Category Archives: mains

Comfort Pot Pie

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Sunday night is downright depressing.  With Monday looming over your head like a dark cloud, it’s important to treat yo’ self, especially in these cold winter months.  Mac and cheese, homemade pizza, a nice hearty soup or chili are all good options. But if you’re feeling fancy and all-American, which is pretty much how I feel all the time, chicken pot pie is the way to go for a cozy Sunday night supper. There’s something so incredible about that herbaceous, brothy gravy, crisp veggies and tender chunks of chicken all under a golden puff pastry roof. Now, that’s a house I would like to live in. All year round. Utensil advice: use a spoon for this. It’s that good.

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Chicken Pot Pie 

Based on Mark Bittman’s Chicken and Vegetable Cobbler recipe 

3 tbsp olive oil

1 leek, washed well and choppedpicstitch (42)

2 carrots chopped

2 cups quartered button mushrooms

1 1/2 cups of chicken broth

3 boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced

salt and pepper

1 cup frozen peas (or any mixed veggies you like)

4 sprigs of thyme

2 tsp corn starch

1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough

1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add chopped leek. Add salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add mushrooms and saute for 8-10 minutes. Add chicken stock, thyme leaves, carrots and chicken. Cook until chicken and carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Add frozen peas and cook for another minute or so. Whisk the cornstarch and a few tablespoons of the broth together and add the mixture back into the pan. Stir until the liquid thickens a bit. Pour into a baking dish, top with one sheet of puff pastry. Make sure there are no holes as the liquid will seep out and prevent the crust from cooking. Brush with lightly beaten egg and bake for about 30 minutes. If the crust is getting too brown just cover loosely with foil and continue baking.

Notes: The first time I made this, I put slits in the crust which resulted in lots of liquid seeping out and pooling on top of the crust. Bad news. Don’t make clever slits like I did. Also, I’ve used boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs, and it’s just ok.  I found the thighs to be infinitely better. They stay super tender and moist.

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Holy Mackerel

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During one cruel summer at Park Day Camp, tuna fish was declared uncool by the Sisterhood of Evil, aka my seven-year-old peers. Those who dared to consume tuna were banished to eat lunch in the projects of grassy lunchtime real estate— far away from the cool crowd. That summer, mustard (my favorite sandwich condiment) and bangs (had ’em) also qualified as abhorrent. I might as well have just become home schooled. Even in middle school there was a period where fish was again uncool to eat. What the heck people? Fish is delicious. Fish is sophisticated and healthy.  It can be prepared in any number of ways — roasted, poached, fried. It can even be served raw. Can you say the same about chicken? No.  Salmonella anyone? So needless to say, the fish-haters did not get to me and I remained a loyal and fervent fish fan. Whenever I find a fish recipe that’s not tilapia or salmon, I get very excited. This mackerel recipe definitely intrigued me. Boldly flavored fish on a bed of crispy roasted potatoes with a tangy yogurt sauce. Yum.  Quite frankly, if you don’t like it, you can sit somewhere else.

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Mackerel with Crushed Potatoes

Based on this recipe from Bon Appetitpicstitch (31)

1 whole mackerel filleted, skin left on

5 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tsp lemon zest

4 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp chopped basil

1 lb yukon gold potatoes or fingerlings

1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp white wine vinegar

Sea salt

Preheat the broiler.  Place potatoes in a pot of boiling water, add a good amount of kosher salt. Let the potatoes cook for about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool. Put the potatoes on a sheet pan and using a measuring cup press the potatoes down to flatten slightly. Pour over 4 tablespoons of olive oil, crushed garlic and season with salt and pepper. Place under the broiler for 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Take the potatoes out and put the fish fillets skin side up on the potatoes and pour the remaining tbsp of olive oil on the fish and season with salt and pepper. Place the fish and potatoes back under the broiler for 10-12 minutes. The  fish skin and potatoes should be crispy and delicious and the fish should flake easily. Top with basil, parsley, zest and sea salt. Spoon some yogurt sauce on your plate and top with potatoes and fish. Heaven. On. A. Plate.

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Chicken Marsala

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Cancel those Olive Garden reservations right now: it’s about to get Italian up in here.  Chicken cutlets, mushrooms and Marsala wine join forces in this elegant dish, which was a Friday night staple at my house growing up. Chicken Marsala was one of my dad’s favorite Shabbat dinners to cook. His other gourmet go-to’s included sun-dried tomato stuffed chicken breasts, hamburger soup, lemon chicken, BBQ chicken, and Mexican flank steak (to name just a few).  Most dads don’t step foot in the kitchen— let alone pound out chicken breasts, delicately pan fry them to perfection and finish them with a mushroom wine reduction sauce. This dish is a labor of love, something that became clear to me only when I whipped it up myself. But I would expect no less from my dad, whose tremendous love for his family shined through in his cooking. This chicken marsala is rich, delicious and tastes straight up restaurant quality. Pairs well with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, lemon-garlic green beans or a nice green salad—  make sure to cook this for someone you love.

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Chicken Marsala 

This recipe is based off of the Veal Scallopine Alla Marsala recipe from The New York Times Cookbook.

4 chicken breasts, pounded thinphoto 2

1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

10 oz mushrooms sliced

1 cup Marsala wine

1 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp margarine

Pound chicken breasts until about 1/4 inch thick. Season flour liberally with salt and pepper and mix with a fork. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Shake the excess flour off the chicken, place in the pan and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until golden. Remove to a plate. Lower the heat and add the mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes or so until nicely browned. Pour in the Marsala wine and let cook for a few seconds and then add the chicken stock and margarine. Let the sauce reduce for a few minutes. Place the chicken back in the pan and let everything mingle for a few minutes while the chicken heats through with the sauce.

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Spice Rubbed Chicken Thighs with Chickpeas

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Thighs are better than breasts. There, I said it. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s move forward. These chicken thighs are easy to make and full of flavor. Chickpeas, which pack a protein-rich punch, make this a hearty and filling dish. Feel free to use any spices you like, and if you’re not into spices, that’s ok too, you can just go with good ol’ S and P. You could even turn this into a one-pot (and carb-free) meal by adding veggies to the mix. Carrots, sweet potato, butternut squash or zucchini would be great in this. I served the chicken with bulgur wheat, which soaked up all that yummy tomatoey-chickpea sauce. You’re going to want to add this one to your weeknight repertoire, trust me.

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The whole gang didn’t even fit in the picture!

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Spice Rubbed Chicken Thighs with Chickpeas

Adapted from Bon Appetit

4 chicken thighs

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1 tbsp olive oil

1 can of chickpeas

3 tbsp tomato sauce

1/4 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper

1 small onion (I used 3 green onions and a little bit of red onion)

2 cloves garlic

Ok, let’s be clear. I didn’t really measure my spices, I just sprinkled a good amount of each spice on the chicken thighs. But it would have been around a 1/4 tsp if I had… Preheat your oven to 425. Season thighs on both sides with all the spices and salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin side down in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn over and cook on the other side for another 5 minutes. Remove thighs and put them on a plate. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of shmaltzy goodness. Throw in the chopped garlic cloves and onions and saute for about 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, chickpeas and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Place the chicken back in the pan and finish it in the oven for 25 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

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Fa-la-la-la-lafel

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Tis the season to eat vegetarian Middle Eastern cuisine.  And what better way to get into the holiday spirit than whipping up some falafel for the whole Fam Damily? Homemade falafel is really delicious and pretty easy to make.  Lots of parsley, spices and lemon juice make these fried balls extra special. Crisp veggies, tehina, and sour pickles  add the perfect balance of freshness to this classic Israeli sandwich, or as they say in the holy land, “sand-veeech.” Put your reindeer sweater on, pour yourself a glass of eggnog and fry up some fa-la-la-la-lafel balls tonight. And don’t forget to put some hummus and pita out for Kfar SabaClaus!

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Falafel 

Based on the goddess of fine living, Martha Stewart’s recipe

15 oz can of chickpeas

2 garlic cloves

1 small onion

1/4 cup parsley

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

3/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp fresh mint

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil (come on it’s the holidays, put your fat pants on!)

Put half the chickpeas in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Place them in a large mixing bowl. Put the rest of the chickpeas in the processor with the garlic, lemon juice, salt, spices, parsley and baking soda and pulse until it becomes a thick paste. Lightly beat your egg and mix everything together in your large mixing bowl. Let the mixture chill for 30 minutes. The chilling is a VERY important step, I neglected to wait the full 30 and ended up with a bit of a falafel hash. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Drop rounded tablespoons of batter into the oil and cook turning once until golden brown. Place balls on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.

Serve with fresh pita bread, simple Israeli salad (diced cucumbers and tomatoes with equal parts olive oil and fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper) sliced Israeli style sour pickles, tehina, and really any other falafel accoutrements you like. Ho-Ho-Ho-Hommus anyone?

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Veggie Chili

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This is a great recipe to make without much advance planning as most of the ingredients are already in your kitchen. A can of beans, a can of crushed tomatoes, a pepper,  some Morningstar crumblers (if you’re feeling rich, that shit’s expensive), some spices and before you know it you’re eating a bowl of chili. Lucky you.
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Veggie Chili

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup of chopped onions

2 stalks of celery diced

3 cloves of garlic

1 bay leaf (what the heck do these guys do?)

1 package of Morningstar crumblers

1 green pepper

1 small can of corn

1 big azz can of crushed tomatoes

1 can of white beans

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a big soup pot and add the onions, bay leaf, cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook until onion is soft, then add green pepper, celery, garlic and cook for 5 more minutes. Add Morningstar crumblers, turn heat down and let it cook for another 5 minutes covered. Take the cover off and add your chili powder, can of tomatoes and white beans and bring to a boil. Lower hear and simmer for 35 minutes. Stir in corn and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste that shiz and adjust to your liking. I served with some shredded cheddar (the real kind not the money kind) and a dollop of sour cream or you could use Greek yogurt.

Great Balls of Fire

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These TurkeyBalls will undoubtedly spice up your weeknight. Adapted from the bible, aka The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook,  Sesame-Spiced Turkey Meatballs pack a spicy punch.  Serve with the Smashed White Bean Salad and a light spinach salad and you’ve got yourself a healthy and delicious dinner.

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Sesame-Spiced Turkey Meatballs

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Sesame-Spiced Turkey Meatballs

Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman

1 lb ground turkey

2/3 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko)

1/4 cup water

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

pinch of cayenne

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (way too lazy to toast mine)

1 egg

olive oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and with wet hands form golf-ball sized TurkeyBalls. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Brown balls in batches to avoid crowing in the pan. Place balls back in frying pan and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.