Food November 30, 2015

Roast Chicken with Persimmons and Olives with Persimon®

Let’s first get my confession out of the way before we start. I had never tried persimmons before and this was my first time! I always wondered what they tasted like but never saw them being sold in singles, only by the case. (Update: Singles sold in Chinatown or Harvest Wagon) Persimmons are sweet and sort of taste like cantaloupes, peaches or mangoes. The ones I bought are ready to eat as soon as you purchase them. Even better, they’re seedless, pit-less and you don’t have to peel the skin off! Persimon® are available November through January, if they last! I called 3 Sobeys and a Foodland. They were all sold out (End of November), so they are clearly high in demand. At the end I found a box at Metro! Yay!

This particular brand Persimon ®, are ripe and ready to eat, while other brands you may have to wait for them to turn soft and ripen. They’re grown exclusively in the Ribera del Xúquer valley near Valencia, Spain.

Roast Chicken with Persimmons and Olives with Persimon®

Confession: My first time trying persimmons!! Taste SO good & bonus good source of Vitamin A & C #PersimonSays pic.twitter.com/iDa9Q8Uvaw

— Humara Kausar (@HumaraKausar) November 29, 2015

What you’ll need:

1 Whole Chicken (3-1/2 pounds) cut into 8 pieces and breasts halved crosswise
(I used two large chicken breasts with no skin to feed two people. But you can get with skin and use a whole chicken for serving 6)
1 tbsp (15 ml) Paprika
(I used a paprika/lime mix, see below images)
1 tsp (5 ml) Salt
1/4 tsp (1 ml) Pepper
2 tbsp (30 ml) Chopped Parsley
1 Persimon®, topped and cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) wedges
(I used 1 and a half and ate the other half while it baked!) 🙂
1 fennel bulb topped and cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) wedges
(I didn’t use fennel bulb. But it’s a great option)
1/2 cup (125 ml) Cracked green olives, pitted and halved
1 tbsp (15 ml) Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper for seasoning

Method

Preheat your oven to 425 F (220 C)

Line a rimmed baking pan/sheet with parchment paper. I love this parchment paper because it’s strong compared to some other brands I’ve used.

Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Add the paprika, salt, pepper and half of the parsley; toss to coat. Place the chicken in the pan and bake for 20 minutes.

I love the smell of fresh cut parsley

[Tweet “#DidYouKnow a Persimon® with freckles=extra sweetness? #PersimonSays”]

Place the Persimon® wedges, olives and remaining parsley in a separate bowl. Add olive oil, season with salt and pepper; toss to coat.

After the 20 minute mark turn the chicken pieces over. Add the Persimon®, olives, parsley mix to the bake sheet and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway through. Bake until the chicken is cooked through. You can serve this with rice, salad or even on its own. You can also use persimmons in pretty much anything! Whatever you would add fruit too. I have some persimmons left, maybe I’ll make something sweet with it!

Voila! Your classic baked chicken recipe with a touch of Mediterranean flair. Yum 🙂

Food January 14, 2014

Easy Garlic Chicken

If you haven’t noticed from my previous recipe posts, I love easy recipes. I work all day and come home and need something healthy, fast & flavorful. This recipe goes amazing with potatoes, steamed veggies or rice. The outcome of this recipe is a sweet, spicy (depending on whether you add spices), garlic glazed chicken. I recommend using aluminum foil on top of your roasting/baking pan for an easier clean up.

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add spices and herbs as desired. (I used a spice rub from William Sonoma and spices by Club House)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450F and line a baking/roasting pan with aluminum foil, lightly coat or brush oil on foil.

In a small sauté pan, sauté garlic with olive oil until tender. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Add additional spices, salt etc as desired.

Place chicken breasts in the prepared baking/roasting pan and cover with the garlic/brown sugar mixture. Add salt and pepper on top for taste. I used sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Bake uncovered for 15-30mins, check on the chicken. The cooking time differs depending on the size and how thick the chicken breast is.

There you have it!

Food December 4, 2013

Stuffed Cajun Chicken

Easy Stuffed Cajun Chicken

Ingredients:

Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 40 mins
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 oz cheese, shredded (you can use up to 6 oz) I used mozzarella and havarti jalepeno cheese
• 1 c frozen spinach, thawed and drained (you can also use fresh cooked spinach)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning – I bought mine from William Sonoma
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs (I use the regular kind but the italian one is better)
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Lots of toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Flatten the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.

In a medium bowl, combine the cheese, spinach, salt and pepper.
Combine the Cajun seasoning and breadcrumbs together in a small bowl.
Spoon about 1/4 c of the spinach mixture onto each chicken breast. Roll each chicken breast tightly and fasten the seams with several toothpicks. I typically use about 8 toothpicks in each roll to ensure none of the filling seeps out. Be sure to count how many total toothpicks were used.

Brush each chicken breast with the olive oil. Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning mixture evenly over all. Sprinkle any remaining spinach and cheese on top of chicken (optional).
Place the chicken seam-side down onto a tin foil-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove the toothpicks before serving. Count to make sure you have removed every last toothpick. I topped the stuffed chicken with saffron sauce. If you’d like the recipe for saffron sauce please leave a comment below.

Food November 6, 2013

Stuffed Green Pepper

Here’s the deal. You come home from the gym and you’re exhausted! Your body aches and you just want to drop to the floor. Don’t let the beat drop just yet and pick yourself up to try this AMAZING stuffed green pepper recipe. Quick and easy.

Prep Time: 35mins

You will need:
Whole Green Peppers ( 1 for each person)
Rice
Dice tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli (whatever veggies you want)
Crushed cashews
Chicken breast cut into cubes
Cheese
Coriander

How to:
Put your rice in a rice cooker or Uncle Ben’s instant rice
Cut the top out of the green peppers. Clean them out. Place in oven to soften to desired texture.
In a sauce pan cook your chicken breast cubes until cooked. You can add honey, or just salt, pepper and cayenne pepper for a more spicy flavour.

Add your chopped veggies and crushed cashews. Sauté veggies with soy sauce or any other sauce you prefer. Healthier substitute would be coconut oil.

Place rice inside whole green pepper, chicken, veggies, rice again, topped with cheese and coriander. The images attached are a beef version I did.

Main Course October 21, 2013

Honey Lemon Chicken

This is the fastest Honey Lemon Chicken recipe ever! For all of you who live busy lives and never have time to cook. You can do this!

Prep Time: 20mins

You will need:
Chicken (I used 3 chicken breasts)
Honey
Lemon
Vegetables – I used broccoli, green peppers & parsley
Cashews or Peanuts (which ever you prefer)
Salt & Pepper for taste and seasoning

How To:
Cut chicken breast into slices and start cooking on medium. Season with mixed ground pepper and a bit of salt. Just before chicken is cooked turn temperature to high and add honey to pan (Make sure you use enough honey to cover all the chicken). Cook till the chicken is golden and then add fresh lime or lemon juice on top. Cut up your vegetables and mix in a bowl. Either you can add it into the chicken honey mix and cook to desired texture or eat it as is with dressing on the side. For the rice, I just use my rice cooker or there’s always Uncle Ben’s if you’re really in a rush.