Lemon-Cilantro Chicken & Purple Scalloped Potatoes

Oddly, I until dinnertime today, I hadn't had chicken in quite some time. My CostCo chicken reserves have long been depleted, and I haven't gone to eat at an actual restaurant in...I don't even know how long (although my trip home to Atlanta this weekend will most certainly remedy that).


I forgot how great chicken can be when only treated to a little olive oil, white wine, and lemon. And while fresh chicken breasts can sometimes be shockingly expensive ($12 for three chicken breasts?!?), I found a great deal at my local (usually astonishingly overpriced - $7 for marinara sauce, no joke) market.

My dear friend Megan, of my agency alma mater, came over bearing a deliciously dry and crisp Pinot Grigio (which was integrated perfectly into the chicken as well as the conversation). This method of cooking chicken is, dare I say, infallible. If there are those of you out there reading this thinking, "I wish I could make that, but I'm horribly inept in the kitchen," I IMPLORE you to give this method a try.

It's actually quite fun: you get to beat your meat (yes, that's what I said). Then, it cooks up quickly, it's juicy and flavorful, and you've made a bona fide chicken dish in about 15 minutes (suck it, Racheal Ray!).

The scalloped potatoes might be a tad more on the intermediate level - only because of the bechamel sauce - but if you were to make chicken like this and pair it with salad and an easy starch like Success Rice, instant mashed potatoes, or couscous, you'd have a perfect meal. If you don't believe me, behold:

LEMON-CILANTRO CHICKEN AND PURPLE SCALLOPED POTATOES

INGREDIENTS

POTATOES

1 1/4 lb. purple potatoes (you could use any starchy variety)
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 1/2 c. milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 oz. (about 1 c. grated) smoked Swiss cheese (if you can't find it, try fontina)
1 oz. grated fresh parmesan, plus more for the topping
1/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs
salt and pepper
ground cayenne pepper

CHICKEN

2 fresh chicken breast halves (or one full breast)
2 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
juice of one lemon
1/3 c. dry white wine
1/4 c. (packed) fresh chopped cilantro (you could use parsley or any herb you like)
1/2 c. flour
salt and pepper

SALAD

fresh Spring greens mix
carrots
cucumber
quick lemon "vinaigrette" - 1 tsp. each lemon juice, mustard, mayo, honey, and a dash of salt, pepper, and salt-free all-purpose seasoning - whisk in about 2 T. olive oil.

STEP ONE:

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, but not so soft that they're mashable. When cool enough to touch, cut into thin slices. Layer in a shallow dish.



STEP TWO:

Preheat the oven to 375. Make the cheese bechamel: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the flour, making a roux, and cook for another minute. Whisk in the milk, stirring constantly. Bring the sauce to a boil and let it cook until it begins to thicken (coating the back of a spoon). Reduce the heat a little and stir in the cheese, whisking until melted. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Remove from heat and pour over the potatoes.



STEP THREE:

Top the scalloped potatoes with bread crumbs and some more grated parmesan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until top is browned and sides are bubbly.



STEP FOUR:

Assemble the dressing and salad. Slice each chicken breast half with a knife - almost but not quite all the way through (butterflying it). Beat with a meat mallet until thin.

STEP FIVE:

In a shallow bowl, season the flour with salt and pepper. In a nonstick skillet, heat the butter and oil for the chicken over medium-high. While it's melting, dredge each chicken breast half in the seasoned flour. Cook until browned on the first side, adding a little more salt and pepper to the raw side. Flip and cook on the other side. Repeat for the other chicken breast half. Set aside.

STEP SIX:

Do not drain anything from the pan, and reduce the heat to medium. Add the lemon juice and white wine, stirring, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the cilantro. Return the chicken to the pan. Cover and cook for 4-5 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.



STEP SEVEN:

Spoon some scalloped potatoes onto each plate. Serve the chicken, scraping the pan sauce over each serving. Serve the salad alongside everything. Enjoy!



The purple potatoes, by the way, taste exactly like regular potatoes, they're just more fun to look at. (They were a farmer's market find). The smoky Swiss sauce with a hint of heat from the cayenne pepper was luscious - I mean how can potatoes and cheese be bad? The chicken was moist and lemony, and I was actually really surprised how good the cilantro was in the sauce - cilantro takes on a totally different flavor when cooked.

I'll just reiterate that I stand behind this chicken method 110% (boy blog-readers, this goes out especially to you). Try it and let me know how it came out in the comments (NOTE: if you don't like cilantro, use parsley or thyme).

FEARLESS COOK ANNOUNCEMENT:

People: my very next post will be my 100th post! How exciting is that? 100 posts. A true milestone in the here-today-gone-tomorrow world of the blogosphere. I want to do something special, and I've been thinking that I'd like to take a 100-year-old recipe and make it 100% organic (which, now that I really think about it, 100 years ago, ALL recipes were organic - ha).

I found a delectable-looking Devil's Food cake recipe from 1909 on the internet, which would be simple to make and fantastic to eat. I might even make a little gathering out of it, with coffee and liqueur. Who's with me?

Thanks for reading! More soon...

Spring Farmer's Market Orzo

Well, my hope was to start making this little blog a little more interesting by making the dishes relevant to something in my life: a book I'm reading, for instance.


I have embarked on a personal journey to read "the classics" (no real parameters there - in fact, I'm taking suggestions), which should take me, oh, the rest of my life. Having just started Charlotte Bronte's Villette, I can't tell you with any certainty that this orzo dish has nothing to do with 1850's England, but my instinct is that Charlotte Bronte's characters have never heard of orzo.

Nevertheless, I still had an entire untouched bunch of asparagus from my farmer's market trip, and I wanted to use it. I had also bought some orzo awhile back which I was excited to use, as I haven't made orzo at home a lot.

This is a really simple dish that could be modified to fit whatever you need to use up in your fridge - the orzo makes a great base for a variety of veggies. This would be a great side dish to baked chicken or a pork chop - you could even throw some lemon-marinated shrimp on top. It would be great with black olives and feta, or with fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, and basil.


SPRING FARMER'S MARKET ORZO

INGREDIENTS

6-7 asparagus stalks, ends trimmed, cut into smallish pieces
1 large bunch Spring mix salad greens, slightly chopped if leaves are large
5-6 sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed, excess oil drained, chopped
1 1/2 T. capers
1 c. dry orzo
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes

STEP ONE:

Roast or par-boil the asparagus until tender. Set aside.

STEP TWO:

Cook orzo in boiling water, reserving 1/2 c. cooking liquid. Cook until slightly less than al dente, then drain. Return to pot with the reserved cooking liquid.

STEP THREE:

Stir the Spring mix leaves into the orzo and cook, stirring, until the pasta is al dente and the leaves are wilted. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Serve and enjoy!

Perhaps I should start reading Italian literature, as I seem to make some variation of pasta about 4 times a week...then again, maybe not.

I'll let you all know how my pursuit of the classics is going. Thanks for reading! More soon...

Asparagus & Goat Cheese Pizza

Yes, another pizza post! These seem to be quite popular. I actually like making pizza so much that, now that I'm unemployed, I've been fantasizing about opening my own pizza shop (in another country, mind you, where the pizza competition is less fierce).

I can see it now: Eli's Organic Thin Crust...the neon sign would be silhouetted against a tropical setting sun, palm trees swaying, reggae and the sound of waves wafting on the breeze...it could happen!


I made great strides in my homemade dough today by using the bread flour I bought (King Arthur brand, btw) - a tip I picked up on the interwebs. I also used a different brand of dry active yeast (Hodgson Mill) that boasts "25% more yeast per pack for higher rises!" Higher rises, indeed! My normal pizza dough recipe that yields two smallish (6-piece) pizzas, made two less-puny pies this time - the one I made gave way to 9 adult-sized slices!

The bread flour definitely makes kneading a bit more difficult - the dough is much stickier overall - but I think the end result is worth it. The crust was crisper on the outside and chewier on the inside - mmmmmm....

I was having trouble deciding what to top the pizza with until I remembered the fresh Michigan asparagus I got at the farmer's market. I figured that goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes would make fast friends with the asparagus, and I was right!

My dear friend Kelly came over - bottle of Two-Buck Chuck in tow - and we devoured 7/9 of this delicious pizza.

ASPARAGUS & GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH:

2 1/2 - 3 c. bread flour
1 1/2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. honey
1 package active dry yeast
1 c. warm water (110 degrees)
more flour for kneading
olive oil for rubbing

SAUCE:

1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 T. tomato paste
blend of dry Italian herbs, plus salt and pepper and red pepper flakes*

*I keep an herb blend around, pre-mixed, for just this purpose - I make a lot of pizzas. I just used an old empty herb shaker bottle and mixed dried oregano, thyme, parsley, and red pepper flakes in what seems to be a logical ratio. Works like a charm.

TOPPINGS:

1 small log goat cheese
1 bunch fresh asparagus, ends trimmed off, cut into pieces
fresh parmesan cheese, for grating
1/2 small jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes*
olive oil for brushing
cornmeal for sprinkling

*I don't care what anyone says, I HATE dry sun-dried tomatoes. The oil-packed ones taste a thousand times better.

STEP ONE:

Make the dough according to these directions (I added the honey as my own personal touch - take it or leave it). NOTE: I find the dough much easier to roll out and work with after it's rested in the fridge for a few hours, so I always try to make it 5-6 hours ahead of time, or the night before. I just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.

STEP TWO:

Make the sauce: combine all ingredients and heat over medium-high heat; let cook until slightly thickened.

STEP THREE:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough to desired thinness on a lightly floured work surface. Brush a pizza stone or baking sheet with olive oil. Sprinkle cornmeal lightly all over. Place the pizza dough on the baking surface. Brush the dough with a little olive oil all over.

STEP FOUR:

Spread some sauce on the pizza dough, then top with desired toppings. Grate some fresh parmesan over the top of it all. Bake at 400 until edges are brown and crisp. Slice with a pizza slicer. Enjoy!



Wow, who knew asparagus would make such a great pizza topping (OK, I sort of stole the idea from La Madia - so sue me)?!? It didn't need a thing - it was perfect going from raw to just roasting on top of the pizza. The goat cheese was great, as could be expected (I can't tell you how crazy I am about goat cheese - it makes me want to just hug every goat I see*).

*I never see goats.

And red wine with pizza with one of my favorite people on the planet...this exact combination of things is one of the top three best things in life, hands down. And I don't have to go to work tomorrow! And it's going to be a high of 70 - and sunny!


Ain't life grand?

Thanks for reading! More soon...

Lamb Stew with Exotic Flavors PLUS Bonus Dinner!

Whenever I go to yoga, it makes me think of India. I have a small - OK large -
obsession with that country...and no, I haven't been there - yet (I'm currently accepting donations to the Send Me to India Fund - rupees and dollars accepted).

This manifests itself in a myriad of ways: a chai latte at Starbucks, microwaveable palak paneer pouches, and - if I'm most fortunate - a trip to the Indian buffet. At the very least, my yoga-cum-Indian-cravings at the very least motivate me to scrounge through my spice cabinet for interesting flavors.


I had almost forgotten about my half-pouch of ras el hanout from my trip to the Spice House awhile back. I thought it would be the perfect way to lend a transcontinental flair to the lamb stew I was planning on making this evening (from the leftover Mint Creek farm lamb that I'd frozen). Frankly, I wasn't sure how the ras el hanout would blend with the spices that I'd rubbed on the lamb before (garlic, thyme, etc.), but this being the Fearless kitchen and all, I figured I'd throw it all in and see what came of it.

Oh - now might be the time in my narrative to explain that ras el hanout is not actually an Indian spice - it's Middle Eastern. Sometimes, my Indian obsession manifests itself in ways that, quite frankly, make very little geographical sense. That notwithstanding, I present to you:

LAMB STEW WITH EXOTIC FLAVORS OVER COUSCOUS

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. lamb leg (mine was previously roasted and frozen; fresh would obviously be ideal)
1 large baking potato, unpeeled, cut into large chunks
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks
1/2 red onion (or any onion), chunked
1 and 1/2 T. ras el hanout
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. cooked whole wheat couscous
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
salt and pepper


STEP ONE:

Combine all ingredients except for couscous in Crockpot. Cook over low for 6 hours, until lamb is spoon-tender.*

STEP TWO:

Cook couscous according to package directions. Serve lamb stew over couscous and top with cilantro. Enjoy!

*When cooking in a Crockpot, I never season with salt and pepper until the very end. The nature of slow-cooking dictates that you can't taste your dish all along, so I recommend waiting until the end to season, so you don't grossly oversalt something.

The lamb stew came out really well - the lamb was fall-apart tender, the potatoes were hearty, and the ras el hanout made it all interesting. The flavors of ras el hanout are so different from typical, everyday American flavors - I really encourage you to try some if you happen across it.

I wanted to include this little BONUS recipe, just because I made it the other night, and I thought it would be a great introduction to those just beginning to experiment in the kitchen. So many people say to me, "I read your blog, but I know I could never make those recipes!" Not true. Something like the beans-rice-and-sausage recipe below (inspired by the much more complex jambalaya, a favorite of mine) is something that literally an 8-year-old could make (provided he or she could safely wield a can-opener).

I whipped this up on a chill Saturday night in, and it was the perfect bowl of hearty goodness to curl up and eat on the couch, book in hand. (It would also be wonderful topped with a dollop of sour cream.) So to those of you who wouldn't know a whisk from a waffle iron, behold the following: a meal you can make at home, easily and quickly, with very inexpensive ingredients. Magic!

EASIEST DINNER EVER, A.K.A. BEANS, RICE, AND KIELBASA

INGREDIENTS

about 15 thin slices kielbasa sausage*
1 can "Southwest" style black beans
1 can stewed tomatoes
1/2 c. dry white rice
splash of chicken broth
squeeze of hot sauce
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

*I have a ton of kielbasa around due to my CostCo trip awhile back, but this is also great with chicken, shrimp, or really any variety of sausage (turkey Italian sausage would be good), or with tofu if you're a vegetarian. If you don't like tofu but don't eat meat, I'd throw in something with a neutral flavor, like zucchini. It would also be good with butternut squash.


STEP ONE:

In a large skillet, brown kielbasa. Do not drain.

STEP TWO:

Add the beans with liquid, tomatoes with juices, and rice to the skillet. Cover and cook until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes, adding a little chicken broth if the mixture isn't liquidy enough. Stir in the hot sauce and top with cilantro. Enjoy!

Acorn Squash, Chard, and a Fried Egg

I think I learned an important lesson about seasonality from this meal: things that are out of season don't taste very good. My little acorn squash had its heyday months ago, and that's probably why I found it on sale for 69¢ a pound at the market.


Wooed by its diminutive pricetag, I picked it up, planning to stuff it with...something. I had also grabbed some chard, which is currently my favorite vegetable, and also, I think, out of season. The chard was tasty, but the squash - something about it was just...off. It wasn't inedible by any means, but it just didn't have the great squashy flavor. It was just bland and had a strange mealy texture.

Eating seasonally is pretty difficult, I've found, unless you know a lot about farming and horticulture (um, I don't). You really have to be ready to choose ideology over a wide spectrum of vegetables - a tough choice.

At any rate, this dinner was pretty good despite its poor timing, and when winter squash is in season again, it'll be excellent.


ACORN SQUASH STUFFED WITH CHARD AND TOPPED WITH A FRIED EGG AND BALSAMIC-LEMON SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1/2 acorn squash
a big bunch of chard
1 egg
2-3 T. chicken broth (water's fine too if you don't have chicken broth)
2 T. balsamic vinegar
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper
1 tsp. butter
olive oil

STEP ONE:

Preheat oven to 375. Rub the acorn squash with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside and keep warm.



STEP TWO:

Heat a little olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chard, seasoning with salt and pepper, and cook until wilted, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the chard leaves from the remaining liquid with tongs or a slotted spoon. Set aside and keep warm.


STEP THREE:

Add the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice to the chard pan liquid, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Cook over high heat until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

STEP FOUR:

Melt the butter over medium-high heat. Fry the egg, yolk intact, until the whites are set, but the yolk is still runny. (You could also poach the egg, but I was too lazy). Place the squash on a plate, top with the chard and some balsamic sauce, and the egg. Enjoy!


Overall, this was a satisfying dinner, even if the squash was suspect. Luckily, I bought some very in-season asparagus for upcoming meals! It's fresh, seasonal, and local - sure to be a delight.

Thanks for reading! More soon...

Baked Potato with Smoked Cheddar Sauce, Kielbasa & Broccoli

Read the title of this post.

WHAT could be bad about this dinner? It has very few ingredients, it's super simple, and it involves a potato, cheese, and sausage.
(I have a feeling that my male followers in particular might really enjoy this post - and even try making it at home.)


And even more exciting than a delicious post? The fact that I'm posting from my very own, shiny, new MacBook! It's truly a glorious piece of machinery.

While we're on the topic of technology, another announcement: for you Tweet-addicts, you can now get the latest Fearless Cook posts via Twitter: @thefearlesscook. You might also see some food-related, non-post Tweets every now and again.



BAKED POTATO WITH SMOKED CHEDDAR SAUCE, KIELBASA & BROCCOLI

1 large baking potato, like Idaho
1/2 head of broccoli, cut into florets
3 oz. smoked cheddar cheese, grated
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 c. lowfat milk
about 8 thin slices kielbasa sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper

STEP ONE:

Preheat the oven to 400. Wrap the potato in aluminum foil. Bake it for about an hour and 15 minutes, until it's fully cooked. Cook the broccoli in boiling water for a few minutes, until it's just tender. Chop into small pieces.

STEP TWO:

Meanwhile, cook the kielbasa in a saucepan until browned. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon and set aside. Chop the kielbasa into small chunks. Drain all but just a tiny bit of drippings from the saucepan. Return the heat to medium. Melt the butter, and whisk in the flour to make a roux. Cook for a minute or two, then whisk in the milk, stirring constantly.

STEP THREE:

Add the garlic, still whisking, and turn the heat up to medium-high. Stir in the cheese and whisk until melted. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. After a few minutes, the sauce should be thickened. Stir in the kielbasa.

STEP FOUR:

Slice the potato in half and place the broccoli in the middle. Pour the cheese sauce and kielbasa generously over the potato. Enjoy!

NOTE: This makes one generous serving (for a large potato). For two people, I'd roughly double it. If you use smaller potatoes, one batch of the cheese sauce could be enough.



This came out great. The smoked cheddar with the smokiness of the kielbasa made quite a flavorful combination. And what better vehicle to absorb all that earthy smokiness than the earthiest of all foods, the potato? The crisp broccoli and mild potato balanced the smoky saltiness perfectly.

Besides the time it takes to actually bake the potato (which isn't a lot of work), you could throw this dinner together in about 15 minutes. With a fresh green salad and a beer, it could be the ideal dinner. Men, most especially, I urge you to try this immediately!

Thanks for reading! More soon..

Chickpea Salad & Homemade Oatmeal Bread

Did Ina Garten die? Because I think I may have been recently embodied by her spirit, a la Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost.

How else to explain the sudden irrepressible urge to put capers in everything I make, smash chickpeas into a lemony salad, and - of all things - to make my own bread, for Gawds sake? Next thing you know, I'll be making my own chicken broth (um, no).

Let's start with the chickpea salad. I had one last baggie of chickpeas from my giant CostCo can lurking around my freezer, and I wanted to try making a sort of lazy-person's hummus, with ingredients I always have on hand: olive oil, shallots, garlic, lemon, and chickpeas.


And there's really not much more to it than that. A little salt and pepper. And a drizzle of olive oil on top when you serve it. In fact, I'm not even going to take the time to assemble a proper recipe (the whole idea came from something similar I saw Ina Garten make once on TV) - just mince the garlic and shallots, mix them in with the chickpeas and the juice of half a lemon and a healthy glug of olive oil, and smash with a fork. Just make sure you have a good amount of chickpeas - if the ratio's off, the raw garlic and shallots could be a bit overpowering. Parsley would be nice, too, if you have some around.



I served mine cold for a post-yoga lunch with orange bell pepper slices and cucumbers for dipping, some nuts, and an orange. It was delicious.

And now on to the truly impressive feat: my very own, handmade loaf of bread. And I do mean HANDmade. No fancy Cuisinart Mixing Machine, no bread machine, just my two little hands and a fighting spirit.


I bought King Arthur Bread Flour after I read some glowing reviews about it online. I was originally planning to make my own Naan bread (look for that soon enough), but I got distracted by the recipe for Oatmeal Bread on the back of the flour bag (typical).

Oddly, I had all the ingredients on hand, so I just followed the very simple instructions, and - to my utter amazement - I actually created and baked a loaf of actual, edible, bread. And it was delicious! Stupendous, even! Exactly what I imagined bread that's warm, homemade, and right from the oven would taste like. What bread would taste like if it weren't laced with strange preservatives to extend its shelf life.


And it's economical - I've estimated that with the ingredients I bought to make that first loaf (about $12 worth, including the loaf pan), I can bake 5-6 more loaves without buying more ingredients. If any of you have checked out the price of bread lately, you'll agree that I'm beating the system.

I waited about .0364 seconds before I sliced a piece off the end and slathered it with butter and peach jam. Heaven. It was heaven.


I must say, I'm impressed with myself. I thought for sure I would spend half a day working on this loaf of bread only to end up disappointed and breadless.

It's nice when things turn out better than you expected.

Thanks for reading! More soon...