A Life, Lived

Donna Hay - Almond Roasted Chicken

Apparently I have been under a rock for years for I had never heard of Donna Hay until my pal Kayte get blogging about her success with Hay's many recipes. Kayte enjoys them so much that I was convinced to but one of Hay's cookbooks which was given to Paul as a part of his Valentine's Day gift.

The book I decided to get started with was Simple Dinners. It promised to deliver big results with minimal effort making it perfect for weeknight meal ideas!

Paul got started this week with a quick chicken dish which delivered on everything Hay promised- it was quick and tasted amazing! If the rest of the recipes in this book turn out half as well we'll be very happy campers!

Almond Roasted Chicken

½  teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon shredded lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
4  x 200g chicken breast fillets, trimmed
½ cup (80g) blanched whole almonds
2 tablespoons currants
2 sprigs oregano

Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F). Place the cumin, lemon zest and juice, oil, cinnamon, salt and pepper in large bowl and mix to combine. Add the chicken and toss to coat.

Place the chicken in a baking dish lined with non-stick baking paper. Sprinkle the currants, almonds and oregano over the chicken. Roast for 14 – 18 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through.

Serve the chicken with a simple feta and mint salad if desired (we served it with that wonderful Jamie Oliver recipe - roasted cauliflower with Indian spices).

Kids Around the World

This post made me think about the challenges faced by children around the world and how kids here know so little about what their peers around the planet face.

Think about it nexttime you're buying toys made in inexpensive labour countries . . .

Travel Tuesdays - Moose Factory

Yes, there really is a place called Moose Factory - it is one of Ontario's most northern communities. I was going through the old photo files and found some pics from when I was assigned there back in 2003.

Moose Factory is an old trading post on an island in the middle of the Moose River located just as it flows into James Bay. The river is huge - the only way across to the island is by water taxi, car across the ice road when the river is deeply frozen, snow machine when the river ice is thining out, and helicopter for 6 weeks each year when the river is breaking up or freezing over. I got to experience the joys of all forms of transportation . . .

Be sure to pop on over to Sandi's blog to see what else is happening on Travel Tuesdays!

Pumpkin Gnocchi

I know that I am rather late to the party with this. I had planned on making this in the fall when everything pumpkin is de rigour but somehow never got around to it. Those tins of pumpkin kept falling out of the pantry whenever I opened it so finally I though 'enough' and decided to whip these up.

I was leery about making gnocchi; the last time we attempted to make it the results were LESS than impressive. Those little gnocchi are supposed to be light and fluffy - ours were heavy and dense - the opposite of what gnocchi should be.

Nonetheless, we forged ahead, determined to get it right. Besides, the previous version was a recipe for the more complex potato based gnocchi. These pumpkin based babies looked decidedly simple and easy to make.

It turns out that they were!

I made the 'mix' and then Paul and I rolled and formed then - great to be able to work in the kitchen as a team. After they were cooked we served them with Marcella Hazan's Gorgonzola Cream sauce (I tried to lower the fat content by subbing low-fat cream for the whipping cream. Lesson learned, there is a reason why cooked sauces call for whipping cream. Calories be damned!) and some chopped toasted hazelnuts.

It would appear that we finally got gnocchi right!

Don't be tempted to be all seasonal with these - sure, pumpkin flavour screams 'fall' but these are too darned tasty to not enjoy in spring, summer, and winter!

Pumpkin Gnocchi

2 cups pumpkin/squash puree
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 - 2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch nutmeg (optional)

If your pumpkin puree is really wet, simmer it in a sauce pan to dry it out a bit and then let it cool down.

Mix the egg yolk into the pumpkin puree.

Mix the salt and nutmeg into the flour.

Mix enough of the flour into the pumpkin puree to form a soft dough that is not too sticky to work with.

Knead the dough for a minute and then roll it out into 4 long thin rolls about 1/2 inch thick.

Cut the rolls into 1/2 inch pieces and then roll the pieces in flour lightly shaking off any excess.

Roll the pieces over a gnocchi board or a fork to give them the ridges.

Cook the gnocchi in boiling water in small batches until it floats to the surface, about 2-3 minutes, remove and set aside to drain.

Use as desired.

Chinese Ribs

Americans take their pork ribs very seriously. When it comes to the famous BBQ ribs, attention to details spans it all . . . from spice rub/seasonings, sauce, pork flavor, texture, smoke, appearance, scent, cooking and grilling techniques. Originated and perfected in the American South (although there are plenty across the states who claim that their town actually perfected them), BBQ ribs are at the very core of American food culture.

I'm not sure about China though.

I love the "barbecued" pork and ribs in Chinatown. One the rare occasions that we had Chinese food when I was a kid the ribs, shrimp, and chicken balls were my meal. Mom would try and get me to eat some veggies but that was a losing battle on her part!)

On to those wonderful ribs. They have a distinct pork flavor, a glossy sheen that implies the sweet glaze beneath, and a glowing red-pink color that penetrates the surface.

Unlike traditional Southern American low and slow smoke roasted barbecue ribs, there is no smoke flavor, even though there is a pink ring beneath the surface of the meat. How do they do it?

Well, it turns out that Char Siu, even though it sounds like charcoal, is not grilled or smoked. It is roasted in a special oven, usually gas fired. And most of the time it gets its ruddy tone from red food coloring (some chefs use a red bean paste, or beets, but that's not common).

But it still tastes great. You can buy Char Siu sauce in Chinese specialty stores, but it is thick and gooey. It makes a fine glaze, but it doesn't make ribs that taste like Chinese restaurant ribs. That's because you need to marinate the meat first.

I found this recipe for Chinese style ribs on the Fine Cooking site and while they aren't the ribs I remember from my childhood (but then again, is any food you crave from your childhood as you remember when you finally cram it into your mouth as an adult?). Nonetheless, these are amazing!

Chinese Ribs

1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
3 pounds ribs
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup  dry sherry or shaoxing wine (we used the shaoxing)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup honey

In a gallon-sized Ziplock bag, combine hoisin sauce, sherry, soy sauce, honey, and garlic. Squeeze the bag a few times to mix ingredients. Add ribs and mix until evenly coated. Seal bag, transfer to refrigerator, and let ribs marinate overnight, or even for a few nights.

When ready to cook,  pre heat oven to 375. Remove ribs from bag, and reserve marinade. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, set a wire rack in it, and spread the ribs evenly over the rack. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 1 hour. Remove foil, brush ribs with marinade, increase heat to 450, and continue to roast until charred, glazed, and sticky, about 20 minutes longer, rotating ribs and basting with marinade once more during cooking. Let rest 10 minutes, then serve.

Photo Hunt - Upper

This week's Photo Hunt theme is upper.

One of my favourite memories from our time in Athens was when we went to the top of Lykavittos Hill which looms large over Athens. At just under 1000 feet above sea level it can be seen from everywhere in the city. Pine trees cover its base, and at its peak are the 19th century Chapel of St. George, a theatre, and a restaurant that hs the best views in town - although I wouldn't know about the food.

This is the upper most point in Athens and provides amazing views. Sitting in a cafe, sipping wine and nibbling cheese we watched the sun set to the east and the lights of the Acropolis come on.

 

Vindaloo Chicken

I can still remember the first time I ate vindaloo chicken. No, I am not THAT food obsessed, it was just a memorable dinner.

It was not long after we had moved into together. A new Indian restaurant had opened up in town. I placed an order for delivery - not being a aficionado of Indian food I wasn't sure what I was ordering.

We were sitting on the couch watching some TV and digging into our Indian food. I took a bite of vindaloo chicken and instantly my mouth was a fire! My face turned red. My eyes began to stream with tears.

Paul took one look at this and he started laughing. He laughed so much he choked . . . with a mouthful of vindaloo. Soon his sinuses were on fire in addition to his mouth . . . I shall leave the graphic details there but I think you can .se why I still remember that.

Vindaloo is a popular curry that hails from a tiny little state of Goa in India. Portuguese had their colony in Goa for decades and so the state has a great influence from Portuguese culture. It is believed that the name Vindaloo was also derived from Portuguese dish where “vinho” means wine and “alhos” is garlic. Usually the recipe asks for pork and wine along with garlic. In course of time Vindaloo evolved and cooks started making it with chicken or lamb and wine was substituted with vinegar.

This version, from the folks at Fine Cooking, has heat but doesn’t overwhelm. The dish goes well with jasmine rice and some naan bread on the side. The other bonus is that it is ready in under 45 minutes making it a perfect treat for a weeknight meal.

Vindaloo Chicken

1-1/2 Tbs. curry powder
2 tsp. hot paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 3/4- to 1-inch pieces
8 medium cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbs. red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
1 (14-1/2-oz). can diced tomatoes, drained, 1/3 cup juice reserved
3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

In a small bowl, stir the curry powder, paprika, and 3/4 tsp. black pepper. Put the chicken in a medium nonreactive bowl, sprinkle with 1 Tbs. of the curry powder mixture, about half of the garlic, 2 Tbs. of the vinegar, and 3/4 tsp. salt; toss to coat. Set aside at room temperature.

Heat the oil in a 10- to 11-inch straight-sided sauté pan over high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and ¼ tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until it softens and begins to brown around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium high, add the ginger, the remaining garlic, and the remaining curry powder mixture and cook, stirring, until fragrant and well combined, about 45 seconds.

Add the tomatoes and mix to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with the spoon. Stir in the chicken, reserved tomato juice, remaining 2 Tbs. vinegar, and 2/3 cup water. Bring to a boil, cover partially, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with the cilantro.

1 Billion Rising

In the midst of the hoopla that is Valentine's Day I heard about 1Billion Rising.

Thousands danced in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hundreds chanted in South Africa, carrying signs and candles. The Philippines held a 24-hour dance party. Scores of students in India gathered for a candlelight vigil.

Organizers say these were among thousands of events which took place in 205 countries on Valentine's Day as part of One Billion Rising, an international call led by Eve Ensler's V-Day organization to end violence against women and girls.

Ensler, author of "The Vagina Monologues," announced the campaign last year, urging women and men around the world to walk out of work or school on Feb. 14, 2013, and dance to raise awareness of the troubling U.N. statistic that one in three women worldwide will be raped or beaten in her lifetime.

"It's happening, and what we're seeing is really huge uprisings," Ensler said in a telephone interview from Congo. "It's amazing because it goes from huge events like in Collins Square in London to six girls in a living room in Iran. That's what's so beautiful about it, like the whole world's doing it in the way they can do it."

International officials endorsed the event, including prime ministers of England and Australia, the president of Croatia, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who tweeted, "I rise with people of good conscience to stand up against intolerable acts of violence against women around the world. (hash)1billionrising."

"The UN officially endorsed the campaign, and I think unprecedentedly they, at 12:30, stopped their work and had a rising at the UN," Ensler said.

Here is a video of the San Francisco flash mob . . .

An African Proverb

It took me a few minutes for this to settle in but when it did  . . . wow!

Travel Tuesdays

I was digging through some old DVDs and found some ancient pictures!

Funny how pictures from 10 years ago are considered ancient . . .

These are from a camping trip Paul and I took to Algonquin Park -one of Ontario's finest (and largest) expanses of wilderness.

Be sure to pop on over to Sandi's blog to see what else is happening on Travel Tuesdays!