Moroccan Chicken Couscous

8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 ½ lbs)
3 carrots, cut into 1 ½-inch chunks
3 onions, thinly sliced
1 (14.5 oz) can whole tomatoes, drained
1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 ¾ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp chili powder
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
2 zucchini (about 1 lb), halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise
Cooked couscous for serving

In a Dutch oven, combine the chicken, carrots, onions, tomatoes, chickpeas, stock, ¾ cup water, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, chili powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Break up the tomatoes with a spoon.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Add the zucchini, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, yet still tender, about 15 minutes more.

Divide the couscous evenly among 4 bowls. Spoon the chicken, vegetables, and broth on top; serve immediately.

Tandoori Chicken

1 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 cup plain yogurt
Juice of ½ lemon
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 ¼ tsp coarse salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs skinless chicken thighs, scored (or chicken breasts)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 yellow onions, sliced crosswise ¼-inch thick
Lemon wedges, for serving
Sprigs fresh cilantro, for garnish

Place turmeric, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and cayenne in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Toast, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer toasted spices to a large bowl along with yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, salt, and pepper; stir to combine. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator. Let chill for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 500˚. Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until just beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade and place on top of onions. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until chicken is slightly charred and juices run clear when meat is pierced, about 40 minutes.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges and raita; garnish with cilantro.


from Martha Stewart

Raita

1 ¼ cups plain yogurt
½ English cucumber, peeled and seeded
½ tsp coarse salt
1/8 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp fresh mint, coarsely chopped, plus sprigs for garnish

Place yogurt in a medium bowl. On the large holes of a box grater, grate cucumber directly into the bowl. Season with salt, cumin, and mint; stir to combine. Transfer to refrigerator until slightly chilled. Garnish with mint and serve.


from Martha Stewart

Creamy Buttermilk Coleslaw

8 cups cabbage, shredded
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/3 cup sugar
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
¼ cup milk
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup buttermilk
1 ½ Tbsp white vinegar
2 ½ Tbsp lemon juice

Toss shredded cabbage and 1 tsp salt in colander or large mesh strainer set over medium bowl. Let stand until cabbage wilts, at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Rinse cabbage under cold running water. Press, but do not squeeze, to drain; pat dry with paper towels. Place wilted cabbage and carrot in large bowl.

Combine sugar, salt, pepper, milk, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, and lemon juice and beat until smooth. Add the cabbage and carrots; mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Erica's Baked Beans

2 cans pork & beans
1 can baby butter beans, drained
1 can dark red kidney beans
¾ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground mustard
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 large onion, chopped
½ lb Bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Tabasco to taste

Heat oven to 350º.

Cook bacon until crispy and all the fat is rendered. Reserve 1-2 tbsp. bacon grease and discard remainder. Sauté onion and garlic until soft.

Combine all ingredients in a large casserole dish.

Cook 1 – 1 ½ hours.

Graham Crackers

½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cups whole-wheat flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup cold butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp molasses
¼ cup cold water
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a food processor, mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the cold butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 30 seconds or so. Add the honey, molasses, water, and vanilla. Mix until the dough starts to come together in a ball, another 30 seconds. Scrape dough out of the mixer.

Between 2 sheets of waxed or parchment paper, roll the dough 1/8-inch thick. Chill for at least 1 hour, until firm.
Preheat oven to 350F. Retrieve dough; with a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 2-inch squares (or other desired shape.) Arrange the crackers on parchment lined baking sheets. With a toothpick or fork, prick several holes in each cracker.

Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned at the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan.

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Pattie Cake

Tastes like an extreme thin mint!


Cake:

14 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
16 tablespoons (8 oz) butter
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp heavy cream
6 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
½ tsp kosher salt
2 tsp vanilla1 cup (6 oz) small-diced peppermint pattie candies

Ganache Topping:

1 cup cream
8 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 9 1/2 to 10-inch springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper, and flour the pan, tapping out the excess flour.

Melt the chocolate with the butter and cream in the top of a double boiler. Reserve.

In the bowl of a mixer with a whip, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until very thick and light (about 5 minutes). Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg yolks and mix until just blended. Add the flour, salt, and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping the bowl once or twice. Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl and stir in the Peppermint Pattie pieces. The mixture will be quite thick.

In a clean mixing bowl, with a clean whip, beat the egg whites to medium soft peaks. Lighten the batter by stirring in about one-third of the egg whites. Fold in the remaining whites and the place batter in the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 45 to 50 minutes. The top of the cake will feel set and very fine hairline cracks will just start to form around the edges. Remove and cool in the pan on a rack.

To make the ganache topping: Heat the cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan to just under a boil. Add the chopped chocolate and, over very low heat, constantly stirring, cook the mixture until it is completely smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until thickened and spreadable. This can take several hours. You can make the topping up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate it, and allow it to come to room temperature for several hours before using. You can also hasten the cooling process by placing the melted ganache over an ice bath and gently stirring it until thickened; however, the resulting texture may not be quite as smooth and creamy.

Place the cooled cake upside down on a cardboard cake circle or a service plate. Remove the sides and bottom of the springform pan. Remove the parchment liner. Using an offset spatula, decoratively spread the ganache over what is now the top of the cake, drawing the ganache all the way out to the edges of the cake.

from Gale Gand