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Tag: fennel

Roast Chicken with Orange and Meyer Lemon

Chicken is one of the most popular proteins. There are tons of recipes in books, magazines and on the internet- but people are still always looking for new recipes to make their weeknight meals a bit more exciting.

One of the more classic ways of making chicken is roasting a whole bird. A lot of people are a bit intimidated to make this dish.

It is one of my favorite ways to eat chicken. I love how my house smells as the bird is roasting in the oven. I also love how I can create a one pot meal by adding tons of vegetables to the bottom of the roasting pan.

For this particular one, I used a lot of winter ingredients in season. I made a compound butter consisting of orange and meyer lemon zest. I filled the bottom of the pan with carrots and fennel.

The chicken was delicious….

  • One 4 to 5 pound whole chicken
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Zest of 2 Clementine or 1 Navel orange (save the oranges)
  • Zest of 1 Meyer lemon (save the lemon)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Mix the butter, olive oil, zests, salt and pepper in a small bowl. In the meantime, place the chicken in a roasting pan on a roasting rack. Spread the butter mixture on top and under the skin. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper inside the cavity as well as outside.

  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • Juice of the spare oranges and Meyer lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour the chicken broth at the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the orange and lemon juice. Place the juiced oranges and lemon into the cavity. Tie the chicken legs together and tuck the wings in.

  • 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 pound fennel, trimmed and sliced

Place the vegetables at the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast the chicken until the dark meat registers 160 degrees F. Take the chicken out and cover with aluminum foil. Take the vegetables out keep warm. Reduce the liquid by half and pour into a gravy boat. Take out excess fat and serve with the chicken and vegetables.

Chicken Mushroom & Fennel Stew with Roasted Duck Fat Potatoes
  • 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ½ cup all purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and more if needed
  • 2 tablespoons duck fat
  • 2 cups Cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 fennel bulb, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
  • Salt
  • 4 cups chicken broth

Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil and duck fat. Dip the chicken into the egg and then dredge into the seasoned flour. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side on medium heat. Take the chicken pieces out and add the mushrooms and thyme. Saute on high heat for 6 to 7 minutes. Take the mushrooms out and add the onion and fennel (add extra oil at this point if needed) and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons salt and continue to sauté for another couple of minutes. Add the chicken broth and the chicken pieces. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer and cook with lid on for 20 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Take the lid off and increase the heat to cook at least half of the liquid off. Add the mushrooms and check for seasonings. Serve with roast potatoes.

  • 4 to 5 medium potatoes, cut into quarters

Transfer to a medium saucepan and top with water. Bring to a boil and drain and let the potatoes dry in the saucepan for 10 minutes.

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon duck fat
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt

Place the potatoes on a lined cookie sheet and mix in the oil, duck fat and salt. Mix well and roast in a 400 degrees (convection) oven for about 30 minutes or till the potatoes are golden brown.

Serve with the stew.

Cardamom Fennel Chicken Tikkas

Cardamom Chicken Tikkas This is a great recipe for the summer- who doesn’t like chicken tikkas??? The only trick is to give the marinade some time to do its work.. the rest is easy…

  • 1 pound chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces

Marinade

  • ½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons half and half
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground to a powder
  • 4 to 6 cardamom pods, ground to a powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil

Mix the yogurt, half and half, ginger, fennel, cardamom, salt and lime juice in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and mix well. Marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours, preferably 24 hours.
Take the chicken pieces out of the marinade. Place on to a line cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil all over the chicken pieces. Place into a high broiler and broil both sides until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve hot and with cilantro chutney.

Fennel Carrot & Beet Salad with Orange Dressing

Fennel Carrot and Beet Salad This is a delicious salad, inspired by Martha Stewart. I watched her during the holidays and this was a salad she made with roast pork.. but I think it would be great with a yummy pasta dish. It is especially very nice in the winter as it includes beets, carrots and fennel. All the veggies are grated or sliced. The mixture of all the colors is beautiful.

I made it easy and bought shredded carrots. I peeled the beets and grated them using a box grater. I used my trustee mandolin to slice the fennel. One could just use a sharp knife to slice the fennel thin as well.

The great thing about this salad is that one can make it in advance. The flavors and colors meld together and taste delicious.

I made an orange dressing with fresh orange juice, agave, Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar- very simple and yet very flavorful!

The salad was delicious and full of crunch!

  • 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and peeled and sliced thin
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 2 medium beets, grated

Place all the grated and sliced vegetables into a salad bowl. Mix well and keep aside.

  • ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 teaspoons agave
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (depends how tart you like your dressing)
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Place the orange juice, vinegar, mustard, agave, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place a lid and shake for 30 seconds or till the dressing is emulsified.
Dress the salad half an hour before serving. Check for seasonings and serve.

Kashimiri Koftas (Indian Style Meatballs in a Yogurt Gravy)

Kashmiri Koftas1 My mom has been making these meatballs ever since I can remember. A friend from Kashmir taught her these a long time ago. Since then the dish has been tweaked to perfection. Technically speaking- it is not a typical Kashmiri dish. My mom has changed it over the years by adding more onions to the gravy, etc- she has made it her own.

I had never made these before. I would usually wait for my Mom to visit and make this delicious dish. I finally decided to write down the recipe and try it on my own. It is a bit laborious- but definitely worth all the work.

It is a bit different than the rest of Indian dishes I have posted- the dish does not have any tomatoes or garlic. The main flavorings in the meat are ground fennel and ginger powder. The gravy includes whole cinnamon and cloves. The most interesting flavor comes from asafetida. It has a very distinct flavor. If you can’t find it, no worries- just eliminate it. The dish will be good even without this spice.

Serve it with naans or rotis. I would highly recommend this dish- try it and it will part of your repertoire…
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Brown Lentils with Fennel Seeds

brown-lentils-with-fennel-seeds These lentils are really delicious and easy to make. I used a few ingredients that are more prevalent in Kashmiri cuisine. I used fennel seeds and black cumin seeds. Fennel seeds are usually used for both sweet and savory dishes. I love the flavor it imparts in the savory ones. It gives them a very floral, earthy taste and aroma. It is one of my favorite spices to use. I especially love it in tea.

For these lentils, I started by cooking them in chicken broth. Typically lentils in India are cooked in water but I have been using chicken broth. I like it because it imparts extra flavor without a lot of effort. I added ginger, salt and turmeric.

The lentils don’t take very long to make. Once they became soft, I added sauteed fennel and cumin seeds. I tasted for seasonings and cooked the dal for another few minutes before I turned the heat off. I then added some low fat sour cream to finish off the dish. It provided a nice tang and delicious creaminess without a lot of calories. I served the dal with some rice and it was a great meal.

The fennel and cumin flavor came through clearly in the dish. It is a bit different and delicious- definitely try the brown lentils with fennel seeds…
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