Braised Chicken and Chickpeas with Smoked Paprika

This recipe works wonders with the Valu-pak of frozen chicken thighs you bought last month at Costco (or was that me?). If you don’t have smoked paprika on hand, just use a twist of freshly ground black pepper. Or experiment with other combinations of spices in your pantry. Serve over brown rice, whole wheat couscous or bulgur to soak up the flavorful juices.

braised-chicken-smoked-paprika-recipe

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 pounds chicken thighs and legs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes (I recommend Muir Glen)
1 cup chicken stock
2 (14-ounce cans) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

Place flour in a plastic zip-top bag. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and paprika, and drop half in the flour. Seal bag and shake until well coated. Remove, shake off any excess and transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and brown well on all sides, working in batches if necessary so you don’t overcrowd the pan, about 6 minutes total per batch. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add onion to Dutch oven and sauté 4-5 minutes or until tender and slightly browned. Pour in vinegar, scraping pan to loosen browned bits on the bottom, and cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates.

Add tomatoes and chicken stock to pan. Stir in chickpeas and bring to a boil. Place chicken on top of chickpeas and sprinkle with an additional pinch of salt and paprika. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and chickpeas are tender.

Serves 8

Roasted Root Veggies

This basic recipe  for roasted winter root veggies is one we turn to again and again with different mixtures depending on what’s at the market. I love how, after about 15 minutes, the kitchen is perfumed with a deep, sweet scent that lingers well past dinner. These seasonal winter vegetables are super versatile too. Serve them with anything–or on their own–or fold them into pasta or a frittata. And it’s a perfect recipe to practice your knife skills.

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White Bean and Kale Ragout with Turnips and Sausage

This ragout is meant to be a throw-together-fast-on-a-weeknight kind of meal. If you have sweet potatoes instead of turnips, use them. If you have Swiss chard in the fridge but no kale, sub it instead. You may be surprised by how much flavor you can coax, with the help of a well-stocked pantry, out of the ingredients you have on hand.

white-bean-kale-turnips-ragout-recipe1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Italian chicken sausages, cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups de-stemmed, chopped kale (about 1 bunch)
1/2 cup chicken or mushroom stock
2 (16-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute onion and turnips for 8 minutes, or until bronzed. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add sausage and garlic to pan. Cook for 2 more minutes, then add kale and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender.

Serves 4

Revelationary Duck Confit

This duck confit recipe, originally inspired by the Revisionist Confit of Duck Leg in Sally Schneider’s A New Way to Cook, is one that has been repeated over and over again in our house. Because the duck legs are cooked in their own fat and juices–rather than being simmered in a layer of duck fat–it is loads lighter than traditional versions, yet still fall-off-the-bone succulent. I normally kick off winter by cooking up a dozen and freezing them. Whole, they’re delicious crisped up in a frying pan or the oven. Or shred their meat into salads, soups, pasta–even dumplings or tacos.

duck-confit-recipe3 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 tablespoon juniper berries
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 bay leaves
5 tablespoons salt
12 duck legs

In a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, pound or grind fennel seeds, juniper berries, peppercorns, garlic and bay leaves until a rough paste forms. Mix in the salt so the mixture is the consistency of coarse, wet sand.

Lay the duck legs out in a single layer in two roasting pans and rub on both sides with the spice mixture. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Remove covering from roasting pans and dab spice mixture off duck with a paper towel. Wipe out any liquid in the pan as well. Place a sheet of heavy-duty foil over each roasting pan and press down slightly to it rests closely to the duck. Seal well all around the edges. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before uncovering.

If using immediately, either shred meat or crisp in a frying pan or on a cookie sheet in a 450 degree F oven. If freezing, lay out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place flat in freezer until frozen solid. Then wrap loosely in parchment paper and seal in a freezer-safe zip-top bag.

Serves 12

Persimmon & Pomegranate Salad with Pecan-Coated Goat Cheese

This colorful fall salad pairs two fall treasures: the persimmon and the pomegranate. If you have wee ones, put them to work seeding the pomegranate. Fill a deep bowl with water, cut the pomegranate in half, and show them how to keep their hands below water while they work. The seeds will drop to the bottom and the peel will float to the top, and you’ll have a neat and happy helper come mealtime.

Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad with Pecan Crusted Goat Cheese

1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses or honey
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 pecan halves, toasted
4 ounces soft, young goat cheese
6 cups salad greens
1 fuyu persimmon, sliced in half and then into thin wedges
1 pomegranate, seeds removed and reserved

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees F.

Shake together shallot, vinegar, olive oil, molasses,  salt and pepper in a tight-sealing jar. Set aside.

Place the pecans in a zip-top plastic bag and gently crush with a rolling pin until they’re the texture of coarse sand. Cut the goat cheese into 8 pieces and shape each into a fat disc. Press into the pecans to coat on both sides and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes.

Toss together greens and persimmons in a salad bowl. Give the dressing one more shake and pour it over the top. Toss to mix and portion out onto 4 salad plates. Top each serving with 2 slices goat cheese rounds and sprinkle evenly with pomegranate seeds.

Serves 4

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal with Toasted Pecans

This breakfast is downright decadent–like a pumpkin pie in a bowl. Don’t let its sumptuousness rob you of pleasure though, this oatmeal is super-healthy too. It’s loaded with fiber from the pumpkin and whole grain goodness from the oats.

pumpkin-spiced-oatmeal-recipe2 cups cooked steel cut oats
1 cup canned pumpkin (half a 15-ounce can)
1/2 cup low-fat milk
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon allspice)
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and crumbled

Stir together all ingredients except nuts in a medium saucepan over medium heat until heated through.

Spoon into bowls and top with crumbled pecans.

Serves 4

Sweet Potato-Kale Bread Pudding

You can bake these savory little sweet potato bread pudding muffins a few days before Thanksgiving; cool and refrigerate. Reheat them in a low oven while the turkey rests. You also can cook this in a 2-quart baking dish instead of a muffin pan, if you prefer.

sweet-potato-kale-bread-pudding-recipe1 pound sweet potatoes
2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) day-old multigrain baguette, cubed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (8-ounce) bunch kale, trimmed and chopped
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork. Place sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast 30 minutes or until tender. Let stand until cool enough to handle.

While sweet potatoes roast, bring milk to a boil. Combine egg yolks, whole eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add half of hot milk to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Whisk in remaining hot milk into egg mixture.

Cut roasted sweet potatoes in half, and scoop flesh into a food processor or blender. Add 1/2 cup milk mixture and process until pureed. Whisk pureed sweet potato mixture into milk mixture in bowl. Stir in cubed bread. Set aside, stirring occasionally.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add oil. Add onion and another pinch of salt; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in kale and water. Cover and cook 3 minutes or until kale is tender. Stir kale mixture into bread mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Divide evenly among 16 (1/2-cup) muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until pudding is puffy, set, and lightly browned. Serve warm.

Serves 16


“Sans Pan” Cider Gravy

This is a great gravy recipe to use when you’re grilling a Thanksgiving turkey and don’t have a pan to collect the juices. A quick turkey stock made from the neck and giblets (removed before the turkey roasts) is enhanced by a nutty roux and brightened by a splash of apple cider. As Nicki says, “it’s the perfect autumnal gravy.”

cider-gravy-recipeQuick Turkey Stock

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Neck and gizzards (minus liver) from 1 turkey
1 large onion, halved with skin on
2 cloves garlic, skin on
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
8 white peppercorns
5 allspice berries
2 bay leaves
3 thyme sprigs
4 cups water
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Sear turkey neck and gizzards, onion, garlic, carrot and celery for 5 minutes, until browned.

Add spices and pour in water and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Strain.

Makes 3 cups

“Sans Pan” Cider Gravy

4 tablespoons butter, cut into 1 tablespoon chunks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups hot Quick Turkey Stock
1 cup apple cider
2 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon minced sage
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and continue to whisk frequently for 3-5 minutes, until mixture turns deep golden and begins to smell toasted and nutty. Slowly pour in hot turkey stock, whisking constantly (it will hiss and may spatter a bit). Then whisk in cider.

Add thyme and sage, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until mixture mixture has thickened. Stir in apple cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 3 cups

Lentil Soup with Roasted Pumpkin

By Cheryl Sternman Rule

Lentils are a staple food in Eritrea, and every time I prepare them I recall my years there.  Adding cubed roasted pumpkin lends this soup vibrant color and transforms it into an ideal Thanksgiving starter.

lentils-pumpkin

One 2-pound “pie” pumpkin (also called sugar pumpkins or sugar pie pumpkins)
2 cups brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
Two 14-ounce cans low sodium chicken broth (you may substitute chicken stock or vegetable stock)
Water
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 large carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a heavy knife, cut the pumpkin in half.  Use a serrated grapefruit spoon (or a regular spoon) to scrape out the seeds and all the strings.  Discard.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat it with nonstick spray. Lay the pumpkin halves cut side down and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until fork tender but not mushy.  Remove from oven and remove the peel in large swaths using tongs. Season both sides with sea salt (1/4 teaspoon total) and a grinding of black pepper. Turn pumpkin halves cut side up and let cool completely. Dice.

While the pumpkin roasts, start the soup. Combine the lentils, broth, and 4 cups of cold water in a soup pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until lentils are tender but not mushy, about 25 minutes.

While the lentils summer, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and a pinch more slat and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes.  Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds longer.

When lentils are ready, stir the carrot mixture and diced pumpkin into the soup pot.  Season with the lemon juice, and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 8

Grandma Friese’s Whole Cranberries

By Kurt Friese

Grandma was famous in our family for writing out recipes that began with things like “Take a bottle of cream…” without any indication, for those of us who grew up in the post-milkman era, what the size of a “bottle” might be. And that’s the way this recipe was originally handed down to me. She used to make these cranberries way ahead of time and let them ferment; they have quite a kick.

whole-cranberries-recipe
1 cup water
2 cups port wine, divided
1 cup raw sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon lemon zest (cut into long strips)
1 pound whole cranberries

Mix together water, 1 cup wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks and lemon zest in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Add the cranberries, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8-10 minutes, just until cranberries are bursting. Add remaining cup of wine, let cool and store in a sealed container for at least a day before serving.

Makes 2-1/2 cups