Pasta with Pine Nuts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Chicken

My friend Camilla sent this recipe to me, it’s from Prevention Magazine, see the original recipe here. It’s simple, yet delicious, full of different flavors: the pine nuts, the sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers and the basil are a wonderful combination!

Pasta with Pine Nuts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Chicken

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked whole wheat pasta

2 ounces dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces chicken breast tenderloins, cut into bite-size pieces

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste

1/4 cup sliced fresh basil

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

Soak tomatoes in hot water 10 minutes or until soft. Drain, reserving  1/2 cup of water, and chop.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat while farro cooks.

Season chicken with salt. Add chicken, garlic, and red-pepper flakes to skillet. Cook, stirring, until garlic turns golden, 1 1/2 minutes. Stir  in tomatoes and reserved water and cook 2 to 3 minutes until chicken  is completely cooked.

Add farro to skillet, and toss. Add basil and toss. Divide equally among 4 bowls and sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of pine  nuts. Top with more basil, if desired.

Chicken Tikka Masala

It’s been a couple of years that Tanya, Camilla and I and our families get together before Christmas for a potluck dinner. We used to work at the same company but not anymore, so we catch up with personal things and see the kids growing up. We also go for walks and scrap booking (that has been a while!).

Every year we had a food “theme”. We had fondue, pasta and this year, Indian food. Camilla made keema and basmati rice. Tanya made egg curry and dahl. I made saffron rice and chicken tikka masala. Everything was to die for!

This is a simplified version of the chicken tikka masala. You can make your own garam masala, which I usually do. I prefer to use equal amounts of cream and and half and half instead of cream only. The final dish turns out lighter and a little thinner than the original. I also use cayenne pepper instead of chilies, that way it’s easier to control the spiciness. Today I am serving the dish with cashew nuts and saffron rice.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

Chicken Tikka

1/2 teaspoon  ground cumin  

1/2 teaspoon  ground coriander  

1/4 teaspoon  cayenne pepper  

1 teaspoon  sea salt  

2 pounds  boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in 1” cubes 

1 cup  plain yogurt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil  

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon  grated fresh ginger  

Masala Sauce

2 tablespoons  vegetable oil  

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger  

1 fresh Serrano chile , ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced or 1 teaspoon cayenne (for more heat, leave seeds on, for less heat add less pepper with no seeds or ¼ teaspoon cayenne)

1 tablespoon  tomato paste

1 tablespoon  garam masala

1 can diced tomatoes

1 ½ cup water 

½ teaspoon sea salt  

½ cup  heavy cream or half and half

1/4 cup  chopped fresh cilantro leaves  

Directions:

Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne and salt in small bowl. In large resalable plastic bag, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger and the spice mixture. Add to chicken to bag. Seal and shake well to cover the chicken thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat, add onion and cook, about 10 minutes or until it starts browning. While the onion is cooking, mix garlic, ginger, pepper, tomato paste and garam masala in a small bowl. Remove onion from pan and add the chicken. Discard the marinade. Sautee chicken until all sides are sealed, about 5 minutes. Return onion and spice mix to pan, stir and cook about 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add canned tomatoes, water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 25 minutes. Stir in cream or half and half and cilantro just before serving. Adjust salt.

Moroccan Style Chicken and Garbanzo Stew

I came up with this recipe by changing my Harira soup recipe. See the Harira soup recipe here.

Moroccan Style Chicken and Garbanzo Stew

(6 servings)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 ½ pound chicken cut in big pieces

sea salt, ground black pepper

½ tablespoon grated fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1/8 to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 ½ cup chopped tomato (or 1 can unsalted diced tomatoes)

½ cup warm water

1/4 teaspoon saffron soaked in warm water

1 15 oz can drained canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Juice of ½ fresh lime

Directions

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Soak saffron in warm water. Heat oil in a large stock pot oven over high heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook one more minute. Move onion and garlic mix to one side of the pan and add chicken. Cook 2 to 3 minutes each side or until slightly browned. Add ginger, turmeric, cayenne (if using) and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in chopped tomato and saffron with water, cook 1 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro, parsley and lime juice; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Chicken Tagine

This is a recipe I found years ago in a magazine. I made it so many times and every time I made it I would change something. The flavors in this dish are wonderful, it’s fragrant and extremely aromatic. I am serving it with whole wheat couscous and broccoli.

Chicken Tagine

4 servings

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts halves (about 2 lb), skinned

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

¾ cup water

¾ cup pitted whole kalamata olives

2 cinnamon sticks

2 cloves (optional)

½ teaspoons fresh ground ginger

1 ½ teaspoons grated lime rind

¼ cup lime juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

Directions:

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large non stick pan over high heat. Add chicken, cook 3 minutes each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add onion and garlic to pan, cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add chicken, water, olives, cinnamon, clove and ginger. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes. Turn chicken over, cook, uncovered, 15 minutes.

Add lime rind, lime juice, cilantro, and parsley to pan; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Tandoori Chicken

The Tandoori Masala composition can vary a lot. The first time I made it, I started with a basic recipe I found online. Then I adjusted the formula to my taste in subsequent meals. Some recipes call for fenugreek or mace. Some ask for cloves. Some ask for powdered herbs, some for seeds. Some recipes ask for powdered ginger and garlic, some for fresh. In my opinion, it’s better to make a fresh mix each time and not store it, as the fragrance can fade over time. I also prefer to use fresh ginger and garlic. But it all depends on the time you have and ingredient availability. The end result is always delicious.

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lb chicken pieces of your choice with skin and visible fat removed

1/2 Tandoori Masala recipe

1 cup yogurt (preferably regular)

1 tablespoon oil

1 lime or lemon juice

Sea salt to taste

½ teaspoon chili or cayenne pepper powder

Tandoori Masala Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cumin seeds or 1 ½ tablespoons cumin powder

2 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds or 2 tablespoons coriander powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garlic powder or 3 fresh garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ginger powder or 1 tablespoon grated ginger

½ to 1 tsp red chili or cayenne pepper powder

¼ tsp clove powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp orange or red food coloring (optional)

Directions:

To make the tandoori masala, if using seeds, dry roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a pan on a low flame, till they begin to release their aroma. Remove from fire and cool. Grind seeds in a grinder. Add all ingredients and mix well.

Make slits in the chicken pieces with a knife. Mix lime, salt and chili pepper in a small bowl. Rub the lime mixture into the chicken slits. Combine yogurt and tandoori masala in a bowl. Mix well. Add the yogurt mix to a large plastic bag or a glass bowl. Add the chicken to the mix and toss well, making sure all the pieces are well coated. Drizzle the oil and toss. Marinate in the fridge for 6 to 24 hours.

Preheat the grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Spray oil in the chicken pieces and quickly sear both sides of the chicken. Reduce heat and cover the grill. Cook until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Or you can cook the chicken in the oven: preheat broiler. Cover a baking pan with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. Lay chicken on greased foil and spray with more cooking spray. Broil until it starts browning and turn. Brown the other side. Lower temperature to 350 F. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or done.

Top with onion slices while grilling.

Garnish cilantro and lemon wedges.

Chawanmushi (Japanese Style Savory Egg Custard)

Here I am cooking Japanese food again!  J

This dish is delicate and delicious. It’s a side dish. You can mix any meat of fish, in byte size pieces. There are special serving dishes for chawanmushi but I don’t have them, so I use bowls covered with foil and I steam them in a pan.

Chawanmushi (Japanese Style Savory Egg Custard)

4 Servings

Ingredients:

Dashi:

2 cups water

½ oz kombu seaweed (kelp) or 3 inches strip

1/2 cup dried bonito flakes

Custard:

3 eggs

1 2/3 cup dashi 

1 tsp soy sauce

Fillings:

4 oz chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

4 large or 12 small shrimp, shelled, tail on (optional)

4 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced, or 1/4 enoki mushrooms, chopped

8 slices kamaboko or narutomaki fish cakes

Japanese herb leaves such as mitsuba/trefoil (optional)

Directions:

Dashi: Heat the water with kelp, uncovered, over medium heat, remove kelp right before the water boils. Add a little bit of water and add the dried bonito flakes just before the water starts boiling. When the foam starts to raise, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 seconds. Turn off the heat. Add a pinch of salt and let stand until the flakes sink to the bottom. Strain.

Lightly beat eggs in a bowl, strain the eggs, add cold dashi and salt. Marinade the chicken with the mirin and soy sauce for a couple of minutes. Place fillings in the bottom of 8 oz bowls. Stir in the egg mixture carefully. Break any bubbles on the surface. Place mitsuba leaves on top of the egg mixture. Cover the cups with foil. Preheat a steamer on high heat. Turn down the heat to low and carefully place cups in the steamer. Steam for about 15 to 20 minutes until set.

Oyako Donburi (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)

Hi all, it looks like I am into another Japanese dish. It's just that I am craving for Japanese foods every day, weird! But not to worry, I will come to other foods, such as Brazilian, soon.

The Japanese name for dish means “parent and child”, which I think is super cute. This dish was very common at my parents house, and everybody loved it. It’s easy and quick to make too. The picture of this dish looks very similar to the Soboro but it tastes totally different.

Some restaurants and recipes call for too much sugar. I prefer less, just a hint, like the authentic Japanese food should be.

Oyako Donburi

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon sesame or vegetable oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

12 oz chicken breast, cut in ½” cubes

4 eggs

mushrooms such as shiitake or oyster, cut into strips (optional)

4 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 C water

Mitsuba as a garnish (optional)

Chrysanthemum as a garnish (optional)

Nori seaweed as a garnish (optional)

4 tablespoons green onions, chopped very thin

Directions:

Heat oil In a large skillet, add onion and stir fry until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add water, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and mushrooms (if using) and simmer over medium heat, about 5 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Beat eggs in a bowl. Bring the soup to a boil, pour over chicken, turn the heat down to low and put on a lid. Cook until the egg is set, about one minute. Add mistuba and/or chrysanthemum to the chicken. To serve,  put about 1 cup of steamed rice in a deep bowl, then lay the chicken and egg on top of the rice. Top with green onions and nori seaweed if using.

Mi's Winter Squash and Wild Rice Soup

This is another favorite of mine. I always remember to make it when the weather starts getting cold and I see pumpkins all over the place. You have to be responsible and use the best them!  :) Today I used kabocha pumpkin.

Mi's Winter Squash and Wild Rice Soup

6 Servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 


1 medium onion, very finely chopped

1 large carrot, very finely chopped or shredded 


1 large celery stalk, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1 lb chicken breast

1 cup wild rice

3 cups butternut squash (about 1 small squash)

6 to 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

½ cup half and half

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons brandy

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 F. Cut the squash in half, remove seeds and bake, cut side up for 40 to 50 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot in medium heat. Add carrot, celery and onion. Cook until vegetables have begun to soften and onion turns translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary, cook for another minute, until fragrant. Add chicken breast, wild rice, salt and pepper and stir to combine and heat up, for about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and check salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until rice is cooked, about 60 minutes (or pressure cook for 30 minutes). Add butternut squash puree and shred the chicken and return to the soup. Cook until heated through. Remove from heat and add half & half, parsley and brandy. Serve immediately.

Mi's Harira Soup

This is one of my favorite soups. Yuuuuuummmmm...!!!! This recipe is an adaptation of the original Harira soup which is made with lamb and some very thin noodles. But today I am using chicken and more grains instead: lentils, garbanzos and brown rice. The spice combination is fragrant and delicious. The saffron tops it with the ultimate richness of flavor. I buy saffron at the Indian store, where the prices are more affordable than the regular grocery stores.

  

Mi’s Harira Soup

(8 servings)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 ¼ pounds meat (boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes or chicken breast)

½ teaspoon salt

½ tablespoon grated fresh ginger

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ cup dried small red or brown lentils

2 cups chopped tomato (or 1 can unsalted diced tomatoes)

6-8 cups water or broth

1 teaspoon saffron soaked in warm water

1 can drained canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 cup cooked brown rice

¼ cup minced fresh cilantro

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

Juice of 1/2 fresh lime or ¼ cup

Directions

Heat oil in a large stock pot oven over high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes. Move onion and garlic mix to one side of the pan and add meat; cook 5 minutes or until slightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add ginger; cinnamon, cayenne and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in tomato paste, lentils, chopped tomato; cook 1 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in water or broth, saffron, bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

Stir in chickpeas and brown rice, bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in cilantro, parsley and lime juice; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Braised Chicken Breast with Polenta, Tomatoes, Capers and Olives

This is a simple, yet delicious and sophisticated dish. Tomato sauce and polenta form a perfect pair. The tomato sauce is the same I make  for all pasta dishes: I peel, seed and crush fresh tomatoes, add a bit of balsamic vinegar to the “soup” and then cook it. When winter comes I’ll have to use the frozen sauce that I made in summer/fall, sad... If you want to skip it note that the instructions for the tomato sauce are in italics.

I am making the polenta with water and salt but if you’d like richer flavors, you can add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter and some Parmesan cheese in the end, maybe ½ cup.

Capers and olives bring a special flavor to the tomato sauce complementing the delicate fresh tomato taste, the polenta and the chicken. Today I am serving this dish with spinach and toasted pine nuts. Truly Italian (lots of Italian immigrants in Brazil too).

Searing and simmering the chicken makes it tender and moist.

Braised Chicken Breast with Polenta, Tomatoes, Capers and Olives

4 Servings

Ingredients:

Tomato Sauce -

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 medium tomatoes or 2 cups diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

¼ cup chopped kalamata olives

1 tablespoon capers

Polenta -

1 cup dry polenta

3 1/2 cups water or broth

Kosher salt

Chicken -

4 chicken breasts halves (about 2 lb), skinned and cut in small fillets

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

¼ cup chicken broth

1 small rosemary spring or ½ teaspoon dried, finely chopped

Directions:

Tomato Sauce -

Place a saucepan 3/4 full of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Dip tomatoes that need to be peeled in the boiling water for 1 minute. Remove tomatoes and set aside to cool enough so that you can handle them. Gently pierce, just barely, the skin of the tomatoes with the tip of a sharp knife. Loosen the skin with the knife and peel away. Repeat with all the tomatoes. Cut peeled tomatoes in half lengthwise. Hold tomato half in your hand over a small bowl. Gently squeeze tomato half so that seeds drip into the bowl. Put the seeds and their juice through a strainer. Discard seeds, add the strained juice to the bowl of tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes with your hands leaving big pieces. Add the balsamic vinegar. Stir.

Heat olive oil onion in a medium pan in medium heat. Add onions and cook about 5 minutes, until it’s very soft and tender. Add the garlic and cook another 1 minute, stirring. Add tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add olives and capers. Keep warm.

Polenta -

Boil the water in a medium pan then drizzle the polenta and salt into the swirling water/broth. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for around 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cooking time depends on the type of polenta. Cook until the mix is thick and tender.

Chicken -

While the polenta is cooking, prepare the chicken. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add chicken, cook 3 minutes each side or until browned. Add rosemary, chicken broth. Lower the heat, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Check frequently, if liquid is evaporated add a bit more. Serve immediately.

Spoon ¼ of the hot polenta in a dish, top with the chicken and the tomato sauce.

Wilted Spinach and Toasted Pine Nuts

(3 servings)

Ingredients:

10 cups of spinach

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 oz pine nuts (handful)

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a little skillet in medium heat. Add pine nuts. Stir frequently until lightly browned.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add spinach, salt and pepper, and saute just until just wilted. Top with pine nuts and serve immediately. 

Chicken and Hearts of Palm Pie

We bought a slow cooker. I have never cooked with a slow cooker before so I tried to make a whole chicken as my first attempt. Well, it turned out overcooked, the meat got too tender! So I decided to make a chicken pie with it. Peas, tomatoes, eggs from the farm. The best brand of hearts of palm I can find here is the organic "Native Forest".

Chicken pie is an almost weekly dish at my parent’s house in Brazil. I don’t have a recipe for it, sorry. Briefly: saute onion and garlic in olive oil, add the tomato sauce (not too much) and chicken, some tomato paste, peas, heart of palm, parsley, Tabasco, salt, pepper, boiled eggs. I bought the bottom part of the pie but I made an oil pastry for the top. 2/3 cup flour, 3 tablespoons oil (I used evoo), a pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons milk. Use two wax paper sheets to open the dough. It was easy and it turned out flaky and tasty.

Japanese Style Chicken and Vegetable Curry

This Japanese style curry dish was made almost every week at my parent’s house. It’s because it can be very versatile. We can call it “Kitchen Sink Curry”, as we can use any protein or none, and any vegetables that looks good in a stew. Vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth. Cauliflower, squash, any root vegetable would be great in the dish, however, radishes, hum… not so good. The Japanese style curry is very different from the Indian or Thai one. You can buy the curry powder in most grocery stores. I like the S&B brand,  but there are many good brands and they differ somewhat in taste. For more details on Japanese curries, go to:

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/curry/a/aboutcurry.htm

Japanese Style Chicken and Vegetable Curry

6 servings

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast, diced 3/4” cubes

2 medium potatoes, diced 3/4” cubes

2 small carrots, diced ½” pices

1 Japanese eggplant, diced 1/2” cubes

1 medium zucchini, diced 3/4” cubes

1 onion, diced or 1 cup pearl onions, peeled

3 cups warm chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 - 4 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)

½ cup warm milk

3 tablespoons sour cream

Kosher salt to taste

Directions

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon butter. Saute onion until softened. If using pearl onions, cook until they start to brown. Remove the onion from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving as much butter as possible in the pan.

Add the chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until seared on all sides. Add the potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables, including the onion, stir to sweat them and add the chicken broth.

Bring to a boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make a roux out of the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour: heat butter in a small pan, add flour and stir, cooking until the flour is mixed. Add 2 tablespoons of curry powder. If more spicyness is desired, add more curry powder and/or chili powder to the roux.

Slowly add ½ cup of warm milk to the roux and mix until totally blended. Add the curry and milk mix back to the chicken and vegetables, stirring to dissolve. Check the salt.

Simmer the curry for an additional  15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken and potatoes are cooked. Check the spiciness and if needed, add the remaining curry powder and mix through. There should be a lot of sauce. Add more broth if the curry is too dry.

Serve curry with white short grain rice and chopped boiled egg to garnish (optional).