Back from a little break + lentil and coconut curry stew

We've been staying busy lately! Despite that, I've still been cooking, so do not fret, dear readers. I have some recipes up my sleeve and will be posting a few here very soon, including this great curry soup.

I got a chance to go on a solo trip down to Oregon to visit my family a little over a week ago, which was great. Great quality time. Then it was back to work, fun with friends, ultimate frisbee, tried a couple new restaurants, some "Goodwill hunting" (as Zack calls it) for some neat dishes (which the blog will definitely benefit from), and some great exploring around the Mukilteo area. Spring is coming, and life is good. And curry is always good. Which leads me to this wonderful recipe...

Lentil and coconut curry stew

As adapted from The Little Red House, who adapted their recipe from Scaling Back.

Serves 4-6, depending on serving size.

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons coconut oil 

2 cups lentils (I used a mixture of brown and red)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 large carrots, sliced

1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1 heaping tablespoon red curry paste

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup tomato paste

7 cups water

1 15-oz. can coconut milk

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Juice of two limes

Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving (optional)

Heat coconut oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper, carrot, and jalapeño. Cook until veggies are almost tender. Add garlic, ginger, curry, spices, salt, and tomato paste; continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add water, coconut milk, lentils, and chickpeas; bring to low boil and cook, uncovered, for about 25 minutes, until lentils are tender. Stir in lime juice, and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Serve with cilantro, lime wedges, and fresh, warm naan, if desired.

This soup was very delicious and comforting. I'm not sure if I got the curry paste and spice ratio completely right (the color of my soup was a little different from the pictures of The Little Red House's version). Furthermore, the recipe did not indicate how many ounces of coconut milk to use (they just said "one can," and we all know there are different sizes of cans out there), but I figured 15-oz. was probably standard? That being said, the curry stew was great, all the same. I'm betting that this would be lovely over some warm rice, although we skipped that and had some whole-wheat naan from Trader Joe's instead. 

This lentil and coconut curry has a little kick, a beautiful, complex flavor, and the lentils add such satisfying texture. It's a keeper, just may need to make some minor adjustments when it comes to ingredient amounts. If you're into curry, it's definitely worth a try. Enjoy.

Walnut and rosemary oven-baked chicken + house salad

So I kind of have a crush on Sara Forte, author of The Sprouted Kitchen - A Tastier Take on Whole Foods. My mom gave me her cookbook for Christmas, and she thought it was perfect because Sara's husband is a photographer and, naturally, does the photos for her cookbook and blog. And they cook together, and it's just so wonderful - basically, Zack and I are just like them. (Ha ha.)

Anyways. Her 'house salad' is on the cover of the cookbook and I just had to make it. It's funny because as healthy as Zack and I eat, we rarely have salads during the week. I'm big on soups and meals that can be contained in one bowl or mass, for lack of a better word. I mean, we eat a lot of veggies, but it's not very often that I am whipping up a homemade salad dressing. That's all changing. Prepare to see more salads and salad dressings. Because you really don't need to buy store-bought salad dressings. They don't taste nearly as fresh, and who know what's in them. It's never too late to switch! That's the end of my rant (and I'm a new convert too).

And along with the salad, I made a great baked chicken recipe that I've been holding onto for awhile, for a time like this. You may remember my walnut and pecan-crusted chicken breasts from awhile back, but I think this new recipe takes the cake. Or the chicken...you know. The addition of rosemary and Dijon mustard makes for great flavor, and I felt that this recipe held together a little better. Check it out.

Walnut and rosemary oven-baked chicken

As adapted from the November 2012 issue of Cooking Light.

Serves 4.

Ingredients for chicken:

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

4 (6 oz.) organic chicken breast cutlets 

Heaping 1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Heaping 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons grated fresh parmesan cheese

3/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray

Rosemary leaves (optional, for garnish)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk together buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat. Toast panko in a pan over medium heat until golden, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Combine toasted panko, nuts, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in another shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture, discarding buttermilk, and dredge through panko mixture, turning to coat. Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray. Arrange chicken cutlets on rack and bake for 13-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Garnish with rosemary leaves, if desired, and serve.

The house salad

As adapted from Sprouted Kitchen - A Tastier Take on Whole Foods.

Serves 4.

Ingredients for salad:

1 large head (or two small heads) butter lettuce (I used one green and one red/purple)

1 small jicama, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch matchsticks (roughly, 1/2-3/4 cup)

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

1 cup large shavings Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago cheese (I got mine from Trader Joe's)

Ingredients for house dressing:

2 1/2 tablespoons creme fraiche

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

1 scallion, white part only, finely chopped

2 tablespoons good apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To make dressing, whisk together creme fraiche, olive oil, and honey. Add scallion, vinegar, salt, and pepper; whisk to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Gently pull lettuce leaves from the head, making sure they are dry. Gently toss the leaves and jicama with the dressing (if saving two servings for lunch the next day, only toss half of the salad with dressing). Assemble leaves in a stack for each serving, largest leaves on bottom to create a base. Garnish each salad with a quarter of the pomegranate seeds and cheese shavings. Serve immediately.

First of all, this chicken is great. Like I said before, the rosemary and Dijon add such great flavor, and the combination of nuts and panko make for great crunch. Furthermore, the crumb coating holds together really well. A great alternative to your usual chicken breast.

Secondly, I've never really used butter lettuce before, but it has such a smooth texture while maintaining a good crunch. You could also use bibb lettuce. And given that your lettuce leaves are clean and dry, the house dressing clings on beautifully. This dressing is like a vinaigrette, but the creme fraiche brings the thinnest amount of creaminess. It is really good, and very different. Plus, I had never had jicama before; it is mild, but adds a wonderful crunch to the salad. And come on - we all love pomegranate seeds. They're a juicy explosion of flavor. Right?

Check back here soon for some pot pie action. Cheers. 

Carrot soup with crisped chickpeas and pita wedges

I love pureed soups. I think mainly because I grew up on pureed "root" vegetable soup, carrot soup, and other varieties that my mom made famously. They're kind of gourmet, I think. However, I can't help but feel a little strange when I, personally, serve them. It's like, "here's a bunch of pureed vegetables - by the way, it's soup, not baby food." Anybody else identify with this?

When I saw this Smitten Kitchen recipe for carrot soup, however, I was drawn to the wonderful spices used, in addition to the crisped chickpea topping. Plus, I love the pitas on the side. I was sold. And rightfully so. This recipe is really delicious, and Zack loved it too.

Now, I will say up front that this recipe calls for a lemon-tahini dollop to be lightly stirred into the soup right before serving. I love this idea, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy a large jar of tahini, just to use 3 tablespoons. Done that before, and my $8.00 jar of tahini sat in the fridge and expired. I just don't use it often enough to warrant purchasing a large amount; where are the small jars of tahini out there? It's like tomato paste; you only need a little bit.

Carrot soup with crisped chickpeas and pita wedges

As adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients for soup:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds organic carrots, washed and diced, or thinly sliced

1 large onion, finely chopped

4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

Heaping 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional if needed

1/4-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional if needed

Heaping pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

4 cups vegetable stock

Ingredients for chickpeas:

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry on paper towels

1 heaping tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Ingredients for pita wedges:

A few large whole-wheat pitas, sliced into wedges

Extra-virgin olive oil, to brush pitas

Sesame seeds, to sprinkle on pitas

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes; sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss chickpeas with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and cumin until coated. Spread them on rimmed baking sheet and roast until brown and crisp, 10-20 minutes depending on size and firmness of chickpeas. Toss occasionally during baking. Once vegetables in soup pot begin to brown, add stock, using it to scrape up any browned bits on bottom of pot. Cover pot and simmer until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally about 30 minutes. Spread pita wedges on same baking sheet used for chickpeas, or a second baking sheet if chickpeas are still toasting. Brush pitas lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, salt, pepper, and parsley, and toast until brown at edges, about 5 minutes. Puree soup with an immersion blender once carrots are tender, until smooth. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with some crisped chickpeas, garnish with leftover chopped parsley, and serve with pita wedges.

Pretty fancy weeknight meal, right? But so easy. Really, the hardest part was chopping 2 pounds of carrots. Maybe do that ahead of time if you are able to and want to cut back on "prep" time.

First of all, the soup is incredible. Even by itself. I love the combination of spices with the carrot. I've actually been adding a bit more spice than called for to all of my recipes lately because I find that it kicks the heat up a notch and just adds flavor. Hence, the "heaping" being added to my ingredient lists, as seen above. This may or may not be your thing, but do play around with it.

Secondly, crisped chickpeas are great. I've seen a recipe for crisped chickpeas that uses cayenne in Power Foods, and I've wanted to try it (for an appetizer, snack, etc.), but honestly I thought Zack would think they were weird. On the contrary, he loved the ones used in this recipe. They're just delicious to munch on.

Lastly, sesame seeds on pitas is like the most wonderful thing ever. I will definitely be doing that again. These pita wedges would be so great served with hummus or any other vegetable dip for an appetizer or snack, again.

All in all, this meal was so successful and one that I will make again and again. Another meatless recipe success also. Who would have thought? Cheers!

Chipotle sweet potato, black bean, and guacamole tacos

If you've been reading here for long at all, you know that I love sweet potatoes. And Zack and I love fresh, homemade tacos.

As I've mentioned before, I've become a little interested in the meatless Monday movement. New studies are showing that going meatless one day per week has benefits for a healthier heart. This week, however, I decided to take the idea a step further and go meatless for the week. Mainly because we kind of overindulged last weekend (think burgers, gyros, pizza - not all at once though). Ha ha. And I'm not saying I'm about to become a vegetarian - I love meat. But this week needed to be healthy and wholesome; veggies and grains and spices were calling me. This taco recipe, that I found on a blog through Pinterest, was the perfect way to kick off the week.

Chipotle sweet potato, black bean, and guacamole tacos

As adapted from Naturally Ella.

Serves 4.

Ingredients for tacos:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 15-oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained

2 chipotles in adobo sauce, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons adobo sauce

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

1 heaping tablespoon honey

Juice from 1 lime

8-10 6-inch tortillas, preferably corn or whole-wheat, or combination

Ingredients for guacamole:

2 avocados

1/2 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 serrano pepper, diced

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Juice from 1 lime

2 small tomatoes, diced

Handful of fresh cilantro, plus additional for garnish

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add onions and cook until onions begin to soften, 3-4 minutes. Stir in sweet potatoes and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Combine the chipotles, adobo sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, honey, and lime juice in a small bowl. Pour into the skillet with the sweet potatoes and reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally and cooking until sweet potatoes soften, 15-20 minutes. Stir in black beans towards the end of cooking to heat through. While sweet potatoes cook, pulse onions, garlic, serrano pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and lime juice in a food processor; pulse until combined but still a bit chunky. Scoop out insides of avocados, add to food processor, and blend until desired smoothness is reached. Fold in tomato and cilantro. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed. To serve, spread a spoonful of guacamole onto the middle of tortillas, sprinkle about 3 heaping tablespoons of sweet potato mixture onto guacamole, and top with fresh cilantro.

Zack and I have discovered that sweet potatoes are an amazing ingredient to use for tacos. They have incredible color and flavor, and you tend to forget they are replacing your meat of choice because they are so hearty and filling. The chipotles and adobo sauce add this amazing smokiness that I was not expecting. Plus, you can't go wrong with homemade guacamole. I added the crushed red pepper flakes and a bit more of the chile peppers than called for in both the taco mixture and guacamole because Zack and I like a bit of heat.

We saved the components of this recipe separately for better freshness for lunch the next day, and it did not disappoint. If you have not tried sweet potatoes in your tacos, you must. You will be surprised and delighted. They are perfection. And we all like it when the stars align to create a little perfection in our kitchens and cooking. Am I right, or am I right? Cheers.

Green herb shrimp with zucchini couscous

It's my ongoing quest to, slowly but surely, like seafood more and more. I can't say I've always been the biggest fan. As a kid, I really disliked the smell of seafood. Walking through the seafood isle at the grocery store was a struggle. Annual family vacations to the Oregon coast often consisted of trips to the fresh seafood market - where I would wait outside and try to avoid the wafts of oysters, crab, and goodness-knows what else with scales. Clam chowder was always a terrifying mystery...there could be a big chunk of rubbery clam in there that I don't know about! That being said, I have grown-up a little (I think), and I'm more openminded when it comes to seafood.

Being willing to try various seafood is one thing; cooking it is another. Hence, I thought it was time to cook some shrimp. The big ones. With tails. Make fun if you want to...I know it does not sound like a big feat, but I was proud of myself. (Ha.)

Now. I was drawn to this recipe because the shrimp are marinated and coated in a green herb sauce, which sounded like the perfect thing. Plus, basil, feta, zucchini...what a wonderful combination.

Green herb shrimp with zucchini couscous

As adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen - A Tastier Take on Whole Foods.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups diced zucchini (about 4 medium)
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat couscous
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
Heaping 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for herb sauce:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 green onions, white and light green parts, chopped
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 2 limes

In a food processor, combine all sauce ingredients and blend until fairly smooth with a few herb flecks. Put half of the sauce in a bowl along with the shrimp and set aside to marinate for 1 hour, reserving the other half of the sauce. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and sauté until edges are browned, 8-10 minutes. Cook couscous according to package instructions. Transfer couscous to large mixing bowl and add zucchini, remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the basil, crushed red pepper flakes, feta, and vinegar. Toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat a large skillet (or alternatively, a grill) over high heat. Cook shrimp until they just turn pink, flipping halfway through, about 6 minutes. Toss cooked shrimp in remaining herb sauce and serve with zucchini couscous.

Well. I can say that I learned something by making these shrimp. My amateur tidbit is this: if you are going to cook shrimp that are coated in sauce, make sure to remove any excess sauce instead of dragging them through additional sauce, prior to cooking. That way, your sauce won't cook faster than your shrimp. I think this could definitely be applied to cooking any fish or meat in sauce. Just a good tip. Maybe I'm alone on this one, but it was a lesson that I had to learn.

In conclusion, this shrimp was delicious. The herb sauce is so colorful and vibrant, and could really be used on other types of fish as an alternative. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. I actually enjoyed these shrimp. And I don't always enjoy shrimp. Shrimp lovers and not so very shrimp-loving readers, this recipe will not disappoint. Give it a try.

Hearty spinach and chickpea soup with turkey

Since I had "mushroom success" with my winter greens and mushroom pasta, I decided to give mushrooms another go. I had tried this recipe before, omitting the mushrooms and adding ground turkey as a protein instead. The soup was wonderful the first time. I find that some good ground turkey adds amazing flavor to soups. Anyways, I decided to make this again with both the turkey and mushrooms.

For some reason, this soup has sort of an Asian feel to me, but that is somewhat strange because it also has dried rosemary and calls for grated parmesan as garnish. Whatever feel you get from this soup, it is a really solid recipe and one that I know I will be going back to again and again. And Zack loves it too.  And it's a nice detour from my usual, go-to tomato-based chilies. 

Plus, you can be assured that this soup is good for you. According to Power Foods, mushrooms are "bursting with compounds that can reduce cholesterol and improve immunity." I didn't realize, but apparently they have not only nutritional benefits, but curative abilities also. I know, it sounds a little hokey-pokey, but they've been shown to have antioxidant and cancer-fighting properties. Guess I'll be cooking with mushrooms more often. And we all know spinach is wonderful - vitamin K, anyone? Lastly, brown rice offers up the antioxidant vitamin E, B vitamins, and plenty of fiber. There's your nutritional overview.

Hearty spinach and chickpea soup with turkey

As adapted from Power Foods - 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup short-grain brown rice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4-1 pound ground turkey

8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps cleaned and thinly sliced (4 cups)

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock

1/2-3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

8-10 ounces baby spinach

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 ounces (1/2 cup) grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Bring the water to boil in a saucepan. Sir in brown rice, return to boil, and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed all liquid, 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Push onion and garlic to edges of pot, add additional olive oil if necessary, and add ground turkey to middle of pot. Break up turkey into chunks with a spoon, then add dried rosemary, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, mixing to combine. Cook turkey until it is browned and just about cooked through, mixing in the cooked onion and garlic. Add mushrooms, gently stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to boil. Stir in rice and chickpeas; return to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and continue cooking 5 minutes more to allow flavors to blend. Stir spinach into hot soup immediately before serving and sprinkle with parmesan, if using. 

This soup was actually a little exploratory for me because I had to shift around the original instructions a bit to incorporate the ground turkey and mushrooms. I also added the crushed red pepper flakes for a bit of heat, and chose to add the spices sooner (since I wanted them to really penetrate and flavor the ground turkey). I also "eye-balled" my rosemary and red pepper flake measurements, adding a bit more than called for, to compensate for the added turkey. What can I say, maybe I'm starting to make some of my own judgement calls and am becoming some sort of cook. (Ha ha.)

This is a great, wholesome soup with wonderful flavor. Try it and enjoy! We did.

Chili with turkey and beans

Everyone loves a good chili. Although Cooking Light's beef and beer chili is one of our go-to favorites, this Power Foods chicken chili is a contender. However, I make it with ground turkey instead of chicken pieces, just because I often have ground turkey on hand in the freezer. I also feel like the ground turkey adds some really great flavor.

Also. Be warned. This chili will make your kitchen smell like a fiesta. I take that back - it will make your whole house smell like a fiesta. Especially if you live in a small house or an apartment, for that matter. I mean, Zack walked in after work and was overcome by this simmering goodness coming from our stove. Furthermore, when I got to work the next morning, I realized that I smelled like chili because I had thrown on the same sweatshirt that I had worn while I was cooking the night before. That went in the wash pretty quick. It did smell good, but it kind of reeked of onion and the smells of cumin and chiles. You get the picture: delicious, but very fragrant.

Chili with turkey and beans

As adapted from Power Foods - 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

2 onions, finely chopped (about 3 cups)

5 garlic cloves, coarsely minced

1 green (or red, orange, yellow, etc.) bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped

1 3/4 pounds ground turkey

2 teaspoons chili powder

A heaping pinch of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 dried bay leaf

1 can (28 ounces) chopped tomatoes

1 can (4 ounces) green chiles, drained and finely chopped

2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cans (15 ounces each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt, for garnish (optional)

Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and cumin seeds over medium, stirring, until cumin is lightly toasted and aromatic, about 1 minute. Add onions, garlic, and bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft and lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Push onion mixture to edges of pot, add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, and increase heat to medium-high. Add ground turkey, chili powder, cayenne, and oregano; cook until turkey is browned and cooked through, breaking into chunks and stirring until spices are evenly spread throughout. Add bay leaf to pot, then add tomatoes and their juice and green chiles; stir to combine. Bring to simmer. Add stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and beans; season with pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to simmer again. Stir, reduce heat to medium-low, and gently simmer, uncovered, until bean mixture thickens, about 45-50 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with yogurt and/or cilantro leaves, as desired.

Evidently, this chili has a lot of ingredients, many of which could be played around with. You could switch out the turkey for chicken or ground beef, and you could also try different varieties of beans. I would normally use green bell pepper for this recipe, but they were out at the grocery store, so I threw in a combination of orange and yellow. The options are endless!

If you need a good, but healthful chili, this one is great. Here's to good and wholesome comfort food. Cheers.

Thyme-scented roast chicken + chopped salad

This last week, I found a recipe for this wonderful-looking, complex salad from The Sprouted Kitchen. This is another cooking blog that I have grown to love and also treat as a mentoring blog, similar to The First Mess. It has a few of my favorite things (a.k.a. quinoa, sweet potatoes, and apples), so I had to try it. Thus, I was trying to think of what I would make with it, so I perused through some of my cookbooks for ideas.

Lately, I have been all about making things that I could easily buy pre-made at the store. Or using ingredients that have an easy substitute, but instead pushing myself to not use the substitute, such as using actual cardamom pods not ground cardamom spice. So when I saw a recipe for roasted chicken from Nordstrom Flavors, it was just the ticket.

I had never roasted a whole chicken before. I don't know why. I guess I was afraid of what I might find inside. (Ha ha.) I think it's similar to my not really wanting to deal with a whole fish. Eyeballs, skin and scales...it just frightens me a little. It's just a little too close to the real (alive) thing. Well, now that I have kind of embarrassed myself (and am now sort of accountable to tackling a bigger challenge in the future), we should talk more about the chicken.

Are there meals or foods, or even specific scents that just remind you of someone or somewhere? I think a lot of people could list such examples. For me, roasted chicken reminds me of Nana, my grandma on my mom's side. When I was little, I can remember her roasting chicken. I don't know how she did it; I was too young to have any comprehension of the ways of cooking, but I remember it smelled so good. Furthermore, I remember my favorite part was the crispy chicken skin. The funny thing is I don't tend to gravitate towards fatty things or fatty parts of things. I trim the fat off everything. But chicken skin is one thing I can't stay away from. It's just so nostalgic. It's perfect. She would always give me the chicken legs to gnaw on; it was my favorite part. That and a cold can of 7-Up from the garage refrigerator with a straw. It was the greatest.

I guess this chicken, my first whole roasted chicken, is dedicated to Nana. I miss her and am sometimes caught off guard when I am reminded of her through random, little things. Like this.

Thyme-scented roasted chicken

As adapted from Nordstrom Flavors - An Artful Celebration of Food

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

Extra-virgin olive oil for preparing the roasting rack

1 bunch fresh thyme, about 25 sprigs

10 garlic cloves

1 whole chicken (about 4 1/2 lbs.), preferably organic

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, quartered lengthwise

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil roasting rack and place in a roasting pan. Chop enough thyme leaves to measure 1 tablespoon; reserve stripped stems and remaining sprigs. Mince 3 garlic cloves; cut each of remaining 7 garlic cloves in half. Season cavity of chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stuff cavity with reserved thyme stems and sprigs, garlic halves, and lemon quarters. In a small bowl, stir together oil, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, chopped thyme, and minced garlic. Spread oil mixture evenly over the outside of the chicken. Place chicken, breast side down, on the prepared rack in the roasting pan. Roast chicken for 30 minutes. Turn chicken, breast side up, and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone reads 170-175 degrees F, about 1 hour and 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Carve and serve.

Chopped salad with quinoa, sweet potatoes, + apples

As adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen - A Tastier Take on Whole Foods, who "barely" adapted their recipe from the November 2012 issue of Food & Wine

Serves 6.

Ingredients for salad:

2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 lb. sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large apples (granny smith, fuji, honey crisp, etc.), diced

8 cups packed baby greens (spinach, arugula, kale, red romaine, etc.)

1/8 cup flat leaf parsley

1/4 of a medium red onion, thinly sliced

Ingredients for dressing:

1/4 cup good-quality apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons whole-grain dijon mustard

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle olive oil in a pot and add quinoa to toast over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/3 cups water and bring to boil. Turn down to simmer, cover, and cook for about 15-18 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff quinoa and cool (be sure to place in a cool place - don't want your greens to wilt when you add the quinoa later). On a rimmed baking sheet, diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake in upper third of oven for about 30 minutes, until golden. Remove and allow to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and pinch of salt and pepper. Add cooled quinoa, potatoes, apples, greens, parsley, and onion. Toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Note: everything can be prepared in advance, kept in bags, and then tossed together when time for dinner, lunch the next day, etc.

I loved this salad. Again, as previously mentioned, it is complex with so many textures and flavors. If you're not a big fan of apple cider vinegar (it can be pungent), you may opt to use some other type of vinegar, such as red wine vinegar. Sara, from The Sprouted Kitchen, used this as a holiday salad; I definitely think it would be wonderful for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Or any other time of year for that matter. Give it a try. 

And the roasted chicken. There's nothing like a home-roasted chicken. The flavor is immense and wonderful. I'll be making it again. And you should too. Cheers.