Keeping it weird

The best 5 minute dinner hack is to rub your meat of choice with your favorite spices of the moment, add some sides, and call it a meal.

Of course, the best spice blends are full of flavor and border on a little weird, because life is too short to have a boring dinner!

This particular blend is like a mole cheat in which a cocoa base is blended with herbs and heat to create warm, intricate layers of flavor that wrap around the chicken as it bakes.


If you're nervous about how well chocolate and spice go with chicken, don't worry, it's not as different as it sounds!  The cocoa flavor is really mild and acts as a blanket to help the spices stand out, but isn't overwhelming in the recipe.  Top it with mango pico and quick-pickled onions, and serve with some cheesy, chile polenta for the perfect week-night meal when you're looking for a delicious sort of different.

Recipe notes:  This was a one tissue meal for me, but if you don't have a high spice tolerance try reducing the chipotle to 1/2 a teaspoon, adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, and omitting the cayenne completely.  For the chile polenta, cooking the chiles a little longer will ensure that their heat is reduced keeping it enjoyable.

Chocolate Blackened Chicken

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 1.5 lbs of chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 T light, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 t onion powder
• 2 t chipotle, see notes.
• 1 t oregano
• 1 t chili
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/4 t cayenne, see notes.
• 1/4 t coriander
• 1 T olive oil
• Salt as needed

For the salsa:

• 1 mango, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 c cilantro leaves
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 lime, juiced

For the pickled shallots:

• 3 small shallots, thinly sliced
• White vinegar to cover
• 1 t salt
• boiling water

For the polenta:

• 2 small poblano peppers
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 3/4 c polenta
• 2  T oil
• 3 T cotija
• 1 can of red beans, rinsed well

Combine

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Bring water to a boil.  Put the shallots in a small glass container with the salt, cover with vinegar, then add about 1/2 cup of boiling water and set aside.
3. Toss together the ingredients for the salsa and set aside.
4. Stir together the spices for the chicken.  Clean the chicken, drizzle with just enough oil to lightly coat, sprinkle with a little salt on each side, then coat liberally with the spice mix.
5. Bake the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes until the internal temperature is 155 degrees Fahrenheit, then remove from the oven and let sit for 1-2 minutes.
6. While the chicken cooks, heat the oil in a small pot with tall sides until in shimmers then add the garlic and peppers and saute for 5 minutes.  Add the polenta to the pot and 3 cups of water, bring to a boil while whisking constantly then reduce to a simmer until most of the water is absorbed.  Stir in the cheese and continue whisking until cooked through adding more water if needed.  Note: the raw polenta will look distinctly spotted, when it is done cooking it will be more uniform in texture and color.
7. Plate a scoop of the polenta, top with red beans, top with a piece of chicken, garnish with mango salsa and pickled onions, and enjoy!

Smoke and Chocolate

Brownies were always a staple in my house growing up and my mom's recipe is by far the best.

They come out not too fudgy in the center with a crackly, flaky top and the best sturdy but chewy sides.  The kind of brownies that are milk's dream come true.

As with most of my mom's recipes, although she gives me the exact steps complete with footnotes, alterations, and annotations of every sort, they of course never come out exactly the way she makes them.

Thus, I am forced to make them my own.

I started by making reverting them back to the basic recipe, you know, the one that included the original ingredients like butter instead of apple butter.

Then I made several amazingly unhealthy additions, like substituting bacon fat for the butter.

Then I made them approximately seven times to weed out the "bad" variations and make one perfectly unhealthy batch of brownies.

After all the variations I tried, this recipe includes many, many recipe notes to help guide you on your own brownie adventures:

On flour: 

• Use white flour to help the flavors of smoke, chocolate, and sugar stand out.
• Use wheat flour to add some heartiness.
• Use a mix to get the best of both worlds.

On cocoa powder:

• A word for the wise - do not use store brand cocoa powder, it's not chocolaty enough.
• Ghirardelli's 100% unsweetened cocoa powder is one of my favorites for baking.
• Dutch processed cocoa powders are also a great choice.

On bacon: 

• Benton's bacon was, of course, the best for adding a smokey flavor but was, of course, the worse for the wallet.
• Canadian bacon was a huge mistake, it lacked flavor and was too chewy in the actual brownie.
• Turkey bacon is without a doubt out of the question (don't even go there).
• A hickory smoked pork bacon with an even fat to meat distribution is ideal.

On fat:

• 100% bacon fat added the most flavor but tasted a little too.... unhealthy.  It also resulted in a flakier brownie, which is not ideal.
• 100% butter makes a great fudgy brownie but doesn't achieve the same smokey flavor.
• If you are making the bacon and the brownies on the same day, make sure you melt the butter to match the liquid bacon fat - this was the best version.
• If you are making the bacon the day before, use room temperature butter too or re-melt both together.
• If you use room temperature fats, don't over-whisk them otherwise you will end up with an overly-cakey brownie.

The Unhealthiest Brownies

Ingredients

For the dry mix:

• 2/3 c wheat flour
• 1/3 c dark cocoa powder
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t cinnamon, optional
• 1/2 c dry roasted macadamia nuts, crushed
• 3/4 c white chocolate chunks
• 5 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped

For the wet mix:

• 1/4 c shortening, margarine, or butter
• 1/4 c bacon fat
• 3/4 c dark brown sugar
• 2 medium eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 T water

For the garnish:

• 1 piece of cooked bacon, chopped
• 1/2 c white chocolate chips
• 1 T chopped macadamia nuts

Combine

1. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until uniformly combined.
3. Whisk in the the nuts, chocolate chunks, and bacon and set aside.
4. In another bowl whisk the fats and sugar.
5. Add the eggs and yolk one at a time, whisking well in between.
6. Add the vanilla and water and whisk again.
7. Fold the wet and dry mixes together until well combined and pour into the baking pan.
8. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry but with some small crumbs on it.
9. Remove from the oven, then use the parchment paper to carefully pull the brownies out of the pan and onto a cooling rack.  Let sit for 15 minutes until cooled.
10. Once cooled, melt the white chocolate in a double boiler and drizzle over the top of the brownies.  Sprinkle with bacon pieces and macadamia chunks.
11. Enjoy!

If Romesco and Minestrone had a baby...

This is it!

A blend of red pepper, tomato, and balsamic make up a base bright enough to chase away those snowy skies.  Wheat berries, white beans, chard, and artichokes a heartiness that's enough to help you shed that winter pullover.

Of course, no Spanish-Italian crossover would be complete without lots of garlic, onion, crushed red pepper, paprika and saffron to spice things up.

Note: if you can handle some heat, make this soup as is and you may need a tissue.  If you can't handle heat, make this soup as is to clear out your winter cold in one serving or reduce the red pepper flakes to 1/2 a teaspoon to enjoy a little more freely!

Winter Stew with Balsamic and Chard


Ingredients

• 3/4 Soft White Winter Wheat Berries
• 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 15 oz can of tomatoes, including juice
• 1/4 c balsamic
• 1 t red pepper flakes
• 1 t black pepper
• 1 t salt
• 3 T oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pinch of saffron, crushed
• 1 t smoked paprika
• 4 cups water or broth, plus more as needed
• 1 small bunch of Swiss chard, chopped
• 1 can white beans, rinsed
• 6 artichokes, broken into leaves

Combine

1. In a small pot, cover the wheat berries in about 2-3 inches of water and boil for 15-20 minutes until starting to turn translucent.
2. Meanwhile dump the bell pepper, tomatoes with juice, balsamic, salt and pepper into a blender or food processor and puree for about 2 minutes until smooth.  Note: it doesn't have to be the consistency of a smoothie but shouldn't have very large chunks.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then add the onions and saute for 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, smoked paprika, and saffron and continue to cook for another minute or 2.
5. Add in the tomato base, wheat berries with any excess water, and 4 additional cups of water or broth, then bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
6. Simmer for 15 minutes then add the beans, artichokes, and chard and continue to cook until chard is wilted.
7. Taste and adjust for more salt if desired and enjoy!

Not Your Momma's Tuna Salad

Maybe it's the winter blues that have me dreaming of the ocean, but lately topping the list of things I'm craving is everything and anything seafood.

Sure there are many ways to get your fix but this tuna salad will also satisfy the lazy cook in all of us.

Keep this low fat by using artichokes and olives that are stored in water and vinegar or add some extra flavor by opting for marinated versions but either way keep the fennel slices as thin as possible to match the light greens.


The end result is a perfect mix of salty, sweet, and seafood goodness that's far from the mayo mess you're used to and spot on for a lazy, late afternoon lunch.


Enjoy!

Lemony Greens with Tuna, Artichokes, Fennel, and Olives

Ingredients

• 10 garlic stuffed green olives
• 6 artichoke hearts, in water or oil
• 1/2 sm. bulb of fennel, very thinly sliced
• 1 can of tuna, brand of preference
• 1 T oil or mayo
• 2-3 large handfuls of mixed greens
• 1 lemon, juiced
• black pepper, to garnish

Combine

1. Quarter the olives and break apart the artichokes.
2. Toss the tuna in just enough oil or mayo so it is barely coated to keep it from drying.
3. Toss the mixed greens in lemon juice.
4. Toss all ingredients together.
5. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and enjoy!

Note: This can be packed for lunch on-the-go but be sure to keep the tuna separate so the flavors don't over-mix.