Recipe #11: Chicken with Feta, Roasted Red Peppers and Potatoes

I saw this recipe in Real Simple magazine and just had to try it! Thankfully, most of the time the title of the magazine has influenced the recipe - they're 'real simple'! And delicious. I'd never roasted red pepper before and designated this task to the sous chef visiting that night. And the feta cheese that I bought was not only preservative/additive free, but was firm and tasty.

The two differences between their recipe and what I ended up doing (and not the fact that cauliflour is on the plate instead of broccoli - I did make broccoli, I just ate it all before taking a picture and gotta have some veggies on my plate!) was the lack of chicken cutlets and a skillet. At that point, not having toothpicks was a small detail. I had chicken breasts and tried to beat them up and make them flat, but ended up just slicing them in half and tenderizing each side of the half. With no skillet or pan that can transfer from stovetop to oven without melting pieces, I skipped right over the stove stop and put the chicken breasts (now stuffed with roasted red pepper/feta mixture) into a greased baking dish. I was really impressed how well they stayed together! I'll definitely be making this one again.

Ingredients

1/2 bunch broccoli (florets)
1 pound red new potatoes (about 10), halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped roasted red peppers
2 ounces Feta, crumbled (1/2 cu)
8 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon choped flat leaf parsley

Instructions

1) Heat oven to 400F with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet, tosss hte broccoli and potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Roast on the botton rack, tossing once, until golden brown and tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the red peppers and Feta. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Dividing evenly, roll up the red pepper mixture in the cutlets (about 1 heaping tablespoon each) and faste each closed with a toothpick.
3) Heat the ramining tablespoon of oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, seam-side up, until brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chicken, transfer the skillet to the top rack, and roast until cooked through, 14 to 16 minutes more. Remove the toothpicks. Serve the chicken with the vegetables, sprinkled wiht the parsley.

Enjoy!!

Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo

Recipe #10: Vegan Mulligatawny Detox Soup

I was feeling a serious lack of vegetables (whom I love) in my life when I stumbled upon this recipe (http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/03/vegetarian-mulligatawny.html). I'm a huge fan of most of the recipes that I've tried from Karina's website (Mmmm beef in pomegranate sauce and leftover gravy) and this recipe seemed to be calling out to me. Vegetables and curry and turmeric? What more could a girl ask for!

Just look at all the vegetables in it! Once I put them all in the pot, I seriously felt like I was a real soup cook. I love my slow cooker too - slowly, but surely the smells from it started to fill my kitchen. Adding the coconut milk brought the colour from a red-ish broth to the beautiful rich orangey-red cream coloured soup that you see before you.

I decided to try both "options" to see which I liked better - both leaving it chunky and pureeing it. Following my own taste and a taste tester (my Mom!), the flavours were nice, but didn't have the kick in spices that I was hoping for (and it wasn't just my taste buds!). I personally preferred the puree option, so smooth and vegetable-y beside my grilled cheese.

The next time that I make this soup (and I will because how can I resist all these vegetables?), I'll double (okay, maybe triple) the spices listed so that it has some more intricate flavours besides vegetable overload. I did question the quantity of spice compared to the rest of the ingredients, but since I'm new to making soup, I second guessed myself and trusted the recipe/description. I also did not know how to test soup flavours since it was boiling hot. The secret? Take a small scoup and put it into a bowl to cool so you don't burn your tongue while testing! Who knew? My mom :)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon avocado oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons mild GF organic curry powder
1 teaspoon organic turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less, to taste
1 medium sweet or red onion, peeled, diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage
1 quart fresh spring water
2 cups organic fresh veggie juice blend (or your fave V8-style juice)
1 14-oz. can organic chick peas, drained
A small pinch of sea salt, to taste
1 14-oz. can coconut milk, stirred
Juice from 1 medium lime, or to taste
1-2 teaspoons gluten-free brown rice syrup

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker except the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Cover and cook on high according to your manufacturer's instructions for cooking vegetable soup. When the veggies are tender, add in the coconut milk and lime. Taste test. Add brown syrup to taste. Heat through 15 minutes.

Options: If you desire a smooth soup, puree the soup with a hand held immersion blender (or puree- carefully- in small batches, tightly covered, in a blender or food processor) until smooth. Return the puree to the soup pot. Heat over low heat until serving. If you prefer more texture, puree only half the soup, or mash lightly with a potato masher until you have the consistency you desire. It is also beautiful left as is, as a hearty, chunky stew.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Sincerely xoxo