one-pot chicken and asparagus

Short on time this Passover? Go the one-pot recipe route with this chicken thigh and asparagus recipe. 

one-pot chicken and asparagus

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prep time 5 min. | Total time: 25 min.  | Serves 6-8 | Passover Friendly Weight Watchers Friendly: 5 Points
INGREDIENTS/ INSTRUCTIONS
6-8 boneless chicken thighs or breasts 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons minced garlic fresh parsley or herbs of choice ½ teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon garlic powder 2-3 tbsp of water	1.  Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large pan/skillet over medium-high heat, place olive oil, garlic, spices and herbs and until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. 2.  Reduce heat to medium, add chicken to pan, and cook for 5-7 minutes, then flip and cook another 5-7 minutes. (Chicken should be nearly, but not completely cooked through by this point) 3.  Scoot the chicken over the sides and add remaining add 2 tbsp of water and asparagus. Season asparagus with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, rotating throughout, for 4-6 minutes until tender and chicken is completely cooked through. 4.  Serve immediately garnished with freshly cracked black pepper and fresh herbs if desired.

honeyed chicken with caramelized onions, chestnuts and prunes

After a BIG day of grocery shopping and visiting a Healthy Food and Living Expo at Palais des Congres, a mean headache struck.  Not prone to headaches, this was one of those migraines that would leave any mama winding down on a couch while kids totally taking advantage of the situation. 

"Go take your shower please... close the TV... close the TV... eat dinner... eat the fish... go to sleep... GO TO SLEEP!" I repeated... I felt like a robot or on auto-pilot. For some reason, the girls were non-reactive. I totally shpieled knowing kids are kids.. even when I hoped they can empathize like adults.  I abruptly shut the TV demanding they eat the fish I made for dinner" that's when one of my kids threw a fit. She refused to eat... she refused just about everything I asked of her. The other child, though at a stagnating pace, took her shower, ate dinner, and even surprised me by doing the dishes and stacking everything away... I totally felt nachas amid the challenge. I thanked her for listening.

I had no me-time that night, it took the kids 2 hours to finally fall asleep. Whoever said motherhood is perfect? It's not. The next time you have a headache know you are not alone, this happens to all of us. Looking back, I will have a good talk with my children about the situation experienced and make sure we understand each other.

"The joy of motherhood comes in moments, there will be hard times, and frustrating times, but amid the challenges there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction."  

~ Elder M. Russell Ballard

Motherly food for thought aside, Purim can be an overwhelming time for parents. there are so many things to prepare from costumes, mishloach manot to fasting and feasting. With all this in mind, here is a sweet chicken recipe for your family dinner or Purim feast.  A couple of years ago my mom made a delicious caramelized onion chicken recipe for our Purim dinner, which became my inspiration for this dish.  The truth is caramelized onion in chicken is delicious in itself, but I love the added sweetness from the prunes and texture from the chestnuts. Happy Purim!

honeyed chicken with caramelized onions, chestnuts and prunes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total Time: 1 hour  | Serves 4 |  Meat
INGREDIENTS	INSTRUCTIONS
4-6 chicken pieces, bone-in chicken thighs preferred 1 tsp cinnamon  1/2 tsp of paprika 2 tbsp of honey  3 tbsp of olive oil 3  white onions, sliced 250 g dry prunes or apricots 250 g of chestnuts  3/4 cup of boiling water   Kosher salt, to taste Freshly ground pepper, to taste SERVE WITH 1/3 cup whole toasted blanched almonds (optional) Couscous	1.  In a cast-iron skillet or heavy bottom pot, on medium heat,  drizzle oil,  add the sliced onions, the cinnamon, and paprika. Stir well and add the chicken pieces one at a time, cook for 2 minutes, coating all sides of the chicken and then top with 1/2 cup of water. 2.  Drizzle the honey over the chicken, coating properly, sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper on each piece and the chestnuts. Cook for 10-15 minutes.  3. Keep an eye on the chicken, lower heat to simmer (low-medium), add 1/3 cup of water, allow to reduce for another 20-25 minutes. Cover the pot halfway. Flip the chicken pieces a couple of times, add the prunes, spreading them a bit everywhere in the pot at this point, cook for another 10 minutes. You want to see a golden brown color on both sides of the chicken thighs accompanied by caramelized onions, and softened prunes.

cozy olive chicken

Nothing like a good Shabbat heart-to-heart talk with my mom... Then again, nothing like learning fascinating new facts about my roots when I least expect it. A few weeks ago, during one of those cozy Shabbat one-on-one talks, I found out that each end of Ramadan, my grand-mother prepared trays and trays of delicious Morroccan pastries filled with traditional Chebakia, Ghriba, .. she offered them as presents to her neighbors, as a means to foster respectful relations.

What really surprised me was finding-out about Mohamed, a young fella who lived in my grand-parent's building. Mohamed's mother had passed away, leaving him as an orphan. My grand-mother adopted him, sheltering him for many many years until she moved to Israel in the 70s. I never knew this about her. This compassion exemplifies the power of love, disregarding differences and practices. Lessons we still need to learn in the world we live in today. I wish I can see her and give her a massive bubby or 'mamie' hug.

When I think of Moroccan cuisine, I automatically think of my mom's olive chicken tajine. Growing up as a Sephardi kid in the West Island, I ate a lot of "out-of-the-box" Moroccan dishes, and one of these dishes consisted of olive chicken. There wasn't one holiday my mother didn't cook-up her traditional green olive and chicken dish accentuated with curcuma, diced tomatoes, paprika and lemon juice. On a whim, I decided to cook-up my own take of olive chicken, and being my mother's daughter, I had to twist it differently; so I used black olives instead of green ones, sun-dried tomatoes instead of diced ones, added minced coriander (as she would generally rough-chop them), and had to add some nana (mint). It turned out to be a really flavorful dish inspired by my roots and childhood, my kind of girly TV dinner to savor while watching my favorite The Mindy Project, or Suits Netflix re-runs... and yes accompanied with a nice (very tall) glass of white wine. Enjoy and stay cozy!

INSTRUCTIONS




PREP: 20 mins  | TOTAL TIME: 55 mins | SERVINGS: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cup fresh coriander 
• A handful of mint
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp of chili flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken (3 pounds total)
• 1 to 2 cups of olives 
• 1 tbsp water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, or oil from your sundried tomatoes
• Salt and pepper 
• 1/2 cup of water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a food processor, puree coriander, mint, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, oil, cumin, chili flakes, and tablespoon water until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. With a paring knife, lift skin off each chicken piece; using your fingers, tightly pack each pocket with mixture. Rub chicken with remaining teaspoon oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Oven bake version: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in a rimmed baking sheet, toss in olives, 1/2 cup of water and bay leaves. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Roast until chicken is cooked through 35-40 minutes.
   
   
4. Stove-top version: Place chicken in a deep skillet, heat to medium, pour 1/2 cup of water, bay leaves, place chicken pieces beside each and top them with the olives. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Lower heat slightly and allow cooking for 30 minutes. Stir dish throughout the cooking process ensuring the chicken does not stick to the bottom of the skillet. And voila, you have a cozy olive chicken to enjoy during these cold winter days. Enjoy, and keep warm!