Belizean Stew Chicken ~ Instant Pot

We have visited Belize a number of times, but always quickly as one of many port stops on a cruise. Because of the quick visits, sadly we have rarely enjoyed the cuisine of the island.   On one of our visits though we did explore and had the opportunity to enjoy some traditional Belizean food, including the Stew Chicken.  Well, when we love something, and trust me, we adored the Stew Chicken, we have to come home and try and re-create it, and do it in our Instant Pot.  When in Belize we enjoyed the Stew Chicken with rice & beans with a side of potato salad.  While we adored the sides with the chicken,  they are a bit too carb heavy for our current diet, so we paired this almost dead-on-knock-off Belizean Stew Chicken with our favorite Toasted Cauli-rice.   This Stew Chicken with the Toasted Cauli-rice gave us all the deliciousness of being in Belize while helping to keep us fitting into our bathing suits for the next time we visit.

Belizean Stew Chicken ~ Instant Pot

• 8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on (or chicken pieces of your choice)
• 2 med. onions, sliced
• 1 TBS. coconut oil
• 2 TBS. Recado rojo
• 2 TBS. white vinegar
• 3 TBS. Coconut Aminos (or soy sauce)
• 5 cloves fresh garlic, sliced
• 2 TBS. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Medjool date, pitted and minced
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves

In a large bowl, mix together the Recado rojo, vinegar, coconut aminos, garlic, cumin, oregano, thyme, black pepper and Medjool date.  Stir to mix well.  Add the chicken pieces and mix to coat all the chicken completly with the sauce.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or over night.  When ready to make, press the saute button and add the coconut oil to the liner of the Instant Pot.  Once the oil is hot, add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until they are golden.  Remove the onions from the pot and add the chicken pieces.  Place the pieces so that they are skin side up.  Add the onions back on top of the chicken along with any sauce remaining in the bowl.  Add the chicken stock and bay leaves.  Turn off saute by pressing the Keep Warm/Cancel button.  Secure the lid and set the steam release valve to closed.  Press either the Poultry button or use the manuel button, setting time for 15 minutes.  Once the 15 minute cook time is finished, quick release the steam by opening the steam valve.  Carefully remove the chicken pieces and place them skin side up on a foil lined baking sheet.  Place the chicken under a hot broiler to crisp and toast the skin.  Serve hot, with sauce ladled on top.  Enjoy with Toasted Cauli-rice or more traditionally, with rice & beans and potato salad.  

Enjoy!!

Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup ~ Instant Pot

For over two years, we have been enjoying our adaptation of Melissa Joulwan’s Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup.  You'd think that by now we'd be tired of it and would have moved on to a different favorite soup, but truth be told, I can still eat this soup every.single.day, especially for breakfast.  It's a great way to get in some healthy bone both and it's always warm and satisifying.  It's perfectly labled by Melissa as “a healthy hug in a bowl.”  Though a simple recipe to make on the stove, it's now even easier and quicker using our Instant Pot.  Though we have the 8-qt. Instant Pot, it still holds less than our big stock pot, so I've adjusted the amounts from the stovetop recipe.  This recipe will work in either a 6-qt. or 8-qt. Instant Pot. Remember, if you do freeze the soup, you’ll need to puree it again once thawed, either by placing it in the blender or using an immersion blender.  So, if you have an abundance of zucchini or need a warm hug, make this soup!!

Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup ~ Instant Pot (adapted from here)

• 1 TBS. beef tallow or coconut oil
• 1 med. onion, diced
• 5 large fresh garlic cloves
• 1 TBS. ground ginger
• 1 TBS. ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp. Himalayan salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 3 lbs. zucchini, cut in 1/2 moons or leftover pieces
• 6 cups beef bone broth, (can also use chicken bone broth or Cheaters Chicken Soup,vegetable stock, or any mix of broth you choose)

Turn on saute mode and heat the beef tallow or coconut oil in the liner of the Instant Pot.  Add the onions and sauté until caramelized.  Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, salt & pepper.  Cook stirring continuously until toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add the bone broth and zucchini. Press Keep warm/Cancel button to stop the sauté.  Secure the lid and move the vent to closed.  Press Manuel and using the -/+ buttons, adjust the time to 10 minutes.  Once the 10 minutes are finished, allow for NPR (natural pressure release).  Once the pressure has dropped and the pin falls, remove the lid.   Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or use a blender to carefully puree (use a towel to hold the lid on the blender on whilst pureeing.) Adjust salt and pepper seasoning. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Coconut Mango Salsa Verde Chicken ~ Instant Pot

We have a favorite Salsa Verde Chicken recipe which we've enjoyed many, many times, but it was time to change it up a bit and add a twist, so enter Coconut Mango Salsa Verde Chicken.  The heat of the peppers and the creaminess of the coconut milk along with the sweetness of the mango are perfection. Add in that it cooks in the Instant Pot in just mere minutes, makes this a winning dish all around.  The dish has a good heat kick to it, but it mellows after the first day.  This reheats beautifully and don't be suprised if everyone is licking their plate to get the last bits of the sauce...it's that crazy good!

Coconut Mango Salsa Verde Chicken ~  Instant Pot

• 10-12 bone-in chicken thighs with skin (or chicken pieces of your choice)
• 8 oz. coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. cumin seed
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• juice of 1 lime
• 3/4 tsp. dark chili powder
• 3/4 tsp. sweet paprika
• 3/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 med. onion, quartered
• 8 oz. poblanos, roughly chopped, seeds and stems discarded 
• 8 oz. Cubanelle peppers, roughly chopped, seeds and stems discarded 
• 2 large jalapenos, roughly chopped, seeds and stems discarded 
• 8 oz. tomatillos, quartered

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• 2 med. red bell peppers, cut in long strips about 1/4-inch thick, seeds and stem discarded 
• 2 med. poblanos, peppers, cut in long strips about 1/4-inch thick, seeds and stem discarded 
• 8 oz. tomatillos, medium dice
• 2 mangoes, peeled and large dice
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Place the coconut milk in the liner of the Instant Pot and add the cumin seed, ground cumin, lime juice, chili powder, paprika & salt.  Stir to combine.  Add the chicken thighs, layering in, skin side up. Top the chicken with the quartered onion, roughly chopped poblanos, roughly chopped Cubanelle peppers, jalapenos and the quartered tomatillos.  Secure the lid and close the steam vent.  Use either the "Poultry" button or set manually for 15 minutes.  Once the 15 end, quick releast the steam.  

Gently remove the chicken pieces and place them skin side up on a foil lined baking sheet.  Broil the chicken 5-10 minutes to toast and crisp the skin. 

While the chicken is in the broiler, using an immersion blender, carefully blend the sauce left in the Instant Pot.  Once smooth, add the sliced red bell peppers, sliced poblanos & diced tomatillos. Secure the lid and close the steam valve.  Set manual timer for 2 minutes, high pressure.  When the 2 minutes end, quick release the steam.  Open lid and add the diced mango & cilantro and stir to combine. Check seasonings and add salt if needed.  Ladle the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Enjoy!

Malaysian Chicken Curry ~ Instant Pot

We very rarely eat out at restaurants, but when we do, it is most often Asian restaurants of one variety or another,  One of our favorite places to have a meal is in the food court of the Atlanta Chinatown Mall.  While we enjoy food from many of the different restaurants, and have our favorite dish from each, when Mama wants comfort food, it's usually the chicken curry from Hong Kong BBQ.   (It's not listed on their online-menu, but it's always available on their whiteboard menu.)  They have a Malaysian chef who creates the most flavorful and creamy curry and we just had to attempt to make it at home.  We also wanted to be able to replicate the curry in a healthy and fast way, and using the Instant Pot, we have.  Though this recipe contains quite a bit of chili pepper, it is not overly hot, closer to low-medium heat, and we leave in the seeds from the fresh Thai chilis.  If you're worried about heat, leave out the fresh Chili but we'd advise using at least half, if not all, of the red chili powder.  We serve this over Toasted Cauli-rice, but whatever you choose to serve it over, it's delicious!!  



Malaysian Chicken Curry ~ Instant Pot

• 3.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 14 oz. can coconut milk
• 2 medium sweet onions, cut into 8ths
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 2 tsp. Chinese five spice powder
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 4 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 fresh Thai red chilis (optional) diced, seeds left in or out
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Add the coconut milk and all the dry spices to the Instant Pot liner.  Stir to combine.  Add the chicken, onion & Thai red chilis and stir to coat everything well.  Close the lid and move vent to closed.  Set high pressure for 10 minutes.  After the 10 min. cook time, quick release the pressure. Stir in the fresh cilantro.  Serve over Toasted Cauli-Rice.

Enjoy!!

Toasted Cauli-Rice

A number of years ago we started eating Cauli-rice in lieu of regular rice, in an attempt to cut down on carbs and be a bit healthier.  Now whenever "rice" is served in our home, it's almost always a delicious version of a cauli-rice.  This Toasted Cauli-Rice is rich, mild and somewhat creamy, because of the ghee.  Toasting the cauliflower a bit adds just another flavor dimension.  In the picture above, the Toasted Cauli-Rice is served with our Malaysian Chicken Curry, which is quickly made in the Instant Pot.  This is a fast, healthy and delicious meal which we hope you'll try.

Toasted Cauli-Rice

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 1 TBS. ghee (or butter)
• 1 medium onion, small dice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt & pepper to taste

Wash and dry the cauliflower completely.  Cut into workable size pieces and rice using either the shredding blade of a food processor or a box grater.  Heat a large skillet and add the ghee.  Once the ghee is melted, add the riced cauliflower, onion & garlic.  Cook over medium high heat, stirring once in a while.  Cook until the onions are tender and the cauliflower starts to toast in areas.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  

Enjoy!!

Yucatan Green Chile Saute ~ Instant Pot

Chile is often on the menu at our home and this Yucatan Green Chili Saute from Melissa Joulwan's book Well Fed Weekends, has become a favorite!  We love that this is a quick onepot meal which includes protein and vegetables.  Even better, it's delicious freshly made or as leftovers.  Of course in our home, no good recipe can be left as found so we tweaked this one to our taste by mostly amping up the heat.  We also made this in the Instant Pot instead of on the stovetop.  Both are easy but we're in love with our Instant Pot and use is whenever possible. Great thing about chili, it's easily tweaked to your individual taste.  Check out both Melissa's original recipe and our adaption and make one or both, you won't be disappointed.

Yucatan Green Chile Saute ~ Instant Pot (Adapted from Well Fed Weekends)

• 1/2 TBS. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 tsp. Himalayan salt
• 1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 1/4 tsp. sweet smoked paprika
• 2/3 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 2 TBS. red wine vinegar
• 1/3 c. raisins
• 1 head cauliflower, shredded or riced
• 8 oz. roasted hatch chilies (We use fresh but can use canned.  Can also use diced green chilies)
• 1/4 c. dry roasted pumpkin seeds (shelled) when serving

Cumin - lime sauce  (have all ingredients at room temperature)

• 1 egg yolk 
• 3 TBS. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. Himalayan salt
• 1/3 cup avacado oil or light tasting olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
• 1-2 small fresh jalapenos, (seeds and ribs removed if you want less heat)

Set the Instant Pot to saute and add the olive oil, heat until warmed.  Add the onion and saute until golden.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.  Add the ground beef, salt, cumin, paprkika, pepper and oregano and brown the meat, breaking it up as it cooks.  Once browned, add the tomato paste and red wine, mix well.  Add the raisins, cauliflower and chilies.  Mix well. Lock the lid on the Instant Pot, close valve and set high pressure for 10 minutes.  Use natural pressure release.

While the chili is cooking, prepare the cumin-lime sauce.  

Place all the ingredients in a flask, and using an immersion blender, blend until thick and creamy.  Or, place all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth and thick.

Serve the chili with a drizzle of the cumin-lime sauce and sprinke on some pumpkin seeds for a little crunch.

Enjoy~~

Creamy Tomato Soup ~ Instant Pot

It's a snowy day here in Georgia and nothing is better than a hot delicious bowl of soup.  Maisie put in her request for Creamy Tomato Soup.  As we had all the necessary ingredients in the house, her wish was granted.  This recipe was made in our 8-qt Instant Pot but could easily be made in any pressure cooker or even in just a pot on the stove.  We enjoy the soup with a bit of added heavy whipping cream, just for some extra creaminess, but even without the cream the soup is creamy delicious!

Creamy Tomato Soup ~ Instant Pot

• 4 Tbsp. ghee or butter
• 1 med. onion, large dice
• 2 small potatos, peeled and large dice
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper 
• 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes
• 1 - 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 - 14.5 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 -  6 oz. can tomato paste
• 4 cups water
• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)

Heat pressure cooker and add the ghee.  Once metled, add the diced onion and sautee until tender.  Add the potato, garlic & black pepper.  Mix well and saute until the garlic is fragrant.  Add the sundried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, and salt.  Close the pressure cooker and steam release valve.  Set high pressure for 10 minutes.  When time is up, allow for 10 minutes of natural release and then release any remaining pressure with quick release.  Use an immersion blender to blend the soup smooth.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste.  If using the cream, stir in before serving.  

Enjoy

Dry Fried Eggplant

For people who love all sorts of food, we dine out very, very infrequently.  When we do go to a restaurant it’s generally to the local Szechuan restaurant where the food reminds us of our time in China. 
One of our favorite dishes, which we always order, is Dry Fried Eggplant.  This is our attempt to recreate the dish and honestly we are pretty darn close.  Though this dish is almost spot on, I will say that it’s often easier to just go out and enjoy someone else’s cooking and having them do the cleaning up too! 
Dry Fried Eggplant

• Coconut oil for frying
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• Himalayan salt, to taste
• 1 tsp. ground Szechuan peppercorns (dried prickly ash)
• 1 tsp. hot paprika 
• 1 1/2 lbs. Chinese eggplant, stem removed and cut lengthwise into 2-3 inch-long “steak” fries
• 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. Szechuan peppercorns, flakes

Heat oil (deep enough to come halfway up the thickness of the eggplant fries) in a heavy bottomed cast iron pan and heat to approximately 350F.  Place a wire rack over several layers of paper towels for draining after frying.  Mix together the tapioca flour, salt, ground Szechuan peppercorns and paprika and place on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Lightly moisten the eggplant fries with water and then lightly coat the fries with the tapioca flour mixture, shaking off and discarding any excess.  Working in batches, carefully fry the eggplant, turning when necessary, until lightly golden brown and tender in the center.  Remove the fries to the prepared cooling rack.  Plate and sprinkle on the cilantro and Szechuan peppercorn flakes.
Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Un-Stuffed Cabbage Soup

We adore stuffed cabbage but making it can be awfully time consuming. Enter Un-Stuffed Cabbage Soup, tastes just as delicious and takes just a fraction of the work and time to make.  We make this for a quick hearty meal in the pressure cooker which cuts the time even more, but it’s just as easily made in a pot on the stovetop.
Sweet & Sour Un-Stuffed Cabbage Soup 

• olive oil
• 1/2 lb chuck steak, 1/2-inch dice, seasoned with salt & pepper
• 1 lg onion, diced
• 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 2 medjool dates, chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins
• juice of one lemon
• 1 tsp. sour salt
• 28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes
• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 4 c. chicken or beef stock
• 1 small head green cabbage, roughly chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

(I make this in a pressure cooker but you can use a soup pot.)
Heat the olive oil and then sear the chuck steak cubes on all sides until browned. Remove the steak from the pot and set aside.  To the same pot add the onions and sauté until they begin to caramelize.  Add the garlic and ground beef and cook until the beef is browned.  Return the steak to the pot and add all the remaining ingredients.  Cook until the cabbage is tender. (I use a pressure cooker, 15 minutes at high pressure and then I let it cool to reduce the pressure instead of just releasing the valve)  Salt and pepper to to taste.  This is good the first day but gets better after it sits a day or two.
Enjoy!

Baked Teriyaki Chicken Wings

We adore chicken wings!  Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings, Tandoori Chicken Wings, Chinese Five-Spice Wings and now, Baked Teriyaki Wings.  This month for Secret Recipe Club we were assigned Sarah’s blog, Things I Make for Dinner.  We immediately spied her recipe for Teriyaki wings and knowing that we had wings in the freezer which were purchased during a fabu sale, (wink, wink Sarah) it was a done deal!  These wings fit in perfectly with our ongoing theme this summer of foods to eat whilst relaxing on our dock sipping adult beverages.  In fact, next time we make these wings we’ll most likely also be making Sarah’s Pineapple Sangria to enjoy as well. 

We adapted Sarah’s recipe to make it Paleo & Whole30 by swapping out the soy sauce and using Coconut Aminos and in place of the honey, we used some Medjool dates.  The wings were a wonderful treat and Sarah’s recipe or ours, you won’t be disappointed.

Baked Teriyaki Chicken Wings (adapted from here)

• 12 whole chicken wings cut into drumettes & flats, tips discarded or saved for stock
• 3 TBS. seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 3 TBS. Coconut Aminos 
• 2 Medjool dates, pitted

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup and lightly grease foil with oil.  Preheat oven to 450F.  Place the vinegar, Coconut Aminos & dates in a blender and process until smooth.  Place the wings pieces in a large bowl and cover with the sauce from the blender.  Toss to coat the wings thoroughly.  Spread the wings in a single layer on foil, skin side up and bake for 20 minutes, until light golden in color.  Baste with pan juices before serving.

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Baked Jalapeno Popper Dip 
Chipotle Stuffed Mushrooms 
Sriracha Deviled Eggs
Grilled Pizza Sandwich
Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Mascarpone Soup 
Hearty Bacon, Turkey & Vegetable Frittata
Chicken Satay with Sunbutter “Peanut” Sauce
Asian Pork Chops
Mango Salsa 
Pomegranate Molasses Salad Dressing
Beef Keema  
Roasted Grape Tomato, Garlic & Poblano Ragu
Mexican Feast: Cream of Ancho Chile Soup, Roasted Poblano Burger with Chile de Arbol Guacamole & Pork Crusted Baked Poblano Fries
Zesty Zucchini Skillet
Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk
Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Check out the new SRC blog for more exciting recipes from past reveals

An InLinkz Link-up

Baked Eggplant with Cumin

Delicious, spicy eggplant, ready to enjoy!  We adore eggplant and this recipe is super simple and just a bit different, one of our favorites.
Steamed eggplant dusted with spice, ready for the oven.
Baked Eggplant with Cumin

• 2 lbs. medium eggplants
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 heaping tsp. ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450F.  Wash and dry the eggplant.  Slit the skin in several places to prevent bursting then steam in a steamer until tender, about 35 minutes.  Allow the eggplant to cool and then cut lengthwise in quarters.  Add the oil to an oven proof baking pan and lay the eggplant slices skin side down.  Sprinkle the eggplant with the paprika, cumin, cayenne,salt, pepper and garlic.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggplant is soft and slightly toasted.
Enjoy!

Doro Wat ~ Spicy Ethiopian Chicken Stew

We adore spicy food here in the Cook Lisa Cook house so when we spied this recipe for Doro Wat on Nom Nom Paleo’s site, we just knew it had to be made. 

The original recipe called for a tablespoon of the spice berbere but Michelle said that they used 1½ tablespoons because they’re masochists, so we figured what the heck, if they can do it, we’ll be masochists too, so we went for the larger amount.

The berbere gave the dish a wonderful flavor and it was hot…but not spitting fire hot so it was perfect for us…well not Maisie.

The chicken was absolutely delicious, the flavors were just amazing.  The eggs in the dish were…well…interesting but we felt they just weren’t quite needed.  Maybe if the eggs had been simmered in the sauce, I don’t know.  I know that we’ll make and enjoy this dish again but probably sans eggs. 

Doro Wat ~ Spicy Ethiopian Chicken Stew (adapted from here) 

• 3 pounds chicken drumsticks (about 10 drumsticks), skin on or off
• Kosher salt
• ¼ cup ghee
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (about 1 TBS.)
• 1 1/2 TBS. berbere seasoning (more or less to taste)
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom 
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper   
• 2 cups chicken stock  
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered into wedges
• Juice from 1 lime (optional)

Thoroughly season the drumsticks with salt, and set aside. Heat the ghee in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, and let them cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes. Season liberally with salt, and gently turn over the pile of onions every 3 to 4 minutes to ensure even cooking. Once the onions have softened and significantly reduced in volume, about 15 minutes, turn the heat to medium-low.  Continue cooking, turning over the onion pile every 10 minutes or so, for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and nicely caramelized, tender and sweet.

Stir the garlic and ginger into the caramelized onions, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the berbere, cardamom, and black pepper. Next, pour in the chicken stock and stir to mix well. Nestle the drumsticks into the liquid, and bring the contents of the pot to a low simmer. Cover and cook, turning the drumsticks occasionally, about 45 minutes or until the meat is tender and cooked through.

Once the chicken’s done, remove the lid of the Dutch oven and turn the heat up to medium-high.  Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the liquid is reduced by approximately one-third.  Add lime juice, do it now. The citrusy zing adds a nice, zesty brightness to this long-simmered dish. Transfer the chicken drumsticks to a serving platter, garnish with the egg wedges, and ladle the spicy sauce on top.

Enjoy!

Rendered Goose, Chicken, Duck or Turkey Fat & Crackling

We recently purchased a few Schiltz young American free-range geese and we went on a cooking spree!  We began by breaking down two of the geese, taking off the leg & thigh sections which we would confit.  We boned the breasts and those were set aside to make in different preparations.  The bones, wings and miscellaneous parts were roasted and then put in a stockpot for soup.  All the excess fat and skin was put into a pot so that the fat could be rendered and the skin made into delicious crackling.  Seriously, if you’re a fan of bacon fat and pork rinds, you ain't seen nothin’ till you’ve had goose fat and crackling…off the charts crazy delicious!

Making crackling and rendering the “liquid gold” fat is such a simple process.  It’s going to be wonderful having the fat in the freezer to use in making so many dishes.  Seriously, potatoes & vegetables roasted or sautéed in goose fat are the bomb!!  The cracking we enjoy snacking on and also using as a crunchy topping on salads and soup.  Any way that you’d enjoy pork rinds you can enjoy crackling.  This post shows us using goose, but the same process is used for chicken, duck and turkey fat.  All are wonderful and worth making.

Rendered Goose, Chicken, Duck or Turkey Fat & Crackling

• Fat and skin, cut into approximately 1-inch pieces, we used the excess skin & fat from 2 geese but you can use as much or as little as desired
• 1 cup water
• Himalayan sea salt 

Add the fat, skin & water to a heavy pot that is twice the depth of the amount of skin & fat.  The addition of the water will help the fat begin to render and more is not needed with the addition of more birds, but if using the skin and fat from 1 bird or less, reduce the amount to 1/4-1/2 cup.   Turn the heat to high, cover the pot and bring to a boil.  Once it reaches a full boil, remove the lid and reduce the temperature to bring the pot to a light boil.  As the fat renders and the water evaporates, the mixture may hiss or spatter.  Let the fat render out on the stove for about 2-3 hours depending on how low you have your flame. Be sure to give the fat a good stir with some tongs about every 1/2 hour  The fat will start out yellow and milky butt will turn clear and the skin and fat pieces with be golden brown. Now you’re ready.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the cracklings from the pot and drain on a paper towel lined plate, salt immediately.  Allow the liquid fat to cool slightly, then strain into clean, sealable containers using a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Store the duck fat covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 months or in the freezer for a year or more.

Enjoy!!

Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup

We could eat this soup every.single.day and sometimes we go for weeks at a time doing just that!  Such a simple, healthy soup and it’s beyond delicious!  We found the recipe originally on Melissa Joulwan’s blog, The Clothes Make the Girl and in her cookbook, Well Fed 2.  Melissa labels this soup as “a healthy hug in a bowl” which is such a fitting description for this soup.  We make this soup when we gather up enough leftover pieces of zucchini after spiralizing it when making another of Melissa’s recipes, Zucchini Noodles Aglio et Olio (freeze the extra pieces until you have enough.)  We also make this soup when we have an abundance of fresh zucchini.  When we have an abundance of zucchini, we make a huge pot and freeze the soup in 4-6 cup containers.  If you do freeze the soup, you’ll need to puree it again once thawed, either by placing it in the blender or using an immersion blender.  So, if you have an abundance of zucchini or need a warm hug, make this soup!!

Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup (adapted from here)

• 2 TBS. coconut oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 10 large fresh garlic cloves
• 2 TBS. ground ginger
• 2 TBS. ground coriander
• 1 TBS. Himalayan salt
• 1 TBS. fresh ground pepper
• 6 lbs. zucchini, cut in 1/2 moons or leftover pieces
• 12 cups chicken bone broth or Cheaters Chicken Soup (can also use beef,vegetable or any mix of broth you choose)

Heat the coconut oil in a large soup pot.  Add the onions and sauté low and slow, until caramelized.  Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, salt & pepper.  Cook stirring continuously until toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and zucchini.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Allow the soup to cook for 45-60 minutes, until the zucchini is very soft.  Once the zucchini is soft, use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or use a blender to carefully puree (use a towel to hold the lid on the blender on whilst pureeing.)  Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Egg Drop Soup

Okay a little whinge here, we live in Georgia and waking to temperatures in the single digits and feeling like negative numbers should not happen!!  Unfortunately that’s exactly what happened this morning and we’ll be lucky to get up to 30F.  Not our favorite kind of weather!  So, with it being crazy cold outside we needed to warm our insides and for that, nothing is better than a steaming bowl of soup.  Today we decided it would be Egg Drop Soup, not only because it’s simple & quick to make and we had all the ingredients in the house, but also because Maisie has been cleared to have eggs as we test her tolerance and vasomotor rhinitis response.  This soup took minutes to make and got big thumbs up and smiles from Maisie and all of us.

Egg Drop Soup

• 4 cups Cheaters Chicken Soup or broth
• 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 TBS. sesame oil
• 1 TBS. fish sauce
• 2 TBS. coconut aminos 
• 1 TBS. arrowroot powder (can use corn starch, tapioca/cassava/yucca starch)
• 2 eggs
• 2 TBS. water
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions
• salt to taste

In a heavy pot, bring the soup, ginger, pepper, garlic, sesame oil & fish sauce to a boil.  While that is coming to a boil, in a small bowl, mix the coconut aminos and arrowroot powder to form a smooth slurry.  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and 2 TBS. water together.  Once the soup begins to boil, stir briskly while slowly adding the arrowroot slurry.  Allow to boil for 30-60 seconds and then lower the temperature.  Still stirring the soup continuously, drizzle in the eggs allowing the strands of egg to cook.  Add the green onions and then season to taste with salt.

Enjoy!

Crack Slaw

So a friend of ours (hi Heather!! Big wave!) posted a picture and recipe for a dish called Crack Slaw. It looked like a simple and delicious dish so we decided to give it a try.  Heather said that it’s one of those dishes that you adjust the amounts to make it your own and that’s just what we did.  Here is our delicious version of Crack Slaw.  Crack Slaw

• 1 lb. ground beef 
• 2 tsp. Red Boat Fish Sauce
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 TBS. toasted sesame oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 scallions (green onions,)  white and green parts sliced in rings
• 1 TBS. minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, more or less to your desired heat
• 1 lb coleslaw mix with carrots
• 2 TBS. coconut aminos
• 1 tsp. kombucha vinegar, or white vinegar

In a large skillet brown the ground beef and season with the fish sauce and ground pepper.  Remove from pan and set aside.  In the same pan, heat the sesame oil and sauté the garlic, green onions, ginger & red pepper flakes until fragrant.  Add the coleslaw mix and cook until desired tenderness. (I like it so that it still had a bit of crunch.)  Stir in the coconut aminos and the vinegar and add back in the reserved beef and any accumulated juices.  Serve hot or cold, great either way!.

Enjoy!

Chicken Satay with SunButter “Peanut” Sauce

Is it just me or does 2014 seem to be passing at warp speed?  Maisie’s 9th birthday has come and gone, Halloween with our adorable fart-gun-toting minion has passed and today marks the 8 year referral-versary of the first time we laid eyes on a picture of our A-Maisie-ing Maisie, and though Thanksgiving is still over three weeks away, all the stores have decked the isles with all things Christmas.  Today is also Secret Recipe Club reveal day!  This month for SRC we were assigned Jess’ blog, Inquiring Chef.  Jess, her husband and adorable 6 month old twin girls live in Bangkok so her blog is filled with the sights, sounds and recipes of Thailand…and other interesting travels and tastes too!  I’ll bet that time is flying for Jess too as it was just a few months back, when her cutie-patootie girls were just a mere 6 weeks old, that she cooked from our blog, making one of Maisie’s favorite treats, Oatmeal, Cashew & Chocolate Granola Bars. 

We here in the Cook Lisa Cook home adore Thai food so there were dozens of recipes that we wanted to make.  Many of Jess’ recipes, though a bit different, mirrored ones that we’ve already made. Jess has a Tom Yam Gung (Spicy Prawn Soup) similar but different to my Tom Yam Ghoong (Spicy Shrimp Soup), My Red Curry Chicken is almost identical to Jess’ Red Curry Salmon (going to have to try this as we adore Red Curry Chicken and know it would be delicious on salmon!)  Then there are the variations on another soup, my Thai Chicken Noodle Soup and Jess’ Thai Style Chicken Noodle Soup.  We both also enjoy tasty drinks with Jess’ Mango Lassi and my slightly spicier Mango Lassi.  How we would love to live and eat at Jess’s home as there were so many other delicious looking and sounding recipes which totally enticed us.  We looked at making Jess’ Thai Chili Eggplant, Thai Shrimp Salad, and her Thai Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps and we really must try making some Nam Prik Pao instead of always buying it.  Oh, and don’t her Chocolate Banana Tarts just look divine!!  In the end we decided to make one of our favorite treats, which we’ve never made at home, Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce.

I of course made a couple of changes to Jess’ recipe to put it more inline with our dietary restrictions, the most notable was using SunButter in place of peanut butter.  Our other small changes included, replacing the sugar with a whole Medjool date, subbing Coconut Aminos for the soy sauce and roasted cashews for the peanuts.  Jess presented her Chicken Satay with two dipping sauces but we chose to omit her Sweet & Tart Thai Dipping Sauce, though delicious, it’s predominantly sugar so better for us to avoid.  Following Jess’ recipe was easy and the taste was… well, I was going to say just as good, but honestly it was SO much better than any Chicken Satay we’ve had previously.  All of us gobbled the chicken and sauce up with the only complaint being that we all wanted more!  A couple of notes if you plan to make this at home.  Sometimes finding fresh galangal and fresh turmeric can be difficult so when we do find it, we purchase extra, wash and dry it, and store it in a sealed bags in the freezer.  Then when needed for a recipe we easily grate it right from frozen.  If you can’t find galangal feel free to substitute fresh ginger and if needed, dried turmeric for fresh.   

Chicken Satay with SunButter “Peanut” Sauce  (Adapted from here)

Chicken:

• 2 small skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 8 oz.)
• 1 lemongrass stalk, bottom 2 inches only (discard top green stalk)
• 2 1-inch pieces of fresh turmeric, peeled (substitute 2 tsp. ground turmeric if preferred)
• 2 peels of fresh lime zest
• 1 tsp. fresh grated galangal (or fresh ginger) 
• 1 tsp. ground cumin 
• 1 Medjool date, pit removed  
• 1 TBS. Coconut Aminos 
• 3 TBS. full-fat coconut milk 
• 6 whole roasted cashews

Thinly slice chicken into equal strips, about ¼ inch thick and several inches in length.  Except for the chicken, combine all the remaining ingredients in a food processor  and pulse until mixture becomes a paste and only small pieces of the ingredients remain. Transfer the paste to a bowl and add the chicken, stirring to evenly coat. Refrigerate and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 hours.

Thread a bamboo skewer through each piece of chicken. Grill the chicken skewers on an outdoor grill or a grill pan, until cooked through. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce, recipe below.

SunButter “Peanut” Sauce:

• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, divided
• 2 Medjool dates, pits removed 
• 1/2 cup finely crushed roasted cashews
• 2 TBS. tamarind paste  
• 1 TBS. plus 2 tsp. Coconut Aminos 
• 1/4 tsp. curry powder (I used “hot” but mild works too) 
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

In a blender, place 1/4 cup of the coconut milk and add the Medjool dates, process to a smooth paste.  Heat the remaining 3/4 cup of coconut milk until boiling, stirring continuously to prevent it from boiling over, and allow it to boil for 1 minute.  Reduce the heat to a low simmer  Add the coconut milk/date mixture and all remaining sauce ingredients. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Enjoy!!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Asian Pork Chops 
Mango Salsa 
Pomegranate Molasses Salad Dressing 
Beef Keema  
Roasted Grape Tomato, Garlic & Poblano Ragu
Mexican Feast: Cream of Ancho Chile Soup, Roasted Poblano Burger with Chile de Arbol Guacamole & Pork Crusted Baked Poblano Fries 
Zesty Zucchini Skillet 
Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk 
Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Check out the new SRC blog for more exciting recipes from past reveals

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