Crockpot Chicken Thighs and Red Sauce

I really like one stop cooking when it comes to the crockpot. And until I get that fancy crockpot where you can brown using the insert, my quest for throw it in the pot and forget it crockpot recipes continues. This recipe was so EASY! And tasty too. This recipe was taken from the Cooking Light Slower Cooker recipe book. All you have to do is boil some noodles 15 minutes before serving and you're done. I've also started buying prepackaged frozen organic chicken thighs from Costco. I put the chicken in the fridge 24 hours before cooking to defrost. The ingredients in this recipe could be items you easily already have in your kitchen cabinet. Next time I prepare this I'm planning on adding some canned mushrooms as well.

12 chicken thighs (approx 3lbs) skinned
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbs minced garlic (recipe calls for bottled, I used raw)
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place chicken into crockpot. Put in remaining ingredients in bowl and stir well. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook at HIGH for 1 hour. Reduce heat to LOW and cook for 4-5 hours.

Grilled Greek Salmon

Broiled Greek Spice Salmon

A couple of months ago I picked up this Greek Seasoning by The Spice Hunter and boy does it rock! I think this might just be my new favorite way to make salmon. So far I have grilled and broiled it and both times it was absolutely delicious and super quick. Cooking time for either method is about 10 minutes which makes this a perfect week night meal.

1 lb salmon (I prefer the wild caught)
Spice Hunter Greek Seasoning
EVOO
Agave
S&P

Pat the piece of salmon dry. Season with Salt and pepper and then shake the Greek Seasoning out to create an herb crust on the top of the fish. Drizzle EVOO and Agave over the herbs to help them crisp up and either broil or grill for 10 min skin side down. Pictured, is the broiled version, accompanied by some broiled asparagus and a quick potato salad with caramelized onions and fresh herbs.

Cupcake Wars: Baked and Wired wins it every time

I know there is a lot of talk about the cupcake wars here in DC. Everyone has their favorites with Georgetown Cupcake always seeming to come up on the top but in my opinion Baked and Wired totally takes the cake! I use to work right down the street from this wonderfully delicious baked good haven... its no wonder that I packed on a couple of extra lbs during my pregnancy... at least the trek was up hill. 

Baked and Wired Strawberry Cupcake

If you love cupcakes and have never checked Baked and Wired out, you should. Not only are their cupcakes super moist and delicious they are also covered from edge to edge with a super sweet butter cream frosting that completely makes the cake. The secret here is their unique cupcake wrapping. The use of parchment paper cup instead of a traditional cupcake holder allows the frosting to thickly arch from edge to edge in a perfect fashion. This is now how I think all cupcakes should come. I love these things so much its just wrong. 
Baked and Wired also serve many other delicious lunch items and baked goods and run a full service coffee bar. It is a quirky shop on Thomas Jefferson St in Georgetown, right next to the canal. So with the week we are having I encourage you to take a trip down to the waterfront and set yourself up with a cupcake picnic and enjoy the weather! 

Lucky for me, two of my besties (you know, the kind of friends who just know you too well) gave this mama a super sweet birthday surprise. I must say I HATE surprises, its that type A, must be in control, planner part of me that just makes me anxious but I absolutely melted over this one. My perfect Sunday afternoon was brought to a close when they showed up with a hand delivered half dozen assorted cupcakes complete with party hats, horns and balloons. Even more exciting was the news that our other dear friend (who called in) is expecting! The whole thing totally made my day and I was shocked that the hubs was able to keep it a complete secret! Thank you ladies for making me feel so special. It was just the pick me up I needed after a long weekend of house hunting.

Braised Rosemary Chicken with Lemons, Raisins and Olives

Braised Chicken and Roasted Squash

Braised Rosemary Chicken with Lemons, Raisins and Olives

Chicken marbela is one of those classic 90s dishes that was made famous by the Silver Palate cookbook. That cookbook was one of the staples in my moms kitchen and therefore I had to give this briny dish a try in my own kitchen. Never being able to leave things alone I decided to do a brick chicken version of this dish substituting a couple of the ingredients for ones I had on hand. In the end i really wish I had not subbed the traditional prunes for the golden raisins, while they were still delicious I think the plumper prunes give the dish a sweeter more rounded out taste. It definitely worked in a pinch but I would totally suggest getting prunes if you are going to try the dish for yourself.

The great thing about this dish is that you can easily double or triple it for large gathering events with little extra effort on your part. Its beautiful and is definitely a crowd pleaser.

⅓ C olives (preferably good green olives)
3-4 lbs of bone in chicken (I used a whole bird which I butterflied)
½ C flour for dredging
2 tbs EVOO
1 C dry white wine
¼ C white vinegar
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ C lemon chopped
2 whole cloves
¾ c prunes (I substituted for golden raisins because I was out of prunes)
1 lemon thinly sliced
Fresh rosemary and thyme
S&P

If you are using a whole bird,cut along the top of the breast to butterfly it as demonstrated here. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Heat EVOO in a large skillet until it shimmers. Brown as many pieces, skin side down, as can fit in the pan without over crowding them. I actually did this step with the entire chicken. Flip the pieces and brown the other side. Repeat with the remaining pieces if they all did not fit in the pan. Set chicken pieces aside and add wine, vinegar, garlic, lemon, red pepper and cloves to the pan stirring to pull up brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return chicken to the pan and pour any juices that accumulated on the plate over the chicken. Scatter over the fruit and olives, lemon slices and fresh herbs over the chicken. Cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Braise at a gentle simmer, basting occasionally and turning the pieces with tongs half way through. Cooking time should be 30-40 min. When you baste chicken make sure the liquid is just simmering and not boiling. If it is boiling, reduce heat. Place chicken on serving plate and cover with foil. Return the sauce to high heat and reduce for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper and pour over chicken before serving.

Wilson Tavern

Mason Jar Bloody- its the good life

Choo Choos also help

Back in the day when this space was Kitty O’Sheas the hubs and I use to go have brunch there and watch English Premier League Soccer. We were bummed when Kitty’s closed down so of course we had to give the new Wilson Tavern a try. The restaurant offers an upscale gastropub style with a decent selection of lunch and brunch menu.

We ordered a mix of both lunch and breakfast items including eggs Benedict, stuffed mac and cheese and burgers. Oh, they also had a quite good Bloody Mary which made my morning.
While the food was tasty, service was a bit on the slow side. The highlight really was how incredibly kid friendly the establishment was. They had a large number of high chairs, all in working order and the servers brought over trains, coloring books and crayons for little B to play with while we waited. It really is the small things that make me happy. Now if we could just get them to bring back the soccer games we would really be in business!

If you are looking for a place for a family friendly brunch, definitely give Wilson Tavern a try.

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

This dish originally started as a pizza that was to die for (thank you again Pupatella) then I saw a recipe with a similar flavor profile in Cooks Illustrated and just knew I had to give it a try. I am so glad I did. The dish was super easy, flavorful and delicious. I love the balance of the bitter veggies against the heat of the pepper. The sausage provides just enough fat to keep the dish satisfying. If you are looking for a lower calorie version try it with turkey sausage. 

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

I made this dish a couple of weeks ago and had not gotten around to posting about it. Then just this week I read a healthy eating, healthy kids article by Emeril and found an almost identical recipe using broccoli instead of the rabe which has a lot more of a bite to it. If you have a pickier eater in your house try steaming some extra broccoli on the side and tossing some of the pasta with that instead. All in all I think this dish is awesome and I can't wait to make it again.

1 lb pasta, usually orecchiette is used but I had shells on hand
4 tbs EVOO
1 tbs lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1.5 C chicken stock
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 lb hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 bunch of broccoli rabe
4 tbs butter, cut into pieces
1 c Parmesan
salt and pepper

The original recipe also calls for anchovy fillets which would bring great flavor to the dish but I just cant stand looking at those little buggers so I always omit them.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tbs EVOO, lemon and 1 tsp garlic and set aside. Boil pasta until al dente, reserve one cup of the cooking water, drain pasta and return to the pot. While pasta is cooking, heat EVOO in a skillet and add sausage and stir until browned and cooked through (2-4) min. Transfer sausage with a slotted spoon to another plate and leave rendered fat in the pan. Add remaining oil, remaining garlic and pepper flakes to the pan stirring often until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Increase the heat to high and add half the broccoli rabe; cook, stirring often for about a minute. Add remaining broccoli rabe and ½ tsp of salt; cook, stiring often, until crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes

Lamb and Orange Tagine

Lamb and Orange Tagine

I got a tagine for Christmas... it is months later and I am finally getting to posting about my first trial run but I promise that the post is worth the wait. For those of you who don’t know what a tagine is, its the Moroccan version of a dutch oven or slow cooker. The “hood” or top of the pan is a cone shape and holds moisture in ensuring a super moist and tender bite. I had seen people cook with them before but had never tried it myself so I got really into the research before I gave it a try. I bookmarked several recipes, read up on my Moroccan spices and learned everything I could about how to use this new contraption. The result was awesome, the good thing about this dish is that you can achieve almost the same result in a dutch oven or any other oven safe saute pan with a lid so anyone can give it a try.

2 lbs of boneless lamb
2 tbs EVOO
2 c sliced onion
1 ½ tsp ground ginger
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 ½ tsp coriander
1 tsp crushed red pepper
¼ tsp ground cardamom
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cinnamon stick
2 c chicken broth
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ c orange segments
½ c golden raisins
3 c whole wheat couscous
¼ c chopped cilantro
2 tbs slivered almonds

Rub a seasoned tagine (or dutch oven) with EVOO and heat. Add lamb and cook for 5 min until browned. Set lamb aside. Heat EVOO and onion over medium-high heat and saute until cooked through. Add ginger through cinnamon stick stirring to combine. Return lamb to pan, stir in broth and salt. Bring to a boil and cover and let it simmer for 1.5 hours stirring occasionally. Uncover and stir frequently for 30 min . Add oranges and raisins genitally stirring to combine, cook for an additional 5 min. Place ½ cup of couscous in each bowl and top with lamb stew. Sprinkle with cilantro and almonds.

Meyer Lemon and Berry Bread Pudding

Meyer Lemon and Blueberry Bread Pudding

Over the weekend we checked out Old Town Ellicot City, MD with friends to celebrate our dear friend Joe’s birthday. I had only been there a couple of times before, and I always forget just how charming it is. The narrow streets are lined with cute boutique type store fronts, antique shops and restaurants to boot. I really do need to get up there sometime when its warm so I can properly explore, but I digress. The best part of the evening, besides the conversation, was my delicious dessert. A blackberry and lemon bread pudding served warm with a scoop of vanilla icecream just hit the spot. Since I couldnt stop thinking about it, I decided to give it a try myself. While the version I ended up was not quite as dense as the original (probably due to my brioche bread choice) it was just as delicious. I had never made bread pudding before but it was so easy that I now feel like I will have to mix this one into my bag of tricks for the next time I have a crusty loaf of day old bread around. After all, I'm all about reduce, reuse, recycle... even when it comes to my food.

This recipe is based loosely on both the dish I had the other evening and an Emeril bread pudding recipe from Food and Wine Magazine.


1 loaf of good bakery bread (I used brioche and would probably use something with more substance next time)
4 eggs
1 C sugar
1 C sour cream (I had it in the house and had no heavy cream. I gave it a try)
Zest of 1 lemon (I used a meyer lemon)
Juice of ½ lemon (I used a meyer lemon)
2 ½ C whole milk
2 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp cinnamon
3 tbs butter, melted
1 pint blueberries
1 C frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. In a large bowl beat eggs. Mix sugar and sour cream. Add lemon zest, juice, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Beat until evenly combined. Stir in melted butter.

Cut bread into ½ inch pieces. Add bread to the egg mixture, mix until all the pieces are covered and let it stand for 20 minutes. Stir in berries and pour into the pan.

Bake at 350 for 45-60 min, until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala with Garlic Spinach

I still have yet to find a really wonderful Indian recipe that I am capable of making on a regular basis but this tikka masala has been in the mix for quite some time and I always come back for more. While it is delish, it is missing the depth of the dish that you get from a real restaurant. It really is an Americanized version considering it doesn’t require any real Indian spices, which is great because I hate having to buy specific spices to try out one dish. The dish is made in two parts and I usually do the marinade the night before to make the process quicker when its dinner time.

Marinade
1 C Yogurt
1 half lemon, juiced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tbs minced fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut up into bite sized pieces.

Sauce
1 tbs butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup coconut milk (you can sub regular whole milk or cream if you prefer)

Step 1: In a large bowl mix ingredients for marinade and stir chicken in making sure that each piece is covered. Refrigerate for a minimum of an hour and up to 24 hours. 

Skewered grilled Chicken

Step 2: Either skewer the chicken pieces and grill or place on a broiler pan and broil for 5-8 min turning once so that the pieces are charred on the outside. In a large sauce pan, saute garlic and jalapeno in the butter for 2 minutes. Add spices, tomato sauce and milk. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a slow bubble. Allow the sauce to reduce for 10 minutes, (this can be done while you are cooking the chicken) add chicken and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Serve over a bed of brown rice and top with a sauteed garlic spinach.

District Taco Restaurant Review

Friday Finds!!

This is one of our all time favorite Arlington cheap eats. My husband looked forward to its opening for weeks. Yes, we were there opening day. Since then, we have patronized this establishment on at least a monthly basis. For those of you who live in Arlington and have not visited District Taco, you are seriously depriving yourself. This food truck turned restaurant has turned a once quiet strip mall on Lee Highway into a true Arlington hot spot for fast, family friendly dining. District Taco offers high quality Mexican that is fast, cheap and family friendly so its no wonder that we are regulars. Serving food made to order with meats cooked slowly to perfection including chicken, two types of pork and two types of beef. Breakfast tacos are also available all day as are an assortment of beers and cane sugar sodas. They offer free Internet, have a host of high chairs and crayons for the kiddies and even offer some kick butt catering.


For Location and Hours Click HERE