Fried Chicken

- Crispy

- Crunchy

- Perfect for dipping

Recipe

This fried chicken is crispy, moist, and flavorful. 

6 slices gluten free white sandwich bread OR regular if you eat wheat
1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs or breast, cut into about 1 x 3 inch strips
Combine: 1 cup cornstarch, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dreid oregano, 1 tsp salt
Grape seed oil, as needed -- enough to cover 1/2 to 2/3 of the chicken height as it cooks in the pan (depends on size of pan you use)*
2 egg whites

Directions: 

Breadcrumbs - can make 1 week ahead and store in an air tight container.
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Slice the bread into 1 inch pieces, spread them out on a large baking sheet and toast until light golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. Once bread crumbs are completely cool and dry, pulse them in the food processor until the sizes are mostly rice kernel size with some more fine crumbs at the bottom. Place in a bowl with a few dashes of salt. 

Chicken - can prepare 1 day ahead.
2. To prepare the chicken rinse, dry, and slice it. Whisk together the cornstarch, paprika, thyme, oregano, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Dredge chicken in mixture. Only touch the wet part of the chicken with one "wet" hand and the dry part of the chicken with the other hand to avoid getting doughy fingers and interfering with the dredging process (see “what I learned from this recipe” below). If your hands become dough-y, wash and dry them. Do your best to cover all areas of chicken with cornstarch and then gently shake off excess and place chicken on a rack (or on a dry plate). Allow chicken to rest for 1/2 hour (or over night) until most of the white is “gone" because it has absorbed liquid from the chicken. At this point, the chicken should be dry or only slightly damp to the touch. 

Frying Chicken
3. Line 2 plates or a baking sheet with paper towels (where the cooked chicken can cool). In another bowl place 2 egg whites. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a large, shallow pan over medium high heat. Dredge the chicken in the egg white and then in bread crumbs. Spoon bread crumbs over the chicken making sure it is completely covered. Then place in hot oil. Oil should be just hot enough that the chicken sizzles as it cooks. It is important to cook chicken completely. I usually cook them 6 minutes per side, depending on the size of the piece (or longer). They are usually done when the breading becomes a golden brown. (To be sure they are done, remove from oil and insert a thermometer. When it reads 165F they are cooked.) 

4. Place the cooked chicken on the paper towel-lined plates, leaving 1-2 inches between pieces. If the pieces are crowded or touching each other, they will steam as they cool and lose their crispiness so be sure to give them space as they cool. Serve warm with ketchup or barbecue sauce. Re-heat leftovers in oven for crispiest results.

* You can substitute peanut, coconut or canola oil instead. 

What I learned when making this dish (and other fried dishes): 

1. Choose a light, airy bread if that is the type of coating you prefer. I generally like to eat denser, whole grain breads, but for breading I choose gluten free white sandwich bread (like Glutino brand).

2. Do not over toast the bread because you want the bread to do most of its cooking with the chicken in the oil. If the crumbs are already brown, they will become too dark and hard crunchy instead of a nice crispy outside.

3. Grind the bread crumbs to uneven pieces. You want small pieces all the way to tiny pieces of bread crumbs (think rice kernel size to poppy seed size). These varying sizes help ensure that all of the surface area of the chicken is covered with bread crumbs. The large pieces make the majority of the crust while the small pieces fill in the spaces between them. This is why it also helps to gently place the chicken on the bread crumbs and then to flip it over and spoon crumbs over the top (the small bread crumbs usually sink to the bottom of the bread bowl so spoon them up and over the chicken will help small pieces fill the spaces between the larger bread crumbs on the chicken.)

4. Allow the cornstarch to rest on the chicken. If you dip the chicken in the cornstarch and then the egg mixture, often the eggs mixture will “fall” off part of it if you have excess cornstarch on the chicken, which is easy to do. Allowing the cornstarch to rest, makes it less likely that there will be too much dry cornstarch.

5. When breading the chicken, be sure to use one dry hand and one wet hand. You may be wondering what this means. When you bread food have you ever ended up with a dough-y mess on the ends of your fingers? You want to avoid this. This means the dough that should be sticking to your chicken is sticking to your fingers. If the dough comes off the chicken you may be left with parts of the chicken that are not covered properly, which can result in over-oily breading that is not crispy. The breading provides a layer around the chicken and you want it to be fully covered.

Chickpea Tabouli

This recipe is full of summer, with fresh tomatoes, lemon, mint and parsley. It's a great one-pot-meal or it is excellent served with pita bread and hummus. 

What is it like?

- Tangy

- Refreshing

- Summery

Recipe

1 cup millet OR quinoa, follow package directions for cooking and chill in fridge
1 14 oz can chickpeas
2/3 cup mint, sliced small
1 /1/3 cup parsley, sliced small
1 lb tomatoes, sliced bite sized
2 lemons (or more to taste), juice + 1 tsp zest
salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil, or to taste

optional addition: sliced cucumber

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Leftovers can be enjoyed with an extra squeeze of lemon or apple cider vinegar and fresh tomatoes.

Note: This recipes is very flexible. Add more or less herbs, chickpeas or tomatoes. If you would like more protein, you can add cubed cooked chicken (or tofu for vegan), or substitute quinoa for millet.

Sweet Potato and Sausage Crumble

Someone, who shall remain nameless, tasted this dish and said it reminded them of "peasant" food. Then, she/he proceed to have another large helping. My response was that Beef Bourguignon is also country food, like so many other foods that have found their way into fancy restaurants. In a way, it's true, eating this meal feels like an experience from All Creatures Great and Small. You can envision the rolling hills, and the solitude of eating a warm meal by the fire while the 10-degree-wind is ripping across Darrowby, and wolves are waiting to pounce on sheep. It's a good time to be thankful for anything that comes in peace, especially a warm meal, "peasant" food or not.  
 

What are its flavors? 

Sweet Potato & Maple Sausage

Caramelized Onions

Nutty and Crisp

Recipe

Crumble

1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup oats
1 tsp thyme
1/4 chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut oil, room temperature
1 tbsp cold water, or more until it holds together when pressed between your fingers
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Filling

6 oz chicken maple sausage, cooked and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces OR 8 oz preferred mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp coconut oil (or grape seed oil)
1 or 2 sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp fresh oregano, 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes (optional), Salt to taste
1/4 cup white wine, optional
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp broth

Optional addition: 1 bell pepper, diced and sauteed (recommended for vegan option)

Directions:

1. To make the crumble, whisk together the first six ingredients. Then add the coconut oil and then the water and stir just until combined. Stir in the almonds and place in the fridge. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Sauté the onion with a dash of salt over medium heat with oil for about 5 minutes. Then add garlic, sweet potato, pepper flakes, and oregano and sauté for about 3 minutes.

3. Add the wine and broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the sausage and then pour the ingredients into an 8 x 8 baking dish. Then sprinkle with the cold topping and bake for about 35 minutes or just until topping is just starting to turn golden and ingredients are cooked.

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

What are its flavors?

- Coconut

- Lime

- Chicken 

- Lemon grass

This recipe was inspired by a soup that I had in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Colorado. It was located in a strip mall, next to places advertising fast cash and tattoos. It is almost worth making a special trip just to try some other items on the menu. 

Recipe

Note that I chose to use jalapenos instead of Thai peppers. More common ingredients can be substituted for other items as well, as listed in the recipe. 

1 onion, sliced thinly lengthwise (or 3 shallots to be more aligned with authentic Thai flavors)
1 tbsp canola oil
2 jalapenos, diced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
3 14 ounce cans coconut milk
6 cups chicken broth OR vegetable broth for vegan
salt, to taste
2 inch galangal, sliced into thin discs (or ginger if it is not available, see notes)
10 kaffir lime leaves, whole OR two tsp lime zest
3 stalks lemongrass, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste OR gluten free soy sauce for vegan/eco-friendly option
1.5 lbs chicken, cut into bite sized pieces OR russet potatoes for vegan
8 oz mushrooms (such as oyster, or preferred variety), sliced   
4 roma tomatoes, seeds removed, diced (remove the skin if you wish)
2 limes, zest and juice
2 large green onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, diced

Directions: 
Sauté onions and chilies over medium heat with 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Then add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add broth and coconut milk, along with salt, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and fish sauce. Simmer very low for 10 minutes. 

Add the chicken (or potatoes for vegan option). Maintain a low simmer for 8 minutes. Then add mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. 

Add tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Salt to taste, add lime, and serve.  

Note: Since the large pieces of ginger/galangal are not edible, they will need to be removed when eating. Alternately, the ginger can be grated.

New Mexican Pozole Soup

 

Pozole is a traditional New Mexican soup. I still remember having it for the first time in a restaurant at the top of the Sandia Mountains, near Albuquerque, New Mexico. The restaurant was not fancy, but their food was absolutely delicious, and the view was--I don’t want to say to-die-for because people have actually fallen off this mountain--but it was nothing less than enchanting, the kind forested and rocky peaks below that you only expect from CGI. In the recipe, I have included some international flavors, while still maintaining the essence of the dish.

What is it like?

- Hearty & Spicy

Recipe

2 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
canola oil or grape seed oil, as needed
1 onion, slice thinly lengthwise
1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
1/4 tsp of each: grated ginger, curry powder, dried tarragon, red pepper
1/2 tsp of each: dried oregano, cumin powder, black pepper
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup white wine, optional
2 jalapeños, sliced into thin rings
1/2 ham hock, optional but highly recommended
8 cups chicken stock
1 29 ounce can hominy

1. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tsp oil. Slice the pork, salt it, and brown the pieces in three batches, or more if necessary to avoid overcrowding. (You want the pieces to have space between them so that they brown rather than steam.) Once nicely browned, set the pork aside in a bowl. Slice the onion in half, then slice each half into thin strips lengthwise and slice the jalapenos. Sauté the onion and half of jalapeno slices over medium heat for about 7 minutes, until translucent. Then add all of the spices, and the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute.

2. Add the pork back into the pan and turn the heat up to medium-high for about 30 seconds. Then pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, this releases the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Next, add the rest of the ingredients except for the hominy and reserved jalapeno. Simmer (do not boil) for about 1 1/2 hours until the pork is almost tender. Then add the hominy and reserved jalapeno, and cook for about 15 minutes, or just until pork is very tender and moist, and the hominy is also tender. Taste for saltiness and adjust if necessary, then serve.

Notes
Generally, I do not use curry powder because I prefer to add the spices individually, but it worked well for this recipe. 

The ham hock adds tremendous flavor and richness to this dish. Call around to grocery stores or a local butcher to try to find a good source.