Lebonese Chicken and Chickpea Stew

I am not a huge fan of winter.  I tolerate winter.  I don't ski or snowboard or go sledding and the days of snow men and snowball fights and whatever allure they once had are long gone.  I mostly just, um, stay inside.  But there are a few things I love about winter.  One of them is the foods you get to enjoy and feel entitled to eat.  Some of my favorite foods are clearly winter foods -- stews, soups, rich pasta sauces --  foods I would never want to eat if I lived somewhere where it was always warm.  And that would be sad. 

This Lebonese-inspired chickpea stew with chicken thighs is one of these foods.  It is hearty and warm and wonderful.  It is from Bon Appetit, February 2012.  I changed the original recipe by adding more chicken -- 4 thighs instead of 2 -- and by subbing chicken stock for the water.  The cubes of country style bread I toasted after tossing in a little olive oil, salt and pepper to make them crusty before adding them at the end.  Here is the recipe.

Chickpea Stew
adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2012 
serves 4
 
Ingredients:
4 T olive oil, divided
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
kosher salt
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. ground cumin
2 Tbs. tomato paste
3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
2 15-oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped drained roasted red peppers from a jar
2 Tbs. (or more) fresh lemon juice
2 cups 1" cubes country-style bread
3 Tbs. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in medium heavy pot over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with salt; add to pot and cook, turning once, until browned, 8-10 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.

2.  Reduce heat to low and let oil cool for 1 minute; add garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.   Add cumin, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes; stir until a smooth paste forms, about 1 minute. 

3.  Add reserved chicken, along with any accumulated juices, bay leaves and  cups water (or chicken stock).  Scrape up any browned bits.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, occasionally stirring, until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes.

4.  Transfer chicken to a plate.  Add chickpeas to pot; bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, shred chicken.  Add shredded chicken to stew.  Add red peppers.  Stir in remaining 2 Tbs. oil and 2 Tbsp. lemon juice; simmer for 1 minute.

5.  Season with salt and more lemon juice, if desired.

6.  Divide stew among bowls, garnish with parsley.  Top with toasted bread cubes (or put bread cubes in bowl and top with stew).  

Enjoy!

Buttermilk Scones with Currants

 

These scones remind me of when I was a little girl and we would visit my grandparents in San Francisco.  They lived in a beautiful house in Cole Valley and we would get these wonderful scones from the bakery just down the street and eat them back at the house in their kitchen, or on my grandparents bed if it was a breakfast in bed morning, with jam and butter.  They were amazing.  

Here I am one of those mornings enjoying one...

Or maybe that is a croissant but, hey, those are awesome too (and something I plan to tackle soon!)

This recipe for buttermilk scones with currants is from the Tartine cookbook:

Tartine is a fabulous bakery in San Francisco, on the corner of 18th Street and Valencia, near Valencia park.  They have one of the best almond croissants I have ever tasted and the recipe is in this cookbook... It is on my agenda to make it before the Spring... I will need to invite a lot of willing participants for a brunch!

These scones are handsdown amazing. Sooo buttery and flaky.  We enjoyed some fresh out of the oven, with some jam this morning.  

It was over too quickly and there are 10 of them left in our kitchen, calling out to be eaten! Anyone want to come over and help us out?

here's how to make these buttery babies.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Zante currants (also called "black currants" or "dried currants")

4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 cup + 1 T butter

1 1/2 cups buttermilk 

1 tsp. lemon zest

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter a baking sheet.  

Combine currants with warm water to cover in a small bowl and set aside for about 10 minutes until they are plumped.  Drain well.

While currants are plumping, sift flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.

Add sugar and salt and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.  Cut butter into 1/2 inch cubes and scatter over dry ingredients.  If using a mixer, fit with a paddle attachment and pulse on and off so you don't break  down butter too much.  I started this way (as you can see below) but decided immediately to cut in the butter by had instead.  I do not have a pastry blender (if you do, use that) so I used two table knives to cut the butter in.

Like so (but using two hands of course.. one of mine is holding a camera..)

Cut up (or pulse mixer) until you have a coarse mixture and butter is in pea-sized lumps.

Note on buttermilk: I made buttermilk because I didn't have any on hand.  To do this, just measure out your milk, here 1 1/2 cups, and then add 1 T lemon juice per cup of milk (so 1 1/2 T for 1 1/2 cups of milk.  Let sit 5 minutes before using.

Add the buttermilk, currants and zest all at once and combine with a wooden spoon (or mix on low speed with mixer), just until you have a dough that holds together.  If mixture is dry, add a bit more buttermilk.  Don't overmix the dough! The butter should still be in pieces.

Dust work surface with flour and turn dough out.  Using your hands, pat the dough into a rectangle about 18 inches long, 5 inches wide, and 1 1/2 inches thick. 

Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.

Using a chef's knife, cut the dough into 12 triangles.

Transfer triangles to the prepared baking sheet. 

Bake the scones until the tops are lightly browned, 25 to 35 minutes.  

Remove from the oven and serve warm.  

Mmmm so buttery and flaky...

Enjoy!!

-- Anya

Lentil Soup with Spinach and Sausage

Hi! Well we are snowed in here!  The wind is blowing the snow about in huge sheets but the sun is out and the world is a beautiful, if uninviting, white.  We have a fire going and the animals are all happily sleeping...

Aww! They look miserable, huh?

Anyways, it is a good day to share this wonderful lentil soup I made last week.

So, I have never thought of myself liking lentils.  I'm not sure why exactly, they are kinda ugly and seem sorta boring.  Boy, I was wrong.  This soup is absolutely wonderful and satisfying and hearty.  The base recipe comes from allrecipes.com and it is a wonderful starting point.  It can be vegetarian, but I added some kielbasa...

which was smoky and wonderful.  I also added potatoes and extra carrots, garlic, spices...

and extra crushed tomatoes...

and stock instead of water...

And finished with spinach and some balsamic vinegar which added a wonderful deep flavor.

Serve this soup with crusty bread for a filling and satisfying winter meal.

Lentil Soup with Spinach and Sausage

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. grapeseed (or olive) oil
1/2 lb. kielbasa, sliced (or other sausage)
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 cups potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. dried basil
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or combination of stock and water)
4 cups spinach, chopped
2 Tbs of balsamic vinegar (to taste)
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.  In a large heavy pot or dutch oven, heat grapeseed oil over medium heat.  Brown sausage and  remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

2.  Add onions, carrots and celery to pot and cook until onion is tender, about 10 minutes.

3.  Stir in garlic, bay leaves, oregano, basil and cook for two minutes.

4.  Add potatoes, cook for 2 minutes.

5.  Stir in lentils, tomatoes, stock and/or water, and reserved sausage.  Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.  Just before serving, stir in spinach, cook until it wilts, and then add vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper and more vinegar if desired.

Serve and enjoy!

-- Anya

Shells with Green, Red and Yellow Peppers and Cream

Hi! It has been a long time and I miss blogging! Life has just been so busy with friends visiting and trips and football.  I have (of course) not stopped cooking though and I have saved up some good recipes to share.  Here is the first -- Shell pasta with red, green and yellow bell peppers in a cream sauce.  It is so delicious and wonderful in winter.  I grew up eating this and I always forget how good it is until I make it.  This is from Marcella Hazan.

Conchiglie con Peperoni Verdi, Rossi e Gialli alla Panna

(Shells with Green, Red and Yellow Peppers and Cream)

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

3 T butter

1 T vegetable oil

1 cup onion chopped not too fine

1 cup each of green, red and yellow bell peppers, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (if you can't get yellow bell peppers, increase red bell pepper by the same amount)

Salt

Ground black pepper

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 pound conchiglie (medium pasta shells)

2 T chopped parsley

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions:

1.  In a 10 to 12 inch saute pan, put butter, oil and chopped onion and turn on the heat to medium.  Saute the onion until it becomes colored a pale gold.

 2.  Add all the diced peppers, turn up the heat to medium hight, and cook until tender, turning them from time to time.

3.  Add salt and generous grindings of pepper, stir well, add the cream, and turn up the heat to high.  Cook until the cream is reduced by half.

4.  Drop the pasta into a pot of abundant boiling salted water.  Cook until it is barely tender but firm to the bite. Drain and toss immediately in a warm bowl with the peppers and cream and all their pan juices.  Sprinkle with parsley and grated cheese, toss again, and serve at once.

 Enjoy!!

-- Anya

Penne with Porcini Mushrooms and Tomatoes (and Happy New Year!)

Happy 2013 everyone!  I hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday.  New years always feels like a new beginning -- a chance to do something new, or better, or differently.  To refocus on what is important.  I look forward to this year -- to training for another race, baking new things (I got several pastry books for Christmas and my fingers are itching to try the recipes!), to time with my family and friends, to spring, to new friendships.   So before I post this recipe, a few pics of my baby animals being cuter than ever...

Aren't they amazing?! I love that they sleep together like that... I can't get over it.  Anyways, back to food...

This is a wonderful pasta dish.  It is one of Marcella Hazan's recipes and is one that I grew up eating and remains one of my favorites.  It is also incredibly simple to make, although it takes some time.  The combination of porcini mushrooms,  pancetta and tomatoes is rich without being heavy and is very satisfying on a cold winter night.  You can omit the pancetta -- I often do -- to make it vegetarian.   It is delicious either way.  I served it with these homemade Dinner Rolls.

Ingredients:

4 T. unsalted butter
1 T. olive oil
2 T. finely chopped shallot or yellow onion
2 T. diced pancetta (optional)
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 1/2 cups (or more) whole peeled Italian tomatoes (from a 28 oz can) with their juices, cut up
salt and black pepper, to taste

Parmesan, for serving

1 lb. penne rigati or other tubular pasta

Instructions:

1.   Put dried porcini mushrooms in 1 cup of warm water to soak for 30 minutes.  Drain porcini through a strainer lined with paper towels into a bowl, reserving soaking liquid.  Rinse porcini in several changes of cold water.

2.  Combine butter, olive oil and onion in a saute pan and cook over medium heat until pale gold.  Add pancetta and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, porcini, the reserved liquid from the mushroom soak and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occassionally.

3.  Drop pasta into 4 to 5 quarts boiling salted water and cook until al dente.  Transfer pasta to a warm bowl, add sauce, and toss to combine.  Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!