Sunday Dinners: Chicken "Mole" (MO-lay) and more!

Last night was a special Sunday dinner: it was my husband's birthday dinner, and my son's last dinner at home before returning for his spring semester at college. So, in an effort to please all palates, I created the following menu:

Chimichurri Marinated-Grilled Skirt Steak (one of Seth's favorites!)

Chicken with Mole Sauce (new for several!)

Gallo Pinto-- (one of Wes's favorites!) 

Leafy Green Seasonal Salad (stay tuned for Wednesday's post!)

Mocha Cake and Icing

The result? Well, I got lots of great feedback! Here I'm sharing my recipe for mole...it's a "different" kind of sauce for many non-Mexicans (or many who live outside the mole-frequent zones!). 

I think of mole sauce (pronounced MOL-ay!) as kind of a cousin of chimichurri and pesto: it’s part condiment/part sauce, and it’s  made differently in different areas of Mexico (though primarily in Oaxaca and Puebla). I first tried it when I was just 16 (okay, not that long ago...she lied!!!), but it wasn't love at first bite. Actually I think that when I started working in a Mexican restaurant (Pancho Villa's--when I was 18!), I started to really enjoy it. 

My favorite moles have three of the ingredients here: chiles, almonds, and chocolate. This sauce has a lot of room for flexibility; you can make it much spicier, and or sweeter, depending on your taste. THIS one is a bit spicier (I lightened up on the chiles because it was for my parents and father-in-law who, I have to say, all liked it, and wouldn’t have with too much kick!). You can also use dry pasillas, rehydrate them, and remove the stems/seeds before puréeing.

As far as serving, you could combine it with grilled veggies, of course. But I generally use it as a pre-baking “bath” for my chicken—as I did last night—and also for blanketing my roasting chicken.  So, since I was cooking for just 9 last night (and also made skirt steak and gallo pinto!), I used to it cook about 16 boneless chicken thighs (yes—lunch and/or dinner today, too!). When you do use it to roast chicken, add some toasted almonds on top—as well as some cilantro for garnish!

AH—and, local residents, you have yet another option! I’ve found really nice pre-made sauces in Port Chester (but made in Yonkers!). One is calle “El Autentico Mole Poblano, Tuzantlan (290 Main Street, Yonkers, NY 10701-914 316 9572).  All you need to add is some chicken broth (and maybe more chocolate, sugar, and salt), and you’re set!

Sunday Dinners: Chicken Parmesan (Posted on a Thursday!)

And now it's 2013~ I apologize for the break--but am back now!

After what felt like days and days of cooking and eating (Christmas Eve sit down dinner for 32, breakfast for 24, Christmas Day dinner for 24+--and on and on until last weekend, when most of the 13 people in my home left!), for some crazy reason, I started craving chicken parmesan. Funny thing is, it wasn’t until Sunday, which, okay, was also my birthday, that I realized how quickly I could make it!

For 12 people (and next-day lunch!), I made two of these trays...

I guess it was the combination of cheese, tomato, breadcrumbs and chicken that I craved…but there’s something (for those of us who eat those things!) that’s so comforting about it. I had some sauce still left from the previous Tuesday—and ran to shop early Sunday. So, when I arrived home on Sunday eve at 5:30 ish (after a GREAT Broadway-preview play: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof –but that is a different story!), I could “throw it together” relatively quickly!

Here, my friends, is the recipe. Hope you enjoy it!  

Chicken Parmesan 

Serves 12 to 15

Four pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves or tenders

3 cups fresh breadcrumbs (I buy mine from a local bakery---but you can use Italian bread ground in a food processor)

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/4 cup  freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

3 large eggs

1 cup (about) all purpose, unbleached flour

Olive oil

4 cups  tomato sauce (I use sauce I make--with and without sausage; excellent quality sauce is key….)

3 cups sliced well-drained fresh water-packed mozzarella  (you can, of course, vary the amount according to what you like!)

Fresh chopped basil leaves (optional)

  

Place chicken breast halves and/or tenders between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using a  rolling pin (or meat mallet), pound chicken breasts to 1/3-inch thickness.  

Mix the bread crumbs with about 2 tablespoons of parsley, and the same of grated Parmesan cheese.

Set up the batter: I use Pyrex pie dishes (They’re the perfect deepness and size!) Spread the flour into one of them. Whisk the eggs together and pour into one of the dishes; spread breadcrumbs on the other.  Coat both sides of chicken with flour, then eggs, then the breadcrumbs.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken to skillet and cook until brown, about 2 minutes per side, adding more oil as needed (chicken will not be cooked through). Transfer the chicken to platter. Spread about 1 cup of sauce over the bottom of two baking dishes. Arrange 1 layer of chicken over the sauce in each pan. Spoon about 2 cups of sauce on top.   Add the mozzarella. Bake until cheeses melt and chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley (and/or basil) and more Parmesan or Pecorino Romano as desired. Serve immediately. (And, if you have any left over, this makes a GREAT next-day sandwich…)

Midweek Food Musings: The Warm Up

When there's so much focus on the main dish, the lead up can get lost. Well, that is, unless you are--as I am--fixated on dinner warm-up. Getting your guests palates ready for dinner should be part of the game plan. So here's what I've learned: as in the case of so many aspects of life--and meals--balance is key.

But, hmmm, let me step back for a moment.

This time of year is huge in my family; it's really the only time that ALL (siblings, cousins, nieces/nephews--and more!). AND, this year, we had FOUR generations of family. Those of you know me/my family know that so much of getting together  is about the food. Still, it's not about just one meal, but a series of meals. It's hard to plan everything all it once, and though here are some staples in our family (a main dish with fish on Christmas Eve, bagels and more fish Christmas morning, and some kind of pasta--used to be lasagna but now we're changing to accommodate different preferences/restrictions--with a meat sauce--as well as a veggie sauce), there's certainly lots of wiggle room. The important thing is that there always be food ready to make--and enjoy!

We had the pre-Christmas Eve dinner (which starred quinoa and roasted veggies), then Christmas Eve diner, Christmas Breakfast, and Christmas Day dinner...and it continues. Christmas Eve we had 32 people here (cozy--but fun!) and, because of crazy work schedules and more, we (thanks to by brother Peter's brilliant thinking and driving!) ordered several side dishes which, thankfully, made the multi-day meal planning so much easier.

Sofia, getting ready (and sporting her new Christmas scarf and earrings!). 

Wes,  doing the same (while donning his new Gargaglianos--the next generation T!)! 

So, on Christmas Eve, when the dinner was essentially focused on poached salmon, a big leafy green salad, broccoli-rabe, grilled vegetables,  and other lighter, veggie-ish fare, I decided to go a bit heftier on the warm up: my mom's 70s-style onion meatballs (recipe to come sooooooon!), some made with bread crumbs and cheese, others without, and Brazilian Cheese Puffs, Mango-Cilantro Salsa (will be making that one LIVE on Telemundo--on Buenos Días New York on Friday morning!).

On Christmas Day we enjoyed a variation on our traditional theme of lasagna: We made one batch of gluten-free pasta, one of tortellini, one sausage cooked in red wine with onions and assorted peppers sauce, and a vegetarian version of that as well. Both had a kiss of cumin and cinnamon (thanks to Steve's welcome influence, and after tasting his brownies, I will never ever not follow his suggestions!).


Tonight, it's up to cousins to cook...they're making carnitas (Mexican-style shredded pork tacos) with black beans, quinoa, and a big salad. Can't wait!

So, my friends, recipes will come! In the meantime--enjoy, and I will post some great New Year's Eve treat ideas on my Lo Hud blog,  Latin Twist  after showing them on TELEMUNDO on Friday!

Sunday Dinners: Condiments, Part 1: Cran-Raspberry Relish with Toasted Almonds-

My biggest comfort during most times, as with many of you, relates to food….

I can’t help but focus on my family, and the food of my family, and the beauty of one of my favorite “tools”: the condiment. It was Alexander Smalls (creator of Southern Revival Cooking, chef, entertainer, and singer extraordinaire) who first declared a love of condiments to me; I’ve since been saying the same. Condiments should enhance and complement your dishes. In some cases—as in this one—they’re good enough to eat on their own!

This one—my cran-raspberry relish—has been a family favorite since I started making it (which, honestly, was wow, close to 20 years ago!).  In fact  Sofia, my daughter, always asks for it…with or without something to go with it! When she wasn’t able to make it to Thanksgiving Dinner (she studies in Canada, and, well, they don't have the same schedules as here in the States!),  I made this relish for her, and froze it so that she could have it when she came home…which is exactly what she did.  Though traditionally I serve it alongside roast turkey, it works will with several different grilled or roasted meats and, hmmm…, probably with quinoa, too!

Enjoy!

Cran-Raspberry Relish-Topped with Toasted Almonds

Midweek Food Musings: Quinoa as a Side or Star Player!

When I lived in Peru, I was introduced to many new foods I'd never heard of before: quinoa is one of them. Funny because I kind of forgot about it, until about ten years ago when Chef Rafael Palomino and I were working on our second collaboration, Nueva Salsa. (In fact, we have two quinoa salsas in that book!).

Though quinoa (pronounced Key-NO-ah) has been part of the diet of many Peruvians for centuries (and has been called the Mother Grain of the Incas), this nutty-flavored seed has only recently made its appearance in the United States. But, almost like mojitos (okay--I know I may be stretching a bit here!), it's taken many by storm.

So what is it about quinoa that's made it so popular? Well, it's flavorful, versatile, and boasts a protein content superior to most grains. On top of that, it's very easy to cook! In fact, it takes about 15 minutes.

I like quinoa with fish−and so I decided to make it on Sunday, when I made baked salmon. And, I'm happy to say, it was a big hit−even with my dad (who, as many of you know, is often my barometer as far as defining what's good!).

Here I also topped it with red onions and scallions, which I sautéed separately, in a little bit of oil, and with just a bit of white wine, salt and pepper. You can also serve it as a "bed" for your favorite fish, or combine it with a variety of vegetables (as you would cous-cous!) or even fruit (mango works well with quinoa!).

So, where can you find quinoa? At pretty much any health food store, large market, and at one of my haunts: Trader Joe's (actually there is a tri-color quinoa at Trader Joe's−and that's what I used here).


Basic cooked quinoa
(serves 8 as a side dish, 4 as a larger dish)

1 cup quinoa--rinsed well several times, and drained
2 cups water or your favorite broth

In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa with the water or broth. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook about 10 or 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. It's easy to see when the quinoa is cooked  because  because the seeds display a little white thread that curls around them (as in the picture above!). Enjoy warm−or at room temperature.

Sunday Dinners: Baked Salmon--elegant, rich...and so tasty!

Let me start by saying that because I worked yesterday (had a delightful event—along with 29 other authors, at La Casa Azul Bookstore in East Harlem….but that’s another story!), I knew I wouldn’t have my usual luxury of several hours to prepare dinner. Additionally, for some crazy reason, I’ve been craving fish (Fearless Leader-Trainer, Shawn—maybe this is because you said it was good for me!). That craving, and the combination of a short prep time, pushed me to baking salmon.

This is a super-simple recipe for a dish that is big in flavor. In fact, now I’m thinking that I’ll make it just like this for Christmas Eve (actually, now I’m thinking I might play with a kind of seafood paella—but served atop quinoa…but that, also, is another story!).  I paired it last night with steamed asparagus and snap peas, quinoa topped with sautéed onions and scallions, and chicory and red leaf lettuce with cucumbers, apples, roasted nuts, feta cheese and a light vinaigrette (and a multi-grain bread).

Here I topped my salmon with sautéed red onions and scallions--

Midweek Food Musings: Roasted Butternut Squash

It's something I hadn't been reaching for lately, but on Sunday I was reminded of why I like butternut squash. Truth be told,  I've been seduced (another confession!) by packages of pre-peeled butternut squash in the past. But this weekend, Michi, my lovely guest and former student (from many moons ago!) was visiting from Japan, and was curious about the peach-colored, pear-shaped, pumpkin like vegetable she saw at the store, so I was inspired to make roasted butternut squash. I was also reminded of it's tasty flavors, and that yes, pre-packaged, though convenient, can't possibly yield the same fabulous flavors!

Today I'm sharing my real basic recipe for roasting, but I'd also like to mention that you can use your roasted squash in other ways (in fact, I've got a recipe for toasted butternut squash salad in Mambo Mixers). Actually, for lunch today, I'm going to prepare the salad (as shown below!) where I've placed it atop Boston lettuce, with roasted almonds and pecans. I'll top it with a bit of light balsamic vinaigrette--and voilà, my lunch is made!

I'm sure you'll find ways to enjoy this squash...and please do let me know!

Roasted Butternut Squash

Serves approximately 6 as a side dish

1 butternut squash, sliced lengthwise
Olive oil
Coarse salt
Cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place butternut squash halves on a large baking sheet, flesh side up. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over each piece. Season with salt. Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon.  Roast the squash for about 35 minutes, or until flesh is fork-tender. Serve immediately, or reserve the squash for a future salad!

Boston Lettuce Topped with Chunks of Roasted butternut Squash  and Roasted Nuts (pre-vinaigrette!)