Salt Chicken

While walking home from the train station, hangry bitch face in full effect as I tried to dream up something wonderful to make for dinner, the savior voice of my conscious reminded me of salt chicken.

 

In my post-veg years this is one that has quickly become my go-to dinner, and although some might argue it's not truly a "recipe" since it's never been made the exact same way twice, it has a pretty scientific set of steps to follow:

Start with a foundation of chicken surrounded by garlic, whether it be powdered, minced, a roasted spread, or a little of all three.  Build up the plate with lots of complex greens like kale, full grown spinach, fresh arugula, or rainbow chard to give it some substance.  Then top it off with some flavorful additions that are salty, spicy, or sweet: like olives, artichokes, capers, red pepper flakes, carmelized onions, and red bell peppers.

 

The combination is versatile so it can be tossed with pasta or used to decorate a plate of polenta similar to this dish, but it brings enough flavor to the table to make it a delicious stand alone dish too.

 

Now that you know how to make this super crave worthy dish, the only thing left to question is the super blog worthy name!

 

Garlic Chicken and Kale Saute

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 3 chicken breasts, halved
• 1 T oil
• 1 t salt
• 2 t garlic
• 2 t onion
• 2 t mustard
• 1/2 t red pepper

For the saute:

• 1 sweet onion, sliced
• 3 lg cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 T olives, chopped
• Olive oil, salt, and pepper as needed
• Optional:
• 1/4 c crushed artichokes

Combine

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  When its shimmering, drop the onions into the pan and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, coat the chicken with olive oil, sprinkle liberally with salt, then with the spices.  Scatter on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping the pieces once half way through.
4. When the onions start to get carmely but not browned, add 2 tablespoons of water and cook for 10 more minutes.  Add the garlic and red pepper and saute for another 10 minutes.
5. Toss in the olives and artichokes until well mixed and warmed.
6. Plate a heaping spoonful of the saute, top with chicken, 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.

The Almost Salmonella Story

Almost, but not quite.


This story is not really about salmonella.  It's about a signature saute, one that I've enjoyed countless times with numerous variations including the vegetarian version that started it all, that somehow came out... a little different.


The delicious flavors were there but something was very wrong.


I started to slow down as I chewed, started to inspect the meat for traces of pink: was it overcooked? Undercooked?  Although I was in denial that my trusty thermometer - the one I use for temp checks every time I cook meat - could have lead me astray, I tossed out the remainder of my plate then bravely placed the rest of the baked chicken back in the oven.  Several extra degrees later the now dry and rock solid chicken was most certainly overcooked... but still.... wrong.


A week of paranoia ensued, and as I waited for salmonella, or bird flu, or something to hit I desperately researched possible explanations of my weird chicken experience.  The paranoia quickly evaporated: this chicken was plumped.


My vegetarian past-life flashed before my eyes: I was equally grossed out about eating a half-fake chicken and ashamed at having purchased such a sad thing so naively.  Although I still eat a majorly vegetarian diet, meat has become a welcome part of my diet again too.  It's made recovering from workouts easier, absorbing vitamins more possible, and honestly, it's made meals more exciting and enjoyable.


So this may not be a story about salmonella and the moral of the story isn't that I'm going to cut meat out of my diet again, but it's more of a story about how we're not always getting what we think we're buying.  I don't think it's a sustainable solution to cut everything scary or questionable out of my diet so I am determined to find a middle ground.  Technically saline is "not really" a harmful additive, but the knowledge that my chicken needed a saline-botox to look healthy and edible is really gross!  Luckily, I've discovered companies have to mark altered products, so in addition to checking for notes about use of hormones, additives, preservatives, and dyes we can also check the label for notes about salt content, or use of brine or broth.  I've had a lot of luck with  both the quality and price of Stop and Shop's in house organic and natural brands as well as Halal butchers and will probably stick to them for "safer" purchases, especially after finding that Whole Foods plumps too.


Be aware of what you're buying but don't give up - you can find un-altered chicken and once you do you can make this recipe.  Sounds like a moral to the story and a reward!

Balsamic Chicken and Chard with Polenta

Ingredients

• 1 lb of chicken breasts
• Olive oil, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar
• 4 cl garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 bunch chard, chopped
• 1/2 c olives, sliced
• 1 c sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 c polenta + 4 c water + a pinch of salt

Combine

1. Cut any extra fat off the chicken, let marinate in balsamic vinegar for ~20 minutes, then drain, lightly oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. While you wait preheat your over to 350 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, prep your veggies, bring 4 cups of salted water to boil in a small pot with tall sides, and heat a little oil in a skillet.
3. Toss the chicken in the oven and let bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
4. Saute the onion in a pan for 5-7 minutes until turning translucent and golden.
5. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes.
6. Add the chard, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes and saute until the chard is just wilted.
7. Meanwhile bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil and add the polenta.  Stir constantly as it thickens and add more water if necessary until it is pale yellow and thickened throughout.
8. Top a bed of the cooked polenta with chard and chicken.  Drizzle with extra balsamic if desired and enjoy!

A Leap of Faith

Moving to Brooklyn on a leap of faith has meant a month filled with lots and ups and downs and running around

 Back and forth from MA to NY, back to back interviews, and back to not having a grocery routine has left me grabbing granola bars for lunch and protein shakes for dinner.

Somewhere between endless errands and escaping the sweaty subway with my pencil skirt stuck to me, I managed to explore the endless markets in my area and sit down for a savior of a meal.

This tabbouleh is your standard recipe topped with roasted tomatoes and seasoned, roasted chickpeas for a little extra twist and a welcome back to the grind!

Roasted Tomato and Chickpea Tabbouleh

Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed very well
• 2 t turmeric
• 2 t oregano
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1 t olive oil
• 1 c bulgur + boiling water as needed
• 3/4 c shallots, finely chopped
• 3/4 c english cucumber, chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 c olives, sliced
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, stemmed and chopped
• Feta, salt, pepper, as desired

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and boil some water.
2. Toss the cherry tomatoes, oil, and vinegar together until well combined and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Scatter the tomatoes on baking sheet number one and start roasting - these need a total of 20-35 minutes of roasting.
3. Toss the chickpeas with the turmeric, oregano, pepper, and oil and scatter on baking sheet number two - these need just 10 minutes total of roasting so you can put them in when the tomatoes are half way done, or put them in now and remember to take them out.
4. While you wait cover the bulgur with boiling water until the water line is two inches higher than the bulgur.  Set aside for 15 minutes.
5. Wash and chop the shallots, cucumber, olives, and parsley.  Toss with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
6. Drain any excess water from the bulgur then toss it with the parsley mixture,
7. Top with chickpeas, tomatoes, and feta and enjoy!

Hope & Olive

Hope & Olive is one of the few things that makes a trip to Greenfield worth it.

They have creative drinks, an exciting ambiance mellowed by relaxing lighting and decor, pleasant attentive servers who are not overbearing, and, of course, so many delicious sounding meals that it's hard to settle on one to actually get.  

That exact problem was solved by creating this dish.

 While there I enjoyed a dish that I was not confident I could make on my own, then brought the flavor inspo of my second-choice-dish home so I could try making it myself.

Let me tell you, the results of the experiment did not disappoint!

This is a perfect summer recipe: herbs greet you on your first bite and lemons fills in for the finish.  The salad is refreshingly light as the salty feta and olives are matched by cool cucumber and tomatoes, with the nutty quinoa and hearty kale creating a structured background.

Make this dish at your own risk - it's so good you'll want to eat it every day.

Herb and Lemon Crusted Chicken with Mediterranean Quinoa

(inspired by Hope and Olive)

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cleaned (or Salmon)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 t oregano
• 1 t basil
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper
• 1/2 t coriander
• 1/4 t cumin
• 1/2 t garlic
• 1 lemon, sliced

For the Quinoa

• 1 c dry quinoa + 2 cups water
• 1 T basil
• 1 T oregano
• salt and pepper
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 C grape tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 can olives
• 1/2 c seedless cucumber, diced
• 4-6 leaves kale, chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 4 T feta
• Balsamic reduction, to taste

Combine

1. Place the chicken in a dish with the lemon juice and let marinate for ~30 minutes while refrigerated.
2. While you wait mix the oregano, basil, peppers, coriander, cumin, garlic, and salt together; wash and chop your veggies; preheat your oven or grill to 350 degrees; and line a baking sheet.
3. Use a fork to remove the chicken from the lemon bath, letting excess juice drip off.  Brush the chicken with a little olive oil, then sprinkle with the herb mixture until the pieces are well coated.  Cook the chicken and lemon slices until cooked through.
4. While it cooks bring the water, quinoa, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and oil to a boil until the water is level with the quinoa, then reduce to a low simmer and cover until no water remains and quinoa is completely cooked.  Fluff the quinoa with a fork and let cool slightly.
5. In a large mixing bowl toss the quinoa with the tomatoes, olives, cucumber, kale, shallot, and feta.  Drizzle with balsamic reduction.
6. Plate the quinoa, top with chicken, and enjoy!

Seven Sisters Summer Salad

Weather in Massachusetts has been influencing my meals in a weird sort of way.

Summer weather was here last week with an unbearable heat wave that inspired me to cut carbs and douse everything I was putting in my mouth with balsamic.  One week later freezing temperatures rolled through that had me pulling out my winter blanket and craving warmer flavors.

Not knowing what change in tastes the next week would bring I decided to clash my cravings and create a summer salad with hints of winter flavors.  Arugula, feta, and balsamic bring the light, bright flavors of summer weather but here they welcomed the warmer flavors of roasted red peppers, carmeley onions, and olives to bring a meal that won't throw you off the summer diet while shaking off the chill settling in your apartment.

Bonus: if you pack the ingredients upside down in a tupperware, it also packs as a great prepped lunch!  I layer mine: balsamic + oil, chickpeas, olives, capers, peppers, onions, cheese, arugula.

Seven Sisters Salad

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

• 1/2 large vidalia or sweet onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 3-4 big handfuls of arugula
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 T capers
• 1/2 can black pitted olives, chopped
• Olive oil as needed
• 2 T Balsamic vinegar per salad
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 T feta per salad, crumbled

Combine:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.
2. Core the bell pepper then slice into 1/2 inch strips.  Brush with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Slice the onion into 1/3 - 1/2 inch strips, brush with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Scatter the pepper and onions around the baking sheet and roast for 30-45 minutes until the onions are turning clear and the peppers are starting to blacken around the edges.  Every 15-20 minutes flip the veggies so that they don't burn, and rotate the baking sheet when you return it to the oven.
5. Toss the arugula with balsamic and a little olive oil until coated.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then toss again with the chickpeas, olives, capers, and veggies.
7. Top with crumbled feta and enjoy!