Japanese Sweet Potato Potage

Japanese sweet potatoes have a dark red or purple skin and a sweet white flesh.  They are similar to American yams, but taste sweeter.  They were the Chef's featured ingredient at a Sonoma restaurant that Mark and I went to.  We tried the soup which I re-created below and we loved it so much, we went back the next night for the Japanese sweet potato ravioli.  Here in the United States they are a fleeting Fall crop, so get them while you can.

Ingredients

1 T olive oil

1 T rendered bacon fat

1 lg sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced

4 Japanese sweet potatoes peeled & chopped

4 C chicken stock

1 envelope Trader Joe's chicken soup base

1 tsp dried oregano

Maldon sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

2 T good quality sherry

Place oils in a 5 qt French Oven.  Add onions and saute until onions are soft and golden.  Add sweet potatoes, stock, soup base & oregano.  Brin to a boil and then turn down and simmer for 25 minutes or until potatoes are soft.  Cool slightly, then puree in batches in a blender.  Return to pot. Season with salt, pepper and sherry.  Serve.

The Mariner Star

I am coveting this little 5 1/2 qt beauty for my own.  I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw her.  Le Creuset is amazing cookware and it will last forever!

From the Le Creuset website:
This particular limited-edition design was inspired by the coastal town of marseille. from culture to cuisine, marseille is known for its rich heritage and compelling nautical history. the deep blue hues and artisanal quality of this round french oven reflect the simple, yet elegant lifestyle of this charming port city.

As we explored the nautical roots of marseille, we discovered the mariner star. this symbol is found on compasses used for centuries to navigate the winds that blow along the mediterranean coast. the northwest point on the star represents the mistral wind that blows through marseille. each year marseille residents gather for the fête du vent, the festival that celebrates this famous mistral wind.

Our french roots and Charleston home led us to partner with the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, South Carolina, on the design of the first installment in this series. The mariner star has a particularly rich and storied history in both charleston and marseille—two of the world’s most cultured port cities. beloved by sailors and those who live by the sea, the mariner star can be found in architecture and home décor throughout marseille, charleston and other nautical cities.

In honor of Le Creuset's founding in 1925, only 1,925 round french ovens of this design have been produced and the mold has been destroyed.

Shredded Chicken - 2 ways

My co-worker, Jo hooked me up with a yummy slow cooker recipe for shredded chicken.  My slow cooker died a horrible death and I have yet to replace it.  So I decided to "slow" cook in my Staub 3 1/2 qt French oven.  It worked beautifully and the kitchen smelled divine.  Below are 2 recipes that I adapted and the best tip ever for shredding chicken!  Use your Kitchenaid mixer!

Shredded Chicken #1

Ingredients

2 cups chicken stock

1 T worcestershire sauce

2 T dry vermouth

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp onion powder

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, brined

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Mix first 6 ingredients in a French oven.  Add the brined chicken breasts and cover.  Place in hot oven and cook for 2.5 - 3 hours.  

BEST tip ever!  When chicken is done and still warm, remove breasts from liquid and place in the bowl of your Kitchenaid mixer.  Mix with paddle attachment for 10-20 seconds to shred the meat.

Meat can be cooled and frozen at this point and liquid can be used as a base for stock or a sauce.  The meat can be used for a plethora of recipes like soups and salads or add bbq sauce for pulled chicken sandwiches.

Shredded Chicken #2

Ingredients

2 jars of mexican green sauce

2 T dry vermouth

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 packets undiluted Trader Joes liquid chicken boullion

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, brined

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Mix first 6 ingredients in a French oven.  Add the brined chicken breasts and cover.  Place in hot oven and cook for 2.5 - 3 hours.  This meat can be used as a filling for tacos, burritos and enchiladas or as a topping for tostadas and nachos.  

Brining: Yes or No? YES YES YES

Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home Cookbook is full of many useful chef's tips that any home cook can use.  It only took one try to sell me on the technique of brining.  I no longer worry about my boneless chicken breasts turning out dry and chewy.

Chicken Brine Recipe
from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home Cookbook

5 lemons, halved
24 bay leaves
1 bunch (4 ounces) flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch (1 ounce) thyme
1/2 cup honey
1 head garlic, halved through the equator
1/4 cup black peppercorns
2 cups (10 ounces) kosher salt
2 gallons water

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Pour the brine into a container large enough to hold the chicken pieces, add the chicken, and refrigerate for 12 hours. The chicken may be too salty if you brine the chicken for more than 12 hours.

Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse with cold water, pat dry with paper towels and let it rest at room temperature for over an hour. 

Edgar's Birthday Tamale Pie

I love my Daddy and he loves Tamale Pie, so I made this low-fat version for his birthday.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

FILLING:

1lb ground turkey

2 T olive oil

1 large yellow onion diced

3 celery stalks trimmed & diced

3 med carrots peeled & diced

1 large green pepper, diced

10 oz roasted & diced Hatch green chiles

16 oz canned green tomatoes, blended smooth

1 tsp tomato paste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 T red chile powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

3 T chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp salt

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp corn starch

TOPPING:

3 cups masa

1-1.5 cups chicken stock

3 T olive oil

2 T sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup frozen corn

Directions for Filling:

Brown the ground turkey, crumble and set aside.  Add olive oil to the saute pan and brown the onion, celery, carrot & green pepper.  When veggies are soft, add turkey and the remaining ingredients through the vinegar.  Sprinkle with corn starch and simmer until thickened about 3 minutes.  Cool.  Filling mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated at this point for up to 2 days.

Directions for Topping:

Mix all topping ingredients in a large bowl.  Consistency should be like a thick paste.  

Spray a 9x13 pyrex with Pam.  Place cooled filling in pan.  Spread topping over filling.

Bake in a 425 preheated oven for 30 minutes or until filling is bubbling and topping is lightly browned.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole and/ or salsa.

It's Fall and that means it's time for stew

Today was the first blustery day we've had this Fall.  It makes me want to carve some pumpkins and cook something warm and comforting like stew!  I'm pulling this recipe out of my personal archives.  I came up with this dish after Mark and I discovered Japanese sweet potatoes up in Sonoma.  These sweet potatoes have red skins and a white flesh that is sweeter than that of regular sweet potatoes.  I also used some blended Heirloom tomatoes from Balakian Farms, but any crushed or blended tomatoes will do.  I think this stew would taste even better if it was raining outside and you were curled up in front of a roaring fire.

Heirloom Tomato Beef Stew

1 1/2 lbs beef flap meat

1 - 2 T olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1  clove garlic, minced

1 T chopped orange peel, pith removed

1 cup chopped crimini mushrooms

1 16 oz jar Balakian Farms Organic Blended Heirloom Tomatoes (Cherokee Purple)

2 oz. dry vermouth

1 tsp. herbs de Provence

1 lg Japanese sweet potato, peeled and cubed                       

1 T balsamic vinegar

Maldon sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper

Pat the meat with paper towels and season with a pinch of salt.  In a large frying pan or French oven, brown the meat in olive oil until a good crust forms.  Note:  you may want to cut the meat into smaller chunks and brown them in batches if necessary.  

Place all of the browned meat back into the Dutch oven.  Top the meat with the chopped onion, garlic, orange peel, mushrooms, tomatoes and vermouth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat. Add the herbs de Provence and simmer for 2 hours or until meat is tender.  Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 15 minutes more or just until potatoes are tender.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, season with salt & pepper and serve.  

Thai Coconut Noodles

I made this last month when I came across a 1998 Cooking Light Magazine while cleaning out the garage.  Of course I tweaked the original version (my version below).  It turned out really yummy!  I served it with Asian marinated chicken breasts that Mark grilled on the BBQ.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups snow peas, trimmed (about 8 ounces)

1 (8-ounce) package rice sticks

1 tablespoon grape seed oil

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup light coconut milk

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash of ground red pepper flakes

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Cook snow peas and rice sticks in boiling water for 3 minutes (no longer or the noodles will get mushy). Drain well and set aside.
2. Heat oils in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper, ginger, and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and the next 5 ingredients (milk through red pepper flakes); bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 
3. Combine and toss cooked snow peas, rice sticks, and green onion, coconut milk mixture in a large bowl, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve.

Ahoy Captain...Country Captain

On a recent weekend, Mark and I were relaxing in the backyard.  I was in need of some serious kitchen inspiration, so I perused a couple of cookbooks pulled from the recesses of a rarely used kitchen cabinet.  The weather was still warm enough to feel like the middle of summer, but the calendar adamantly stated it was Fall.  In anticipation of the cooler weather to come, I paid particular attention to recipes for comforting stews and soups laden with the vegetables of Autumn.  I came across a recipe I had not heard of before called, Country Captain.  The ingredients intrigued me, so here is my version. We both loved it!

California Country Captain

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C flour (I used GF Cup 4 Cup blend)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
salt to taste
3 T olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T Madras curry powder
3/4 C red wine
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 T poultry seasoning
1 small jar (3/4 C) Major Grey's Mango Chutney
4-6 C cooked quinoa or rice

1/4 C slivered almonds
1/4 C chopped scallions
1/4 C shredded coconut (optional)

Directions:
1) Combine flour, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, pepper & pinch of salt in a large ziplock bag.  Drop chicken breasts into flour, tap off excess and brown in a 6 qt French oven heated to med/ high with 1.5 T olive oil.
2) Brown approximately 4 minutes each side (in batches if necessary) and set aside on paper towels to drain.
3) Add remaining olive oil to pot and cook the onions, bell pepper, garlic & curry powder over medium heat until the onions and pepper become soft about 5 minutes.
4) Add the red wine and cook for about another 10 minutes.
5) Stir in crushed tomatoes and poultry seasoning.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
6) Stir in the chutney and chicken.  Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Serve over cooked quinoa or rice and top with almonds, scallions and coconut.