Pinchitos Morunos

Summertime is nearly (already?) upon us, and you know what that means – it’s time for Spanish food!

Spanish food was meant for summer in the Pacific Northwest. It’s born out of a sunny and gorgeous climate, meant to be eaten at a leisurely pace with friends and family, and best accompanied by a tall glass of cool sangria. Good weather, good company, and good wine are all staples in Washington this time of year.

The only thing that could make Spanish more summer-suited would be to introduce some grilling into the equation. That’s exactly what this recipe does? Oh, perfect then.

These Pinchitos Morunos are a hallmark of Andalusian (southern Spain) cuisine. They combine more traditional Spanish ingredients – bright saffron and smoky paprika – with earthy cumin and tangy coriander that are hallmarks of Moorish influences from North Africa. The result is a uniquely flavorful and colorful kebab that is great by itself with some aioli, or serve alongside Patatas Bravas or Paella.

Make these and go enjoy some sunshine!

Buffalo Chicken Croquettes

This recipe is a twist on of one of my favorite dips of all time: the Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip from Macheesmo. It’s a dip so delicious and so positively bad for you that I’ve limited myself to only making it for big sporting events. Any more often and I’d have to give up beer or red meat to right the balance.

These croquettes use less cheese and don’t require any tortilla chips to eat, but they are also breaded and fried, so health-wise they are pretty much a wash. Being tiny croquettes, however, they are perfectly sized for grabbing and eating with one hand, which makes them ideal for a party, potluck or barbecue.

Maggie and made these for our apartment-warming recently and they were a huge hit. If you’re having guests over and you want an easy-to-(over)eat snack that will keep people happy, these croquettes are just the thing!

Chicken Tinga Chilaquiles

When I imagined this dish, I was aiming for nachos.

I had in my head an image of cheesy goodness oozing between tortilla chips with a smattering of deliciously spicy chicken tinga tossed over the top. But I wound up getting the portions wrong, and there was a lot more chicken tinga than I expected. When I pulled it out of the oven and tried to pull a chip away it crumpled soggily under the weight of all the toppings.

So I wound up eating it with a fork instead, and it was truly fantastic. I was going to call them “fork nachos” and shout the name from the rooftops to anyone who would listen, but after a little Google searching I discovered there was already a name for this kind of delicious smothered nachos: “Chilaquiles.”

And man, these are some awesome Chilaquiles.

They’ve got everything you could want in a Mexican dish. The chicken tinga itself spicy, tangy, and just a little bit sweet, while the rest of the toppings are a blend of creamy, cheesy, earthy and herbal. The tortilla chips provide just enough of a base to hold the whole meal together without giving it an overwhelmingly starchy feel.

You won’t be able to resist going back for seconds!

Roasted Veggie and Green Chili Chicken Fry Bread

My girlfriend and I recently took a mini-vacation to Portland, where – among a number of other fun things – we had the chance to enjoy some truly delicious food. Upscale German fusion at Grüner, feisty Mexican food at Porque No? and a top-notch tapas tasting menu at Toro Bravo.

We also stopped by the famous Saturday Market, strolling through the tents to see what all the vendors had. And while we were there I did what I always wind up doing at farmers markets: I bought spices.

In most parts of my life I’m a pretty frugal person (My friends are quick to remind me that I slept on an air mattress for almost a year back in college), but I’m hopeless when it comes food, and spices in particular. So when we came across a man selling all sorts of different spice blends, I knew I’d be walking away with at least one.

In the end – after several delicious samples – I wound up with four.

Resolving to put them to good use, I wound up with this recipe that centers around one of the blends: a combination of spices used in Native American cooking that includes green, sweet, and chipotle peppers, as well as several other goodies. The corn and sweet potato are coated in the blend and then roasted to perfection. The veggies are paired with shredded green chili chicken, a raw kale slaw and a dash of cheddar cheese to create a full spectrum of delicious flavors.

Throw it all on some fresh-made fry bread (surprisingly easy to make) and you’ve got a delicious, hearty meal!

Southern Quinoa-Crusted Chicken with Potato and Greens

I have to say, when I got my latest culinary challenge, I was a bit stumped: make a dish that includes quinoa, eggs, leeks and whiskey.

They’re great ingredients, and each pair well it other in the group, but trying to put ALL of them into one dish was giving me chef’s block (a lesser known condition similar to writers block. It’s a thing.)

With some tricky uses of both eggs and quinoa, I managed to get all four into this recipe. And boy, am I glad that I did.

The flavors in this dish are absolutely dynamite. The chicken itself is smokey and spicy with hints of whiskey, while the crust retains much of the quinoa taste. Pairing it with leafy greens and earthy potatoes brings a delightful balance to the plate.

Not only is it balanced in flavor, but it’s balanced in texture as well. The contrast between the tender greens, crispy potatoes, and pan-seared, quinoa-crusted chicken adds a whole extra dimension to the dish.

On top of everything else, it’s actually reasonably healthy.

This was my first real foray into southern-style cooking. I’m sure purists would shudder at inclusion of this dish in their cuisine, but I thought it turned out reasonably well. Expect some more southern recipes in the future!

Chicken Stuffed with Apricot, Chèvre & Herbes de Provence

This recipe is a mix of classically French flavors in a very non-traditional style. Herbes de Provence is a mix of dried spices – savory, fennel, basil, thyme, and lavender – that get its name from the French region of Provence. Blended into the chèvre, it creates a tangy, creamy, floral stuffing for the chicken.

Add in some dried apricots (Turkish), stuff the mixture into chicken (everywhere), wrap it in prosciutto (Italian) and braise it in champagne (more French) and chicken stock, and – voila! – stylish fusion entree.

The apricot pairing makes this chicken a great entree to serve with the White Chocolate Mousse with Champagne Apricots I posted recently. In fact, the two dishes are part of a four course meal I recently made – stay tuned for the other two!

Cajun Carbonara

Contrary to popular opinion, real carbonara doesn’t involve cream, milk, or flour. The silky sauce is created by slowly heating eggs so that they thicken without scrambling. The result is a relatively rich dish with a unique texture that remains nonetheless quite healthy.

So how can you make it better? Infuse it with Cajun flavor!

The onions and peppers add sweetness and crunch, while the lineup of Cajun spices add heat, zest and a depth of flavor to the sauce. The intermittent hints of parsley break up the richness and spice with cool, refreshing notes. Add that to the chicken, pasta and carbonara base and you have a filling, vibrant dish.

This recipe tastes great, but to be honest one of my favorite things about it isthe color. The red, yellow and green of the peppers and parsley pop against the pasta to make a bright, vivid plate. A great meal for your eyes as well as your stomach!

Cajun Carbonara

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 chicken breast, diced
• 2 bell peppers, julienned (I recommend one red, one yellow)
• 1 small red onion, halved and cut into ribbons
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 3 tablespoons pepper
• 3 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tomatoes, cut into eighths
• 1/3 cup wine
• 3 ounces pasta
• 3 eggs, whisked
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

 

1. In a large skillet, heat the butter to high. Season the chicken breast, bell pepper and red onion with the spices. In a large pot, begin boiling water to cook the pasta.
2. Add the chicken breast to the skill and saute until crispy and blacked, approximately 6-8 minutes. Set the chicken aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the bell pepper and red onion and saute until both begin to get tender, approximately 6-8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and saute for another three minutes. Set the vegetables aside with the chicken.
4. Cook the pasta according to instructions. Reduce the heat of the skillet to medium-low. Use the wine to deglaze the pan, being sure to loosen any stuck on spices, chicken, or veggie bits.
5. Add the eggs and Parmesan cheese to the deglazing liquid and whisk until combined. Add the cooked pasta and toss vigorously. The egg mixture should thicken, but not scramble.
6. Toss the pasta with the chicken and vegetables. To serve, sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan cheese and top with parsley.

SliderPalooza!

Patrick and Quinn present to you: The All-Star Lineup of SliderPalooza!

We know, we know, this post is long overdue. After all, we previewed this post with our Mashed Potato Slider with Apple-Fennel Slaw over four months ago.

IPA Chicken Stuffed Poblano Pepper

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of beer on this blog, but I’ve usually kept my food blogging and my beer blogging separate.

No longer.

There’s nothing new about bringing beer into the kitchen, but it’s typically darker brews that are incorporated into dishes – from Steak with Porter Reduction to Corned Beef slow-roasted in Guinness to Brown Ale Ice Cream Floats. That’s all well and good, but being a hop-head I wanted to take a run at incorporating IPA (India Pale Ale) into a recipe.

Different kinds of beer, just like wines, pair well with different foods. IPAs tend to fit best with spicier cuisines, such as Thai, Indian, Cajun and Mexican. Because I’ve been on something of a Mexican kick lately, I opted to try integrating an IPA into a classic dish – stuffed poblano peppers.

So, should hop-heads rejoice?

I wouldn’t. To be honest, the IPA flavor didn’t really permeate the chicken as well as I had hoped. Only on occasion did faint notes of hop come to the fore. The dish still tasted great – tender, flavorful chicken, roasted poblano, sharp cotija and refreshing salsa – but the beer just wasn’t a force in the palette.

The fundamentals of this dish are strong enough that I’d just recommend combining all the spices into a dry rub and saving the IPA to drink with dinner. While you’re doing that, I’ll continue searching for the perfect way to serve up IPA on a plate.

IPA Chicken Stuffed Poblano Pepper

• 2 chicken tenders
• 2 poblano peppers
• 1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled

Marinade

• 1 bottle of India Pale Ale
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper

Salsa

• 3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 jalapeño, finely diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 10 cilantro leaves, chopped
• Juice of one lime

 

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag or tuperware container. Add the chicken tenders and refrigerate for at least two hours, preferable overnight.
2. Using a barbecue, toaster oven or oven on broil, roast the poblano pepper for 4-6 minutes or until slightly tender. Make a lengthwise cut in the poblano and remove the seeds.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a chicken tender into each pepper, the peppers into a baking dish and the baking dish into the oven. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven and plate. Sprinkle cotija cheese and salsa on top and serve.

Slow-Roasted Espresso Chicken

I know what you must be thinking.

Quinn, you haven’t cooked a single Thanksgiving dish!  I’ve been waiting ever so patiently to no avail. And you call yourself a food blogger? Shame on you!

Apparently I envision all of my readers as pretentious food critics with vaguely British accents, but that’s besides the point. The point is no, I have no Thanksgiving dishes for you. Thanksgiving recipes are ubiquitous in the food blogosphere, and since my family does a very traditional meal every year I would have nothing unique or adventurous to contribute to the mix

What I will be doing in the following weeks, however, is posting recipes for what to do with all those Thanksgiving leftovers you undoubtedly have in your refrigerator. You’ll learn soon enough that you don’t simply have to make turkey sandwiches until you reach the borders of your culinary sanity, so fear not.

In the mean time, however, allow me to share with you a delightful little dish I whipped up a few days ago: Slow-Roasted Espresso Chicken.

This dish was inspired by Starbucks. Well, sort of anyway. A month or two ago Starbucks sent me a free packet of Via as part of a promotion. Now, I don’t drink instant coffee (unless I’m camping) or Starbucks (unless I’m desperate), so I was tempted to just throw this away, but a little part of me was curious to see if I could incorporate it into a recipe. So instead of the trash, it wound up sitting in the back of my shelf.

I finally got around to using it, and boy am I glad I kept it. Coffee isn’t frequently thought of as an ingredient in savory dishes, but it can really bring unique complexity and roasty flavors. In this recipe, the bitterness of instant coffee is the perfect counterbalance to the sauce’s sweetness, derived primarily from the brown sugar and cherry tomatoes. A combination of varied spices and flavors – soy sauce and cumin!? – round out the flavor profile.

When the steam settles you’ll have tender shredded chicken in a one-of-a-kind sauce that is perfect with rice/over vegetables/in a taco/whatever your heart’s desire.

Slow-Roasted Espresso Chicken

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons pepper
• 3 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons cayenne powder
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 3 tablespoons instant espresso
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 chicken breasts

 

1. Heat the olive oil to medium heat in a coverable pan. Add the onion and saute until they begin to get translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and continue to saute for another 3 minutes.
2. Add all the ingredients except the chicken breasts. Bring the sauce to a low simmer and allow it to cook for 5 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the chicken breasts. Cover the pan and cook the chicken for at least 1 1/2 hours.
4. Remove the chicken from the pan and shred it using a fork. Add back to the sauce and toss to coat evenly. Serve with rice, roasted vegetables and/or with pita bread.