Garlic Chicken Breasts with Sauteed Fennel and Spaghetti

Sometimes I find myself in the mood to cook, without much time for planning. In these times, I don’t have the luxury of looking up a recipe and running out to the store to get all of the perfect ingredients. In these times, I’m happy to have fennel on hand.

Fennel needs a better PR department. It is wholly under-appreciated by many people who are averse to that anise/black licorice flavor. Not me! Though I would still give all of my black jelly beans away to my Dad (he loves’em!), a little bit of aromatics adds spunk to a vegetable like fennel. Fennel is so versatile it can be chopped up in a salad, roasted, or sautéed like below. And it’s a lot fancier than broccoli, right?

E was coming over for dinner and I had some chicken breasts, fennel, mushrooms and pasta that I figured could lead to a great dinner. But I needed inspiration. I consulted with some of my Twitter buds, Evan Dawson (of Lenndevours) and Catie (Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman) to develop a recipe. The result is this nourishing, flavorful dinner, made with basic ingredients. Perfect for a weeknight in!

Enjoy!

Serves 2

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 fennel bulb
1/4 package whole wheat spaghetti
1 package of cremini mushrooms, washed, and sliced in half
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Parsley, a generous handful, coarsely chopped
1 lemon
8 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tbsp olive oil
Splash of chicken stock
1 tsp honey
Fresh thyme, a few sprigs
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Chop the fennel bulb away from its wispy stem and discard the stem. Cut the bulb into quarters.

2. Wash the chicken and pound it with a mallot, for a thinner breast which will absorb more of the flavors. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Soften the fennel in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes until slightly soft, but not cooked through. Empty the water from the pot and put the fennel on the side.

4. Place a large skillet on the stove on medium-high heat. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic cloves. Add the fennel to the pan and sauté on each side of the fennel for a few minutes until slightly brown and until the pieces start to pull apart. Add salt, to taste. While the fennel sautes, refill the pot with water and bring to a rolling boil again, for the pasta.

5. When the fennel is done, remove from the pan and divide the pieces amongst 2 plates. Some of the garlic cloves will adhere to the fennel and some will remain in the pan for the chicken, that’s fine.

6. Add a splash of chicken stock to the pan and stir up all of the bits of garlic from the bottom. Add the honey to the sauce and stir together in the pan, then add the chicken breasts and turn down the heat to medium.

7. When the pot of water reaches a boil, add the pasta and cook for about 8 minutes, or until just soft.

8. While the chicken sautées add handfuls of parsley to the pan. Add the mushrooms and saute together for about 10 minutes, or 5 minutes on each side for the chicken. While the chicken and mushrooms cook, pluck some thyme leaves from your sprigs and add them to the pan.

9. Drain the pasta when done and place in a large bowl. Toss with remaining olive oil, salt to taste, and sundried tomatoes.

10. When the mushrooms are done, toss them with the pasta.

11. When the chicken is done, place a breast on each plate along side the fennel and spoon the pasta onto the plate, or serve in a bowl along side.

12. Serve with slices of lemon to squeeze on the chicken

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Turkey Burgers Stuffed with Sundried Tomato, Olives and Thyme

If you’re tired of boring hamburgers and hot dogs these Mediterranean-inspired turkey burgers provide a creative reprieve. I made these for E for lunch a few weeks ago and I loved the quick prep time and great flavors. Prepare the meat in advance for a big BBQ to impress guests with minimal effort!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
10 pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 pounds of ground turkey
2 tbsp chopped sundried tomatoes packed in oil
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 sesame buns
arugula leaves

Optional: basil mayonnaise spread
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup mayonnaise

In a small bowl blend together the olives, turkey, tomatoes, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Form mixture into 4 1-inch-thick patties. Handle the meat as little as possible for a juicier burger. Combine basil and mayonnaise in a small bowl on the side.

Prepare the grill or heat a large pan over medium heat. Grill or saute burgers for 4 minutes on each side for medium, or less time if you prefer a rarer burger. Transfer burgers to buns and top with basil mayonnaise and arugula.

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine via Epicurious.com

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Whole Roasted Asian-Style Duck

I decided to make an Asian smorgasboard meal for E last Friday and to have a whole roast duck as the centerpiece. As a duck rooky, it was pretty risky. It’s far more common to make duck breasts than it is to roast a whole duck, probably because there is a lot of fat to contend with. But there is something so romantic to me about making a whole roast of anything, because of the special attention that it requires. So I went for the gold, and it turned out beautifully! I borrowed this recipe from Epicurious and modified it for a larger bird, with a couple of my own adjustments. The combination of the red wine, hoisin, soy, and szechuan peppercorns made it so succulent. Match this dish up with a soft Pinot Noir, we had one from Edna Valley.

Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
1 5-lb Duck, cleaned and groomed with giblets removed
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp sichuan peppercorns (optional, or add more if you like extra spice)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
6 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife blade
1 generous piece of peeled fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, quartered
2 cups of water
2 tbsp flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck. This will allow the skins to get crisp and for the fat to distribute evenly (thanks to Chef Shaya for the tip!) Combine all of the ingredients except the flour and water in a large sealable plastic bag and add the duck. Toss the duck with the ingredients and place the bag into the refrigerator for 1 hour or longer, depending on how much time you have. You can also pour the duck and marinade into a large disposable roasting pan if you have one like I did, as long as the duck is coated in the marinade.

When it’s done marinading, transfer the duck to a roasting pan and reserve the marinade. Roast for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the marinade through a sieve into a saucepan. Boil the marinade and with a baster or a large spoon, baste the duck with the marinade as it roasts. Alternate periodically basting the duck with the marinade and the juices that run into the bottom. Continue to roast the duck until a meat thermometer registers 160°F in the meaty thigh, which should take another hour.

When the duck is almost ready, you’ll make the sauce. Add 2 cups of water to the remaining marinade in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine flour and 1/4 cup of the hot marinade in a heatproof bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk this mixture back into the remaining marinade in the saucepan until well-combined, about 5 minutes. Keep warm over a low heat.

Remove the duck from the oven and let stand about 15-20 minutes before carving to retain the juices and allow it to cook a bit more fully. Serve the duck with the sauce and enjoy!

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Roasted Honey Chicken Stuffed with Garlic

Slowly roasting a chicken is so satisfying. From prepping it to watching it change colors, to seeing its juices fill the pan. Filling the room with the smell of garlic and herbs and giving it love throughout the process is so rewarding in the end. The honey in this recipe yields a crispy, sweet skin on the chicken that gives a traditional dish, something extra.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds) washed and patted dry
2 stems of rosemary (leaves removed, discard stem)
4 stems of fresh thyme (leaves removed, discard stem)
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts or roasted, peeled, chopped chestnuts, or any nut (I used marcona almonds)
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup honey
1 lemon, cut into thick slices

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Finely chop the rosemary, thyme, garlic and nuts with a sharp knife or a food processor
3. Slide your finger under the breast and thighs and loosen the skin. Place the garlic mixture under the loosened skin, trying to spread it evenly so the whole chicken skin is stuffed.
4. Drizzle the honey over the top of the chicken, letting it run down the sides.
5. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

If you have the time, let the chicken sit overnight in the refrigerator uncovered which will give the chicken a crisper skin when roasted and allow the flavors to be absorbed well

6. Place the chicken in the oven for 1.5-2 hours or until a meat thermometer reaches 175°F. Baste the chicken with the juices throughout the process. About halfway through, remove the chicken from the oven. Squeeze the lemon slices over the chicken and then place each slice in the pan and/or on top of the chicken.

When the chicken is done, let it rest for at least five minutes before serving or the juices will escape when you cut it. Serve with your favorite vegetable or side dish! Enjoy.

This recipe happens to be kosher, as it’s adapted from the cookbook: “Kosher by Design: Entertains“, with some modifications on my part.

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Simple Roast Chicken with Sundried Tomato Orzo

This is a very simple recipe for making a delicious roast chicken with little effort required. My sister and I had loads of leftover fresh herbs, so we decided to stuff them into a chicken for dinner a few nights ago. The result is below! Enjoy:

Serves 3-4 People

Ingredients:

Roast Chicken

1 medium sized chicken (4-5 lbs)
2 sprigs each: Rosemary, Tarragon, Oregano
2 tbsp minced rosemary
2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tbsp tarragon vinegar
4 cloves of garlic
1 lemon

Orzo

1 cup of tricolor orzo (or regular)
10 sun dried tomatoes
1 tbsp infused olive oil of your choice (we used porcini, or regular olive oil is fine)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Peel and coarsely chop the garlic. Quarter the lemon.

Clean the inside of the chicken by removing the liver, neck, and any other unwanted innards left by the butcher. Place the chicken into a large roasting pan. Stuff the chicken with lemon wedges and garlic cloves.

Whisk the olive oil, tarragon vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Using a brush, generously baste the chicken with the liquid mixture. Save some for gravy for later.
Sprinkle the entire bird with minced rosemary and a lot of salt and pepper.

Cook the chicken for approximately 2 hours, basting a few times with the liquid in the pan or until a meat thermometer reaches 180°F

While the chicken is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook orzo for approximately 8 minutes or until soft. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Pour the orzo into a bowl to serve. Coarsely chop the sun dried tomatoes and toss with the orzo. Add olive oil and salt to taste to the orzo.

When the chicken is done pour its juices into the bowl with the tarragon vinegar, mustard and olive oil. Combine as a gravy.

Carve the chicken and serve alongside the sundried tomato orzo for a simple, healthy dinner!

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Turkey Saltimbocca with Fennel and Peas

This is an interesting take on saltimbocca as we use turkey here instead of chicken or veal. It yields a juicy yet lean meat dish that can be served with a myriad pasta dishes or on its own with extra fennel/peas. I made a spinach ricotta gnocchi with it and it was a delightful match.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
6 turkey breasts, pounded thin with a meat mallot, or purchased as scallopine
12 thin slices prosciutto
24 sage leaves
salt and pepper
3 bulbs fennel
2 tablespoons olive oil
flour for coating meat
2/3 cup clarified butter
2 cups frozen shelled peas
3 oz dry marsala
3 oz dry white wine
2 oz cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
squeeze of lemon juice

To make the clarified butter:
Clarified butter is essentially the butter fat exclusively, with the milk fat and water removed from the butter. Because it has a higher smoke point than regular butter, it is less likely to burn. When making dishes that require high heat, like a saute, clarified butter can be useful.

Heat your butter in a sauce pan slowly, until the milk fat rises to the top. Skim the milk fat off with a spoon and then slowly pour the remaining butter through a sieve on top of a liquid measure. Be sure that the sieve is trapping any solids and you just have pure, clarified butter remaining. Set aside for future use. I found a great video that shows you how to make it, it’s quite simple actually, it just requires a bit of care. If you need a bit of clarified butter assistance, check it out.

Season turkey breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Lay two pieces of prosciutto and a couple of sage leaves on top of each turkey breast and press in so that they stick. Set aside.

Cut each fennel bulb into four thick slices but leave attached at the base. Blanch the bulbs in lightly salted boiling water until just tender. Be careful not to overcook. Drain thoroughly and pat dry. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and saute the fennel slices for 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Transfer to a baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Take out your frozen peas and pour them into a bowl to thaw. If they become too watery, pat them dry with a paper towel. Place fennel in the oven to keep warm while you prepare the turkey.

Lightly dust each turkey slice with flour. Heat the clarified butter in a pan and quickly add the slices of turkey, prosciutto side down, and allow to cook for 3 minutes on each side. Combine the marsala and wine in a bowl. Turn the heat for your pan to high and pour the marsala/wine mixture into the pan. Remove the turkey slices and add butter and lemon juice to the pan with the marsala/wine. Taste for salt. Warm up the peas in the microwave for about two minutes.

Arrange a platter with a bed of peas and place the turkey breasts and warmed fennel on top. Spoon the sauce on top. Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from my favorite cook book, Coast: Seaside recipes from Australia’s leading chefs.

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Master-Stock Quail Breast with Slow-Cooked Squid, Prosciutto and Shiitake Mushrooms

I bought a new cookbook this weekend that I am pretty pumped about called “Coast” featuring recipes from leading Australian chefs. It has a lot of really creative recipes, one of which I tried out on Sunday. The recipe comes from chef Peter Gilmore who is from Sydney. Though this dish takes quite a long time to prepare, the selling point is that it is not very labor intensive because it requires very little chopping and stirring. I recommend leaving yourself a few hours to prepare it but most of the time is allotted for letting the flavors infuse in the stock and the garlic oil. I never would have imagined that prosciutto would marry well with Chinese ingredients such as mirin and soy sauce. The flavors and textures were actually quite delicious. I went out on a limb as I’ve never made quail before but I was pleased with the results. Next time I may try to make it with veal instead of quail. Read on.

Master-Stock Quail Breast with Slow-Cooked Squid, Prosciutto and Shiitake Mushrooms

Serves 4

4 large quails
1 tablespoon sesame oil
8 oz cleaned cuttlefish or squid (I used squid)
6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stalks removed
6 thin slices prosciutto
2 medium sized scallions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons mirin
2 teaspoons salt-reduced soy sauce
Pinch of sea salt

Master Stock

8 cups chicken stock
100 ml shaohsing Chinese cooking wine
100 ml dark soy sauce
125 g yellow rock sugar (can substitute with regular sugar- I couldn’t find it myself!)
6 star anise
3 strips cassia bark (I couldn’t find this but it is a bark that comes from a tree similar to a banana tree, the dish is fine without it)
4 strips dried orange peel
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

Garlic oil

2 cups olive oil
6 garlic cloves, cut in half

For the master stock, combine all the ingredients in a large stockpot, bring to a boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to infuse for 1 hour. Strain and reserve stock. Make the garlic oil by warming the olive oil in a pan with garlic for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to infuse for 1 hour. Strain.

Bring the master stock back to a boil, then turn down to barely simmering. Remove the legs from the quails. Brush quail breasts with sesame oil and poach in master stock for exactly 2 minutes. Remove quail breasts from stock and allow to cool. Take the meat off the bone, then carefully remove and discard the skin. Set aside the meat.

Place cuttlefish or squid on a board and, with a sharp knife, cut horizontally into paper-thin slivers or rings. Carefully slice the shiitake mushroom caps into paper-thin slivers. Cut the prosciutto into strips. Fry the scallions in a little garlic oil until just caramelized (when they begin to brown); drain on kitchen paper and set aside. Put the master stock back on the stove and heat to just below simmering.

In a large saucepan, warm all except 1 tablespoon of the remaining garlic oil on high heat. Submerge cuttlefish or squid slivers in oil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon as soon as they turn opaque. Set aside, season lightly with sea salt and toss through the prosciutto slices and spring onions. Saute your shiitake mushrooms in the reserved tablespoon of garlic oil until golden brown. Add mirin and salt-reduced soy sauce, simmer until slightly reduced, then add to cuttlefish or squid mixture and gently combine.

Poach quail breasts in master stock for 1 minute. Remove from stock and place two breasts in the middle of each of four warmed plates. Top with the cuttlefish or squid mixture, and serve immediately. You can also simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl if you are having less of a formal dinner, as I did.

*Though the recipe does not say this, I highly recommend pouring some of that stock you worked so hard to create, onto the final dish. It has so many great flavors in it from the anise, orange peel, and peppercorns and will really add a lot to the final result. Bon appetit!

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