Vermouth Chicken

NOTE: This post was scheduled by Daniel Saraga of Haggis and Herring before he suddenly passed away.  We have decided to ensure his scheduled posts continue.  Daniel's wife Meredith posted her eulogy.  Please read more about our wonderful Daniel.

I guess my friends and I are at that age when our parents are starting to get older and are moving out of houses they've occupied for 30+ years and into smaller places – apartments, condos or otherwise. You can imagine the fun of emptying a lifetime of accumulated stuff from basements. I'm not looking forward to helping out with that task when the time comes.

Our good friend, Dr. Karen, has been on such a mission for the last few weeks. Back in July, she uncovered a case of Vermouth which her father apparently "bought for next to nothing - practically free!" What on Earth was she going to do with it? Why, call up her friends and ask them what they'd do with a bottle, of course!

I immediately said "I'd cook with it," and started to look up what exactly Vermouth was, aside from one of the ingredients in a Martini.

To my surprise, I learned that Vermouth is actually a fortified wine, so it doesn't last long once opened. It really needs to be kept in the fridge once the seal is broken, and tossed after six months.

Now put up your hand if you or your parents have a half-empty bottle of Vermouth sitting in your liquor cabinet that's at least 14 years old. You should throw that out.

I also read that Vermouth can be used as a substitute for red wine in savoury dishes, and quickly found a recipe for Vermouth chicken. Not being satisfied with the original recipe, I rewrote it and adjusted many ingredients, including upping the amount of sauce (both literally and figuratively) and adding olives – you could just smell that it was begging for olives, seriously.

We served the chicken with baked potatoes, however, I think we'll serve it with rice next time.

Dr. Karen made her own, mostly following this recipe,
using less onion, putting the olives on top
afterwards, and serving it on top of spatzele,
a German pasta.

Vermouth Chicken

2 tbsp olive oil
1 kilo chicken legs
1 red onion, sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt (if tomatoes are unsalted)
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
1 cup dry Vermouth
1 can diced tomatoes
250g mushrooms
1/4 cup olives, sliced
1 small can (150ml) tomato paste

1. Heat olive oil on medium in a deep pan and brown chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add onions, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and saute for 5-8 minutes.
3. Add the Vermouth and quickly scrape any remains of chicken from the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
5. Add back chicken, reduce to medium, cover and let simmer for 25 minutes, turning chicken after 10 minutes.
6. Stir in tomato paste, add olives and reduce to medium-low. Cover and let simmer for another 5 minutes.
7. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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Chicken Tikka Pie

A Friday in May ended up being a long day. By the afternoon, I was ready to get the heck out of the office and get moving on dinner. My original plan was to make a chicken dish using some leftover white wine, however, my friend Hungry Jenny changed my mind.

Jenny had published a porky tikka pie for her regular Friday Pie Day feature, and I loved the idea. It's just what we needed for dinner. Of course, I wanted chicken (since it's Friday), and I had a couple of ideas for minor changes to make it my own, but really, it's Jenny all the way.

My mini Corningware set isn't nearly as nice as Jenny's proper ceramic English pie plates, but they still held together, and it tasted great. I'm so glad I tried it out, and I'm sure I'll be making it again (if I'm not trying yet another of her pies.

Chicken Tikka Pie

1/2 kilo chicken, bonless, skinless, cubed
2 tbsp garam masala
2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
2+2 tbsp olive oil
2 large tomatoes, cubed (around 500g)
2 cups mushrooms, sliced (around 150g)
1 medium onion, diced (around 100g)
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp sliced almonds
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
4 medium potatoes (around 750g), peeled, chopped and boiled
2 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup milk
(4 small ceramic pie plates)

1. In a large bowl, combine the garam masala, paprika, ginger, garlic and 2 tbsp oil, and whisk together using a form. Add the chicken, mix well and leave for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees
3. In a large pan on medium heat, add the remaining oil. Brown chicken in oil for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms and onion, and stir.
5. Add the ketchup and almonds and let simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Transfer mixture into four individual pie dishes.
6. Add the turmeric and milk to potatoes and mash together. Spoon potato mixture evenly atop each pie dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the potato begins to brown on top.

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Cincinnati-style Buffalo Chicken Chili

Yes, another chili recipe. This one is mostly from scratch, tho. Inspired by a combination of different recipe concepts and what I happened to have available.

My original plan was to make buffalo chicken chili. However, we didn't have any bleu cheese. Not completely foiled, cheddar would still do. I also didn't have a proper wing sauce, so I used hot pepper sauce and compensated by frying the vegetables in butter instead of oil.

Then the issue of what to serve with it arose. We've had a lot of rice lately, so I suggested pasta. Of course, chili served on pasta and topped with cheese is really Cincinnati-style, so suddenly Cincinnati and Buffalo had to hash it out.

I thought the sauce turned out a little thin, however, I opted to not add any tomato paste. I also thought that the chili needed more spice. I added additional sauce when I served it. It could simply be because of the sauce I used. I'll leave it up to your own personal tastes.

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Cincinnati-style Buffalo Chicken Chili

by Daniel Saraga June-8-2012

Cincinnati chili is served on pasta and topped with lots of cheese. It's a great alternative to tortilla chips.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 kilo ground chicken
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup beer
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can mixed beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (or more, to taste)
• to taste salt and pepper
• 4 servings spaghetti, prepared according to package directions
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (we were out of bleu cheese :-(

Instructions

1. brown the ground chicken, garlic, paprika, oregano and cumin in 2 tbsp oil over medium-high heat, using a potato masher to evenly break up the pieces.Set chicken aside.2. Heat on medium and add onions, celery and carrots. Let simmer until tender (10 minutes).3. Transfer the chicken back into the pan and add the tomatoes, beans, and hot sauce and bring to a boil.4. Reduce heat to medium-high and let simmer for 30 minutes to reduce the liquid.Serve on top of pasta, topped with cheese.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Yield: 4 servings

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Cornie's Home Made Chicken

The story of Cornie's is an old one for us. On our first cruise, Meredith and I ended up hanging around a beach in St. Maarten for much of the day sitting in beach loungers, reading, drinking beer and eating chicken.

Cornie's was a little shack with a patio near where we rented our loungers and beach umbrella. The initial attraction was the two-for-$3 bottles of beer, but lunch was a pleasant surprise.

At the counter, there was a large pot of chicken slowly cooking on a burner. We were told it'd be ready by lunch time and lunch was great. There was something in it that reminded me of my grandmother's Saturday afternoon chicken dish, and I liked how it tasted - so I asked for the recipe. I didn't get much out of it aside from some ingredients (no quantities) and a general order of what to add when scratched on a piece of paper.

Knowing that I'd eventually lose that paper (and I did - I have no idea where it went), I typed out the instructions and emailed it to myself. Once a year or so I'd look at it and say to myself "I should really give this a try soon." It wasn't until this March that when deciding what to make for supper, I gave Meredith the option of me giving Cornie's chicken dish a try (as an experiment), or another of my standards.

Meredith chose Cornie's chicken and when I left work that day, I picked up the ingredients and got to work. I think the real trick to this is to let it cook for a long time, to let the flavours blend, the chicken fall to pieces, and the sauce to thicken. I don't claim to have nailed the quantities of ingredients on the first try, but it's good enough and tasted great. I've been avoiding excess amounts of sodium so I used no-salt canned tomatoes, low-sodium soy sauce and low-sodium ketchup. Either way, with those products as part of the process, there's likely no need to add any extra salt.

Our friend who joined us for dinner that day pointed out that the recipe was a variation of a frickazee.

Meredith thought that there was a little too much lime in the mix, so I'll actually discard the lime after the marinating next time, instead of letting the lime pieces cook in the stew (I've reflected that in the instructions as well).

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Cornie's Home Made Chicken

by Daniel Saraga April-6-2012

This chicken recipe is from a small eatery in St. Maarten.

Ingredients

• 1 kilo chicken legs or thighs
• 1 lime, quartered
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 can tomatoes, diced
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

Instructions

1. Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag and squeeze juice from lime quarters into bag. Add squeezed lime and vinegar, close and shake bag to coat chicken.2. In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, soy sauce, onion powder and garlic powder, and add to the bag of chicken, shaking to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight if possible.3. In a dutch oven, heat oil on medium.4. Add onions and celery and fry for 3-5 minutes.5. Add garlic and fry for another minute.6. Add tomatoes, potatoes and chicken (discard the lime pieces) and bring to a boil.7. Reduce to medium-low and let simmer for at least 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce should be thick and chicken should be falling off the bone when done.
Note: always check the label for gluten-free labelling on prepared sauces (e.g., ketchup and soy sauce).

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour 10 mins Total time: 1 hour 25 mins Yield: 4-5 servings

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Secret Recipe Club: Mango Chicken Curry

It's time again for The Secret Recipe Club (SRC) again, hosted by Suzanne from The Bugs on my Windshield. Because SRC's reveal date is Monday, there won't be a Friday recipe this week.

This month I was assigned Angela's Kitchen. Angela's blog caters to the gluten- and dairy-free crowd. While some people might groan thinking: great, there won't be anything interesting here, I already knew better. My sister-in-law keeps a gluten-free diet and she and my brother blog about their gluten-free experiences in Western Canada. So back to Angela - I immediately knew there was going to be lots to choose from and I was right. What most people don't realize is that there is a ton of cuisine that is both naturally gluten- and dairy-free. So it wasn't about making something with gluten and dairy substitutes, but finding the cuisine that matches the dietary needs of the audience.

In the end, I chose to make her Chicken Mango Curry. Many curries are naturally gluten-free and many Eastern curries use coconut milk instead of cream - voila. No substitutes, just something that works for everyone.

For this particular recipe, I made some slight changes in process and substitutions to match Meredith's dietary needs (she doesn't like green beans) and my cooking style, and there was no need to freeze it for later (the leftovers were eaten the next day for lunch), however, it still keeps the spirit of Angela's original creation.

When we sat down to eat, Meredith said that it reminded her of the curries her mom used to make because of the sweetness of the mango, coconut milk, and raisins. Jeremy couldn't get enough of the zucchini so he shovelled his little bowl down as well. This is definitely a curry we'll be making again.

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Mango Chicken Curry

by Daniel Saraga March-12-2012

Meredith said that this curry reminded her of the curries her mom used to make because of the sweetness of the mango, coconut milk, and raisins. Adapted from Angela's Kitchen.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 kilo chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp (rounded) garlic, minced
• dash salt
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups zucchini, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 mango (yes, another mango), peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 3/4 cup coconut milk

Instructions

1. In a Dutch oven heat olive oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken for 3-5 minutes. Remove from pan to a bowl.2. Add onions, garlic, ginger and salt to pan and cook for around ten minutes, stirring occasionally.3. Add peppers and zucchini and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes, until peppers begin to soften.4. Add back chicken, curry powder, 1 mango, vinegar and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium and allow to simmer, uncovered for 25 minutes.5. Add remaining mango, raisins, and coconut milk. Stir and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and serve with rice.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Yield: 3 servings

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Secret Recipe Club: Ginger Chicken

It's time again for The Secret Recipe Club (SRC), and we have a new host: Suzanne from The Bugs on my Windshield. Because SRC's reveal date is Monday, there won't be a Friday recipe this week.

This month, I've been assigned Robin from Penny Pinching Provisions who, like me, would rather make tasty, affordable meals from scratch, than buy prepared processed food. There were lots of tasty-looking recipes to review and an easy-to-scan index of recipes to search through. (Thank you, Robin!).

Since we had a dinner with friends coming up, and I tend to use friends as guinea pigs for recipes, as well as family, I decided to make a double-batch of Robin's Ginger Chicken recipe, and add a little bit of Chinese cooking wine to the recipe as well.

Ginger Chicken

1 tbsp oil
1 kilo chicken, diced
1/4 cup white cooking wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup ginger, chopped
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp coriander

1. In a deep pan, heat oil on medium-high and brown chicken on all sides. Set chicken aside.
2. Quickly de-glaze the pan with the cooking wine. Add broth, onion, ginger, soy sauce, molasses, garlic powder, mustard and coriander. Increase temperature to high, and let mixture boil and reduce (stirring occasionally) until onions and garlic are soft (20 minutes).
3. Add the chicken to the mixture, and reduce to medium, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through.

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Moroccan Dijon Chicken

I only read a couple of Moroccan cooking blogs since there aren't that many, however, I enjoy reading both immensely. Recently, one of the bloggers, Nisrine from Dinner and Dreams, announced that she was being published in the Boston Globe, so, of course, I had to read the story.

Her recipe was a spicy Moroccan chicken recipe, and it used Dijon mustard. Dijon? That's clearly French, however, the French occupied part of Morocco at one point, so it made perfect sense. Just like butter chicken (Indian/English), and chicken vindaloo (Indian/Portuguese). I'd love to read more about the history of the dish, but it wasn't available. Maybe one day I'll get around to reading more about the French in Morocco, or consult another authoritative source.

The dish itself tasted great. I made some substitutes as I didn't have any harissa on hand, or ground cloves, and I wanted things extra saucy, and it still worked.

Moroccan Dijon Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or chunks.
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 whole cloves
1 tsp dried mint
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup light cream

1. Combine chicken and mustard in a large zipper bag and let marinate in the fridge for one hour.
2. Meanwhile, in bowl, combine tomato paste, water, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, and mint, stir and set aside.
3. When chicken is ready to cook, heat oil on medium in a deep pan and fry onions for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. 
4. Add chicken and tomato-spice mixture, stir, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to medium-low and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
6. Add cream and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.
7. Serve with cous cous.

Based on Spicy Moroccan Chicken by Nisrine Merzouki.

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Hummus with Meat (hummus bi-lahm)

Whenever my brother-in-law comes to town, we frequently end up eating middle-Eastern food, and his most recent trip was no exception.

The very first time I met him, I had just returned from Israel determined to duplicate the amazing felafel I had near the Western wall. It was served wrapped in a huge piece of thin, round flatbread, contained every salad imaginable (eggplant salad, hummus, moroccan carrots, beet salad, etc., etc.) and it had French fries in it. It was unbelievable. Our apartment smelled like felafel for a week after all of the deep-frying.

The next time, we took him to our favourite Israeli-Mediterranean restaurant, Me Va Me, where Meredith and I had one of our first few dates. On that date, Meredith and I shared a large salad plate (with various Mediterranean salads) and had a couple of pints - more than enough for two people. After finishing, Meredith asked me "why doesn't all baba ghannouj taste like that?" to which I answered, "It does. You just haven't been eating baba ghannouj. You've been eating generic grocery store fake baba ghannouj. If it was real, it wouldn't have mayonnaise in it!" She hasn't eaten the fake stuff since.

Me Va Me's Shawarama is also top notch, as is their felafel, an inexpensive add-on to a salad plate if you're not going to indulge in shawarama or their excellent grilled fish.

Anyway, for this most recent visit, it was actually a coincidence that I was making this particular dish, as I didn't know he was coming at the time. We weren't expecting to see him until Thanksgiving. I had just been reading about different ways to serve hummus when I came across a few article that mentioned serving it with meat, and I realized that I could have a complete meal quite quickly.

One of my tricks when working with ground meat is to use a potato masher in the pan to evenly break-apart the meat.

Hummus with Meat (hummus bi-lahm)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground sumac
500g ground chicken, beef, or lamb
salt and pepper, to taste
1 batch of hummus, already prepared
2-3 tbsp raisins
toasted pine nuts (not pictured above)
1 tomato, sliced chopped

1. Heat oil in pan on medium and saute the onion until translucent.
2. Add the cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, cumin garam masala and sumac, and stir for 1 minute.
3. Add the ground chicken, using a potato masher to gently break up any large pieces as the meat cooks.
4. When the chicken is nearly done, but some liquid still remains at the bottom of the pan, stir in the raisins.
5. Continue to stir until chicken is done and most of the liquid has evaporated.
6. To serve, spread the hummus on a broad platter or shallow bowl. Top with the chicken mixture and garnish with sliced tomatoes and toasted pine nuts.

Serve with warm pita.

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Skagway Brewing Company Spiced Carrot Soup

I garnished the soup with a little more fresh ground
pepper and some toasted cumin seeds. You might find
the cumin a little strong.

This is one of my favourite recipe stories.

Meredith and I honeymooned in Seattle for a couple days before embarking on an Alaskan cruise. It was beautiful.

Waiting to eat some crab and drink some
Alaskan beer in Ketchikan.

Taken during our air tour in Ketchikan

When we were in port in Skagway, after the bus tour, we walked around town. That's when I saw The Skagway Brewing Company. It was one of two breweries and the only brewpub in Alaska at the time.

Enjoying some down time at the
Skagway Brewing Company.

We had finished touring the town and had some time to kill - and I was hungry. The beer was great and I ordered a spiced carrot soup to tide me over until we got back to the ship.


Well, the soup was amazing. I had to have the recipe. I asked the bartender, who said that the chef would gladly share it, however, he's really busy right now. I told her that I could wait - and I did. We waited for about three hours, sipping through our pints and talking to people in the pub. We had a great time.

When the bartender realized that I wasn't leaving without the recipe, she went into the back, scratched some notes on a piece of paper and handed it to me. I returned the favour by buying a shirt and an oilskin cap to remember the brewpub.

The recipe itself wasn't very detailed. No quantities, just ingredients, when to add what, and how. It was up to me to figure out the rest. I made it once when we got back, but the recipe has languished in my "to-do again" box since then.

Now that the days are starting to chill, it was definitely time to bring that recipe back. I got everything together on a quiet Sunday when we were in the mood for a nice soup with some bread for dinner. It's not exactly what you'd be served in Skagway, but it's pretty darn good.

Skagway Spiced Carrot Soup

3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 tsp salt (if chicken stock is low- or no-sodium)
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
500g carrots, grated (1 lb)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
3 cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper
1 medium potato, peeled and grated
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup cream

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a deep pot. Saute onions for 2-3 minutes. Add salt, ginger and garlic and saute an additional 2 minuets. Add carrots and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.
2. Add dried cumin, ginger cloves, nutmeg and pepper, and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes.
3. Add potato and chicken stock, cover and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to medium and let simmer for 10-15, until vegetables are tender.
5. Puree using an immersion blender and add cream.

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Chicken Tajine with Apples

Running out of new ideas for a Friday dinner, I found a recipe for Moroccan chicken on a Foodland Ontario website. The point of the recipe was mostly to pitch the benefits of Ontario-farmed chicken, apples and onions to unsuspecting consumers.

But really, what does this guy know about Moroccan food? (Running a province, yes, Moroccan food: not so much.)

So I ran with the recipe as a base and fixed it from there - eliminating the cornstarch, adding saffron and swapping out the boneless, skinless chicken for recognizable pieces. My friend Simon called it "de-Martha-Stewartifying - making the dish much more my style, and specifically less... umm... this guy.

Chicken Tajine with Apples


2 apples, cored, peeled, thinly sliced and tossed in 2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
dash salt
1 to 1 1/2 kilos chicken legs and/or thighs
1/4 cup oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp ginger, minced
2 cups chicken broth
pinch saffron, infused in 1-2 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp cup raisins
1/4 cup blanched almonds
4 dates, pitted and chopped
7 dried apricots, chopped

1. Core, peel and slice apples into thin wedges, toss in lemon juice and set aside.
2. Combine cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper and sprinkle onto chicken.
3. Heat oil on medium in a large pot, brown chicken on both sides. Set chicken aside.
4. Saute onions in the same pot for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Place chicken back in the pan and add broth and saffron. Bring to a boil and let simmer on medium for 25-30 minutes, uncovered.
6. Add apples (with lemon juice), dried fruit and nuts, reduce to medium-low and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve with cous cous or rice (for gluten-free)

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Bleu Cheese Chicken Burger

Continuing the cottage story from last week - I really didn't do a lot of creative cooking. I did do a lot of grilling. One of the first meals I prepared that week involved a few prepared products, however, it's how it turned out in the end that is worth blogging about.

It all started with the giant green zucchini. We were given the enormous squash as a gift from a neighbour's garden just before we left for the cottage. We just packed it in the car with everything else. I knew I'd be able to use it over the course of the week.

Aside from a few basics, we had packed some cheeses, prepared chicken burgers (thank you, President's Choice), sausages, bread, buns and pastas. The first thing I wanted to do was make burgers.

It was when I opened the fridge at the cottage that I received some inspiration. There was a bottle of President's Choice Balsamic Glaze on the door. I knew that we were free to use the sauces, so I had to do something with it. I wanted to use it on the burgers. Chicken burgers can sometimes be a bit plain.

While preparing dinner, I realized that we needed to start on that zucchini right away. As soon as I started to slice into it, I realized that the slices were a perfect burger size. Then I remembered the bleu cheese in the fridge.

What resulted was a tasty, easy to make gourmet burger, if you ignore the basic bun that I used.

Bleu Cheese Chicken Burger

4 chicken burgers (beef acceptable)
4 slices zucchini rounds (cut to 1/2-inch thick)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp pepper
4 hamburger buns (splurge and get something nice)
4 tbsp crumbled bleu cheese
President's Choice Balsamic Glaze

1. Grill the burgers following package directions.
2. Brush the zucchini with oil and sprinkle with pepper.
3. Grill the zucchini on medium-high for five to eight minutes on each side, until toasty, but not mushy or burnt.
4. Lightly toast buns on the grill.
5. Assemble the burgers: bottom bun; chicken burger; zuchini slice; 1 tbsp bleu cheese; balsamic glaze (to taste); top bun.

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Chicken Tajine with Zucchini

It was the first nice Friday in spring - warm enough to sit on the patio for a bit after supper as the sun set, with the crazy lights attached to the fence all lit up. It was also the Friday of a very busy and taxing week at work, so I was ready to get cooking as soon as I got home. I needed to decompress.

Meredith did her own research to find a recipe that she wanted to try, and she picked a good one. John Spottiswood's chicken and eggplant tajine. John is one of the founders of Cook, Eat, Share, and is an excellent chef - I've tried his recipes before.
I didn't feel like eggplant, so I substituted zucchini, and substituted another spice (just because I didn't have it on-hand), and the result was excellent. John's choice of adding fennel seeds gave it a unique aroma.

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Chicken Tajine with Zucchini

by Daniel Saraga June-24-2011

This chicken and vegetable tajine uses fennel seeds to add a unique flavor. It's also gluten-free.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups onions, chopped
• 2 red peppers, sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp coriander, ground
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, ground
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 medium chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 zucchini, diced into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat and add theonions and peppers. Saute for 2 minutes, then add the garlic. Cover and cook until onions are soft, about 8 minutes. 2. Add the paprika, salt, turmeric, coriander, fennel, pepper, cumin, ginger and thyme and 3. stir for 1 minute. 4. Add the canned tomatoes and lemon juice and bring to boil.5. Add the chicken and zucchini and stir. Bring to boil and reduce heat to medium.6. Cover, and let simmer for 25 minutes. 7. Uncover and simmer for 20 minutes. taste and add additional lemon juice, salt or pepper if necessary. 8. Serve on couscous or rice. Garnish with cilantro and almonds or simply stir in cilantro and almonds before serving (that's what I did).

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Yield: 6 servings

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Rhubarb Curry Chicken

This curry gets its flavor from the brown sugar caramelized
on the chicken and the super-tasty rhubarb sauce. 

When rhubarb was ready to harvest, a generous colleague handed me a bag with at least a couple pounds of the red stuff. My first thought was "I can only eat so much pie!" Then I realized that there might be an alternative.

After tweeting about my newly found produce, and lamenting that I could only find dessert recipes, the Food Floozie came through. She had just finished making a chicken curry in a rhubarb sauce, and if I could sit tight, the recipe would be posted by the next morning. What luck!
The Floozie's curry was an interesting one. The sauce was made separately the chicken and it used wine. The chicken was pan fried, and the whole concoction goes into the oven to finish off. It looked great.

After a short conversation about the dish, I discovered that I could use orange juice (which I had) instead of wine (which I didn't have) and I made a few other changes to make it my own.

When I took it out of the oven, it was awesome. The brown sugar had caramelized and the sauce was sweet and spicy. Meredith said that it reminded her of the curries her mom made when she was a kid.

Rhubarb Curry Chicken

• 2 tbsp + 3 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 2 tsp mango powder
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-1/4 cups orange juice
• 1/2 pound rhubarb, ends trimmed, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 kilo chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425-degrees.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat and saute onions for 2 minutes, 
3. Add 1/2 tsp salt, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, ginger, curry powder and mango powder and saute for an additional minute.
4. Add orange juice and rhubarb, bring to a boil and cover and let simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat. Stir, re-cover and let cook for an additional 10 minutes. The rhubarb should be reduced to a sauce.
5. In a large skillet, heat remaining oil on medium-high. Place chicken in pan and season with remaining salt and black pepper. Brown chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side.
6. Place chicken into a greased 9x13 baking dish and cover with rhubarb mixture; sprinkle with brown sugar.
7. Place baking dish into  oven and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Serve with rice.

Inspired by Food Floozie's Curried Rhubarb Chicken.

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Chicken on Rice with Creamy Dill Sauce

Photo courtesy of Simon's smartphone. Our camera
went AWOL during picture time!

It all started with an article I read about street meat in Manhattan. The dish sounded good, but the recipe was off. A little vague, mostly in the method, how to cook the chicken, etc -- and I could tell right away: this isn't how it's prepared at a vendor's cart.

I still didn't care because the ingredients sounded great and I could just do my own thing with it - and I did. Our friends were over for dinner as taste testers and it was a hit. Simon called the sauce "magic." I think that says something. 

Chicken on Rice with Creamy Dill Sauce

• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 8 cloves, ground or 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• dash salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1+2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (or 8-10 thighs) 
• 1 recipe Creamy Dill Sauce (Magic Sauce)

1. Combine the turmeric, cumin, coriander, cloves, paprika, curry powder, salt, pepper, garlic, lemon juice and 1 tbsp oil in a medium bowl and whisk in yogurt.
2. Transfer mixture to a large zipper bag, add onions and chicken and seal bag. Shake bag to coat chicken and let marinade overnight.
3. To cook chicken, heat 2 tbsp olive oil on high in a large pan. Add chicken and onion mixture and cook for 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and most of the liquid is gone.
4. Serve with rice and creamy dill sauce.

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Rickard's Blonde Hot Chicken Roti

Beer Libre!

A couple weeks ago, I was contacted by my friends at Rickard's with a new set of recipes that really inspired. As regular readers know, I enjoy cooking with beer, and I've already made mustard, soup, and stew with various beers. The recipes are for a new beer, Rickard's Blonde, not yet available in Ontario. Rickard's Blonde is  a great-tasting pilsner. The bonus for us was the sample that would soon arrive in the mail.

When the package arrived by courier, I got a laugh out of the note that arrived in the box.

Clearly an attempt to slow you down from immediately cracking open (and likely spraying yourself with) a well-shaken can that spent the better part of a day bouncing around in a courier van!

In the package of recipes, one stuck out - it was a grilled chicken sandwich in an interesting marinade. I decided to modify the marinade to turn it into a a Caribbean chicken roti with potatoes. The original marinade recipe called for Scotch bonnet peppers. Unfortunately, the local grocery didn't have any in stock, so I used two jalapeno peppers.

The result was an awesome tasty chicken roti with potatoes in a thick sauce. There was just enough heat with the flavour that you felt the warmth for a short while after finishing the meal. Perfect.

Rickard's Blonde Hot Chicken Roti

• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion
• 1-2 chili peppers (Scotch bonnet, habanero or jalapeno), stem and seeds removed
• 1 cup Rickard's Blonde beer
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp garam masala or ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1/2 kilo chicken thighs or breast (boneless, skinless) diced
• roti for serving

1. Boil potatoes in salted water for 5 minutes and drain.
2. Combine garlic, onion, pepper, beer, water, salt, brown sugar, thyme, garam masala, nutmeg and turmeric and puree using an immersion blender.
3. Heat oil on medium in a deep pan and brown chicken for 3 minutes. Add potatoes and sauce mixture, cover and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to medium and let simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve on roti. Makes 4 servings.

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Creamy Chicken and Noodle Bake

After a difficult week in March, Friday night was just going to be the two of us. We just needed some comfort food, but we had no idea what to make. I was very tempted to get some take-out or pack us all in the car for something as simple as Swiss Chalet.

Then I found it. Girlichef did it again and right on time! I nearly followed her recipe to the tee and the result was fabulous.

That, some Caeser salad and a movie was the perfect ending for Friday.

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Creamy Chicken and Noodle Bake

by Daniel Saraga June 1, 2011

This casserole is pure comfort food.

Ingredients

2 tbsp canola oil500g ground chicken400ml (1 can) tomato sauce1/4 tsp saltto taste pepper1 package egg noodles1/2 cup sour cream1-1/4 cup cottage cheese1 cup green onions, sliced2 cups extra-old Cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.2. In a pan, heat the oil and brown the chicken. Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper (freshly ground preferred), stir and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.3. Boil noodes according to package directions until al dente. Drain and in a separate bowl, mix with the sour cream, cottage cheese. green onions and more pepper.4. Grease a large casserole dish with pan spray or oil.5. Spread half of the noodle mixture in the bottom, then add half of the meat mixture and half of the cheddar cheese. Repeat the layers again (noodles, meat and cheese).6. Top with half of the meat and half of the cheese. Repeat.7. Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered until cheese has melted.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 1 large casserole dish

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Tandoori Chicken

Another Friday, another chicken.

Still wanting to try more Indian dishes, I found a recipe for Tandoori chicken that looked interesting. This particular recipe used milk instead of yogurt, but in my opinion, could use more masala for the marinate, so I swapped out the dairy for yogurt and adjusted the amount of dry spices up to the amount of sauce.

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Tandoori Chicken

by Daniel Saraga May-20-2011

This Tandoori dish is easy to prepare and easily marinates.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ground corriander
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 tbsp garam masala
• 5 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 kilo chicken legs and/or thighs
• 1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt
• 6 tbsp lemon juice
• 6 tbsp canola oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp ginger, minced

Instructions

1. Combine masala spices (coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garam masala, sweet paprika and salt. Divide mixture into two separate containers.2. Sprinkle the first container of masala on the chicken, covering all sides.3. Place chicken in a large ziplock bag and set aside.4. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, lemon juice, canola oil, garlic and ginger.5. Pour liquid mixture into the ziplock bag, remove air and seal. Shake contents to evenly distribute mixture and refrigerate for one to eight hours.
Baking the chicken:
1. preheat oven to 400-degrees.2. Place chicken on a baking rack with a foil-lined baking pan underneath.3. Sprinkle the remaining masala on the chicken (both sides).
Note: I had some leftover masala.4. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is tender and skin is crispy.
Grilling the chicken:
1. Preheat the grill to medium-high.2. Sprinkle the remaining masala on the chicken (both sides).
Note: I had some leftover masala.3. Grill until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees, rotating the chicken every four minutes.

Details

Prep time: 8 hour 15 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 9 hour Yield: 3-4 servings

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