Chicken and Rice with Fennel and Peppers

So this meal I was very excited about for a couple of reasons. 1. Its a one pot meal! 2. I've never had Fennel before. 3. Its chicken and rice!

This recipe packed so much flavor I'll definitely be cooking this again.  I'm definitely a fan of trying new veggies and the fennel was delicious.  The other great thing about it is its in season, which means its cheap.  I'm on a kick right now where I'm trying to only purchase veggies and fruits that are in season.  Typically this will mean you can buy locally too.

Chicken and Rice with Fennel and Peppers

For the chicken:

1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tbs. grapeseed oil

For the rice:
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper sliced
1 Fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 tbs. olive oil
2 cups rice, dry
Heaping tbs. tomato paste
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

For the chicken:

1. Combine Cumin, Paprika, Salt and Pepper in a small bowl.  Season the chicken thighs on both sides with the spice mix.

2. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Once it is hot, add the chicken and sea until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

For the Rice:

1. Add the onion, bell peppers, and fennel to the pan, stir to combine, and cook until the vegetables begin to soften and the onions become translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.  While the veggies are cooking slice the chicken into bite sized pieces (don't worry if its a tad undercooked it'll finish cooking in a minute).

2. Add olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add rice and stir to coat. Cook the rice until its lightly browned. Add tomato paste and stir to combine.

3. Add chicken and veggies back to the skillet. Pour in the broth and stir to combine. Season with oregano, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper.  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered for 20 - 30 minutes.

 

 

Check back on Friday I'll be Cooking up some Salmon and Bok Choy.

Skillet Eggs with Shredded Squash and Zucchini

So the other day I promised myself I would be better at blogging and I failed! But none the less I will continue to try! From our CSA box this past week we received a dozen eggs and a ton of squash and zucchini! So I went on the hunt for a recipe to use as many eggs and squash and zucchini possible.

This dish turned out to be soooo flavorful and filling! I wasn't sure when I was fixing it how much I would really like it, But I'll definitely make this again....and SOON

Skillet Eggs with Shredded Zucchini and Squash

3 medium sized squash
3 medium sized zucchini
1/4 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. cinnamon
5 Eggs
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
2 1/2 tsp butter

1. Grate Squash and Zucchini into a colander. Toss with 1 tbs. salt then let drain for 30 - 40 minutes. Squeeze Squash and Zucchini to remove any liquid as possible.

2. Preheat oven to 375. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add shredded zucchini, squash and chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender about 7 minutes.  Stir in the parsley, cinnamon, and pepper to taste. Cook until the mixture is slightly dry. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

3. Spread Squash and Zucchini mixture evenly in the skillet. Make 5 indentions with the back of a spoon. put 1/2 tsp. butter into each indention. One at a time crack the 5 eggs into the different indentions. Season with Salt and Pepper

 

 

4. Sprinkle Cheese  over the mixture. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are cooked to desired doneness. 10 - 12 minutes

Agave-Soy Glazed Salmon

Now for the last week I haven't had any meat, by choice and I've not minded or even craved meat! But I was ready for some fish! I couldn't wait to make this Agave Soy Glazed Salmon, that just sounds yummy!!!

I was right it was delicious!  Since we had some couscous mixture still left over, I decided to just heat it up and make that our side!  Though I think it would have been yummy with a some cooked peas as well


Agave-Soy Glazed Salmon

1/4 cup agave
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tbsp. lime juice
2 salmon fillets


1. Heat oven to 450. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Place Salmon skin down, in prepared dish.



2. In a small bowl, whisk together agave, soy sauce, garlic and lime juice.   Pour half the sauce over top of Salmon.

 

3. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Spoon some of the remaining sauce over salmon; bake for an addition 5 minutes.

 

 

 

Meatless Monday: Flounder Fillets with Curry, Wine, and Pecan Sauce over a bed of Sauteed Spinach

Tonight's supper was inspired by what we had in the pantry/fridge because it rained all day today and I didn't want to go out in that nasty weather.  Not long ago Edgar made a Curry Tofu dish (which was DELISH). So we have been trying to come up with a place to use the curry paste we had.  I decided maybe it would be good on flounder since tonight is meatless Monday, after all.

We had a bag of spinach that we needed to use before it went bad in the next couple of days. Some garlic that was sprouting, and half a onion. so I decided a bed of sautéed spinach, onion, and garlic would be a nice side item!  It turned out to be a divine idea (I'm going to have to try this method of cooking more often!)  Everything was yummy, The wine and broth really turned down the curry paste.  Overall I think the flavors mixed very nicely!!!!

Flounder Fillets with Curry, Wine and Walnut Sauce

2 Flounder Fillets
1 tablespoons Red Curry Paste, divided
1/2 Cup Vegetable Broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup White Wine (I used a Riesling)
1/2 cup Pecan pieces
2 tablespoons Italian Parsley
salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 325.

2. Season fillets with sea salt and pepper. Place in shallow baking dish.

3. Spread curry paste over flounder fillets, add broth and wine over fillets.

 

 

4. Cover and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or just until fish is opaque.

5. Remove from oven and pour liquid in a small saucepan. Keep fillets warm while making sauce.  Boil liquid until only about 1/3 of it remains.

 

6. Stir in pecans, parsley, and butter. Pour over fish and serve

 

 

 

Sautéed Spinach and Onions

4 tablspoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (9 oz) bag of baby spinach
6 cloves garlic chopped
salt to taste
pepper to taste
lemon juice to taste

 

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 - 5 minutes.

3. Add spinach and toss to wilt, about 1 minute.

4. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  Transfer to serving bowl and serve.

 

 

Finished Product!!!

 

 

 

Do you ever decide to throw something together out of everything that is going to spoil soon? What do you end up making?

Check back Friday to see what I'll be cooking!!!  I'll give ya a hint: I'm using Mangos

 

 



Meatless Monday: Cutie Spinach Salad and Roasted Lemon and Rosemary Tomato Pasta

I've really been craving a good colorful, flavorful salad. I don't know how ya'll feel about salad but I always feel disappointed and gipped.  Well not tonight!  I made a Cutie Spinach Salad with a Sweet balsamic vinaigrette. YUM!  The salad is full of flavors, textures, and colors!

I felt this Tomato Pasta would be the perfect meatless Monday plate! The colors and flavors are just outta of this world! I feel like this dish is the perfect spring or summer dish.  The tomato and lemon juices mixed together nicely and balanced each other out. 

I think next time I make this dish I would either try to replace the pasta noodles with spaghetti squash, another alternative is to add squash and/or zucchini to the roasted tomatoes.

Cutie Spinach Salad 

1/2 cup spinach leaves
1 tablespoon chopped roasted almonds
1 tablespoon chopped purple onion
1 tablespoon chopped roma tomato
4 baby carrots, grated
1 cutie (small orange, or tangerine)
1 garlic clove
salt
pepper

This recipe is for one side salad

1. Peel garlic (I smush the garlic under a knife and then peel; I feel like this releases the juice).  After the garlic is peeled rub the inside of the salad bowl with your garlic just to provide a very subtle flavor. (Set this aside you can use it when making the Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette)

2. Add spinach, almonds, onion, tomato, carrots. Peel the cutie and separate them out. Since these tangerine are small I like the idea of putting an entire cutie in one salad. Put a little bit of salt and pepper on the salad.

 

YUM look at that it's kinda like spring in a bowl

Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/8 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Pepper

1. Mix all ingredients together.

YUM!!!!

 

Roasted Rosemary and Lemon Tomatoes Pasta

 

 

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Juice from 1 lemon

5 tomatoes, quartered lengthwise

3 garlic cloves, minced

 

1. Preheat oven to 400.

 

2. Chop all ingredients. Place ingredients in a large bowl; toss well to combine. Place in a baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove Tomato mixture from oven.

 

Chopped

 

 

Combined in a bowl

 

 

Mixed with olive oil

 

 

Beautiful!!! 

 

3. Preheat Broiler

 

4. Broil tomato mixture 10 minutes or until tomatoes begin to brown. Removve from oven; stir gently.

Ready to mix with the pasta

 

5. Make pasta according to box. Drain.  Add Pasta back to saucepan and stir in tomato mixture, cooking on low heat until liquid thickens.  Garnish with Parmesan Cheese

Allowing the liquid to thicken up a bit

 

 

Prep: 11 minutes

Cook: 45 minutes

 

Dinner is served!

Check back tomorrow to see how I'm cooking the Chicken!

 

What did you have for Meatless Monday?  How was it?