Mexican Chicken Stew

Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman

Prep Time:
10 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
30 min

Level:
Easy

Serves:
about 6 servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and sliced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
Few dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 to 4 cups chicken stock
1 lime
1 cup cooked white rice
Kosher salt
Sour cream, for garnish
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and sweat until soft and translucent. Add spices and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and aromatic. Add tomatoes, chicken, Worcestershire, and stock.

Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes.

Cut the lime in half, squeeze juice into the pot, and then add the juiced halves as well.

Add white rice and cook 5 minutes longer to warm rice through. Season, to taste, with salt.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream and cilantro.

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:
15 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
1 hr 30 min

Level:
Easy

Serves:
4 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 pounds stew beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup Marsala wine
1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 to 4 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

In a large soup pot heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and saute until the onions are tender, about 2 minutes. Toss the beef cubes in salt and pepper and flour. Turn up the heat to med-high and add the beef to the pot. Cook until the beef is browned and golden around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala wine. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the butternut squash and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine. Add enough beef broth to just cover the beef and squash. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Season the stew with additional salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread alongside.

Skillet Rosemary Chicken

Courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:
15 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
25 min

Level:
Easy

Serves:
4 servings

Ingredients

3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
Kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon leaves
1 clove garlic, smashed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet and drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

Per serving: Calories 413; Fat 23 g (Saturated 5 g); Cholesterol 87 mg; Sodium 1,055 mg; Carbohydrate 19 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 32 g

Parker's Beef Stew

2006, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:
15 min
Inactive Prep Time:
24 hr 0 min
Cook Time:
2 hr 20 min

Level:
Easy

Serves:
6 servings

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds good quality chuck beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 (750-ml bottle) good red wine
3 whole garlic cloves, smashed
3 bay leaves
2 cups all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Good olive oil
2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally in 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 pound white mushrooms, stems discarded and cut in 1/2
1 pound small potatoes, halved or quartered
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 cups or 1 (14 1/2-ounce can) chicken stock or broth
1 large (or 2 small) branch fresh rosemary
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas

Directions

Place the beef in a bowl with red wine, garlic, and bay leaves. Place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Combine the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper. Lift the beef out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and discard the bay leaves and garlic, saving the marinade. In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mixture and then shake off the excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot and brown half the beef over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Place the beef in a large oven-proof Dutch oven and continue to brown the remaining beef, adding oil as necessary. (If the beef is very lean, you'll need more oil.) Place all the beef in the Dutch oven.

Heat another 2 tablespoons of oil to the large pot and add the onions, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Place all the vegetables in the Dutch oven over the beef. Add 2 1/2 cups of the reserved marinade to the empty pot and cook over high heat to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat on top of the stove. Cover the pot and place it in the oven to bake it for about 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are all tender, stirring once during cooking. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 250 or 275 degrees F.

Before serving, stir in the frozen peas, season to taste, and serve hot. 

Simple Swiss Chard

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 bunch Swiss chard, stalks discarded,

leaves cut into wide ribbons 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat the olive oil on a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until tender and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and balsamic vinegar; cook and stir until the chard is wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Roasted Pumpkin and Tomato Soup

700 g of pumpkin

500 g of tomatoes - red, yellow and tiger

1/4 bunch of fresh oregano

500 mll of vegetable stock

one garlic clove, sliced

an onion, diced

1 tsp. of chili powder

salt and pepper

olive oil

Cut pumpkin into chunks and tomatoes in halves. Place them in an oiled baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, top with fresh oregano. 

Roast at 200C for 30-40 minutes. Let cool and remove the skins. 

In a large pot saute garlic and onion. Add pumpkin and tomatoes, pour in the stock, season with chili and bring to boil. 

Blend the soup. Check the seasoning and reheat.

Spiced Honey Peach Muffins

Yields 12

Ingredients

290g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

200g soft light brown sugar (plus extra for tops)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp all spice

1 egg

1 tbsp honey

100ml sunflower oil

130ml milk

2 peaches diced (skin on)

 

Instructions

Pre heat the oven to 180C.

Mix all the dry ingredient together in a large bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients into this. Mix until combined but do no overbeat.

Carefully fold in peaches.

Divide between muffin cases and top each one with a little brown sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and firm.

Mediterrasian Spicy Eggplant

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Author: Kathy Steger

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
• ½ tbs paprika
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• onion, cut into large chunks
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• ½ tbs sesame oil
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 thai chili (optional), thinly sliced
• fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Mix olive oil, rosemary, paprika and vinegar in a bowl.
2. Add eggplant and onion. Stir to coat well.
3. Spread eggplant on a baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.
4. Allow eggplant to cool a little, then add the rest of the ingredients.
5. Mix gently, season with salt to taste and serve.
6. Can also be served cold.

chili garlic green beans

ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon light olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Salt to taste

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.
2. Place the green beans in a large bowl and toss them with the olive oil and chili garlic sauce. Transfer the beans to a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time, or until beans are tender and just starting to brown. Stir in the lime juice and season with salt to taste.

notes

Chili garlic sauce is sold in the international aisle at most grocery stores. If you don't have light olive oil on hand, any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point will work. Light olive oil is not the same as extra-virgin olive oil!