Chicken and vegetables with a maple syrup and Cayenne marinade.

 This is a tribute to New England, so easy to make and it uses only one pan. 

INGREDIENTS

4 pieces of chicken (preferably thighs)

1/2 an onion,  2 sweet potatoes, 1/2  lbs. Brussels sprouts (that is about for 4 persons),,

1/3 cup of oil

1/2  cup Maple syrup

Cayenne pepper ( careful very hot)

1/3  cup Dijon mustard

3 or 4 slices of bacon chopped

salt and black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

MAKE THE GLAZE 

In a bowl add   the olive oil, the Dijon mustard, the Maple syrup, the Cayenne pepper (careful very hot)

add salt and pepper and mix all the ingredients.

Add  1/2 of the glaze to the chicken and keep in the refrigerator till the vegetables are ready.

PREPARE YOUR VEGETABLES

chopped the onions 

cut the sweet potatoes in cube about 2 inches big

you may use the brussels sprout full or cut them in 2 if they are too big

put all the vegetables in a bowl add the bacon cut in small pieces.

add the  rest of the glaze to the bowl and mix everything!

PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER

On an oven pan spread all your vegetables and cover with the chicken and the glaze

bake at 450 F for about 35 minutes. check for doneness. (Internal temp . of chicken is 165

scrumptious . If you have some Maple syrup try it. There is no alternative for the Maple syrup . you could always make chicken Piccata , delicious too.

poulet saute chasseur ( chicken cacciatore.}

this is a dish I have made so many time.  I think it is the first dinner I ever made. I first got the recipe a long time ago in my first cooking book "la cuisine familialle et pratique de Pellaprat ".

  When I moved too the USA we were allowed very little luggage but I did brought this  favorite cooking book, I still used it ounce and a while  for reference but I always play with the recipe.
this recipe is vey easy to make and it is not  time consuming so if you work you still can make it on the week night.

_Ingredients

4 Pieces chicken shoulder ( you can use a small chicken cut up for bigger serving)
/4 cup  flour
1/2 a large onion
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
2 celery ribs
1/2 lb sliced mushroom
1 can tomato drained
tomato paste
1 cup of wine
3 garlic gloves
Fresh herbs of your choice , oregano, thyme, basil....or you can use dried herbs about 1 tsp each.

instruction

Dust chicken with flour, salt and pepper
brown the chicken in the oil and butter in a very hot pan.
when the chicken is browned on all side put it in a plate leave it on the side,

in the same pan brown the onion, the celery ribs, the mushroom.

Add the can of tomato, the wine , the tomato paste, the garlic.
return the chicken to pan and cook for about 30 minutes. I cook my in the oven but it can be cook on the top of the stove.

It can be serve with noodles, Polenta or couscous. it is very good with angel pasta too . your choice,.

chicken Teriyaki the easy way.

Jamie Oliver is one of my favorite chef on line. His food is fresh and simple but bring in different ingredients. when I saw him on line making chicken  wings Teriyaki I had to try the recipe.
It is the easiest simple recipe ever . it is one of his recipe from his book "5 ingredients- quick&Easy food"
It is  very good to make for one person or 2 or for a bigger group.


Jamie call it "Sticky kicking wings" the name fits very well ,  it is very sticky and you can make it as hot as you want.

here is the recipe for 2 persons


ingredients

4 large free range chicken wings
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 fresh chili
2 spring onions.

Jamie added 1 tablespoon sesame seeds but sorry I did not have any . I had some poppy seeds but I did not know if it will be fine.


 Method

Saute the chicken wings in a very hot pan. the wings should be snugly in the pan
brown a few minutes on each side
Add the teriyaki and the water just to cover the wings.
Halve the chili length ways add it to the pan . (I used only a quarter of the chili but you may use the whole chili if you like it hot.)
Cooked for about40 minutes till the chicken is tender and sticky. turn the chicken occasionally.
-Add a splash of  red wine vinegar 

Slice the green onion  and scatter over the chicken

Good serve with steam rice

I had a serving of  stuffedmozzarella mushroom on the side the whole thing was delish!
.
miam miam , bon appetit

pork loin with mustard and maple glaze

I make pork loin a few different ways but this recipe with mustard and maple glaze is one of my favorite . I usually make it in the oven but it will be delicious on the grill too. As long as you can keep the heat   steady and low enough to cook it slowly. But I must say I am not a grill master I will leave it to you.

Ingredients

3 lbs pock loin ( or any side you need)
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbs mustard
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/2 cup pure Maple syrup ( no imitation  please )
1 clove garlic
5 slices bacon.
1/2 cup white or more if needed

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees
if there are a lot of sinews on your loin or to much fat,  cut it off with a sharp filet knife
Make small slashes in the meat.
Cut little slivers of garlic and  introduce them  in the slashes in the meat.
Salt and pepper the meat.
put in the oven and cook for about 1 hour cover with foil

make the glaze
in a small mix the brown sugar ,the mustard , the maple syrup and the cayenne pepper.

After about an hour pull the pork out of the oven and take out the foil
brush the meat with the glaze
put back in the oven for about 30 more minutes
you may share for doneness with a meat thermometer.

 let the meat rest for a while and cut some delicious slices

miam miam . bon appetit

printable recipe

collards and chicken

this Sunday I roasted a chicken . I like to roast a chicken on Sunday and to have a lot of delicious chicken for the rest of the week.
I have a lot of very young collards in my garden so I wanted to used some in a different recipe.
This dish is very easy for one person and can me multiplied easily.

ingredients

Roast chicken ( any part)
young collards ( this collards are not the mature one you usually find in the groceries store they are very young and tender and do not need a long cooking time.)
2 slices bacon
a few small tomatoes
olive oil
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
your favorite pasta
I tbl butter for the pasta
parmesan as much as you want.

Instruction
cook your paste as directed while you are preparing your vegetables
chop the collards and the garlic
chop the chicken.
chop the small tomatoes

in a small frying pan cook the collards , the tomatoes for about 10  at medium heat then add the garlic

 

Cook till the vegetables are cooked to your taste I like mine a little crispy. 

then add the chopped chicken and heat up the whole thing till everything is warm

serve on the pastas with some parmesan

could not be easier faster or more delicious

note: This a very easy recipe for one but can be easily multiplied and it is very good reheated

Printable recipe

Gorton

Noreen  posted last week that she had made Gorton.. I like Gorton so this week I had to make some.
Gorton is pretty much what we call rillettes in France but Gorton has not a layer of  fluffy fat on the top like rillettes have.the recipe is easy , it takes a while to cook the meat, but do not involve a lot of preparation

Ingredients

3lbs pork . Boston Butt is fine. 

A piece of pork fat  (if the meat is not fat enough)
2  chopped onions
2 bay leaves
1 tsp nutmeg.
1 tsp clove
salt and pepper.

instructions

put the meat in a big pot
cover with water
add the other ingredients.

cook about 3 hours or till the meat completely fall apart.
let the meat cool and strain the liquid.
Do not throw the liquid away you may have to had a little bit to the Gorton)
shred the meat
 chop the meat in a food processor (  I do not over chop the meat . I want to keep the shred consistency.)
put in containers you may put a little fat on the top to make it more creamy , like for rillettes.

the Gorton can be kept in the refrigerator 4 or 5 days and ever I never froze it  before, it can be done.

I eat Gorton on  a slice of country bread, with a little mayonnaise and mustard. and I like to accompany it with cornichons.

miam miam . Bon appetit.











printable recipe

chicken Pho

it is  fall in SC . beautiful morning,  even it is still hot in the afternoon. and I am starting to think about soups again.
I love all kind of soups but one of my favorite is "chicken Pho" a delicious and light Vietnamese soup. I usually make it with a large chicken or 2 small one. I have adopted the recipe so I can have individual bowls of soup when I am by myself. I freeze the stock and the cooked chicken and when I am ready all I have to do is to add the fresh vegetable and condiments.
I have done some research and tried different recipes. My favorite is the recipe of Charles Phan from "Food and Wine" so I adopted it with a few changes to fit my circumstances.
the most important part of this recipe is to get a delicious  chicken stock. What made Charles Phan ( and may be a lot of other Viet Niamese chefs) stock delicious is the addition of roasted onion and Ginger.
here is the recipe


Chicken Pho

Ingredients

2 unpeeled yellow onions
I big piece of Ginger smashed and chopped
4 quart cold water
about 3 lbs chicken bones or wings
one large chicken or 2 small one quartered
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 lb  rice noodles
2 scallions thinly sliced
a can bean sprouts
1/2 basil leaves chopped
2 limes
1 jalapenos ( or 2)
Hausin sauce for serving.

making the stock

1st step
preheat the oven to 400 degrees
put the onions and Ginger on a baking sheet
roast for about 30 minutes
till lightly brown

step 2

fill a large pan with the water
bring to a boil
add the onions and ginger
add the chicken bones
add the quartered chicken
salt and pepper
and simmer for about 30 minutes till the chicken is cooked

step 3

transfer the chicken to a plate and let cool.
remove the meat from the chicken and refrigerate .
return all the skin and the bones to the stock pot
let cook for about 2 more hours.

step 4

after 2 hours strain the chicken stock
you now have a lot of chicken stock you may freeze.

Now for your Pho soup

put the stock you need for your soup  in a pan ( for as many servings you need)
add fish sauce and the sugar. .
add some of the chicken
let reheat up and reduce for a few minutes.

cook the noodles in boiling water just a few minutes.

have your condiments and vegetables ready

put the noodles in a bowl,
laddle the broth and the chicken over the noodles

serve with the bean sprout, basil, lime wedges, Jalapeno and hoisin sauce.

notes

you could make the same soup with a bought chicken stock , but in less Charles Phan made it , it will not be so good.
this recipe is very practical for a single person because after step 4  you have a lot of chicken stock you can freeze and use for something else . same thing with the chicken.
when you have the frozen stock and the chicken you can make the Pho any night you want adding the noodles and the condiments

I have  at time added different vegetables to the Pho, like mushroom , pea pods , and finely sliced cabbages. I think sliced carrots and Bok Choy could be nice too . I hope my Vietnamese friends will approve.

end you have a lot of chicken stock and chicken you can freeze for any time you want a Pho . most of the other ingredients are in your pantry or refrigerator.


Bon appetit  Miam Miam

-printable recipe