Mango & Tomato: chicken

11/22/22

Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

Meatball soup in a bowl with toast on the side

Remember me? I know it's been a while: I really should get back to regular blogging!

Today, I'm sharing a recipe for Italian Wedding Soup I made with my friend Jenn a few weekends ago. This is the soup Jenn has been making for years using a recipe from her friend Anna, but it was my first time making and eating Italian Wedding Soup ever!

I edited the original recipe.

Italian Wedding Soup

4-6 portions

Ingredients

96 ounces chicken broth

1-2 tablespoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

5 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 chicken breasts

1 bunch escarole, sliced

Meatballs

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 tablespoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1.5 teaspoons garlic powder

3 tablespoons dried parsley

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

"Cheese" balls

2 egg whites

1/2 pound grated or finely shredded Parmiagino Reggiano

1 pound cooked orzo

To serve

Italian bread, fresh parsley, extra cheese

Directions

1. In a large pot, bring the chicken broth, salt & pepper, carrots, celery, and chicken breasts to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through (about 25 minutes). Remove chicken and shred in a separate bowl.

2. Mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs and form into 1" balls. Drop the balls into once again boiling chicken broth, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the egg whites with the cheese and form into 1/2 inch balls. Drop the balls into the broth, and also add shredded chicken and chopped escarole.

4. Simmer the soup for about 10 minutes. Check to make sure the meatballs and cheese balls are cooked through. Adjust for salt and pepper.

5. Spoon the cooked orzo into each bowl and top with the soup.

6. Serve with slices of Italian bread, a sprinkling of extra cheese and parsley.

The original recipe used a whole chicken, but you know how I feel about chicken skin, bones, and dark meat. You can do as you please.

Also, I changed the recipe not to add orzo into the soup pot because it will soak up all the liquid overnight in the refrigerator.

I hope you make this and enjoy a bowl of soup with your family or with your family of 1 (with plenty of leftovers).

And as with any recipe, there are a zillion variations. Let me know how your family makes Italian Wedding Soup.

PS there's no Italian wedding happening for me any time soon.

2/4/20

Chicken Dip Recipe

A very long time ago, I met one of my best friends: Jenny. Jenny was known for her chicken dip. The what!? Yes, CHICKEN DIP. The dip is a combination of chicken, mayonnaise, cheese, red peppers, salsa, and a few other ingredients. This dip, according to Jenny, is best served with Scoops. I loved that dip and made it several times, and even posted about it on this very blog 11 years ago.

LOOK AT THIS PHOTO!!!!

Luckily, my photography skills have improved, while the dip continues to be stellar!

Last weekend I made the dip again and took new photos. Below is an updated version of the recipe.

Jenny's Chicken Dip

Ingredients
1 poached chicken breast, shredded {or use rotisserie chicken}
2 scallions, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 mayonnaise
1/2 cup salsa
2/3 cups shredded sharp cheddar
zest and juice of 1 lime
chili powder to taste

to serve
Tostitos Scoops

Directions
1. Combine the dip ingredients in a bowl. Taste and add more mayonnaise or salsa or chili powder as needed.
2. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Serve with Scoops.

What I learned:
Garnishes make all the difference!!
White shiny plates are hard to photograph.
Backgrounds matter.
Improvement is possible.

6/18/19

How To Cook Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Chicken Dinner With 2 Salads

Need a fast dinner that will satisfy your taste buds but not make you feel like a ton of bricks? My Chicken Dinner with 2 Salads is perfect for that. Whether you are cooking for one, two or 4, this meal comes together in minutes on a weeknight or can be a great way to get together with a friend Sunday night to catch up.

I primarily eat boneless skinless chicken breasts (other than my occasional craving for wings), and have found a great way to cook them that doesn't dry them out.

How To Cook Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. In oven proof skillet (I prefer cast iron) heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom.
3. Pat chicken breasts with a paper towel and season with salt and paprika on both sides (or use whichever spices you like).
4. Cook chicken breasts in a skillet for 3-4 minutes on each side and then bake them in the oven (in the skillet) for 10-20 minutes, depending on the size, until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Rest the chicken breasts for 5 minutes before slicing on a diagonal.

Roasted Beet, Granny Smith Apple & Red Onion Salad
I saw this salad on Domenica Marchetti's insta story and knew immediately I'd have to try it. It was awesome.

Combine sliced roasted beets with sliced Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced red onion, and drizzle with olive oil and champagne vinegar. Season with salt and top with fresh dill.

Raw Corn Salad With Tomatoes And Radishes
Combine raw corn kernels with chopped cherry tomatoes, radishes, arugula, and torn fresh basil, and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in a bit of lemon juice and season with salt.

To drink: I recommend Sauvignon Blanc.

Dessert: chopped strawberries and whole blueberries topped with home made whipped cream and shaved dark chocolate.

PS a special shout out to oxo for sending me their crazy impressive corn prep peeler: it works incredibly well! (I was sent a sample; no money was exchanged!)

11/29/18

Individual Chicken Pot Pies Adapted From SkinnyTaste One And Done

I've been wanting to make a chicken pot pie for months and finally decided to just do it last weekend. Did you know I used to work at KFC when I was in high school!?

I used a recipe from Gina, aka skinnytaste, as my inspiration, but changed a few things as always ;) Gina's new cookbook Skinnytaste One and Done has a recipe for her Mom's Skillet Chicken Pot Pie, but I thought for easier portion control I would make individual ones.

I used fresh carrots and only rotisserie chicken breasts instead of the entire chicken and added parsley at the very end. I wish I also would have added potatoes, because I love potatoes!

Be careful about how much salt you use because I slightly oversalted mine not taking into an account the salt level in the chicken and chicken broth. Overall, this was a super easy recipe to make, good to freeze, and to have on a cold day like today.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies Adapted From SkinnyTaste
Makes 6

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, diced
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
2 large rotisserie chicken breasts, diced
1/3 cup chopped parsley
3 3/4 cups chicken broth, divided
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 egg

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add onions, carrots and celery, and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes.
3. Add frozen peas and corn, chicken, parsley and 2 cups of chicken broth. Cover and bring to a rapid boil.
4. Whisk together the remaining broth with the cornstarch and add to the chicken mixture. Simmer for 6 minutes stirring occasionally as the filling thickens.
5. Divide the filling into 6 ramekins (mine were about 1 1/4 cups capacity) and cover with cut out circles of pie dough. Crimp the edges. DO NOT MAKE SUPER FANCY POLKA DOT DESIGNS BECAUSE THE FILLING WILL BUBBLE OVER! JUST MAKE A FEW SLITS IN EACH TOP INSTEAD. SOMETIMES BEING FANCY DOESN'T PAY OFF.
6. Whisk an egg and brush each crust.
7. Bake the pot pies on a baking sheet for about 30 minutes and allow to set for at least 10 minutes before digging in.

11/14/18

What To Cook When You Are Sick: Matzo Ball Soup With Broccoli Rabe, Carrots & Chicken

Good thing about being single and childless when you are sick is that you don't have to take care of anyone other than yourself. Ok, I do have to take care of my plants...

Not so good thing about being single and sick: you are the only one who will take care of you.

I've been with a cold (oy) for about a week and was SO happy that I had a mix of maztzo ball soup in my pantry (aka a kitchen cabinet). I supplemented the mix with a few extra ingredients and had soup for days!

1) Add a healthy amount of turmeric to the broth and a sliced jalapeno
2) In the last 10 minutes of the cooking process add sliced carrots and broccoli rabe and defrosted (or fresh) rotisserie chicken
3) Garnish with parsley

This was so good, I even had leftovers for breakfast.

Here's to feeling healthy soon!

10/30/18

Rotisserie Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Rotisserie Chicken Enchilada Casserole is a great dish to make and freeze to have for meals after you come back from a vacation. That's exactly what I did before I flew out to Charleston to meet my twin and our two friends.

Of course you can make regular enchiladas by rolling the tortillas, but layering them in a casserole saves time. I used a rotisserie chicken breast, but you can use ground beef or even crumbled tofu. This dish turned out pretty well, but lacked in texture. I think adding corn and/or sauteed onions and peppers would have improved it.

Rotisserie Chicken Enchilada Casserole
This is not an exact recipe ;)

19 ounce can enchilada sauce
8-10 corn tortillas
14.5 ounce can of refried beans
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breasts
2-3 cups shredded cheese
fresh parsley, chopped
pickled banana peppers

1) Preheat the oven to 350F.
2) In a small baking dish pour a bit of the sauce. Then layer tortillas/refried beans/chicken/cheese/sauce.
3) Repeat to make 3 layers ending with the cheese and enchilada sauce.
4) Bake the casserole for 30 to 40 minutes and serve topped with parsley and banana peppers.

Not pictured: sour cream is a great topping as is salsa, guacamole and a bit of lime juice.

To freeze, allow the casserole to cool down completely, cut into pieces and freeze.

Thanks Kate and Anna for suggesting this :)

5/16/18

Summer Chicken Soup. Meal Prep In A Pressure Cooker.

Let's talk about soup: I love it. Whether it's a bowl of cold summer borsch or a steaming bowl of split pea soup, soup provides nourishment, is great for leftovers, and can be eaten for any meal of the day. Yes, I occasionally eat soup for breakfast.

Over the weekend, I made a version of Pinch of Yum's Instant Pot Summer Soup and am so happy with the results.

Let me tell you about this Summer Chicken Soup.

The base of the recipe is a combination of chicken broth and crushed tomatoes. I used crushed tomatoes with basil to increase the flavor.

There's no need to saute carrots and celery before adding them to the pressure cooker. To make things easier, I did not even peel the carrots.

You can use whichever spices you like the most. In addition to onion powder and salt, I seasoned the soup generously with sumac, which intensified the deep red color of the soup.

I did not have farro, so used brown rice.

As far as the chicken goes, I actually used 2 large chicken breasts with the bones. They were less expensive and provided even more flavor to the soup. Plus, you shred the chicken and can easily discard the bones before serving the soup.

Originally I thought about using frozen corn, but am so glad I ended up incorporating fresh corn because it added a nice texture to the soup.

I topped my bowl of Summer Chicken Soup with strained yogurt, fresh cilantro and Parmesan.

Note that the brown rice (or whichever grain you use) will expand in the soup as it sits in the refrigerator. Not to worry: add a bit more chicken broth when reheating the soup.

Tell me what's the latest soup you ate!

5/2/18

Chicken Salad With Mango, Cucumber & Radishes

Looking for a fun way to use leftover chicken breasts? Don't want to turn on your stove? Well, then you must make my Chicken Salad With Mango, Cucumber & Radishes.

The photo above is before I added mayonnaise. Of course if you don't love mayonnaise, you can leave it out and use olive oil and lemon juice instead or maybe yogurt, but I LOVE mayo and use it all the time.

Chicken Salad With Mango, Cucumber & Radishes
Ingredients for 1-2 servings

1 cooked chicken breast, cubed
1 mango, peeled, and diced
1 Persian cucumber, diced
3 radishes, diced
1 avocado, diced
salt & pepper to taste
mayonnaise (as much or as little as you want)

Directions
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

4/19/18

What To Do With Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts: Cajun Rub

Do you wonder what to do with skinless boneless chicken breasts? If you, like me, just can't get yourself to eat the supposedly more flavorful and definitely less expensive chicken thighs, and instead buy skinless boneless chicken breasts and then fear ending up with dry as rubber protein, I have an incredibly easy, juicy, and flavorful recipe for you.

Yesterday I twitted for suggestions on quick and easy recipe ideas to make with chicken breasts, and the Watermelon Board people gave me a great idea for Cajun chicken! I did not have the ingredients to make the watermelon salsa, but absolutely loved how the Cajun spice mix worked out.

What To Do With Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts: Cajun Rub
Slightly adapted from Watermelon Board

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons bourbon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon salt
3 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions
1. In a small bowl combine the first 7 ingredients. Save half of the spice mix for later and pour the other half into a shallow dish.
2. Coat chicken breasts with the Cajun rub on both sides.
3. Heat oil in a nonstick pan and saute chicken breast for 5 minutes on each side. Cover the pan and cook chicken breasts on medium heat until they reach 165F degrees. Depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts, it could take 5 to 15 minutes.

SO much flavor. The chicken breasts were juicy and perfectly tender on the inside. You can use them as the main course or mix into salads. I served mine on a bed of white bean puree with radishes, feta, white onion and basil. Sort of random, but it worked.

1/29/18

Coriander-Rubbed Chicken Breasts With Lentil Radicchio Salad From Healthyish Cookbook

Meal prep can be so exhausting. What if you could make a dish on Sunday that you could eat for several lunches during the week without getting bored? Would that not be awesome? What if, on top of the convenience and great flavors, that dish was simple to make, good for you, and fun?

That's exactly what Coriander-Rubbed Chicken Breasts With Lentil Radicchio Salad From Healthyish Cookbook is!

I received a copy of Lindsay Maitland Hunt's Healthyish cookbook from oxo for a campaign I'm doing with them (more about it next week), and after paging through the book and admiring the beautiful photos, decided to make this recipe.

I'm not going to retype the recipe (go buy the book!), but here are the things I liked about it:

1) Tahini dressing: it has mayonnaise in it! If you've met me, you know how much I love mayonnaise. Also, instead of the usual lemon juice, Lindsay uses lime juice. This dressing is garlic free: this means I'll feel comfortable eating this dish at work without the fear of alienating my coworkers.

2) Lentils form the base of the salad with an addition of the slightly bitter radicchio. Cucumbers add the additional crunch and color.

3) Surprise factor comes from the use of preserved lemons! I've never thought about adding them to a salad, but really liked the idea.

4) Chicken breasts: Lindsay bakes the chicken in the oven in a covered baking dish with a bit of water after marinating the breasts in coriander powder, salt, pepper, and olive oil. The result is really tender meat!

5) Meal prep: if you are planning on making this recipe for the week, I recommend adding the dressing to each portion when you are about to eat the salad. Same goes for feta.

Disclosure: I received Healthyish from oxo for a nonpaid campaign and am getting no compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

1/2/18

2018 Cooking Resolutions & Lucky Lentils For New Year

Welcome to 2018! Hope you are entering the new year in good health and with a good attitude! Are you making any resolutions?

I've made a few cooking related resolutions I'd like to share with you:

1) Cook more new recipes: after making chocolate salami for the first time in December, I felt such satisfaction and pride. There are so many recipes out there I'd like to try. Can you believe I've never made Boeuf Bourguignon?

2) Minimize food waste: this doesn't require an explanation, but will take a lot of work!

3) Stop buying bowls and other kitchen items: one of my friends decided to take a vacation from consumerism in 2018 and I'm following her lead.

What's the photo above you might be thinking? Well, it's the new recipe I made yesterday from Domenica Marchetti for Sausage and Lentils Umbrian Style. Turns out lentils are a lucky food to eat for the new year, and who can't use a bit of luck?

I used green lentils and chicken sausage with basil and sundried tomatoes, but otherwise followed Domenica's recipe closely. Don't skip the step of browning the sausages, I kept mine whole, because it adds a lot of flavor to the final dish.

I garnished mine with chopped parsley and celery leaves.

One new recipe down, many more to go!

Share your cooking resolutions with me!

11/21/17

Semi Homemade Thanksgiving For One

Here's what: holidays can be hard and lonely for many people. There's almost an added pressure to feel happy and festive and social and joyous. Because you know, social media, and preconceived notions of what holidays should be like, and all the hype.

This Thanksgiving I'm actually whisking myself out of the country on a week long vacation. I'm THANKFUL I'm able to do this physically, logistically, emotionally, and financially.

In the past, I've spent Thanksgiving with my own family, my pseudo adopted family, friends, and a combination of these groups. This will be the first Thanksgiving I'll be flying solo (figuratively and literally). Still, I wanted a Thanksgiving meal, and I made it.

Semi homemade. But still really good.

Highlights:
1) Green beans: splurge and buy the French thinner ones. Simply saute with olive oil, adding minced garlic in the last few minutes. Season with salt. Toss in toasted almonds.

2) Mashed potatoes: for the love of everything sacred, make them from scratch. I used a method my friend Mary shared: pressure cook Yukon gold potatoes. Put them through a ricer which saves you the peeling step. Add half & half, olive oil, and salt.

3) Cranberry sauce: this is as easy as adding fresh cranberries to the pot with freshly squeezed orange juice and a bit of sugar. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the berries pop. Literally, this can be done in 10 minutes. You can add chopped apples, orange zest, or even a bit of adobo sauce for a kick!

I bought a rotisserie chicken, a mix to make stuffing to which I added sauteed mushrooms, onions, and celery; and a roll. Stuffing was beyond mediocre. The store bought gravy was also mediocre.

Still, all together, this was a great way to feel that Thanksgiving-can-I-take-off-my-pants-and-take-a-nap-now food comma.

I hope you have a good Thanksgiving regardless how, where, and with whom you'll be spending it. Remember, you are worth a great meal, not EVEN IF you are eating it on you own. You are worth it.

I'll leave you with some recipes you may want to add to your menu:

Curried Carrot Ginger Soup

Miso Brussels Sprouts with Dried Cherries & Pine Nuts

Date, Pistachio & Scallion Rice

Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry, Walnut, Orange & Chocolate Tart

Pecan Pie Bars

11/2/16

Slow Cooker Tikka Chicken Masala From Skinnytaste's Fast and Slow Cookbook

I love Indian food so much. Occasionally I make Indian inspired recipes at home by incorporating Indian spices into my regular dishes. When I bought my friend Gina's, skinnytaste, second cookbook, Skinnytaste Fast and Slow, the first recipe I decided to try was Chicken Tikka Masala. The recipe is part of the "slow" section of the book and was a good guide for using my slow cooker. I'm sure you can also use a heavy bottomed pot and adapt the recipe to that if you don't own a slow cooker.

Reprinting the recipe with Gina's permission.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless, chicken thighs, cubed {I used chicken breasts}
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon ghee or butter
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 (14-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
6 tablespoons canned full-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions
Place the chicken in a slow cooker and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt.

In a medium skillet, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin, cayenne, and cardamom. Cook, stirring until the vegetables are soft and the spices are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender along with the tomatoes and blend util smooth. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Sir in the coconut milk. Serve garnished with the cilantro.

This was a really simple recipe to follow. The sauce was smooth and fragrant. Don't expect it to be as rich and buttery as the one you'd get at an Indian restaurant. The flavors develop and become stronger if you leave the dish in the refrigerator, and I imagine it'd be great to freeze.

I served this chicken dish along with Gina's chana masala because both dishes used some of the same main ingredients.

I can't wait to make some of the other recipes from Gina's book.

8/10/16

Dinner Under The Broiler: Whole30 Sweet Potatoes, Broccolini & Chicken Sausage

When it's too hot too cook, I either don't cook, or make something broiled. For some reason, heating a broiler seems more reasonable than heating an oven. Maybe it's that things cook quicker under the broiler?

I made the above-pictured dinner a week ago and it was really good. The star of the show, so to speak, was the dipping sauce!

Sweet Potatoes, Broccolini & Chicken Sausage With Lemony Tahini Sauce

1. Heat your broiler.
2. Cut sweet potatoes into 1/2" thick rounds, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and aleppo pepper.
3. Broil the sweet potatoes for 8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, coat 1 bunch of broccolini with olive oil and season with salt. Slice a chicken sausage.
5. Turn the sweet potato rounds over and add broccolini and chicken sausage and broil for another 5 minutes.
NOTE: depending on how much you want the broccolini to be cooked, you may want to broil it for longer than 5 minutes, but make sure to take out the sweet potatoes, or they'll get burned.
6. Make the sauce by mixing together 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons tahini, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and salt to your liking.

All done!

This also keeps well as leftovers and can be eaten at room temperature!

4/13/16

My First Time Using Electrical Pressure Cooker: Rice And Chicken With Vegetables

A few weeks ago I was offered to test an electrical pressure cooker by Power Pressure Cooker XL. I was a bit hesitant: do I need another appliance? Would I use it?

Although I've never had a pressure cooker, my mom used hers a lot when we lived in Russia (decades ago). Most of my friends who commented on my FB asking whether I should try a pressure cooker said YES, and so I followed their advice.

The box arrived and sat by my door for a few days. I then took the electrical pressure cooker out of the box and it sat on my dining room table for a few more days. Finally, this Sunday I decided enough was enough and I should just choose a recipe from the booklet included and see what happens.

I'll be honest with you: I was scared. I hoped that I would not injure myself while testing out this appliance ;)

I chose Rice and Chicken with Vegetables recipe, but made a few changes. The ingredients are below. I liked that I could brown the vegetables with ginger and garlic and chicken directly in the Power Pressure Cooker XL. I then added rice and chicken broth and was ready to use the pressure cooker to cook my meal.

EXCEPT....I did not read the directions carefully enough before starting this process and it took me a few tries before I figured out how to close the lid correctly and what to do with the valve. Once I figured that out, everything went smoothly and the meal was done in six minutes!

Because my kitchen isn't huge, I put the electrical pressure cooker on my dining room table ;)

Rice And Chicken With Vegetables
Adapted from Power Cooking the quick and easy way by Power Pressure Cooker XL
Ingredients for 4 portions

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cubed
salt & pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 cup broccoli florets
1 red pepper, diced
6 ounce bag frozen snow peas {or use peas or corn or green beans}
1 cup basmatti rice
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
3 green onions, sliced
black sesame seeds
soy sauce

Directions
1. Place the inner pot in the Power Cooker. Add oil and press CHICKEN/MEAT button. Season with salt and pepper and saute for a few minutes.
2. Add garlic, ginger, broccoli and red pepper and saute for a few more minutes.
3. Add frozen snow peas, rice and chicken broth. Close the lid and switch the pressure valve to closed.
4. Press the WARM/CANCEL button.
5. Press the RICE/RISOTTO button.
6. Once the timer reaches 0, your meal is done and the machine will switch to KEEP WARM. Switch the pressure valve to open {I used a wooden spoon for this!}. Once the steam is released, open the lid and you are ready to eat.
7. Garnish the final product with green onions, black sesame seeds and a few splashes of soy sauce.

video #1: one pot meal

A video posted by @mangotomato on Apr 10, 2016 at 2:11pm PDT

video #2: let the pressure out!

A video posted by @mangotomato on Apr 10, 2016 at 2:19pm PDT

And here's the final product: I added scallions and black sesame seeds and a bit of soy sauce to enhance the flavor. The rice was cooked through and not overdone. The chicken (I used skinless and boneless chicken breasts) was tender and not dry. There was enough food for dinner, a few leftover lunches and an extra portion to freeze.

The whole process wasn't as scary as I thought it'd be. I clearly need to experiment more. There is an option to use the Power Pressure XL to can! And there is also a slow cook option.

Let me know what YOU like to make in your pressure cooker.

Disclaimer: I was provided with the Power Pressure Cooker XL for free. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this post.

9/30/15

Delicata Squash Boats With Spicy Chicken Balls And Mozzarella & #CareToFarm15

In the words of Joel McHale from The Soup, Let's talk about chicks, man!

Did I grab your attention? I hope so.

Last week I flew to Greenville, North Carolina courtesy of Phibro to learn about chickens. My transportation, hotel and meals were taken care of. All I had to do was show up, learn, eat, and mingle with other bloggers. I was excited, but also a bit nervous.

I'm a city girl. What do I know about raising chickens? Honestly, not much. It was only a few months ago that I had to ask my good friend Era who has her own chickens how they have fresh eggs without having a rooster. I'm not even kidding!

In case you are as clueless as I was, you don't need a rooster to get an egg (the kind of egg you buy at the grocery store or farmers market and turn into an omelet or egg salad, etc). If you want the type of an egg that will eventually turn into a little chick and then a grown chicken, you need a rooster. To fertilize the egg.

Easy enough.

Phibro is a company in the business of taking care of animals. We met with the Senior Vice President of Phibro, Warren Harper, and veterinarian Leah Dorman, just to name a few. I was amazed at how passionate these two were about doing their best to provide the best life for chickens (before we ate them!).

If you are a vegetarian, I guess you can skip this post.

During the trip we visited a hatchery and saw the process of how eggs are hatched. I loved how clean the facility was and how every aspect was controlled: the temperature, the humidity, the rotation of the eggs. We also saw the little chicks after they hatched. I even held one! That was a big step for me.

The little chicks were vaccinated: that's to protect them. By the time we eventually consume the chickens, there is no trace of vaccine in them.

The next step was for the little chicks to go to the poultry farm. I was a bit nervous that we'll be inside a house with a zillion chickens on top of one another. That was not the case at all. Instead, the little chicks had plenty of space, monitored food and water, and again controlled heat, humidity, etc.

They were really well taken care of.

After I came home, I decided to make a recipe using ground chicken. You could also use pork or turkey. It's up to you.

Delicata Squash Boats With Spicy Chicken Balls And Mozzarella
Makes 4

Ingredients
2 delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg
1/4 cup panko
2 tablespoons half & half
1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
1 tablespoon adobo sauce {use less if you don't like spicy food}
8 basil leaves, chopped
14.5 ounce can tomato sauce
20 tiny mozzarella balls, or use 1 cup shredded mozzarella
garnish: basil leaves
side: rice

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place delicata squash cut side up into a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 50 minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, panko crumbs, chipotle, adobo sauce, half & half, and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Make meatballs. I made 12.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown the chicken meatballs until they are golden brown on all sides. Remove from the skillet.
4. Add tomato sauce into the skillet and bring to a simmer. Add back the meatballs and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
5. Once the squash is roasted, add meatballs into the "boats" making sure to cover them with tomato sauce. Top with mozzarella and bake for 10 more minutes until the cheese has melted.
6. Serve with fresh basil and a side of rice.

These were really great and reheat well as leftovers. The skin of the delicata squash gets soft enough during the roasting process to eat.

Disclosure: The trip accommodations were paid by Phibro. I'm not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

9/2/14

What To Do With Ground Chicken: Antipasti Chicken Balls In Spicy Tomato Sauce

It's back to normal after a relaxing 3 day weekend of seeing friends, eating out, attempting to take naps (2 out of 3 failed) and cleaning my kitchen for the #kitchncure project. You can check out my progress here.

I haven't edited photos for the two recipes I made over the weekend, but luckily I have a great recipe to share with you that I made a few weeks ago: Antipasti Chicken Balls In Spicy Tomato Sauce. So what are you waiting for? Go grocery shopping, pick up the necessary ingredients and make this recipe for dinner tonight!

Ground chicken can be somewhat boring, but by adding a few ingredients you'd normally find on an antipasti platter, you get flavorful, moist (ugh I hate this word!!!) and can't-stop-at-just-a-few chicken balls.

What To Do With Ground Chicken: Antipasti Chicken Balls In Spicy Tomato Sauce
Makes ~ 15 balls

Ingredients
chicken balls
4 marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
4 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
6 oil cured olives, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
10 basil leaves, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1 egg
1/4 cup panko crumbs
salt & pepper
olive oil

sauce
2 14.5 ounce cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
1-2 teaspoons sugar
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
1-2 tablespoons of adobo sauce

garnish
fresh basil, chopped

Directions
1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the chicken balls other than olive oil. Using a cookie scoop form uniform balls. I ended up with 15.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet with deep sides and brown all ball on all sides. You may have to do this in batches.
3. Remove the balls from the skillet and add all ingredients for the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then turn the heat down and simmer for 5-10 minutes, mashing the tomatoes in the process.
4. Add the balls back into the sauce making sure to spoon the sauce over the balls. Cover the skillet and allow the balls to cook through by simmering them in the sauce for 15 minutes.
5. Serve garnished with fresh basil.

These were awesome! I bet they would freeze really well....but I ate them all!

What's your favorite thing to do with ground chicken?

7/1/14

Chicken Dip with Mango, Red Curry Powder & Stonefire Naan Crisps

A while back I received a box of Stonefire's new crisps to try. As someone who loves snacking, carbs, and crispy things, I was happy to create a recipe inspired by one of the flavors: Tandoori Spice Naan Crisps.

"We spent years perfecting the authentic recipe for our Stonefire^® Naan Flatbread. That same quest for authenticity drove the creation of our Stonefire^® Naan Crisps. Flame-baked, using no artificial preservatives, Stonefire^® Naan Crisps are a versatile snack paired with your favorite toppings or enjoyed plain right out of the bag. We present them to you with the same promise of great taste and authenticity as all of our Stonefire^® products."

Chicken Dip with Mango, Red Curry Powder & Stonefire Naan Crisps
Ingredients
1 large skinless boneless chicken breast, poached, shredded and then chopped
1-2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1/2 mango, peeled, diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 Asian pear, diced
red curry powder to taste {start with a few teaspoons, and add more for a spicier flavor}
mayo to combine
salt to taste
to serve: Stonefire Tandoori Spice Naan Crisps

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients but naan crisps. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Disclosure: I was provided with sample products but was under no obligations to create a recipe. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

6/11/14

Lighter Summer Chicken Soup with Broccoli, Chickpeas & Milk

You guys! I want winter to come back. Or at least spring. It's hot and humid and sticky in DC already and summer is just starting (I use the Russian system of seasonality in which first day of summer is June 1st).

Despite the heat outside, I don't mind eating hot and warm food indoors as long as air conditioning is on a strong blast. That's why I loved creating this Lighter Summer Chicken Soup with Broccoli, Chickpeas & Milk. The idea to add milk to the chicken soup was inspired by a recipe I saw on my friend Rachael's blog.

Unlike the version of chicken soup that typically contains noodles, rice or dumplings, this lighter summer version is full of vegetables and get additional protein from the chickpeas.

Lighter Summer Chicken Soup with Broccoli, Chickpeas & Milk
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 peeled and diced carrots
2 peeled and diced broccoli stems
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 diced white onion
5-6 cups of liquid (I used a combination of liquid left over from poaching the chicken, liquid from cooking the chickpeas and water)
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (use canned if you want)
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups shredded poached chicken (I used skinless boneless chicken breasts)
3 tablespoon milk (use full fat)
chopped cilantro

Directions
1. In a large soup pot heat the oil. Add carrots, broccoli stems, onion and salt and pepper and sauté until the vegetables have softened, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the liquid and bring to a boil.
3. Add chickpeas, broccoli florets and shredded chicken and simmer the soup for 5 minutes.
4. Add milk and mix to combine.
5. Serve the soup garnished with chopped cilantro.

I really liked this soup. It felt light but filling and was good after several days of sitting in the refrigerator.

To make a vegetarian version of the soup, use vegetable broth and cubed tofu.

Do you make soups in the summer?

1/31/14

A Few of My Favorite Things

Happy Friday! I'm looking forward to a low key weekend filled with seeing out of town friends. No recipe today, but a few photos of my favorite things! Enjoy.

How pretty are these plates? I bought them at Crate & Barrel Outlet.

I've already used the plate for mushroom omelet served with a side of tomato salad. And what's that tray? It's just an old cookie sheet!

Gorgeous tulips I bought earlier this week. The grocery store checkout guy asked if the flowers were for someone special. Yes! Me!

A super quick meal I made Wednesday night: enchiladas using store bought sauce, rotisserie chicken, pink beans, cheese and pitas! Oh, and there is arugula inside too!

And finally, check out a project I did in my living room: birch decals!!! Love how they turned out. Birches always remind me of my childhood in Russia.

What are some of YOUR favorite things? Happy weekend!

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