Harissa, Tomato, and Lemon Chicken

This dish is perfect for a family meal or a dinner party, its full of flavor and so easy to make. It looks pretty on the plate, its comforting, and its also really healthy. I wish I had thought of it sooner. This dish is rich but also zesty combining classic Mediterranean flavors with chicken thighs that are hard to screw up. I cannot recommend this enough. Also, I made this recipe small since it was just for the two of us (no, the kids won’t eat this yet : ( but it can easily be doubled or tripled.

What you need:

- 4 skin on, bone in chicken thighs

-4 tbsp of harrisa (the good kind, pepper forward)

-1 cup of marinara sauce ( I don’t stray from Rao’s)

-1/2 a lemon

- 1 tsp oregano

-salt and pepper

-1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) rinsed and drained

- 1/2 cup of feta cheese

-olive oil and/or canola oil

First, pat your chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and sprinkle a little salt and pepper over them. Next gently loosen the skin on your chicken thighs and rub the harissa all over and under the skin. Set a skillet or pan with a lid over medium heat and drizzle a little olive oil and canola oil (about 1 tbsp each). I like to combine them because canola oil does a better job of not letting the chicken skin stick. Then place your chicken thighs skin side down and let them sit for a solid 5-6 minutes, do not flip them early. Let them get a good sear and even char a tad. Squeeze some of your lemon on the side facing you and then flip them when its time. Squeeze a little lemon on the other side and pour your marinara and chickpeas into the pan. Now add your oregano to the pan, sprinkling it evenly. Using a spatula, scrape up the burned brown bits from the chicken skin and lightly swirl it into the marinara sauce. Place the lemon in the middle of everything and cover with a lid and let it simmer over low/medium for about 12 minutes. When your chicken thighs have reached an internal temp of 155 go ahead and turn off the pan and sprinkle the feta cheese evenly over the top of the chicken and chickpeas. Put the lid back on and wait for 5 minutes, the chicken will finish cooking (should be 165 internal temp...or juices run clear when pierced with a fork). I like to serve this with a Greek salad, loaded with olives, banana peppers, and a good vinaigrette.

Bacon and Eggs Ramen

This is the ultimate comfort food that I honestly think you could eat any time of the day. I’ve made lots of different ramen noodle recipes over the years with favorites coming from Anthony Bourdain and Tieghan Gerard. Most recipes require some type of chili or curry paste but those can be hard to find w/out traces of peanut in them and with my allergy I try to avoid them unless I’m certain. You can get a lot of flavor from dried spices so I opted to use a curry powder, Chinese 5 spice or Japanese 7 spice would be even better. It’s hard to make a ramen noodle dish that isn’t good so feel free to use some creative license. My pantry has been cleaned out and our local grocery store doesn’t carry much in the international department so I made do with some fairly pedestrian ingredients.

What you need:

-1 onion, sliced

-1 red bell pepper, sliced

-1 cup of sliced mushrooms

-4 cloves of garlic, minced

-3 tbsp thinly sliced fresh ginger

-1 tsp curry powder

-3 strips of good quality bacon, sliced into 1 inch pieces

-4 or 5 cups of chicken broth

-2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

-2 tbsp rice vinegar

-2 tbsp hot sesame oil.

- 1 1/2 cups mixed green vegetables (spinach, snow peas, edamame)

-1 10 oz package or ramen noodles

-cilantro, hot pickled peppers, pickled radishes, carrot shreds, scallions, sriracha sauce for garnish

-4 soft boiled eggs (the eggs in my photo are slightly more done than my preference....I messed up! A good 5 minute egg is perfect, will cook more in the broth).

Put 1 tbsp cooking oil in a large stock pot and add bacon and cook over medium heat until browned. Do not drain the fat, its not much and it adds tons of flavor : ) Next throw in your onions, pepper, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger sauté those until they’re soft and the aromas from the garlic and ginger are really fragrant. Add in your curry powder and stir a few times for 2-3 minutes. Next add your chicken broth, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil and simmer for about 15-20 minutes to allow your flavor to develop. When you are ready to eat, turn off the stove add your ramen and green vegetables and let steep for about 5 minutes. Serve in a big bowl and garnish with egg, cilantro, hot sauce, etc. Slurp away!

Spaghetti Squash and Kale Casserole

We are in between Thanksgiving and Christmas and there have been lots of indulgences. Monday night seemed like a good day to skip the meat and eat a healthy veggie forward meal. I combined spaghetti squash, kale, marinara, and some cheese into a yummy lasagna type casserole. It had all the comforting flavors of a cozy winter meal without all of the excess. Definitely one we will be keeping in rotation.

What you need:

1 large spaghetti squash

1 1/2 cups of chopped kale (no stems)

2 cups of marinara sauce (I prefer Rao’s Homemade)

1 cup of cottage or ricotta cheese ( I think Good Culture Cottage cheese is sooo good, almost always have it in the house)

1 cup of shredded Italian Cheese Blend (Parmesan, Fontina, Asiago, Mozzarella)

1 tbsp of Italian Seasoning

1 egg

olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and slice your spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds and rub the interior with a bit of olive oil. Place flesh side down onto a baking sheet and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until you can pierce the outside really easily with a fork and it feels soft. Pull out of the oven and let cool a bit. When the squash is soft enough to handle, scoop out all of the flesh and place on a colander over top of the sink or rimmed baking sheet. Squeeze as much of the excess liquid out of it as you can. In a large bowl mix the spaghetti squash with your chopped kale and marinara sauce.

In a separate bowl mix together your cottage or ricotta cheese, one egg, 1/2 the tbsp of Italian seasoning and 1/2 the Italian cheese blend. Take a casserole dish and layer half of the squash mixture on the bottom. Spoon the cottage cheese mixture on top and spread out evenly. Place the remaining squash mixture on the top and the rest of the Italian cheese blend on top of that. Sprinkle the remaining Italian seasoning on top and return to your 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until bubbling and the cheese is beginning to brown on top. I do not add any salt and pepper to this dish because I find the cheese and marinara have enough salt on their own, its not necessary. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes and serve with a slotted spoon.