Crockpot Garlic Parm Chicken

Once I realized this wasn't chicken parm, it looked like an interesting crockpot option.  From here, vaguely garbled via Reddit...

Recipe

2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs
1 lb baby red potatoes, quartered
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
lots of grated Parmesan cheese
parsley, chopped
olive oil, salt & pepper

Heat 1/3 c or so of oil in a large skillet, season your chicken with salt & pepper, and sear golden-brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes.

In your slow cooker, toss the potatoes with garlic, thyme, some parm, salt & pepper, and a couple tbsps of olive oil.  Chicken goes on top; feel free to toss more, and sprinkle with more garlic and cheese.  Cover and cook on high 4 hours or low 8 hours.  Garnish with more cheese and parsley.

Notes

Browning the chicken takes away from some of the appeal of one-pot crockpot recipes.  But the crispy chicken skin is pretty worth it.

I bumped up the veggie / produce quotient a bit with the remainder of a bag of baby carrots and an onion.

Awesome garlic smell; not so awesome burned crust on my crockpot...

Catfish Curry

Southern recipe via a Denver native and texted (back) to me from Boston...

Recipe

1 lb catfish fillets

2 c water

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp curry powder

1 tbsp butter

Cut your catfisth into 2" pieces, and plop in a saucepan with the water, onion, salt & pepper.  Bring to a boil and simmer 8-10 minutes, until the fish is cooked but not falling apart.  Remove the catfish and boil the water down to about a cup.

Meanwhile, combine the flour, curry, and butter.  If it forms a nice paste, great - roll it into tsp-ish balls and add gradually to the water (over low heat)  Otherwise, gradually add your powdery, gooey mix...  Simmer a few more minutes until it thickens into a gravy.

Serve over rice!

Notes

This impromptu recipe came out pretty well!  The fish pieces didn't fall apart while cooking, but they did shed some little morsels that mixed into the gravy very nicely.  It seems healthy enough on its own, contrary to soul food's reputation...  But I added a pour of frozen veggies while boiling down the water, and served with some avocado too:

Sausage & Balsamic Grapes

Grapes are part of at least one family favorite dinner recipe (is that Chicken Pesto up here somewhere).  So I thought this one from ATK was worth a try:

Recipe

sweet Italian sausage (~1 1/2 lbs, or really as much as you want) - actual whole sausages!

1 lb seedless red grapes, halved

1 onion, sliced thin

1/4 c water

1/4 c white wine (dry)

1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp fresh mint, chopped

vegetable oil, salt & pepper

Heat a tbsp or so of oil in a skillet over medium, then brown the sausages on 2 sides.  Drain some oil/fat (optional!) and add the onion and grapes around the sausage, and add the water and cover.  Cook the sausages (about 10 minutes), turning halfway through.  Remove the sausages, and heat things up, adding some salt & pepper.  Brown the onions / soften the grapes (a few minutes), then add the white wine and oregano.  Scrape up brown bits while reducing by about half.  Stir in vinegar and serve over your sausage.

Notes

I messed up the first try at this by getting bulk sausage - luckily plenty of ways to use that up too (i.e. an improvised grape Korvgryta).  The official recommendation is to serve with salad or polenta, but some mashed potatoes worked very nicely - soaked up some of the sweetness.  Overall a kind of classier, sweeter version of the sausage & peppers...

Sesame-Crusted Roast Chicken

(from Godmommy Jen by way of the NY Times)

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce (or, allergen-friendly, Worcestershire sauce)

2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 3 1/2-to-4 lb. whole chicken

1 lb. new yellow or red potatoes, scrubbed and halved 

1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (optional)

2 tbsp. coarsely chopped parsley (who cares.)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, 1 tbsp. sesame oil, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, and 1tsp. freshly cracked black pepper. Set aside. Pat chicken dry, season with 1/4 tsp. salt. Fold legs up over breast and tie legs with 100% cotton kitchen string. Twist wing tips under back. *(I did none of those things ;-p

2. Heat 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining sesame oil to skillet, heat 30 seconds. Place chicken breast side down in skillet, sear 3 minutes or until golden and crusty. Turn chicken over and sear 3 minutes more. Remove skillet from heat.

3. Scatter potatoes around chicken. Pour soy sauce mixture over chicken and potatoes. Roast 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes until thermometer inserted in thighs reads 175. STIR POTATOES AND SPOON SKILLET DRIPPINGS OVER CHICKEN ONCE OR TWICE DURING COOKING. (If sauce evaporates during roasting, add broth.) Remove skillet from oven, cover chicken, let rest 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving (if you're fancy).

NOTES: This is my FAVORITE roast chicken recipe now!! The sauce is SO addicting and the chicken completely soaks it in, not to mention how delish the potatoes get from sitting in all the sauce and juice. 

Roast Chicken & Fennel

Another NYT recipe that's very simple but seems at least somewhat refined?

Recipe

2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and sliced
3 lbs chicken drumsticks and/or thighs
olive oil, salt & pepper, lemon, parsley

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Toss the fennel generously with olive oil and some salt and pepper, and roast in a layer about 10 minutes.  Season the chicken and put it skin-side up on top, and drizzle a bit more olive oil.  Roast about 30 minutes, basting about halfway through.  Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.

Notes

It's really too bad I dropped the ball on a photo.  The chicken looked amazing, with crispy brown skin - forgot to take a good pic before digging in.  The fennel was a little watery anyway, still tasty though!  I ate my whole half or so preparation of the recipe, maybe could use some potatoes or noodles or rice to add some bulk.

Cavatappi with Chorizo & Black Beans

Southwest twist on pasta, with a couple solid ingredients.  Source.

Recipe

1 onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 lb cured chorizo, sliced thin
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 c broth/stock
1 c canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 lb cavatappi
oil, salt & pepper, lime juice, parsley

Heat some oil medium low, and saute the onion until it starts to soften, then add the garlic and spices.  Next add the chorizo, tomato paste, and broth.  Let it thicken for a few more minutes, then add the beans and lime juice.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta, and toss with the sauce and parsley.

Notes

I looked up cavatappi, I think from somewhere online claiming it was a superior pasta shape or whatever.  Turns out it's hard to find though, so I used the standard penne I had on hand.  One cup of black beans is a bit of a tricky amount - using a full can overwhelmed the dish a bit.  So maybe use this one when you're scaling up!

Pancakes IV: Ugnspannkaka

Possibly the worst food name ever, but otherwise a somewhat straightforward Swedish baked pancake:

Recipe

2 eggs
2 1/2 c milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 c flour

Beat eggs with 1 c of the milk, then whisk in the salt, sugar, and flour.  Stir in the rest of the milk until you have a smooth batter.  Let it sit a few minutes (10 if you have the patience of a 50's housewife), then pour into a buttered baking dish.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy.  Serve with jam or fruit puree.

Here's mine, with Ikea-classic lingonberry jam!