Cinnamon Chicken Tagine with Peaches

My Tagine :) Christmas present!!

I'm still getting the hang of using the tagine and understanding how it is best to use it. The one thing I am definitely falling in love with is the different flavour and food combinations of food used in this style of cooking.  The combination of fruits, spice, meats it amazing and opens a new window in life.

This recipe is definitely one that I would not have expected as it combines canned peaches, cinnamon and chicken in one recipe.  The end result was amazing. The original recipe gave the option of using a Moroccan Spice Blend or just ground Cinnamon so I went through the extra effort to use the spice blend and there is a lot of the blend left over so I'm excited about what to use it with next. Frankly I am thinking of some form of bread pudding. Although the next time I make the blend I may try going another route and using the whole spices, roasting and then grinding them at home.

Cinnamon Chicken Tagine with Peaches

Makes 4 servings

Medium size Tagine

2 tbsp avocado or olive oil

1 onion - cut into quarters

2 tsp Ground Moroccan Spice blend (see below) or ground Cinnamon

1 tsp Ground ginger

1 tsp hot pepper flakes (optional) (I use 1/4 tsp and don't like anything spicy - I would use more next time)

4 Skinless boneless chicken breasts

Juice of 1 lemon (I also added the zest from the lemon)

1 - 14 oz can of sliced peaches or apricots in water or juice (I used peaches)

2 cups carrot coins

1/4 toasted slivered almonds

1. In the bottom of a the tagine, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, spice blend, ginger and hot pepper flakes stirring, for 5 minutes.
2. Add the chicken and toss with onion and spices to coat.
3. Add lemon juice, peaches with the liquid and carrots. I cut the coins about 1/4" think and they were tender but not soft. The husband prefers them to be soft so I would cut them thinner next time.
4. Bring to a boil, cover with lid, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring once for 30 to 40 minutes or until the chick is no longer pink inside.
5. Garnish with almonds when serving.

I served this over a quinoa, grains and wild rice blend. The onions honestly were the best part of this dish - everything else was really good but the onions were amazing! You may also notice that I used slivered vs. sliced almonds and that is simply because it is what I had on hand.

Ground Moroccan Spice Blend

3 tbsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp ground cardamom

2 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

Combine all of the above in a bowl and store in an airtight glass jar with a lid in a cool place for up to 3 months.

 

 

Happy Birthday to me!

Today marks another successful trip around the sun without crashing into it!

I have been avoiding the blog for a while because well I've been busy and there are times where I can go an entire week without cooking because of just feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. However, today is a good day for reflection!

So I figured I would update my list of things made/cooked that I have never done before. I of course usually take pictures of all the things that I make (new or otherwise) regardless of how ugly they are. So I started typing the list and I was noticing there were are few other things missing from my the list so I kept going back and adding things - I have gone from 69 to 81 items cooked in one day hehe (more like over the last several months) but it made me realize something I already knew - that we often don't have a good recognition of where we have managed to come even if we have not achieved our entire goal. Also ties to the fact that any defeat or setback - no matter how small - really seems to over power any manner of success no matter how big (it's like David v. Goliath - sometimes it is like if we manage to run a marathon but you have to walk the last couple of miles it doesn't matter that you ran a marathon).

I'm going to keep trying - there will likely be more reflections today to come and more posting of those things that I cooked. Although I will let you in on one secret - I bought a cake today instead of cooking one!)

Butter Chicken Skillet Mac & Cheese

Just some of my cookbooks!

So my husband picked up a Canadian Living Magazine about one pot dishes and I can tell you I was skeptical at first - but we have a rule - the $1 rule.  If the price of the cook book, divided by the number of recipes that actually interest us works out to $1/recipe or less than we can buy the item. However, if the book or magazine is more expensive we cannot get it.

Now this may sound a little weird at first but - when you understand the number of cookbooks I have....(Now there are at least 10 books missing from this picture and are in different places around the house.

So yeah - we have a lot of cook books that I have collected overtime.  and they aren't all just cook books - I have a spice bible (which is amazing by the way).

Anyways so as you can tell - this means the art of selecting new books to add to our collection is a very serious business. So as I said I was skeptical because I've had one pot books before and honestly it's usually not as promised.

In this case - it wasn't as promised either. The recipe actually required two pots/cooking dishes but given how well this receipt turned out I am not going to hold it against the book.

I would make some modifications to the recipe the next time I make it. It was really good but it could have been better.

Butter chicken Mac & Cheese

Butter Chicken Skilled Mac & Cheese
(About 30 minutes)

350g Boneless skin less chicken breast (I used 3)
Pinch of Salt and Pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/2 Onion chopped
4 tsp AP Flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 prepared butter chicken sauce
1 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp Tandoori Masala
2 cups elbow macaroni
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Cube the chicken breast - (smaller than you would normally cut for butter chicken - under 1/2" x 1/2" for each piece) 
2. Sprinkle the chicken breast with salt, pepper (next time I would also sprinkle with the tandoori Masala).  
3. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package instructions  for al dente; drain well. 
• Do not add oil to your pasta water and do not rinse the pasta.
4. In a large ovenproof skillet, melt 1 tbsp of butter over medium heat; cook chick, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink about 5 minutes. 
• I use butter chicken pasted instead of sauce. Next time I would add the paste to the chicken after it's done cooking mixed with just a little water to get the flavour all the way into the chicken instead.
5. Once chicken is cooked, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
6. In the same pan, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Once melted add the chicken and cook until softened about 2 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally.
7. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
8. Gradually add the milk and butter chick sauce
• If using paste and not prepared sauce - up the milk to 2 cups OR 1 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream
9. Whisk and cook until thick enough to coat the back of spoon - about 4 minutes.
10. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of each type of cheese 
• Honestly we just added all the cheese and grated more for the top!
11. Stir in the chicken until well coated. Sprinkle with the remaining (or extra) cheese and broil until the top is bubbling and lightly browned about 3 minutes.
12. Let stand for about 4 minutes and sprinkle with cilantro.. 

This is a very popular dish in our house hold now.  I didn't want to chop more cilantro and I already had a cilantro lime creama in the house so I used that - it was amazingly good!

Cilantro Lime Creama
1 cup Sour Cream
Juice of 1/2 lime
Zest from 1/2 lime
Salt (to taste)
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro.

Mix well and let mingle for at least 30 minutes.

it's been a week...actually now 2 weeks... and that's the point

I'm shocked that it has been a week  now almost two weeks since my last post - it's like time flew by.  It was a crazy week trying to recover from the flu that struck the house.

Husband and I were sick enough that we kept the Monkey at her Dad's place for extra time to try and avoid getting her sick. But it has made me think about one word - Later.

Think back over your last day, week, month and year - how many times have you said later. Take a moment and really think - I'll send that message later, I'll do the dishes later, I'll put away those things later, We'll do this activity later. Now think - how many times have you come through on that later. Sure you will do things that are necessary at some point later - like the dishes they have to be done.

I find that I have used many excuses or reasons to justify doing something later in my life. It was an issue that I had that lead to my life revolution several years ago and in examining where I want to go this year and where I am - I find myself doing something similar "living for my life later." Granted there are definitely things that we are not leaving for later - the big things - opportunities to visit family, experience things. But it has made me think about all of the little things that I am missing out on every day.

I am trying to think every day - if this was my last day on earth what would my epitaph say, what would the eulogy of my life say? I have been reflecting on what "live every day as if it was your last" mean.  The best things in my life have truly happened when I have said why not and went with it. I think it means that if today was it for me would I be happy - would I have regrets about things I haven't done.

-- I started writing this post on January 15th and life has taken over. 

Today of all days I have found myself reflecting more on this post and thoughts that run through it. Many people don't know/haven't known that we have been trying to have a baby for the last 3 1/2 years. Between my PCOS and some health issues that my husband faced it has been a long and complicated journey. Last year we suffered two miscarriages and I was completed devastated.  

At the same time we found out that my step-daughter was expecting - and it's a hard thing to understand what I felt, what my husband felt. A mix of joy, fear, excitement, sadness all in one. It was particularly difficult for me when we went for our visit - and I'm going to say those who haven't struggled with infertility might now understand but it's hard when others around you are pregnant.  Needless to say at the end of the day there was joy and excitement. She had the baby on November 19, 2017 - two short days before I was having surgery related to my fertility issues - again a mix of joy and sorrow. 

RIP Finley Jon - Nov 19, 2017 to Jan 27, 2018

But today there is nothing but overwhelming fear and sadness and a complete lack of understanding. I was sitting at home watching some Netflix thinking it was about time to get out of bed, have breakfast, do my stretches and get my daughter off to dance class. I was happy - it's been a good week with exercise and food mostly on track. Then I hear my husband walk in and I was very confused he is suppose to be at work - so I know that this is not good news. Then he tells me that his grandson, our grandson (having a hard time still wrapping my head around that) was found in his crib this morning and he was gone. He had passed over night. 

It is hard to describe the emotions and thoughts that go through your head at a moment like this - I don't know how to feel, I don't know how I am allowed to feel given so much that has happened. I can not imagine - it has been my biggest nightmare that something like this would happen to us and now it is happening to my step-daughter. I still can't process it. 

One of the only things I can think is that I should have sent my husband home at Christmas. I had thought and contemplated a number of times sending him home for Christmas so he could met his grandson but thought we would have more time. We had sent her a certificate to do family portraits for a Christmas present and they were holding off until he was older. Now he will never get to hold his grandson. Now they will never have formal family pictures. Now a little boy will never grow up. 

There is not always going to be a later. 

The flu has struck and I made soup!

So the husband has been sick since just before the New Year and I have been feeling ill since shortly after but now have been hit full on with the symptoms of the flu. It sucks a lot and I know I am not alone because it has struck the city hard.

In any event this has lead to a desire to hibernate on the couch under many blankets and have comfort food. I do not profess to know much about what is or isn't comfort food but for me anything that warms the heart and makes you feel good is comfort food. For example, one of my comfort foods is sushi - yes not traditional. At home my comfort food can be soup, pasta, mac and cheese, lasagna, shepherds pie, meat loaf and mashed potatoes - anything along those lines. 

However, comfort food usually takes a long time to cook which requires effort which for those that are sick can understand is difficult to muster - especially when it's so cold outside and the blankets and couch are so comfy. 

I managed to turn to what is quickly becoming a favourite of mine - roasted vegetable soup - usually carrots.  Roasted Carrot soup is cheap, easy and so filling. 

I have made it before in different varieties - curried roasted carrot soup, herb roasted carrot soup, Ras el Hanout roasted  carrot soup (inspired by Chef Karen Akunowicz); and now Harissa Roasted Carrot Soup. 

I don't remember where I found the soup recipe but it super basic:

Roasted Carrot Soup

• 2 lbs of Carrots - peeled and sliced on the bias (or just sliced about 1/4")
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Spice or herb of choice - about 2 tbsp for spice blends (curry, Harissa etc) 
• for Curried - use a curry mix (either make your own or use store bought - for this I error on using store bought) 
• Ras el Hanout - I found this at an ethnic food store or you can buy it here
• Harissa - I used a powder mix vs. using a paste 
• Christmas or Herb roasted:
• 2 tsp fresh Thyme
• 3 springs Fresh Rosemary
• 5 leaves of Sage thick slices
• 2 tsp Oregano
• 2 tbsp oil - you can use olive or vegetable - I tend to go for vegetable oil 
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 L Chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Peel and cut the carrots and place in a bowl or a large zip lock back. 
3. Peel and cut the onion in half and then cut the half into 4 parts from the top to the bottom (top to the roots) 
4. Add the onions and garlic to the bag with the carrots
5. Add your desired spices to the bag - I don't ever measure the spices I add so the above is my best estimate - you basically want to add enough so that every piece gets some.
6. Add the oil to the bag, close and vigorously, messaging to move the oil and spices around. 
7. Dumb the veggies onto a baking sheet so that there is one even layer (I use one large pan sheet or you can use two.  If you use two sheets make sure that you rotate). 
8. Roast for 30 to 45 minutes turning the veggies once or twice while cooking. 
9. Once the veggies are done roasting - either add them to a pot and use an immersion blender-
1. OR use a food processor and add the veggies. If using the food processor allow the veggies to cool for 10 minutes first
10.  Add some of the chicken broth to help the veggies get nice and smooth once all processed placed in pot - or if using the immersion blender - add the rest of the chicken stock until you get the desired consistency (think smooth, no lumps, runs but coats a spoon when stirring). I then add the heavy cream and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes.
11. Taste and adjust seasoning after letting the soup simmer.
12. Serve!

I often serve with toast or pan fried bread. 

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More Tagine Experiments

My Le Creuset Tagine 

Encouraged by a Chef I admire I decided to make my second attempt at using the Tagine to be a dessert - specifically a Fragrant Spiced Rice Pudding from Chef Gordon Ramsay that I have been dying to try now for a while. 

I was inspired to try this dish based on the Moroccan based spices I have been reading up and inspired by. I have the book The Spice & Herb Bible 3rd Edition that I have really just started using to create on my own (Christmas Roast Carrot Soup).  In any event I was reading up on Cardamom, Star Anise, Allspice, Cinnamon, Cumin etc. and it made me think of steeping the spices in milk and then infusing them in to a Bread Pudding. However, it is amazingly cold outside (-30 something plus a windchill) and I didn't have the bread to make bread pudding so I turned to thinking about rice pudding.

Then it hit me the Fragrant Spiced Rice Pudding from Gordon Ramsay's book "Home Cooking: Everything you need to know to make Fabulous Food" (which I have already said if you don't have you need to get).

Condensation on the Lid

Now a Tagine seems tricky to work with - but what I have read the rules are basic: low and slow cooking over a long period of time. Don't lift the lid unless absolutely necessary. (I am sure there is more to learn but those are the ones I have picked up so far). Basically the magic of how the Tagine works is the special shaped lid.  It stays cooler than the rest of the dish so when the liquid in the tagging is hot enough to boil it turns to steam and then condenses on the lid raining back down on the dish. (Think like a slow cooker in a way). 

Final Product from the Oven 

FRAGRANT SPICED RICE PUDDING

Serves 6 - 8

2 Cardamom pods, lightly crushed (I have black and green - based on the Spice Bible I used green) 

1 Vanilla Pod, split open and seeds scraped out

3 cloves

1/2 cinnamon stick, napped in half

14-ounce can Coconut Milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups whole milk

2 tbsp heavy cream

Zest of 1 1/2 limes

1 cup short-grain white rice

2 egg yolks

2 heaping tbsp Mascarpone Cheese

1. Preheat Oven to 400F (because I used the Tagine - I put it on the stove over Medium-high heat to heat while I prepared the spices).
2. Put the Cardamom pods; vanilla pod and seeds in a 9-inch overproof baking pan with the cloves and cinnamon stick. Place over medium heat and toast for 2 minutes until aromatic. (I placed these in the tagine while it was heating with the lid on - the best smell ever when I lifted it up).
3. Add the coconut milk, sugar, milk and heavy cream and bring slowly to a boil, stirring gently as you do so. Add the zest of 1 lime, then taste adding more if you like. (Frankly I didn't bring the mixture all the way to a boil only because I was going to be cooking it longer in the Tagine on the stove. Also I did not like the flavour of the milk with the zest of the lime added). 
4. Pour in the rice and mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes, stirring constantly, until most of the milk mixture is absorbed and the rice is softened. (I stirred mine once every 10 minutes and let it cook for about 40 minutes on with the lid on - I was careful to lift the lid straight up and let any condensation fall back into the Tagine). 
5. Mix together egg yolks and mascarpone and add to the rice mixture off the heat, making sure it is well combined. Wipe the sides of the pan of any liquid so id doesn't burn in the oven. Sprinkle with the remaining lime zest over the top of the dish and place in the over for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown on the top and the rice is cooked through. (I skipped the lime zest and cooked for an additional 10 minutes on the stove before I put the Tagine into the oven - I just put the base though so that the top would brown.) 

Happy New Years!

It is a New Year and so many people take the opportunity to make reflections on the last year, what has happened, what is to come and things they want to change. I have made resolutions before and admittedly I'm terrible at keeping them - but yet I keep making them and this year will be no different in that I will be making them and I anticipate that it will be no different in the fact that I will have difficulty living up to them.  But I think that may just be the point of resolutions and the new year.  It is an opportunity to reflect.

My reflection started earlier than New Years this year. It started in October when I found out I was going to need to have a minor surgery and then I got more reflective once the surgery date was scheduled. I had a similar style of minor surgery (laparoscopic) in 2011 and my life changed immensely after that. Now I feel that in order to understand where I might be now in life you need to understand me then. I was not happy in many ways in 2011 and I knew it but I didn't do much about it. After my surgery, I had an unintended consequence of my eyes swelling which affect my ability to see, read, be alone. After the surgery I had a major emotional break down and was devastated knowing what my life had been and what it might not be if my eye sight didn't get better. 

My eye sight slowing got better but I made a decision to say screw it and be happy - to look after me. I did so very selfishly with little regard to the consequences and fall out.  The end result of changing my life, my partner, my career could have been achieved in a much better fashion. That being said I made a promise to myself that I would take advantage of my life and live my life and I mean really live the crap out of it. 

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!” - Hunter S. Thompson, The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967

I found that quote and I wanted to live by it and for a while I did. In 2013 I took chances and it lead my to amazing things - I found my now husband - we took a month and travelled around Europe. I risked losing my job to take the month off but knew it was worth it. I got to see family who was very important to me I hadn't had the opportunity to see in many years (decades). I found a what feels like second family (Annie, Frank, Louise, Jowie) had amazing experiences. In 2014 we moved out into my first apartment, I married my husband in two amazing ceremonies one thrown together in about 24 hours; I started a different job taking a major risk; I started to really follow my passion for cooking. In 2015 I took a chance getting a different job and buying a house (which is a place of our nightmares and dreams). I loved that job and in 2016 it lead to my current job which is in a way a dream job.

In 2017 we traveled to see family again - this time my daughter and I left my husband in 1 country and went to visit family in 2 other countries on our own. I will say it was very scary and my brave monkey just 11 1/2 helped me a lot - she's an amazing kid really I'm blessed but I almost past on the opportunity because i was so scared. 

However, staring down the eyes of surgery again I looked at my life and had a really hard time answering the question "Have you lived your life? and I mean really lived your life?"

And the answer is I have and I haven't. In many ways I am like a piece of drift wood in the river being taken wherever the current takes me at times having a glimpse of living my life. I took time off after my surgery and I mean really took time off - I was off for 3 weeks and I barely did anything - answered a few emails and phone calls, cooked some traditional Tortiere, napped, watched Netflix and really just relaxed. It gave my unprecedented perspective on my work and life balance. 

This leads me to my resolutions:

1. Continue to work on the 366/52 Challenge - I no longer feel that I need to complete it during the year. Honestly, given the challenges that are coming this year I know I'm not going to achieve that. which leads to next goal. 

2. Cook at home and eat out less - trying to eat out once every two weeks. It is so easy to stop for something on the way home especially after it has been a long day at work and things are busy. But I need to be frank some days I'm too tired to really cook so I give myself more permission to use short cuts - remade pasta and sauces when doing anything more seems too complicated. It has been the downside of the cooking goal - I sometimes feel like it always has to be fancy or difficult but it really doesn't have to be. 

3. Work out more. I know - I really need to work on this one and I need to be accountable and I need a group of people to support me. I would like to get into a consistent routine of at least 3 times a week but I think if I found a way to do a minimum of 30 minutes a day it would be great. 

4. Watch what I eat. It is ok to be lazy and take short cuts when I'm too tired - eating consistently is the most important thing for me. That being said - I need to consider easy and healthy options that I know I actually like. 

5. Work on my Marriage. I love my husband to bits and it is easy to let a relationship slid especially when life gets crazy and it is about to get crazier considering he is starting school tomorrow (OMG! excited). So we need to make sure we take time and focus on our relationship - this means brining back the 1 date a week rule. 

6. Live my life. I need to ask myself at the end of the day have I done everything that I could to make sure if it was my last I would look back and be happy. This is going to be the most difficult and I think back to "How I Met Your Mother" where Barney tries to make every night legendary - if every night is legendary then isn't legendary the ordinary. I think for me it means that some days will be out of this world legendary and other days it means doing what makes me happy (like cooking or working out.) 

That's it - pretty typical right.