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Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

Curried Roast Chicken With Grapefruit, Honey and Thyme

April 3, 2022 by Mary 6 Comments

I am writing to you from Italy, my beloved place in Tuscany – Arezzo – and I wanted to share this Curried Roast Chicken With Grapefruit, Honey and Thyme recipe that I had made in NYC before I left. It is so very good, and easy, I’ll be sure to make this for my friends here too, after I figure out the oven in my new home. The controls are not making any sense to me and there is no instruction booklet. But I must figure it out before Tuesday night as I am having my first dinner party – 4 friends over to celebrate Tiziana’s birthday – and I do need to use the oven for a sheet pan chicken dish that I’ll share with you later, but for now, let’s focus on this Curried Roast Chicken With Grapefruit, Honey and Thyme. This one is for Jeanne!!

The base recipe originally came from the New York Times, but of course I have changed it a little bit.

Probably like you, I am always looking for new and different, easy chicken recipes and this one fits the bill very nicely! There are a lot of pleasantly contrasting flavor profiles going on here, culminating in a fabulously flavored dish! You’ve got the spicy curry with the sweet honey, coupled with the tart and refreshing grapefruit juice. And do squeeze fresh grapefruit for the juice. Do not use a store bought variety as it is not the same.

It’s very important to baste frequently

Basting the bird frequently and roasting it at a lower temperature keeps the bird moist and prevents that sweet sauce, which is caramelizing, from scorching. And here I used my black cast iron skillet, which worked perfectly. Believe me, if you do the basting, this chicken will be supremely juicy!

I served this Curried Roast Chicken With Grapefruit, Honey and Thyme with some farrow and lemon and EVOO roasted asparagus for a divine meal. The Simi California Chardonnay was a perfect pairing.

Make with LOVE. I hope you enjoy this!

CURRIED ROAST CHICKEN WITH GRAPEFRUIT, HONEY AND THYME

1 (3 1/2-pound) whole chicken
Fine sea salt and black pepper
⅓ cup grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed, strained of seeds
¼ cup honey
13/4 tsp. curry powder
1 heaping Tbs. finely chopped thyme

PREPARATION

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pat the chicken dry (inside and out) and season it well with salt and pepper, both inside and out. Place the chicken breast-side up in a 10-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapefruit juice, honey, curry powder and thyme. Spoon all the mixture over the chicken, making sure it is evenly covered and inside of the cavity as well.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes, basting every 15 minutes, spooning the sauce all over. After the first 30 minutes, turn the heat down to 325 degrees and continue basting the chicken with the pan juices until the skin is lacquered with sauce and the chicken registers 165 degrees with an instant thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, about 35 to 45 minutes more. If skin is starting to become too dark, tent with foil.

Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.

Filed Under: Dinner, Poultry Tagged With: chicken, easy chicken recipes, whole roasted chicken

Beef Klusky Soup

March 9, 2022 by Mary 10 Comments

Memories…

Smells of home, so comforting. Remembering my mother making this Beef Klusky Soup. The scent wafting through the apartment all day the other day I made it, of the beef cooking in salted water making the broth – well I was in a little bit of heaven. Lovely childhood memories were floating back. Mom standing at the stove, in her tie-around-the waist apron with 2 pockets in front, stirring this huge aluminum pot that was her mother’s. My dad clearing his throat and then proclaiming with absolute pleasure, “Mother, delicious as always!” 

We were six kids and he often called my mother “Mother” in front of us.

I remember some grease circles moving around on the top of the soup, not really knowing what they were, but I too, loved the soup and particularly the klusky! Klusky are Polish dumplings. And, when they are made correctly, they are divine. A Mother’s hug in your mouth and tummy, so warm and nourishing.

More recent memories

I had only made this Beef Klusky Soup one other time before, when I first went away to college and wanted a little bit of home. I was with Steve (my now late husband) but we were far from being married, just starting to date.

It was terrible.

The klusky were like rocks – definitely made of cement.

Steve, who was always gentle in his criticism of my cooking, even then couldn’t hold back. 

So I never attempted to make it again, until just now.

You see, my mother grew up during the Great Depression so she was always very careful with food, never wasting any and using only just enough. She really was a master at managing money, yet feeding all of us fine food. 

Too much meat – soaking in the salted water – notice the salt rings around the meat pieces – fascinating!

But, I always thought this trait was cheap. And perhaps indicated that we didn’t have much money? (We had a perfectly fine amount of money growing up, particularly with all eight of us living at home.) So in my younger days, every recipe I made from her, I generously upped all the ingredients. Including in this soup recipe, I upped the amount of meat but I’m not sure that played out right as the soup was thicker with all that meat and it was not really needed. 

Follow Mom’s directions

What I do most definitely know, is that this time, I followed her klusky instructions to a T, using only a half of a teaspoon of raw dough to make the dumplings, rather than a tablespoon or more as I had done in the past, thinking more is better and THIS was the key! Just a tiny bit of dough plumps up into the most beautiful light dumpling – just like Mom’s! NOT like concrete.

So do play close attention to that and be sure to use a very thin edged spoon to measure them out. The thin edge allows you to take just a little bit of dough – that proper one-half teaspoon.

I did use local beef soup meat from one of the farms upstate – Fat Apple Farm on Hill Hollow Road and it was divine, so do try to find some local meat. Always. So much better for you and tastier, being grass fed.

This does take nearly a day to make with all the hours of simmering but with many of us still working from home, it’s easy as it only requires time and not much attention. I wasn’t going to write about this, but when I showed the picture to my friend Marie at lunch on Monday, she was like, “OMG, THAT looks so delicious!”

So here is the original recipe. 

While winter is still here, make this Beef Klusky Soup to soothe your soul, make your own memory and spread some LOVE… and think of my wonderful Mom.

BEEF KLUSKY SOUP – serves 6 – 8

1-3 small beef soup bones with some meat on them – or Mom said, 1 small soup bone and 2 pieces of marrow soup meat.
12 cups of cold water
½ Tbs. coarse sea salt
1 bay leaf
12 whole black peppercorns
4 tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
2 tsp. tomato paste
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion coarsely chopped
5 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
3 ribs of celery, cut into 2” pieces 
Some celery leaves
5 sprigs of parsley

THE KLUSKY (Egg Dumplings)

¼ tsp salt – fine sea salt
½ cup milk
1 egg beaten
1¼ cups of all purpose flour

METHOD

Rinse the meat bones with cold water and place in a large soup pot with the 12 cups of cold water and ½ tablespoon of salt. Let stand for about 30 minutes to draw out the juices.

Then put on high heat and bring to a boil. Skim the surface to remove the dirty foam and simmer.

Add 1 bay leaf, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic and onion and simmer uncovered for 2 hours.

Then add the carrots, fat pieces cut in half lengthwise, celery, celery leaves and parsley and let this all simmer for another 1½ hours. In the last ½ hour of cooking, add the klusky.

MAKING THE KLUSKY

Add salt and milk to the beaten egg. Stir flour in to make a smooth batter.

Bring the soup a boil and add the klusky by scooping out just ½ teaspoon of batter and then dipping the spoon in the boiling soup and the batter will fall off and make the dumpling.

Stir every once in a while. 

Let them cook for about 20 minutes or so.

Then Mom wrote:

Any questions call me. Love, Mom

(Mom passed in 1995)

Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch, Meat, Soups Tagged With: beef, hearty soup, Klusky, Polish dumplings, soup

Thai-inspired Chicken Meatball Soup with Spinach

January 19, 2022 by Mary 2 Comments

Thai-inspired Chicken Meatball Soup - served in a bowl.

I have been having a love affair with coconut milk and Thai food recently. It’s something different to make at home and I also love the usual refreshing lime squeezed on for the finishing touch. So this recipe of Thai-inspired Chicken Meatball Soup with Spinach is the perfect comfort food during these cold dark days of winter. I made this recipe last night, loosely based on the New York Times version and ate it in front of a blazing fire to calm my frazzled nerves from all of the Washington DC news of late. It worked and was so super yummy, I wanted to share it with you all right away.

This Thai-inspired Chicken Meatball Soup with Spinach recipe should feed three people with one pound of chicken. I also added a sauteed Portobello mushroom, which I know is not very Thai-like, but this mushroom in my fridge was begging to be used and I thought it was a nice combo with the spinach. Serve this soupy dish with a packed little cup of steamed Jasmine rice and ascend to heaven.

How to stretch meat to feed more people

Another deviation of mine from the New York Times version is the addition of a little Panko to the meatball mixture. It’s a trick from my mom – panko or breadcrumbs – to make them lighter and to stretch the meat a little more in her case. Remember, she was always feeding six kids, along with sometimes some stray neighborhood friends as well. If you are using 2 lbs of chicken, you could also add a raw egg for more stretchability.

Thai-inspired Chicken Meatball Soup - in skillet with spinach added.

On to the recipe, and do not forget to add your LOVE while making. We all especially need a lot more love in this world right now, with Covid, climate change, voting rights (did you know the Republicans enacted all the mail-in ballot voting rules that Trump so objected to? I just found that out tonight.)

I have never talked politics on this blog before, but the insanely false “news” told not by journalists but by the entertainers on Fox and OAN are hitting a crescendo that must be dealt with and needs to be corrected with truth – only truth. And perhaps that can happen over a warm comforting bowl of this Thai-inspired Chicken Meatball Soup with Spinach.

I have always believed that food could bring us together. Conversations over a soothing bowl of soup – who can fight over that warmth?

Let’s make it and pray.

THAI-INSPIRED CHICKEN MEATBALL SOUP with SPINACH – serves 3

1 (4-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1/2 jalapeño, split lengthwise, finely minced with seeds and membrane
1 lb. ground chicken
½ large bunch cilantro, leaves and stems finely chopped, plus a few whole leaves reserved for serving
2.5 Tbs. fish sauce, divided
1.5 Tbs. panko
½ tsp. Kosher salt
1 – 2 Tbs. canola oil
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup (8 oz.) full-fat coconut milk
¼  tsp. granulated sugar
1 large Portobello mushroom, sliced and sauteed with 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil and 1 Tbs. unsalted butter – Optional
2.5 oz. baby spinach
1 Tbs. lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
Steamed white or brown rice, for serving

Process

Finely mince the ginger, garlic and jalapeno together. Transfer half of this mixture to a large bowl and set the rest aside. To the large bowl, add the chicken, finely chopped cilantro, 1.5 Tbs. fish sauce, 1/2 tsp salt and 1.5 Tbs. panko. Use your hands or a fork to fully combine but do not overmix.

Use your hands or an ice cream scoop to form 2-inch meatballs. In a large Dutch oven or skillet, heat 1 Tbs. Canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook, turning them around every 2 – 3 minutes to brown most sides until golden brown for a total of 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a plate. 

Once all the meatballs are browned and out of the pot, if the oil is burned, wipe it out and add a bit more to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium, add the reserved ginger, garlic jalapeno minced mixture and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, sugar and the remaining 1 Tbs. fish sauce, and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and any juices from the plate, and simmer until the flavors come together and the meatballs are cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, heat the EVOO and butter in a small skillet over medium heat. When the butter stops sizzling, add the sliced Portobello mushrooms in a single layer and do not touch them for about 7 minutes. Turn them over for another 4 minutes or so and then add them to the soup.

Remove the soup from the heat, and stir in the spinach and lime juice. Divide rice among bowls, then top with meatballs, broth and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and LOVE.

Enjoy!!

Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch, Meat Tagged With: chicken, coconut milk, cold weather dinner, easy, meatballs, soup, spinach

Some of My Favorite Recipes for the Holiday Week

December 27, 2021 by Mary Leave a Comment

The Rockefeller Center Tree and Skating Rink

Sending you warm wishes for great aromas coming from your kitchen and family times that can’t be beat. Here are some of my favorite recipes for this holiday week!

Make foods that flood you with warm glowing pleasure and your body will hum with contentment, not to mention having super happy guests around the table.

For the main course:

Crown Roast of Pork

Beef Stroganoff 

Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin 

Provençal Lamb Daube

Beef Brisket

Potatoes Mary

For starters:

Artichoke dip

Southern Cheese Straws

Spicy Maple Glazed Nuts

For dessert: 5 holiday cookies

Pecan Crisps

Cognac or Bourbon Sugarplums

Date Bars

Hello Dolly Squares

Sugar Cookies – Rolled Cut-Outs

If you have overnight guests, here are some breakfast suggestions:

Buttermilk Challah French Toast

Shakshuka

Skillet Buttermilk Biscuits – the BEST Biscuit Recipe

Truth be told, all of the recipes here on my blog are my favorites, otherwise they wouldn’t be here. I only include the ones I love – they must be worthy of sharing with you!

Happy Holidays to all and have wonderful days and nights this holiday week, filled with family togetherness, (take your timely Covid tests), joy, mirth and full happy bellies.

And remember, most importantly, to make all of your food with LOVE.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Breakfast, Brunch, Cookies, Desserts, Dinner, First Course, Meat, Sides Tagged With: Appetizer recipes, Brunch recipes, Holiday recipes, Meat recipes, Starter recipes

Salmon Udon Soup

October 27, 2021 by Mary Leave a Comment

Yummy Salmon Udon Soup ready to eat!

Soup season is coming with the chillier weather on the way. I was feeling a little throaty last week and threw together this Salmon Udon Soup that was really just divine, and certainly hit the spot on what I was craving, fish and a light hot soup! 

I really needed to use up what was in my fridge and you can certainly substitute some things on your own. I have learned to not make everything such a big deal when cooking – be flexible – as you have to be in yoga.

Beautiful Maine!

In late September, I was waaaay up north in Island Falls, Maine at a yoga retreat, feeling all clean and stretched out, body wise, and clear in my head, like these beautiful falls. It is gorgeous there but the weather changes in a nanosecond. My teacher said that there is a saying in Maine that if you don’t like the weather, just wait a moment…and it is true!

Our lovely guide testing the water temperature

On our waterfall hike one day, we came across all of these different mushrooms!! I had no idea if they were edible and I was certainly not going to try them, but they are pretty!!

Yellow Mushroom 4 in Maine.












Donna Sewall Davidge runs the Sewall House yoga retreat and I highly recommend to come to this place to recharge and renew. Tune out your everyday life and center yourself with Kundalini and Hatha yoga. It is a welcome break and a chance to improve your yoga practice, commune with nature and meet some cool people. 

The Sewell House was built in 1865 by Donna’s great grandparents and kept in the Sewall family all these years. This historic home is where Teddy Roosevelt came to heal from asthma in the 1800’s. 

Donna’s cook served a delicious vegan fare, and although I had hoped to lose some weight, that did not happen. That Island Falls air made me hungry! 

Beautiful ingredients ready to make the Salmon Udon Soup.

Back to my scrumptious Salmon Udon Soup, which I’m going to make again and again in this cooler weather. Just take a look at all the beautiful ingredients! And once the chopping is done, which isn’t a lot, the whole thing comes together so quickly.

SALMON UDON SOUP – serves 4

4 ounces buckwheat udon noodles
2 Tbs. grape seed oil
3 Tbs. thinly sliced garlic
7 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (preferable homemade)
1 large tomato, diced
1 Tbs. fish sauce
1 Tbs. chile-garlic sauce – Korean Gochujang
2 tsp. hot sesame oil, or to taste
1 ¼ pounds wild salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 Swiss chard leaves, leaves and stems chopped as shown in the photo or spinach
4 shishito peppers
2/3 cup thinly sliced chives or scallions
½ cup loosely packed parsley leaves or cilantro
Lime wedges, for garnish

The Process

Cook noodles according to the package directions, drain and pat dry.

Meanwhile, heat the grape seed oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add garlic slices and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel with a slotted spoon.

Carefully pour broth into the pan (it may spatter a little), and bring to a boil. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, shishito peppers, fish sauce, chile-garlic sauce and hot sesame oil. Cook for about 3 minutes

Stir in salmon chunks, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the salmon is nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the drained noodles, Swiss chard and chives and simmer 1 minute more.

Serve in warmed bowls and top with the parsley and crispy garlic chips. Squeeze the fresh lime on top. Serve with LOVE.

Garlic chips sautéing in grapeseed oil.

Make your garlic chips this lovely golden color.


Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: easy fish dinners, fish dinners, quick fish recipes, quick fish soup, salmon, soup

Grilled Yogurt & Parsley Marinated Chicken Thighs

August 25, 2021 by Mary 11 Comments

Who doesn’t LOVE grilled chicken? I remember one friend of mine, Anne Maxfield of the Accidental Locavore, announced at a dinner party one night at my house, that she loved ANY grilled chicken ANYTIME! She declared, “Who doesn’t?” I do too, but I’m always searching for new flavors (as I am for fish as well). This Grilled Yogurt & Parsley Marinated Chicken Thighs is definitely worthy enough to share with you. It was easy, different and DELISH! Or De le le – as my friend Barbara says.

It’s important that you use full fat, sheep’s milk yogurt, lots of garlic and ample amounts of parsley. The marinating time works with just 3 hours so do this in the afternoon. Once that’s done, grilling it is easy peasy.

One warning though, be sure to oil your grill well and do not have your heat too high – 375 degrees is perfect.

The marinade

It’s the yogurt marinade that makes the chicken creamy and on thighs, super moist as well. And the ample garlic, well you know I love anything garlicky and garlic keeps you healthy. Now it is super important to stay strong with the new Delta strain of Covid. And the parsley at this time of year is so flavorful. I am growing it in my garden and it tastes amazing.

For me, the problem with many marinades is that they don’t really seem to permeate and flavor the meat deeply. Here, I made 3 slashes on the skin side of each thigh, not too deep but going through the skin and penetrating the meat just a little. And then rubbing the marinade into each thigh while it’s in the bag.

Smashed Juniper Berries and Parsley for Yogurt and Parsley Marinated Chicken Thighs.

I don’t know, penetrating, rubbing, sounds a little sexual, don’t you think? I have been watching Sex/Life on Netflix – super steamy at times…

But I digress.

My Love of Lime

It is also important to squeeze some fresh lime on these Grilled Yogurt & Parsley Marinated Chicken Thighs, just before serving. I have been using lime a lot as a finishing touch as it imparts just the right amount of acid with a little lovely mysterious side kick. You’re not quite sure what that flavor is…

I learned about lime just recently from a neighborhood Latin and South Asian restaurant. They finished off a grilled spice-rubbed cauliflower slice with lime and it was so delicious! So I have been taking that cue and using it.

Make this chicken soon – It really is delish!

GRILLED YOGURT & PARSLEY MARINATED CHICKEN THIGHS – serves 4 

4 bone-in, chicken thighs with skin, fat removed, lightly scored in 3 places on the skin side
¾ cup Plain Sheep Milk full fat yogurt – I used Bellwether Farms
¼ cup minced garlic smashed with
1 tsp. Kosher salt
¼ tsp coarse ground black pepper
1½ TBS. lemon juice
1 cup chopped parsley leaves
12 juniper berries, smashed
1 lime quartered in 4 wedges

Smash the minced garlic with the teaspoon of salt using the side of a large chopping knife to break it up more, making a rough paste. Take a large ziploc bag and add in everything except the chicken thighs and lime. Close the bag and mix up everything thoroughly.

Wash and dry the chicken thighs. Trim off the excess fat. Lightly score the skin side in 3 places on each thigh. Add the thighs to the marinade bag and move around the yogurt mixture to get it into the chicken.

Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 3 hours or even overnight, every once in a while mushing everything together and turning the bag over.

Remove the bag 30 – 45 minutes before grilling. Light the grill to be 375 degrees. Oil the grill grates thoroughly. 

I get the grill very hot – to 500 – 550 degrees, scrape off the food residue from the previous grilling, then I coat a folded paper towel with canola oil and using the scraper brush, rub the oiled towel all over the grill racks. This does two things – it cleans the grill of any residual wire pieces from the brush and oils the grate.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for about 15 minutes per side. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer.

Serve with fresh squeezed lime juice and LOVE. Enjoy!!

Filed Under: Dinner, Poultry Tagged With: chicken thighs, Dinner, easy chicken recipes, grilled chicken recipes, yogurt marinated chicken

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Mary Frances

Spread love through cooking.

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