Oh July, July

Tags

chicken thighs, Keto, summer recipes

When temperatures/humidity rise in central Virginia, I spend time indoors…in air conditioning.
That is when I am not out weeding, mowing, and weeding some more. Surely, I mentioned before that I loathe Virginia summers. Although, Swallowtail Cottage is merely a half-acre, this small property demands regular attention during the growing season. This year so far, violent storms dump soaking rains which, in turn, nurture any weed seeds that blow in from my neighbors’ unkempt fields. Ah, life in the country. Hear the small violins playing?

This is the view many summer mornings through my casements in central Virginia. At least all that moisture is outside…thank angels for air conditioning.

Not only does my outdoor activity wane in July, my appetite follows suit. This past April, I began the Keto style of eating. Unwanted pounds had crept on my body and the food pyramid no longer works for me. Not only do I have more energy, I no longer graze, and cravings are a thing of the past. The best part, I no longer eat/miss sugar! AND I weigh five pounds less! 

The best part of this food shift is, I rediscovered my love of bacon and savor every bite at breakfast. I found a brand of organic, no sugar bacon and it is delicious! Mostly beef and eggs make up the rest of my protein.

This week, with temperatures in the 90’s and humidity in the 70’s, I remembered my recipe for Spiced Roasted Chicken Thighs, which appears in my recently published memoir. I will share it with followers here:

Begin with ten pieces of skinless, boneless, organic chicken thighs. This week I tried the Trader Joe’s brand, and they surpass Whole Foods offerings. I do not eat chicken skin (another story),  and I imagine this recipe could include skin if you indulge.

Spiced Roasted Chicken Thighs

Preheat oven to 450F. Shelf middle rack.

Open the packs of chicken, without rinsing, and place in a large bowl.

Place an assortment of your favorite bird herbs/spices over the thighs. I like a combination of salt, pepper, cumin, cardamom, paprika, curry, sage, thyme, NM red chile or any of these in any combination.

Using kitchen gloves, gently toss the spices with the thighs and place thighs top side down on a parchment lined sheet pan.

Melt 1/3 C. rendered bacon grease and distribute over all thighs.

Roast thighs for 15 minutes. Turn and roast another 15-20 minutes until internal temperature is 165F. Juices will render and when cooled, and make a delicious, savory jelly.

Is your mouth watering? Cool the thighs and enjoy as finger food, sliced over salads, or as a quick protein snack. This quantity lasts for days, held in the fridge, depending on the number of mouths fed.

Cold chicken on a hot/steamy day is just the ticket. Made in a large batch, this recipe saves time in the summer kitchen, and may be added to a schedule when the oven is already hot from other baking.

Bon Appetit!

PS: If you wonder why I write “do not rinse chicken” this trick prevents any contamination from sink splatter. Trust me, this works for any poultry. And using gloves makes easy the overall task of handling raw meat. Just dont touch anything outside the bowl until thighs are on the baking sheet. 😉

Let me know in the comments section how you like this recipe.

Copyright © 2019 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

 

 

homage to Herbes de Provence

Tags

chicken, chicken thighs, healthy food, herbes de Provence, quick meals, veggie broth, winter warmer

Today is Friday. A. Cold. Friday. Old man winter refuses to head north, so I decided to create a quick, hot, healthy dish while tipping my chapeau to seven generations of French ancestors and to an underused herb — Herbes de Provence.

an underused herb in American cooking ~

begin with organic ingredients ~ skinless, boneless chicken thighs (1.25 lbs.), 32 oz. Imagine veggie broth, 1/2 pound each ~ baby carrots and red garnet sweet potato, peeled and cubed.

1/2 lb. of pearl onions add a nice touch

Empty the quart of veggie broth into a medium stock pot.
Add one heaping tablespoon of Herbes de Provence. Bring to a boil.
One piece at a time, add chicken thighs, directly from package.
Reduce heat to medium and gently poach chicken for six minutes.
Off heat, let the chicken continue to poach for another six minutes, covered.

poaching chicken thighs on stove for six minutes, then off heat, continue to poach another six minutes

Remove chicken from broth, and place on a nearby plate.

poached chicken thighs ~ oh, so tender

Strain broth through a China cap or other straining device and return broth to pot. This step will remove most the herbes, yet some remain on chicken.
Return broth to a boil and add onions, sweet potatoes, carrots, and a chunk of fennel (I happened to have one in the fridge). Reduce to a simmer, partially covered, for six minutes.

simmering veggies

While the veggies simmer, pull any fat off chicken thighs (there won’t be much) and cut/tear meat into smaller bits. Why thighs, you might wonder? Thigh meat has considerable flavor and it is oh, so tender!

tender bits of thigh

When veggies are tender, using a spider, remove them to a plate.

strained veggies

Return broth to the original pot and bring back to the boil.
Add 2 heaping tablespoons of Arrowroot using a whisk to quickly incorporate into hot broth. Arrowroot is another underused thickener in America, yet its silky texture cannot be matched, and it does not need to be “cooked in” as flour or corn starch do.
When broth is nicely thick, in about one minute, add 1 teaspoon of fine salt and return chicken and all veggies to the pot to just warm.
Serve up into warm bowls.

finished dish ~ silken goodness your entire family will enjoy.

This mild recipe will feed four nicely and I suggest serving it with a crusty baguette or lightly toasted Tuscan Pane. I considered making dumplings for this dish, and if I had not been so hungry, I think dumplings would be delightful. Joy of Cooking has many nice, simple dumpling recipes if you feel froggy. Further more, if someone in your home needs TLC, this is the go-to soup, as it is delicately seasoned and subtly sweet.

Let me know how you like this quick-to-prepare, tasty, warming bowl of goodness.

Cooks Note to Readers: purchase herbes and spices in small quantities from your local health-minded grocery. Store all herbes and spices in the freezer, prolonging shelf life. The brands and varieties of veggies mentioned are personal recommendations based on years of tasting experience. Arrowroot may be purchased in the bulk department of any fine health-minded grocery and it has a long shelf life.

Bon Appetit!

Copyright © 2014 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved
“Respect the Earth; Create Memorable Food”

guilt free dessert ~ almost

Tags

chicken thighs, chocolate, chocolate lovers unite, cocoa, cocoa powder, foodie friends, grade b maple syrup, guilt free dessert, lavender honey, pantry ingredients, quick meals, quick recipes, summer cooler

As hard as I try to wean myself away, chocolate is my vice. At times I manage to distance myself from the stuff, yet always manage to fine the path back. Now, I don’t consume mass branded chocolate bars, yet consume the 60% up variety at least once per week.
With a fresh container of Fage yogurt in my fridge this week, and no chocolate in the house but cocoa, here is what I concocted with much success.
Two of my foodie friends agreed, this is worth sharing:

a delicious brand that lent itself to manipulation

found pantry ingredients

first finished version with dollops of local lavender honey ice cream

second version layered between heavily whipped organic cream

should mention the light meal with thinly sliced roasted chicken thighs and fresh fennel

Recipe for Diane’s Guilt Free Dessert:

To begin, add one container (500g) Fage yogurt to a mixing bowl and add 1/2C dark (grade B) maple syrup or organic agave, 1/2C dark rum (optional), and 2 heaping T of cocoa powder, unsweetened. Gently fold all together until well incorporated. Chill for 2-4 hours before serving as shown above. One container will serve 4. What could be simpler? This keeps in the fridge too, for smaller households or when not entertaining, except yourself! Stir before serving.
To all of you chocolate lovers out there, kindly let me know what you think about this recipe. Should we feel any guilt over this silky concoction?

PS I actually like this dessert best without the rum. If you omit the rum, I add a 1/4 C. of almond milk to thin out the consistency. I promise, you chocolate lovers out there will LOVE this delightful concoction. Promise!

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved