A new recipe I think you guys might like. Chicken and Waffles, and as you can see above, it’s in video form and starring Stella! We created the video for a contest being held by one of our favorite stores, Fresh & Easy, thinking it would be fun and give me an excuse to use the new camera (more about that later) for video.

I’m super pleased with how it turned out. Turns out, Fresh & Easy like it too. That contest we entered? We are a finalist with this video. All finalists win something, but we have a shot at the grand prize of $1,000 worth of groceries!

Did you like it? Are you on Facebook? Would be awesome if you gave us a vote! You can do that here. Ours is the entry, bottom right.

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For those of you that aren’t playing the home game, I’ve been in the process of catching up with Dr. Who. It’s taken me a few months to get through season 5, but I finally did last week. Not only that, but we’ve been recording season 6 from BBC America so that when I did finally get through season 5 we’d be ready!

Also, Stella has been working through here 40×40 list, and thought Dr. Who night would be a great time to clear another 2 items from her list; cooking all of the 10 most difficult recipes according to Epicurious. On for last night were numbers 6 and 8, paella and baked alaska.

And they turned out AMAZING. To be truthful, at least according to Stella, paella wasn’t that hard. She does make an amazing risotto, and paella is pretty close to the same thing. And the baked alaska, something I wasn’t sure I was going to like because of the merengue topping, but it was delicious. Cold ice cream, warm strawberry sauce and crispy merengue. It was delightful.

As for Dr. Who, we watched the Matt Smith Christmas Episode with friends. I liked it and am excited for the next 2 episodes. We also watched the latest Castle, another show that I’ve enjoyed since it started, and this season is shaping up to be another great one!

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I’m a fan of salads as you already know. A good portion of the recipes that I have posted here are salad related after all. What I’m not a big fan of is the same old thing. The salad above is good example of that. Just your old pal Don, thinkin’ outside the box again.

Broccoli and Bacon Salad

Needs

• Broccoli, 1lb, cut into florets
• Zucchini, 1 large, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1/2 large tomato, cut into half wedges
• Radishes, 5, cut into 1/4
• 2 TBLS crumbled bacon or a good handful
• 2 TBLS grated mozzarella cheese or a good handful
• 1/4 cup your favorite vinaigrette

The Steps

Steam your broccoli and zucchini until just tender, about 6 minutes. Immediately submerse into a ice water bath to stop the cooking. Add those to a bowl that has the rest of your ingredients except the dressing. Add the dressing, toss to coat.

Store this in the fridge for an hour or two to let the dressing really soak in, toss occasionally.

If you are serving this with fish, chicken or pork, I would dress it sweet. With everything else, go with a simple vinegar and oil.

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So rare that I get to cook anymore. Well, I’m still cooking, but it’s boring stuff. This was fun! Also, this wasn’t what I intended to prepare (it was going to be Chicken with Black Bean Salsa), so all the better. Ready? Hit it for the recipe!

The goods

• Chicken Thighs, about 2lbs
• 4 red potatoes, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 lime, cut in half
• half a sweet yellow onion
• 1 bunch green onion
• Olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic powder

The Steps

1. Into your high sided frying pan, put about 1tbls of olive oil and not enough water to cover the bottom, about 2-3tbls. Add a good pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper.
2. Arrange you chicken, flat side down, around the egde of the pan as best you can. At the very least, make sure none of the pieces are overlapping.
3. Put the spurs to ‘er! Oh, and squeeze the lime over the entire pot before tossing the left over pieces in there too. Garlic powder, about 1tbls, over the top of the chicken, would be good now.
4. Lid the pan, listen for a sizzle and turn the heat down to medium low. Cook for about 15 minutes
5. Flip the chicken. Cook for another 1/2 hour, lid on please.
6. To the space in the center of the pan, add your onions and potatoes. If you have a couple of cloves of garlic, add those too. Oh, and salt and pepper the veggies
7. Put the lid back and give this another 1/2 hour to cook. Check it during to stir the veggies to make sure they are all cooking evenly
8. Add chopped green onions to the top of the pan during the last 5 minutes.

There it is. I served it with some nice tomato slices, but just about anything would work. Some fresh steamed spinach would go very well.

I has a fabulous Orange Wheat Beer with this but anything light would work.

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Turkey Soup

One thing that I do every year is say I’m going to make turkey stock with the bones and carcass from the Thanksgiving bird. Into bags the parts go, then into the freezer to wait for me to pull them out and create stock.

Who’s with me?

In reality, the bones and parts usually end up the trash, without so much as a drop of stock being made. This year, I changed that, and early to boot since our traditional meal will include Prime Rib, not turkey. So, we had turkey this weekend, and from the pieces and parts, I created one bad ass stock. Are you ready?

The Stock

• Turkey parts. Bones, carcass, neck, gizzards, skin, whatever. The wings work well here too.
• 1 onion, cut into quarters. You can leave the skin on
• 3 celery stalks, with leaves, cut into thirds
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 cup of salt
• As much garlic as you like
• Water to cover

Put everything in your largest stock pot. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. How long depends on how much parts you put in. 2-3 hours would be a good place to start. If you are going to make soup with this now, continue on, otherwise get it cold ASAP. You can store it in Mason jars (even frozen) for use later.

The Soup

• Turkey Stock
• Vegetables
• Noodles, beans or both
• Salt
• Herbs, spices and garlic

Pretty vague, right? I know. It’s time for you to get a little creative in the kitchen. This is something that is impossible to screw up, so go crazy!

Want spinach, tomatoes and beans? Go! More traditional carrots, celery and rice? Sure. All starch with potatoes, noodles and barley? You can do that too! The stock is, essentially, a blank canvass ready to accept whatever flavors you want to through at it. Go nuts, have fun and get the rest of the family involved. I can practically guarantee that you won’t screw it up!

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Been awhile since I’ve shared a recipe. Mostly because it’s been awhile since I’ve cooked anything worth sharing. I changed that tonight. Like all of my recipes, this one is easy and good!

The kicker for this dish was the black bean salsa.

• 1 bag frozen corn, thawed or 3 ears cooked and cleaned
• 1 can black beans, rinse thoroughly
• 2-3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 bell pepper of your choosing, diced
• 3 tbls cilantro or parsley, chopped fine
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 3 tbls Olive oil
• 1 tbls salt
• 1 tlbs fresh ground black pepper

Put all of that into a plastic mixing bowl (since the acids and stainless steel don’t get along too well) and mix until combined. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1/2 hour before serving. If you can wait an hour, that would be better.

Once that is done, build it out. You will need about 2lbs cooked chicken, cut into strips. I used thigh meat tonight, but breast would be equally awesome. Finally, you will need about 3 cups cooked rice. I’ve been favoring Jasmine rice of late, but any white rice would do nicely.

On a plate, as above, put the rice, then chicken. Top with the salsa. The avocado was a bonus since I found some that were decent at the market, but completely optional.

Serve with any light colored beverage of your choosing. I would try this with a good wheat beer, Pinot Grigo or Sauvignon blanc.

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This is a great way to have your veggies cold, especially nice when the outside temps are in the 100′s, much like today in Southern California. Trader Joe’s works best, where possible.

• 1 Bag (1lb) frozen brocoli
• 2 medium sized beefsteak tomatoes, or 3 Roma’s, cut into 1/2 wedges
• 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
• Vinaigrette of choice, my choice was Cranberry Walnut Gorgonzola.

Cook the frozen brocoli. Use the microwave for this to help keep the house cool. You don’t have to cook it all the way, just until it is thawed all the way. When it’s done, get it into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and get the temperature down. Drain.

To your salad bowl, add the cooled and drained broccoli, tomatoes and onion. Toss with dressing. For best results, let marinade in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour before serving.

No TJ’s nearby? You can use fresh broccoli instead, just steam it first. Need a different dressing? I’m partial to a simple red wine vinegar and olive oil mix for this, but we had the cranberry walnut handy.

Serve as a salad with anything you like. Goes particularly well with beef or grilled chicken.

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Seafood with Artichoke Hearts

Simple and good. If you can find the ingredients at Whole Foods or your local market, it would be worth while.

Needs

• 1 bag frozen seafood mix (shrimp, calamari, scallops) from Trader Joes
• 1 bag frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
• Jasmine Rice
• 2-4 TBLS butter
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil, salt, pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• Garlic. Lots and lots of garlic.

What to do

• Coarse chop your artichoke are garlic
• Add olive oil to a hot saute pan.
• Artichoke hearts and garlic in. Saute until hot. Put some color on the ‘chokes if you want. Not necessary if you don’t.
• Add the seafood mix. Saute until heated/cooked through.
• Drain most of the liquid from the pan. Don’t get a colander dirty for this, just tip the pan over the sink and hold the goods back with your wooden spoon.
• Add the butter and juice from one lemon. Cook until you get a rockin’ butter sauce.
• Finish with the chopped cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste

Serve this over a bed of Jasmine rice.

Changes/Additions You could boost the color/flavor by adding fresh diced tomatoes or green onion. Or a little pesto (regular or sun dried tomato). Serve over pasta instead of rice would be good as well. Add a shot of dry white wine to the pan after draining, before the butter to get more of a scampi flavor.

Beverage choice The butter is going to want something crisp/acidic/sharp to contrast. A nice Pinot Grigo, Fume Blanc or Savignon Blanc. You beer drinkers should learn to drink wine, but if that’s not an option, any fine Mexican brew would be nice with this.

If it’s not already, this recipe should totally be in the Cooking with All Things Trader Joe’s book.

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Sure it’s all cold and crappy now, but as soon as the weather warms up a bit you might want to give it a try. Simple and good and very similiar to one of my all time pasta dishes, Angel Hair Pomadoro (angel hair pasta, olive oil, fresh basil and fresh diced tomatoes).

Warmed Angel Hair Pasta with Artichoke Hearts

This is a great use for all of that Angel Hair Pasta left over from last night.

• Angel Hair Pasta, 1/2 lb, cooked
• 1/2 lb fresh or frozen (and thawed) artichoke hearts
• 2 TBLS chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup your favorite vinegrette
• Parmesean cheese to taste
• Olive Oil

We are looking for warm, not hot. Not room temperature either. Closer to body temp.

Warm the pasta and artichoke hearts in a saute pan with a little olive oil. Add vinegrette, toss to coat and heat through. Plate as you like, top with parm and cilantro.

Add to this what you like. Fresh cracked pepper, pesto or fresh diced Roma Tomatoes would be very nice additions. Makes a great side dish to chicken or fish. Add some shrimp and make it a dinner.

A nice crisp white or light ale would be fabulous with this too.

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Here you go!

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