zambranoworld

Tabouli Salad

Flav city tabouli.

Make the tabouli salad by measuring 1 cup of cooked quinoa (use chicken bullion to make the quinoa) and adding it to a large bowl along with the chopped parsley and every other ingredient. Mix well and check for seasoning.

1 bunch of Italian flat leaf parsley most of the stems removed and finely chopped
½ cup of raw millet
1/3 of a bunch of black/lacinato kale stems removed and finely chopped
3 tablespoons green onions or about half a bunch, finely sliced
¼ cup seedless cucumbers chopped
2 tablespoons walnuts chopped and roasted(optional)
½ a red pepper finely diced
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Couple cracks of fresh cracked pepper

Vietnamese One Pot Caramel Chicken

This is from the website Marion’s Kitchen. It’s a favorite and everything on there works and is delicious.

INGREDIENTS

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thigh pieces (I prefer to de-bone – up to you)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

½ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp fish sauce

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup coconut water

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 long red chilli, finely sliced

roughly chopped coriander (cilantro), to serve

sliced cucumber, to serve

steamed rice, to serve

salt

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1
Season the chicken pieces with salt.

STEP 2
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down and sear for about 5 minutes until you get a golden colour. Then turn and sear for another 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a large plate or tray.

STEP 3
Remove and discard some of the fat from the pan, being sure to leave about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Place the pan back over medium heat. Add the garlic, brown sugar and fish sauce. Cook, stirring for a minute. Then add the coconut water and black pepper. Place the chicken in the sauce skin-side up. Simmer for 2 minutes. Then turn the chicken over, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Turn the chicken again, then cover with a lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (keep an eye on the caramel sauce, if it looks too thick or starts to burn add a little more coconut water or plain water).

STEP 4
Transfer the chicken to a plate. Drizzle over the sauce. Sprinkle with coriander and chilli. Serve with cucumber and steamed rice.

Mama Codd’s Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces
OR Boneless thighs cut in half for sliders
OR breasts cut into 1″ pieces for popcorn chicken
Salt and pepper the chicken. Add to a plastic bag and cover in buttermilk. Add in a couple of tablespoons of Valley of the Moon Salt. (Get at the spice store next to Whole Foods) Smoosh up. Let marinade for 24 hours.
Peanut Oil
NOTE: Feel free to add some herbs – I often add fresh rosemary or sage finely chopped

Seasoned Flour:

3 c flour
3 dashes of cayenne
3 dashes of garlic powder
3 dashes of onion powder
2 tsp of dried oregano
2 tbsp Valley of the moon salt
Pepper – a lot
Dash or two of ox roast

The seasoned flour depends on my mood. I just dip into the spice cupboard and go for it. The above is what I did today and it was really GOOD.

Add all of the seasoning to a paper bag (that’s what they do in the south so that’s what I do). Use a tong and pull out two pieces of chicken at a time and shake in the flour. Make sure all of the nooks and crannies are fully coated. Place pieces of chicken on a wire drying rack. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP – IT’S KEY TO CRISPY CHICKEN. Let the coated chicken sit for a minimum of one hour before frying.

Fry the Chicken – pre heat oven to 250 degrees

Heat up enough peanut oil (do not sub out for veg oil) to fully submerge the chicken to 300 degrees (all the recipes say 350 degrees but trust me on the 300 degrees). You’ll need a thermometer to monitor the temp. Use a deep cast iron or le Creuset dutch oven.

Fry to golden brown 4 pieces at a time. Once golden pull out and drain on paper towels. Don’t get too brown. Put in 250 oven for half hour.

If making sliders make a garlic/caper aioli

1/2 cup mayo
4 tbsp capers finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
Juice of one lemon
Salt

The Art of the Burger No. 1

Note: This burger is meant to be fried in a cast iron pan or on a griddle pan on the grill. It will really flame up over an open grill.

Burger Juice:

1/2 stick butter melted
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon fish sauce (trust me, adds a great depth of flavor)
a few dashes of liquid smoke
And feel free to throw in a little Ox Roast but not as much as usual because the flavoring is already beautifully rich. Or add it to the sauce below.

Burger:

1 1/4 pound ground chuck (80/20)
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Cheese, any kind you choose
Brioche buns, buttered and toasted
Toppings of choice – try it with bacon jam (recipe below)

Burger Sauce – make this! It’s a fair bit of sauce so unless you’re making fries or tater tops for dipping too, just make 1/2 recipe

1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or a dash of your favorite hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper, to taste

Now put it together:

In a small saucepan on the stove make the burger sauce. Let it cool. In medium-sized bowl add the beef and pour in the Burger Juice. Break it up with a spoon or your hands and GENTLY mix thoroughly. Do not over-work your meat, be very very gentle with it. Make your patties (enough for 3 large or 4 small) the way Juan does. Best burger lesson I ever got was Juan’s way of shaping them.
When ready to cook, heat a large cast iron skillet or griddle pan over high heat until SUPER HOT. Add your burgers and cook 3 min (until they start to carmelize and turn golden) and flip. After 2 min add your cheese and then cook another 2 min. You’ll have to time based on thickness.
Fry up your brioche buns to golden
Build your burger with the toppings of your choice and enjoy!

Bacon Jam – if you’re into it. You should be, it’s a AMAZING

Ingredients:

1 lb. thick cut bacon
2 extra large sweet onions, quartered and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup strong brewed coffee
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Make it:

Cut the bacon into half-inch slices and add them to a large frying pan. Don’t worry if the bacon pieces stick together, they will come apart as they cook. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until the bacon is cooked but still quite chewy. A few crispy bit are ok.
Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings and reserve for another use.
Add the onions to the pan and cook for about 8-10 minutes then reduce the heat to low. Add the sugar and stir. Continue to cook until the onions have caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add the coffee, 1/2 cup of water and the reserved bacon and increase the heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring about every five minutes, until the onions are thick and jam-like, about 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir through the balsamic. Taste for seasoning and salt if necessary.
Use immediately or refrigerate for up to a week. Bring back to room temperature before serving. There will be little spots of white fat when you take it out of the fridge. As the jam comes to room temp, or you heat up gently in a sauce pan.

PS – you can try adding maple syrup or some bourbon as well. It’s also really good on a wheel of Brie and heated up in the oven with some killer bread.

Matt’s Chicken ‘n Rice

4 Servings / Cook time 25 min /

2lbs skinless boneless thighs

Salt and Pepper

Montreal Chicken seasoning (don’t sub this one – it’s key)

1 Tbsp Paprika

2 Tsp Chicken Boullion

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

1 Tsp Onion Powder

1/2 Tsp ground oregano

1/4 Tsp chili powder

1/8 tsp Cayenne

1 Tbsp veg. oil

2 C. low sodium chicken broth (yes low sodium – or it will be too salty)

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 C uncooked Basmati Rice (don’t sub this either – flavor is key)

Pat chicken dry and season both sides with salt, pepper and Montreal seasoning

In a small bowl combine the paprika, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder and cayenne

Heat pan with oil over medium heat. Brown chicken on both sides. Set chicken aside

Turn the heat off and add the spices. Mix well scraping up the browned bits.

Turn the heat back onto medium and add the stock fully deglazing the pan. Whisk in the tomato paste and add the rice stirring to combine. Bring to a boil. Tuck in the chicken, cover and cook for 25 minutes. Once the rice is done I typically turn it on high for a minute to get the bottom bits of rice crunchy. Don’t walk away or you’ll burn it. And if you don’t care about crunchy rice then just eat it up as is. We like to serve with baby carrots.

Lettuce soup

Hearty flavorful soup that’s not too heavy.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil (cooking)
2 tablespoons of your best olive oil (drizzling)
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 medium russet potato, chopped (not a large russet)
5-6 cups chicken broth
6 ounces arugula
6 ounces fresh spinach
1 ounce cilantro
Greek yogurt, for serving

Process:

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large pan.
Saute onions for 5 mins, add garlic, and saute 2-3 more minutes
Add turmeric, salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice and saute 3 more minutes
Add stock and potatoes and simmer for about 10 mins or until potatoes are tender
Add spinach, cilantro and arugula. Simmer for 10 more minutes
Toss into blender. Puree nicely.
Serve with a large dollup of yogurt, a sprinkling of arugula and a drizzle of your best oil

don’t: use too much potato

Davids caper and garlic chicken

Our favorite flavorful and simple chicken dish brought you by the Times with a bit of Irish flourish.

Ingredients:

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch o pepper
5 garlic cloves, smashed
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons anchovy paste
2 tablespoons capers, drained and dry
1 hearty pinch chile flakes
1/2 lemon

Process:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in large cast iron (or other oven proof) skillet
Heat 2 tbsp oil in small pan
Salt and pepper the chicken and cook on medium heat in large skillet, 4 min each side (ish) get a little crispness going (not a lot)
Simultaneously over low heat cook the garlic for a bit, then add the anchovy paste, capers and chile. Let cook stirring occasionally for the duration of the chicken skillet process.
Once chicken is done, spoon the love on to the chicken and put skillet in oven.
Cook for 7-10 minutes or until not quite done… no need to flip unless u r bored
Once chicken is done, remove the chicken to a separate vessel. Knock any capers or garlic back into the cast iron when u do this.
Place cast iron back on low heat. Add juice from a half a lemon and cook until it reduces a bit (less than a minute) scrape the brown bits into the juice
Add chicken back on and finish at high heart for about a minute on each side. The idea is to crisp but not burn the garlic and capers and to give the chicken a final crispy sear.

Boom!

do: make sure you crisp the capers during last phase

don’t: burn the garlic up front

Bloody Mary Mix (Juan’s Famous)

A simple and effective remedy to anything that ails you.

Mix all ingredients for a batch that’s good for about 8 bloodies:

(1) 64 oz. Clamato (original not spicey)
(1) 8 oz. Clam juice
(3) limes, you can do 4th if you like lime
2 large tablespoons of “Morehouse prepared” or a bit less of the straight stuff
2 tsp Celery Salt
3 tablespoons of soy sauce (not low sodium)
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon (or more) of Tabasco or any other acidic hot sauce.
1/4 cup of Olive Brine
1/8 cup of pickle juice
pinch of cayenne if you like hot

For garnish, meat sticks, celery, olives and cheese rounds. bacon if you got it. Add two ounces of premium vodka to each 8-10 oz glass filled with good cocktail ice

Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken

Ingredients

4 – 6 skinless chicken breasts or skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
1 cup cremini mushrooms , sliced
1 tablespoon regular soy sauce (not low sodium)
¾ cup unsalted chicken stock
4 garlic cloves , minced
1/2 cup julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes
1-2 cup spinach
½ cup heavy cream
¼ – ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Thickener:

3.5 tablespoons (32g) cornstarch
¼ cup (63ml) cold water

Method

Brown Chicken Thighs or Chicken Breasts: Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function. Wait until it says HOT. This prevents chicken from sticking to the pot. Pat dry chicken and season one side gently with salt + black pepper. Add in unsalted butter. Quickly add in the chicken to prevent butter from burning. While one side is browning, season the other side with more salt + black pepper. Brown first side for 3.5 minutes, then the other side for 2 minutes. Set the chicken aside.
- *Pro Tip: For better browning results, brown chicken in 2 batches using the same cooking times.
Saute Garlic & Mushrooms: Add minced garlic, then saute for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add sliced mushroom, season with salt + black pepper, then saute for a minute. Add Italian seasonings, then saute for another minute.
Deglaze Instant Pot: Mix soy sauce + unsalted chicken stock together, then pour in Instant Pot and deglaze (scrub all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom). Give it a quick mix.
Pressure Cook Chicken: Add in browned chicken + meat juice. Pressure cook chicken at:
- Chicken Thighs: High Pressure 5 minutes + Natural Release 10 minutes
- Chicken Breasts: High Pressure 4 minutes + Natural Release 10 minutes.
  
  After 10 minutes, release remaining pressure.
Create Tuscan Chicken Sauce: Set aside chicken, bring the liquid mixture back to a boil (Saute button). Add in spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, then cook for 30 seconds. Give them a quick stir. Mix in heavy cream and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Thicken Tuscan Chicken Sauce & Seasoning: Mix 3.5 tbsp (32g) cornstarch + ¼ cup (63ml) cold water together in a small mixing bowl. Add the cornstarch mixture one third at a time to thicken the Tuscan Chicken sauce until desired thickness.
Serve Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken: Place chicken back in Instant Pot and give it a quick mix. Then, serve!

Creole Fusion Chicken Marinade

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 thighs
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
1-2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-2 teaspoon creole seasoning
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1-2 green onions, diced.

Method:

Add all the ingredients to a Ziplock bag, , marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours in refrigerator.