Chicken With Caramelized Onion and Cardamom Rice

Adapted from "Jerusalem: A Cookbook" by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Ingredients
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced (3 cups)
3 1/2 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and/or chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
20 cardamom pods
1/4 c currants
1 tsp whole cloves
4 long cinnamon sticks, broken in two
2 1/2 cups basmati rice
3 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 Tbsp fresh chopped dill leaves
2-3 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan (for which you have a lid) over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 10 to 15 minutes (uncovered), stirring occasionally, until the onion has turned a deep golden brown. Transfer the onion to a small bowl.

2. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl and season with 2 tsp each salt and black pepper. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and use your hands to mix everything together well.

3. Heat the frying pan again (this time on high) and place the chicken and spices in it. Sear chicken for 5 minutes on each side and remove from the pan. The spices can stay in the pan, but don’t worry if they stick to the chicken.

4. Add the rice, caramelized onion, currants, 1 tsp salt and black pepper (to taste) to the pan. Stir well and return the seared chicken to the pan, skin-side up, pushing it into the rice.

5. Pour the boiling water over the rice and chicken, cover the pan, and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. (If rice seems insufficiently cooked after 30 min, raise heat to med-low, add 1/2 c water, and cook for 10 more min.)

6. Take the pan off the heat, remove the lid, quickly place a clean tea towel over the pan, and seal again with the lid. Leave the dish undisturbed for another 10 minutes. Remove the lid and tea towel, add the herbs, and use a fork to stir them in and fluff up the rice. Serve hot.

YIELD: 6-8 servings

Challah (using a bread machine)

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Bread Machine Cookbook

Ingredients
3/4 c water
2 eggs
3 T butter or margarine
1 T honey
3 1/4 c flour*
2 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
2 tsp corn meal
1 egg, well mixed (for topping)

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in bread machine in order indicated, through yeast.
2. Set bread machine to dough and press start.
3. When dough is ready, lightly flour a large surface and divide dough into four equal sections.
4. Roll or squeeze dough into long, thin ropes (approx 20-24" each), then braid (see YouTube video below for round challah instructions).
5. Spray baking pan with Pam (or use a silicone cookie mat) and lightly sprinkle with corn meal. Place challah on pan and let rise for 1 hour in cool oven until doubled in size (or larger if desired).
6. Using basting brush, "wash" challah with egg topping. Place large piece of tinfoil very lightly over challah and return to oven.
7. Turn on oven to 350 F and set timer to 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn off oven, remove tinfoil, and let challah continue cooking for 5 minutes.
8. Place pan on cooling rack for 10 minutes, then remove challah from pan and place directly on cooling rack until completely cool.

*optionally, substitute up to 1 c white flour with wheat flour



Adopted from NYT/Joan Nathan (this replaces the ingredients as well as steps 1 & 2 above):

In bread machine pan, add:
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp hot tap water
1 tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Stir and let sit 10 minutes, until yeast mixture is a bit frothy.

Then add and mix:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs

Then turn on "dough setting" and add:
4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

English Muffin Bread for the Bread Machine

Adapted from King Arthur Flour website

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 1/2 cups  All-Purpose Flour
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

2 tsp corn meal

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients, through yeast, in bread machine pan; mix on dough setting. 

2. When dough is ready (usually 1 1/2 hours), spray loaf pan with Pam and sprinkle corn meal in bottom and sides of pan. Place dough in pan.

3. Place loaf pan in cool oven and let rise 1 hour or until doubled.

4. Turn on oven to 350 F and set timer for 35 minutes (cook while oven is heating up). After 35 minutes, turn off oven and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

5. Remove pan from oven and place on cooling rack. Cool 5 minutes, then remove loaf from pan. Cool completely before placing in plastic bag.

Yields one delicious 1.5 lb loaf

High-Fiber (yet tasty!) Wheat-Bran Bread

Adapted from an Allrecipes.com recipe

Ingredients
1 1/2 c warm water
2 T dry milk powder
2 T vegetable oil
2 T molasses
2 T honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c white flour
1 c whole bran cereal
3-4 T vital wheat gluten
2 tsp active dry yeast
3-4 T crushed flax seed

Directions
1. Place in bread machine in order shown, through yeast.
2. Set on dough and press start; after 30 minutes, turn off bread machine.
3. Add flax seed and start bread machine from beginning (1 1/2 hours on dough setting); the extra mixing will allow the dough to rise more.
4. When dough setting is completed, spray loaf pan with Pam and place dough in pan.
5. Place in cool oven for 1 hour. If dough hasn't risen sufficiently, turn oven on 200 F and let rise for 30 minutes (including while oven is heating).
6. Leaving loaf pan in oven, turn oven to 350 F and set timer for 35 minutes.
7. Turn oven off but leave loaf in oven for 5 more minutes.
8. Set loaf pan on cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and let cool completely on cooling rack.

Note: if your bread machine has a time-delay setting, you can prep this overnight by putting the yeast and powdered milk in last. Make an indent in the flour and carefully add the yeast and powdered milk to the indentation, so they don't touch the water until mixing begins.

Cinnamon Wheat Bread (Bread Machine and Oven)

Adapted from multiple recipes

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup water plus 1 Tbsp water
2-3 Tbsp butter, softened
2 3/4 cups all-purpose white flour
1 cup wheat flour
6 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp yeast

Filling (mix well):
1/3 c brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Place ingredients in order listed in bread machine. Select Dough setting and press start.

2. When dough is ready, lightly flour a large surface and remove dough. Using rolling pin, roll dough to approx 8-9" wide and as long as possible (dough should be about 1/2" thick max).

3. Evenly sprinkle filling on dough, and roll into loaf. Spray loaf pan with nonstick spray and place loaf in pan with the end of the long roll on the bottom (so any filling will drip into pan).

4. Place pan in unheated oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, turn oven to 350 F (ideally using Convection Bake setting) and set timer for 35 minutes. Let loaf cook while oven is heating. After 35 minutes, turn off oven, leave door closed with loaf inside, and cook for 5 more minutes while the oven cools.

5. Remove pan from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing loaf from pan. Let loaf cool completely before placing in plastic bag for storage.

Spinach, Chicken, and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

 3 cups water

 1 (14 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth

 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup - Campbell's 98% fat free

 2/3 cup wild rice, uncooked, rinsed and drained (1 box Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice, omit seasoning)

 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 2 cans (12.5 oz each) white meat chicken

 2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

Directions:
In slow cooker, combine the water, broth, cream of chicken soup, uncooked wild rice, thyme, and pepper.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3-1/2 to 4 hours.
To serve, stir in chicken and spinach.

Sausage and Vegetables with Polenta

Adapted from BHG

 

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1 pound tube refrigerated cooked polenta, cut into 12 slices and quartered
8 ounces light smoked turkey sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 medium red, green, and/or yellow sweet peppers, cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium onion, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup purchased pasta sauce

 

Directions

1. In an 12-inch nonstick skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add polenta in a single layer; cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet; keep warm.

2. Add sausage, sweet peppers, onion, and mushrooms to skillet. Cook and stir until sausage is brown and vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in pasta sauce. Add polenta; gently toss to combine ingredients. Heat through. Makes 4 servings.