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.

chicken from Basque county.

I have quite a few chicken recipes that  I like to go back too.
and chicken Basquaise is one of them
The Basque country is another lovely part of France but I must say I haBe never visited it. Like a lot of counties  in France they have  interesting traditional recipes . Chicken basquaise is one of them. specialty comes from the Basque Country, between sea and mountain, between France and Spain, at the heart of the Pyrenees. Basque chicken recipe is one of the best known of the South West region.

This specialty comes from the Basque Country, between sea and mountain, between France and Spain, at the heart of the Pyrenees. Basque chicken recipe is one of the best known of the South West region.

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stuffed Kabocha ( little winter squashes)

It is grey and cold outside . Back to fall and winter dinner

I found this little squashes at a small farmer market they did call them another name but I know them  thru googling) as Kabocha squash . very sweet and delicious

ingredients

4 kabochas 

2 lbs ground pork

3 small red pepper chopped

2 cups onions chopped

2 tbs tomatoes paste salt pepper 

1/2 a cup parmesan cheese

1 tsp cumen 

a few drops shiraca sauce

instructions

precook the Kabochas in the oven for a while till they are easy to open.

cut the top of the Kabochas and a little bit of the bottom so they will stand straight

take the seeds of the Kabochas out and get as much flesh as you can.

sweat the onions and the peppers 

mix the pork ,the onions and pepper , the kabochas flesh. the tomatoes paste.

add the cumen, salt, pepper and sirracha.

sprinkle with a little olive oil and the parmesan

cooked in a 350 F oven for about 30 minutes. ( check for readiness

I serve the kabocha with some rice ad a green salad.

The Kabocha freeze very well.

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!
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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