Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds

'Tis the season to be busy!  After all the cooking and blogging that was happening for the past month in preparation for my Xmas party, I decided that I needed to take a bit of a break from the kitchen and computer.  That and the fact that I have been caught up the endless stream of Xmas parties and lunches and dinners that accompany that has resulted in a lack of creative cooking on my part and thus my negligence in posting anything recently...sorry about that.  But now I am back, and I have a list of recipes that I want to explore and cool ideas to share.

For some reason this weekend, I feel like a tagine.  Well not literally!  I feel like EATING tagine more accurately.  For those not familiar, tagine is the name for an earthenwear North African cooking vessel that has a conical lid, as well as, and the description for the type of dish cooked in a tagine.  Unfortunately, I don't have an actual tagine, so I will just substitute a my beautiful enamel Mario Batali pot until I get one....hint hint....Xmas is coming.....or I'll wait until my trip to Pennsylvania in the spring to hit the Le Creuset outlet for one.  Hey Glen...oops...Om says we may have enough Amex points for one....cool...!

As usual, I read a bunch of recipes, take what I like, simplify or eliminate what I don't and the end result is what I share with you.  Usually that involves reducing the amount of oil or butter in a recipe, probably upping the amount of fresh herbs nnd vegetables and then eliminating complicated cooking steps that just don't really add to the dish in my mind.  In today's case, I had a package of butternut squash in the fridge that was on the verge going to go off so I tossed the good pieces in for added oomph.  I`ll serve this over some basic couscous....very simple but very tasty.  

Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons 

1 (3-lb) chicken, cut into 6 pieces, wings and backbone discarded (I used boneless chicken thighs)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 medium red onion, halved, then sliced 1/4 inch thick

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/3 c fresh cilantro, chopped

1/3 c fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons mild honey or agave nectar

1/2 cup dried apricots, separated into halves

1/3 cup sliced almonds

Stir together ground cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat well.

Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in base of tagine (or in skillet), uncovered, over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken, in batches if necesary, turning over once, 8 to 12 minutes. Remember not to overcrowd the chicken in the pan while browning or you will lose the heat necessary to get a good brown.

Add onion and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to tagine and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring occasionally.  Add apricots, agave or honey, cilantro and parsley to tagine along with 11/2 cups stock.  I tossed in the butternut squash at this point.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.

Serve atop some glorious couscous and garnish with more cilantro and sliced almonds.  If you desire a thicker tagine sauce, you could dissolve 1 to 2 tsp flour in some water and thickent it slightly.  Enjoy.  I did.

We enjoyed this with a fantastic find at the LCBO - a beautiful and fragrent 2008 Reserve Anne Boecklin Gewurztraminer from Alsace.  Those that know me well know my love of all wine Alsatian and in particular a Gewurtz from a good house.  Wines from Alsace are one of the best values out there - you can get a Grand Cru from an exceptional house for probably $30 Cdn.  A decent wine will run you between $15-$20, which for Grand Cru is an amazing deal.  Try finding a Grand Cru from any other part of France that doesn't cost you less than $80.  Hard to come by.

This one exhibits all the signature tastes and smells of a classic Alsatian Gewurtz.   Hmmmm. this amazing full-bodied Gewurtz bursts on your palette with apple, pear, and a touch of lychee. Everything is in perfect balance and the wine culminates with a lingering, sweetly fruity finish. Give this a whirl with, or simply sip and enjoy.  Perfect with Thai or Moroccan inspired food.

Final Menu for Today's Party

Well it is almost 1 p.m. on party day and my guests will be starting to arrive around 5 p.m.  Everything that can be prepped ahead has been (more or less) or and definitely will be by the time everyone gets here.  Here's the spread:


Appetizers:

Trio of Hummous:  Edamame Wasabi, Carmelized Onion and Roasted Beet
Crostini: Butternut Squash with Sage and Indian Spiced Cauliflower
Cheese Tray:  Bleu Benedictine, Oka, La Belle Riviere, Lady Laurier, L'Eveanjules, Double Cream Brie
Avocado Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Ham and Cheddar Stuffed Mini-Baked Potatoes
Smoked Salmon with Capers, Dill and Mustard Sauce

Hot Dishes:

Jerk Shrimp and Jerk Chicken Skewers with Pineapple Mango Salsa
Thai Red Curry Chili
Pulled Pork Sliders with Blue Cheese Coleslaw

Kids Menu by Chef T-Rex:
Cranberry Coke Meatballs
Panko Crusted Chicken Fingers with Plumb Sauce
Flatbread Pizzas with Cheese and Pepperoni

Desserts:


???  I guess we'll see what everyone brings!  I am off the hook for this one.

Recipe Test: Thai Chili - Vegetarian Version and one for Carnies

Just to clarify...a carnie is a carnivore, not a "carnie" as in one who travels with carnivals.  I don't think I'd ever find myself cooking for THAT audience for some reason!?!   But you never know with me. :-)

When I first picked up my new copy of Clean Eating from the mailbox this recipe was on the cover, and it hooked me right away - looked beautiful and lush.   The original version in Clean Eating was vegetarian and called for bulgur but amazingly I couldn't find it in any of the supermarkets I went to yesterday or today, so I opted for ground turkey.  I think it would be good either way.

The only thing that surprised me about this recipe is that there is neither lime juice nor zest, and no call for fish sauce?  I don't think I've made a Thai recipe EVER that doesn't call for both of those ingredients, along with a few other staples like ginger?  Odd.  But in the end this tastes quite nice, looks pretty and will be a nice "main" type dish to round out my party dishes as it seems to double and triple very easily.  Once I find bulgur I'll have to try it that way too.

Thai Chili

1-2 tsp red curry paste (more if you want it - I wanted it)
1/2 cup uncooked bulgar or 500 grams lean ground turkey or chicken
1/2 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed (make the cubes small)
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 cups cooked beans (I used half white kidney and half black beans)
1/2 can light coconut milk (ok...I ended up using the entire can)
2 jars tomato puree or passata
2 green onions, thinly sliced, white parts only
salt and pepper to taste

I will add:

2-4 kafir lime leaves
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Zest and juice of one lime
1-2 tsp fish sauce (I prefer 3 Crab Brand from Vietnam as per my Thai cooking teacher Don)

Vegetarian Version:

Also use 1 carton vegetable stock

In a large pot, add curry paste and a bit of oil and cook slightly, adding a bit of stock to thin out.  Add remaining broth, bulgur, kafir limes, weet potato and bell pepper over medium heat and bring to a slow boil.  Cover tightly, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes.  Add beans, coconut milk and tomato puree and cook for a further 10 minutes or so.  Stir in scallions, fish sauce and lime zest and juice.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately.

For meat based:

In a large pot, brown turkey or chicken breaking the meat up.  I find my trusty balloon whisk a great tool for doing this.  Once cooked add, curry paste, green pepper, sweet potato, kafir lime leaves,beans, tomato puree and coconut milk.  Cook on medium low for about half an hour or until the sauce turns a darker red.  Stir in scallions, fish sauce and lime zest and juice.  Sprinkle with cilantro, green onions and serve immediately.

'80s Nirvana and Indian Spiced Cauliflower Spread

Wow!!! 1st Wave on Sirius radio is killing it this morning!  Violent Femmes - Gone Daddy Gone, INXS - Suicide Blonde, David Bowie - Rebel Rebel, Simple Minds - All The Things She Said, Flock of Seagulls - Wishing, The Cure - In Between Days, Elvis Costello, XTC, Squeeze....it goes on. Definitely need some Talking Heads (oh...just got some), Clash (ok...London Calling now...excellent), maybe a little Rebel Yell from Bill-eh Idol. '80s nirvana! Hey...now some Nirvana would also be great but that is a different radio channel.  Wish I could stream for 'ya!  I like their handle of being "classic alternative".  It's just the music of my high school and university days to me.  So many great concerts, memories and friends.

Wow again - now its Ready, Steady, Go from Generation X! Well that is Billy Idol so I kind of got my wish. Apparently Bill-eh is currently working on his biography. That would be a pretty interesting tale. Speaking of which, I watched The Runaways yesterday afternoon. Holy cow! Kudos to Dakota Fanning! She is amazing as Cherie Currie. And Kirsten Stewart - who knew she could actually act and not just stand around looking wistful, longing for Edward. Not a film to watch with the kiddies, but such an intense portrait of the drug influenced rock culture of the 70s, and full of Bowie and Iggy tunes and great, gritty performances.

Anyway....1st Wave is perfect cooking music for me. Back to the business of cooking.....

This one is courtesy of my fellow food enthused friend Anth (I really don't like the term "food obsessed" so I've opted for the much less psychotic and stalkerish sounding "food enthused"). I've never gotten recipes from Oprah's website before, but I may have to change my mind after trying Diane Morgan's twists on traditionally fatty dips. I was looking for another vegetable based crostini recipe to accompany the Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage ones that I will make tomorrow.  And I bet this will be good also if I melted blue cheese on top.  Everything really is better with blue cheese.

Check these out! Smokey Black Bean Dip, Blood Orange and Avocado Salsa with Pomegranate Seeds, Amber Ale Cheddar Cheese Spread and this beauty.....

http://www.oprah.com/food/New-Lighter-Versions-of-Classic-Party-Dips

Just because I can't NOT alter a recipe, I am going to roast the cauliflower rather than steam it, and add in a teaspoon of cumin seeds for added oomph.  I've also decreased the amount of yogurt called for to 1/2 cup because I found that even with that amount, the yogurt taste was becoming a bit dominant over the subtle spice the recipe calls for.  I will serve this either on toasted mini-pitas or if I can find the papadum chips like we get in Little India.

Indian-Spiced Cauliflower Spread

1 head cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds), broken into small florets
1 3/4 tsp. coarse salt , divided
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. canola or grapeseed oil
1 tsp. black mustard seeds 

1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 medium yellow onion , finely diced
2  tsp. curry powder 

1/4 tsp. fresh ginger or ginger puree

1/2 tsp. fresh green chili chutney (added as much for flavour as for a bit of heat)

1 tsp. agave nectar (thanks again Gwenie and GOOP!)
1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss cauliflower and onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt and oil. Cook uncovered until cauliflower is soft and browing, about 40 minutes.

In a small sauté pan over medium heat, warm oil and coat pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds, cover, and cook until seeds stop popping, about 30 seconds. Add curry powder, cumin, ginger, and agave nectar, and cook until fragrant.

In a food processor, combine about half the cauliflower with the yogurt and spice mix.  Puree until smooth. Mash remaining cauliflower (you want to retain some texture and not have it completely smooth) and add to food processor and pulse to combine until desired texture is reached.  Spoon in a bowl and fold in chopped cilantro.  

I will serve this warm a top toasted mini-pita breads or naan bread which I will cut up into squares.  Pictures to be added after tomorrow.