Cooking to Combat Cancer…

Blog events are not exactly what they used to be… with the increase of facebook/twitter participation bloggers do not need to use events as much to get involved in the foodie world. Also with the Daring Bakers and Tuesdays with Dorie, how do people find the time to bake/cook so many different things?

However, I really enjoy them because 1. I’m always up for a new challenge. 2. I like discovering new blogs that I wouldn’t have found in another way.  3. I like it when the events have a purpose.

Chris of Mele Cotte invented this event that encourages healthy eating to fight cancer.  After looking over a couple lists of healthy cancer fighting foods…I realized that a recent dish I made fit perfectly with this event… Spiced Chicken on Melting Onions… it has garlic, onions and tumeric… I paired it with some whole wheat orzo (another food on the list)… it was delicious!

The recipe came from Crazy Water Pickled Lemons that I have had for years.  It was one of those cookbooks that I bought on a whim because it sounded cool.  It is a gorgeous cookbook of Middle Eastern, North African and Mediterranean food.  I love just looking through it and was happy to finally make something from it… next perhaps those chocolate dipped figs…

Spiced Chicken on Melting Onions
(adapted from Crazy Water Pickled Lemons)

4 chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
3 onions, halved and sliced into half-moons
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
1 cup chicken stock or water (I used water and it was great!)
1/2 tsp. saffron threads
3 oz. green olives

Marinade
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp each of ground cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper

1. For the marinade, mix together all the ingredients. Rub it all over the chicken and cover with the rest of the marinade. Marinate for a least 3 hours or overnight, turning the chicken occasionally.

2. heat the olive oil in the bottom of a shallow, ovenproof pan. Add the chicken and quickly cook the outside until nice and golden. Put the chicken aside.

3. In the same pan, start to cook the onions. When they are softening and beginning to turn translucent, add the turmeric and continue to cook, stirring, for another minute. bring the stock or water to a boil and dissolve the saffron in it. Add this to the pan, along with the chicken pieces and any juices that have come out of them.

4. Cook in an oven, preheated to 350F, for 30 minutes. Add the olives to the pan about 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Scatter with parsley or cilantro to serve.

Filed under Chicken, Flour, Garlic, Ginger, Lemon, Olives, Onions, Parmesan, Pasta | Comments (5)

Won’t you be my neighbor?

This is one of those posts that for some reason, I cannot figure out what exactly to say… Maybe it is the fact that my brain has been so busy lately keeping Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, Property and Copyright issues all straight in my head, that writing a post is very difficult. Or perhaps because this recipe is from a very good friend and I’m not quite sure how to adequately articulate that…

N and her family are our former neighbors in Chapel Hill. My family moved away from the “Thrill” when I was in college. As families, we became very close. I refer to her son as my “Other Little Brother.” He spent many afternoons playing with my brother and raiding our house for Ritz crackers (my mother only bought them for him). When I go back to Chapel Hill, I stay with them. I know that I always welcome. Plus, they have the most AMAZING couch!!! It is so comfortable! I remember once N had fixed up the guest room for me but I still slept on the couch. I used to walk over just to nap sometimes…

Some of my favorite times (and my sister will agree) have been sitting around their kitchen table talking. N always fixes something that is delicious and we will sit for hours talking. They are part of my family. This recipe is from N. It is as good at it looks… a really delicious mix of flavors. It also reheats really well, so is excellent to make in a large batch and eat throughout the week. I did not get sick of it, even four meals later. A very good comforting meal and reminds me of being back in Chapel Hill… something I need sometimes as school gets more stressful and Chicago continues to be cold…

Chicken Marbella
(adapted by N from the Silver Palate Cookbook)
Marinate chicken overnight

Marinade
1 and a half pounds each, quartered (I use a variety of boneless breasts)
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped finely
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/4 cup pitted Spanish green olives (I add more – see what you think when the chicken is in the baking pan)
1/4 cup capers with a bit of juice
3 bay leaves
_________________________________

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine
¼ cup Italian parsley or fresh coriander (cilantro)

In a large bowl combine chicken pieces, garlic, oregano, pepper, salt taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Arrange chicken pieces in a single layer in one or two shallow baking pans.
Spoon marinade over evenly.
Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour wine around them.
Bake 50 min to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices.
Transfer with slotted spoon to a serving platter.
Moisten with pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Pass remaining sauce in sauce boat.

(I usually serve it at room temperature*N)

P.S. Check out and enter my Cry Me an Onion Contest! I’ve gotten some great submissions and would love some more!

Also, GO HEELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NCAA CHAMPS 2009!!!!!!!!!

Filed under Chicken, Cilantro, Olives | Comments (7)

Empanadas…

One night, I was out with my friends and all of a sudden we lost a friend of ours.  We stop on the sidewalk, trying to figure out where he went and all of sudden, he appeared with a bag in his hand.  He had found some empanadas!  I had never tried one but that night I had my first taste of a chicken empanada.  It was delicious!

This summer, J’s mom taught us (J, his sister and her boyfriend) how to make different types of empanadas: beef, corn and ham, spinach and cheese.  The making of empanadas is fun… Standing around in the kitchen, we made fun of each other as we attempted to fold them… J’s mom is excellent at folding but the rest of us need a bit of practice.  All the types were really good.  I think I liked the corn and ham the best.

While in Argentina, J introduced me to the beautiful thing that is delivery empanadas… yes, that is right!  They deliver delicious, hot empanadas right to your door.  We tried about every type possible.  Overall, my favorite is onion and cheese… can’t get enough of them!

Argentine Empanadas

(from J’s Mom)

To make an empanada you need to make a dough and a filling. After they are put together, you can bake or fry them.

Dough

1 cup shortening, melted

2 eggs

2 cups of flour

2 teaspoons of salt dissolved in 1 cup of warm water

1. Mix all together with hands.
2. Leave for an hour at room temp.

In order to prepare the dough into empanadas, you need to make circles with 5 ½ in diameter. In the middle of the circles, you will place a tablespoon of filling.  There are two methods to make the circles.

Method #1:

1. Divide into little balls
2. Roll out with rolling pin into circles

Method #2:

1. Roll out into one big piece
2. Cut into circles (Diameter 5 ½ in). Use a bowl to be a guide
3. Keep rolling out the dough and cutting circles until the dough is all used up.

Fillings

You can fill the empanadas with the same type of fillings or play with a few variations. Each filling recipe will make about 15 empanadas. After the preparation of the filling, you must let it cool. You can prepare the filling the day before and put it in the fridge.  You can even freeze it and thaw it when you want to make it.  

Beef Empanadas

1. Fry 2 chopped onion and 1 crushed garlic clove with 2 tablespoon oil until tender
2. Add 1 chopped red sweet bell pepper
3. Mix in 1 lb ground beef
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Add 2-3 chopped hard boiled eggs, ½ cup olives, ½ cup raisins and 1 teaspoon cumin.

Tuna or Chicken Empanadas:

1. Fry 2 chopped onion and 1 crushed garlic clove with 2 tablespoon oil until tender
2. Add 1 chopped red sweet bell pepper
3. Mix in 1 lb ground chicken or canned tuna (2 10oz cans)
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Add 2 fresh chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Basil, and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper.

Ham and Cheese Empanadas:

1. Fry 1 chopped onion and 1 crushed garlic clove with 2 tablespoon oil until tender
2. Mix in 1 lb ham (cut into little pieces or strips), 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 lb Ricotta cheese and 1 cup shredded provolone/mozzarella.

Corn Empanadas:

1. Fry 1 chopped onion and 1 crushed garlic clove with 2 tablespoon oil until tender
2. Add ½ lb ham (cut into pieces or strips) and 1 lb corn
3. Season with Salt and pepper
4. Mix in 1 teaspoon nutmeg
5. In 1 ½ cups milk dissolve 2-3 tablespoons flour.
6. Mix in with the corn mixture.

Spinach Emapandas:

1. Fry 1 chopped onion and 1 crushed garlic clove with 2 tablespoon oil until tender
2. Mix in 1 lb mushrooms or 1 lb spinach and 1 cup of cheese.
3. Add 1/2 lb ham and/or hardboiled egg, if you want.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

Onion Empanadas:

1. Fry 2 chopped onions and 1 crushed garlic clove with 2 tablespoon oil until tender
2. Mix in ½ lb ham and ½ lb of shredded cheese
3. Add two eggs to pull it together
4. Season with salt and pepper

Putting them together

1. Lay each pastry on a flat surface
2. Place 1 tablespoon in the center of the circular dough
3. Fold dough over in half, wetting the edges a little with water and make edges meet in a semi-circle over the filling
4. Press edge with fork or fold over with fingers.

To see how to fold properly check out here.

In Argentina, they fold the empanadas by folding over with their fingers.  This is called Repulgue.  The empanadas come with a guide so that you know what type you are trying.  If you make different fillings of empanadas, then you can differentiate them by a different fold or design.  What we did was poke holes in the empanadas with a toothpick in order to differentiate the types.  For example, 2 for spinach, 3 for corn, and 4 for beef.

FRY:

1. Heat 3 cups of oil in medium high heat. Be careful with frying because it is very hot and you can burn yourself.
2. Put empanadas in hot oil until gold.
3. Remove and place on paper towel to absorb the oil.

BAKE:

1. Spray with vegetable spray
2. Bake at 350° for 20 min until golden.

Filed under Olives, Onions, Red Pepper, Tomatos | Comments (3)