I went to the market and bought some fresh chicken thighs and drumsticks. I also bought a can of beans because that is what one adds to chili- right? I love beans in chili but it kind of bothers me that both the meat and the beans have the same mushy texture. So, I decided to keep them separate. That is how I came up with this very delicious dish.

I made a sauce with three different dried chillies and cooked the chicken till the meat was falling off the bones. In the meantime, I put the relish together. I am not sure how I came up with the apple idea. I was looking for the crunch factor and since apples are in season- it was an easy choice. I also made some yummy guacamole which I served on top.

Did I mention I served the chili on polenta? Yup, and it was delicious. For the big game, I would suggest corn bread or tortilla chips. Lots of garnishes including shredded cheese, chopped onions and of course the fabulous relish and guacamole. Have fun eating, drinking and watching this Sunday!

• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• 1 head of garlic, drizzles with olive oil and wrapped in aluminum foil
• Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the onion and wrapped garlic on a small cookie sheet. Drizzle the onion with some olive oil and salt. Bake for about 30 minutes or till the onion is tender. Squeeze the garlic out and keep aside with onion.

• 1 large dried New Mexico Chili, deseeded
• 1 dried Ancho Chili, deseeded
• 1 dried Chipotle Chili, deseeded
• 2 cups chicken broth

Add the chilies and the broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.
Add the chilies and liquid into a blender. Add the roasted onion and garlic. Blend till smooth.

• 4 chicken thighs on the bone
• 4 chicken drumsticks
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• Salt

Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and sprinkle with salt. Heat a saucepan with olive oil. Brown the pieces on both sides on high heat. Keep aside and add the tomato sauce and blended sauce. Bring to a boil and add the chicken pieces back into the pan. Bring to a boil. Lower to simmer and cover with lid. Cook for 45 minutes or till the chicken is falls off the bone. Take the chicken out and take the meat off with a fork, shredding it at the same time. Discard the bones and add the meat to the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil and test for seasonings. Add salt. Cook till the chili reaches desired consistency. Serve with Spanish rice or some creamy polenta.

Pinto Bean and Apple Relish

• One can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 small Pink Lady apples, chopped
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons agave
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Add the pinto beans and apples into a small serving bowl. Add the lemon juice, agave, olive oil, cumin seeds, salt and cilantro. Mix well and taste for seasonings. Let sit for at least an hour before serving. Serve a few tablespoons on top of the chicken chili and maybe a ladle of guacamole.

Recipe number two. I made this dish at a cooking class for a gentleman who wanted to learn vegetarian dishes so he could feed his family healthy food. I suggested a Moroccan dish called Tagine. It is typically made with meat and cooked in ‘Tagine‘, which is a special ceramic cooking pot with a cone like lid. It is nice to have one at home but it isn’t necessary to make a delicious tagine  at home.

We started with a spice mix consisting of cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper. We then sautéed some onions, garlic, tomato paste and harissa- a moroccan hot paste. We added potatoes, turnips, carrots and chickpeas to the mix including some broth.

This is a delicious dish for a crowd, especially with some whole wheat couscous. Try it next time you are entertaining…

Spice Mix

• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a cast iron skillet on a medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till the seeds become aromatic. Take off the heat and grind smooth in a coffee grinder. Take out in a small bowl and add the turmeric and cayenne pepper. Keep aside.

• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon harissa
• 3 to 4 medium yellow potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 medium turnips, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• Salt
• 1 cup green olives, sliced
• ½ cup dried apricots, sliced
• ½ cup slivered almonds
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried mint, crushed

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, harissa and the spice mix. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, turnips, carrots, chickpeas, chicken stock and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover with lid and cook for 30 minutes. Take the lid off and check to see if the root vegetables are tender. Mash some potatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to slightly thicken the liquid. Add the olives and apricots. Turn the heat up to cook off some of the excess liquid to get the desired consistency- it should be like a thick soup. Add the almonds, cilantro, parsley and dried mint. Check for seasonings and serve with couscous.

I wanted to make two things I had never tried before. Short ribs and gremolata. I combined both in one dish. A gremolata is used as a condiment for stews, soups, etc and mostly consists of citrus zest and some herbs. In this case I used a lemon and orange zest. I also used a mixture of parsley, rosemary, thyme and garlic. This super aromatic mix wakes up any dish and makes it irresistible.

I started by marinated the short ribs with salt, olive oil, rosemary and thyme overnight. I took it out an hour before cooking the next day and started with browning the ribs. I added onion, garlic, celery and carrots. I also added tomato paste, chicken broth and red wine. It roasted in the oven a couple of hours and resulted in a tender, fall off the bone dish. Once I added the gremolata on top- the smell and flavor was amazing.

I would highly recommend this dish for the holidays. I served it with polenta and it was an amazing dinner. Oh, and don’t forget a copious amount of red wine…

• 4 pounds short ribs, excess fat removed
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Pepper
• 1 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

Place the short ribs in a large glass dish and sprinkle the salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary. Refrigerate overnight. Take out an hour before cooking.

• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups red wine
• Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil until smoking. Brown the ribs on both sides for 4 to 5 minutes each in two to three batches. Keep aside. Add the carrots, onions, celery and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for minute. Add the flour and sauté for another minute. Add the thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Add the chicken broth and red wine and bring to a boil. Add the ribs back into the liquid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 2 to 3 hours or till the meat is falling off the bone.
Take out of oven and take the ribs out onto a platter. Strain the braising liquid and squeeze all the moisture out of the solids. Discard the solids and return the liquid to the saucepan. Reduce to desired consistency- there should be about a cup and a half to two cups of liquid remaining. Check for seasonings and return the ribs back into the liquid. Top with gremolata and serve.

Citrus Gremolata

• 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
• 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Zest of one lemon
• Zest of two clementines or half a navel orange

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl, cover and keep aside.

Of course butternut squash, pumpkin and sweet potatoes came to mind. I initially toyed with a chilled soup idea – which would be a great when you are expecting an army of people and making tons of other things. It would also be convenient if you are taking it to someone’s home- but then I felt, cold weather calls for a warm soup.

I am especially proud of this concoction. It has couple of my favorite ingredients- chipotle and smoked paprika. I wanted to make a soup with Latin flavors and so of course I thought of the smoked jalapenos that complement the sweet potatoes beautifully. To make it more holiday like, I wanted to add a cranberry compote on top. I simply made it with orange juice, paprika and a bit of brown sugar. I finished it with cilantro- yum!

The soup is healthy with just a quarter cup of half and half. You can even eliminate that and substitute more broth. Speaking of broth, my vegetarian friends can use vegetable stock instead of chicken and keep it completely vegetarian.

Serve this soup to your guests… they may never leave your house.

• 4 to 5 medium sweet potatoes, skin pierce with a fork

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet and roast till cooked, about half an hour to forty minutes. Take out and let cool. Take the skin off and roughly chopped.

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 chipotle pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 cups chicken broth
• Salt
• ¼ cup half and half
• ¼ cup milk
• Zest of a lime
• Juice of half a lime

Heat a heavy saucepan and add the olive oil. Add the roasted cumin seeds and sauté for 20 seconds on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, chipotle pepper, brown sugar and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Blend the mixture in a blender until smooth. Transfer back to the saucepan and add the half and half and milk. Mix well and add salt. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes and turn the heat off. Add the lime zest and juice. Mix well and check for seasonings.
Serve the soup with a dollop of compote.

Smoked Paprika and Cranberry Compote

• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Bring the cranberries, orange juice, zest, smoked paprika, salt and brown sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Simmer, covered for about ten minutes or till the cranberries burst open. Check for seasonings and cook uncovered for another two to three minutes. Turn heat off and add the cilantro.

Anyway, this is kind of like a coq au vin but a lot easier. Also it is served on top of creamy, herb polenta. My daughter is not a big fan but my husband and I love it. I made it with chicken broth and milk and added fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme. The combination of the herbs and Gruyere made the polenta super flavorful and creamy.

Overall the dish was fabulous…

• 1 pound chicken thighs, skinned
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup pancetta, chopped
• Salt
• Pepper

Heat a saucepan with the olive oil on high. Add the pancetta and sauté for a minute. Brown the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes of each side. Sprinkle salt while browning. Take the chicken pieces out and keep aside.

• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups chicken broth
• Salt

Add the herbs in the pancetta mixture with the mushrooms. Saute on high heat till the mushrooms have cooked down including the excess liquid. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute for a minute and add the flour. Cook the flour for a minute and add the red wine. Scrape all the brown bits off the bottom and add the chicken broth. Add the chicken pieces and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes with the lid on. Take the lid off and make sure the chicken is tender and juicy. Turn the heat up and bring to a boil and cook till the dish reaches desired consistency.

Herb Polenta with Gruyere

• 1 cup fine polenta
• 1½ cups milk
• 1½ cups chicken broth
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup aged Gruyere cheese, grated

Bring the milk and broth. Add the herbs and salt. Slowly add the polenta whisking at the same time, stirring till it thickens. Turn the heat off and add the cheese. Mix well and check for seasonings. Serve with the chicken and mushroom ragu.