Taco Seasoning

1 T chilli powder
1½ t freshly ground cumin
1 t freshly ground coriander
1 t smoked paprika
1 t oregano
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
½ t red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy your chilli powder is
1 t kosher salt
1½ t corn starch (optional)

First of all make sure your chilli powder is nothing but dried, ground chillis. Often they’ll sell you chilli powder that has many other additives in it. I like a nice hot chilli powder, and if it’s hot enough, will omit the red pepper flakes entirely.

Mix all ingredients together, adding the corn starch only if you want to have a thicker, saucier taco meat (you’ll have to add water as well to the taco meat for this to happen). Alternatively, you can make the spice mix and add in the corn starch to the meat separately.

Grilled Coconut-Lime Chicken with Peanut Sauce (Chicken Satay)

8-10 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast and/or thigh meat

Marinade:
1 can coconut milk
1/4 c soy sauce
3 T freshly grated ginger
4 minced garlic cloves
1 T sriracha (thai chilli sauce) could also use sambal oelek/ulek
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
zest and juice of 2 limes
2 T sesame seed oil
1/3 C vegetable oil
2 T of curry spice mix, recipe below
salt to taste, if needed

1/2 bunch cilantro chopped as a garnish

Marinate the thigh and breast pieces for 1-2 days in the fridge. I like to use all thigh meat (because it’s juicier and more flavourful) that has been boned and skinned so it’s really easy to just put it right into the marinade with no prep.

Preheat your grill. Once hot, scrape off any crud, and oil well.  Once the chicken has finished marinated, remove each thigh and cut in half lengthwise. Skewer as many strips you can fit on your skewers (I did 3). Grill until just done on medium-high heat. During the last couple minutes of grilling, sprinkle the chicken with just a little bit of garam masala (recipe below) or the curry spice mixture if you prefer.

Once all the chicken is done, place on a large platter, and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro. Serve with the peanut sauce to dip.

Peanut Sauce:
1 1/2 C crunchy all-natural peanut butter (nothing in the ingredients but peanuts and salt) or 2 c roasted peanuts, crushed
zest and juice of 3 limes, extra lime juice if needed
2 T freshly grated ginger
1/2+ C dark soy sauce
1/3 C brown sugar
2-3 finely minced garlic cloves
sriracha/sambal oelek to taste (I like mine quite spicy)
2-3 t sesame oil
2 t curry spice mix, recipe below
coconut milk as needed until desired consistency

Mix all together. The liquids are in variable measure because depending on what kind of peanut butter you use, how oily it is, and whether you grind your peanuts freshly, the amount you’ll need to add in will change. If using peanuts instead of peanut butter, blend 3/4 of your peanuts in a food processor until it turns to peanut butter. Add the remainder of the crushed peanuts, and pulse a few times to mix them in, but retain the crunchy texture. Also depending on how limey and spicy you want it, change the amounts of lime juice and sriracha accordingly. In fact, feel free to adjust all amounts of all ingredients according to your taste.

Spice mix recipes

Curry spice mix:
2 t cumin seeds
1 1/2 t coriander seeds
2 t fenugreek seeds
3 dried bay leaves
1/2 t celery seeds
1 t ground turmeric

Garam Masala:
8-12 green cardamom pods (or 1 1/2-2 t ground cardamom)
1 T cloves
1 T black peppercorns
25g/1 oz coriander seeds
25g/1 oz cumin seeds
4 short cinnamon sticks
1/4 pod whole nutmeg (or 3/4 t ground)
3 star anise pods

Toast the whole spices in a small, DRY sauté pan over low heat until fragrant and warm, you should be able to just smell the spices, but be very careful not to burn them. Grind them in a coffee grinder you dedicate solely to grinding spices. Add in any pre-ground spices and grind to mix in.

Dilled Chicken

12 chicken thighs, skin on
1 1/2 bunches scallions
4 garlic cloves
1 C dry white wine
4 C unsalted/low-sodium chicken broth
2 cans evaporated milk
3/4 T corn starch
1 T dill seed
2 t celery seed
1 T dried dill weed
2 T fresh dill weed
kosher salt and pepper to taste

steamed long-grain rice for serving

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and place into an cold oiled large, deep sauté pan, and turn on to medium-low. You want to slowly render the fat from the skin until it becomes crispy, repeating for the other side. This can take about an hour or so. You may have to drain the chicken grease out of the pan at least once.

Meanwhile in a small, dry sauté pan, toast the dill seed and celery seed until fragrant and warm, about 5 min. Then grind to a powder using either a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder used only for grinding spices.

Remove the chicken from the pan. Slice one of the scallion bunches (about 6-8 scallions) into thin coins, and mince the garlic. Drain all of the chicken grease out of the pan, and add in a little fresh vegetable oil, and quickly sauté the scallions and garlic with a little kosher salt. Once soft, add in the wine to deglaze the pan. Once the wine has reduced by 3/4, add in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a slight simmer. At this point add in the dried dill weed, the dill/celery seed mixture, and return the chicken back to the pan. Braise the chicken on low for about an hour and a half until the chicken broth has reduced by almost half and the chicken is very tender.

Slice the remaining bunch of scallions on the bias and chop the fresh dill. Mix the evaporated milk with the corn starch and add in the dill.

Remove the chicken from the broth and set on a serving platter. Add the milk/cornstarch mixture to the broth and cook until just thickened, whisking to avoid lumps and to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, also add in the cream, if using. Check the sauce for salt and add more if needed. Pour the sauce over the chicken and top with the sliced scallions. Serve over long-grain rice.

Chicken Coconut Kurma

Spice mix 1 (rub):
1 t cumin seeds
3/4 t coriander seeds
3/4 t fennel seeds
1 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground garlic
1/4 t cayenne

Spice mix 2 (curry):
2 t cumin seeds
1 1/2 t coriander seeds
2 t fenugreek seeds
3 dried bay leaves
1/2 t celery seeds
1 t ground turmeric

Garam Masala:
8-12 green cardamom pods (or 1 1/2-2 t ground cardamom)
1 tbsp cloves
1 tbsp black peppercorns
25g/1 oz coriander seeds
25g/1 oz cumin seeds
4 short cinnamon sticks
1/3 whole nutmeg (or 3/4 t ground)
3 star anise pods

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
kosher salt
ghee or vegetable oil
7 cloves of garlic
1 inch gingerroot
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 medium onion
1 8-12 oz can diced tomatoes
4 T whole-milk yoghurt
1 12 oz can coconut milk
4 T cream

For all spice mixes:
Toast the whole spices in a small, DRY sauté pan over low heat until fragrant and warm, you should be able to just smell the spices, but be very careful not to burn them. Grind them in a coffee grinder you dedicate solely to grinding spices. Add in any pre-ground spices and grind to mix in.

Wash the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Season with spice mix #1 and kosher salt and let sit for an hour. Then fry in ghee or oil until brown and crispy on both sides, remove from the pan.

In a blender, add in 1/2 c of the chicken broth and the garlic and ginger. Purée until smooth.  Dice the onion.  Sauté in the pan, adding a little kosher salt to sweat.  Once soft, add in the garlic/ginger paste mix and fry until almost dry. Add in 1 tablespoon of spice mix #2 (curry) and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add in the tomatoes and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Whisk the yogurt into the coconut milk and add to the pan, stirring well.  Add in the rest of the chicken broth, chicken pieces, and any accumulated juices.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover for 30 min until the chicken is quite tender. Remove the lid, add in the cream, 2 tsp of the garam masala, stir, turn up heat to medium and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened considerably.

Serve with rice and buttered, toasted naan.

Turkey Sausage Pasta with Four Cheese Fresh Tomato Sauce

1 1/2 lbs tri-colour rotini
1 lb sweet italian turkey sausage
1 small red onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t red chilli pepper flakes
8 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 – 3/4 c dry white wine
100 g of capers
2 large stems of basil leaves
1/4 c flat leaf parsley
3-4 oz fresh mozarella
3-4 oz ricotta salata
1/2 c grated parmigiano reggiano
1/2 c pecorino romano
extra virgin olive oil

Slice the sausages into 1″ pieces and sauté in a little olive oil. Once browned, set aside. Add a little more oil to your pan and sauté the onion and garlic, adding in kosher salt to sweat them out so they don’t burn. Add in the chilli flakes. Once the onions are soft, add 1/2 – 3/4 c of a good dry white wine (a Chardonnay is good in this) – the same one you want to drink along side this. Reduce until nearly evaporated and then add in the diced tomatoes and the drained capers. If the capers are salt-packed you’ll need to rinse them quite well. Simmer the sauce on low and meanwhile set the pasta water on to boil.

After simmering for about 10-15 min, chiffonade the basil and add to the sauce. It will be very watery, but once you add it to the pasta will thicken up and the pasta will absorb a lot of the tomato juices. Chop the parsley and reserve to add in with the cheeses. Grate the hard cheeses, crumble the ricotta salata. Drain and dice the mozarella (or buy the tiny balls and just drain them).

Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain & dress with olive oil. Add in the sauce, parsley, and cheese and mix well. Add in more olive oil and salt to taste. Serve with the wine.

Turkey Parsnip Barley Stew

1 turkey (or chicken) carcass with some meat still on it; more meat
1 celeriac (also called celery root), scrubbed well and quartered
bay leaves
bouquet garni of parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage/left-over herb stems^*
2 large carrots, snapped in half
1/2 onion, skin on

left-over gravy and/or bouillon
3 medium carrots
6 large parsnips
3 medium turnips
1 medium onion
2 celery stalks
1 to 1 1/2 C whole barley. Also great is a mixture of brown and wild rice.
1 bunch fresh Italian parsley^*
several sprigs of fresh thyme^*
several sprigs of fresh rosemary^*
fresh ground pepper
1 c dry white wine

After Thanksgiving is done, most have a turkey carcass and/or some left over meat, leg bones, etc. I freeze this all until I’m going to make this stew.

Put the carcass in a large stock put and fill with *cold* water – this allows the flavour to go into the broth – don’t use hot water. Also add in the bay leaves, carrots, onion, celeriac, and bouquet garni. Let it warm up slowly on low and bring to a simmer on medium-low for several hours until the meat is about to come off the bones. Use a spider to remove the vegetables, meat and bones, picking out the meat and putting into a bowl to add back to the broth later. Strain the broth through fine cheesecloth and rinse out your soup pot.

Peel and chop the parsnips, turnips, and carrots into about 1/2″ chunks.  Dice the onion and celery and sauté in the cleaned out soup pot in a little butter/olive oil until softened. Add in a couple of tablespoons of turkey bouillon (which is hard to find) I use “Better than Bouillon” brand, which is quite good.  Also add in a the Chardonnay or other dry white wine and reduce until almost evaporated. Add in the stock, any left-over gravy, and the rest of the veggies.  Apart from any turkey bullion you add, don’t add too much salt as you want this to cook down quite a bit more before you serve it, and you don’t want it to become too salty. You can always salt it later if it isn’t seasoned enough.  Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Chop half of the parsley, and about 3/4 of the thyme and rosemary and add to the broth with the vegetables. Add in the barley/rice and simmer on medium with the lid off so you concentrate the flavours a little more. It will look like soup at this point, but as the barley cooks it will absorb a lot of the liquid, so don’t worry about it. Add the meat back in about 30 minutes before ready to serve.

Right before I serve it, I finely chop the rest of the herbs and add them to the stew, or put them in little bowls for to place on the table. Fresh rosemary is amazing, and goes really with the parsnips in this stew.

From first adding the water to the pot, this should take about 5-6 hours until it is ready – so for supper you should start this about 12.00.

^*When I’ve used the leaves from fresh herbs, I put the stems in a ziploc bag and place in the freezer until the next time I’m going to make stew or soup, and use them to flavour the stock, rather then letting them go to waste. I do the same with bits and pieces of poultry like the wing tips, backs/spines etc.

Lemon Tuna Pasta

2 lbs Rotini

1 large onion, diced
3-4 minced garlic cloves
1 finely minced carrot
dried chilli pepper flakes (to taste – I like to use a lot, about 2 t)
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 small jar of capers, drained
3/4 C dry white wine
2 12 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
two tins of good tuna in olive oil, drained
zest of 2 lemons, juice of 1
1 bunch fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, grated

Sauté the onion and carrot in olive oil until soft, seasoning with kosher salt and a little pepper. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and sauté a couple minutes longer being sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the wine and reduce until almost completely evaporated. Add in the capers and tuna and the tomatoes. Let simmer for about 15 minutes, in the mean time putting the pasta water on to boil.

Once you add the pasta to the salted water, add the lemon juice and zest and half of the parsley in to the sauce and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes more or until the pasta is ready. Check for salt, and add more if needed.

Mix the pasta and sauce and serve with the reserved parsley and grated cheese and a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil.

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

2 lbs of a short pasta (I used gigli)

a very good extra virgin olive oil, preferably a high-quality import

several very ripe tomatoes – I had about a pound of grape tomatoes and 6 medium-large
2 shallots
3 garlic cloves
1 t red chilli flakes
1/2 dry white wine
1/2 bunch Italian parsley
4 large stems fresh basil
Pecorino Romano

kosher salt
black pepper

Dice the tomatoes and put into a large saucepan or pot. Cook uncovered on medium heat for 30-45 minutes until very soft and juicy, but not long enough to thicken the sauce too much or remove the fresh flavour of the tomatoes. Mince the shallots and garlic. Sauté the shallots in olive oil for a few minutes, seasoning with kosher salt so they sweat, as well as freshly ground black pepper. Then add in the garlic and red chilli flakes, sauté a few minutes more until the shallots and garlic are soft, and add in the wine, reducing until nearly evaporated. Then add in the tomato sauce. Roughly chop the parsley and half of the basil. Check the sauce for salt, and add quite a bit more here. Add 3/4 of the parsley and all the chopped basil, and simmer for a few minutes.

While the tomato sauce simmers, cook the pasta to al dente according to the directions on the packaging, being certain to season the water well with kosher salt as soon as it reaches boiling. Chiffonade the remaining half of the basil and grate the cheese.

As soon as the pasta is cooked (al dente!) drain, drizzle with olive oil, and again check the sauce for saltiness. It is very, very easy to under-salt fresh tomato sauce, so be very liberal with your salting. Add the pasta to the sauce.

When serving, top with cheese, chiffonade of basil, a sprinkling of parsley, and a drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil, as well as a final sprinkle of kosher salt.

The flavour of this sauce is really quite amazing, and completely different from a tomato sauce made from canned or jarred tomatoes. You don’t want to cook the sauce very long at all, and want the herbs to still taste fresh. Make sure to use authentic, sheep’s-milk pecorino romano, not the weird stuff they call romano in American stores that tastes exactly like what they claim is parmesan and asiago – all of it is nothing compared to the real thing. A good Italian import is what is wanted, and it doesn’t have to be the most expensive. Go to your local Italian speciality grocery or cheese monger, and ask to sample their cheeses, which they should gladly do. You should also ask to sample the olive oil, trying several before you purchase (as well as balsamic vinegar).

Beer Braised Chicken with Herbed Dumplings

8-10 chicken thighs, skin on
2 12 oz bottles of beer* (see below)
4 C low sodium or unsalted chicken broth
1 bunch flat-leaf Italian parsley
20 g (one .7 oz pkg) fresh thyme on the stem
15 g (3/4 of a .7 oz pkg) fresh rosemary
2-3 dried bay leaves or 8-10 fresh
5 garlic cloves
kosher salt
1 large onion
3-4 large ribs celery (with leaves if possible)
8-12 oz cremini mushrooms (baby portobello)
fresh ground black pepper
celery seed

Dumplings:
3 C flour
4 t baking powder
1 1/2 t kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
4-5 scallions (green onions)
1/2 C milk
1-1.5 C beer (8-12 oz)
reserved herbs

Wash the chicken thighs and pat dry with paper towels. Season liberally on both sides with kosher salt, pepper and celery seed. Lightly oil a very large, at least 4 inch deep skillet, pot, or electric frying pan and pan fry the thighs on both sides until well browned and the skin is crispy. You will have to remove much of the grease half-way through.

Whilst the chicken browns, chop the herbs, having stripped the thyme and rosemary leaves from their stems. Mix the dough for the dumplings, adding in about 2/3 of the rosemary and thyme and 1/2 of the parsley to the dumpling batter as well as all of the scallions, reserving the rest of the herbs for the gravy/garnish. Add in the liquid, adding in more beer if needed to make a slightly stiff dough. Dice the onion and celery, mince the garlic, and halve (or quarter if large) the mushrooms.

Once well browned (don’t worry about cooking through, because you’ll braise them later) remove the chicken, set aside, and then remove most of grease without disturbing the cooked-on remnants. Leave enough fat to sauté the onions, celery, mushrooms and garlic in. Add in the onion and celery and season with salt and pepper, scraping up the browned bits. Sweat until soft and slightly caramelised, then add in the garlic and mushrooms, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add more of the chicken fat if needed. If using fresh bay leaves, add them in with the garlic and sauté them slightly being careful also to not allow them to burn either. Once cooked, deglaze the pan with one of the bottles of beer*. Again scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and then add in the chicken stock. Check for saltiness and add more salt if needed (if you use unsalted or low-sodium stock it will definitely need salt). Add the chicken back in at this point, as well as the reserved herbs (keeping 1/4 of the parsley until the end as a garnish for the whole dish), cover so as not to lose liquid volume, and let braise on medium-low heat for about 20-30 minutes.

At this point, spoon the dumpling dough into the spaces between the chicken (into the broth). The starch from the dumplings, as well as evaporation, will begin to greatly thicken up the broth and turn in into a gravy. Replace the cover, and steam/braise the dumplings for about 7 minutes, and then add in the second beer and (if any) left over which you didn’t put in the dumpling batter. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until the gravy is thickened, but not too thick (add in more stock and/or beer if the gravy evaporates too much/gets too thick). If too watery, remove the cover and let simmer for a few minutes until thickened. Remove the bay leaves.

At this point, serve the dumpling and chicken, spooning gravy over the dumplings. You might want to also serve this with a light salad or carrots, or green vegetable, as this is quite heavy (but goddamn amazingly flavourful). Garnish with the reserved chopped fresh parsley.

*Ideally a medium-heavy bodied, hoppy & malty ale such as an amber ale, red ale, pale ale, Belgian ale, or some types of non-stout medium dark porters). You definitely don’t want to use either a light lager or dark stout – something in between. In Utah we have beers called Polygamy Porter and Evolution Amber Ale, either of which would would be ideal for this dish.

One of the benefits of cooking with alcohol (besides the addition of tons of delicious flavour) is the fact that while alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, all of the alcohol won’t cook out, and it acts as a natural flavour-enhancer (like salt, but obviously without the sodium/salt taste). I add in the second beer later to keep in more of the alcohol in the gravy so the flavour is that much more enhanced, and to ensure the gravy doesn’t cook down too much.

Furthermore, I love to use the beer in the dumplings because the carbon dioxide, in addition to the acid in the beer reacting with the baking soda, combines to create fluffier, as well as more flavourful dumplings than one would get with using milk only.

Using fresh herbs in this is a real must if at all possible. Dried herbs in the dumplings especially would create a different texture and be too bitter and strong. When cooking with fresh herbs, use 3-4 times as much as you were to normally use dried. Some herbs (like parsley and cilantro) lose their flavour when dried, and so are really only useful fresh. Other more woody herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano) intensify when dried, and are good in some dishes/in some instances. I keep dried herbs in my pantry, but regularly purchase fresh herbs for most uses.

Roasted Curry Chicken

1 fresh 3-4 lb chicken

Paste:

2″ piece of fresh ginger
5 scallions
2 garlic cloves
1 stalk celery
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 tsp sriracha thai hot sauce
3 T lime juice
1/4-1/2 C oil
2-3 T brown sugar
salt to taste

Spices:

2 parts of:
cinnamon
cumin
coriander
turmeric
fenugreek

1 part of:
dried thyme
fennel seed
celery seed
sesame seeds
black pepper

3 cloves

Rinse the outside and cavity of the chicken well with cold water. Pat completely dry with paper towels.

In a food processor, place the sauce ingredients, chopping the celery, onions, and ginger into large chunks. Add 1/4 C of the oil, reserving the rest.

In a small, totally dry sauté pan, toast your spices over medium-low heat until fragrant and warm. Mix frequently to avoid burning any part of the spices. I didn’t put measurements for each spice, because depending on whether you’ve each spice ground or whole depends on how much you add. I put a little more cumin and coriander and less of the celery seeds, but you may adjust the amounts of each spice to your own taste.

Add the spice mixture to the paste and blend slowly, drizzling in more of the oil as needed until a thick paste forms.

As this paste is probably enough for two chickens, put about half of it in a small bowl so you don’t contaminate the rest with raw chicken.

Gently massage the entire chicken with generous amounts of the paste, on the top, bottom, as well as inside the cavity. With your fingers, carefully separate the skin from the breast from the meat (don’t tear it) and fill with some of the paste.

After you’ve thoroughly seasoned the bird, truss it with butcher’s twice so it cooks evenly.

In the bottom of the pan put about 1/2-3/4 C of chicken broth and 3/4-1 C dry white wine. While the chicken roasts, its juices will combine with this to create a marvellous sauce.

Roast in a covered roasting pan in a 325 degree oven for 30 min per pound, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, the juices run clear and the joints are loose. The lower heat and longer time than normal will allow the connective tissues to break down further which results with a moister, better-tasting bird. Towards the last half hour or so of cooking, remove the lid and raise the temperature to 400 degrees to crisp up the skin and allow some of the moisture to evaporate. Keep in mind that these times and even temperatures are approximate, so do whatever works for you.

Serve with rice and naan or potatoes and yoghurt for dipping.