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Chicken Breast with Kumquats
This was a great dish to make. Someone mentioned kumquats a while ago and how the didn’t know what to do with them. Kumquats look like tiny little oranges. They are quite tart if eaten raw but provide a great tangy citrus flavor if cooked correctly. It reminded me of a chicken and kumquat dish I had at Spice Market in NYC. It was a very memorable and delicious meal- I am sure the yummy cocktails helped a lot.
I started thinking of that dish and decided to look it up online. After a lot of visualizing, I came up with this recipe. I first put the dressing together. I was able to get fresh lemongrass at whole foods. The kaffir lime leaves are available at the Asian stores. I bought a big pack and have them stored in the freezer. These two flavors are quite important to this dish.
I coated the chicken with a spice mix and marinated it for a few hours. All together, this dish has a few steps but it is very worth it.
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Asparagus Pesto
I love anything with pesto- pasta, bread, rice, as a dip, on chicken or fish.. and the list goes on. Pesto can be made with a variety of different ingredients including different vegetables. I have made pestos in the past with zucchini, broccoli rabe, etc.. this one is made with asparagus. I wanted to do a vegetarian meal and had asparagus in the fridge. Instead of making a boring pasta with asparagus, I decided to make a pesto instead.
I blanched the vegetable and then made the pesto just like I would with basil or any other ingredient. Speaking of basil, I did use it as well. I also used pistachios instead of pine nuts- no good reason really except that I love the color pistachios bring and as well as the flavor. I served the pesto with whole wheat past and some homemade focaccia. I bought some pizza dough from our local pizzeria. I rolled out the dough and topped it rosemary, salt, olive oil and cherry tomatoes.
The meal was delicious and simple- the glass of wine was yummy with the asparagus pesto…
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Broccoli Rabe with Kalamata Olives
Broccoli rabe is by far one of my favorite vegetables. I love the earthy bitterness the leafy greens have. I usually cook them with pasta and some sausage. I add some pine nuts, garlic and basil and top it off with lots of parmesan cheese. It is the most delicious thing to have. Unfortunately my husband and daughter don’t love the pasta dish as much as I do. They prefer pasta with red sauce- I think a lot of people feel the same. I like pasta with all sorts of sauces and toppings but I have to say, I do like the sauceless ones the best. I like to be able to taste all the ingredients in my pasta.
Anyway, as usual I digress. I decided to use the broccoli rabe as a side dish. I like to pair the bitterness of the greens with super salty ingredients like olives and anchovies. I started with blanching the broccoli rabe and sauteed some garlic in olive oil. I melted anchovies into the mix and added the olives.
The dish was delicious with all the ingredients but I decided to take it to another level and added some crumbled feta on top. It made the dish come alive and gave it a creamy texture.
I could have eaten the whole dish by myself. All I needed was some warm crusty bread and a glass of red wine…
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Baked Chicken Sausage and Spinach Pasta
I love one pot meals. They are so simple and quick to make- I try to come up with them as much as possible. What is better than a one pot meal, you ask? Well, it would be the one for which I have all the ingredients at home- no need to go to the grocery store. I realize most people hate going to the market- I am not sure why.. I love going to the grocery store. I am at a food store, literally everyday. I love coming up with what to make in the morning and then I go shopping for all the ingredients. I sometimes get embarrassed about being seen at the store by the employees. They all recognize me and sometimes ask me (in a very nice way) why I am here every day??
Anyway, as I was saying, this dish was very easy to make. I always have chicken sausage and chopped spinach in the freezer. I also make a batch of tomato sauce every week or so- it is great to have around, especially when packing lunch for my daughter. I put all the ingredients together and baked it in the oven. It was a quick, delicious, one pot meal…
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Roasted Fennel Risotto with Chilean Sea Bass
This is a delicious and sophisticated dish I came up with. I made this through the week but I think it is very appropriate for a special occasion or a nice Sunday dinner. I have been using fennel a lot these days- raw and roasted. I decided to roast it and cut it up and use it in a risotto- why not, I thought… I also roasted some other aromatic like garlic and shallot. All these ingredients gave the risotto and lovely sweet, nutty flavor.
I bought one of my husband’s favorite fish- Chilean sea bass and marinated it in a miso mixture and simply sautéed it. I also tossed baby arugula with olive oil and lemon juice.
The combination of the risotto and fish with the arugula was unusually delicious… try this dish when you want to impress your family…
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Skillet Chicken with Chorizo and Peppers
I love one pot meals- and this one is absolutely delicious. I think I was watching some cooking show on the tube and the host was using a variety of peppers and cooked it with some chicken. That is what gave me the idea of cooking up this flavorful dish.
I bought some cheap chicken drumsticks with thighs- I love drumsticks- super flavorful. I had lots of chorizo in the freezer- I took that out and I always have lots of oranges in the fridge. That is all I needed- well, almost. I also bought a variety peppers including a red pepper, a poblano and some cubanelles.
The main flavor in this dish is the chorizo of course but also ancho chili powder- it gives the dish a little kick and a great smoky flavor.
All in all it was a really easy dish to put together.. great for through the week..