leeks

Spanish Chicken and Rice with Roasted Vegetables, Butifarra, Morcilla and Chorizo

/ Ren

Pastured chicken pieces are roasted with winter vegetables then baked with stock-soaked bomba rice with saffron, garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes, piquillo peppers and butifarra, morcilla and chorizo sausages..

Spanish Chicken and Rice with Roasted Vegetables, Butifarra, Morcilla and Chorizo

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
1 large carrot, oblique-cut
1 leek, split, rinsed and sliced
1-2 bulb onions, sliced
6 cloves whole, unpeeled garlic
1 tablespoon pastured butter
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup filtered water
3/4 cup fire-roasted tomatoes
3-4 piquillo peppers, chopped
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup bomba rice, rinsed
1 quart homemade chicken stock, divided
saffron threads, crushed
1/3 pound morcilla (blood sausage), sliced
1/3 pound butifarra (white garlic sausage), sliced
1/3 pound Spanish cooking chorizo, cubed
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.  Stir in paprika, then add chicken and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper, add water then roast in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and add carrot, leek, onion and garlic and put back in the oven for another 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, begin cooking rice in chicken stock with saffron threads.

Remove pan from the oven and transfer chicken and garlic to a cutting board and allow to cool enough to be handled.  Transfer the vegetables and cooking liquid to a Dutch oven. Add in rice and stir to combine.

Briefly sauté the sausage then add to the pot with vegetables and rice.  Stir in fire-roasted tomatoes.

Peel and chop the garlic.  Pull the chicken meat from the bones and tear into chunks. Add to the pot with the vegetables and pour in 1 cup of chicken stock.  Cook uncovered until most of the stock has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven, and parsley and piquillo peppers and allow to stand 10 minutes.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary and serve hot.

Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas

/ Ren

Because the fridge was nearly empty today, I took the opportunity to completely empty it out and give it a good cleaning.  While I was at it, I threw away the few remaining bottles and jars of processed stuff.  For now, at least, my fridge contains nothing but fresh whole foods and homemade stuff.

Because the fridge was nearly empty today, there wasn’t much on hand to make dinner with.  Half a head of cauliflower, a few inches of leek, a can of chickpeas and some spices was pretty much it.  Seems a perfect challenge for The Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter..

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Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas

Wash, trim and separate fresh cauliflower into small, individual florets.

Drain and rinse 1 BPA-free can of chickpeas.

Combine cauliflower, chickpeas, melted ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil, some good curry powder, sea salt, black pepper, cumin and coriander seeds and a little lemon juice in a bowl.  Don’t spare the fat, and don’t spare the spices.

Spread the mixture single-layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast in a 375 degree oven (just shy of the fat’s smoking point) until caramelized and tender, about 45-60 minutes.  Toss 2 or 3 times to ensure even cooking, adding the sliced leeks about 1/2 hour into the cooking process.

Garnish with some sprouts for additional protein and visual appeal.

I only used 1/2 of the chickpeas, so I roasted the rest of them with a Moroccan blend of cumin, ginger, sea salt, pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne, allspice and cloves.  This will make a healthy snack for later..

(from Kalyn’s Kitchen)

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas



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Tuscan White Bean Soup

/ Ren

How to turn a can of beans into a healthy, hearty meal..

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Recipe serves two

1 BPA-free can of organic cannelloni beans, drained, liquid reserved
1/4 head organic green cabbage, cut into large dice
3 large cloves organic garlic, coarsely chopped
2 inches mid-section organic leeks, sliced
2 stalks organic celery, leaves included, sliced
1 organic carrot, diced
3 inches Spanish chorizo, sliced
3 tablespoons fresh sage

olive oil
pastured butter
chicken stock
marjoram, parsley, sea salt and cracked pepper

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add cabbage and cook until browned, about 2 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon pastured butter, carrots and celery and sauté 2 minutes.

Add garlic, chorizo and leeks and sauté 2 minutes more.

Add beans and enough chicken stock and reserved liquid to almost cover.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, fry slices of crusty bread in pastured butter with marjoram and parsley.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with parsley and bits of roasted red pepper, serve with warm croûtons.


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Caramelized Leeks, Carrots & Wild Mushrooms in an Oregano Vermouth Cream Sauce

/ Ren

Caramelized purple heirloom carrots, leeks, wild mushrooms and garlic over a fresh oregano vermouth cream sauce with red pepper flakes, cracked peppercorns and finishing salt.  Topped with Grana Padano cheese.

This one’s going on the menu..

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click to enlarge

Bring chicken stock and dry white vermouth to a boil then add a variety of clean, dried wild mushrooms such as morel and chanterelle. Turn off heat and allow mushrooms to reconstitute for about 20 minutes.  Remove mushrooms, squeeze dry and set aside.

Return chicken stock/mushroom liquor to a gentle boil and reduce in half by volume.  Whisk in fresh cream and chopped fresh oregano and continue to simmer gently until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes.  Adjust seasoning with S&P.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet.  Add sliced carrots and cook until they begin to brown.  Add pastured butter and leeks and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes.  Add mushrooms and chopped garlic and cook another 5 minutes.  Stir in a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley and red pepper flakes and toss to combine.

Spoon or ladle cream sauce onto a dinner plate then mound vegetables on top.  Season with finishing salt, cracked peppercorns and shaved cheese.

This post is part of the Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter Carnival


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White Bean Soup w/Caramelized Leeks, Fennel & Venison Sausage

/ Ren

Soak dry white beans overnight or use drained canned white beans if that’s what you have.

Cook diced pork belly and venison sausage until the meat is brown and all the fat has rendered.  Drain well, reserving 1 tablespoon of fat.

Add meat to simmering stock with cracked pepper, fresh thyme and marjoram.

Caramelize leeks and fennel in reserved fat, about 15 minutes.

Deglaze pan with white wine and add garlic, roasted red bell pepper and green chilies.  Add to the stock and simmer 20 minutes.  Skim away any accumulated grease.

Add beans and cooked orzo. Simmer 5 minutes.

Add 1 leaf softened gelatin.

Add a few squeezes of fresh lemon to brighten, and taste for salt.

Serve with smoked paprika and additional fresh herbs.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ –