Indian Spice Chicken Sandwiches

Cooking skills focus: Braising, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
1 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, quartered and sliced 1/4" thick
1 head garlic, peeled & sliced

1 t cooking oil
5 whole chicken legs (or 10 each drumsticks/thighs), meat scored with a knife so heat can penetrate and cook it faster

1 T cooking oil
2 medium bags braising greens mix
2 # tomatoes, cored & diced large

2 T Sambar Masala spice blend (also from World Spice Merchants)
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the first 1 T cooking oil over high heat, then add the onion and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes. Remove to a baking dish.

3. Heat the pan again over high heat, then add the next 1 t cooking oil. Brown the chicken in the hot pan until well browned and remove to the baking dish.

4. Heat the pan again over medium-high heat. Add the last 1 T cooking oil, then add the braising greens for 6-7 minutes or until well-wilted.

5. Combine the onions, chicken and greens with the tomatoes, and season everything with salt, pepper and the Sambar Masala. Cover the dish and start to braise for an hour.
4. When the chicken's done, let it cool for a little bit so you don't kill yourself doing the following:
6. Pull the meat off the bones (the bones can still be used for stock), toss with the potatoes and kale, and use the mixture to fill sandwiches or wraps.

Chimichurri-Tomato Naked Casserole (V)

Cooking skills focus: Sauteeing, baking, balancing flavors

Ingredients:

2 T cooking oil

1 ¼ # mushrooms, sliced thickly

2 T cooking oil

1 onion, sliced thinly

1 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced thickly

2 T cooking oil

2 bu red chard, ribs removed and cut bite-sized

2/3 C water

1 bu broccoli rabe, sliced ½” thick

2 # tomatoes, cored & diced large

1 ½ # potatoes, cut into medium dice (1/2” on a side)

Salt & pepper TT (lots)

4 t Chimichurri spice blend (also from World Spice Merchants)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat, then add the first 2 T cooking oil. Add the mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

3. Heat the large sauté pan again over high heat, then add the next 2 T cooking oil. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 3-4 minutes more. Set aside.

4. Heat the large sauté pan again over medium-high heat, then add the last 2 T cooking oil.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mushrooms, onion & garlic, and chard with all the remaining ingredients. Season with salt, pepper and Chimichurri spice blend. Transfer to a baking dish, cover and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, then serve.

French Fall Vegetable Salad (V)

Cooking skills focus: Knife skills, sautéing/caramelizing, roasting, balancing flavors

Ingredients:

1 ½ # tomatoes, diced large (I know they aren’t seasonal, but they were cheap and available when I went shopping)

2/3 C red wine vinegar

Salt & pepper TT

2 T cooking oil

1 # yellow potatoes, diced large (3/4” on a side)

1 t Melange Classique spice blend (from World Spice Merchants)

salt & pepper TT

1 t cooking oil

2 acorn squash, sliced 1” thick and seeds/insides removed

salt & pepper TT

2 T cooking oil

1 ¾” Brussels Sprouts, sliced ¼” thick

1 T cooking oil

2 bags braising greens mix

3 T olive oil

2 cara cara oranges, juiced

1 lemon, juiced

4 t Melange Classique spice blend

salt & pepper TT

2 avocados, medium-diced

Instructions:

1. Toss the tomatoes with the red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and set aside until the end.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Toss the potatoes with the first 2 T cooking oil, salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside when done.

3. Meanwhile, coat the acorn rings in the next 1 t cooking oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and soft. When done, remove the peel and cut into large cubes, then set aside.

4. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the next 2 T cooking oil. Add the Brussels sprouts and begin to caramelize for 10-12 minutes, or until browned and tender.

5. Heat the sauté pan again over medium-high heat, Add the last of the cooking oil, then add the braising mix and briefly brown for 5-6 minutes.

6. Combine all ingredients (remove the tomatoes from their marinade) except the avocados, then add the avocados at the end so they don’t get too mashed up.

Uber Thanksgiving Veggies (V)

Ingredients:
2 acorn squash, cut into 1" thick rings and insides cleaned out
1 t olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

4 carrots, cut uniform & bite-sized
1 t olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

2 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 bu kale, ribs removed & cut bite-sized
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 C water

1/2 C pumpkin seeds
1 lemon, juiced

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rub the acorn squash with the first 1 t olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until well-browned and tender. Set aside.
3. Toss the carrots with the last of the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes. Set aside in a large bowl.
4. Reduce the oven to 325 degrees.
5. Remove the peel from the squash and cut into large chunks. Add to the carrots in the bowl.
6. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the 2 T cooking oil. Heat up the oil, then add the onion and cook 2-3 minutes. Then add the kale & season with salt & pepper. Cook another 7-8 minutes, add the 1/2 C water and cook the water down.
7. Roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until browned.
8. Add the lemon juice, combine with everything and serve.

Delicious Braised Turkey Legs

Ingredients:
1 T cooking oil
2 turkey legs, scored (cut some slits in the meat down to the bone)
2 turkey thighs, scored
4 shallots, peeled and quartered
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled and cut in half
4 stalks celery, peeled & cut bite-sized
salt & pepper to taste
2/3 C water

1 lemon, juiced

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Brown the turkey legs in batches; don't overcrowd the pan. When all the turkey is well-browned, move it to a deep baking dish.
3. Heat the saute pan again over high heat and add more cooking oil if there isn't some left. Add the shallots, garlic and celery and brown them for 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to burn the bottom of the pan if you can help it, because you'll be deglazing it later. Add the vegetables to the turkey in the baking dish, season with salt and pepper and stir.
4. Heat the saute pan over low heat, add the 2/3 C water and scrape the brown goodness off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the flavored water to the baking dish.
5. Cover the dish and braise for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat falls off the bone. Pull the meat off the bones, combine with the veggies, add the lemon juice, taste for seasoning and serve.

Cauliflower-Kale Pasta with Sausage

This one is for those with some confidence, since you'll be sauteeing two things at a time. Which also means it's lots of fun to cook. Shawni and I made this up together and we had this locked down no problem, of course. :)


Ingredients:

1 T cooking oil
4 precooked sausages, sliced in half lengthwise and cut 1/2" thick

2 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, medium diced (1/2" on a side)
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
1 bu kale ribs removed & cut bite-sized
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 C water

2 C walnuts, chopped coarsely

1 lb. fresh pasta (linguine or fettuccine would work well)

1 lemon, juiced.

Instructions: (read these through a couple of times before you start)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Start a large pot of salted (ocean salty) water boiling over high heat. Start two large saute pans heating over hight heat and add 1 T cooking oil to one pan and 2 T to the other. To the pan with 1 T oil, add the sausage; to the other, add the cauliflower.
3. Brown the sausage and the cauliflower each for about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage and set aside. Reduce the cauliflower's heat to medium-low and cook for another 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. If both saute pans are unburned (no black stuff on the bottom, just brown stuff), deglaze one and add to the sausage or cauliflower (doesn't matter). Heat the other one (or the unburned one, if one got scorched) over medium-high heat and add the last 2 T cooking oil. Add the onion and cook 3- minutes, then add the garlic and kale, and season with salt & pepper. Cook another 7-8 minutes, add 1/2 C water and cook until the water is cooked out.
5. Roast the walnuts for 5-7 minutes or until browned & aromatic.
6. Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package, drain and combine with all the other & remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning & serve.

Black Pepper Cranberries (v)

Ingredients:
1 T butter
1 bag fresh cranberries

1/2 C water
1 T raw sugar
small pinch kosher salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

1/2 t vanilla extract
1 T butter

Instructions:
1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the first 1 T butter and melt it, then add the cranberries.
2. Cook the cranberries for 10 minutes or until well broken down, stirring occasionally. Then add the water, sugar, salt & pepper and cook for 5 minutes more.
3. Stir in the vanilla and the last of the butter. Taste, add more sugar if needed. Serve in a tart, over ice cream or over a pastry.

Braised Chicken, Kale and Potato Sandwiches

Cooking skills focus: Braising, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
1/2 t oil
1 yellow onion, quartered and sliced 1/4" thick
1/2 head garlic, peeled & sliced
4 whole chicken legs (or 8 each drumsticks/thighs), meat scored with a knife so heat can penetrate and cook it faster
2 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into small dice (1/4” on a side)
1 bu lacinato kale (also called "dinosaur" kale because of its cool bumpy texture), cut into ½: slices

½ C water
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the onion and garlic and saute 5-6 minutes. Remove to a baking dish and heat the pan again, over high heat.
3. Brown the chicken in the hot pan until well browned and remove to the baking dish. Add the onions, potatoes and kale, and season everything with salt and pepper. Cover the dish and start to braise for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.
4. When the chicken's done, let it cool for a little bit so you don't kill yourself doing the following:
6. Pull the meat off the bones (the bones can still be used for stock), toss with the potatoes and kale, and use the mixture to fill sandwiches or wraps.

Broccoli Madness Naked Casserole (V)

Cooking skills focus: Sauteeing, baking, balancing flavors

Ingredients:

2 T cooking oil

1 onion, sliced thinly

½ head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced thickly

5 broccoli crowns, quartered and sliced ½” thick

4 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into medium dice (1/2” on a side)

5 carrots, cut into half moons ¼” thick

4 T olive oil

½ C water

Salt & pepper TT (lots)

1 T besar spice blend

2 lemons, juiced

½ bu parsley, chopped fine

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat, then add the 2 T cooking oil. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 3-4 minutes more. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the onions and garlic with all the remaining ingredients except the lemon juice and parsley. Season with salt, pepper and besar spice blend. Transfer to a baking dish, add the water, cover and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

4. Top with the lemon juice and parsley and serve.

Note: You can get besar spice blend in Seattle at World Spice Merchants.