Fennel Success!

My taste buds are now on the fennel bandwagon. A quick simple recipe with fennel, tomatoes and chicken have turned me into a believer. Check it out:

3 fennel stalks
1/2 medium onion
2 medium tomatoes
1 leek
1 garlic clove
4 thinly sliced chicken breasts (2 average breasts sliced in half)
2 tbsp. tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. tarragon
Olive Oil
1 C. panko flakes
1 egg

Coat skillet with olive oil. Place on medium-low heat. Wisk egg in a small dish. Place panko flakes on a plate. Dredge chicken breasts through the egg and the panko to coat. Place chicken in heated pan. Cook chicken for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and put aside.



Chop onion, leeks, fennel, tomatoes and garlic. Add to warmed skillet. Add tomato sauce, salt, pepper, tarragon, and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until veggies become tender.



Return chicken to pan, cover and cook for approximately 12-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.



Let cool and enjoy!

Funky Fennel

There are very few things in the culinary world that I don't like. Among those few are grape leaves, capers, and more recently discovered, fennel. I stumbled upon a salad that had fennel in it and thought, "Why not!". Big mistake. I took one bite of my fennel, heirloom tomatoes and arugula and spit it out. Oh fennel, why do you even exist? But after almost adding Mr. F to my shit list, I reconsidered my decision. Why be so harsh? Why not try to go with the grain instead of against it? I might really like it if it were to be hidden in a glorious soup or au gratin concoction. So I started to do a little research and this is what I discovered:

Fennel, or Foeniculum vulgare, is used as a bulb vegetable and an aromatic herb that has a taste similar to anise. It also has many medicinal uses. It can be used to quiet the hiccups, break up kidney stones, help with nausea and aid digestion.

Interesting...maybe fennel isn't so bad after all.

Time to put down the shit list and get in the kitchen. I have some fennel to cook. While I work on that, why not tell me what foods/seasonings you hate so that maybe I can persuade you change your mind. I'm always up for a culinary challenge!

Perfectly Peacan-y Poultry

I like to think of poultry as a plain piece of paper that eagerly awaits a poignant chef to propose a perfectly palatable portion. Not really, but my shopping list this weekend is littered with the letter "P". Poultry, pecans, prosciutto, pickling cucumbers, peppers, etc. I just though I would keep with the theme.

First on the menu: Perfectly Pecan-y Poultry

You will need:
1/3 C. of honey
2 tbsp. of soy sauce
salt
pepper
3 chicken breast (skinless and boneless) about 1/2 in in thickness
1 1/2 C. of crushed pecans

What you do:
Heat the broiler. Whisk honey and soy sauce in a bowl. Lay the crushed pecans on a plate. Take the chicken breast and dip them in the honey-soy sauce mixture. Coat the chicken breast in pecans on both sides and lay on a lightly greased baking pan. Repeat with remainder of chicken breasts.

Place the chicken in the broiler for 2 minutes on each side. In the meantime, take the remainder of the honey-soy mixture and boil it in a small saucepan. Next, lower the temperature on the oven to 500 degrees. Take the chicken out of the broiler, sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides and drizzle remaining sauce on the chicken. Place the chicken in the oven for about 6-7 minutes or until done.

Quick and yummy.

Will post more "P" inspired recipes later. :)

Daily Bread

I have a new found respect for bakers and bakeries. If I had to bake bread on a daily basis, I would jump off a bridge. It's hard work, I'm not going to sugar coat it. My Challah bread turned out horribly. I think it had something to do with the yeast not activating properly. I *will* try again. I will not let some flour and yeast get the best of me.

Please note the horrific finished product:


On a side note...I've been craving pecans. Must incorporate into dinner one night soon.

Easy Peasy BBQ Chicken

I use my crock pot a lot. Probably more than I should, but I love it. The 6+ hour cooking times brings out the most amazing flavors. Not to mention it's super easy. Anyone can use a crock pot. Even all those people that claim that they can't cook.

The easiest recipe that I make in the crock pot is my BBQ chicken. It's warm, spicy and just plain yummy. I use Trader Joe's All Natural BBQ Sauce, a little Sriracha, and some fresh ground pepper. Throw in some chicken (or pork) and your BBQ sauce, chili sauce and pepper to taste (there is no correct amount). Cook on low for about 4 hours. When the chicken is cooked through, take each piece out and shred it up. Place shredded chicken back into the crock pot. Add some extra BBQ sauce if needed and cook for another 2 hours.

No seriously, that's it. Serve on a toasted roll and there you go!

Holy Shitake, Pork Chop!

Not everyone likes pork chops. They can be chewy, overcooked, and just downright nasty. My boyfriend is one of those people. Having been raised on the chops, I enjoy them. It's a quick and easy dinner idea that can be extremely versatile. So, I decided to challenge myself and make my unsuspecting boyfriend enjoy them as much as I do. Here the breakdown:

1 package of shitake mushrooms
6 thin cut pork chops
1/3 can Cream of Mushroom condensed soup
1 small onion
Garlic salt
Ground sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Fresh rosemary (dried rosemary is ok too, just grind before using)
Olive Oil

Set stove on medium. Coat skillet with a thin coat of olive oil. Slice the think cut pork chops into 1 inch thick strips. Season with a pinch of garlic salt, and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Quickly brown both sides of the thinly cut pork chops. Add chopped onion and shitake mushrooms. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the cream of mushroom soup, a little rosemary to taste and reduce to a simmer. Let the chops simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

Mission accomplished. He asked that I make it again, but next time with more shrooms.