RECIPES

Articles tagged as Main Dishes (view all)

Sort of Mole (imagine the accent over the e)

26 June, 2014 0 comments Leave a comment

Here's a recipe for a quick mole with Chipotle Chocolate Rub.  

1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup almonds, ground (a food processor or blender will work) or a scant 1/3 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate and a scant 1/2 cup water or 1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons of Chipotle Chocolate Rub
14 ounces of tomatoes
1 3-4 pound roasting chicken, cut into pieces

In a large frying pan, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the Chipotle Chocolate Rub. Stir, cooking for two minutes.  Add the almonds and tomatoes, mix, and then turn off the heat. Puree the mixture in a blender, then pour back into the frying pan and cook until the mixture thickens and reduces by 1/4-1/3.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the dutch oven. Take the chicken pieces and place them skin side down in the pan, first brown the skin side (3-5 minutes) and then flip and brown the other side.  Pour the mixture from the frying pan over the chicken, put on the lid and cook.  I cook it until the internal temp of the thigh is 150-155 degrees.  Please keep in mind, however, that the USDA says 165 degrees.  So you should do that if you're litigious.  

I recommend serving this with green beans, cooked briefly and at high heat, so they just start to blister and are still crunchy.

Moroccan Shepherd's Pie

11 March, 2014 0 comments Leave a comment

1/2 teaspoon Ras el Hanout
1/2 teaspoon Moroccan seasoning (You can skip this and just use 1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout)
1 teaspoon Urfa Biber (or other mildly spicy dried pepper)
2 carrots, quartered and sliced
4 green onions, darkest green part removed and sliced thinly
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups of cooked chicken meat (I used the leftovers from 
8 leaves kale, main rib removed and cut across into 1" pieces
1/3 cup of pitted kalamata olives
1 large or two small garnet yams
2 medium yellow potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Oil a casserole dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Put large saucepan of salted water onto the stove.  Bring the water to a boil and add the potatoes.  Boil until fork tender and mash with butter and 1/3 cup milk.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add the green onion and onion.  Cook on medium heat for ~5 minutes, until transluscent.  Add the garlic, ras el hanout, Moroccan seasoning, and urfa biber, along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Cook until the spices begin to stick to the pan and the garlic is aromatic.  Add the carrots and kale and cook until the kale becomes bright green.  Add the chicken and olives and cook until the mixture is warmed through.  Taste and correct salt and pepper as needed.  

Spoon the mixture into the casserole dish and smooth it with the back of a spoon.  Spoon the mashed potatoes over the chicken mixture in tablespoons and smooth with the back of that same spoon.  Cook for 35 minutes.  

Serve with a light green salad with a citrus vinagrette.

PORK IN A BOWL ROCK 'N ROLL

19 November, 2013 0 comments Leave a comment

The 'Out of Ideas' Dinner

Okay. You’re out of ideas. It’s a weekday and that extra bunch of carrots isn’t going to turn itself into a complete meal. Read more

COCONUT-GINGER SPINACH with Ras el Hanout

19 November, 2013 0 comments Leave a comment

How to turn, “No, I really want to like spinach, but…” into, “Whoa! This is delicious!”

My argument with cooked spinach grew out of its somewhat – how do I put this? – squeaky or tannic characteristics. Read more