Chicken Sauce Piquant

I received Food & Wine Best of the Best Cookbook Recipes 2010 edition as a gift awhile back. The book features the best recipes from 25 of the best cookbooks of the year. I finally got around to taking a good look at the book and there are many recipes that look amazing that I must try but one stood out to me to try first. It was Donald Link's Chicken Sauce Piquant that is from his book Real Cajun. The bold Cajun flavors sounded really good to me and with a little modification I had all the ingredients to make the dish at home. This was particularly important because having a 2 month old makes me think twice about running to the grocery store (she usually does great but it does take more effort than before). I cut out a lot of the oil from the recipe and really don't think it was missed. I substituted chipotle peppers in adobe for a poblano and I think the chipotle pepper adds a nice smoky heat. I loved the flavors in this dish and it reheated well which is nice for another meal latter in the week. I really appreciate meals like this now that I'm a busy mamma.

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons chile powder

1 teaspoon paprika

One 3-to 4-pound chicken, boned and cut into 1-inch cubes (I used 3 chicken breasts and 3 thighs)

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup plus ¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 small onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice

4 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried thyme

4 bay leaves

4 dashes of hot sauce

Steamed rice ( I used brown rice)

Thinly sliced chives for garnish

Directions

Whisk together the salt, peppers, chile powder, and paprika in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and use your hands to toss until evenly coated; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until is begins to smoke slightly. While the oil heats, toss the chicken with 1 cup of flour to coat.

Shaking off the excess flour from the chicken, transfer the pieces to the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides. Fry the chicken in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan—the chicken should be in one layer, and not on top of each other. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a deep plate, leaving the oil in the pan (if most of the oil has been absorbed and another one or two tablespoons).

Add the remaining ¼ cup flour to the oil and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes to create a medium-brown, peanut butter-colored roux. Add the onion, celery, peppers, and garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Add the chicken, tomatoes, broth, thyme, bay leaves, and hot sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a light gravy and the chicken is tender enough to shred with a fork. If sauce is not thick enough thicken with a little more flour or corn starch mixed with water. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or hot sauce as desired. Serve over rice, garnished with chives.

Recipe slightly modified from Donald Link's book Real Cajun.

Lemon Curd Cupcakes

An online friend of mine made this amazing lemon cake last week. It looked so good that I knew I just had to make something with lemon cake and curd. Fortunately, it was Memorial Day weekend and Ryan, baby girl and I were going for a day trip to visit with college friends so I had a good reason to make lemony treats. I came across this recipe for Lemon Curd Cupcakes that sounded amazing. The cupcakes are filled with lemon curd and topped with a mountain of frosting that is made up of cream cheese, whipped cream and lemon curd. Everyone really enjoyed these cupcakes. The cake was moist, the curd tart and the frosting was deliciously light and refreshing.

Short on time?
Jazzing up a vanilla box cake mix with lemon zest and lemon extract is a great option and you can find lemon curd in the baking isle with the other canned pie fillings.

**Update**

I now prefer to make the cupcakes using Billy's Vanilla, Vanilla Cupcake recipe. I just add the lemon vest and extract and only 1 teaspoon of vanilla. This makes for an even more moist cupcake. The recipe makes about 36 cupcakes so I make a batch and a half of the frosting recipe and I double the lemon curd recipe. 

            Cupcakes using the Billy's Vanilla cupcake recipe.

Lemon Cake:

3 C flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 C unsalted butter (room temperature)

2 C sugar

4 eggs (separated)

1 C milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon extract

zest of two lemons

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time. Mix well. Alternately add in flour mixture and milk. Beginning and ending with flour. Add in vanilla and lemon and lemon zest.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add egg whites into batter, folding gently.

Place into cupcake liners. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool. Use half of lemon curd recipe to fill the cupcakes by cutting a small hole in the middle of the cupcake and filling with lemon curd (I made a double batch of curd and used it all).

Lemon Curd:

** I made a double batch because I wanted a very generous about of filling.**

2 lemons

4 egg yolks

3/4 C sugar

4 Tbsp butter, cold

Zest the lemons. Juice the lemons. In a bowl mix together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and zest.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the butter 1 Tbsp at a time. Cover lemon curd with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and thickened.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

1 C sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 C whipping cream

Half of the above lemon curd recipe above.

In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff. In another bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Add in lemon curd. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Generously frost the cupcakes.

Recipe by Your Home Based Mom.

Creamy Potato Salad

I did not think I was going to make it....I almost did not get in a post for the month of April. I really need to get back in the habit of weekly posts but I at least need to do one a month. I almost did not get a post done for this month because it has been a VERY busy month. I had a baby girl on the 15th. She is our first so we have been very busy in the past few months and really busy now. Oh how we love our little girl!

I decided we are having hamburgers for dinner tonight. I had some potatoes that needed to be used so I thought a potato salad sounded good to go with the burgers. I tossed together this creamy potato salad with just some ingredients I had on hand. It would have been better if I had had some small, thin skinned potatoes but russets are what I had. The spinach gives the salad a beautiful green color and the horseradish gives just the right kick. There is mayo in this salad but it is cut with plain yogurt which adds some tang and lightens it up.

Ingredients

6 medium sized potatoes ( I would use about a pound of thin skinned yellow potatoes next time)

2 eggs

2 sundried tomato chicken sausages, chopped

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons hot horseradish

1 large handful baby spinach

chicken broth

salt & pepper

fresh chives for garnish

Directions

Boil the potatoes until tender and then let cool. At the same time hard-boil the eggs. When cool, peel and chop the potatoes and eggs. In a blender add the large handful of baby spinach and just enough chicken broth to get the blender to process the spinach. Add the spinach mixture to the potatoes and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the mayo, yogurt, sausage, and horseradish and fold the salad together. Salt and pepper to taste and top with fresh chives for garnish. Chill for a few hours before serving.

Recipe by me.

Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Here is another great recipe from Healthy Bread In Five Minutes A Day. I still love making bread in this method. It is just so easy and saves so much time. It really takes the work out of making fresh bread.

This bread is true to it's name. It is soft and tender and great for sandwiches or for toast. I have started to half the recipe just because we just don't need to eat that much bread and as all homemade breads, it just does not last that long.

Ingredients

5 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast, or 2 packets

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

2 1/2 cups lukewarm water

1/2 cup honey

5 large eggs

2/3 cup neutral-flavored oil or unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Whisk together the fours, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

2. Combine the liquid ingredients and mix them with the dry ingredients without kneading, using a strong spoon.

3. Cover (not airtight), and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after its initial rise, but is easier to work with when cold. Refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. The flavor will be best if you wait for at least 24 hours of refrigeration.

5. On baking day, lightly grease an 8 1/2x4 1/2-inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 2-pound (cantaloupe-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape in into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.

6. Elongate the ball into an oval and place it into the loaf pan; your goal is to fill the pan about three-quarters full. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap. Allow the loaf to rest for 90 minutes (40 if you are using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).

7. Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat the over to 350*F.

8. Place the loaf on a rack near the center of the oven and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown.

9. Remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool before slicing.

Recipe from the book Healthy Bread In Five Minutes A Day.

Krystal's Berry Bran Flax Muffins

This is a very healthy muffin recipe that I came up with. They are a good source of B Vitamins, Vitamin E, potassium, magnesium and Omega-3 fatty acids. They are great for breakfast or as a snack. Apple sauce is used instead of oil or butter and they are so moist that you may not want to store them in a air-tight container because they can get a little soggy. I usually add a mix of frozen berries to these muffins but any fresh, frozen or dried fruit would do. Cranberries with orange zest would be fantastic.

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup organic cold-milled ground flax seed

1/2 cup unprocessed what bran

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 cup almond milk (can use cow's milk)

1 large egg

2 cups frozen mixed berries

few teaspoons of sugar in the raw (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350* and line a muffin 12 pan with paper liners (muffins will stick if not using liners).

Sift together the flour, flax, what bran, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Discard any course chunks of flax or bran.

In a separate bowl mix the applesauce, honey, egg, milk and lemon juice together.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry. Mix only enough to wet the dry ingredients. Don't over mix.

Fold in the frozen berries and mix lightly to blend.

Put equal amounts of batter in the muffin cups and sprinkle with sugar in raw if desired. Bake for about 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Don't over bake. Enjoy!

Recipe by me.

Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Chocolate ice cream is one of my favorite things on Earth. I have been making my own ice cream since Ryan and I received an ice cream maker for a wedding gift. Usually it takes a little time to make homemade ice cream but not with this amazingly delicious and easy recipe. This rich ice cream is made from coconut milk so perfect for those avoiding diary. The simple list of ingredients are always in my pantry so it is a perfect recipe to have as a quick "go to". I think the ice cream is best when it has firmed up for a hour or two after churning. It does get pretty hard when left in the freezer but if put out to thaw for a a bit, the texture once again becomes creamy and not at all icy. You can successfully make a half batch of this recipe as well. The taste and texture of this ice cream is very nice and is just as good if not better than the expensive Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream that I have tried (Sells for about $4.99/pint).

Ingredients

3 cups of unsweetened coconut milk (about two cans)
2/3 cup of cocoa powder
6 tablespoons agave syrup (I often use honey instead of agave)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Whisk cocoa powder in a small amount of coconut milk, until smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until well combined. Or dump all ingredients together and blend with a stick blender (this is the method I prefer). Make according to your machines instructions.

Recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet

Tabasco & Asparagus Quinoa

It had been a long times since I used some of the quinoa that is sitting in my pantry, so I decided to look around for a new recipe. I came across this one and mixed it up a bit. The dish has good flavor and the tabasco is really subtle. I think I prefer the dish warm but enjoyed it for lunch today cold. I have made a few quinoa dishes that I was not really happy with but this one I really do like and will make again. I think the tabasco butter makes a big difference and adds the right flavors and creaminess. Quinoa when not seasoned enough in my opinion can have a slight bitter taste. I will continue to experiment with quinoa because it is such a healthy grain but I'm glad I found this to start off with.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons jalapeño mustard or Dijon mustard
17 drops Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch segments

4 cups cooked quinoa
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup, sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained

10-15 medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on if desired

more Tabasco sauce to taste

Directions

To cook quinoa: Combine 2 cups of well-rinsed dried quinoa with 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes or until quinoa is tender.

In a small bowl whip the butter until it is light and airy. Add the mustard, Tabasco sauce, lemon juice and salt.

When the quinoa is almost ready (about 20 minutes into cooking), put another saucepan on the stove filled with water to blanch the asparagus. When the water has come to a boil, toss the asparagus is a blanch for just a minute or two and drain right away.

While the asparagus is blanching, take of table spoon of the butter mixture put in a skillet of medium high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until just opaque.

In a large serving bowl, take the 4 cups of hot cooked quinoa and toss with the rest of the tabasco butter. Stir in the asparagus, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and shrimp. Serve with more Tabasco sauce on the side.

Serves 4-6 and is good warm or cold.

Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks