Ginger-Curry Grilled Chicken Kebabs

This recipe was included in the “Tuesday Nights” column of Milk Street magazine. Kebabs are a big procedure on a Tuesday night! 😉 Although the time commitment was misleading, the finished dish was absolutely worth all of the work.

We ate the kebabs with brown Basmati rice, warm naan, and Greek Tzatziki. They could alternatively be served with a drizzle of plain yogurt. The kebabs are an adaptation of mishkaki, grilled skewers of marinated meat from the islands of Zanzibar. According to the article, the islands’ cuisine is a fusion of Persian, Portuguese, and Arabic from the people that once colonized or settled in the area.

This recipe was adapted from “Feast: Food of the Islamic World” by Anissa Helou, via Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street magazine, contributed by Courtney Hill. Fabulous.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 2 T grapeseed or other neutral oil (I used canola)
• 2 T tomato paste
• 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus lemon wedges to serve
• 1 T finely grated fresh ginger
• 5 medium garlic cloves, finely grated or pushed through a garlic press
• 1 T curry powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts), trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (see Note)
• 1 medium red, orange or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

1. Trim the chicken and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oil, tomato paste, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
3. Add the chicken and mix, rubbing the seasonings into the meat, until evenly coated.
4. Marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes while you prepare the grill or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. (I marinated it for about 3 hours.)
5. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. For a charcoal grill, ignite a large chimney of coals, let burn until lightly ashed over, then distribute evenly over the grill bed; open the bottom grill vents. For a gas grill, turn all burners to high. Heat the grill, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, then clean and oil the grate.
6. While the grill heats, thread the chicken, alternating with the pepper and onion pieces, onto 6 to 9 metal skewers.
7. Place the skewers on the pre-heated grill. Cook without disturbing until lightly charred on the bottom and the meat releases easily from the grill, 3 to 4 minutes.
8. Flip the skewers and cook, turning every few minutes, until charred all over and the chicken is no longer pink when cut into, another 8 to 9 minutes.
9. Transfer to a platter and serve with lemon wedges, as desired.

Note: Don’t worry if the cut pieces of chicken are irregularly shaped. As long as they’re similarly sized, shape isn’t important. Don’t crowd the skewers on the grill grate. Allow some space between them so heat circulates and the chicken cooks quickly and without steaming.

Stuffed Peppers with Thai Curry Rice & Mushrooms

My friend who shared her bounty of homegrown eggplant also shared mini bell peppers from her garden. Loved it! Lucky me. 🙂 I searched for a special way to use them. These stuffed peppers were a complete success- everyone in my family enjoyed them.

This recipe was originally intended to be a vegetarian main dish using full-size red bell peppers. I used these mini peppers instead and served them as a side dish with sautéed kabocha squash and rotisserie chicken.

This dish was full-flavored and delicious. The recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Emilee and Jere Gettle. Absolutely wonderful.

Yield: approximately 10 mini bell peppers or 4 full-size bell peppers

• 10 mini bell peppers or 4 large bell peppers (any color)
• 2 T unsalted butter or grapeseed oil 
• 2 medium shallots, minced 
• 6 garlic cloves, minced 
• coarse salt 
• 3/4 cup long-grain white rice (I used Basmati) 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk 
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 
• 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste 
• 1 large jalapeño, finely chopped with or without seeds, as desired (I ribbed and seeded the chile)
• 8 oz cremini or oyster mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 cups chopped spinach (I used baby spinach)
• 1/4 cup chopped basil, preferably Thai, plus more for garnish (I used Italian basil)
• freshly squeezed juice from half of a large lemon

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
2. Slice the tops off the peppers and cut the tops into 1/4-inch dice; discard the cores and stems.
3. Boil the hollowed out peppers until just tender, about 3 minutes for mini peppers or 4 minutes for full size peppers. Using tongs, carefully transfer the peppers to paper towels to drain, cut side down. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water.
4. Mince the shallots and garlic in a mini food processor, if desired; remove and set aside.
5. Dice the jalapeno and pepper tops in the food processor. Set aside.
6. In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallots and garlic, season with salt and cook over moderate heat until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until toasted, 2 to 4 minutes.
8. Stir in the coconut milk, ginger, curry paste and the 1 1/2 cups of reserved pepper water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the liquid is absorbed, 25 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°, preferably on convection.
10. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the diced bell pepper tops and the jalapeño and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until tender, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Add the mushrooms, cover and cook, stirring a few times, until tender, 5 minutes.
12. Uncover and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are browned, 4 minutes longer.
13. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
14. Add the vegetable mixture to the rice and stir in the basil and lemon juice. Season with salt to taste.
15. Fill the peppers with the rice mixture and set them in a shallow glass, ceramic baking dish, or rimmed baking sheet. (I used a cookie scoop.)
16. Tent with foil and bake for about 22 to 25 minutes for mini peppers or up to 45 minutes for full size peppers, until the rice filling is steaming and heated through.
17. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.

Za’atar Chicken Schnitzel with Israeli Salad

I made all of these sautéed chicken dishes months apart, but it seems right to share them at the same time. 🙂

My Austrian sister-in-law has traditional schnitzel with freshly made mayonnaise and cucumber salad for dinner every Christmas Eve. It is absolutely delicious. I loved this Middle Eastern variation.

This recipe was adapted from Bringing it Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating by Gail Simmons with Mindy Fox. I substituted chicken thighs for chicken cutlets and cooked the dish in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Perfect.

This schnitzel would also be wonderful served as a sandwich in a pita with hummus.

Yield: Serves 4

For the Israeli Salad:

• 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
• 1/2 English cucumber, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp za’atar
• 1 tsp sumac, optional
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the Schnitzel:

• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup panko
• 1 1/2 T za’atar
• freshly grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 chicken cutlets, about 1 pound
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• lemon wedges, for serving

To start the salad:

1. In a large bowl, combine the bell pepper, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, parsley, and mint.
2. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the schnitzel:

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place an ovenproof platter or a baking sheet int he oven to warm.
2. In a wide, shallow bowl, stir together the flour, 1 tsp salt, and a generous pinch of pepper.
3. In another shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and a pinch of salt.
4. In a third shallow bowl, combine the panko, za’atar, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
5. Place each piece of chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat pounder or a rolling pin, gently pound each piece of chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.
6. Pat the meat dry and season both sides lightly with salt and pepper.
7. Dredge in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess.
8. Dip in the eggs, letting excess drip off, then gently press into the panko mixture to completely coat.
9. Transfer the chicken to a large plate.
10. Heat the 1/2 cup of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium to medium-high heat, until hot but not smoking. (I used a cast iron skillet over medium heat.)
11. Fry the chicken in 2 batches, turning once, until cooked through and crispy, about 2-3 minutes per side.
12. Drain each batch on paper towel-lined plates, season with salt, then transfer to the platter in the oven to keep warm.

To finish the salad:

1. Add the 2 T oil, lemon juice, za’atar, sumac, and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper to the vegetable mixture.
2. Toss to combine.

To serve:

1. Serve the schnitzel with the salad piled on top (or vice versa!) with lemon wedges on the side.

Firehouse Chili Gumbo

This is the last “soup” that I have to share (for now!) in my cozy soup series. 😉 It would be perfect for any Super Bowl Sunday feast. It was layered with flavor.

The recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Sam Sifton. The original recipe was adapted from the one that a Louisiana firefighter named Jeremy Chauvin entered into a national cook-off run by Hormel Foods in 2017, and that took home the prize for America’s Best Firehouse Chili. It uses a roux as a base, making it a chili “gumbo.” I substituted ground turkey for the ground beef.

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

For the Chili:

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
• 3 pounds ground beef or ground turkey, ideally coarse-ground
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons chile powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons steak sauce (I substituted soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes

For the Gumbo:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 2 medium shallots, peeled and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 3 ribs celery, trimmed and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
• 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
• 1 to 2 cups tomato juice
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce, or to taste

For Serving:

• sliced scallions, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and/or tortilla chips, for garnish, as desired
• corn bread or corn muffins, optional

1. Make the chili. Heat the oil in a large skillet or heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat. (I used an enameled cast iron pot.)
2. Working in batches, cook the ground meat, stirring often, until it has begun to brown at the edges. Using a slotted spoon, transfer browned meat to a bowl.
3. Pour off excess fat, turn heat down to medium and return the browned meat to the skillet or pot.
4. Add salt, peppers, chile powder, turmeric, oregano and cumin, and stir to combine.
5. Add steak sauce/soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and diced tomatoes, and stir again. Cover the skillet or pot, and cook, stirring a few times, for 15 minutes or so.
6. Make the gumbo. Place a large pot with a heavy bottom over medium heat, and put the butter and oil into it. When the butter is melted and foaming, sprinkle the flour into the pan, and whisk to combine. Continue whisking until the mixture is golden brown, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Add the onion, shallots, bell peppers, celery and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have started to soften, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Make the chili gumbo. Add the beef mixture to the pot with the vegetables along with the tomato paste, tomato sauce, tomato juice and ketchup, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 45 minutes, then add apple-cider vinegar and hot sauce to taste.
9. Take the pot off the heat, and serve, or allow to cool and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to cure. Heat before serving.
10. Serve garnished with scallions, shredded cheese, and/or tortilla chips, as desired.

One Year Ago: Squash & Pork Stir-Fry

Two Years Ago: Duchess Baked Potatoes

Three Years Ago:

• Velvet Chicken with Mustard Sauce
• Classic Potato Gratin

Four Years Ago:

• Dark Meat Chicken Chili
• Broccoli & Mozzarella Potluck Stromboli

Five Years Ago:

• Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce
•  Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes with Garlic & Sage

Cauliflower Tagine

This dish was the perfect way to celebrate my beautiful CSA cauliflower. Although the base of this tagine was a bit spicy, the cauliflower and cheesy breadcrumb topping offset the spiciness and created a perfect balance. Because I didn’t have the Tunisian spice blend, Tabil, on hand, I was able to create the spice blend myself. The spiciness in the final dish could be easily modified by adjusting the amount of red pepper flakes in the spice blend.

The tagine recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Nancy Harmon Jenkins. I reduced the amount of olive oil to lighten the recipe. I also included a leek as well as green and yellow bell peppers from my CSA share. The spice blend recipe was adapted from Epicurious.com. It was a full-flavored and fabulous vegetarian casserole.

For the Tabil Spice Blend:

Yield: about 3 tablespoons

• 1 1/2 T coriander seeds
• 2 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 T caraway seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1. Finely grind all ingredients in a spice mill.

Note: The remaining spice blend can be reserved in an airtight container at room temperature.

For the Tagine:

Yield: Serves 6

• 8 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 leek, cut into half moons and rinsed
• 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons Tabil (recipe above)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2-pounds cauliflower (about 1 to 1 1/2 heads), cored and cut into 2-inch florets
• 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 3 ounces, 1 cup,  Gruyère cheese, shredded
• 5 large eggs, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 400°, preferably on convection.
2. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and leek and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, bell pepper, paprika, Tabil, tomato paste and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pepper softens, about 7 minutes.
5. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and water and simmer for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
6. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the cauliflower until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Spread the cauliflower in the baking dish.
7. In a small bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the Gruyère and season with salt and pepper.
8. Stir in the beaten eggs; spread the mixture over the cauliflower.
9. Cover with foil and bake in the upper third of the oven for 15 minutes, or until bubbling around the edges.
10. Uncover and bake for about 15 minutes longer, until browned and crisp on top.
11. Let the tagine stand for 10 minutes before serving.

One Year Ago:

• Fried Eggs with Greens & Mushrooms
• Arugula Salad with Corn & Burrata

Two Years Ago:

• Simple Caesar Salad
• Clams Casino #2

Three Years Ago:

• Roasted Zucchini with Thyme

Four Years Ago:

• Warm Lentil Salad with Seared Tuna & Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
• French Green Lentil & Beet Salad with Orange-Mustard Vinaigrette

Five Years Ago:

• Butternut Squash & Sage Risotto
• Pad See Ew

Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

My entire family really looks forward to our Mardi Gras dinner. In all honesty, it’s because the meal is topped off with our traditional freshly-baked King Cake. Just writing about it makes me want some. 🙂

I typically make a Cajun main dish- usually shrimp jambalaya. This chicken and sausage version was incredible. My mother-in-law had just given us tons of fabulous Polish kielbasa as well. I was happy that my husband agreed to “sacrifice” it for our special dinner as it really added to the finished dish. This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Ian Knauer.

Yield: Serves 6

• 10 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
• coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 10-12 ounces Andouille sausage or kielbasa, sliced
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 6-10 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup long grain white rice (I used Basmati)
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves

1. Season the chicken with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium high heat until hot. Brown the chicken, turning once, until golden, about 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
3. Add the sausage to the pot and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer the sausage to the plate with the chicken.
4. Stir the onions, bell peppers, celery, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into the pot.
5. Cook vegetables, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 8 minutes.
6. Stir in the garlic, bay leaves and cayenne and continue to cook until golden, about 6 minutes.
7. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, water reserved chicken and reserved sausage along with any accumulated juices and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Season the jambalaya with salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

One Year Ago:

• Chicken Paprikash

Two Years Ago:

• Jerk Chicken with Spicy Pineapple Sauce & West Indies Roti

Three Years Ago:

• Chicken, Shrimp, & Clam Jambalaya

Four Years Ago:

• Jambalaya
• Shrimp in Spiced Tomato Sauce

Thai One-Pot

I made this quick one-pot dish so that my son could gobble it up before his swim practice. After practice, he used my husband’s phone to text me (repeatedly), “I’m starving! I need more ONE POT!!” He absolutely loved it. Needless to say, he ate all of the leftovers. 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine. I lightened the recipe by using ground turkey instead of ground pork. I also used arborio rice. My serving had additional fresh lime juice squeezed all over the top. Tasty!

Yield: Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon canola or sunflower oil
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/4 pounds lean ground pork or turkey
• 3/4 cup short-grain rice (I used arborio rice)
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 scallions including green tops, chopped, plus more for garnish
• radishes, cut into thin slices, to taste, for garnish
• 5 tablespoons chopped cilantro or fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
• juice from about 1 lime, plus lime wedges for garnish

1. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderately high heat. (I used a 4-quart covered pan.)
2. Add the bell peppers, shiitakes, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove.
3. Add the ground meat to the pan and cook, stirring, until it is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Spoon off the fat from the pan, if using pork. Season with 1/4 tsp of salt and freshly ground pepper.
4. Stir in the bell peppers and shiitakes, the rice, broth, soy sauce, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the cayenne.
5. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, without removing the lid, until the rice is just done, about 20 minutes.
6. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
7. Stir in the scallions, cilantro, and lime juice.
8. Garnish with additional lime wedges, radishes, cilantro, and scallion slices, as desired. Serve.

One Year Ago:

• Curry Noodles with Shrimp & Coconut

Two Years Ago:

• Thai Green Curry with Chicken

Three Years Ago:

• Palestinian Chicken
• Poisson Meunière or Fish with Lemon & Browned Butter Sauce
• Pinchos Morunos or Pork Kebabs with Moorish Seasonings