Roasted Chicken and Brussels Sprouts with Pumpkin Polenta

Fall has officially arrived in Durham! We had a brief glimpse of her a few weeks ago and then it got hot and humid all over again. Now, don't get me wrong, I love hot weather. Love love love. I am definitely a summer, bathing-suit, short-wearing, water-playing kind of girl. But one of the main reasons I love the weather in NC is the change in seasons. By the end of the summer, I am ready for fall. The crisp air, the crunchy leaves and the delicious, comforting food. When I started craving all things pumpkin, I knew that I was ready for the new season. This dinner came about by trying to figure out what to do with the random items I'd purchased at the store and the desire to satisfy my fall, comfort food cravings. And it definitely did the trick. The flavors meld together to taste a lot like a Thanksgiving meal but without the hours of work.

I recommend getting a jar of Herbes de Provence for your spice rack. One little jar includes a rich, aromatic blend of herbs, including thyme, basil and lavender. A good sprinkling of the blend can lend a ton of flavor to a dish without needing to buy a lot of individual herbs and spices. I also recommend keeping some canned pumpkin on hand this time of year. Make sure it is plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling as that's a whole different animal. You can easily stir some canned pumpkin into risotto, quinoa, or polenta to make a simple side into something perfect for the season.

Roasted Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 1 - 1.3 lbs
• 1 bunch Brussels sprouts
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp herbes de Provence
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 cup chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large, oven proof dish (I use my dutch oven), heat the oil over medium to medium-high heat.
Season the top side of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
When the pan is very hot - the oil should shimmer and move easily around the pan - add the chicken, seasoned side down.
Let the chicken cook without moving them for about 8-10 minutes. This will give them that nice golden color and the meat will tear if you try to move them before they're ready.
Season the underside of the thighs and then remove them from the pan to standby.
While the chicken is browning, wash the Brussels sprouts and trim off the ends. I usually cut them in half unless they are very small or even into quarters if they're very large.
After removing the chicken, turn the heat down a bit and add the sprouts and garlic to the pan.
Season with a bit more salt and pepper and add the Herbes de Provence.
Saute for a couple of minutes and then add the chicken stock.
Stir to get all of the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
Add the chicken back into the pan, brown side up.
Place the pan into the oven and roast for about 20 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
Serve over pumpkin polenta.

Pumpkin Polenta

• 3 cups of liquid (milk, stock, water or a combination)
• 1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1 cup polenta
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2-3 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Bring the liquid to a low boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Be careful if you're using milk as it will quickly boil over and make a big mess. I usually remove the lid when it starts to simmer.
Turn the heat down to low.
Slowly pour in the polenta and stir to combine, breaking up any lumps. Season with a pinch of salt.
Once the polenta is combined, stir in the pumpkin. I use a metal whisk to break up any lumps and make a creamy polenta.
Continue stirring until the polenta thickens and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Remove from the heat, add butter and Parmesan cheese.
Stir to combine, and let sit, covered for a minute or so.

For a printable recipe click here

Spicy Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

I have recently become obsessed with Pinterest. I'm probably late on this one but if you haven't joined the world of pinning, I highly recommend it. Or, possibly not, if you want to actually get anything else done. It tends to suck up a lot of time. But if you don't mind spending some extra minutes (or hours) perusing recipes, pictures of cute animals, fashionable shoes, etc. then it's definitely worth it. My boards on Pinterest focus mostly on food of course with some cute baby stuff and fancy shoes thrown into the mix. Follow me here if you're interested in checking it out!

Anyway, I made my first recipe from Pinterest last night and since I can't actually follow a recipe without adding my own spin, I decided to finally write a post and share it with you here. The original recipe is from Fitness Magazine and looks quite delicious. I just thought it lacked a little spice and seasoning so I added a few things and adjusted to my taste. As for the spiciness, you can add as much or as little as you like depending on your taste buds. I think the bit of Sriracha (Thai hot sauce) in the soup adds a great warmth without being too spicy and then any extra on top works for a true kick. Also, this made a ton of soup. We like leftovers so no problems here but you could easily cut back on the amount of broth and noodles and make less soup. When the noodles are added to the broth, they suck up a lot of liquid. If you'd like even less soupiness, this could easily become more of a stirfry than a soup by cutting back on the broth. Either way, it's a very yummy way to experiment.

Spicy Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

• 1 tbsp sesame oil (vegetable oil would also work)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (or 1 tbsp soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp Sriracha
• 6 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 12 oz bag of broccoli slaw (shredded broccoli and carrots)
• 10 oz bag shredded green cabbage
• 8 oz brown rice noodles
• 1 cup canned bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Add garlic, grated ginger and seasoned chicken to the hot oil, before oil starts to smoke.

Saute until the chicken is no longer pick on the outside, about 10 minutes.

Stir the peanut butter into the crushed tomatoes.

Add tomato/peanut butter mixture, fish sauce, Sriracha and stock to the pot.

Bring the mixture to a boil. (Comes to a boil quicker if you put the lid on the pot.)

Stir broccoli slaw into the soup, reduce heat back to medium and cook for about five minutes.

While broccoli is cooking, soak the rice noodles in hot water.

Drain the rice noodles and add them along with the green cabbage to the soup.

Cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Add a pinch of salt or a bit more fish stock if needed.

Turn the heat off and stir in the bean sprouts.

Top with more Sriracha, according to taste.

Print recipe here

Chicken (or Turkey) Pot Pie and Happy Anniversary!

Happy anniversary to me! Today marks the one year anniversary of Bull City Food. A lot has happened in one year... all sorts of recipes, the changing of seasons, and oh yea, that whole wedding thing. :) It's been a great year for Bull City Food, which is hopefully only the first of many years of cooking and writing. My first recipe was made from leftovers of a Thanksgiving feast, so it's only fitting that I do another leftover special for this anniversary edition.

This year it's all about pot pie. And since I've finally accepted my gluten intolerance, it must be a gluten free version. Although, I promise no one would know the difference if they tried this pot pie; it's that good. However, if you would prefer to make a regular pot pie, just use any biscuit or dumpling recipe you like. (I'm sure the recipe on the Bisquick box would work just fine.) Because most of us tend to have lots of turkey left over after Thanksgiving, this is a perfect way to use up leftovers. But it also works well with chicken, so feel free to use up any leftover chicken you have from baked chicken or whole roasted chicken any time of the year.

Chicken (or Turkey) Pot Pie Filling

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2.5-3 cups chicken stock
• 1 pound cooked chicken or turkey, skinned and cubed (about 3 cups)
• 3/4 cup green peas
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2-3 tbsp water
• Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Saute onion, carrots and celery until onion is soft and translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
Add garlic and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Saute another two minutes.
Pour in chicken stock and add cooked chicken or turkey, thyme and peas (it's ok if they're frozen).
Simmer until liquid is reduced, about 10 minutes.
In a small bowl or cup, mix cornstarch and water until cornstarch is dissolved. Pour into soup mixture and bring to a boil. Allow the soup to boil for a few minutes to thicken.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour soup into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
Top soup with tablespoons of biscuit dough and cook in a preheated 400˚F oven for 25-30 minutes until filling is bubbling and biscuits are browned.

Gluten Free Crust:

• 1 3/4 cups gluten free all-purpose baking flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
• 1 1/2 tsp xantham gum
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 cup butter (room temp)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 large egg (beaten)
• 1/2 tsp cider vinegar

Combine dry ingredients, flour through thyme, in a large bowl.
Add butter, milk, egg and vinegar and mix together thoroughly.

For a printable recipe click here
Recipe adapted from Bob's Red Mill website

Chicken, Tomato and Ricotta Pasta Sauce

In general, I try to plan my meals. Even if this ends up happening at the store, I like to have an idea of what I'm going to make, and what will go together, ahead of time. This way I don't end up starting a meal only to realize I'm missing the main ingredient, or some crucial component. You don't want to start making macaroni and cheese and realize you have no macaroni, or something along those lines. I also try to buy just enough of perishable items as I'll need for a certain meal so that I don't end up throwing things out because they sat in my refrigerator too long. However, you cannot always buy things in the exact quantity you want. Fruits and vegetables generally come in manageable amounts that can be made smaller or larger, based on your needs. Dairy, on the other hand, comes prepackaged and must be purchased as a whole. I don't think there are any grocery stores that let you take just one cup of buttermilk or two tablespoons of sour cream. Wouldn't that be nice? So when I buy a package of something and don't use all of it, I hate to throw the rest out. But when it is an item that I don't use frequently, I have to get creative.

One night this week, I found myself with a head of broccoli and a package of chicken breasts. I knew that I could use both of these things easily when I bought them so I hadn't really planned what I wanted to do with them. I could always chop them both up and make a stirfry over rice. But I've done that. As I was looking through my refrigerator for inspiration, I realized that I had half a container of part-skim ricotta left over from my pizza making last week. Rather than let it sit in the back of my refrigerator till it was past the point of healthy use, I decided to figure out a way to incorporate into my dinner. What goes better with ricotta cheese than tomatoes, I thought. I didn't want to make an entire lasagna, of course, but I figured I could make a simple pasta sauce with flavors reminiscent of lasagna. Toss the chicken in and boil up some pasta, and I'd have myself a meal. The rest of the ingredients were all things I had on hand so it didn't take long to make this simple dinner. A whole lot easier than making a lasagna from scratch, this sauce could easily be made with ground meat or spinach, depending on what type of lasagna you like. Cutting the chicken into small pieces makes it cook a lot faster so the whole meal is done in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta.

Chicken, Tomato and Ricotta Pasta Sauce (serves 4)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 x 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta
• 8-12 oz penne pasta
• Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional) 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Saute shallot for a few minutes to soften. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
Add chicken and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Cook until chicken is almost cooked through (it will continue cooking in the sauce).
Add thyme, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes and both cans of tomatoes. Stir to combine.
Simmer until sauce thickens, about 10-12 minutes. Remove thyme stems.
Turn heat off and stir in ricotta cheese. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and toss with hot sauce.
Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

For a printable recipe click here


Chicken, Tomato and Ricotta Pasta Sauce

A Caribbean Inspired Dinner

Recently Gavin and I have been searching tons of travel sites to plan our honeymoon. Although I'm super excited to go on a tropical vacation (probably Costa Rica) for our honeymoon, the four months till that happens seems like a long time to wait. Looking at pictures of beautiful beaches coupled with talking to a friend of mine who set off for St. Thomas today has peaked my desire for hot sun, crystal-clear blue water and maybe even a margarita. Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of a busy quarter at school and Gavin has to save up his vacation days for that actual tropical adventure we are planning to take in the fall. So instead of blowing all of those things off and jumping on the first plane to a beach, I decided to make a dinner worthy of any Caribbean island. I know it's not the same, but it definitely felt nice to spend an hour or so pretending. And with the super hot weather in NC, all you have to do is open a window and you'll feel like the beach is right around the corner. Nothing says island eating to me more than pineapple, so this entire dinner is centered around that delicious, tropical fruit. Play a little Caribbean music, open the window, and pretend for a bit that you're somewhere tropical.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa:
(Can be made up to 3 days ahead. Refrigerate until ready to use.)

• 1/2 of a fresh pineapple (see below for tips*)
• 1 red bell pepper, small dice (reserve 1/3 for rice pilaf)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• Juice of 2 limes
• Salt and pepper

Grill the two slices of pineapple on a grill pan over medium high heat (or better yet, fire up the grill) for about 8-10 minutes per side, being careful to avoid burning.
Let the pineapple cool and slice into small cubes, about 1/2 inch.
Combine the pineapple, red pepper, jalapeno and lime juice.
Season with salt and pepper, mixing well.

*Although you won't need the whole thing for this meal, go ahead and buy a whole, fresh pineapple since it's worlds better (and cheaper) than the pre-cut or canned versions. To prepare the pineapple, first cut of the top and bottom. The flattened bottom will then provide a sturdy base to cut off the outside going from top to bottom. Then cut the pineapple into four quarters, again from top to bottom. To remove the tough core, lay each quarter flat and cut in at a diagonal. Chop two of the quarters into bite size pieces for delicious snacking. The other two quarters will go into the pineapple salsa.

Pineapple Chicken with Sweet and Spicy Rice:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds)
• 18 fl oz pineapple juice (3 x 6 oz cans)
• Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper (reserved from salsa)
  
• 1/4 cup onion, small dice
• 1 cup brown rice
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper

Marinate the chicken breasts in 12 fl oz (2 cans) of pineapple juice, a couple dashes of Tabasco and salt and pepper for at least one hour and up to 8.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan with a lid over medium heat.
Saute the onions for a few minutes until they start to become translucent.
Add the bell pepper and saute another minute.
Add the rice and stir to coat. Season with a pinch of cayenne and some salt.
Pour the remaining 6 fl oz of pineapple juice into a 1 cup measuring cup and top off with water.
Pour that into the rice along with another 1 and 1/4 cups of water.
Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Fluff with a fork when done.

While the rice is cooking, heat a grill pan over medium high heat, or use an outdoor grill.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, season with salt and pepper, and grill on both sides for about 5-8 minutes or until cooked all the way through.
Serve with the Grilled Pineapple Salsa and rice pilaf.

For a printable salsa recipe, click here.
For chicken and rice, click here.


Grilled Pineapple and Jalapeno Salsa

Spicy Chicken Pasta

I want to begin by apologizing for my lack of posts this month. I realize it's over half way through April and I've only posted twice! My only excuse is that I've been incredibly busy with school work (and some wedding planning thrown in there too!) but since everyone is busy with something or another, I will try to do better. This dish is great for anyone who is busy and doesn't want a long cooking time or a lot of dishes to do after the meal is over. I know that after a long day of school (or work) I want to enjoy a good meal without a lot of work either before or after. This meal needs a large pot for boiling the pasta and one large pan with a lid to cook everything else. With lean chicken breast, zucchini and tomatoes, this dish is definitely healthy and if you use whole wheat pasta, which I highly recommend for its delicious nutty flavor, you'll add even more health benefits like fiber. All in all, a simple weeknight dinner that's great for both your mental and physical health.

Spicy chicken pasta

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp dried basil
  
• 1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3-4 medium zucchini
• 1/4 c parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 lb whole wheat penne pasta (or whatever type you like)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan, with a lid.
Saute the garlic and red pepper flakes for about 30 seconds.
Pour in both cans of tomatoes, stirring to combine; season with basil, a pinch of salt and pepper.
Stir in the chicken and cover; cook for about 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
Slice the zucchini lengthwise into four spears (half and then half again), then cut into 1/2 thick sections.
Stir zucchini in with chicken and cover; cook for another 5 to 8 minutes, until zucchini are tender; remove chicken as it cooks through.
When water comes to a boil, cook pasta according to package directions, about 10 minutes.
Drain pasta and toss with sauce and parmesan cheese; adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

For a printable recipe click here


Spicy Chicken Pasta

Chicken in Mushroom and White Wine Sauce

I was completely stumped tonight on what to make for dinner. I was feeling totally uninspired at the grocery store today and just picked up a few things to try to come up with something at home. This is not a strategy I recommend. It's much better to make a plan before going to the store to ensure buying the right ingredients and not missing anything when cooking starts. I usually do this myself but for whatever reason I couldn't think of anything I wanted to make earlier today. So I ended buying a package of portobello mushrooms, chicken breasts, and asparagus (which are in season right now and absolutely fantastic). With these simple ingredients and a few things I had on hand, I managed to make a pretty good version of a dish I made in one of my cooking classes earlier this year. The dish we made in class is Chicken Chardonnay, a classic mix of mushrooms, Chardonnay and cream served over breaded chicken. The version I made is much lighter but still full of flavor. I used portobellos because that's what I bought, but any mushrooms would work. I also had a bottle of Verdejo, a white wine from the Rueda region of Spain, on hand so I used that instead of Chardonnay. Any dry white wine will work fine. I served the chicken over bulgur cooked in chicken broth with a side of roasted asparagus. For not much planning, this turned out to be a great weeknight meal.

Chicken in Mushroom and White Wine Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1-1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 tbsp low-sodium grill seasoning, or a combination of garlic salt, pepper and cayenne
• 2 portobello mushroom caps, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
Season both sides of the chicken with grill seasoning or spice mixture.
When oil is hot, place chicken in the pan and cook on one side for about 5-8 minutes, till golden brown on the bottom.
Flip the chicken over and finish cooking through, another 5-8 minutes, depending on the thickness.
Remove chicken and reserve on a plate; cover with tinfoil.
Toss the mushrooms in the same saute pan.
Allow to brown for a few minutes before seasoning with salt and pepper; cook until tender.
Pour in the white wine, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan; reduce by about half.
Pour in the chicken stock, let boil for a few minutes and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Slice the chicken and serve over bulgur or rice and cover with the sauce.

For a printable recipe click here


Chicken In Mushroom and White Wine Sauce