Chicken and Coconut "Paella"

The thing about a blog is sometimes you feel like you have to be clever or witty. The last thing I feel after a day at the office is clever or witty.  Heck, the last thing I feel after an hour at the office is clever or witty.  So what to do with all the food photos you have accumulating in Lightroom?  Write a post that is neither clever nor witty.  It's kind of been my M.O. for a while now.  Don't say I didn't warn you. 

Tyler's Ultimates is a cookbook I turn to often...but I do like that Tyler Florence guy.  I feel like I've neglected him so recently.  I bookmarked this chicken and coconut recipe ages ago and finally got around to making it a few weeks ago.  It was good but the chicken was a bit dry.  The original recipe calls for chicken thighs with bone and skin.  Since I have an aversion to bones, skin and any meat that is not completely homogenous in texture and color throughout, I substituted chicken breasts.  I stand by that decision. 

Except. 

Except that the first time I made this I cut the breasts in half to make them the same size as thighs. As it turns out, boneless breasts do not have the same cooking time as bone-in thighs. Duh Mary. 

If using breasts, do not cut them like this.  

And take care to only cook them them on the stove only long enough to brown each side--not to cook them through part ways.  They will have plenty of time to cook in the oven.

Tyler has the paella part of the recipe in quotes, because as it's similar in idea to a traditional Spanish paella, it's definitely different in flavors.  Love the flavors of this dish....coconut milk, ginger and ground coriander.  

If you've never had ground coriander seeds before, you should.  Like soon.  It has a great citrusy scent that I think is a little similar to Earl Grey. 

And even if you've never had ground coriander seeds, there's a pretty good chance you've had it in its full grown plant form...cilantro.  This summer I tossed out some coriander seeds thinking they were too old to be flavorful.  I threw them in the garden on a whim and a few months later I had cilantro growing everywhere.  Things growing from seeds will never cease to amaze me and my little black thumb. 

Once the chicken is browned and removed from the pan, you cook the onions, ginger and bay leaves for a bit.  Then you stir in the rice (and seasonings) like you would in a risotto. 

Unlike a risotto though, there is no standing and stirring.  Add the coconut milk and broth and stir once to mix through. 

Return chicken to pan, cover and place in oven. 

Tyler's recipe called for baking the dish uncovered.  I found that the first time I made this, the rice was a little dry and even crunchy in places.  The second time I made this, I baked it covered for the first half 15 mins and then uncovered.  The rice turned out perfectly. 

This has nothing to do with paella, but the red pan reminded me of my recent Ikea purchase.  It's too good not to share with those who are in rushing distance of a local Ikea.  

I will admit, I get excited when I see the Christmas trees and sparkle and twinkle go up in the stores... even in November.  Okay, even in October.  Yes, I am absolutely one of those.  Ikea is good to me because not only have they put up all of their Christmas displays by the checkout, but they've given me ample opportunity to indulge my love affair with all things red and white and all things gingham.  Their Christmas goodies and ornaments had so much red and white gingham, I cried tears of joy right there in the store.  I'd like to say the below bounty shows my great restraint and control, but really it shows my dislike of heart shaped thingies of any kind.  I bought all the red and white things I could find that weren't heart shaped though.  Why so many hearts Ikea?

Okay, paella again.  Kind of seems dull in light of the red and white Ikea happiness right?  It's still good nonetheless. 

Chicken and Coconut "Paella"

adapted from Tyler Florence's Tyler's Ultimate

Ingredients

1 tbsp ground coriander

2 large or 3 medium chicken breasts

freshly ground kosher salt and black pepper

3 tbsp coconut oil

1" piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup minced onion

2 bay leaves

2 c. basmati rice

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 1/2 c. coconut milk

1 1/2 c. chicken broth 

Thawed frozen peas

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. 
2. Wash chicken breasts and pat dry.  Season well with coriander, salt and pepper--pressing into sides of chicken.  Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a braising pan oven over medium-high heat. 
3. Lay the chicken breasts in oil and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown.  Remove chicken from the pan.
4. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining tablespoon of coconut oil.
5. Add onion, ginger, and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes until the onion is soft. 
6. Add rice and season well with salt and pepper. Stir for a minute or two until the rice is well-coated with oil. Stir in lemon zest. 
7. Add coconut milk and chicken broth, stir and to a simmer. 
8. Return chicken to pan pressing into the liquid.   
9. Cover and place pot in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes.   Uncover and cook until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. 
10. Remove the bay leaves, top with peas and serve. (Tyler's recipe called for a pea and watercress salad but I sad 'no thank you' to that and just served with peas.)

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Red juicy sweet fruits, crisp cinnamony topping and melty vanilla ice cream.  Sometimes you need one of those super fancy unique desserts you see on Pinterest, and sometimes you need something as old school as Laura Ingalls Wilder herself...like crisp.  

Did you know Barefoot Contessa has a new cookbook coming out soon?  Cookbook releases are thrilling enough as it is but another Ina one?  Woohoo.  Even though I wasn't entirely thrilled with the last one, you know I've pre-ordered the new one if for no other reason than she's created a rainbow with her book binding edges and I fear my rainbow will be incomplete.  I could seek help or I could just buy the book.  The cookbook is cheaper. 

This strawberry rhubarb crisp is from her How Easy Is That cookbook.  And of course, it's an aptly named cookbook.  This recipe is as simple as crisps come--dice, sweeten, cover and bake.  I loved the tartness of the rhubarb with the sweet strawberries and of course, the sweet cookie like topping.  No fancy techniques or twists here but just good old-fashioned fruit crisp goodness. Fo sho. 

Love the orange zest in this recipe.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

from Barefoot Contessa's How Easy is That?

Ingredients
4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (4 to 5 stalks)
4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, if large
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup freshly squeezed OJ
1 cup flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal, such as McCann's
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter,  diced
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the fruit, toss the rhubarb, strawberries, 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar and the orange zest together in a large bowl. 
3. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit. 
4. Pour the mixture into an 8-by-11-inch baking dish and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
5. For the topping, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt and oatmeal. 
6. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is in crumbles. 
7. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely, and bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. 
8. Serve warm with ice cream.

Wheat Berry Salad with Pineapple and Cranberries

 The first time I tried wheat berries I thought they were just another new grain to experiment with in the kitchen.  I loved their chewy texture and what I assumed could only be their whole grain goodness.  Exotic right?  I was a bit embarassed to realize I couldn't put one and one together.   Turns out wheat berries are just the  whole grain form of wheat before any processing occurs.  Duh right? They look like thick, short grains — similar to brown rice and they're packed with fiber and goodness since the wheat still retains the germ and bran and other goodness.  

Ten by Sheila Lukins is a fun concept for a cookbook. Lukins (author of the Silver Palate Cookbook) compiles what she considers to be the 10 best recipes in various categories including dips, veggie soups, roasts, steaks, burgers, ribs, chicken, stews, fish, leafy salads, vegetables, pastas, grains etc.  There is even a category specifically dedicated to corn and to asparagus--10 asparagus recipes is happiness indeed.  The pictures are few and far between which makes it hard to pick up unless you are in a "reading" mood rather than a "browsing" mood but the recipes I've made so far have all been pretty fantastic.  

This recipe combines the chewiness of the wheat berry with the sweetness of pineapple and cranberries and the clean flavors of cukes and parsley.  I say that because it sounds like something I should say but confession time....I do not think parsley tastes clean or good.  I feel guilty because you always see cooks throwing fresh parsley on everything.  It's kind of required if you cook it seems.  

When I make this again, I'd opt for a bit of mint and a little bit of green onion to balance the sweetness. I adapted the recipe by reducing the sweetness (pineapple and cranberries) and increasing the cukes and wheat berries a bit. It was still a little sweet for me.  I think the green onion would add the perfect counter to the sweetness.

Parsley is lovely to look at though. 

Wheat Berry Salad with Pineapple and Cranberries

Adapted from Ten by Sheila Lukins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c wheat berries

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup diced hothouse cucumber

3/4 cup diced pineapple

1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries

2 tbsp chopped parsley

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Lettuce for serving

Directions:

1. Rinse wheat berries in colander.  Drain and add to a large bowl and cover with cold water by at least a couple of inches.  Let soak overnight. 
2. Drain wheat berries in colander thoroughly.  Transfer to a large pot, cover with water by three inches and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered until wheat berries begin to soften, about 15 minutes. 
3. Add a 1/2 tsp salt, and cook uncovered until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse with  cold water.  Let drain thoroughly.
4. Add pineapple, cukes, cranberries and wheat berries to a large bowl. 
5. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil and parsley and drizzle over wheat berries bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss and let stand for 20 mins at room temp before serving on a bed of lettuce. 

Grilled Tandoori Chicken Kabobs

The longer you go between posts, the harder it is to get back to blogging.  I have to admit to loving a little break over the summer.  Work has been exhausting, weather has been dreadfully hot and I've been lazy.  I'm sure the three are inextricably tied together. 

But alas, I fired up the grill and cooked up some indian fare.  I'm pretty sure I don't cook indian nearly often enough.  I saw a bazillion great looking recipes online and on Pinterest, but in the end, I need to justify my unnecessary cookbook collection so I grabbed American Masala off my bookshelf.  Every time I make something from a cookbook I wish I had more time (or the dedication required) to crack them open more and experiment with all of the recipes. 

This recipe for tandoori chicken taught me that tandoori chicken is not naturally colored red.  Shocking right?  You could add red food coloring if the red is important to you.  I also thought this version was pretty fascinating in that it was one of the few I've seen that included an onion (blitzed completely in the food processor) as a major marinade ingredient.  

All in all, it was fantastic and as it turns out, chopped cold tandoori chicken is also pretty tasty thrown on top of a regular 'ole green salad for lunch the next day. Definitely a recipe keeper. 

Grilled Tandoori Chicken Kabobs

adapted from American Masala by Suvir Saran

For the chicken:

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp paprika

3 large chicken breasts (about 2.5 lbs) cubed into 1 inch pieces

Mix spices spices and lemon juice together in a large bowl.  Add chicken.  Stir and let sit for 30 minutes in refrigerator.

For Marinade:

1 small red onion, roughly chopped

4 large garlic cloves peeled and smashed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1/2 cup greek yogurt

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garam masala

pinch of cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)

¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Place marinade ingredients into food processor and pulse until smooth.  Pour over chicken and let marinate in fridge for 8 hours or overnight

To prepare chicken, soak skewers in water for 30 minutes

Heat grill to medium-high

Thread chicken onto skewers

Grill for 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through, turning halfway through

Scallops with Caramel Orange Sauce

I'm not the biggest fan of french food.  I know, that's almost a travesty in the food realm.  French cheeses,  pastries and market fresh foods, oh heck yeah.  There's nothing quite like a hot baguette, a chunk of some fantastic french cheese and some freshly made tapenade from a street market vendor.  I'm convinced that is a perfectly acceptable meal any and everyday.    My experience with french cooking though usually involved some exotic meaty ingredients  and I'm far from the adventurous type when it comes to meat.   

That being said, I'm not sure what possessed me to pick up Dorie's around my french table cookbook (cookbook #85) aside from the fact that it is Dorie Greenspan, whom I adore.  One of the first recipes I flipped to was for a chicken bisteeya, which I also adore.  Those two factors overrode my initial hesitancy and this cookbook made its way home with me.  It's one of my few cookbooks that elicits a bit of buyers remorse as I see it sitting so forlorn and unused on the shelf.  If you are a lover of exotic meaty type dishes that include beef cheeks, duck or meat on the bone, then I'd think this cookbook would be awesome.

The cookbook is beautiful....truly.  It's as hefty as Dorie's baking cookbook and full of intros that make you want to hop on a flight to France.  The food photography is gorgeous of course, and ultimately that seems to be the seduction that I can't resist. When flip through this cookbook filled with hope and resolve that I will find a recipe to make, I end up closing it without having seen anything that I wanted to eat.  That is aside from the bisteeya of course, but I figured since that's really Morroccan, it was a bit of a cop out for me.  I really wanted to try something more french in the spirit of the cookbook--and then served my choice with risotto.  Go figure.  

These sea scallops were sweet and a little tart from the orange juice--the caramel, orange and wine reduction added a fantastic kick of flavor to the scallops.  I'd absolutely make this again.   

Sea Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce
from Around my French Table by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-2 large oranges or enough for generous 1/3 c juice
1 lb sea scallops
1/2-1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and fresh ground white pepper
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into 3 pieces

Directions

1. Sprinkle the sugar into a small saucepan. Place the pan over medium-high heat and warm the sugar until it starts to melt and color. As soon as you see it turn brown, begin to gently swirl the pan. 
2. When the sugar has turned a deep caramel color (about 3 minutes), stand back and add the white wine and orange juice. It may bubble and spatter, so watch out. 
3. Turn the heat up to high, stir with a wooden spoon, and boil the sauce until it is reduced by half — you should have about 1/3 cup. Pull the pan from the heat and set it aside. (You can make the sauce up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator.)
4. Pat the scallops dry between two paper towels. Slice or pull off the little muscle attached to the sides of the scallops. 
5. Put a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom. 
6. Add the scallops, season them with salt and pepper, add a little more oil if needed, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the scallops are firm on the outside and just barely opaque in the center — nick one to test. Transfer the scallops to the serving platter.
7. Check that the caramel sauce is hot. Pull the pan from the heat and toss in the butter, bit by bit, swirling the pan until the butter is melted and the sauce is glistening. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Drizzle some of the sauce over the scallops and pass the rest at the table.

Dried Apricot Oatmeal Scones

I love me a lazy Sunday.  I try and get all of my planned out-of-the-house activities and errands scheduled on Saturday, attend church on Saturday night and then settle in late Saturday night for a full day of homey things, crafting, cooking and devotional time on Sunday. Some would accuse me of being a little protective of my Sundays.  Some would be absolutely correct. 

I learned a long time ago that I am equally an early morning and late night person...it's the middle of the day that doesn't thrill me.  That doesn't bode well for my job really.  If I had my perfect day, it would be waking up by 5am, taking a siesta after lunch and then staying up late into the dark night.  But alas, my office frowns upon siestas at our desk so I'm stuck choosing between morning or late night and I choose mornings.   By not running any errands on Sunday, I accomplish more around the house by 11:00am than I do all week.  

All that to say I got a new DVD and planned for a few hours of uninterrupted Jane Austen delightfulness yesterday. This is my third copy of this particular movie.  I owned the original 6 VHS copy and then bought it on DVD when it first came out.  What a horrid, abysmal thing that was.  When I heard that they digitally remastered P&P AND released it on Blu Ray, I debated.  What is it was only slightly better than the original DVD?  I finally just took the chance and ordered it.  WOW! How I've missed you so P&P... "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me.."  The colors and quality of this release are awesome.  I would absolutely recommend purchasing the remastered version if you love this movie(umm, who doesn't?)...it's like watching a brand new version, except still with the best Darcy and Lizzie ever. 

Anti-climatic, but I also made scones.  Oatmeal apricot scones to be precise because what is more British than tea and scones while watching P&P?  Have to appease my inner anglophile when possible. 

I baked these in a cast iron skillet because I love my scones crisp on the outside and melt in your mouth soft on the inside.  Not so much a fan of the soft cakey sones. Cast iron helps get a little crunch on the bottom and crystallized sugar add crunch to the top. 

No clotted or Devonshire cream in this house...I whipped some cream and added some greek yogurt for a little of that clotted cream tang.  Served with jam of course.  The apricots added fun little bites in the scones and the oat flavor was surprisingly pronounced.  Definitely a make again scone but probably won't replace my all time favorite scone recipe.  That recipe masters the crunchy top and bottom, soft inside combo. 

Oh, and cookbook #84, Gourmet = complete.  I'd go on about how spectacular it is, but it's one of those magazine compilations that's like a eleventy billion pages long, so it's a given that it's pretty fantastic.  It's one of those cookbooks that has just about everything you could possibly want to make, all in one book.  It's way shy on photos though so doesn't get used as often as it should.  Shame indeed. 

Oatmeal Scones

adapted from Gourmet cookbook

1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (can also use 1 2/3 cup ap flour for the wheat and wheat pastry)
6 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1⁄3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into 12 tablespoons
1/2  chopped dried apricots
Grated zest of 1 large orange
2⁄3 cup buttermilk, plus additional for brushing

large crystal sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425  Lightly butter pan, or line with Silpat type liner.   
2. Whisk  flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and add to bowl  food processor. Add oats, and pulse to mix. 
3. Add butter, and pulse until mixture that resembles coarse meal with small pea-sized lumps of butter. Transfer mixture to large bowl, and add dried fruit.
4. In small bowl, stir together zest and buttermilk. Add to dry mixture, stirring with fork just until dough forms. 
5. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, and gently knead a few times. 
6. Pat dough into 1-inch-thick rectangle, about 15 inches long and 5 inches wide, dusting surface with more flour if necessary. 
7. Cut rectangle into 3 squares and cut each square in half diagonally to form triangles
8. Transfer scones to buttered baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart.
9. Brush tops of scones with buttermilk and sprinkle lightly with sugar. 
10. Bake on middle rack until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. 
11. Transfer to rack and serve warm or at room temperature. 

Blackened Salmon with Spicy Fresh Mango-Pineapple Chutney

I'm in training this week and it's odd how sitting still and listening can actually be exhausting.  I haven't come home in the mood to prep and cook so was looking for something fast and easy.   This meal, straight from Rachael Ray's cookbook Book of 10, (Cookbook #83--woohoo!) is a quick one. 

I'll admit to not being the biggest Rachael Ray lover.  Once however, I was browsing through a friend's cookbook and I was surprised to see that many of her recipes actually sound pretty fantastic.   This cookbook has 30 top ten lists and recipes in categories such as: Super Easy, Family Faves, Comfort Foods, Sammies, Soups and many others.  Chipotle Chicken Rolls with Avocado Dipping Sauce?  Yes. Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Cheddar-Mustard Sauce?  Okay.  Pumpkin-Peanut Curry Noodles with Five-Spice Seared Scallops? Sold!

Love the spicy-sweet fruit salsa which was a welcome contrast to the blackened salmon.  I of course made a few changes....fresh pineapple instead of canned, added a bit diced roasted red pepper for color, used thai bird chilies instead of jalapeños and grilled the salmon.  Rachael's recipe called for sautéing the salmon but I am a grilling queen these days.  I blackened the salmon because I always have a jar of blackening spice I make in large batches...it was easier to toss that on instead of read what Rachael wanted me to season the salmon with.  I call it lazy interpretation. 

Little shy of photos for this post.  Too. Tired. To. Take. Photos.  I did sit still for many hours after all. 

Blackened Salmon with Spicy Fresh Mango-Pineapple Chutney

adapted from Book of 10 by Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow or red onion, chopped
1-2 jalapeno pepper, seeds and membrane removed, chopped(I used 3 Thai bird chilies)
Salt and pepper
1.5 c fresh pineapple diced in 1/2 cubes
2 tablespoons honey
2 thicker salmon fillets, about 8 ounces each
1-2 tbsps blackening spice
1 ripe mango, diced
2 tbsp finely diced roasted red pepper
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat grill on medium-high and lightly grease
2. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sized saucepan
3. Add the onion and jalapeño and season with salt and pepper to to saucepan. Cook until onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes
4. Add the pineapple, honey, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and then down to a gentle simmer for 3-4 minutes
5. Add cilantro, mango, red pepper and lime juice to pineapple. Stir and remove from heat. Season salmon with blackening spice and place on grill. Grill 5-7 minutes each side
6. Remove from heat and serve with with chutney

Chocolate Orange Loaf

This chocolate loaf recipe is originally from Nigella's cookbook Feasts.  It has four kinds of chocolate and the result is a super moist, dense, chocoholic's dream.  I especially love the sticky, dense, almost rich frosting texture that the top of the cake gets when you pour the chocolate syrup over it...all without the uber sweetness of frosting.  As a result,  I used to make it ALL THE TIME.  When I started back at my former company, now current company, several coworkers wasted no time in asking when this cake was coming back too.  

I used to make many of the chocolate cakes from this cookbook quite often, so much so that the cookbook falls open to the chocolate cake section (Guinness chocolate cake page to be precise).  Not sure why I stopped there for awhile.  Nigella's cake making style is pure rock star since is all about making cakes as easy and fuss-free as possible. Love Nigella and love this cookbook...it's one of my most used. The Guinness cake all goes into a pan on the stove...melt the butter, pour in the Guinness and add the other ingredients.  This recipe is almost as simple. 

While the butter is not melted and you do have to bring all of the ingredients to room temp, to make this cake you simply put  the ingredients to the food processor and pulse, blitz, mix. I've made this recipe a bazillion times and have tried variation upon variation.  You can add mint extract, Oreos instead of chocolate chips, chopped up candy bars (especially Reeses PB cups), coconut and coconut extract or just about any extract you can think of. It's all good.

I'd recently seen a recipe for an orange chocolate loaf in a cookbook that I couldn't stop thinking about but couldn't remember which cookbook I was looking through at the time.  Very often the case.  I figured that the chocolate loaf in the recipe I saw in passing probably couldn't hold a candle to this chocolate loaf so I made this with an orange variation. If you are not making the orange version, you would replace the orange juice with 1/2 cup of boiling water. 

Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup and chocolate shavings. 

Seriously good cake. 

Spring has sprung here in Denver.  Hooray!

• Chocolate Orange Loaf
adapted from Nigella Feast

1 cup ap flour
2/3 c whole wheat pastry flour (plus 2 tbsp for high altitude)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups sugar
zest of 2 med-large oranges
1 1/2 sticks softened unsalted butter
2 eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup greek yogurt, room temp
1/2 cup orange juice heated to almost boiling
1 cup chocolate chips

Syrup:
1 teaspoon cocoa
1/4 cup water

1/4 cup OJ
1/2 cup sugar
chocolate bar grated for topping

candied orange peels (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease and flour large loaf pan
Place  the flour, cocoa, baking soda, sugar, butter, eggs, yogurt and vanilla,  into the bowl of food processor and mix until a smooth

Scrape sides with rubber spatula and turn processor back on  

Gently pour the heated OJ down the spout and continue mixing until smooth

Turn processor off, remove lid and scrape sides again with rubber spatula.  Pour in chips and mix well
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-55 mins.  When ready, the loaf will be risen and split down the middle and a toothpick will come out clean
About 15 mins before the loaf is done, put the syrup ingredients of cocoa, water, OJ and sugar into a small saucepan and boil gently for about 5 minutes, until syrup is thickened
Take the cake out of the oven and while still in the pan, pierce randomly with a cake tester or toothpick 

Pour the syrup over the cake
Cool completely before removing from pan onto plate.  Sprinkle the grated chocolate over the top and garnish with orange peels if desired

Chicken Shawarma and My Grill by Pete Evans

Cookbook #82 already?  Only 3 (or 4) years later and I'm still trying to make my way through all of these cookbooks.  It's a little odd that it's taken me so long since in actuality, each cookbook really only takes a little bit of time per recipe.  It's really the planning part that's lengthened the process...flipping through each cookbook to pick the recipe, planning the shopping list because invariably I choose the recipe with ingredients that don't live at my place and then finding the motivation after 9-10 hours away from home, to clean up a mess after I cook something.  I love to cook so it's definitely the mess that's the deterrent.  Just thinking of making a mess makes me grab that box of peanut butter Cheerios and call it a meal.  But that's not too bad because there are very few things that are as tasty as PB Cheerios.  Have you tried them yet?  Love them. Yes, total rabbit trail there. 

I picked up this cookbook on grilling back in Las Vegas before I even had my brand new grill.  I was initially drawn to Australian outdoor cooking part.  Australia is a country that gave us both Hugh Jackman AND Alex O'Loughlin which in my mind makes it a pretty perfect place. Surely the grilling had to be spectacular also.

The cookbook did not disappoint.  The book is full of gorgeous food porn photos, matte pages and a beautiful hardcover binding that doesn't seem to even need a dust jacket.  And the recipes...Crab and Sweet Corn Cakes, Miso Marinated Salmon, Malaysian Noodles, Thai Beef Salad and even a Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Baguette that the author calls one of the best sandwiches in the world. The photos and commentary alone made this cookbook look like a keeper, and the first recipe I made from it confirmed it.

Garlic Yogurt Sauce is as simple as it sounds--garlic and olive oil pureed and then mixed with yogurt and sumac. 

The tomato parsley salad added a bright clean flavor to the shawarma.  

And the chicken itself was so quick and easy since it's just tossed with a few ingredients before you heat the grill.  I opted to cut into pieces and grill on skewers to ensure the flavoring coated each piece but Pete's recipe calls for grilling the chicken in large pieces. He also called for boneless thigh meat and iceberg but I substituted breast meat and romaine.

Even though there are a few different prep pieces to this, the recipe came together rather quickly and was just as good as the shawarma we pick up for lunch sometimes.  It's definitely a make again and again kind of recipe. 

Chicken Shawarma with Yogurt and Garlic Sauce

adapted slightly from Pete Evan's My Grill

Ingredients:
3 tbsp lemon juice pinch of salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp ground coriander
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves minced
2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
6 white flatbreads
2 large handfuls shredded romaine lettuce

YOGURT & GARLIC SAUCE
8 cloves garlic
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp sumac (a lemony spice used in Middle Eastern cooking)

TOMATO PARSLEY SALAD
3 handfuls fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 vine-ripened tomato, diced
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Soak skewers in water for at least 30 minutes
2. Combine the lemon juice, salt, oil, spices, and cilantro in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. 
3. Preheat the outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
4. Grill the chicken 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, to make the yogurt and garlic sauce, combine the garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Gradually add the oils in a thin, steady stream while the motor is still running, until the sauce has thickened; fold in the yogurt and sumac.
6. To make the salad, combine the parsley, tomato, and onion.
7. Place the flatbreads on the grill for about 5 to 10 seconds to warm slightly, then spread the yogurt and garlic sauce over them. Arrange the tomato parsley salad, lettuce, and chicken on top.