Phenomenal Fennel Chicken

Okay, okay, okay!  I know you've missed me.  I'm SORR-EEEEEE!  The spring got away from me....the summer got away from me...and here we are in the fall!  The kids are back to school and I KNOW you are looking for some ideas to spice up, or flavor-up the dinner table. 

Here's a good one that I have to say, I was quite reluctant to try.  It calls for an ingredient called fennel.  Fennel is similar to celery, with a licorice-like, anise-like flavor.  But PLEEEEZE don't let that scare you away.  Most people who know my food style know that I DO NOT LIKE LICORICE.  In fact, my top three NO GO foods are liver, lima beans and licorice.  That being said, fennel is something altogether different, especially when cooked.  It adds a layer of flavor that will make your tongue both think and sing. 

This delightful, sublime dish also calls for leeks.  Leeks are a milder, sweeter, wonderful member of the onion family.  Make sure you only use the white and the pale green part of the leek and WASH it very well.

The final key ingredient is cream.  The cream makes this dish luxurious.  Don't skip it. 

Here are the particulars:

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut up into pieces
1 tbs. olive oil

3 tbs. unsalted butter
1 fennel bulb (about 1 pound), cored and cut into slices small enough to fit comforably in your mouth, about 1/2  inch slices
3 leeks, cut into 1/2 inch slices

1/3 cup dry white wine such as pinot grigio
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.  In a large dutch oven or oven-proof saute pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the chicken in batches, skin side down, until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes.  Transfer to a plate, repeat until all the chicken in browned. Add all the chicken back to the pan, cover and put in the oven until the chicken reaches 160 degrees internal temperature.  Pour the fat and pan drippings into a gravy separator or a glass measuring cup.  Let the drippings sit a few minutes and remove the fat from the top.   Transfer the chicken to a sheet pan or a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. 

Turn down the pan to medium and add the butter to the pan.  Add the fennel and stir well to coat.  Cover and cook the fennel until it softens, about 5 minutes.  Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally until the fennel is tender, about 5 minutes longer.  

Add the wine, the cream, and the pan drippings. Raise the heat and bring to a boil, about three minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the chicken, and cover with some of the fennel leek sauce.  Garnish with fennel fronds if you are so inclined.


I served this with wild rice, as you can seen in the picture.  I was looking for a contrast in color and in flavor.  You might argue that you have your veggies covered with the leeks and the fennel, but you could serve this with sauteed mushrooms or a caprese salad to add some color.  And do let me know what you think!!!

Sweet Plus Savory: Sugar Snap Peas with Soy and Sesame

Greetings and salutations!  I hope you didn't think that I had forgotten you!  Somehow life just keeps getting more and more complex, but I am deep into food more than I have ever been!  I am now working part-time at Williams-Sonoma on their Culinary Team, and that has opened up a new opportunity for me to learn more about food.  In addition, I have been working with some local caterers on some television shows, so that has been very exciting.  Lastly, I have a new client that has requested low carb, high taste options for the family.  The good news?  You all get to benefit.  At the same time that all of this excitingness has taken place in my culinary life, my trusty camera died.  And a blogger is nothing without her camera!  :)  Anyway, it's high on the "to be purchased" list, so that should help increase my output to you! 

Many of you know that I am a carnivore.  Through and through.  But recently, I have backed off the flesh and am focusing on my inner vege.  With that said, I'm happy to share with you an easy preparation for sugar snap peas.  Right now, they are available in abundant supply.  Costco even has them.  You can eat the whole thing, or if you are fussy, you can string them.  You decide.  I like the expeditious approach...I eat the whole thing. 

Well, I was in a quandary about what to do with them.  I was thinking about stir-fry, but wasn't into the hassle.  Then I had an "ah-ha" moment:  Why not make THEM the stir fry.  I heated up a skillet with canola oil (or any other vegetable oil), and added the snow peas.  About a minute later I added soy sauce, a little sesame oil (a little goes a long way), a little fresh ginger and some minced garlic (you don't want to add garlic too early on high heat, because it will burn).  I tasted one, it was crunchy, yet soft (al dente, I guess) and that was my easy-breezy side dish.  Serve it with steak, grilled chicken or even pork and fish. The peas are sweet, the contrasting soy sauce is salty and savory. 


This dish is high in vitamins A, C, K, B6 and fiber.  The fiber means that it will help you feel full faster.  For those of you that follow the Glycemic Index, this dish is estimated to be extremely low on the Index.  That means it will not cause a significant spike in your blood sugar. Yummy goodness.  Enjoy! 

Collard Greens: Good to the last drop!

I didn't grow up on collard greens.  I'm not sure I had them until after 20.  But I've made up for lost time.  My sister went to a southern college, so she probably first encountered them there, in Virginia.  She would  tell me stories about the cafeteria ladies and their funny accents (probably hypocryitcal coming from a Bostonian).  They'd say, "Want some grits, baby?"  "Any sweet potatoes, honey".  Yes, I'd venture to say that it's a safe bet that she had her first collard greens there.

It was a northerner named John who introduced me to collard greens.  A sweet young man from Philadelphia.  He taught me how to blend the greens to add texture.  How to cook them slow to extract all the flavor.  How to manage the "pot liquor" (the greens juice) so it turns out rich and flavorful!!!!  Cooking collard greens is not about a recipe, it's a process.  And make sure you have plenty of time!!!! 

Ingredients:

8 bunches fresh collard greens, washed thoroughly, stems and leaf's spine removed
2 bunches fresh kale washed thoroughly, stems and leaf's spine removed
1 bunch mustard or turnip greens, washed thoroughly, stems removed
2 yellow onions, slivered
2 smoked turkey leg or wing (usually there are 2 to a package)
1/2 jar Vlasic mild pepper rings, drained
Water to reach 1/3 of the pot
Salt and Pepper (not too much until you can  really taste the product)
1 Tbs. Minced Garlic
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Get a large stock pot, put the water, the onions the garlic and the turkey in the water, then pile the greens on top.  Add the pepper rings.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Feel free to cook them overnight on a really low stovetop setting.  Cook until the collard greens and kale are tender, meat falls off the turkey bone and the pot liquor turns a brownish-green.  Salt and pepper to taste.  And don't be embarrassed when you pick up the bowl and drink the liquor.  This liquor is actually good for you!  That's where all the nutrients went!