coals and served with rice, pita and an assortment of small salads, sauces and pickled things.  These all beef Kofta Burgers are loaded with the same fresh flavours and lots of spice, they are juicy and delicious.  Served with tahini sauce and fresh, bright tasting salads, all stuffed into a pita, they are superb!

Kofta Burgers
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes:  These burgers are delish!  I have included recipes for some great accompaniments, but you could simplify things by serving them with pita bread and classic burger toppings like lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion.  BUT...the tahini sauce is an absolute must!!

Ingredients:

Burgers:
2 lbs ground beef (I use 1/2 lean and 1/2 medium ground beef)
1 large onion, roughly chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
l handful parsley, large stems removed
1 handful cilantro, large stems removed
4 tablespoons garam masala (a blend of spices, you can purchase it or make your own)

For Serving:
Tahini Sauce (recipe below)
Simple Spring Salad (recipe below)
Onion Pomegranate Salad (recipe below)
pita bread

In a food processor, pulse together the onion, garlic and herbs until finely chopped and combined.

In a large bowl combine the ground beef, onion/herb mixture, garam masala and a pinch of salt.  With your hands, mix everything together thoroughly.  Cover and chill the mixture for an hour or until ready to use.  Form the meat mixture into patties.  Indenting the middle of each patty with your thumb will help the burgers cook evenly and keep them from shrinking up into balls once they hit the grill.

Grill the patties to your liking.  We usually grill them over medium heat for about 7 minutes per side.  It depends on your grill, the thickness of the burgers and how well you like them cooked.

Serve the Kofta Burgers with pita bread, tahini sauce and salads. 

**The burger patties are great without the pita too, just serve with salad and tahini sauce for a paleo friendly meal.

Simple Spring Salad
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes:  The lemony greens and crunch of the radishes and cucumbers are great stuffed into a pita with the Kofta Burgers.

Ingredients:

6 cups crunchy baby greens, I used baby Red Leaf and Green Leaf lettuces (regular Romaine would be fine)
4-6 small Lebanese cucumbers, sliced into thin rounds (or use an English/seedless cucumber)
1 bunch radishes, sliced into thin rounds
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large bowl combine the lettuce, cucumbers and radishes.

Just before serving, add lemon juice, olive oil, some salt and A LOT of freshly ground pepper.  Toss and serve.

Tahini Sauce
Origin: Classic Middle Eastern Recipe, Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes:  This sauce is a must with the Kofta Burgers.

Ingredients:

1 cup pure tahini (ground sesame paste)
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small cloves garlic, minced
salt
3/4 cup warm water
a handful of fresh parsley, large stems removed (optional)


In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt (start with 1/4 teaspoon and add more to taste).  Pulse to combine.  Add the warm water and process until smooth (you can add more warm water as necessary to achieve desired consistency).  Add parsley and pulse to chop/combine. 

This can be made without a food processor.  Mix everything by hand (chop your parsley first).  But note that it may take a while to achieve a smooth consistency as the tahini and lemon juice will seize up.  The warm water will help loosen the mixture.

Onion & Pomegranate Salad
 Origin: Adapted from The Food of Israel, Sherry Ansky & Nelli Sheffer

Notes:  This salad takes these Kofta Burgers over the top!  It acts like a relish or a salsa, adding flavour, sweetness and crunch.  To de-seed your pomegranate, in a bowl of water, submerge chunks of the pomegranate and release seeds into water.  The seeds will sink and the white, pithy stuff will float, and your hands will stay clean!

Ingredients:
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup pomegranate seeds
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Place sliced onions in a strainer over a bowl and sprinkle them with about 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt.  Let stand for 1 hour, tossing occasionally.  The onions will release much of their bitterness as their juices drip into the bowl below.  Squeeze out any excess juice.  I usually give the onions a quick rinse to remove excess salt and then press them into the strainer to remove liquid.

In a medium bowl, combine the onions, herbs, pomegranate seeds, lemon juice and olive oil.  Toss gently, check for seasoning, adding salt if necessary.

Sesame Crusted Chicken

In a world that is trying to focus the attention away from meat, my Husband and I are headed in the opposite direction. The world is giving us "Meatless Mondays" and veggie options popping up everywhere and we are eating more meat than we have in our entire lives.  This has been a huge change for us as we have lived a mostly plant based diet for a long time, but we are certainly enjoying eating this way.  Our intention is to carry on with copious amounts of vegetables and fruits, fish and healthy fats as we always have...but the addition of healthy, responsibly raised meat to our diets has proven to be both delicious and nourishing and we are sticking with it.  We are nearing the finish line on the Whole 30 challenge.  Less than a week to go.  The healthy recipes will continue, but I can guarantee there will be bonuses like celebratory cocktails and birthday cakes.  This chicken recipe satisfies a craving for all things breaded and fried.  A great option for calming the beast within that is begging you for chicken fingers and fries.  It's a straightforward recipe with only 4 ingredients that you can whip up in less time than it takes to get to a drive through.

Sesame Crusted Chicken

Origin: Adapted from Gourmet

Notes:  Serve these simple chicken fingers with your favorite dipping sauce.   I served mine with spicy aioli, but plum sauce or a soy dipping sauce would also be great.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup sesame seeds, mixture of black and white

2 egg whites
salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

coconut oil for frying

Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into slices about a 1/2 inch thick.

Whisk together egg whites, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish until whites are loosened but not foamy.  Put sesame seeds in another shallow dish.  Dip chicken, a couple of pieces at a time, in egg whites, letting excess drip off, then dredge in sesame seeds. Transfer to a wax-paper-lined tray.

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.  Add chicken, reduce heat to medium and cook pieces of chicken, turning over once with tongs, until coating is golden and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate.  Do not crowd the pan, cook the chicken in small batches.  Remove any browned sesame seeds from skillet, before cooking remaining chicken.

Asian Salad with Salmon

I have been making this salmon salad for ages.  It was one of my first great successes cooking from the Everyday Food mag by Martha Stewart.  You may think that I have fallen off of the Whole 30 challenge wagon, with the sounds of this delicious offering.  I'm happy to report that I am 11 days into this thing and this dish happens to fit in comfortably with only 1 ingredient to reconsider...a smidgen of honey, which I replaced lickitty split.  I used a bit of pureed pineapple to fill the role of honey and it worked great.  All of the components in this salad play an important part, and the outcome is fantastic.  Crunchy vegetables, sweet fruit, and toasted almonds topped with chunks of the simplest salmon drizzled in a sweet, tart, sesame vinaigrette.

Asian Salad with Salmon
Origin: Adapted from Everyday Food, Martha Stewart

Notes:  You can substitute different types of fruits and nuts in this salad.  Try chunks of pineapple or mango or cashews in place of the almonds.  I have served this dish as a part both a lunch and brunch spread and I have made it countless times for dinner.  It is really simple and quick.

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets (about 8 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
4 tablespoons pineapple puree (or 2 tablespoons honey)
1 small head napa cabbage, shredded (about 6 cups)
1 small head red cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
2 large carrots, shredded
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia
1/2 cup sliced or chopped toasted almonds
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place salmon fillets on a rimmed baking sheet, rub with a 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Bake fish for 10-15 minutes, turn the broiler on for the last minute or two to brown the tops a bit.  (If your salmon has skin on it, bake it skin side down the entire time, once cooked, remove the salmon leaving the skin behind.  A layer of aluminum foil will make your clean up a lot easier.) The fish can be served warm or room temperature.

While the fish is cooking, in a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, and pineapple puree (or honey), season with salt and pepper. Set aside 2 tablespoons dressing.

To remaining dressing, add napa and red cabbage, carrots, onion, almonds and apricots and toss to coat.

Top the salad with chunks of salmon and drizzle remaining dressing over salmon.  Serves 4.

Spicy Grilled Chicken & Mango Slaw

Challenge!  My husband and I have been given a 30 day challenge to change our eating habits in a major way.  It's pretty drastic, so this blog is going to look a little different in the coming weeks (no more of these or these for a while).  Based on the paleolithic diet, this 30 day plan focuses on clean eating.  It strips away processed foods and aims to reset your digestion and metabolism, curb cravings and promote strength and well being.  It brings us back to caveman times and encourages us to eat from the land.  Meat, fish, healthy fats (like those found in avocados or olive oil), vegetables, fruits and nuts.  Yep, that's it.  Cavemen didn't have the tools to process milk products or grains - so they're out.  If you read between the lines, you might have gathered that my vegetarian Hubby has made a huge change in his diet by taking on this challenge, adding meat and taking out all of his vegetarian staples.  No processed foods or beans means no soy products, which means no fake hot dogs and hamburgers!  The idea of eating meat has been marinating (sorry) inside him for a while now.  This challenge and the promise of feeling great and getting stronger was motivation enough for him to take the plunge after more than 10 years meat free.  This way of eating is meant to accompany a very active lifestyle, there is a large focus on protein of the highest quality to encourage strength building.

So here we go.  No dairy, no legumes, no beans, no grains, no sugar.  But have no fear.  I will not compromise the quality of the recipes I am offering you.  I have spent the last week researching and experimenting and I hope to bring you recipes that are healthy and full of satisfying flavours.  Stuff you would want to make regardless of what it's missing.

Although some of the recipes featured on this blog could be easily modified, looking back through my archives I found only one solitary recipe that fit the bill as is...a side dish, not even a complete meal.  The winner?  Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce.  I obviously have work to do!  If you'd like to check out the challenge, here is the info.

Without further ado, on to the recipes.  I'm off to an easy start.  I had no problem scarfing down these great dishes.  The mango slaw is probably my favorite mango salad ever, and I have had my share of 'em.  There is no soy or fish sauce (which contains sugar!) only tart lime juice and vinegar, balanced by a touch of oil, salt and spicy red pepper flakes.  I love the addition of mint in lieu of cilantro and cashews instead of peanuts...which works perfectly because peanuts are not on the menu as there are considered a legume and not a nut.  The chicken is a super versatile, easy dish that you can turn to anytime.  It can be grilled or roasted in the oven and you can use any part of the bird that you fancy.  Made with simple things that I always have on hand.  It hits all the right notes and is pure juicy goodness.

Spicy Grilled Chicken
Origin: adapted slightly from NY Times, Suvir Saran

Notes:  I have made this several times using just thighs or a mixture of thighs and breasts.  I have roasted it in the oven and grilled it on the BBQ, it always turns out great.  Its not too spicy and it's an easy recipe that will please whomever you are feeding.


Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs (or 4 thighs and 2 breasts), with skin, pierced all over with a small knife
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger root, grated or minced
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Juice and zest of 1 whole lemon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander seeds or ground coriander

Place all of the ingredients in a resealable plastic bag and toss, squish, rub or smoosh everything around to coat thoroughly.  Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 24 hours.

Preheat your grill on high, (or preheat oven to 400 degrees).   If grilling, turn down grill to about medium and grill skin side down first, for about 25 minutes, turning once.  If roasting, put chicken, skin side up, in a roasting pan. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until done and the juices run clear.

Mango Slaw with Cashews & Mint
Origin: Smitten Kitchen

Notes:  This recipe is easily halved but I use the full 1/4 cup of mint and cashews because I'm baaaad!  A slightly firm, but ripe mango is best for this salad.  Deb at Smitten Kitchen has an amazing Thai-Style Chicken Legs recipe that goes perfectly with this slaw, but for the 30 day challenge, the spicy chicken recipe above does the trick.

Ingredients:  
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and julienned
1 to pound Napa cabbage, halved and sliced very thinly (savoy works too, sliced as thin as possible)
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, from about two limes
1/4 cup rice vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar during my 30 day challenge)
2 tablespoons oil of your choice (I used grapeseed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (or omit this and whisk in a chile paste to taste)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped

Grilled Vegetables with Walnut & White Bean Puree

I don't know what drew me to this recipe in the first place.  It's not the most inspiring sounding thing, and it's not that pretty (really hard to get a flattering picture).  But it called out to me and I tried it.  Instantly it became one of my favorite meals.  I could eat solely this for dinner (and did last night), and then eat it for lunch the next day (got it in tow), and the day after that (looking forward to it).  It is really satisfying and wholesome.  The grilled vegetables are doused in a garlicky balsamic dressing and then tossed with fresh mint.  Enjoyed with the creamy, nutty, albeit ugly puree, it's a real sensation with me.

Grilled Vegetables with Walnut & White Bean Puree

Origin: Adapted slightly from StoneSoup

Notes: During the long winter months I use a grill pan to grill the vegetables.  It is so easy, especially for the onions as nothing falls through the grill.  I grill the peppers first, then grill the onions, then the zucchini and add each vegetable to the dressing as they are cooked.

Ingredients:

Grilled Vegetables

4 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 4 strips
2 red peppers (or yellow/orange), deseeded and sliced into wide strips
2 red onions, sliced into 3/4 inch rounds (or half moons)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped

Walnut & White Bean Puree

200g walnuts (I use about 2 cups)
1 400g can cannellini beans (or white kidney beans), drained and rinsed (I use a 19oz can)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons water, or to taste

pita bread for serving (optional)

To make the vegetables, preheat a BBQ or grill pan. Toss the vegetables with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. BBQ vegetables over a high heat until each is cooked to your liking. 

Meanwhile, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, garlic and extra virgin olive oil in a large bowl and season with a little salt and pepper.  As each vegetable is cooked add it to the dressing bowl. When all vegetables are cooked, toss gently and allow to stand for a few minutes to soak up the dressing. Toss through the mint leaves.

To make the Walnut & White Bean Puree, process the walnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add remaining ingredients except water and continue to whiz until you have a smooth paste. Gradually add water until the puree is smooth and the consistency is to your liking. Season well with salt and pepper.

Serve the grilled vegetables with dollops of the puree and serve with some pita bread (if using).  Serves 4.

Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs in Lettuce Wraps

 These tasty little nuggets are from a cookbook called Small Bites, a book devoted to appetizers and small plates for parties.  These meatballs would make a fabulous addition to a party smorgasbord, but I usually whip these up when I want something healthy but exciting for lunch or dinner.  Flavourful chicken meatballs with crunchy, fresh vegetables and herbs, packaged up in a crispy lettuce wrap.  The meatballs are rolled in sugar (just a bit) before baking and they develop a sticky coating which balances beautifully with the pungent meatball seasonings.  These would be a great healthy option for guests, low in fat and calories, gluten free, and low in carbs!

Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs in Lettuce Wraps
Origin: Food and Wine, Jennifer Joyce

Notes:  Don't be afraid of fish sauce!  It is a standard ingredient used in tons of foods from Southeast Asia.  You've probably eaten it and enjoyed it without knowing!  It imparts a deep, salty flavour when used sparingly. 

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground lean chicken (you can grind your own chicken thighs/breasts in a food processor)
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (I used a little less - 2 tablespoons)
3 small shallots, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk of fresh lemongrass, tender white inner bulb only, minced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus 1/3 cup leaves for serving
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint, plus 1/3 cup leaves for serving
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 head Boston or red leaf lettuce, leaves separated
1/2 seedless/English cucumber, cut into matchsticks
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
Asian chili sauce, for serving (I use sweet chili sauce)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the ground chicken, fish sauce, shallot, garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, mint, cornstarch and salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Mix with your hands just until combined (over mixing with result in tough meatballs).
You can add a little flour or breadcrumbs to your mixture if it seems too wet to roll into balls, or try chilling the mixture for 30 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place sugar on a plate.   Roll the chicken mixture in to balls about the size of a ping pong ball.  Roll the meatballs in the sugar to coat lightly.  Transfer to baking sheet.  Bake the meatballs for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through.  You can broil them for the last few minutes to brown the tops.

Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter and fill each one with a little cucumber, red onion, cilantro, mint and a meatball.  Drizzle with chili sauce, roll up and enjoy.

Makes about 15 meatballs.

Nas & Jay-Z Chili

Huh?  But that's really its name.  Growing up, my mother made chili often and it was excellent.  We would feast on chili and tortilla chips with super hot, green sauce.  I watched my Dad's blissful face as he wiped the sweat off his brow with his napkin.  I tried for years to find a vegetable chili for my Hubby and I that could measure upto my Mom's beefy version.  When I finally perfected my veggie chili, I couldn't just call it "vegetarian chili", it was, is better than that.  So I asked my Hubby for a name suggestion.  He has a way with words and a knack for names.  He loves word play, which drives his fondness for rap music.  Really, it's more than just fondness.  He loves it.  He can always decipher rap lyrics and he appreciates the way they use their words, he finds it intellectually stimulating, like poetry.  So after 45 seconds of silence, he answered confidently, "Nas and Jay-Z chili".  I scrunched up my face, expecting something more like "fire engine chili" or "fiesta fixins".  Silence.  Then he followed up with "Cuz Nas and Jay-Z used to have beef...and now they don't".  Obviously.  The name stuck, and this chili is da bomb.  It's full bodied and meaty tasting, and it's really good for you too.  I got 99 problems but dinner aint' one.

Nas & Jay-Z Chili
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes:  The ingredient list is hefty.  I usually have all of these items on hand so it's never a big deal for me.  Every ingredient plays a role.  The small red lentils dissolve and provide a thick consistency, and the larger green lentils provide a meaty texture.  The veggies, beer, stock and spices add tons of flavour, and don't skip the garnish.  It's not as much work as it seems.  Once you get the veggies chopped and sauteed, you just dump everything else in and simmer.   I've divided the ingredient list into sections to show the sequence in which you add like ingredients to the pot.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut oil

1 red pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 very large onion, chopped

4 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, finely chopped 

1 19 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 oz can beans in tomato sauce (like Heinz)
1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and checked for stones
1 cup dried green lentils, rinsed and checked for stones
1/3 cup tomato paste

1 bottle of beer
1 bottle of tomato puree (or a 28 oz can crushed tomatoes)
1 litre of vegetable stock

4-5 tablespoons chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)

Garnish 
sour cream
green onions, finely sliced
avocado, chopped 
fresh lime juice

Chop all your vegetables and prep your garlic and chipotle.  Heat the coconut oil in a dutch oven or a large pot, over medium heat.  Add the vegetables (red pepper through onion) and stir to coat with oil.  Saute for 5-7 minutes until the onion is translucent and veggies are soft.  Add the garlic and chipotle, stir and saute for 2 minutes more.

While the veggies are cooking, open all of you cans/bottles.  Rinse the kidney beans and lentils.  Measure your tomato paste and spices. 

When the veggies are ready, add to the pot, the beans, lentils and tomato paste and then the beer, tomato and stock.  Give everything a stir and then add the spices (chili powder through black pepper).  Stir thoroughly.  Bring to a boil and simmer partially covered for about 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender.  Add the corn, stir and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.  Season with additional salt and pepper if neccessary.

Garnish with sour cream, green onions, avocado and a squeeze of lime juice.

Makes lots.  It's even better the next day.  Freezes perfectly.

Cabbage & Poppy Seed Noodles with Sour Cream

It is officially comfort food season.  It is ridiculously cold around here.  The sun is shining, and it deceivingly calls you outside for a ice skate or a cross country ski session.  But the minute you step outside, your breath is taken away and any exposed skin has 10 minutes before it burns, dries up and falls off.  Oh, sorry, not very appetizing for a food blog eh?  This morning we shattered a 41 year old weather record, isn't that great for us!?  It is currently -25°C (-13°F) and Environment Canada has issued a cold weather warning urging people to stay indoors.  I would have loved to throw in the towel this morning when my car didn't start, and just hover over a hot stove at home all day.  Boo hoo.  On days like this, your body needs nourishing, hot food.  Stick to your ribs, starchy, simple, and may I stress, HOT food.  This dish is inspired by my Hungarian Grandmother's dish called "kaposztas teszta", a savoury/sweet mixture of cabbage and noodles. It has a simple taste that is so satisfying and comforting.  I added poppy seeds and a sour cream garnish to this classic Hungarian dish. 

Cabbage & Poppy Seed Noodles with Sour Cream

Origin: Hungarian Classic, Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes:  Egg noodles are a must for this dish.  My grandmother buys these 1 1/2 inch square flat noodles at a European deli which are awesome.  I usually buy artisan dried papardelle and break them into pieces.  You are looking for a broad flat egg noodle.  The most common brand around here is "Lancia". 

Ingredients:

250g (1 package) flat, broad egg noodles

1 small green cabbage, (or 1/2 large, about 8 cups chopped)

1 very large onion (about 2 cups chopped)

1/4 vegetable oil (sunflower, safflower, coconut etc.)

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

sour cream for serving

Cut the cabbage into quarters, cut out the core and slice into thin ribbons (no more than 1/4 inch thick).  Cut onion(s) in half and slice into thin half moons.  Everything should be about the same size, thin strips of onion and cabbage.

Heat the oil in a very large skillet over medium high heat (you could probably use a dutch oven or a big soup pot too).  Add the onions and cabbage, toss to coat everything with the oil.  Cook for about 10 minutes, until everything is glossy and starting to shrink down a bit.  Add the poppy seeds, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.  You may need to add a little more oil as you cook if it seems dry.  Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes more, stirring the cabbage mixture frequently, scraping the browned cabbage from the bottom of the pan and mixing thoroughly.  The whole mixture will caramelize and cook down significantly. 

While the cabbage cooks, boil the noodles according to package directions, making sure your water is well salted.  Drain the noodles but reserve about a cup of the cooking liquid.

When the cabbage is all browned and cooked.  Add the noodles to the skillet and toss thoroughly.  Add a little cooking liquid to the skillet to help loosen up the cabbage and distribute it evenly.  Cook just until the noodles are hot.  I like to time my pasta to cook when the cabbage is just finishing up.  I transfer the noodles with a slotted spoon directly to my skillet, taking some pasta water with them.  Then I toss it all, and serve immediately

Add more salt and pepper if desired.  Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream.  Serves 4.

Sweet Potato Falafel and a Green Salad

This is my kind of cooking.  We eat mostly vegetarian at home so I am always in search of hearty vegetarian recipes, meals that come together into something greater than the sum of their veggie parts.  Now, it`s not really falafel, having eaten incredible falafel in Jerusalem, and fine specimens in many European countries where they take their falafel very seriously, I should tell you, this recipe is something different.  This sweet potato based falafel is served with chopped tomatoes and pickles, a garlicky sauce and fresh pita bread for scooping it all up.  The sweet potato mixture is baked, so it doesn't have the crunchy falafel crust but it is still very satisfying.  The cumin, garlic and cilantro is there, and the use of chickpea flour to bind it all together, makes it legit.  I originally saw this recipe on the 101 Cookbooks website.  After tasting this peculiar but delicious dish, I was hooked and have been making it regularly ever since.  I immediately ordered the Leon cookbook, where the recipe originally came from.  As I said, this is my kind of cooking and I needed more of it.  The book comes from a chain of restaurants in the UK, called Leon.  They serve healthy, fast, flavourful food, as stated in their clever motto, "food should taste good and do you good".  The book delivers many satisfying, wholesome recipes and lots of food information, all wrapped up in a pretty package with lots of style, gorgeous photos and thick matte pages.

 

Sweet Potato Falafel

Origin: Leon, (via 101 Cookbooks)

Notes:  Leon serves this dish with a garlic mayo sauce called Aioli.  It is an absolute must with this falafel.  Here is a recipe to make your own from scratch, or you can simply mix a small, minced garlic clove with 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, a little salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  Mmmmm.

Ingredients:

2-3 sweet potatoes, about 1 1/2 lbs total
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 small cloves of garlic, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 big handfuls of fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
a scant cup (120g) chickpea flour (gram flour)
a splash of olive oil
a sprinkling of sesame seeds
salt and pepper
 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

 

Roast the sweet potatoes whole (in tin foil or on a baking sheet) until just tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off the oven, cool the sweet potatoes, then peel.

Put the sweet potatoes, cumin, garlic, ground coriander, cilantro, lemon juice and chickpea flour into a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper, and mash until smooth with no large chunks. Chill the mixture in the fridge for an hour to firm up (or the freezer for 20-30 minutes). After chilling, the sweet potato mix should be sticky but not wet, you can add a tablespoon or so more of chickpea flour if necessary.

Reheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Scoop the falafel using 2 tablspoons, put a rounded spoonful of mix in one spoon and use the other spoon to shape the balls, scraping the mixture off of one spoon onto the other until a "quenelle" or an oval shape forms.  Transfer them to an oiled tray. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, until the bases are golden brown.

Makes about a dozen. Serve with chopped tomatoes and pickles, pita bread and Aioli (see notes above). Serves 2-4 people.

Paula's Favorite Green Salad
Origin: Oprah

Notes:  I've been making this green salad for a few years now.  I don't really remember who Paula was or why I tried her favorite salad.  But I did, and it works.  I love the simplicity of it, and it pairs well with anything when you need to add a little green to your meal.

Ingredients:

Dressing
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
8 ounces mixed baby greens
1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs, such as chervil, mint, basil, parsley, dill, cilantro or tarragon leaves (I used a mix of parsley and cilantro this time to compliment the falafel)
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced

In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, mustard and vinegar, season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil until blended. Add greens, herbs and scallions to the bowl and toss just before serving.  Top with avocado slices and serve.