Category: Entrees

Aguadito de Pollo

This is a Peruvian chicken soup that I made for dinner tonight, adapted from A Cozy Kitchen.  I’d hoped it would be more green for the photos but no such luck tonight.  Nevertheless, it is a worthy recipe.  A little spice, the heartiness of chicken and rice, and the freshness of sweet corn make this ideal for any season.  I hope you enjoy it as well!

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2 c. cilantro leaves & stalks (yes the stalks have just as much flavour)

2 serrano pepper, halved and seeded

4 garlic cloves (2 whole and 2 minced)

4 1/4 c. chicken broth, divided

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 chicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in (or a combination of chicken thighs and drumsticks)

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced (I had none sadly but for the colour, I wish I had)

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 c. white rice

1/2 c. green peas

1 ear of corn, cut off the cob

Salt to taste

1 lime, wedged

Add cilantro leaves, serrano peppers, 2 whole garlic cloves and 1/4 cup of chicken broth to a blender. Blend until mixture is thoroughly combined. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, carefully add chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin-side down. Cook on first side for 4-5 minutes, and until skin is crisp and slightly browned. Flip on second side and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.

Add yellow onion to the remaining oil and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Next, add red bell pepper and ground cumin, allowing to cook for 1-2 more minutes, followed then by the minced garlic. Add the rice and cilantro liquid mixture to the pot and mix, being sure to completely coat the rice. Add the chicken back to the pot and cover with the remaining 4 cups of chicken broth. The broth should just cover the chicken. Cook for 20-30 minutes, and until rice is fully cooked.

When you’re ready to serve, add salt to taste if needed. Mix in corn and peas shortly before serving.

Add a few cilantro leaves to each bowl of soup, along with a few wedges of lime.

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Beetroot Tarte Tatin with a Hazelnut Crust

This recipe is one I’ve been dying to try from Cannelle et Vanille.  I adapted it a bit: doubled the recipe to make a larger tart and used purple sweet potatoes as opposed to potatoes.  The result was a healthy, savoury tart with the perfect amount of caramelization to appeal to my sweet tooth. The process was a little time consuming but it made for a fun and tasty side to our dinner steaks.

Roasted Beet and Purple Potato Tarte Tatin with Caramelized Fennel and Gruyere Cheese

(makes a 9-inch tart)

Buckwheat and Hazelnut Tart Crust

1 c. brown rice flour
2/3 c. buckwheat flour
2/3 c. tapioca starch (the same as tapioca flour)
2/3 c. hazelnut flour (ground hazelnut)
4 tsp. ground chia seeds (optional)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 c. cold unsalted butter, diced
12 to 16 tbsp. ice water

Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the diced butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Add the water and pulse until dough comes together. It will not form a ball. Simply press it between your fingers to see if it holds.

Transfer dough to flat surface and knead a couple of times. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, flatten it with your hands, and refrigerate for one hour.

Meanwhile…prepare the filling

8 assorted colors baby beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 medium purple sweet-potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 springs thyme
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 oz. grated caprano cheese (the original recipe suggests gruyere) 

Preheat oven to 400F. Toss the slices beets and purple potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, pinch salt and black pepper. Bake the vegetables for 30 minutes until potatoes are done (they take less time than beets) and remove them. Continue to bake the beets for a few more minutes until tender, about 10 more minutes. Set aside and cool while making filling.

Reduce oven temperature to 375F.

Remove the tart crust from the refrigerator. Lightly dock it with a fork. Dust your cold surface with a bit of superfine brown rice flour. Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut a circle that is slightly bigger than your mold. The scraps can be saved for another time.

Transfer the tart base to a sheet lined with parchment and refrigerate the tart base for 30 minutes.

Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the rest of the olive oil and cook the onions, fennel, garlic, and a pinch of salt until tender and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, stir, and remove from heat. Set aside and let cool slightly.

Remove the tart crust from the refrigerator. Lightly dock it with a fork.

Place the roasted vegetables inside the tart mold tightly packed. Spread the caramelized onion and fennel mixture on top and sprinkle the Gruyere on top of that. Place the tart dough on top and tuck it into the edges.

Bake the tart for 30 minutes until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Thai Beef Salad

This is a recipe that my talented mother came up with. It’s tasty, fresh, fun, and I love it.  She came over to help (read: make it for me) tonight to share with you all.

Thai Beef Salad

1 pound beef tenderloin tail, sliced in half lengthwise (tonight we used NY strip)

1/2 c. soy sauce

1 tsp. sesame oil

4 tsp. sugar

3 tbsp. Sriracha hot sauce

1/4 c. lime juice

2 tbsp. fish sauce

3/4 c. peanut butter

1/4 c. sliced green onions

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

2 tbsp. chopped peanuts

fresh baby greens, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers (red, yellow, and/or orange), shaved carrot, and sliced cucumber (really you can make the salad how ever you so choose but this is what mama suggests)

Place tenderloin in a shallow dish. Combine 1/4 c. soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1 tbsp of the hot sauce.  Pour over steak and marinate for at least 1 hour turning several times.

In blender, combine remaining soy sauce, sugar, hot sauce, lime juice, fish sauce, green onion and cilantro and blend until cilantro is finely chopped.

Grill steak over hot coals, turning once until done as desired.  Let stand 5 minutes (hint: always do this to help the steak retain its juices). Slice steak thinly on diagonal and place on salad.  Drizzle with the dressing and serve.

Serves 4

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Makhouda D’Aubergine from The Traveler’s Lunchbox

This dish is one I came across on one of my favourite blogs, The Traveler’s Lunchbox, in which this is described as a Tunisian Eggplant Frittata.  The recipe is originally from Kitty Morse’s North Africa: The Vegetarian Table.

Now I do not love eggs, I think they’re great for baking with, but when it comes to breakfast, no matter how they are served, I simply cannot have them so I also don’t eat quiches or frittatas…ever.  But I love eggplant (ever since I was old enough to contemplate that eggplant was entirely unrelated to egg – as a child my parents could only convince me to eat it if it was called Aubergine), so here we are with this Makhouda D’Aubergine in my terrible little electric oven and I am excited! I’ve made a couple changes due to lack/want of ingredients.  This dish is suggested as a side to tagines, but I intend to call it a meal given the effort that went into making it. Verdict is it’s delicious, eggs and all.

1 large eggplant
salt for sprinkling
1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and diced
8 large eggs
a handful (about 1/2 cup packed) chopped fresh parsley or coriander/cilantro leaves, or a mixture (I used parsley)
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz (225g) gruyère cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup (50g) dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon bharat (Tunisian spice blend; you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon rosewater) (I used the pepper and the cinnamon alone)
about 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
harissa (North African hot pepper paste) or cayenne pepper, to taste (optional) (I added a seeded and minced serrano pepper)
lemon wedges 

Peel and cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch dice. Sprinkle generously with salt and place the cubes in a colander to drain for about 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and cook the eggplant, onion, and pepper, stirring occasionally until golden and soft, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a colander to drain off as much of the oil as possible.

In a medium bowl, mix the eggs and add the herbs, garlic, cheese and bread crumbs. Add the eggplant mixture. Season with the bharat, salt, and a small spoonful of the optional harissa or cayenne pepper, (and the serrano if you want the extra heat).

Grease a 2-quart soufflé dish (I don’t own one and used glass cookware instead). Pour the egg mixture into the dish and bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown and puffed in the center, 40-45 minutes (a knife inserted into the center should come out clean). Let cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto a serving platter (you can also just leave it in the dish). Cut into wedges or squares to serve. Serve hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges on the side.

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