Lemon Goat Cheese Balls

These little cheese balls are the perfect appetizer or party food.  And they are super easy to make, look fancy, and taste amazing!  I made these in less than 15 minutes, and it took even less time for our us and our two friends to wolf them down before dinner.  The creamy cheese with the tangy lemon and salty pistachio coating is close to perfect.  We had them alone with a drizzle of honey which I definitely recommend, but they would also go great paired with bread or crackers.  

Ingredients:

4 oz. low-fat cream cheese

4 oz creamy goat cheese

1 1/2 T lemon juice

1 t lemon zest (from about half a lemon)

2 T minced shallot

dash of salt

1/2 cup shelled pistachios

Directions:

In a food processor (or nut chopper) blend the pistachio nuts until they are coarsely ground.  Put the nuts into a shallow bowl or dish.  Mix remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl until well combined.

With your hands, form little balls out of the cheese mixture and roll them in the pistachio crumbs until they are covered on all sides.  Set them on a plate or platter.  Refrigerate until 30 minutes before you are ready to eat them, to let them come closer to room temperature before serving.  

Halal Chicken with Yellow Rice

This recipe, from Serious Eats, was based on replicating food cart chicken found on the streets of NYC.  And let me tell you, it is insanely good and definitely on par with the authentic dish that comes straight from the cart.  If it was a bit less time-consuming, I would probably make it at least once a week.  The chicken has to be marinated for 1-4 hours before cooking which really gives it that amazing savory flavor.  The yellow rice and tangy white sauce are both great compliments to the chicken.  My mouth is watering just thinking about how much I love this dish...  It doesn't look super fancy, but trust me your guests will love it!

Ingredients: 

For the chicken-

2 T lemon juice 

1 T chopped fresh oregano 

1 t ground coriander 

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) 

1/4 cup light olive oil 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

2 lbs chicken- half boneless, skinless breasts, and half boneless, skinless thighs, trimmed of excess fat

2 T vegetable or canola oil

For the rice- 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

1 teaspoon turmeric 

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 

2 cups Jasmine rice 

3 cups chicken broth 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

For the sauce- 

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/2 cup Greek yogurt 

1 tablespoon sugar 

2 tablespoons white vinegar 

1 teaspoon lemon juice 

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Combine the lemon juice, oregano, coriander, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor . Blend until smooth. Season the marinade to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the chicken in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and add half of the marinade (reserve the remaining marinade in the refrigerator). Turn the chicken to coat, seal the bag, and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, turning occasionally to redistribute the marinade.

Begin the rice first when you are ready to cook the chicken.  Melt the butter over medium heat in a medium-large pot. Add the turmeric and cumin and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the rice and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes without disturbing. Remove from the heat and allow to rest until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

For the chicken, remove from the bag and pat it dry with paper towels. Season with kosher salt and pepper, going heavy on the pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed cast iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until it is lightly smoking. Add the chicken pieces and cook without disturbing until they are lightly browned on the first side, about 3-4 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  (I had to do two batches)

Roughly chop the chicken into 1/2- to 1/4-inch chunks. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the remaining marinade, cover loosely with plastic until the rice is just about done.

To make the white sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl with 1 t pepper, and whisk.  Taste for salt.

Finally, when you are about to eat, heat the cast iron over medium-high and return the chicken to the pan.  Cook for a couple minutes, stirring, until the chicken is hot.

Serve the chicken over the yellow rice, with the white sauce and hot sauce on top.  The chicken is so flavorful and juicy, it is really a great way to change up your menu and everyone is sure to love it.

Carrot Orange Risotto

I came across this recipe on Serious Eats Photograzing, and realized that it was actually from a Dutch blog.  It sounded so unique and I really wanted to try it, so I translated the recipe to English.   Almost all of the ingredients were things I'd never considered using in risotto - shredded carrot, carrot juice, orange zest, orange juice, beer, different cheeses, and finally crushed hazelnuts as a garnish.  We made a few minor changes and overall it was a success.  The different flavors really come through and you can taste them all individually, while they still make a rounded dish together.  It is on the sweet side, but balanced by the creamy cheese and smoked paprika. 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups (about 250 g) arborio rice (or other short grain rice, we used sushi rice because it was all we had on hand)

1 large onion, finely diced

1 t salt

2 T butter 

2 t ground coriander

1 cup dark or amber lager

2 cups shredded carrot

1 1/2 cups carrot juice (we found it in the fresh juice and protein drink section at the store)

1 large orange, zested and juiced

3-4 cups chicken broth

6 oz goat cheese, cut into small pieces

1 cup Pecorino cheese, grated

1/2 t smoked paprika

Directions:

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-heat.  Saute the onion in the butter, with the salt and coriander, for about 5-7 minutes until softened.  Add the rice and toast it for 3 minutes longer. Add the shredded carrot and stir to combine.  Meanwhile, in a small pot, heat the carrot juice, orange juice, and chicken broth until hot, but don't bring to a boil.

Pour the beer in, and scrape up any bits that are stuck to the pan.   Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. 

Begin adding the juice and broth mixture to the pot, about one cup at a time.  Stir often, until the liquid has been absorbed, and proceed with the next cup of liquid.  Continue this process until your risotto is creamy and cooked to al dente.  You may or may not need to use all of the liquid to reach this consistency, and it should take about 20 minutes.

Stir in the Pecorino cheese, orange zest, and smoked paprika.  Evenly distribute the pieces of goat cheese into the pot and stir, leaving little pockets of goat cheese throughout.  Serve with more grated Pecorino and the crushed hazelnuts.  

Chicken Saag

This is an easy and delicious Indian recipe, that we found by cracking open a cook book given to us by Lucian.  It's called Healthy Indian Cooking by Manisha Kanani and Shehzad Husain.   This dish definitely lives up to the book's title, because it is super healthy, made with spinach, tomatoes, spices, and non-fat yogurt.  It has a little heat from the jalapeno, but it's not too spicy.  Omit the seeds if you want to cut down on the heat level.  We loved this dish for the great flavor, and for being different from the usual Indian curries we've made in the past.  It goes great with rice or naan bread, and since it's made with spinach there's really no need for a vegetable side dish.

Ingredients:

8 oz fresh spinach (no need to get baby spinach for this one)

1 inch ginger, grated or finely minced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 jalapeno, roughly chopped

1 cup water

1 T olive oil

2 bay leaves

1/2 t black peppercorns

1 onion, finely diced

1 can diced tomatoes, with juices

2 t curry powder

2 t salt

2 t chile powder

1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (or low-fat)

3 chicken breasts, each sliced in half

Directions:

Cook spinach leaves over medium-low heat in a covered pot, without adding water.  The spinach will wilt in about 5 minutes.  When it has wilted, take it off the heat.

In a food processor, combine the spinach, ginger, garlic, jalapeno, and 1/4 cup water.  Pulse until the mixture has formed a very thick sauce.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.   When it is hot, add the peppercorns and bay leaves, and fry for two minutes.  Then add the onion and 1 t salt.  Continue cooking for about 6-8 minutes or until onion has browned slightly.

Next, add the can of tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes.  stir in the curry powder, 1 t salt, and the chile powder, and cook for 5 minutes longer.

Stir in the spinach puree and 3/4 cup water and simmer for 5-7 minutes.   Add the yogurt, stir well, and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.  Taste the sauce for salt and pepper.  At this point, your kitchen should smell delicious!

Finally, place the chicken into the pan and submerge it in the sauce.  Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.  Serve with rice or naan bread.  Garnish with more yogurt and chile powder, if desired.

Watch out for the peppercorns as you are eating!  We didn't mind them, but they definitely add a surprising burst of spiciness and it may be a little much for some people.