As much as I’ve been going on and on about how much a love fall and how the weather is cooling off, it’s still 80 degrees every afternoon. Mornings are another thing altogether though, with an average of about 45 degrees. So with this odd mix of cooler mornings wrapped in sweaters, hugging my cuppa and blazing hot afternoons, stripping down to our shorts and tanks, there seems to be a need for a transitional meal. Something I can cook outside while it’s still warm enough to want to do so, but still embracing the coming of the cooler weather.
In comes a spicy, chipotle and lime marinated chicken. Hello lovely, how have we missed each other all these years? I thought my chicken marinating had reached it’s full potential, but I should have known that knowledge never ceases to be accumulated. We are always learning, in and out of the kitchen. One will never be finished or full, at least not I.
Where was I? Oh right, you’re here to know the winner of the giveaway!
I was all official and used Random.org to generate some random numbers. Since my comments don’t have numbers, I eliminated double posts, my own posts and those of my husband as well. Weeded down, there were 29 posts, and the winner was #23, Jen from Vancouver!
Congratulations Jen! I will be e-mailing you shortly to obtain your mailing address. Thanks for playing everybody! I loved all your reasons for loving (or hating) fall. Stay tuned for more giveaways coming soon. I love giving you stuff, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Love it or hate it, fall is here. Make today’s recipe to prolong those summer moments, and just be thankful it’s not winter yet. Though I hear there’s been snow in some parts of the US!
Chipotle Lime Marinated Chicken
This makes about enough marinade for 1 1/2 lbs. of chicken
8 small chicken thighs, bone-in skin on
3 small chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce) (This sauce is spicy! Reduce peppers if you’re a wimp)
Juice of 2 limes
1 clove garlic, grated
2 Tbsp cilantro, minced
1/2 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
1/2 tsp salt
1. Mix all together in small bowl.
2. Place chicken in plastic bags or small plastic container with a lid.
3. Pour marinade over, mix around to cover completely, refrigerate.
4. Allow to marinade for at least an hour, but longer would be better.
5. When ready to grill, preheat BBQ to medium high for about 5-10 minutes.
6. I like to begin grilling skin side down, which allows the chicken to get some nice grill marks.
7. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes per side, then flip (using tongs, never a fork!), cook for another 5 minutes, flip again and repeat once.
8. Bone in thighs should take 20-25 minutes on a BBQ at medium high heat. Full legs (thigh and drumstick) take much longer, as would bone in breasts. Boneless breasts will take 15-20 minutes.
9. If you are going to be using the oven instead, simply reduce cooking time based on the cut you use.
10. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before cutting in, as the juices need time to settle. If you cut into them while they are piping hot, all the nice juice will run out.
Serve with a green salad or even pasta salad, if you really want to prolong summer.
I made two batches of this to have a sort of dipping sauce for the chicken when it was done. Delicious!
Have you entered the giveaway yet? No? Why not? Get over there quick before midnight tonight (Thursday September 24th, 2009) or it will be too late! Hurry up!
Today is Mr. Guilty’s Birthday (Happy Birthday Lover!), and we’re headed out to this place for dinner with his parents. We haven’t been out for dinner without our little monster for so long, I can’t even remember a time when we had the opportunity. Not that I usually mind, but once in a while, it’s nice to get away and have an evening not be spent running around the restaurant trying to catch him before he starts begging at other people’s tables or meandering into the kitchen to play with all the sharp, shiny tools. He’s definitely worth all the missed dinner’s out though, don’tcha think?
Speaking of our little monster….for having been birthed (painfully, without enough drugs) by such an avid and passionate “foodie”, this little guy is what I like to call, a “picky eater” (crazy, I know!). He lives off Annie’s Bunnies, cheese, pickles, Peanut Butter smoothies and milk. No veggies please, unless they are being utilized as transport devices for some sort of creamy dip, like tzatziki, in which case, bring it on!
A few nights ago, I thought I would make something I thought would be a hit in his world. Cheesy, starchy and flavourful. Sadly, I was wrong, but it was a huge hit with the adults of the house. This recipe has been filed away in the “Must make again” files. So very good and astonishingly simple. Please make this, it will make your world go round.
Broccoli & Cheese Tart with Potato Crust
2 lb. Yukon Gold Potatoes (or other sufficiently smooth fleshed potatoes)
1 Large Vidalia Onion
2 Large eggs, slightly beaten
salt & pepper
280 g Broccoli (cut into small florets)
2 baby leeks or 1 large leek (white part only), sliced
1 large garlic clove, grated or minced
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup dark beer or water
more salt & pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced fine
175g Cheddar, grated
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1. Grease a 9″ glass pie pan and preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Grate onion and potatoes and drain them of most of their liquid in a colander. (The less liquid, the more crisp your crust will become).
3. Mix grated potatoes and onions with salt, pepper and 2 eggs.
4. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, brush crust with a small amount of oil, and return to oven for another 15 minutes to become crispy.
5. In large, deep saucepan, heat oil. Add broccoli, leeks and garlic. Allow to sauté for about 5 minutes, then add in beer to deglaze pan. Continue to cook until broccoli just begins to soften. Remove from heat, stir in basil. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
6. In large bowl, mix remaining eggs, salt, pepper and buttermilk. Stir broccoli mix into eggs.
7. Time to finish this thing! Take your crust, layer on half your cheese, then pour the broccoli/egg mix in, then sprinkle on remaining cheese.
8. Bake in 375°F oven for 35-40 minutes.
9. Serve with side salad or soup.
You can’t go wrong with this meal, it brings together childhood favourites. At least it was a childhood favourite of mine. Really, anything with cheese can’t be a bad choice right? Tell that to this kid.
There’s something about cooler weather that makes me want to get outside and soak up those last few warm afternoons. I want to drink my wine on the deck in the sunlight and stare out into the woods near our house, without wearing a toque (that’s a woolen hat yo), mittens, scarf and winter boots. I know I’ll be spending more and more time in the kitchen as the seasons change. Cold weather outside means more elaborate meals and time spent by the woodstove, stoking the fire. So what does this all mean? It means I want to relish the outside air while it’s still warm enough to enjoy without 14 layers of clothes on. It means I want to be outside in daylight, while it’s still around and not be inside during those last few nights of afternoon sun. It means it’s time to break out the slow cooker and some simple weeknight meals.
I’m a big fan of slow cookers. Though, I’ve only ventured into making protein based meals in there. You won’t find me making cake or brownies in my slow cooker. This baby is for meat and meat alone. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are some fantastic recipes out there (feel free to e-mail them to me at elizabeth (at) guiltykitchen (dot) com if you’d like me to try one!), I just don’t mind cooking other food the old fashioned way. Slow cookers to me, are a just a great way to make meat tender and fall off the bone.
There are a lot of different cuts of meat that work well in a slow cooker, but the best one, in my humble opinion, is a pork roast. Not a loin though (too lean), but a good old fashioned blade roast or butt. These cuts have good fat to meat ratio and also contain both dark and lighter meat, they also come in boneless or bone-in. For this recipe, we’ll be using a boneless shoulder roast, about 4 lbs.
And I have a nice giveaway for today as well. My first giveaway! *Applause* Oh thank you, thank you!
Please note: This contest is over. Done. Gone. You’re too late.
Today I am giving away some local organic goods from right here in the Cowichan Valley. Well okay, one is from the Cowichan Valley and one is from Denman Island. Today for your cooler weather pleasure, I am giving away one Organic Dark Chocolate and Toasted hazelnut bar (from Denman Island Chocolate) that you can enjoy with a nice, hot cup of locally roasted Biodynamic, fair-trade coffee from Peaks Coffee Co.
This is one prize consisting of 1 (one) 44g Organic Dark Chocolate Bar and 1 (one) lb. of Biodynamic Medium roast Chapada Diamantina blend coffee beans.
To enter, simply leave me a comment on this post telling me what you love (or hate) about the cooler weather. Retweets would be appreciated too! One entry/comment per person. Multiple entries will disqualify you, sorry. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the US only (sorry, I can’t afford international shipping just yet). You have until 9pm PST, Thursday, September 24th, to enter. I’ll pick a winner using a random number generator, make the announcement on Saturday, September 26th and then soon after I will send said winner a nice lb. of coffee (and a chocolate bar) to warm you up! Good luck everyone!
Pulled Pork Wraps with Country Coleslaw
1 Pork roast (approximately 4 lbs.)
1 bottle of BBQ sauce (Flavour is a personal decision, or use homemade!)
1 package of 8″ wraps (or again, make your own!) You could also use buns instead.
1. In a slow cooker, place your roast and smother in BBQ sauce. Cook on high for 1 hour, then turn down to low for another 8 hours (add more sauce in the last 2 hours).
2. When cooking time is done, remove roast from pan and place in bowl. Take 2 forks and begin to pull the meat using a scissoring action. Confused? Take your two forks in both hands, stab the meat with both at opposite ends of the roast (your wrist should be crossed) and pull across (now your wrists should be uncrossed).
3. Add more sauce if desired at this point.
4. Serve pulled pork in wraps or buns with coleslaw.
Country Coleslaw
1/2 head of green cabbage, shredded
2 large carrots, peeled and shredded
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. White wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
Fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp salt
1. Combine cabbage and carrots in a large bowl.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in another bowl. Stirring until sugar is dissolved. Combine with cabbage and let stand for 30 minutes prior to devouring.
3. Serve as topping for pulled pork sandwiches, or as a side dish for another meal.
Because I live in a temperate area of the globe, much of the “height” of summer produce doesn’t arrive here until quite late in the season. Last week at the farmer’s market, we scored some super fresh ears of corn. We’re talking mere hours after they’d been picked. I didn’t have them on my shopping list, but I had to have them. There is nothing like the sweet, crisp flavour of freshly picked corn.
When I was a kid, my parents grew bicolour corn in our small garden. My mother was adamant that the corn be picked no sooner then when the pot of water began to boil. If it was picked any earlier than that, the corn would quickly begin to lose sugar, a process I like to call starchification (FYI, not a real word). This is technically not true nowadays, though. Corn hybridization has made the sugars in some varieties of corn very high. In the industry, the higher sugar varieties are known as Sugary Extender (se) and Supersweet (sh2), which includes the infamous Peaches & Cream and my favourite, Honey ‘N Pearl. These varieties can be stored from as little as 2 days to as much as 10 days.
I still prefer to eat it as soon as I can get my hot little hands on it, or cook it and freeze for a later date, which is exactly what I did for this recipe. Obviously, frozen corn is cheap and abundant, so this soup could be made all year round. I’m a bit of a food snob though, and prefer my produce fresh (or frozen at the peak of freshness) and eaten as soon as possible.
As the summer draws to a close (tomorrow September 22 at 5:18 pm EDT!), I’d like to leave you with this final taste of those warm summer nights. But as the end of summer and the beginning of fall are the same day, I’m celebrating with a little bit of both. A light, summery soup served with some hot from the oven biscuits, perfect for cold fall evenings! They pair beautifully together, and these biscuits are versatile enough for any soup.
Corn & Black Bean Soup with Spinach & Feta Biscuits
1 Large Vidalia Onion (or other sweet onion)
3 cobs of sweet corn (cooked and kernels removed, which is about 4 cups of corn)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 19oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 key limes, juiced (or 1 regular lime)
1 L sodium reduced chicken broth (or homemade)
1 avocado, diced
1. Sauté onions, garlic and red pepper in canola oil until browned (you want that caramelization for flavour.) Add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.
2. Add beans & corn. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes.
3. Add stock, bring to boil. Reduce to simmer. Add lime juice.
4. Add cilantro and stir in, removing from heat.
5. Serve with avocado and biscuits (recipe follows).
Spinach & Feta Biscuits
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
Fresh cracked black pepper (to taste)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
175g feta cheese, crumbled
200 g spinach, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced very fine
3 stalks green onion, chopped
1. In a large sauté pan, sauté spinach, garlic and green onions until softened. Add basil at very end and remove from heat.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.
3. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender.
4. Combine the buttermilk, oil and egg in a separate bowl. Whisk together until completely combined.
5. Combine the milk/egg mix with the flour. Gently, stir in the spinach mixture, feta cheese and pepper.
6. Spoon into greased muffin tin (should make an equal dozen).
7. Bake at 375°F for 22- 25 minutes.
8. Serve warm with your delicious soup.
Herfst. Automne. Autunno. Outono. Otoño. Fall. Autumn.
In other words, my favourite season of them all. Maybe it’s the scarves, or because I can wear my Ugg boots. Maybe it’s the changing of the leaves or the smell of woodsmoke in the air. Of the many reasons for loving Autumn, I know for sure that food is one of the biggest. Once summer begins to draw to a close, the lighter fare turns to richer, more complex kinds of food. Apples and pears are ripening, root and cruciferous vegetables are all over the farmer’s markets, pumpkins and other squash are beginning to show up. With the weather turning cooler, there’s more time to spend inside. Time you’ll need to make this recipe. Don’t be shy, it’s completely worth it. Making your own gnocchi dough is very fulfilling. Pasta without the machine!
Don’t worry, I’ll walk you through the whole thing.
Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Vegetables
2 Small Butternut squash (approximatle 2 lbs. all together)
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped or torn
salt & pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 lb. brown crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced and quartered
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1. Prepare squash. Peel, slice in half vertically, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on an oiled baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes in a 375°F oven.
2. Place 1 piece at a time into food processor. Pulse until a thick purée forms. Continue until all pieces are puréed.
3. In a large bowl, add squash, egg, salt & pepper. Mix together until completely incorporated.
4. 1/2 a cup at a time, add the flour. Stir until completely mixed before adding more. You may or may not need to use all 4 cups. The dough should be airy and light, not dense and hard. The perfect consistency will be achieved just after the dough has become less sticky. IE. It is still slightly sticky but the dough doesn’t stick to your hands too much.
5. When dough is ready, take out handfuls and roll out into long strips.
6. Cut 1/2 inch pieces off and place against the tines of a fork. This is not a necessary step, but it adds dimension to your gnocchi, and a place for sauce to settle.
7. When all your gnocchi is cut and ready to go, have a pot of boiling, salted water at the ready. Put handfuls at a time into the pot and wait for them to come to the surface. When they all begin to float, remove from pot with a slotted spoon and place in a colander.
8. While you are doing this, get the sauce ready. In a large saucepan, add garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, onion and butter. Sauté until all vegetables are softened. Add in gnocchi and tomatoes, sauté for 2 minutes.
9. At the very end, stir in the basil and place in bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. A hearty dish to welcome my favourite season.
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Hi! I'm Elizabeth. I like fitness, bad ass tattoos, food, bacon, chocolate, taking lots of silly pictures and my spawn. Check out my FAQ for all the usual Qs or send me an e-mail and tell me all about your cat and your Aunt Sally's amazing apple pie. |
