Moroccan Spiced Chicken and Spiced Squash with Yogurt Dressing

This is a super easy weeknight meal packed with flavor. That squash...so delicious.


Turn broiler on high. Rub chicken with mixture of ground coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Put chicken on a foil-lined cookie sheet and broil until brown, flipping once, about 6-8 minutes total.

Mix a cup of plain yogurt with mint, salt, and the juice of a lemon. Garnish chicken.


1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut to 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp ground allspice
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4c. plain yogurt
juice of a lime
1/4 chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 425˚. Toss squash with 1 Tbs olive oil and the spices in a shallow baking dish. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes, stirring once. Mix yogurt, lime juice, 1 Tbs olive oil and salt in a bowl. Garnish the squash with it and a little fresh cilantro.

Maple Glazed Chicken and Roasted Sweet Eggplant

1/4 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. chopped pecans
1 tsp grated ginger
2 Tbs butter
1 lb boneless chicken, thighs or cutlets

 Combine maple syrup, pecans, and ginger. Mix to coat and set aside. Salt and pepper the chicken. Sear the chicken in butter until brown. Pour syrup and pecan mixture over the chicken. Coat the chicken well and cook chicken until it's done. Serve with pan drippings over the top.

1 eggplant
3/4 c. olive oil
3/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs sugar
chopped rosemary

Preheat broiler. Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch slices and brush both sides with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil. On the top rack, broil eggplant 3 minutes. Remove and flip the pieces. Broil 3 more minutes. Remove. Combine vinegar, sugar and rosemary in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Drizzle over the eggplant.

Roasted Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

Anyone who says they don't like Brussels sprouts is doin' it wrong. When they're cooked in delicious chicken drippins then you gotta love it.

Put a whole, thawed chicken on one of those Beer Can Chicken Frames. Quarter some Brussels sprouts and set them aside. Rub chicken with olive oil and season with kosher salt. Put the oven racks on the bottom two positions. Place the chicken on the upper one at  405˚ and place  a 9x15 casserole dish on the bottom rack to catch the juices. Cook for about an hour. Remove casserole dish, add Brussels sprouts. Season with kosher salt and pepper and put back underneath the chicken and continue to cook, about 25 minutes until the chicken is done and the Brussels sprouts have that gorgeous caramelized look.

For even better results, brine the chicken first. We start with a stock pot mostly full of water, add salt, 4-5 sliced jalapenos, a quartered onion, and some of your favorite seasonings such as cumin, coriander, all spice, whatever. Bring to a boil. Take it off the heat and let cool. Add the chicken and let it absorb the flavors in the fridge for a few hours.

Spice Crusted Cod and Wilted Green Salad with Squash and Apples

 The salad was a little troublesome, but really good. A great weekend dish. The cod is so easy, you could prepare it any night.

1 Tbs coriander seed
1 Tbs cumin seed
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
4 cod fillets
2 Tbs oil
2 Tbs whole grain dijon mustard

Crush coriander and cumin in mortal and pestle. Combine crushed seeds with salt and pepper. Coat
cod fillets on both sides with mixture. Heat oil in non-stick pan over med-high heat. Oil should shimmer, but no smoke. Cook fillets, searing until well-browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove. Mix mustard with 2 Tbs water, add to pan, and scrape up tasty brown bits. Pour it over the cod.

10 cups fresh greens such as mustard, beet, turnip, spinach
kosher salt
2 c. peeled butternut squash in 1 inch cubes
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. cooking oil
4 slices bacon
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 minced shallot
juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbs buttermilk
black pepper

Rub greens with 2 Tbs salt in a large bowl and let stand 15 minutes. Rinse in cold water, squeeze dry, pat with kitchen towel, transfer to a clean bowl. Preheat oven to 425. Line shallow baking dish with foil. Toss squash with olive oil, season with salt. Roast, turning occasionally until lightly brown and tender, about 25 minutes. Let cool. Cook bacon until crisp in skillet over med-high heat. Remove and set aside. To the greens bowl, add squash, apples, shallot, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve drizzled with buttermilk and garnished with bacon and grated Parmesan.

Ancho Marinated Pork and Mango Skewers with Grilled Veggies

1/2 c. fresh orange juice
juice of 1 lime
2 Tbs. cooking oil
2 tsp. dark brown sugar
1/2 Tbs ancho chile powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
salt to taste
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut to 1 inch cubes
2 medium ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1 in cubes
8 wood skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes
1 Tbs. fresh cilantro

In a large bowl, whisk all the ingredients except the pork and mango. Add pork. Toss to coat. Marinated in the fridge for at least an hour. Thread the pork and mango cubes onto skewers with about 4-5 pieces of each. Grill over medium fire 4-5 minutes, flip, grill another 4-5 minutes. Remove. Garnish with cilantro.

We also grilled eggplant, broccoli, red peppers, and garlic on the side.

Brenda's San Luis Green Chile Soup

 It's got bacon and roasted chiles. Need I say more? (Brenda is my aunt, by the way, and this is her recipe.)

6 Anaheim chiles
1 red bell pepper
1 jalapeño
4 slices bacon
1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced
6 Tbs butter
1 medium onion, diced
1/2c. all-purpose flour
1/2 Tbs. chile powder
1/2 Tbs cumin
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4c. tomato sauce
2qt chicken broth, warmed
1/2c peeled, seeded, diced tomatoes
1 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
avocado and sour cream to garnish

Broil peppers @ 10 minutes, turning so that all sides char. Let cool, peel, dice, set aside. In Dutch oven, cook bacon until fat is rendered. Remove bacon. Increase heat to medium-high and saute pork until brown. Remove pork and set aside. Melt butter in Dutch oven. Add onion and cook until transparent. Slowly add flour, stirring to make a golden brown roux. Remove from heat, stir in chile powder, cumin, garlic, and tomato sauce. Slowly pour in warm chicken broth. Add chiles, bacon, and pork. Put back on the burner and heat thoroughly. Stir in tomatoes and cilantro. Heat to simmer. Serve with avocado and sour cream.

Carolina Fish Muddle

This has a strong seafood flavor due to the shrimp stock. It takes a while to cook and chop, but it's not particularly difficult. And it makes a LOT of food. Fantastic!

1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 lb shell-on shrimp, peeled, deveined, and reserve the shells
8 springs thyme
4 bay leaves
2 - 14/5 oz cans diced tomatoes
5 slices bacon, cut to 1/2 inch
4 celery stocks, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, finely chopped (remove ribs and seeds if you like)
5 new potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 pieces firm white fish such as cod, swordfish, grouper, bass



In a medium saucepan, saute shrimp shells until they turn pink then add 3 cups water and simmer down to 2 cups. Strain out shells, reserving water. Tie thyme and bay leaves into a bundle and set aside. Heat bacon in a large dutch oven until crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper towel. Pour out all except 2 Tbs of the fat.
Saute celery, carrot, onion, and leek until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeño, and thyme/bay leaf bundle. Add tomatoes. Cook 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add shrimp stock and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes and bacon. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Add fish and shrimp and cook until fish is firm, but not overcooked. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over rice or grits. Again, we served this over lentils to reduce the carbs.