Rigatoni with Chicken in an Oven Roasted Tomato Tarragon Sauce

I don’t know exactly what it is about tarragon that conjures up images of spring. Maybe it’s that sweet, earthy smell that makes it seem like it I just pulled the herbs from the ground and not a plastic bag in my refrigerator. To commemorate the first day of spring in Chicago (where we hovered around a balmy 24 degrees) I decided to revamp a pasta dish with some fresh herbs, including tarragon. I figured, why not fake it ‘til we actually make it to some Spring weather?

Now I must go on a tomato sauce tangent. While I adore the tomatoes that my husband’s family makes from scratch and jars in the summer, sometimes I like using one particular kind of canned (gasp!) tomatoes when experimenting with new sauces. If you are going to go canned, I recommend these San Marzanos. They don’t say anything else on the label as far as a brand name goes. They are whole and peeled - nothing else. As a general rule of thumb, less processed equals better, fresher food. As much as I’d love to do all the processing myself; good tasting, fairly-priced, fresh tomatoes in March in Chicago is essentially a mythical fairytale wish from a genie in a lamp. I have found these tomatoes at Fresh Farms, Artizone and some Whole Foods locations.

Wow, you made it through a coffee-fueled tomato tangent. Congrats! Now to contradict myself a bit. I do use a handful of little, grape or cherry tomatoes in this recipe. For some reason, these tomatoes are plentiful all year round and actually have a real tomato flavor to them. 

Before you begin cooking, make sure you have a skillet that can go from the stove to the oven, preferably a sturdy, cast iron skillet. If you don’t already have one, it is a worthwhile investment. Go to HomeGoods or T.J. Maxx this weekend and I bet you will find some brand name skillets at discount prices. Many of them will even have pretty, candy-colored enamel outer coatings.

So to summarize; fresh tarragon plus good canned tomatoes and a skillet to get you that oven roasted flavor, equals a hearty family dinner that will give everyone a glimpse of Spring!

  

Ingredients
 

• 1 Handful Cherry Tomatoes - cut in half
• 1 28 oz. Can of San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes
• Olive Oil for sautéing
• 1 Tbsp. Herbes de Provence
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
• 1 Shallot - minced
• 2 Tbsp. Dry White Wine or Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. Parsley - minced
• 1.5 Tbsp. Fresh Tarragon – minced
• 1 Bag Rigatoni

Directions

Preheat your oven to 450°. 

Combine the cherry and San Marzano tomatoes, 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, and the Herbes de Provence in a large, ovenproof skillet. Toss in a few grinds of both salt and pepper.  Toss everything together to coat. Turn the skillet on over a medium-high heat. Cook the tomato mixture for about five minutes, then transfer it into the oven. Allow the tomatoes to roast for about 20 minutes. Check half way through and carefully rotate any that appear to be blackening. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and place in a bowl. Toss in the Worcestershire sauce and set aside. 

 

Season the chicken all over with a bit of salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in your large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken breast on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake chicken until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and place on a plate to rest for at least 5 minutes.

Add a 1 Tbsp. olive oil to the skillet and turn the heat to medium. Add the minced shallot and sauté to soften for 2 minutes. Deglaze pan with wine or vinegar. Cook liquid down for 2 more minutes. Add the shallots to the tomato mixture and puree with immersion blender or food processor until you reach your desired smoothness.  I leave a few large pieces of tomato for texture.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 Tbsp. of salt and cook your pasta according to the directions on the package.

Toss your tomato sauce with your drained pasta. Toss in your minced herbs.  Slice your chicken in ½ inch strips on the bias and divide it and the pasta among your bowls.  

Enjoy!

 

One Pot Indian Chicken with Chickpeas & Spinach

While I have enjoyed my recent foray into the Betty Crocker-less world of baking, I started to miss something about cooking savory dishes. I missed the Oh heck; I think I’ll add a bit of this attitude that has served me well in my experimental dinner escapades. I’m sure great bakers can add a bit of this or that to their cakes and breads, but when I’ve tried most things have (literally) gone flat.

Enter my latest experiment. Braised Indian Chicken with Chickpeas and Spinach.  I admittedly cook a lot of Italian, a decent amount of Latin influenced dishes and I even dabble in Chinese. But I feel that I have yet to reach my potential in Indian inspired dishes. I love the way Indian cuisine melds together so many spices to create the most aromatic and colorful dishes. I am also fascinated with the tradition of the Masala Dabba, a box of spices that are unique to each family, and were often given as a rite of passage to Indian women.  I love the concept of giving the next generation their own set of ingredients or tools. This allows them to feel that they can take the reins and make their own creations in the kitchen as well as carry on family traditions.

I found a recipe similar to this while leafing through a magazine. I was excited by the prospect of combining these spices in just the right way to make something beautiful. However, I did play with the recipe a bit. First, I replaced Canola oil with Grapeseed Oil. I find that is less-greasy and has a higher smoke point to prevent burning. I also decided to use full fat Greek yogurt. I feel that when you buy low-fat dairy products, you often pay the price by finding fake, processed ingredients in your food.

3 final tips: Even though this is a one pot dish, it does have a decent amount of components. Make sure you Mise en Place (prep your ingredients) so you can seamlessly move through the recipe. Buy better quality chicken in a more whole state and save buy breaking it down yourself. I love the chickens at Whole Foods and usually purchase whole chicken, break them down and freeze them in parts. Finally, if you have a local spice merchant, go get yourself a free education. In Chicagoland, we have the Spice House. If you are in Chicago and haven’t checked out the Spice Houses' offerings, you have to! You will have a foodie, sensory overload in the best way possible. Plus you can get smaller bags of spices, if you just want to try something out for fun.  Plus, at these local merchants; as well as at many Whole Foods locations, you can buy small amounts of freshly ground spices to see if you enjoy adding them to your arsenal. Happy Cooking!

                                                                       Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil
• 9 bone-in chicken drumsticks (thighs will work as well)
• 2 Tbsp Flour
• Sea Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• 1 tsp Unsalted Butter
• 2 Yellow Onions – sliced into strips
• 4 Cloves of Garlic - minced
• 3-4  ½ cubes of fresh, peeled Ginger
• 2 tsp Ground Coriander
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 2 tsp Ground Turmeric
• A pinch to ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper (depending on your heat preferences)
• 1 15-ounce can Chickpeas - rinsed  
• 2 cups (plus a bit extra) Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 bunch of Spinach – thick stems removed
• 1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt (full-fat)
• 2 tsp Cilantro Leaves – minced (optional)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325°. Heat the grapeseed oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. I choose to leave the skin on my chicken, to prevent it from drying out. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lightly coat it with flour. Brown the chicken in batches on all sides. I try not to overcrowd the pot, to better control the cooking. Transfer the finished pieces to the lid of the pot. 

Once the chicken is complete, add the butter the onions to the pot. Turn the heat down to medium and allow the onions to soften, but not brown. This usually takes 5-8 minutes.

Toss in the garlic, ginger pieces, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Once the spices start going in the pot, it is important to constantly stir, to prevent burning. Allow the spices to open up and become fragrant, this only takes a minute. Stir in the chickpeas and add 2 cups broth. 

Return the chicken to the pot. Add more broth if needed to cover chicken about half to three quarters of the way.  Allow the pot to come up to a simmer. Pour the excess juices from the lid into the pot and cover it. Place the pot in the oven for 50 minutes.  

Pull the pot from the oven and remove lid. Transfer you the chicken to a plate and cover with a large lid from a pot or foil. Stir the spinach into the sauce and cover the pot for 3-5 minutes to allow the spinach to cook.

Uncover the pot and add in the yogurt, constantly stirring until it is incorporated. Taste for seasoning. Turn the heat back on low, add allow the sauce to get nice and warm.

Transfer the chicken to plates. Pour the spinach and chickpea sauce over each plate of chicken. If using cilantro, feel free to sprinkle the desired amount on each plate.   

Apparently I Can Bake Bread. Who Would Have Thought?

Fleishmann's Dough

Lately I have been experimenting with making some everyday staples from scratch that I would usually buy pre-made. This is part of my ongoing struggle to really know (and control) what goes in my body. The trickiest experiment thus far has been baking my own bread.  I got a C in chemistry, and I’m sorry but baking is just chemistry disguised as a cute little old lady. Plus, I don’t have a bread maker.  I have been working with an oven and a pan to make round loaves. It has been an interesting experience to say the least.

The Mix

On a related note, a couple weeks ago, I wrote a quick email to Fleishmann’s. This is the company that has been making baking products like yeast for a million and one years. I let them know how much I enjoy using their pre-measured packets of active dry yeast, and they sent me a few coupons for their Simply Homemade boxes of bread mix. 

Keep that water at 110 to 115!

To be completely honest, I have made some picture-worthy loaves that are total mush inside. I have accidentally doubled the amount of salt in one recipe, and even made a glass baking dish explode in my oven. So, you might think a Bread Baking for Dummies box would be just the ticket.  I promptly went to the store and I bought the Country White Mix.  Upon my first attempt (you can probably see where this is headed) to make the idiot-proof bread, I found myself needing to bake the loaf almost 10 minutes longer than the directions and still found mush in when I cut it open.

Attempt number two was a bit better. Using my second coupon and some advice from the Contact Us section on Fleishmann’s website, I picked up the Italian Herb variety and triple checked my water temperature.  Apparently, it had to be pretty spot-on to activate the yeast.  This time, my loaf still needed an extra eight or nine minutes, but I only found one speck toward the center that seemed raw.  My oven has a tendency to run hot, so it’s interesting that I still faced this issue.

While the Italian Herb bread went beautifully with my Italian beef stew, I probably wouldn’t invest $3.99 per box on this product. Flour, yeast, water and salt probably cost me 30 cents a loaf when I make bread from scratch. 

Simply Homemade Fleishmann's Bread

Oddly enough, what has ended up working best for me is what I consider to be Frankenstein of bread recipes. When making this recipe, I use a Sterilite shoe/boot container and keep the dough in my fridge for up to two weeks. A half batch makes enough for 4-6 loaves, depending on how large of a loaf is desired.  When I’m ready to bake, I pull a chunk of the dough from the container and allow it to come to room temperature for 25 minutes, while my oven preheats. Then the dough bakes for about 25 minutes. 

Homemade Bread from the Monster Mother Dough

I encourage all to give this monster mother dough a shot. It is sad the preservatives and additives that can be found in some as simple as a loaf of store-bought sandwich bread. The more we control what goes in our bodies, the better off we are!

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Anything Goes Roasted Potatoes

I thought I would share a super versatile recipe for roasted potatoes. My husband and I probably have some adaptation of these every other week or so. I love them, because with one tiny change they can be the perfect side to anything from Greek chicken to enchiladas.  If you have the chance to try them, feel free to play with the seasoning. If you like spicy, throw in extra cayenne. if you love garlic (because who doesn't LOVE garlic) use garlic infused olive oil.

Next time you are tired of rice as a side, preheat your oven to 400 when you get home from work and give these potatoes a try!

Serves 3-4 as a side dish

Ingredients

• 2 large Russet Potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 ½ inch chunks (this is a rough estimate of size)
• ¼ cup of olive oil (when making this with Italian or Greek food I use lemon infused oil)
• 1 teaspoon dried Oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground Cumin
• ½ teaspoon Salt (I use sea salt)
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder (you can substitute 1 clove of minced garlic)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
• a few grinds of fresh Black Pepper
• a few shakes of Cayenne Pepper
• Optional – if you are making these potatoes as a side dish to Latin food, I like to have a lime on hand to squeeze over the potatoes as they come out of the oven.  

Directions

Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl, except for the potatoes. In a separate, larger bowl, place the diced potatoes. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and toss with spoon (or hands) until evenly coated. Place the now coated potatoes in a baking pan. I use a rectangular cake pan.

Place the potatoes in the oven for 30 minutes. Pull the pan from the oven and flip the potatoes with a spatula. Place back in the oven for a final 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and if you are planning to use lime; squeeze the juice over the hot potatoes. Allow the potatoes to cool for a minute or two and taste for salt.

Please remember, all ovens are different. The first time you make this, I recommend checking the potatoes 20 minutes for tenderness in with a sharp knife.  

Winter Warm-Up Salsa

One of the things I miss most about the summer is the taste of a fresh tomato. Tomatoes are such a big part of my life; from growing them in my garden to making fresh sauce and salsa.  However, every year around mid-February, I tend to run low on the salsa that I have made from my previous summer's harvest.

What is a girl to do? Honestly, I skip the expensive pre-made salsas and I use canned tomatoes to make my own. Yep, if you choose the right brands and add in fresh items like garlic, onions and cilantro (cheap and plentiful all year round) you can trick your taste buds into believing you are eating freshly blended tomato-goodness!

Below you will find an adaptation of a recipe I found on thepioneerwoman.com. I jazz mine up with a bit more spice and a secret ingredient: a splash of orange juice. If you choose to change up the brands I have suggested, I recommend sticking with an organic, whole canned tomato. The less that happens to the tomatoes before they hit your bowl, the better off they will be.

Three little tips:

1. This is a BIG batch. feel free to cut it in half.
2. If you don't have a large blender or food processor, make it in two batches and combine in a big bowl at the end.
2. Don't skip the time in the fridge! It is what allows the flavors to come together.

Ingredients

• 1   28 Ounce can of Muir Glen Whole Tomatoes with their juice
• 2   10 Ounce cans of Rotel or Reld Gold Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
• 1/2 cup Chopped Onion (White or Yellow)
• 1 clove Garlic - chopped fine
• 2 whole Jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed - sliced thin
• 1/4 teaspoon Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 3/4 cup Cilantro
• 1/2 whole Lime Juice
• 1/4 cup Orange Juice - pulp free 

 

Instructions

Combine whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes with chilies, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, orange juice and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you like - 15-20 pulses gives a super smooth texture. Refrigerate salsa for at least two hours. Taste for salt/seasoning on a tortilla chip. I tend to go light on the salt and use El Milagro or Mission salted Tortilla Chips. Enjoy!