Pattypan Squash and Chicken Saute

Okay, I promise that this will be the last squash recipe for a while, but I felt I had to share this one because it was the brainchild of my mother, who has been visiting for the last week. Much of the foundation of my cooking came from watching and helping her in the kitchen when I was younger, and to this day its always a treat when I can enjoy a meal she makes, (she lives in North Carolina, so unfortunately these opportunities don't come up often), I mean, what could be better then some of mom's home cooking! Maybe mom doing the dishes as well...HA! Seriously though, handling the cleanup was the least I could do after this deliciously light, yet filling meal. The feta really completes this dish with its sharp, salty flavor giving a great contrast to the more mellow tones of the squash and chicken. Thanks mom!

Share Contents Used
Pattypan squash
Fresh basil

Ingredients
1 tbs olive oil
2 chicken breasts, skin removed, cut in to 1 inch pieces
4 cups pattypan squash (or other summer squash), cut in to 1 inch pieces
2 cups leeks, white and light green part, sliced thin
1 tbs chopped basil
3 tbs white wine
Salt and pepper
Crumbled feta cheese

Preparation
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When hot, season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Saute until the chicken is just cooked though and nicely browned, about 5-6 minutes, then remove to a plate and set aside. Return the skillet to the heat and add the leeks plus a little more oil if the pan seems dry. Saute for around 5 minutes until the leeks start to soften then add the cut up squash, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the squash is slightly browned in spots and cooked through, around another 5 minutes. With about a minute left, return the chicken to the pan then add the basil and wine and continue to cook until the wine is mostly evaporated and everything is nicely combined. Serve immediately with the crumbled feta on the side for people to sprinkle on top.

Chicken with Spiced Yogurt Sauce and Roasted Cauliflower

Where would all us cooks, amateur and professional alike be without spices? Can you imagine a world without them? Cinnamon, cumin, pepper, turmeric, coriander, mustard, the list goes on and on.  If they all disappeared our culinary world would certainly be a sad, bland place and many cuisines would be unrecognizable.

Indian food would arguably suffer the most in such an alternate reality. The way spices are mixed, rubbed, sprinkled and infused into every corner of an Indian dish is truly an art form in itself when done well.  To duplicate (or at least approximate) at home the flavors found at good Indian restaurants is not all that difficult.  A well stocked spice drawer is all you need, well, that and the willingness for your house to smell like an Indian restaurant for a several hours after dinner is over, which in my opinion is not such a bad thing.  The recipes below make use of many of the most common spices found in Indian food and little else, so you really get a good example of how powerful these colorful powders can be.

Share Contents Used
Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower (adapted from Bon Appetit)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 large head cauliflower
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
Chopped parsley for garnish

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Core the cauliflower and then break apart the florets into bite sized pieces. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil and all the spices, then add the cauliflower, season with salt and pepper and toss to give the florets an even coating of spice mixture. Line a large sheet pan with foil (for easier cleanup) and arrange the cauliflower in a single layer, then roast for around 15 minutes or until the edges have started to brown. Transfer to a large plate or serving bowl and sprinkle with the parsley, lime zest and ginger before serving.

Chicken With Spiced Yogurt Sauce (adapted from Mark Bittman)
2 tbs olive oil
2 pounds chicken legs, skin on (drumsticks and/or thighs)
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 tbs chopped garlic
1/2 tbs grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper
1 cup plain yogurt

Preparation
Put the oil in a large saute pan with a lid  and heat over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and brown it well, rotating and turning the pieces as necessary to brown all sides.  You may want to use a splatter screen for this step, or at least wear an apron.  When done, remove the chicken to a plate and add the onions to the pan.  Cook for around 5 minutes until the onions have started to soften and then add all the spices, the garlic and ginger.  Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring for another minute.  Stir in the yogurt and then put the chicken back into the pan. Cover and reduce the heat to low simmer and cook, turning the chicken occasionally until cooked through, around 15 minutes.  Serve over rice with the roasted cauliflower on the side.

Stir Fry with Bok Choy and Chicken

Have you ever looked into your refrigerator and had 3 or 4 different vegetables stare back at you, and none of them alone are enough for a meal, or even a side dish?  One carrot, half a bell pepper, the middle of a celery, they all somehow escaped your cutting board.  Until now! Stir fry is my go to meal to deal with the lonely remains of the produce drawer.

Stir fry is a wonderfully versatile way of cooking.  Just about any vegetable or protein can be used, and the options for sauce and other flavorings are seemingly unlimited.  Below is what went into tonight's recipe, but other times you might find mushrooms, bell pepper, eggplant (the small Italian variety), onions or spinach in the mix.  Beef, pork, tofu or shrimp might stand in for the chicken.  I do recommend that you limit yourself to 4 vegetables and only 1 protein.  Otherwise the flavors tend to get all muddled together, and not in a good way.  Also, you may not have a big enough pan!

Thanks to my wife for handling the cooking!

Share contents used:
Bok Choy
Scallions

Ingredients
1 tbs canola or vegetable oil
1 tsp grated ginger
Pinch of crushed red pepper (or more to taste)
1 lb Bok Choy, stems and leafs separated,  both cut into 1/4" sticks.
4 scallions, cut into 1" peices
1 chicken breast, cut in to 1/4" x 2" strips
4 cups broccoli florets
1 large carrot (or a handful of baby carrots)
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs mirin
1 tbs cooking sake
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp corn starch
1 tsp sesame oil

Preparation
Stir fry cooking moves fast, so clean, chop or otherwise prep all your ingredients before you start cooking.

Cook the broccoli ahead of time by boiling it for 3-5 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

Made the sauce by mixing together the soy sauce, mirin, cooking sake, brown sugar and corn starch in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in your wok (or a large skillet) over high heat until very hot, but not quite smoking.  Season the chicken strips with salt and add to the wok.  Cook, stirring frequently until the chicken is just cooked through, then remove from the wok to a small bowl.  Add the ginger and red pepper flakes to the wok and stir for 10 seconds, then add all the vegetables except the broccoli. Cook, stirring frequently until the vegetables are just starting to soften.  Timing on this will depend on what you are using and how thick your slices are, so start tasting after about 3 minutes.  You want them to be just slightly under-cooked before moving to the next step. Add the broccoli, chicken and sauce mixture to the wok and cook for another minute, stirring to combine everything.  Taste to ensure the vegetables are cooked to your liking, I try to shoot for keeping them still crisp, though this is easier said than done.  Turn off the heat.  Mix in the sesame oil and serve immediately over rice.