Today I tossed a few things in the crock pot— 5 ingredients to be exact— and made the easiest, and one of the tastiest, dinners we’ve had in a while. I found this recipe on Pinterest and have seen it circling some of the food blogs. My schedule has been crazy busy lately (hence the lack of posting), but this could be easily made any night of the week.  I highly recommend it!

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

• 1 package boneless skinless chicken breasts (4-6 pieces)
• 1 16 oz. jar salsa (I used Newman’s Own Garden Medium)
• 1 package taco seasoning (I used reduced sodium McCormick)
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1/2 bell pepper, sliced

Add ingredients to the crock pot.  Fill empty salsa jar halfway with water and add to crock pot.  Give a little stir to mix in taco seasoning.  Cook 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. When chicken is done it will shred easily with 2 forks.

How easy was that?!

When chicken is done, create your tacos with some cheese, sour cream, lettuce, guacamole, etc. You could also use this chicken for enchiladas, burritos, or just eat it plain— it is that delicious!

We recently gave Slip’s Dad (otherwise known as Poppa Slip) a tagine for his birthday. A tagine is a type of North African clay dish that has a low flat bottom and a tall domed top. It can be heated on the stovetop or in the oven. We bought this beautiful number for Poppa Slip’s birthday from Williams Sonoma:

And post gifting, Poppa Slip gave us a gift by preparing a beautiful dinner for us of chicken tagine with apricots and almonds (see recipe below). I think this dish is a gorgeous gift for anyone on your list, and makes incredibly flavorful meals. The chicken with apricots was sweet and spicy, and very flavorful. I’m looking forward to trying many more dishes from this tagine!

Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds

(Recipe courtesy of Rachel)

2 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken legs (or 6 to 8 thighs and/or drumsticks or 4 breasts)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh or dry ginger
2 tsp ras al hanout
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
15 dried apricots, chopped
2 cups chicken broth (may need more or less, I prefer less)
1 cup whole almonds, toasted

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down and cook until golden-brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn and cook 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and saute until golden, 5 to 7 minutes (or a bit longer). Add garlic and ginger and stir until fragrant. Add the ral al hanout, turmeric, coriander salt and pepper and stir to combine. Return the chicken to the skillet and add the apricots and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 40 minutes. Add the almonds for the last two minutes of cooking.

Serve over couscous.

Ras El Hanout

A few months ago I made this amazingly savory and hearty Indian dish and have been waiting for the cold weather to hit so I could cook up a big batch again. It was delightfully easy, with some help from Trader Joe’s, and a perfect use of one of my favorite kitchen tools, my Le Creuset wok. I used my wok instead of a traditional Indian karahi, which is deeper and narrowed than a wok with a flat bottom. Wok worked great, if you have karahi you are awesome, but use whatever seems best from your kitchen! No matter what, this dish will warm you through and through.

Karahi Chicken with Red Curry Sauce

Adapted from Journey Kitchen

• 2 Red Onions
• 2 Tomatoes, chopped (or 15-20 grape tomatoes)
• 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1/2 Tbsp Crushed Garlic
• 1/2 Tbsp Grated Ginger
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, cut into strips
• 1-2 Cups Okra, sliced
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Tsp Red Chile Powder
• 1 Jar Trader Joe’s Masala Sauce

For the marinade:

• 1 Package Chicken Drumsticks
• 1 Package Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into strips
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/2-1 Tbsp Grated Ginger
• 1/2-1 Tbsp Crushed Garlic

1. Wash and pat dry the chicken. Toss chicken with marinade seasoning in a dish and set aside.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a wok. Add cumin and bay leaves. Once fragrant add in one red onion (sliced). Cook until onion turns pink and is softened, then add in ginger, garlic, and red chile powder.

3. Add tomatoes (I used mini heirloom tomatoes— you can substitute grape tomatoes for larger diced tomatoes) and tomato paste. Cook until tomatoes start to dissolve. Now add in jar of masala sauce.

4. Add in the chicken now and mix well, so that it is coated in sauce. Cover with lid and let chicken cook on medium- medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

5. Before chicken is completely done add in the other red onion (cubed), green pepper, and okra (you can also use frozen). Cook for 10 more minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with naan or another flatbread. Get cozy and get ready for some spice!

A few weeks ago I had a beautiful head of butterhead lettuce on hand, perfect for making lettuce cups. Lettuce cups are a great way to scoop up some of your favorite stir fry, adding in some green and crunch to your meal. It’s also super easy. Simply wash and dry your lettuce leaves, make your stir-fry, and scoop it up!

Chicken Lettuce Cups

Adapted from livelovepasta

• 2-3 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
• 2-3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cubed
• 1 Cup Mushrooms, chopped
• 1 Small Red Onion, diced
• 3-4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 Cup Frozen Vegetable Mix
• 2 Tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 Package Ramen Noodles (just the noodles)
• 1 Head Lettuce

1. Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar in a small bowl to make sauce for stir-fry. Set aside.

2. Heat 1-2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat in a wok or frying pan. Add in chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper, and cook until cooked through (this will be fast if it is cubed into small pieces). Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

3. Add 1 Tbsp oil to the pan, still on medium-high heat, and add onions and garlic to the pan. Cook until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes, then add in mushrooms and frozen vegetables. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes.

4. Add chicken back into pan, and add in stir-fry sauce. Break up the ramen noodles and add them to the pan, tossing so they get coated in the sauce. Meanwhile, wash and dry the lettuce leaves while stir-fry cooks and additional 2-3 minutes, just allowing the noodles to soften.

5. Scoop up stir-fry mixture into lettuce cups and enjoy!

Crunchy, savory, and even a little sweet. Yummy, yummy, yummy. 

Last night I had the wonderful pleasure of celebrating my good friend Amy’s wedding. Amy is always looking for good recipes, especially new chicken dishes to cook for her husband (!) Craig. I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, and what a more perfect occasion than the day after her beautiful wedding?

Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) has a great roast chicken recipe which she’s started to call Engagement Chicken. The bird got it’s moniker because because Ina met some girls at a magazine and they told her that whenever one of them made the chicken they got engaged the next day. Hence, Engagement Chicken.

The chicken is incredibly easy, and it’s always great to have roast chicken recipes on hand. They are generally simple, cheap-ish, and look gorgeous, plus usually serves 4-5 people, so good for a small get together.

Engagement Chicken

• One 4-5 lb. Roasting Chicken
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
• 2 Lemons
• 1 Whole Head Garlic, Cut in Half cross-wise
• Olive oil
• 2 Spanish Onions, Peeled and Thickly Sliced
• 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
• 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock (I use reduced sodium)
• 1 Tbsp. All-Purpose Flour

1. Pre-heat oven to 425. Remove and discard chicken giblets. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with a paper towel.

2. Generously salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Quarter the lemons and place 2 of the quarters inside the chicken, along with the garlic, reserving the rest of the lemons for later. Brush the outside of the chicken with olive oil, and also salt and pepper it. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine/string, and fold the wings under the body of the chicken. Place the chicken in a small roasting pan (if it is too big the onions will burn). In a bowl, toss together lemons, onions, salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp. olive oil, then place in pan around the chicken.

3. Roast the chicken for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the juice run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil tent, allowing to rest for 10 minutes. Leave onions and lemons in the pan to make sauce.

4. Place the pan with onions and lemons on top of the stove and turn heat the medium high. Add wine and stir to scrape up all the brown bits in the pan. Add the stock and the flour, stirring constantly for at least a minute, allowing the sauce to thicken. Carve the chicken on the platter and serve with the onions, lemons, and warm sauce.

I love this recipe so much. The sauce is rich, the chicken is incredibly juicy with a crispy skin, and the onions are incredibly delish. I served the chicken with roasted green beans and Ina’s Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter (to. die. for.) You might not actually get engaged— but you’ll at least eat really well!

One of the best— and most aromatic— things I saw in the SC farmer’s market was these chickens roasting right over the rosemary potatoes below. This food truck knew how to do it right, as they were regularly tossing the potatoes in the chicken drippings, and the fresh rosemary wafted through the air. We didn’t get a chance to try this one (we were too busy with sorbet and peaches) but we saw some people feasting on these tasty treats and they reported— pretty dang good.

To celebrate Memorial Day I decided to have a few people over and make a ton of food. I wanted to make something quintessential American, and also some really good comfort food. I’d recently been craving a staple meal from my summer camp growing up, dubbed “Yellow Meal”, by the lack of any other color on the table. Yellow Meal is comprised of chicken patties, mashed potatoes, and corn. And I gave it a new (and might I add, much more upscale) twist.

I prepared some oven-fried chicken, a healthier take on the all-American (and typically unhealthy) classic dish. My friend Ellie and I made potato salad, and SBF brought over her signature dish (and one of my favorite recipes), jalapeno cheddar cornbread. I thought I’d even spice up the yellowness of the meal by adding some other colors to the table, so I made a salad with fresh (from my CSA!) green leaf lettuce, strawberries, goat cheese, and a simple lemon vinaigrette. For dessert, sticking with the theme, I made a yellow, and delicious, dessert— old fashioned banana pudding.

All of these recipes are worth a try, and all on one table they were quite a yummy feast. The chicken is super easy to try any night of the week, especially if you keep chicken in the freezer ready to go. Here’s what you’ll need:

Oven-Fried Chicken

• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. tabasco, or other hot sauce
• 2-3 lbs. chicken, legs, wings, and breasts
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. Paul Prudhomme’s or other Cajun seasoning
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil or cooking spray

1. Whisk 1/2 cup buttermilk, mustard, garlic, and hot sauce in a shallow dish until combined. Add chicken to the dish and turn to fully coat in buttermilk. Pour 1/4 more buttermilk over the top. Cover dish and marinade in the fridge for 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Place wire rack on baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. 

3. Combine flour, sesame seeds, spices, and salt and pepper into a large sealable bag. Place a few pieces of chicken at a time into the bag and shake to coat, and place chicken on wire rack. Spray chicken with cooking spray.

4. Bake chicken until golden brown and crispy on the outside, and no longer pink in the center (cut into the thickest piece to check), about 45-50 minutes.

Chicken marinading

Chicken ready to go into the oven

And for a little bit of green— and red and white— to go with it:

Green Salad Vinaigrette

from The Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That?

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Whisk ingredients together and pour enough dressing on salad to lightly coat. Toss and enjoy!

Probably the exact opposite of a light summer gazpacho is New Orleans style chicken gumbo. It might not be “light” but oh man, is it tasty. A few weeks ago, for the premiere of one of my favorite and acclaimed TV shows, Treme, we cooked up a cajun inspired dinner, including this to-die-for gumbo.

One word of advice— if you don’t watch Treme, watch it. It is made by the same people who created The Wire (about my hometown of Baltimore), and creates a sad but meaningful portrayal of New Orleans, post-Katrina, that pulls on your heartstrings. For the foodies out there, there is a story line that includes a chef and is written in part by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. And for those who love music— this is why I watch the show. The music is incredible, dance-worthy, get-up-in-your-living-room and make-a-fool-of-yourself-in-front-of-your-friends jams, and that’s just the theme song. The showcasing of New Orleans music stars is breathtaking. And most of all, the show provides some insight into the gritty reality of what life in New Orleans has been like the past several years.

On to the gumbo. I am lucky enough that one of my dearest friends, Amelia, is a New Orleans girl, born and raised. Not only one of my most fun friends that I have ever met, she also comes with a delicious tried and true gumbo recipe. I stuck with the recipe provided, but apparently once this one is mastered you can substitute other things in to change it to your preferences, like making turkey gumbo. I have to say, this was so rich and flavorful, I want to always make it just as it’s printed! This recipe is labor intensive but the outcome is so worth it. Make sure to have a couple friends on hand to help out with the cooking and the eating.

New Orleans Style Chicken Gumbo

Serves 8 (approximately)

• Whole 3 lb chicken, cut up
• 1 lb. bacon
• 2 lbs. andouille sausage
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 whole head of pressed garlic
• 1 1/2 cups diced bell pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
• Tony Cachere or Chef Paul Prudhommes Magic Meat Seasoning
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup green onions (green part only)
• 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 tbsp. fresh thyme)
• Worcester sauce
• Frozen okra (optional)
• Rice (to serve 8)

1. Make a roux: mix flour and oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Stir, stir, stir until it becomes the color of cafe au lait or darker, and the consistency of a paste. This is the foundation of the gumbo!

2. Add all of the chopped veggies and stir. Add the garlic.

3. Meanwhile, in a small dish mix together flour (as much as you need to dredge chicken) and Paul Prudhommes seasoning (1 tbsp or more), thyme, and pepper. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture. In a skillet add up to 1 tbsp. oil and brown the chicken. Remove chicken to a plate, de-bone it, and dice it up.

4. In another pan, cook the bacon until crisp, then drain. The bacon grease can be added right to the gumbo— great flavor!

5. In another pan, cut the andouille sausage in half and then into 1/2” thick half-moons. Saute those and set aside. We used Trader Joe’s pre-cooked andouille chicken sausage, which made this part a little easier— we just added them right to the gumbo.

6. Add all the sauteed meat into the stockpot with the veggies. Add in the chicken broth and the bay leaves, stir, and simmer for an hour. 

7. While the gumbo is simmering, prepare your rice. We used our trusty rice maker to cook up 8 servings of brown rice. Cook the rice with a bay leaf and chicken broth (as opposed to water) and when it is done add some butter to the rice and fluff with a fork.

8. After the gumbo has simmered an hour you can add in the frozen okra (optional) for some extra texture and flavor. Add a dash of worcester sauce, salt, pepper, cayenne, and adjust all the seasonings to your liking. Serve a ladle of gumbo over a scoop of rice, turn up the music, throw on some beads, and enjoy!

I love bacon— it adds such wonderful layers of rich flavor. I don’t use it often but this was a great reason to add it in!

We had a whole package of drumsticks so we used those along with some bone-in breasts. Make sure to use a combination of dark and light meat for more intense flavor.

One new thing I learned— garlic, bell pepper, and celery are considered the “holy trinity” of Cajun cooking. Also, that Chef Paul Prudhomme’s seasoning is good on everything. If you can’t find either listed, substitute in Cajun seasoning of your choice.

Thanks to Amelia and her mom for this family-honored recipe. We loved it— and you will, too!

Did I mention the other delicious bites that were served up at Gladys Knight’s last weekend? Well, here’s my chance—

We started off with some fried green tomatoes served with spicy remoulade. One of my favorites whenever it’s on a menu.

For sides we had:

(L to R) Macaroni and cheese that rivaled the best in my neighborhood (Delilah’s!), collard greens, and squash casserole, Gladys’ favorite. I loved it, too!

And of course, the main course, the chicken and waffles:

Chicken and waffles has become a big trend lately, throughout the country, and I can tell you why. The unlikely combination draws on savory and sweet flavors, fluffy and crunchy textures, and just plain old tastes good together. It might be an untraditional brunch choice, but it’s showing up on menus everywhere. I say, check it out! I couldn’t eat it all the time— but it was a great Atlanta choice.

A few weeks ago we had some chicken thighs on hand— a great, cheaper piece of meat— and I wanted to make something that was sweet and savory. This recipe was simple and super tasty, something I would definitely make again. You probably have all of the ingredients on hand, and if you store some chicken thighs in your freezer you can be prepared for a full meal in a pinch. It’s also very quick to prepare, so if you’re a busy person (say, a graduate student), this is a great recipe to have filed away. Here’s what you’ll need:

Spicy Sticky Chicken Thighs

Adapted from Food on the Table

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs
2 tsp. vegetable oil
Rub:
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
Glaze:
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar

1. Combine the rub spices in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

2. Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs and pat dry with paper towel. Drizzle chicken with oil and make sure it is coated. Toss the chicken with the spice rub and make sure it is coated— don’t be afraid to use your hands!

3. Place chicken thighs on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil. Broil in the oven for 5 minutes on each side, 10 minutes total. 

4. While chicken is in the oven heat up the honey in the microwave for about 30 seconds, so it is not so thick. Mix in the cider vinegar and combine well. Brush each piece of chicken with the honey mixture and broil 3 minutes more on each side (6 minutes more, total). Watch carefully so that chicken doesn’t burn— but don’t worry, the crispy pieces are yummy! 

Serve this up with some couscous and a nice side salad. Or if you’re looking for a great dish that is kosher for Passover, serve this chicken with some quinoa (thanks for the info, Ellie!) and some veggies. Yum!