Fried Chicken

- Crispy

- Crunchy

- Perfect for dipping

Recipe

This fried chicken is crispy, moist, and flavorful. 

6 slices gluten free white sandwich bread OR regular if you eat wheat
1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs or breast, cut into about 1 x 3 inch strips
Combine: 1 cup cornstarch, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dreid oregano, 1 tsp salt
Grape seed oil, as needed -- enough to cover 1/2 to 2/3 of the chicken height as it cooks in the pan (depends on size of pan you use)*
2 egg whites

Directions: 

Breadcrumbs - can make 1 week ahead and store in an air tight container.
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Slice the bread into 1 inch pieces, spread them out on a large baking sheet and toast until light golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. Once bread crumbs are completely cool and dry, pulse them in the food processor until the sizes are mostly rice kernel size with some more fine crumbs at the bottom. Place in a bowl with a few dashes of salt. 

Chicken - can prepare 1 day ahead.
2. To prepare the chicken rinse, dry, and slice it. Whisk together the cornstarch, paprika, thyme, oregano, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Dredge chicken in mixture. Only touch the wet part of the chicken with one "wet" hand and the dry part of the chicken with the other hand to avoid getting doughy fingers and interfering with the dredging process (see “what I learned from this recipe” below). If your hands become dough-y, wash and dry them. Do your best to cover all areas of chicken with cornstarch and then gently shake off excess and place chicken on a rack (or on a dry plate). Allow chicken to rest for 1/2 hour (or over night) until most of the white is “gone" because it has absorbed liquid from the chicken. At this point, the chicken should be dry or only slightly damp to the touch. 

Frying Chicken
3. Line 2 plates or a baking sheet with paper towels (where the cooked chicken can cool). In another bowl place 2 egg whites. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a large, shallow pan over medium high heat. Dredge the chicken in the egg white and then in bread crumbs. Spoon bread crumbs over the chicken making sure it is completely covered. Then place in hot oil. Oil should be just hot enough that the chicken sizzles as it cooks. It is important to cook chicken completely. I usually cook them 6 minutes per side, depending on the size of the piece (or longer). They are usually done when the breading becomes a golden brown. (To be sure they are done, remove from oil and insert a thermometer. When it reads 165F they are cooked.) 

4. Place the cooked chicken on the paper towel-lined plates, leaving 1-2 inches between pieces. If the pieces are crowded or touching each other, they will steam as they cool and lose their crispiness so be sure to give them space as they cool. Serve warm with ketchup or barbecue sauce. Re-heat leftovers in oven for crispiest results.

* You can substitute peanut, coconut or canola oil instead. 

What I learned when making this dish (and other fried dishes): 

1. Choose a light, airy bread if that is the type of coating you prefer. I generally like to eat denser, whole grain breads, but for breading I choose gluten free white sandwich bread (like Glutino brand).

2. Do not over toast the bread because you want the bread to do most of its cooking with the chicken in the oil. If the crumbs are already brown, they will become too dark and hard crunchy instead of a nice crispy outside.

3. Grind the bread crumbs to uneven pieces. You want small pieces all the way to tiny pieces of bread crumbs (think rice kernel size to poppy seed size). These varying sizes help ensure that all of the surface area of the chicken is covered with bread crumbs. The large pieces make the majority of the crust while the small pieces fill in the spaces between them. This is why it also helps to gently place the chicken on the bread crumbs and then to flip it over and spoon crumbs over the top (the small bread crumbs usually sink to the bottom of the bread bowl so spoon them up and over the chicken will help small pieces fill the spaces between the larger bread crumbs on the chicken.)

4. Allow the cornstarch to rest on the chicken. If you dip the chicken in the cornstarch and then the egg mixture, often the eggs mixture will “fall” off part of it if you have excess cornstarch on the chicken, which is easy to do. Allowing the cornstarch to rest, makes it less likely that there will be too much dry cornstarch.

5. When breading the chicken, be sure to use one dry hand and one wet hand. You may be wondering what this means. When you bread food have you ever ended up with a dough-y mess on the ends of your fingers? You want to avoid this. This means the dough that should be sticking to your chicken is sticking to your fingers. If the dough comes off the chicken you may be left with parts of the chicken that are not covered properly, which can result in over-oily breading that is not crispy. The breading provides a layer around the chicken and you want it to be fully covered.

Lemon Tarragon Chicken

This recipe is delicious and very quick to make. It is my go-to when I have had a long day and just need a dinner that is refreshing and healthy (lemon and extra virgin olive oil are both known for their health benefits). Leftovers are great on their own or in chicken sandwiches.

* Images may differ slightly from recipe

Recipe

1.5 lbs boneless and skinless chicken, breast or thighs
1 lemon, juice (zest, optional)
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the chicken and remove large pieces of fat. Place pieces in a single layer in an 8 x 8 glass baking dish (or larger if needed). Squeeze lemon over chicken and drizzle olive oil over the top. Then sprinkle the tarragon, salt and black pepper over the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes or until done.

Minestrone Soup

Healthy and packed with flavor.

This recipe was inspired by the Sardinian diet, where people live into old age leading active, traditional lives in the hilly countryside of the Mediterranean.  It is both soothing and revitalizing and I enjoy it most served with warm bread dipped in olive oil and dukkah, a simple nut and spice blend. This recipe is equally enjoyable 1-3 days after it is made.

Recipe

1 onion
1 small bulb of fennel, include stalks and fronds
4 carrots
4 stalks celery
1/3 cup white wine
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp fresh rosemary
2 tsp fresh sage
1/4 tsp cayenne, or to taste
black pepper, to taste
1 13 oz can tomatoes, diced
2 quarts chicken broth OR vegetable broth for vegan
2/3 cup quinoa
1/2 cup dry spaghetti, broken into 1 inch pieces, or small pasta

Directions:
Chop the veggies into the small pieces. Salute the onions, fennel, and 1/4 tsp salt for about 5 minutes. Then add carrots and celery and sauté for about 4 minutes. Thinly slice the sage, and rosemary and add to vegetables and stir. Add the wine and tomatoes with their juice, followed by the rest of the ingredients, minus the pasta. Cook for about 15 minutes and add the pasta when the quinoa is still al dente. Once pasta is al dente turn the heat off and allow the soup to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Garnish with lemon, parsley, or parmesan (optional).

Notes:
This recipe is flexible and how you like it depends on your taste. You can try substituting ingredients or herbs to make new combinations. First, however, I do recommend trying it as is for a dependable and delicious version of minestrone.

Roasted Beef with Eggplant Puree, Peppers & Tomatoes

Smokey, Rich, & Healthy... 
 

In Turkish this recipe is called Sultan's Delight, and for a good reason: it can please even the pickiest of eaters. Stewed beef, or more traditionally stewed lamb, is served over creamy eggplant béchamel alongside fire-roasted green peppers and tomatoes au jus. It is not your average throw-together meal, but the extra work is well worth it as it is probably unlike any dish you have ever tasted. 

Recipe

This recipe is an adapted version from the book Sultan’s Kitchen. It has three components to it, as listed below. 

Stew

2 lbs lamb shoulder or beef chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces OR russet potatoes, 1" cubed for vegan
1 tbsp clarified butter (or preferred oil for vegan)
2 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cups beef stock or water
2 tsp tomato paste
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp thyme
¼ tsp red pepper (optional) 
½ tsp salt OR 1 tbsp soy sauce for vegan option
¼ tsp black pepper (optional) 

Vegan option: 10 oz mushrooms, sliced and sauteed over medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Add to stew when potatoes are still al dente. 

Vegetables
  
4 cubanelle peppers, or 1-2 green bell peppers, whole
4 roma tomatoes, whole (or preferred variety for roasting) 
2 American eggplants or 4 Italian eggplants
2 lemons, juiced
water, as needed

Sauce

Eggplants, mashed
¾ cup coconut cream (or regular cream)
2-4 Tbsp clarified butter (or coconut oil)
2 tsp glutinous rice flour (or cornstarch) 
1 tbsp water
½ - 1 tsp salt, or to taste

Directions:

Stew 

1. Slice the vegetables and set aside. Slice the meat into 1 x 2 inch pieces (or potatoes). Place a large sauté pan over a medium high burner and add 2 tsp oil (clarified butter, grape seed or canola). Brown the meat (or potatoes) in batches on both sides with at least 1 inch space between the pieces. The oil should sizzle when the meat contacts the pan. Set the meat aside and sauté the onion over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Place all meat back in the pan with the onions and add stock or water to deglaze the pan. Then add the rest of the stew ingredients. Simmer over low heat until meat is tender, about 1 ½ hours. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.

Vegan note: If using potatoes, the cook time will be less than 1/2 hour. 

Vegetables 

2. Place oven rack on top of second most top position in the oven, a couple inches below the broiler. Preheat the oven to a high broil. Lay the vegetables on a large baking sheet with at least 2 inches between them. Roast until vegetables are soft and have blackened spots. The eggplant should be very soft when done (it should feel squishy when pierced with a fork). The tomatoes and peppers will finish cooking before the eggplant and will need to be removed from the baking sheet to cool. 

3. Place the tomatoes and Italian peppers aside. If using bell peppers place in a Ziploc bag (or heatproof container with a lid) for about 7 minutes (or longer) while cooling. This makes the skin easier to remove later. Once cool enough to handle, peel the eggplant trying to just remove the dark skin. Once the skin is removed, place the eggplant in lemon water mixture. To make the lemon water, fill a large nonreactive bowl with enough water to submerge the eggplant and squeeze two lemons into the water. Allow eggplant to sit in mixture for about 20 minutes. Peel the bell pepper if using and set aside. 

Sauce 

4. Rinse the eggplant and mash it with a fork. Set it aside while you melt 2 tbsp butter over medium low heat in a medium sized pan. Add the mashed eggplant and cream (or coconut cream). Lastly, mix the flour (or cornstarch) with about 1 tbsp of cool water and pour into mixture while whisking. Turn the heat up to medium and stir until the sauce simmers and thickens. Salt to taste. 

5. Place ½ cup of eggplant puree on a plate. Ladle beef on top with some of the stew juice. Place roasted tomato and pepper alongside. Serve as is, or with parsley sprinkled over the top. 

Nectarine, Tomato & Black Rice Salad with Mint & Cream

What is it like?

- fresh

- summery

- satisfying
 

Recipe

This recipe is a traditional Italian recipe and is inspired by Splendid Table’s recipe. However, this recipe is made deliciously dairy free, incorporates whole grains, nuts, and mint instead of basil.

3/4 cup wild or black rice, cooked according to package directions and cooled to room temperature, optional
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 ripe nectarines
3 medium roma tomatoes, or 12 cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup mint, ribboned
1/4 cup coconut cream
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic is good too)
salt & black pepper to taste
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Optional additions
1 fennel bulb, sliced thin
1-2 cups baby spinach
1 cup microgreens

Directions
Have the black rice cooked and at room temperature. Toss rice with olive oil and salt, then layer on top with sliced of nectarines, tomatoes, and mint. Spoon coconut cream on top, then drizzle with vinegar, and sprinkle with black pepper and almonds.

Notes:
If you desire extra vegetables, add in the optional ingredients.
This recipe’s ratios are forgiving, so if you desire extra olive oil, drizzle it on top of the prepared dish.