Chicken a la Catalana

Catalunya is one of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions – comunidades autonomas – and its cuisine is arguably the richest in all of Spain, possibly because of its proximity to France. Its location has helped bring many cultural influences from Romans and Arabs in ancient times, as well as from French and Italians in more recent times. It relies heavily on ingredients popular along the Mediterranean coast, including tomatoes, garlic, fresh herbs, olive oil (prepared using the variety of olive called the “arbequina“), legumes (beans, chickpeas), mushrooms, onions, cod, wheat products (bread, pasta), almonds, wines, all sorts of cheese, poultry, lamb, and many types of fish like sardine, anchovy, tuna, and cod. Catalan is the regional language spoken and Barcelona is its capital.

At a bar mitzvah, recently, I run into a childhood friend from Uruguay, Susana R., and she just emailed me her favorite chicken recipe, including the accompanying photo:

Pollo a la Catalana

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup flaked almonds
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 8 chicken thighs, deboned, skinned, cubed
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3/4 dry red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock *
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat a bit of the oil in a large frying pan, add the almonds and fry, stirring a few minutes, until golden. Scoop out of the pan and set aside.
2. Add the remaining oil to the pan, add the onions, chicken and garlic and fry over medium heat for 10 minutes stirring constantly until deep golden. Mix in the raisins, sherry, chicken stock, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced slightly and the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with rice and salad.

* Chicken Stock

Yield: 16 cups

Ingredients

• 1 small bunch (about 1/2 oz) Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 pound hen, cleaned and cut into four pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 large carrot
• 4 bay leaves
• 12 black peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place the celery and peppercorns on a piece of cheesecloth, then using kitchen string, tie the ends of the cheesecloth together to make a bag.
2. Place 16 cups water in a large pot. Add all other ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 4 hours, skimming the surface occasionally to catch and discard the residue and foam. Add extra water to the broth, making sure the original level of broth is maintained throughout.
4. Drain the stock through a strainer discarding the vegetables and reserving the flesh for further use in other recipes.

The chicken stock can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen up to 30 days.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Chicken Potato Marinara

[As I scoured the web to find delicious and hearty dishes to try, I came across a blog called Craving Haven. Though not a kosher blog – by any means – it has some really nice recipes that can be adapted or left as they are, therefore I will definitely be back again and again. Meanwhile, below is a recipe, I made last evening. CS]

Detail of photo from: http://cravinghaven.blogspot.com/2012/12/chicken-potato-marinara.html

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken drumstick
• 4 pcs large red potatoes, quartered and peeled (optional)
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1 cup homemade marinara sauce *
• salt and pepper
• bay seasoning
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup water

Directions

1. In a preheated skillet, pour oil, then add garlic, onion. Cook until garlic is browned and onions, transparent. Add the chicken, cook covered until chicken are cooked. Season with bay seasoning. Cook for 2 minutes more.
2. Add water, bring to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until fork tender.
3. Add the marinara sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the green peas. Cook for 10 minutes more or until the chicken are cooked through.

—OXO-–-OXO-–-OXO—

* Meaty Marinara Sauce

Detail of photo from: http://cravinghaven.blogspot.com/2012/12/meaty-marinara-sauce.html

Ingredients

• 2 pcs yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground turkey (You may omit the ground turkey if you prefer just the sauce)
• 2 tbsp dried herbs (or Italian seasoning)
• 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
• 12 cups fresh roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and quartered
• salt and pepper
• old bay seasoning

You may omit the ground turkey if you prefer a parve sauce

Directions

1. Heat olive oil. Add onions and cook slowly until they caramelize. Add garlic and dried herbs. Cook for 5 minutes.
2. De-glaze the pan with 1/2 of the red wine and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and their juice, stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook low, stirring occasionally for at least two hours, depending on the water content of the tomatoes.
3. The sauce should be thick with much of the water evaporated to concentrate the flavor. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. In a separate skillet, heat remaining oil, add and cook the ground turkey, and cook until brown. Season with salt and pepper and 1/2 tsp of old bay. Cook thoroughly. Mix with marinara sauce and simmer low for an hour. Serve together with your favorite pasta or meat.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Grilled Chicken Breast and Apple Rings with Maple Syrup Marinade

As we scoured cookbooks and the web for some great grilling recipes for the 4th of July, this one – from Prime Time – The Lobel’s Guide to Grilled Meat by Evan, Leon, Stanley and Mark Lobel – called our attention. It promises to be different and delicious, therefore we felt compelled to adapt it for the kosher cook:

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in chicken breast halves
• 1 1/2 cups maple syrup marinade *
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 3 large firm apples, such as Cortland or Granny Smith, cored, peeled and cut into 1″ thick rings
• Canola oil for brushing

Directions

1. Put the chicken breasts in a shallow glass or ceramic dish. Pour 1 1/2 cups maple syrup marinadeover the chicken, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and as long as 24 hours. Refrigerate the remaining 1/4 cup of marinade.
2. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. Lightly spray the grill rack with vegetable oil cooking spray. The coals should be moderately hot.
3. Put the apple rings on a plate or baking sheet and brush on both sides with the remaining 1/4 cup marinade. Set aside at room temperature to marinade while grilling the chicken.
4. Lift the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Grill the chicken breasts skin side down, for 25 to 30 minutes, turning with tongs frequently and brushing several times with any remaining marinade during the first 10 minutes of cooking. During the last 10 minutes of grilling, place the apple rings on the outer edge of the grill. Brush with some oil and grill for about 5 minutes. Turn, brush with some more oil and grill for about 5 minutes longer, or until lightly browned on both sides and tender.
5. The chicken is done when the juices run clear when the thickest sections are pierced with a fork, or when an instant-read thermometer (don’t touch the bone) inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 170 F. Serve immediately with the apple slices.

* Maple Syrup Marinade

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Real maple syrup gives this fruity marinade just the right sweetness it needs to enhance chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 cup beer
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons prepared commercial horseradish
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce

Directions

Whisk together all the ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl until blended. Adjust the seasoning with pepper. Use according to the recipe, or cover and refrigerate for as long as 2 days.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Spicy Aromatic Chicken

Some dishes not only taste great, not only smell great, they are also easy to prepare. What could be better than combine all three for a summer meal when you want to stay away from the kitchen heat as much as possible?

I found the following recipe in The Big Book of One Pot:

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4-8 chicken pieces skinned
• 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, coarsley chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 14 ounces canned chopped tomatoes in juice
• pinch of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon  ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 14 ounces canned artichoke hearts, drained
• 8 black olives, pitted
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Rub the chicken pieces with the lemon. Heat the oil in a large, flameproof casserole or lidded skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 5-10 minutes until browned on all sides.
2. Pour in the wine and add the tomatoes with their juice, along with the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the the casserole and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the chicken is tender.
3. Meanwhile,cut the artichoke hearts in half. Add the artichokes and the olives to the casserole about 10 minutes before the end of cooking, and continue to simmer until heated through. Serve hot.

Your kitchen will be filled with an inviting aroma, your palate will enjoy it. What more could you ask?

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Passover The Healthy Way

The author of Passover The Healthy Way is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She provides Medical Nutrition Therapy for weight management, diabetes and other medical conditions to both adults and children. With such experience one would expect Bonnie R. Giller‘s cookbook to be filled with succulent and nutritious dishes. You know something? If that’s what you expect you will certainly love this cookbook!

It has gebrochs and non-gebrochs recipes (though the gebrochs outnumber the non-gebrochs). The featured dishes are divided into eight categories:

• Soups and Other Meats
• Fish
• Vegetables
• Side Dishes
• Kugels
• Dairy Dishes
• Desserts & Baked Goods

It includes 5 Appendixes:

• Measurement Equivalents
• Tips for Sodium Reuction
• Cooking and Baking
• Substitutions
• Food Labeling Terms

Mrs. Giller has graciously allowed us to share one of her poultry recipes:

Photo by the cookbook author: Bonnie R. Giller

Matzo Stuffed Chicken Cutlets

(Gebrochs) – Serves 10

10 (5 oz.) boneless chicken breasts

Stuffing:

1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
5 whole matzo boards finely broken
1/2 cup medium dry Concord wine
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 egg white
1/2 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. pepper

Sauce:

1/3 cup low fat mayonnaise
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp honey

1. Suate onion in olive oil until tender, but not browned.
2. Add broken matzohs and toast lightly.
3. Cmbine wine, egg white, seasonings, and chicken broth to matzoh mixture.
4. Mix well until matzoh is soft and mixture is heated through.
5. 5. Take 1/4 cup of stuffing, place in the middle of each chicken cutlet and roll. Secure with toothpick, if needed.
6. Combine mayonnaise, ketchup and honey in a bowl. Mix well. Spread on top of chicken cutlet rolls.
7. Bake at 350 F. for 30 to 40 minutes.

Serving size: 1 (4 0z.) stuffed chicken cutlet
Exchanges per Serving: 4 Meat, 1 Starch, 1/2 Fat

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 266                                                                                                 Cholesterol: 83 mg
Total Fat: 4.5 gm                                                                                                 Protein: 36 gm
Saturated Fat: 1 gm                                                                               Carbohydrate: 17 mg
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5 gm                                                                 Dietary Fiber: 2 gm
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5 gm                                                                     Sodium: 198 mg

You may order this book at: www.passoverthehealthyway.com.Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Kosher Revolution

It looks too traif to be true, but Geila Hocherman and co-author Arthur Boehm have really pulled it off with their new cookbook Kosher Revolution. Inside you’ll find the most exciting new recipes adapted from the finest in worldwide haute cusine, photographed by the extraordinary Antonis Achilleous.  Geila and her genius ability to exchange un-kosher ingredients with kosher ones while still fundamentally maintaining  the look,  texture and – never to be confirmed – taste, of its original counterparts are more than praiseworthy, yet the outstanding photography  makes your mouth water with possibility.

Delicious recipes, superb photography

Geila’s gifts, mastery of taste chemistry and ingenious ingredient substitution, broaden the breadth and spectrum of cooking kosher. Her very elegant presentation is more than worthy of a cordon bleu Chef.  Anthonis Achilleous‘ extraordinary talent for lighting, color, texture and capturing the most tantalizing angles of his composition, clearly illustrate that he is at the top of his art form among the best food photographers out there. Geila’s not a snooty chef either, if there is a way to save time or make a recipe user friendly, she does so.You’ll find her palate of adaptable ingredients refreshing and versatile as she looks to give an expansive kick in the pants to the sometimes mundane nearsightedness of traditional Jewish cooking.

Duck Prosciutto (page 24), Grilled Figs With Balsamic Gastrique (page 26)

“Duck Prosciutto

serves 4

When people challenge me to “make trayf safe,” they usually mention ham. This breakthrough recipe began with that dare—and my realization that what makes ham taste like itself has less to do with the meat than its cure. My quest for kosher prosciutto—nothing less!—led me first to smoked turkey leg, which is hammy all right, but hardly like the Italian specialty. I went to work, and, happily, scored a triple bull’s-eye by giving duck breast a really easy salt cure—just fifteen minutes of prep followed by a “set-it-and-forget-it” refrigerator stay. The resulting “prosciutto” is so much like the real thing, but with a special character all its own, you’ll be amazed. I pair this with grilled figs (page 26), a traditional prosciutto accompaniment, but that’s just the beginning. Try it wrapped around asparagus spears or, diced and sautéed, as a salad garnish.

Geila’s Tips

To achieve paper-thin slices, I use an inexpensive electric slicer, a great kitchen investment. The very ends of the cured breast over-dry. Save them to put in soup. If you can’t find the Moulard breast, place two regular breasts together and cure as one.

• One 6- or 8-ounce package of muscovy duck breast
• 4 cups kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground fennel
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup white wine vinegar

1. Over a burner flame, singe away any remaining pinfeathers from the breast. Rinse the breast and dry it with paper towels.
2. On a dish just large enough to hold the breast, make a 1-inch bed of the salt. Place the breast on the salt and cover it with another inch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
3. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, fennel, and pepper. Holding the breast over the sink, rinse it with the vinegar (to remove the salt), and then under cold running water. Dry the breast and rub it all over with the spice mixture. Wrap the breast in cheesecloth and knot it at both ends. Using sturdy household tape (duct tape works well), attach one end of the cheesecloth to the top of the refrigerator interior, or hang the breast from a high refrigerator shelf, and let it cure until the breast feels firm but not dry, about 2 weeks. Start checking after a week. Thinner or smaller breasts will take less time.
4. Using an electric slicer or a sharp carving knife, slice the breast paper thin or as thinly as possible. Place 3 melon slices on serving plates, drape with the prosciutto, and serve.”

Especially now around holiday time, go grab your own Kosher Revolution, hit the supermarket for some of the recommended stock items for your pantry and start putting some magic into your dishes.  Once you get the hang of the revolutionary ingredient exchanges, Geila so deliciously demonstrates, nothing will prevent your launching your own kosher revolution.

SYR

Chicken Tajine

This recipe is a delicious meal all by itself and it’s made in one pot, there is less cleaning and it’s an easier dinner to prepare. What could be more satisfying than the delicious aromas of healthy cooking wafting through the kitchen, especially when it’s all done with little effort? There are many versions of this dish; last eve some Moroccan friends, visiting from Israel, came over and this is the variation I made.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil.
• 1 onion, cut into small wedges
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 lb chicken cutlets
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 8 oz zucchini, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, chopped
• 3 oz portobello mushrooms, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (see CS’ Chicken Broth)
• 10 oz chickpeas
• 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/3 cup prunes, chopped
• 1/2 cup dates, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onion and garlic and cook for three minutes, stir frequently.
2. Add the chicken and cook, stirring constantly, for an additional 5 minutes. until all sides are seared.
3. Add the cumin and the cinnamon sticks after the first 2 1/2 minutes.
4. Sprinkle in the flour, stir constantly, for another 2 minutes.
5. Add the zucchini, the bell peeper and mushrooms. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Blend the tomato paste with the chicken broth, stir into pan, bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat and add the chickpeas, apricots, prunes, and dates. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is tender.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Garnish  with chopped cilantro or parsley (I used cilantro) and serve immediately.

We paired it with with a Willm Gewurztraminer 2008. With fresh flowers and citrus on the nose, flavors of pineapple, honeydew, lychee and apple with lots of honey on the finish. This is a dry white but with a subtle hint of sweetness on the tongue, elegant rather than big and bold,  it is clean, refreshing and with just enough acidity to accentuate the sweetness of the dish. A marriage made in heaven!

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy! We did.

CS

Bourbon Chicken

[Bourbon Chicken is a flavorful chicken dish named for the bourbon whiskey ingredient. The dish is commonly found at Cajun, Chinese, and American BBQ themed restaurants. The various recipes includes soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and bourbon in the base, and the chicken is marinated in this sauce.]

Yesterday we cooked with red wine, today we’ll use bourbon. This is a superb chicken recipe from Food.com!

Photo from Food.com, by: Caroline Cooks

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 4 chicken breasts, chopped into chunks
• 1 red pepper, sliced thinly (about 200g)
• 1 carrot, cut into sticks
• 0.55 lbs. broccoli florets
• 2 green onions, sliced thinly
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (add to your personal taste.)
• 1/3 cup apple juice (just over a 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup bourbon (when I use bourbon for cooking, just as when I use wine, I prefer a quality bourbon, something I would normally like to drink, like Blanton’s or Maker’s Mark)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornflour

Directions

1. Heat a little oil in a pan, cook chicken in batches, until browned all over, set chicken to one side.
2. Heat a little more oil in the same pan, add pepper, garlic and ginger, cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring.
3. Add red pepper flakes, juice, bourbon, water, soy, sugar, ketchup and vinegar, stir to combine, bring to the boil.
4. Return chicken to pan with carrot and broccoli, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 Min’s.
5. Mix a little water with the cornflour, add to sauce and stir until mixture thickens.
6. Serve over rive and sprinkle with green onions.

Yields 4 servings; Prep time – 10 minutes; Total time – 35 minutes

Coq Au Vin

I always liked cooking with wine, there is a certain elegant French flair that wine lends to whatever is made with it. In our quest to find delicious recipes, we came across what promised to be a very savory one on my recipes and it inspired us to make a kosher version:

Quick Coq au Vin

Photo from: myrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast or thigh
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 cups quartered baby portobello mushrooms
• 2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) quarter sliced carrot
• 1/2 cup (1/4-inch-thick) quarter sliced celery
• 1/3 cup pastrami slices
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup chicken broth *
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Directions

1. Combine flour, rosemary, thyme, and salt in a zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal and shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess flour.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 8 minutes or until browned, turning frequently. Remove chicken from pan.
3. Add mushrooms, carrot, celery and pastrami to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in wine, broth, and tomato paste; cook 9 minutes. Return chicken to pan; cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done.

Since I only use regular wine rather than “cooking” wine (why impact on the taste of a great recipe with wine you so bad you would’t drink it?!?!?), considering I have just enough left over, I’ll be using a very good Tishbi Cabernet Sauvignon 2006.

*(CS’ Chicken Broth

Yields about 6 cups

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 pounds chicken pieces with bones
• 1 large carrot, cut into chunks
• 2 medium sized onions, quartered
• 2 celery ribs with leaves, cut into chunks
  
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon crushed, dried rosemary, 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 quarts cold water

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in a soup pot. Bring to a boil slowly, then  reduce heat.  Skim foam. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours.
2. Set chicken aside until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones. Discard bones; save meat for later uses. Strain broth, discard vegetables and seasonings. Refrigerate overnight. Skim fat from surface. )*

I freeze the unused broth yields for up to 10 days (it will always get used up by then!)

Going through myrecipes.com, I see a nice amount of recipes that can be adpated to make them kosher or can already be made as they are. I plan to come back often for inspiration. Meanwhile… enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Chicken Odessa

Pessach is fast approaching; cleaning the house seems to be harder than you can remember, time is short but all the while the family has to eat and eat well. What to do? What to do?

We scoured the web to come up with nutritious, delicious, easy to make recipes and we found a great chicken dish sure to make everyone’s mouth water at MyDailyMoment.com. We made one change so as to make it worthy of being made in a kosher kitchen:

(adapted from MyDailyMoment.com)

Ingredients

• 4 large whole chicken breasts, split, skinned, de-boned
• 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. thyme or marjoram
• Flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup of fine breadcrumbs
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Pound breasts thin between plastic bags, keeping the smooth side of breast down.
2. Mix next 4 ingredients.
3. Dredge chicken in margarine mixture and dip each chicken piece into flour.
4. Dip into eggs and finally coat with breadcrumbs.
5. Fry in hot oil (375 degrees) for 10 to 12 minutes or bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
6. Drain on paper towels.
7. Salt after cooking.
8. Chicken will keep in a 200-degree oven if placed, uncovered, on a metal tray.

For Pessach you can substitute matzoh meal instead of the breadcrumbs (gebroks)

I’ve had Chicken Odessa before, now I know how to prepare it myself.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS