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.

Lamb and Cabbage Stew

Well, it has to simmer a little while, but this is easy to make and sooooo delicious! I am in love with savoy cabbage now. It has great texture compared to plain green cabbage.

1 lb lamb, cut to 1/2 in chunks
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3-4 minced garlic cloves
1 Tbs. beef bouillon
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups red wine
2 bay leaves
2 carrots, chopped
1 savoy cabbage, shredded
1 cup canned sauerkraut
2 Tbs minced fresh dill
sour cream to garnish





Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat oil in dutch oven on med-high heat. Brown meat in 2 batches, but not cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove lamb and pour out most of the fat. Saute onion until soft, add garlic. Add beef bouillon, chicken broth, and wine and scrape up the tasty bits from the pan. Add bay leaf and lamb with any juice that has run off. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook 30 minutes. Stir in carrot, cabbage, and sauerkraut. Cover and cook another 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf. Stir in dill. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with sour cream.

Lentil and Escarole Soup

Escarole is a leafy green, kind of like lettuce. You could use most any kind of green here. Spinach and kale would also be good. The smaller the lentil, the faster it cooks, so you have to watch the pot. We used green lentils, which cook faster than brown. We like lentils because they are lower-carb than rice and high in protein. The dish tastes light and fresh like Spring, but is very filling and satisfying.



1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
2 Tbs. minced parsley
1 - 14.5oz can diced tomato
8 oz. brown/green lentils
4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs. beef bouillon
1 head escarole, cut into 1/2 in pieces

Saute celery, onion, carrot, garlic, parsley in the olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until very soft and fragrant. Increase temp to medium-high and add can tomatoes, lentils, chicken broth, 3 cups water, bay leaves, beef bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until lentils are soft, 30 minutes to an hour depending on the kind of lentils you use. Stir in the escarole until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Coq Au Vin and Beer Braised Cabbage

I'm sure we've angered both the German and the French with this odd combination, but both dishes were delicious! Plus, any recipe that begins with bacon is a winner.

Coq Au Vin (1 hour cook/prep)
5 slices bacon, chopped medium
4 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken (we used thighs)
10 oz white mushrooms, quartered
5 oz pearl onions
1/2 can tomato paste
4 cloves garlic
3 Tbs flour
3 cups red wine
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped

Cook bacon in a casserole on medium-high to render fat and remove. Liberally salt and pepper the chicken. Cook chicken skin-side down in the bacon fat. Saute 5-7 minutes on each side. Not cooked through, just browned. Remove chicken. Discard all but about 2 Tbs of the oil. Saute mushrooms and onions until begin to get soft. Stir in tomato paste and garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour lightly (no clumps), cook 1 minute. Add wine, broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Scrape up the tasty brown bits from the pan to flavor. Nestle the chicken back into the casserole and make sure it's completely covered with liquid (add more if needed). Raise temp to a simmer and reduce to low. Cook 25-30 minutes, until chicken reaches 160 degrees. Remove chicken and cover with foil to remain hot while sauce continues to reduce to about 1/2 volume, 20 minutes or so. Remove from heat, stir in butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Plate chicken and pour sauce over. Garnish with bacon and parsley.

Beer Braised Cabbage (15 minutes)

2 Tbs. butter
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 cup beer
1 1/2 Tbs whole grain mustard
1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 head green cabbage, cored, and sliced
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion until begins to caramelize. Stir in beer, mustard, thyme. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add cabbage and vinegar, mixing well to coat cabbage. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.

Wild Boar and Antelope Burgers

We made sliders so we could compare the flavors of these two unusual meats. They were both surprisingly delicious! I think the overall favorite was the boar, but the antelope was a close second. Both are extremely low in fat and neither had any sort of "gamey" flavor. Fun food with friends - the best way to spend an evening.

Green Chicken Chili

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 poblano peppers
3 Anaheim peppers
3 jalapeño peppers
2 cans white beans (we used Great Northern)
1 medium yellow onion
1 head of garlic
6 cups chicken stock
2 Tbs cumin
2 Tbs coriander
salt and pepper

 Salt and pepper the chicken. Grill chicken in the center hottest part. Around the cooler parts grill the peppers, onion, and garlic. In a food processor, mix the peppers, onion, and garlic. You may do this in two batches so that you get a more even consistency. You may also remove the jalapeño seeds depending on how spicy you want it to be.
In a casserole, cook 2 pieces of bacon and remove, leaving about 2 Tbs of fat in pan. Add pepper mixture, cumin and coriander. Then cook until soft. Ladle two scoops back into the food processor along with 1/2 can of beans and 1 cup chicken stock and process until smooth. Return to pot. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add chicken, beans, and remaining stock to casserole and simmer for 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with bacon, cilantro, and/or avocado.

Mexican Lettuce Wraps

We combined leftover rotisserie chicken with black beans, chopped tomato, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and avocado. Seasoned with garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Garnished with homemade salsa, lime juice, and sour cream. Placed in a lettuce leaf and wrapped like a sandwich. So fresh and light - and no cooking required. Yeah!

Spanish Seafood Stew

A vibrant sauce of fish stock, white wine, tomato, onion, garlic, saffron, crushed red pepper, and paprika. Throw in some shrimp and mussels and thicken with ground bread crumbs and almonds. Fresh and fast.

Carne Adovada (Sort of)

It's not supposed to have hominy, but it sounded good so we added it. This recipe called for coffee and we even added a hint of that sorghum I used on the muffins earlier. It was rich and spicy with great depth of flavor. It simmered in the oven for two hours until the pork was super tender. I just can't get over how many layers of flavor this dish has. Great!

Country Sorghum Spice Muffins

Last time we went to Washington, Arkansas, where my grandmother and all of her sisters grew up, we picked up a jar of sorghum syrup without a clue in the world of what to do with it. This week, I found a recipe for spice cake that called for it. Klayton and I won't eat a whole cake, so we made muffins. There's a crunchy butter, sugar, flour mixture on top of the soft, rich bread. I love southern cooking!

Tilapia with Mango and Parmesan Walnut Arugula Bowls

I don't know if the picture does it justice, but this is company food. Delicious and fun to eat. I'm so glad mangoes are back in season! The fish is pretty simple, cooked with some dill and lemon and garnished with mango. The salad was the show-stopper. Parmesan and walnut mixed in a food processor. Then placed in a non-stick pan until it melts. Flip it onto an inverted glass and let it harden to make a beautiful bowl! Toss some halved green grapes, walnuts, and arugula. Make a dressing with olive oil, raspberry vinegar, salt and pepper. OMG! Gotta do this again!

Salmon with Red Pepper and Walnut Relish and Zucchini Oven Fries

Roast the walnuts then chop. Add cayenne, lemon juice, honey, chopped roasted red bell pepper, walnut oil, olive oil, parsley, salt, and pepper.  Use it to garnish the salmon. The zucchini was tossed in spiced bread crumbs and baked in the oven like potatoes, but healthier. A little dipping sauce of sour cream, garlic, and hot sauce. This was great and worthy of doing again!

Chicken in Vinegar with Oranges and Spinach

March 6 we tried out this new recipe. I was a little disappointed, expecting strong flavors with vinegar and oranges, but it was actually rather mild. My favorite part was the caramelized brussels sprouts on the side. Can't go wrong with that.

Salmon Coconut Red Curry with Sweet Potato

An easy Mark Bittman recipe that hit the spot. Saute onion and garlic. Add one tablespoon red curry. Stir. Add a can of coconut milk, fresh ginger, diced sweet potato, the juice of a lime and a dash of fish sauce. Boil until potatoes are cooked. Add cubed salmon. Garnish with cilantro. I'm not sure this one even needed the salmon. It had such strong flavors already, I think I'd have been just as happy to substitute tofu so that beautiful sauce could take center stage. Of course, I love salmon, and the color was gorgeous.

Blackberry Crumble Muffin

A top 10 dessert. Fantastic! Recipe was from a Williams Sonoma book, but it's got big red flags on it now. Tart blackberries, sweet crumble topping with lemon zest, and contrasting textures with the crunchy topping and soft, warm inside. Super good.

Grilled Tandoori Chicken with Lentils

The chicken marinated in yogurt, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and garam masala. Then we grilled it. The green lentils cooked then they were mixed with onion and tandoori seasoning.

Pulled Pork

We knew we would be gone all day, so it was the perfect opportunity to slow cook a pork shoulder. We made a rub of onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. So tender, we had trouble getting to the plate in (mostly) one piece.

Sausage and Cabbage

Not the most beautiful photo, but this was sooooo good! We really didn't need the green beans or potatoes. The sausage was hearty and the Napa cabbage was fantastic. I love cabbage, but this was especially good. The texture is firm and it's full of flavor. A little mustard on the side. Thank you, Mark Bittman for this inspiration!

Hot and Sour Soup

This was a fun and successful experiment. We used the recipe from Williams Sonoma, but we felt that the ingredients were too Americanized, resulting in the loss of that wonderful twang that we like, so we added extra tamarind paste. That definitely did the trick. And here are the delicious results...

Spicy Tofu with Shrimp and Broccoli

The name is pretty accurate. Healthy, fresh, quick, flavorful. A great way to start our work week.

Potato Corn Avocado Chowder

A hearty soup with white and sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, corn, cilantro, shrimp, and sausage garnished with avocado. Yummy and easy.

Moroccan Beef Stew with Chickpeas

The recipe originally called for lamb, but we didn't have any so we used beef. And, rather than simmering for 2 hours, we used the pressure cooker (best invention ever). The base has an intense tomato flavor. The meat falls apart. Cumin, paprika, cilantro and a pinch of crushed red pepper add richness. This recipe is a favorite - healthy, delicious, and enough leftovers to look forward to tomorrow's lunch. Perfect.

Salted Chocolate Caramel Cupcake

We've been cooking all day. Every dish in the kitchen is dirty. And it was worth it. The shining gold star on the day is the salted chocolate mini cupcake with caramel filling. Perfection.

Flatbread with Spicy Beef and Pinenuts

Tonight's dinner was supposed to be Turkish flatbread with lamb. Costco was out of lamb. So, we ground some beef and added some cumin, cinnamon, allspice, clove, parsley, paprika, coriander and toasted pine nuts. I made the flatbread from scratch. Klayton made homemade hummus on the side. Savory and spicy!

Caldo Verde and Chicken and Potatoes

I'm a little behind on posts. Klayton was out of town and I was laying low, but we're back now, baby! Last Saturday, we had a wonderful meal. Orange and ginger chicken and mashed potatoes with freshly grated horseradish. Lots of bite!

We had two great meals today. It started with Caldo Verde. We started by browning some all natural chicken and apple sausage from Costco. Take it out and cook some diced onion in the juices. Add garlic. Add some thinly sliced yellow potato and let it brown a bit. Add chicken broth and cook until potatoes are soft. Take out potatoes and mash. Add sausage, potatoes, and kale back to broth and season. Delicious and fresh. FYI, Kroger has kale for $.59 this week!

Pork and Eggplant

Ginger, garlic, dark and light soy, celery, freshly grated horseradish, tomato paste, chili bean paste, black vinegar, corn starch, eggplant, diced pork. Bold and flavorful.

Malaysian Coconut Curry Soup

We started with the homemade chile paste made of shallot, hot red chile, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro, turmeric and shrimp paste. The soup is a combination of coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, waater and tamarind paste. Add shrimp, squid, and mussels. The recipe called for egg noodles, but we're cutting down on carbs so we used Japanese yam noodles, made from a low carb, high fiber root called konjac. Garnished with Thai basil.

We loved this delicious combination of tangy lime, sweet coconut and savory spices. Again, Asian cultures can't be beat when it comes to balance of flavor. Can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow!

Beef and Broccoli w/Oyster Sauce

Thinly sliced flank steak, fresh broccoli, onion, ginger, garlic with a sauce of oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, peanut oil, Chinese rice wine. Great a dinner and a great lunch the next day. Success!

Pork fried with ginger and pineapple

The ingredients on this one called for pork, black fungus mushrooms, ginger, garlic, pineapple, chili, onion, and some soy sauce. It was a little bland for us. There wasn't enough salt and, with the exception of the pineapple, the flavors were all fairly dull. This was, however, our first time to try the black fungus or cloud mushroom. It had a texture almost identical to pasta which makes us wonder if it might be a healthier substitute? We'll give it a shot sometime.

Spicy red curry squid

Spicy red curry squid was delicious. In a wok with a little oil, fry minced garlic. Stir in a few teaspoons of red curry paste. Then we added about 1 lb of cuttlefish. Next put in 2 Tbs fish sauce,  2 Tbs soy sauce and 1 Tbs sugar. Mix and add a few of the small green, round eggplants, quartered. When they get soft add a diced Thai chili, lime zest, and chopped Thai basil.

Super quick, healthy, and a beautiful balance of flavors. This is going to be a great week!

Firsties!

We're starting off with Asian week!
Tonight - squid with red curry
Sunday - pork fried with ginger and pineapple
Monday we took off work, so we have two meals to prepare
     For lunch - beef curry with sweet basil
     For dinner - Malaysian coconut curry soup
Tuesday - beef and broccoli in oyster sauce
Wednesday -  Sichuan pork and eggplant
Thursday - Indian chicken curry over lentils
I haven't figured out Friday yet.