Chicken Marbella

Our neighbour, Olivia, frequently invites us over for dinner when certain dishes are on the menu. One of our favourite dishes is her Chicken Marbella. It's a dish I have yet to make myself because, for some reason, I can stand in front of the stove and stir a pot for an hour, but I can't bring myself to baste something in the oven. I've got to get over that.

In the meantime, Olivia was generous enough to share her recipe, based on the recipe from the Silver Palate Cookbook, and allow me to take photos. The dish pictured didn't have cilantro as a garnish because there was an in-house shortage.

There's something about the flavours in this dish that make it irresistible. I think it's the sweet and savoury combination of flavour - it's amazing. I always use extra sauce to help mop up the rice. So tasty.

Chicken Marbella

2 tbsp garlic puree
2 tbsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pitted prunes
8 large olives, pitted and cut in half
1/4 cup capers (retain some of the juice)
3 bay leaves
2 kilos chicken legs and/or thighs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine
4 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

1. In a large bowl, whisk together garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers with caper juice, and bay leaves.
2. Add the chicken and coat completely with the marinade (tip: you can put the chicken and marinade into a large zipper bag). Cover and refrigerate, for several hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. In a large roasting pan (or two smaller pans), arrange chicken in a single layer and spread remaining marinade over evenly.
4. Sprinkle chicken with brown sugar. Pour white wine around the chicken, being careful to not wash the sugar and marinade off the chicken.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes basting frequently. Note: use a meat thermometer to check chicken or check for clear juice (not pink) when testing using a fork.
6. Transfer chicken and marinade to a deep serving dish and garnish with cilantro.
7. Adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook.

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Cheese Antojitos

The cheese antojitos story started back in the mid-1990s. The Peterborough Arms, a pub from my university days. One of my favourite snacks from the Arms were their cheese antojitos served by an eccentric server who walked around with PEZ dispensers stuffed in his belt like guns in holsters.

Being on a student budget, I quickly figured out how to make them myself and continued to make them as the occasional treat. When the Peterborough Arms closed shop, I knew that I alone held their secret. And it's now time to share that secret.

The beauty of these snacks is that they're flexible as well. The base is cream cheese and the rest is up to you. You can add roasted garlic, cheddar or bleu cheese instead of feta, skip the olives and tomatoes, add minced prosciutto or whatever. Just make sure the flavours blend well together.

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Cheese Antojitos

by Daniel Saraga March-30-2012

These cheese and tortilla snacks are perfect for parties.

Ingredients

• 1 package (250g) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, finely shredded
• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 6 8-inch flour tortillas

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.2. Combine cheeses, tomatoes, olives and pepper sauce in medium bowl and fold together using a spatula.3. Liberally spread mixture onto each tortilla, leaving a little space at the edges.4. Roll the tortillas and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.5. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until toasty (but not burnt).6. Let cool for 2-3 minutes and using a very sharp knife, slice into straight rounds or at an angle.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 40 mins Yield: 40 pieces

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Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

Guest Chef: Mom

For the last Friday of a vacation week, we were heading to my parents for lunch and relaxing on their patio. A couple days earlier, my mom had called me, very excited about a recipe she saw for a pasta salad in the Toronto Sun. Not wanting to ask why on earth she was reading the Sun, I asked her about the recipe and it sounded great. She prepared it for the Friday lunch.

The salad tasted great. The flavour mostly comes from both roasted and picked vegetables. My mom was especially excited about the recipe because it's very easy to prepare ahead of time. The vegetables can be roasted a day or two in advance and refrigerated, and the rest of the salad comes together quite easily. Mom also switched things up a bit and used roasted garlic (and more garlic than the original recipe stated) and was more liberal with the balsamic vinegar (but she didn't remember how much more liberal).

Although the recipe calls for some parmesean cheese for garnish, I actually think that adding 1/2 cup feta cheese immediately before serving would really do the trick. Not having any feta on hand, we weren't able to try it.

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 zucchini, cut lengthwise into thick strips
• 8 stalks asparagus, ends trimmed
• 1 250g package cremini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• salt
• pepper
• 1 package (500g) rotini pasta
• 1 medium jar (340ml) marinated artichokes, drained and roughly chopped
• 3 roasted red peppers, skinned and cut into strips
• 4 cloves roasted garlic, minced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2-3 basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup feta cheese (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss onion, zucchini, asparagus and mushrooms in olive oil, salt and pepper and transfer to cookie sheets.
3. Grill the vegetables in the oven for 5 minutes, turn and continue grilling for another 5 minutes until tender and crispy
4. Remove vegetables from oven and let cool. Roughly chop vegetables and transfer to a container if preparing in advance. Cook pasta until al dente following the package directions, rinse and drain.
5. When ready to serve, in a large bowl, toss pasta, grilled vegetables, artichokes, roasted peppers, garlic, tomatoes, olives, oil, vinegar, parsley, basil and feta cheese and serve.

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Rice Salad from Leftovers

Once in a while, I end up with bits and pieces of a few meals hanging around. Usually some rice (I frequently make too much) and bits of vegetables left over from a salad.

On this particular occasion, I had to clean out the fridge to make space for a party and the six or seven dishes I was making. I grabbed the rice, some bits of vegetables and my mom's salad dressing and threw this together in a couple of minutes.

Rice Salad from Leftovers

• 1-2 cups rice, cooked and cooled
• 1/2 tomato, diced
• 1/3 cup cucumber, diced
• 5-6 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 tbsp Greek salad dressing

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, toss and serve.

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Olives with Zatar

I don't know what it is about pickles and pickled things, but they're so good. It's amazing that before refrigeration, it was the only way to eat certain foods out of season or without waste.

Olives are pretty versetile as well. They taste good in so many different ways.

When I was in Israel, the olives were better than anything I've ever tasted (except for the one I ate right off the tree.. apparently they're supposed to be soaked first).

When I was in Israel, I also learned to make Zatar from scratch. They key ingredient is the Hyssop. Isreali Zatar is very expensive here, so I opted to buy a giant bag of Zatar made with thyme instead. It tastes different, however, it's still very good when combined with olives, and I don't feel guilty when I use a tablespoon and more at a time.

Olives with Zatar

• 1 can pitted green or black olives
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp zatar
• pinch of salt

1. Drain and rinse olives.
2. Combine all ingredients into a sealable container and shake to mix.

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Roasted Vegetables and Cheese Dip

I don't often cook with prepared ingredients, however, I found this awesome mix of roasted vegetables and I wanted to do something with it. It's a mixture of roasted peppers, onions, eggplant and garlic and it's a little strong on its own.

I love roasted vegetables but I really dislike the actual roasting. The pan gets all sticky and half the time I burn my hands on the peppers trying to peel them, so this mix looked like a welcome helping hand.

Along came a party for a friend and I immediately thought about using the mix for a nice creamy dip. Meredith suggested I add a bit of spice to it so I also threw in some red pepper flakes. My first test-run used pressed cottage cheese (because that's what we had), but for the final, I chose cream cheese and added some chopped olives.




Roasted Vegetables and Cheese Dip

• 1 package (250g) cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 3/4 cup roasted red pepper spread
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup sliced green olives
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• fresh ground black pepper to taste

1. Using a fork, fold cream cheese and red pepper spread together until thoroughly mixed.
2. Fold in remaining ingredients

Notes:

• roasted red pepper spread can be substituted for 1/2 cup pureed roasted red peppers, onion, garlic, salt and 1 tbsp tomato paste
• for a smoother dip, puree all ingredients in food processor

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Bow-tie Pasta with Sausages and Roasted Vegetables

• 3 roasted red peppers
• 1 eggplant, sliced and roasted
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 sausages (450g), grilled or baked and sliced
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup pitted olives
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 box whole wheat bow-tie pasta
• Parmesan cheese

1. Slice eggplant and roast peppers and eggplant, removing skin from peppers when done.
2. Slice peppers and eggplant and set aside.
3. Partially roast sausages, slice and set aside.
4. Heat pan with 2 tbsp. olive oil and fry onions and garlic until soft.
5. Add back sausages and continue frying until browned.
6. Add crushed tomatoes, wine, olives, basil and parsley. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium-low for 15-20 minute, stirring frequently.
7. Boil the pasta, strain and set aside.
8. Add peppers and eggplant to the tomato sauce mix and simmer on low for another 5-10 minutes.
9. Add pasta to the tomato sauce.
10. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

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Quinoa and Black Beans

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 carrot, sliced into rounds
• 1/2 cup sliced olives
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or basil
• Fresh ground pepper

1. Soak the quinoa in cold water for 30 minutes and rinse thoroughly.
2. Bring to a boil with vegetable stock and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes covered, then fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
4. Sautee carrots and celery for five minutes.
5. Add the beans, ginger, cumin and coriander and stir for five to ten minutes.
6. Combine with quinoa and add pepper to taste.

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Lemon Chicken Tajine with Olives

There's something about tajine dishes that have such a wonderful flavour. I've made tajines with tomato bases and others with olives, herbs and onions. Lemon Chicken Tajine with Olives is the latter, and also the first tajine dish I ever made on my own.

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Lemon Chicken Tajine with Olives

by Daniel Saraga April 24, 2009

This gluten-free Moroccan tajine uses sliced lemons, olives and saffron for a unique flavour that won't be forgotten.

Ingredients

1/2 tsp ground ginger1/4 tsp ground cumin1/4 tsp paprika1 tsp cinnamon1 pinch saffron, infused in 1-2 tbsp waterto taste sea saltto taste black pepper1 whole chicken, cut up and skin removed1/4 cup olive oil2 medium onions, thinly sliced1 garlic clove, minced1 bunch parsley, minced (approx 3/4 cup)1 bunch cilantro, minced (approx 3/4 cup)3-1/2 cups chicken broth1/2 lemon, thinly sliced1 cup green or black pitted olives

Instructions

1. Cover the chicken in a mixture of ginger, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, saffron, salt and pepper.2. Brown chicken in a deep pan with olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.3. Fry onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add parsley and cilantro. Add chicken and stock and bring to a boil.4. Reduce heat to medium and simmer (covered) for 30-45 minutes.5. Remove chicken and set aside, then reduce the remaining sauce for 10 minutes.6. Add lemon and olives and simmer sauce for another 10 minutes.7. Add chicken and simmer for five minutes.Serve with couscous or rice (for gluten-free).

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Yield: 4 servings

Adapted from a USENET news post from rec.food.recipes available via http://groups.google.ca/group/rec.food.recipes/browse_thread/thread/83cf1cd9c695e316

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Chicken with Olives and Peppers

The above photo used 1 kg cut up chicken
(bone-in) and 1 pint cherry tomatoes

My Chicken with Olives and Peppers recipe has become a standard for dinner parties and the holidays. I always keep it in my back pocket for occasions when dinner is with a friend or family member who doesn't eat cilantro (one of my favourite flavours for Friday nights).

It's easy because it's one of those everything in one pan and in the oven dishes; the prep time is minimal (minus the waiting for the oven time) as well as the cleanup.

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Chicken with Olives and Peppers

by Daniel Saraga April-24-2009

My Chicken with Olives and Peppers recipe has become a standard for dinner parties and the holidays. I always keep it in my back pocket for occasions when dinner is with a friend or family member who doesn't eat cilantro (one of my favourite flavours for Friday nights).

Ingredients

• 10 chicken breasts
• 5 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow pepper, sliced
• 1 can pitted olives, drained and rinsed
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped
• 2 cup chicken stock
• 1 lemon, sliced
• to taste salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450-degrees.2. Place all ingredients in a roasting pan and cook uncovered for an hour.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 20 mins Yield: 10 servings

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