Crowd Pleaser (Cilantro-Lime Pepita Dressing/Dip)

We got together with friends last night for a fantastic dinner of InstantPot  pork tacos (cooked with plums and peppers - it was amazing!), great wine and conversation that ranged the gamut from belly laughs to solving the problems of the universe. So much fun.

Ready for dipping...

When I was asked to bring an app, my mind immediately went to a crisp and cool (it's freaking hot here) veggie platter. First I thought bleu cheese dip. Then I thought yogurt ranch. And then - boom!- I thought about my very favorite dressing recipe that I created way back when we lived in Brea, California. Cilantro-Lime-Pepita dressing that is reminiscent of the fantastic Mexican Caesar Salad served at the El Torito restaurant on the hill above the town, by Brea Olinda High School. 

While I often just throw this together, I wanted this batch to be just right. So, I searched the blog and couldn't find it. Thankfully I had a copy on my laptop from when I tested it for Southerly Magazine. 

So here it is, two ways - photographed as a dip and as a dressing with grilled shrimp and garnished with Cojita Cheese. (I used to put 1/8 of a cup of the cheese into the dressing, but lately I've been leaving it out and really like the light and press taste that results. Your call to leave it in or leave it out!

.... and as a salad with grilled shrimp and Cojita cheese

Here's how you can make it: 

Dressing/Dip Ingredients

(makes a little more than 1 cup, plenty for dipping with leftovers)

• 1 large garlic clove, peeled
• 1 7oz  Greek Yogurt (full-fat, 2%, 1% or 0% - it doesn't matter as long as it's Greek Yogurt - I use Fage brand)
• 1 T mayonnaise
• 1/8 cup cider vinegar
• Juice and zest of one lime
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 bunch cilantro, washed, dried and stems removed (just twist ‘em off; no need to get crazy about removing every little stem)
• 1/8 cup pepitas (Mexican pumpkin seeds, found in the nut section)
• 1/8 cup queso fresco (Mexican cheese that you can crumble, available at most grocery stores), plus the same amount for garnish.

Dressing Directions:

In the food processor with steel blade:

• Blitz all of the ingredients except the cilantro until smooth
• Then add the cilantro and pulse until cilantro is finely chopped and incorporated into the mixture
• Check the seasoning and add more salt to taste if needed.

Easy Breezy - Summertime Mexican Rice

It’s been unseasonably cool the past few days - high 70s and breezy. Perfect for tennis, golf and grilling on the deck. Between Steve and me we checked off all three boxes yesterday, and topping the day off with a fun cooking session with friends.  

Fresh uncooked corn and tomatoes plus defrosted
 frozen peas bring summertime freshness
to this Mexican Rice

While our respective Steves (seriously the most common name for guys our age!) played golf, my friend Amanda and I tested and updated a favorite recipe of mine — Some Like it Hot Fish Tacos, with Salsa Blanca.  You can find the updated version at this link.

I also tried out a new recipe for Mexican Rice.  This one has been on my mind for a while - traditional flavors, but freshen up with uncooked corn and tomatoes and a squeeze of fresh lime.

If I do say so myself, this one is a serious winner, so I’ll share the recipe with you here.  It goes great with the tacos, but would be a nice side dish for any summertime meal.

Summertime Mexican Rice

Serves 6-8 

Ingredients

• 1 cup white rice
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup  cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed but not cooked
• 1/2 cup fresh uncooked corn cut off the cob, basically one ear’s worth (or frozen if you don’t have fresh corn)
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup diced sweet onion (Vidalia, Maui, or the like)
• spice blend, see below
• Zest and juice of 1/2 a lime

Spice blend

• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt.

Method

• Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium sized lidded sauce pan
• Add the rice, stir gently as it comes back up to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat, fluff the rice with a fork.
• Pour the cooked rice into a large bowl
• Add the tomatoes, peas, corn, cilantro and rice, stir to combine
• Add the spice blend, stir to combine
• Right before serving add the lime juice and zest, stir to combine

Enjoy!

Rainy Day Comfort Food – Brussels Sprouts with Apples, Grapes, Pine Nuts and a Wee Bit o'Bacon

It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring….. Given my SoCal roots, I’m feeling kinda guilty about the fact that it has rained for the past 10 or 11 days (I’ve lost track) and we might even get some more….  But right about now, I’m ready for it to stop. 

Ready to serve

Headed into the oven

Perfect Brussels sprouts as
easy as 1 2 3

The rainy weather did lead me to come up with a new recipe for Brussels Sprouts.  This one screams FALL and will likely end up on our Thanksgiving table.  I hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as Steve and I did tonight.

Brussels Sprouts with Apples, Grapes, Pine Nuts and a Wee Bit o'Bacon

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  I used convection roast, which led to a ridiculously short cook time – somewhere between 10 and 12 minutes.  But normal baking temp would work fine.  Just pop ‘em in and pay attention….

Ingredients

• About 4 Brussels sprouts per person.  Washed, dried and then prepared per the photos below.  I cut the core out, then slice in half, and then peel a couple of layers off. Tossing the leaves and the remaining piece of veg into the bowl, and the core into the trash.
• About a 1/8 cup of diced bacon.  Diced and zapped in the microwave for about a minute to partially cook.  Drain on paper towel.  (Note:  I keep a slab of good bacon (thick cut, wood smoked) in the freezer and cut off a couple of inches). 
• A quarter of an apple per person, Diced.
• A tablespoon of diced sweet onion per person.
• A table spoon or so of pine nuts. 
• 3 red grapes per person
• Pinch of red chili flakes
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Bunch of grinds of black pepper
• Olive oil to coat lightly

Method:

• Put all of the ingredients into a bowl; toss with the olive oil and dump onto a foil lined baking sheet
• Put into the oven
• Roast until the Brussels sprouts are browned and soft.
• Pull from the oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes

Serve and enjoy!

Quiet Night In (Armadillo Potatoes)

After a long day or a tough week many people want to go out to dinner. But not me.  My favorite way to relax is to chop, chop, chop and then do something creative in the kitchen.   Steve pours a couple a glasses of wine.  Assumes his position at the counter that overlooks the kitchen.  And  watches as things unfold.

Make slices almost thru each
potato about 1/8 inch apart

With an event and a launch underway, I had one of those days and weeks at work. My knives called out to me last night as I hung up from the last of many conference calls. I also had this little bag of local fingerling potatoes that I’d been wanting to do something special with.  Kismet.

Headed to the oven

This one is more of a method than a “recipe,” but first a bit about North Carolina potatoes.  They are freakin’ unbelievable.  The white ones are tender and almost creamy.  The sweet potatoes are in a class all their own. And the best kept secret in the culinary world, if you ask me.  Who knew?

Ready to serve. Perfect with a grilled
steak and crisp green salad

I’m calling these “Armadillo Potatoes"  cuz thant’s what they look like.  Steve called them “just plain good.”  And as you’ll see in the photos, they offer a great opportunity to slice away the stress of a long week.

Armadillo Potatoes

Ingredients:

• A small handful of potatoes per person.  I used fingerlings, but any small white or red potato will do. 
• Olive oil to coat
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 ½ TBS rosemary, minced and divided in half
• A small handful of Parmesan cheese, grated
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper   

Method

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
• Using a small paring knife, make slices in each potato almost all the way through.  Make the slices about 1/8 of an inch apart
• Toss the potatoes in the olive oil, and half of the garlic and rosemary
• Place in a shallow baking dish
• Bake for 30 minutes, turning twice throughout the process
• After 30 minutes, check for doneness.  They should be cooked through and tender. If this is not the case, return to the oven for another 5 – 10 minutes. 
• When they are cooked to your liking, toss in the remaining garlic and rosemary.  Return to the over for another 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and serve.

 Enjoy.

Back Porch Evenings - (Deviled Eggs Two Ways)

What a great weekend.  Steve's playing in a tournament at Croasdaile, I did my part to stimulate the local economy and had fun Saturday exploring historic Hillsborough, and last night we kicked off a series of  “back porch” evenings that bring folks from our neighborhood together for beverages,  appetizers and a really good time.

The makin's for great deviled eggs:
farm fresh eggs, savory flavorings,
and my electric egg cooker. 

My contribution seemed to go over well – deviled eggs two ways.  But then, I don’t think I’ve ever met a person (especially of the male persuasion) who does not enjoy a good deviled egg. 

The inspiration for yesterday’s batch was a trip to Blue Sky Oil and Vinegar, a cute little shop that just celebrated one year of business bringing the best quality olive oils, infused oils and balsamic vinegars to the Chapel Hill area.  Blue Sky has a great jalapeño white balsamic vinegar and I’d heard that it is good in deviled eggs.  Based on the comments and empty egg pate last night, I think I heard right.

Since everyone can’t get their hands on jalapeño vinegar, I’m also sharing my normal everyday deviled egg recipe.  I took this one to the party last night as well, and it also received good reviews.  It’s a bit more savory that most DE recipes, and features celery seed (NOT celery salt) as a key ingredient.  I hope you enjoy it as well.

Recipe #1 - Holly’s Basic Deviled Eggs:

Makes 12 pieces

Ingredients

• 7 fresh eggs (I know, the recipe says it makes 12 and you are cooking 7 eggs.  Stick with me here)
• 2 green onions – diced VERY fine
• 1 ½ to 2 tsp apple cider vinegar (if you have small eggs opt for the lesser amount)
• 1 ½ Tbs good mayonnaise (Helman’s, Best Foods – or if you are in the South, Dukes)
• A good pinch of Kosher salt and 5 or 6 grinds of black pepper
• 1 tsp celery seed (not celery salt)
• 12 capers, for garnish (optional) – you can also dust with a little bit of paprika for a more traditional look.

Recipe #2 Holly’s Essence of Jalapeño Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

• Same as the basic ingredients, but substitute:
• Blue Sky Jalapeño White Balsamic Vinegar rather than apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh seeded jalapeños for the celery seed
• ¼ pickled jalapeños rather than capers for a first garnish
• Add a very light dusting of chili powder as a second garnish

Method for either variety

Note About Cooking Eggs:  First off, if you don’t have an electric egg cooker  - buy one.  They are CHEAP and make perfect hard-boiled eggs without sticking. Worth the extra appliance.  My mother had one of these babies when we were growing up and I have had one since I move out on my own.  Frankly, I really don’t know how to boil an egg otherwise.

• Hard boil and cool the eggs (drop them into a bowl of ice and cold water if you are in a hurry), slice them in half and separate the yolks into a bowl and set 12 of the 14 empties on a platter.  Toss the extra egg white, or feed it to the dog. The extra yolk will ensure that you don't have skimpy eggs.  
• Using a fork, crumble the eggs into a fine texture
• Add the rest of the ingredients and combine into a smooth mixture.  This may seem a bit drier than you are used to; but trust me – you really don’t want a gloppy egg. 
• Taste and adjust seasoning, as you desire
• Now using a teaspoon (or pastry bag, but that is just too much clean up for me) fill the egg whites
• Add the garnish and chill until it’s time to serve

 Enjoy!

One Year and Counting! (Favorite Marinade & Mixed Pepper Relish)

Roasting peppers at the Carrboro Farmers' Market

Yesterday marked our first year in Chapel Hill.  As you may know, both Steve and I are California natives, as were our parents. So picking up and moving cross-country was no small thing. But we did it.  And despite the fact that we miss our friends we are truly glad we did. 

Slowly but surely we are meeting new people and establishing new routines.  We have learned about the seasons and understand their allure.  The humidity thing wasn’t as bad as it was cracked up to be.  However, I have learned that I am a human magnet for any kind of insect that bites.  Seriously, forget the bug spray – just invite me to your next outdoor party and your guests will be bite free!

Come and get it!

But I digress.  So yesterday was the one-year marker.  It was a beautiful Carolina day. Blue skies, a bit of a breeze. Hotter than blazes, but I still drove around town with the sunroof open and all the windows down. 

As I’ve noticed before, it dawned on me that I smile more here. Winding my way through the farmers’ market, shouting “hey” to my brother I passed him and his family heading to the lake on their bikes, strolling down Franklin Street after getting my hair cut, and waving “thanks” to the Southern Gentleman who let me turn left into the line of cars leaving a shopping center – something that happens all the time here. Yes, Chapel Hill is a happy place for me to be.

We ended the day by breaking in the new deck we just had built off the screen porch.  My brother and his family came over, Steve fired up the grill (I’m finally starting to get used to not calling it a BBQ, which in the South refers to the food not the method of cooking) and we enjoyed a long leisurely evening together. 

Today, I’ll share a couple of recipes from the dinner we served.  I hope you try them and smile.

Enjoy.

Favorite Marinade

(Mainly used for beef and pork, but surprisingly good on chicken)

Ingredients:

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

¼ soy sauce

1 1/2  TBS herbs d’ Provence (if you don’t have it on hand - as was the case for me yesterday - you can actually substitute poultry seasoning – go figure!)

2 cloves of garlic chopped

Big pinch of salt

6 – 10 grinds of black pepper

1 bay leaf

Method:

• Put all ingredients in a large plastic zip bag
• Add meat
• Mush around to coat
• Stash in ‘fridge

(I marinade tri tip roasts 2 hours to over night; pork chops for a couple hours and surprisingly, chicken does well with this but I only marinade it for 30 minutes to 1 hour)

• Grill meat as normal.

For a 2.5 pound tri-tip on a gas grill: sear on high heat and then drop to medium-off-medium  with the lid closed for 30 minutes then check with an instant read thermometer.  You should be at around 140 for medium rare/150 for medium (if you want it well done, skip the grill and go buy some jerky). 

• Tent with foil for 10 minutes then slice thin.

Serve with Roasted Mixed Pepper Relish

Roasted Mixed Pepper Relish

(This one was inspired by Giada De Laurentiis, but she uses only red and yellow bell peppers and does not include garlic)

• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 poblano pepper
• 1 anaheim pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 large clove garlic, grated on microplane or finely diced
•  3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and Pepper

Method:

• Grill the peppers until charred; preferably over an open flame, but you can also use the broiler.  My farmers’ market has a guy who does this for you – he’s very popular!
• Put the peppers in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Wait at least 10 minutes.
• When the peppers are cool enough to handle, scrape off the charred skin
• Cut open and scrape out the seeds and the ribs
• Slice into thin strips
• Put the pepper strips, capers, olive oil, garlic and parsley in a glass bowl.  Stir to combine thoroughly
• Season with a pinch of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• Cover with plastic wrap and stash in the ‘fridge until It’s time to serve.  

End of vacation dinner (Will’s lemon scented pasta)

A note from Holly:

(I was going to post the recipe for my lemon chicken – and then I realized that I’ve already posted it.  Brain Cramp. What I will share with you is the pasta that we served with the lemon chicken I made last night.  More of a method than a recipe, this one so simple yet so delicious.  And the really cool part – Will came up with it!  I guess he got the cooking gene!)

It seems like we just picked up Will at the airport and now his summer break is over.  Tomorrow at o'dark-thirty he and Steve will leave for a cross-country drive back to school. They’ve got a great itinerary planned – and will hit baseball games in Chicago and Minneapolis before fishing their way thru North Dakota and finally dropping into the Big Sky State. 

As moms are wont to do, I cooked up one of Will’s favorite dishes last night – lemon chicken.  And this time, he taught me a trick – scenting the pasta itself with lemon by putting both the juice and the juiced lemon halves into the salted pasta water right before you add the pasta.  Wow, was it good.

Lemon Scented Pasta

Ingredients

• Large pot of boiling water
• 2 – 3 Tbs of Kosher Salt
• 1 lemon, juiced
• The actual lemon that was just juiced
• 4 servings of angle hair pasta (or any shaped pasta of your choice)

Method

• Boil the water in a very large pot
• Add the salt, lemon juice and juiced lemon halves
• Add the pasta and cook according to package directions
• Drain the pasta and return to the pot you cooked it in.
• If you are serving with a dish that has a sauce, pour some of the sauce on the pasta before serving. 
• Or you can simply toss gently with
• 1 Tbs melted butter
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• Some chopped flat leaf parsley

To serve

• This is great with lemon pasta, but would be equally good with shrimp, fish, or even sautéed zucchini or spring peas.
• Dust with Parmesan cheese

Dig in and enjoy!

Could Spring be Around the Corner? (Sheryl & Madison’s Bleu Cheese Coleslaw)

(Note - I wrote this while flying to a conference last Sunday... BEFORE the snow flurries that kept us chilly today...)

What a great day last Saturday was.  The WRAL weather team was true to their word and we enjoyed a sunny day with temps in the 60s and a light breeze to remind us that Spring is just a few weeks away. However, it was not just the balmy (by this winter's standards) temps that spelled late winter for Steve and me.  It was th ping of aluminum bats as we walked up to Boshamer Stadium  for our first Tar Heel baseball game.

While we kept catching ourselves comparing the experience to our many years at Cal State Fullerton Titan's Goodwin Field (which made us miss our Diamond Club Friends even more), we left knowing that we'd be back for more.  College baseball, the season's first bag of seeds, and college kids enjoying the warmth of the sun.  Yup, it was a good day.

Alas, we had to leave before the 9th inning was over to get ready for our nephew Sam's Blue & Gold Dinner.  The event was the culmination of his first five years in Scouts and his efforts were rewarded with the Arrow of Light Award. (Shout out to Sam -- We are so proud of you! And you should be proud of yourself for all your hard work!)

The dinner also celebrated the Scouts centennial year with a 100 Year Ho Down.  I must sa I was impressed by the event.  In addition to amazing fried chicken and probably the best spread of potluck sides I've ever seen (man o' Manachevetz, these Southerners know their sides), e also enjoyed a blue grass band, and a clogging demonstration to boot! (Shout out to my brother Ed and his leadership team -- way to keep an awards ceremony from being boring!)

Never one to want to arrive at such an affair empty handed, I did contribute to the bounty of sides.  Bleu Cheese Coleslaw.  Need I say more?  

Not one to keep these things to myself, I'm passing the recipe along to you. Aside from a handful of scallions, I can't claim credit - this one is a little ditty that my friend Sheryl and her daughter Madison created.  It is a true crowd pleaser and super easy. I literally threw it together in the 10 minutes I had to spare between the game and the dinner.

Enjoy!

Sheryl & Madison’s Bleu Cheese Coleslaw

Ingredients:

• 1 bag coleslaw cabbage and carrot mix
• 6 scallions, chopped fine (my one addition to the recipe - I really can't control myself)
• 1 cup "premium" chunky bleu cheese dressing (the refrigerated kind you get in the produce department)
• 1/4 cup bleu cheese crumbles
• 2 Tbs prepared (not creamed) horseradish

Method:

(I did say this is easy...)

• Put all the ingredients in a large bowl
• Stir well to combine
• Cover and chill; or if your ingredients were all cold, serve right away
• Sit back and listen for people to say, "Did you taste that coleslaw?"

Our First Carolina Thanksgiving (Waldorf Salad and Elizabeth’s Cranberry Sauce)

“Can you have him call back later?” Those are seven words I don’t think I’ve ever said to Steve when our son Will has called. But yesterday as luck would have it his Thanksgiving call came at that critical moment between the turkey coming out of the oven and being served when everything seems to be happening at once.

Potatoes being mashed, carrots being sautéed, gravy being made, dressing and sweet potatoes coming out of the oven and everyone trying to snatch a taste of the turkey and not loose a finger in the process. At one point we I caught myself turning from the mixer to the stove as my brother went from the stove to the sink and it seriously felt like we were doing some sort of dance. I’m a good multi-tasker, but balancing a phone and having a meaningful conversation in the midst of it all simply wasn’t in the cards.

Thankfully Will called as he was rolling in from a morning hunting trip and in need of a shower and nap before his Thanksgiving feast with college friends and surrogate family in Montana. We caught up later in the evening and all was good.

The preparations for yesterday’s meal began last weekend with a drive out to Cane Creek Farm, which is known for raising some of the best turkeys around.

This is pig country and so pork is their main gig, but they also do a nice business in poultry. We took our niece, nephew and our little Scottie and had a great day; complete with a visit with some week old piglets and stop Maple View Dairy for some of their delicious ice cream.

I think a tradition has been born.

Wednesday we set about the business of making the brine (salt, sugar, herbs, spices, orange peel – I confess I bought the mix at A Southern Season), submerged the bird, stashed it in the garage fridge and hoped for the best.

And the best it was! Somehow the turkey on the table is always the best one ever, but I truly believe this bird was in a class of its own. Turkeys that are pasture raised look different and taste different. They look like they actually were at one point a bird and not some hormone induced freak show. And the taste – the white meat was extremely flavorful and people who never eat dark meat were asking for more. We were lucky to send a tad bit home with our guests and still eek out a day-after sandwich this afternoon.

It seems a bit odd to give a Thanksgiving recipe the day after, but these two are family favorites that are good year-round.

Enjoy.

Waldorf Salad

(Serves 8, with leftovers)

My mother’s family started making this back in the 50s when there was some sort of cranberry blight. It has been on our Thanksgiving table ever since, and adds a bit of freshness to an otherwise heavy meal.

Make this early in the day so the flavors can meld together.

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, remove the zest with a micro plane first and then juiced
• 3 red apples; core removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 3 green apples; core removed and chopped into bites-sized pieces
• 1 cup celery, chopped into ¼ inch dice
• ½ cup chopped pecans (east coast) or walnuts (west coast)
• ½ cup raisins
• ¼ cup Best Foods (Hellman’s on the east coast) Mayonnaise
• Pinch of salt

Method:

In a large bowl:

• Put the lemon juice in the bottom of the bowl
• As you chop each apple, drop them into the juice and toss to keep them from turning brown
• Add the rest of the ingredients
• Stir to combine
• Refrigerate until serving time

Elizabeth’s Cranberry Sauce

Simple and delicious is the best way to describe this sauce. Really yummy on next-day turkey sandwiches, too.

Makes just over 2 cups – It is best to double the recipe if you want leftovers

Make this the day before serving for best flavor

Note – you are at the mercy of the orange so buy a few and use the one with the best flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 orange – juiced, plus the flesh and peel cut into quarters
• Enough water to bring the total liquid (water and orange juice) to 1 cup
• ¼ tsp powdered ginger
• 1 12-ounce package Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
• Pinch of Kosher salt

Method

• Combine sugar, orange juice and water in a medium saucepan.
• Bring to boil
• Add cranberries, ginger and salt. Return to boil.
• Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then.
• Remove from heat and cool completely at room temperature.
• Refrigerate. Even better the 2^nd day.

When the goin’ gets tough the though get choppin’ (Fennel Chicken and Stove-Braised Butter Beans)

Ok. I’ll admit it. I had a down right lousy day. We all have ‘em. Technology issues. People issues. Schedule issues. Pick one. Pick ‘em all. That’s why the call it work and not play, eh?

Luckily cases of the work-a-day blues are few and far between. That’s not the “Hollyanna” in me. My glass may be perpetually half full, but work-wise I’m normally an honest to goodness happy girl.

When the stars don’t align and I’m dealt a bad Monday, what do I do? Cook. Of course.

So as the sun set on Old Forest Creek Road, I found myself surveying the bounty of Saturday’s Farmers’ Market. Fresh butter beans. The youngest, sweetest fennel you’ve ever seen. Organic chick thighs...

Throw that woman a shallot, Johnny, and let’s get cookin’!

If I do say so myself, the results were pretty darn good. An omen for the day that will be tomorrow. For now, I’ll capture the recipes and give them to you…

As always,

Enjoy.

Two recipes today: Chicken & Fennel; and Stove Braised Butter Beans. Serve with wild rice cooked with beef or chicken stock rather than water.

Chicken and Fennel

Serves 2 with leftovers. You do the math for a larger group.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs – boned and skinned
• ½ shallot, sliced thin
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 young bulbs fennel (about 1 cup) sliced
• 6 crimini mushrooms, sliced
• Olive Oil to coat a large skillet
• 1 to 1.5 cups cup chicken stock
• 1 Tbs dried thyme
• Kosher salt
• Fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tsp butter

Method

• Heat a large skillet with a lid
• While the pan is heating season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper and a pinch or two of the thyme
• Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil
• Add the chicken and brown both sides
• Now add the shallot and cook until soft
• Next add the garlic, fennel, mushrooms and remainder of the thyme
• Sauté until all veg are getting soft.
• Now add the chicken stock, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan
• Bring to a boil and cover for 20 minute
• At the 20-minute mark, check the chicken for doneness (juices should run clear)
• Lower heat and add the butter to the remaining mixture.
• Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed
• Keep warm until you serve.

Stove Braised Butter Beans

Full disclosure – until I went to the Farmers’ Market here I had never seen a fresh butter bean. Until tonight I’d never cooked one. Steve tells me they are really good. I humbly have to agree.

Ingredients

• 1-½ cup fresh butter beans
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• ½ shallot, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 ½ cup chicken stock
• 2 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 tsp butter
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

• Heat a large saucepan with a lid
• Add the oil
• Add the shallot, pinch of salt, few grinds of pepper and cook until soft
• Add the garlic, butter beans and thyme and sauté until the butter beans are just starting to look soft (about 5 minutes)
• Add the broth. It should just cover the beans.
• Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat and cook for 25 minutes
• Check for doneness. The beans should be soft but not mushy.
• Stir in the butter.
• Keep warm until you serve