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

Leftover Turkey or Chicken with Butternut Squash, Asparagus & Persimmons

November 28, 2015 by Mary 15 Comments

I made up this dish one recent Friday night with what I had on hand, when I was trying to convince my husband to eat a somewhat meatless meal, and I was just too tired to go shopping for something specific. It’s an odd combination. As I said, it was with what I had on hand. While I was making it, my husband was making all kinds of remarks about how weird this was gonna be and just guess who had seconds on this Leftover Turkey or Chicken with Butternut Squash, Asparagus and Persimmons dish?

So I wanted to share this with you today, because although I made this with chicken, surely this will be just as great, if not even better, with your leftover turkey. The key is to season your butternut squash. I actually used a curry spice mix from one of our previous MARY’s secret ingredients boxes, – Mz. Curri – but you can use a combination of curry powder, salt, pepper and some garam masala if you don’t have Mz. Curri around.

So while you’re roasting the squash and onions, tear up the poultry meat from the carcass (I also had a lone leg and used that meat too), give it a shot of heat in the microwave – not too much because the heat from the squash and asparagus will also warm the meat. And then steam your asparagus while you chop the persimmon and voila, fold and combine everything together and you are done – with deliciousness in your bowls – super quick and easy!! Serve it with some whole grain crackers, curl up in front of a fire or movie and you are DONE for the night!! So very simple but such a weird and great combo of flavors, textures and tastes.

I must admit, I have been on a persimmon kick for the past few weeks. They are in season now and last year, I was asked to give a speech at a benefit dinner for a non-profit that feeds the homeless that I have been involved with for many years. And the caterer (who incidentally catered one of our sons high school graduation parties when we lived in NJ – it was great to see her again) had served sliced persimmons on the cheese board and they were so delicious! Firm with an ever so slight crunch, super sweet and a beautiful orange color, I was sold!!

So here I am now, using them in everything, from main courses, to salads (coming up!) and in pasta dishes. They’re so versatile, different and delicious!! Go get some and use in my recipes and experiment on your own, with LOVE, and enjoy!!!

LEFTOVER TURKEY OR CHICKEN WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ASPARAGUS & PERSIMMONS – serves 4

Chicken or turkey meat pulled off of a carcass, plus the meat from one leg or whatever pieces you have leftover
½ of a large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut in ½” chunks
1 medium onion, cut into ½” pieces
3 Tbs. olive oil – divided into 2 + 1
1 bunch of thin asparagus
Salt
Pepper
1 Tbs. Mz. Curri seasoning or 1 tsp. curry powder and 1 tsp. garam masala
2 persimmons, cored, sliced and cut into ¼” chunks
Whole grain crackers

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare the squash and combine with the onion. Season with 2 Tbs. olive oil, salt, pepper, Mz Curri seasoning or the curry powder and garam masala. Toss to combine everything. Roast for 25 minutes or until fork tender.

Meanwhile, rip the poultry meat off of the carcass and leg or additional piece into small strips.

Wash and prepare asparagus by bending and breaking them at the point of tenderness. Place them in a large skillet with a ½ “ of water. Cook on high heat until crisp tender, about 5 minutes total. Remove and drain water. Put the asparagus back in the hot skillet to dry off the water. Remove the skillet from the heat and drizzle about 1 Tbs. of olive oil all over and season with salt and pepper.

Warm the chicken or turkey in the microwave for about 1 minute on high heat. Cover and keep warm.

Chop the persimmons and have ready.

When squash and onions are ready, scrape all vegetables and juices into a large warm bowl. Add in the warmed poultry. Place the asparagus on a cutting board and cut into 1.5” lengths and add to the bowl along with the chopped persimmons and all juices.

Fold everything together and portion out into 4 warmed bowls. Serve with LOVE and enjoy!! I served this with a Cava – sparkling Spanish wine and it was delish!!

Garlicky Chicken With Lemon-Anchovy Sauce

October 30, 2015 by Mary 22 Comments

I very rarely do this, but I knew I must have done something wrong. This Garlicky Chicken with Lemon-Anchovy Sauce recipe from Melissa Clark at the New York Times is a favorite of one of my sons and his girlfriend and even several of their friends as I’ve been told. They’ve made it at their homes and at our home in the country, often.

I made the recipe about a month ago and I was like, “This isn’t very good. Why do they keep making it?”

But yet, it didn’t make sense. I like Melissa Clark’s recipes. I LOVE anchovies, garlic, lemon and chicken thighs, so what’s wrong with this picture?

So last week, one of my brothers was going to be in town from Boston on business and staying with us. I decided to give it a go again.

Ok, ok, so I (as usual) altered the recipe a bit – added more garlic and cooked the whole thing on the stovetop – no oven – and this was fantastic!! Bursting with flavor and freshness with the spark of lemon, the hit of anchovies and of course, the dreamy, creamy garlic.

Even as a leftover, it still held up all that sprightly flavor! I doubled Melissa’s original recipe to make sure we’d have some extra lunches and dinners after the three of us ate.

So give this a go. This does take a little longer than my usual weeknight dinners, particularly because I like to trim ALL the fat from the thighs. Cook with LOVE. You’ll be happy!
Garlicky Chicken with Lemon-Anchovy Sauce – serves 8 – adapted from Melissa Clark

3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8 thighs)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1/2 cup (scant) extra-virgin olive oil
11 anchovy fillets
4 Tbs. drained capers, patted dry
2 large pinches of chile flakes
11/2 lemons, cut in halves
Fresh chopped chives, for serving

Trim all fat from the thighs, wash and pat dry with a paper towel. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and let rest while you prepare the anchovy-garlic oil.

Mince two of the garlic cloves and set aside for later. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the 10 smashed whole garlic cloves, the anchovies, capers and chile flakes. Let cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the anchovies, until the anchovies dissolve, about 3 minutes.

Raise heat to medium-high. Add the chicken thighs and cook until nicely browned on one side, 5 to 7 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, flip the thighs, cover and cook another 7 to 12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

When chicken is done, transfer thighs to a plate. Place skillet back on the heat and add minced garlic and the juice of one whole lemon. Cook for about 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Return chicken to the pan and cook it in the sauce for another 30 seconds.

Transfer everything to a serving platter. Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the chicken and garnish with chopped chives. Serve with crusty bread or rice, your favorite vegetable and of course, LOVE!

Buttermilk Marinated Roast Chicken with Tarragon and Dijon Mustard

September 14, 2015 by Mary 37 Comments

This has become my favorite way to roast chicken. Remove the backbone, smash the breast down, add a few strategic cuts, which helps it cook quickly, makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner! I love this new marinade I made up to make this recipe – Buttermilk Marinated Roast Chicken with Tarragon and Dijon Mustard.

This all came to life because of the US Open going on right now. Years ago, when my husband and I were dating, he took me to the Open, my first time. There, we had a drink with a napkin that had a chicken recipe printed on it for Dijon Roasted Chicken. It was sponsored by the Dijon mustard people and I remember the recipe called for making a simple sauce of whisking together melted butter, Dijon mustard and dried tarragon (we didn’t have fresh readily available in those days) and brushed it on chicken pieces to roast in the oven.

I made that recipe over and over again. It was easy and delicious. And it made me feel like I was really cooking something!

So with the Open happening now, I was called back to it and came up with this recipe – truly delicious! And you can marinate this chicken for 1 – 3 days. The buttermilk and other flavors will just sink in more and make the chicken only more creamy and luscious.

But first, it’s important to start with a great chicken! Buy it from a local farm if you can. It may cost a tiny bit more but it’s so worth it.

Up here in Columbia County, NY, I think Charlie and Kim of Second Chance Farm have THE BEST chickens around. Theirs have meaty breasts yet the dark meat is not tough and they have 3.5 lbs. in size, which is what I like.

Now in my younger days, if I didn’t have the exact right ingredients for a recipe, I’d freak – and go get them or send my husband to get them or not make the recipe.

Stupid. Really stupid.

So if you don’t have red peppercorns, don’t fret, just use black peppercorns. Improvise and most importantly, have fun and cook with a positive loving attitude.

Try this recipe, be sure to make it with love to nourish your tummy and your soul. The best part of making recipes to marinate, is that you do the work beforehand and then the night of your dinner, it’s easy-peasy. Nice!!

BUTTERMILK MARINATED ROAST CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON AND DIJON MUSTARD – serves 4

1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tbs. red peppercorns, crushed (If you don’t have red peppercorns, use black, no worries)
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
11/2 cups buttermilk (I use Kate’s)
2 Tbs. peanut oil
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1 Tbs. coarse sea salt
1 3.5 lbs. chicken, backbone cut out and butterflied.
1 Tbs. peanut or grapeseed oil
¼ cup dry white wine for deglazing (optional)

Wash and dry your chicken. Using kitchen shears, cut along each side of the chicken backbone and remove it. Turn the chicken breast side up and press on the breastbone to flatten the chicken.

Using a sharp knife, cut partway through both sides of the joint between the thighs and the drumsticks. Cut partway through both sides of the joint between the wings and the breast.

Crush your peppercorns by placing them in a small Ziploc bag and smashing them with a heavy bottle.

Place the dried chicken in a large Ziploc bag and add the remaining ingredients including the smashed peppercorns. Massage everything together to combine and refrigerate for 1 – 3 days. When you open your refrigerator during that time, massage the chicken and flip the bag over.

On the day you’re ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before.

Preheat the oven to 450°.

Set the chicken in a large skillet skin side up; spoon a little marinade on top and then grab the garlic, peppers and tarragon out of the marinade and spread on top of the chicken. Drizzle 1 Tbs. peanut or grapeseed oil all over the top of the chicken.

Set the skillet over high heat and cook the chicken until it starts to brown, 5 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for 30 minutes, until the skin is browned and the chicken is cooked through.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board or platter. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, deglaze your pan with the white wine. Boil for a few minutes on high heat stirring constantly until reduced in half. Pour the juices over the chicken, cut it into 8 pieces and serve.

Super Quick Chicken and Summer Vegetables Stir-fry

August 24, 2015 by Mary 18 Comments

Super quick chicken and summer vegetable stir-fry in a white bowl.

This was my husband’s portion.

Deep into summer, the vegetables are overflowing at all local farmer’s markets and if you belong to a CSA, you can be sure you’re getting cabbage nearly every week now, right? And so how many coleslaw recipes can you possibly make? And St. Patrick’s Day is a way off.

Luckily, most of the local cabbages are small heads. They’re actually cute right? I think everything small is super cute.

So we had some friends over for dinner a couple of weeks ago and along with wines and dessert, they brought me a beautiful basket of veggies from their CSA and bingo, cabbage was in it and wouldn’t you know it, I had made coleslaw to serve that night at dinner, so I was definitely not going to make another coleslaw.

During the week, we seem to be coming home later and later from the office. I am not complaining as we have lots of exciting things cooking BUT, I do get home starving and I am not a particularly nice person when hungry. My blood sugar levels must go bonkers and I have got to eat quick or I am very crabby. My one son is also like me whereas our youngest is like my husband in that he can contain himself when hungry.

This dinner, this Super Quick Chicken and Summer Vegetables Stir-fry, I literally threw together in 25 minutes!!

Really.

No joke.

One thing I will point out though, is that my husband did shell the peanuts for me. But you could buy peanuts already shelled, we just always have a bowl of peanuts in the shell on our counter – to keep me from going crazy when I’m starving.

I have given you the specific vegetables I used, but you can use any combination of what you have on hand. Have fun and experiment with your mixture. Just make sure it’s colorful!

Chicken thighs are called for here because I love dark meat and thighs are very forgiving if you should cook them a tad too much. Just be sure to remove all fat before slicing into strips. Breasts would work as well, you’ll just be more careful about the cooking time.

Adding the V-8 juice at the end was a last minute idea of mine as a genius way to just get more flavors going on – and it worked! Is it necessary? – No.

Follow your own instincts and just remember, always cook with LOVE and happy thoughts. Your food will taste better! And this was DELISH!

SUPER QUICK CHICKEN AND SUMMER VEGETABLES STIR-FRY – serves 3 – 4

3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
11/2 Tbs. sesame oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup dry vermouth
2 handfuls of sugar snap peas, strings removed
¾ of a large red pepper, cut into ¼” strips
½ of a small head of cabbage, cut into ¼” strips
2 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce
11/2 Tbs. of V-8 juice
Hot sesame oil for drizzling
¼ cup roasted peanuts, skins removed, roughly chopped
2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
Steamed Basmati white rice

Prepare your rice according to the package directions. I cooked ½ cup of dry rice in 1 cup of water with a little salt. Start this cooking first as it must simmer for 15 – 20 minutes and sit for 5 minutes afterwards.

Wash and dry the chicken thighs. Remove all fat and cut into ½” strips. Warm the sesame oil on medium heat. Add the chicken and let that brown and cook stirring often while you prepare the other vegetables. After about 10 minutes, add the garlic and wine and raise the heat to let the wine flavor your meat and reduce to 2 Tbs.

Then add all the vegetables and the soy sauce and stir until the veggies are crisp tender and the chicken is done.

Drizzle on the V-8 juice and toss all to combine. Taste and see if it needs any salt and pepper. Mine did not.

Remove from heat. Portion out the steamed rice into shallow bowls and place the chicken vegetable stir-fry on top. Drizzle on a tiny bit of hot sesame oil, garnish with peanuts and scallions and serve with LOVE and chopsticks.

Shirataki Harvest Noodles Marinara with Grilled Chicken

May 29, 2015 by Mary 15 Comments

I love pasta. Doesn’t everyone? But you know, it is fattening. Well what if there was a “pasta” that was actually low in carbohydrates and calories? That is exactly what this Shirataki Harvest Noodles Marinara with Grilled Chicken dish is all about! I created this entree with the last product from our spring box. Adding grilled chicken to these saucy noodles makes a fully satisfying, delicious meal that is actually low in calories!

Really.

This “pasta” noodle is made from konjac yam root flour. Full of fiber, it is a secret weight loss food popular in Asia. This ready-to-eat version from Harvest Foods, is in a delicious, light marinara sauce that is just perfect to pair with the skinless, boneless grilled chicken breasts. Plus, this is super easy to make and ready in a jiffy. For the shirataki noodles, just a couple of minutes in the microwave and you’re ready to go. Additionally, the noodles by themselves are vegan. If you would like to keep it an overall vegan dish, adding some grilled eggplant would be a good substitute for the grilled chicken.

Here’s how I prepared the dish:

SHIRATAKI HARVEST NOODLES MARINARA WITH GRILLED CHICKEN – serves 2

2 packages of Shirataki Harvest Noodles Marinara
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt
Pepper
Oregano
Olive oil spray
Italian parsley or basil for garnish
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Season both sides with salt, pepper and a little dried oregano as shown in the picture. Let sit for 30 – 45 minutes on the countertop.

Light a grill or heat up a grill pan on the stovetop. Spray the grill or grill pan with olive oil spray to prevent sticking. Grill the breast, turning once, until it reaches an internal temperature of 155 – 160 degrees. Remove to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

Heat up the Shirataki noodles for 2 minutes in the microwave, following the package instructions. Be sure to puncture the top cover to let air escape. Pour noodles and sauce into a flat pasta bowl.

Slice the chicken breast on an angle and place in a layer on top of the Shirataki noodles. Grate Parmesan cheese on top, garnish with parsley or basil and serve with LOVE.

Skinny, healthy and easy never tasted so good!

The Shirataki Harvest Noodles Marinara is the last item from our MARY’s secret ingredients spring box. Don’t miss out on the summer box that mails June 25^th. You can order that here.

Broth Bowls at Panera Bread

January 26, 2015 by Mary 22 Comments

Right before the holidays, I received an email invitation from a sweet Emma at Panera Bread to a Broth Bowl tasting. Hmm, broth bowls… sounded interesting. And now with this frigid weather we’ve been having, what could be better? The formal invitation arrived, positioning the event as “An Evening of Umami.” A small group of folks interested in food, nutrition and cooking gathered in this lovely loft in Chinatown. We were treated to a terrific presentation from their Culinary Institute-trained and former teacher, Dan Kish. Dan and his colleague, Mark McDonough, (Director of Product Development) traveled the world (wouldn’t I love to be them!) to research and pull together umami tastes, spices and fresh ingredients to create the newest four dishes, these broth bowls at Panera Bread. Then they served us our choice of broth bowl(s) for dinner, along with some lovely wine.

Here’s what I knew about Panera Bread. They started in St. Louis as the St. Louis Bread Company! I am originally from St. Louis, so you know, they have to be good.

Here’s what I learned. They’re now huge (1,845 cafes) and an incredible company! I mean, having Culinary Institute trained chefs create their dishes and also be concerned about their green footprint, is BIG. For instance, they’ve considered the repercussions of transporting the broth (water is heavy) to all locations or deliberated if it should it be concentrated and then concerned if it can it retain the taste, as well as, considered how to efficiently make the bowls out of components and achieve the desired consistency, using the least amount of energy through all of the processes. Their ingredients are nearly all organic – no antibiotics in the chicken and nearly all cage-free eggs. That’s huge! This “fast casual” food has been designed to be genuinely healthy, even low calorie and totally delicious! I mean this company is really doing amazing things to feed our bodies and take care of our planet. It is not easy to create healthy food available in about 5 minutes after you order at their counter. But boy if they can change our fast food culture into something this great, wouldn’t that be way cool? Really!!! Having healthy energetic people walk the planet exuding wonderful positive energy is just what we all need.

The problem is, is that I never knew any of these things about Panera. (I think they need us to do their marketing and to spread the word, don’t you think?)

So what exactly is Umami? I wanted a succinct answer. Here’s what the Umami Information Center says. (Yes, it’s true, there is one. Just Google it.) Taking its name from Japanese, umami is a pleasant savoury taste imparted by glutamate, a type of amino acid, and ribonucleotides, including inosinate and guanylate, which occur naturally in many foods including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products. As the taste of umami itself is subtle and blends well with other tastes to expand and round out flavors, most people don’t recognize umami when they encounter it, but it plays an important role making food taste delicious.

Could it be that fake Umami is monosodium glutamate – MSG? Well there’s none of that here.

Check out these broth bowls – they’re delish!!!

I particularly liked the quinoa lentil one with the hard boiled egg on top!