Author: Merigold

Categories
Cocktail

Fire Cider

one and a half slices immunity recipe healthy flu season gut health
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Immunity Fire Cider

one and a half slices immunity recipe healthy flu season gut health

I would like to say Happy Holidays this year with a little immunity boost🎄Germs abound in flu season and you can have this simple witch’s brew on hand to combat viruses, bacteria, parasites, and inflammation 🌶️This tonic has got all the goods, so head to the store, grab your ingredients of choice, and whip this up 30 days before deep winter ❄️

In good health,

OneandahalfSlices

what you need

1-2 heads of fresh garlic

1 cup raw honey

2-3 fresh red chili peppers

1 large knob of fresh turmeric

2-3 knobs of fresh ginger

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

6-8 whole cloves

3-4 star anise

Several peppercorns worth of crushed black pepper

5-6 whole cardamom pods

1-2 lemons, washed, cut into quarters 

16oz raw apple cider vinegar

1 small red onion, peeled and cut into quarters 

(optional) 1 orange, washed, cut into quarters 

(optional) any fresh herbs (like rosemary) or flowers (like calendula or lemon balm)

how to make it

**note: fire cider takes about 30 days, so start your winter batch early!

Place all ingredients into an extra large mason jar. Pour in the cup of honey and then add the apple cider vinegar so the liquid covers the top of the ingredients in the jar.

Shake several times lightly and let sit on the counter at room temperature for 30-60 days. 

Give the jar a nice shake when you’re ready to prepare and then strain the liquid into a large jar. 

Take the fire cider 1-2 tablespoons at a time at the first signs of a cold or flu. Or you can take daily if you can stand the extra spicy, extra garlick-y flavor. 

*Note: both honey and apple cider vinegar are astringents. They work to pull the beneficial properties of all the jar’s contents (e.g., fresh turmeric root and ginger), into the liquid. So the remaining liquid basically functions as an anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic immunity shot for general holistic health and wellness. 

If you are looking for such a concoction in a tastier form, you can just make my immunity soup 🙂 

eat like this and you'll live forever
Categories
Omni

Tuscan Chicken Soup

one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Tuscan Chicken Soup

Man, the soups are slaying this fall. This one is in the same category as the Zinger Chicken Soup, which is zestier, and Viking Lentil Stew, which is heartier. This one, above all, is warm. Just warm. Super freaking cozy while maintaining a light level of flavor profile intrigue. It’s a curious little sweater of a soup for fall and winter evenings that takes exactly 1 hour to get on your table.

⛄🔥❄️

what you need

1 quart (36 fl oz) chicken broth + 1 cup water

~3 small white or red potatoes, skinned and diced tiny

~3-4 carrots, skinned and diced tiny

2-3 cups swiss chard, washed and chopped coursely (without the stems removed)

1 tablespoon salted butter

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 yellow onion, diced tiny

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 lb fresh white meat chicken

1 can (8 oz) cannellini beans (or other white bean of choice)

zest from 1 full lemon

1 parmesan cheese rind

freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving

2 tablespoons olive oil per bowl for serving

how to make it

Method: stovetop

Utensil: Dutch oven or large cooking pot

Melt butter over medium heat in pot. Add diced onion, sauté for 2 minutes, then add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Add the thyme, oregano, and crushed red pepper, and give it a good stir.

Place the parmesan rind, chicken broth, water, and whole pieces of chicken in the pot with a generous amount of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer with the pot covered for ~30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot to a cutting board and shred it with a fork. Then return it to the pot. Also remove the parmesan rind from the pot and throw it away.

Add the potatoes, carrots, and beans to the pot and simmer, covered, for an additional 2o minutes. At this point, kill the heat and add the lemon zest and swiss chard, stirring a bit, then covering the pot (without heat) for 5 more minutes.  

Note: at this point, you can add a splash of heavy cream of half & half if you want the soup truly creamy, but I find that the starch from the potatoes and the beans has thickened it to my particular liking. 

Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of really good olive oil per bowl (you should be able to see plenty of the little oil beads in the soup). Grate some fresh parmesan cheese on top and enjoy immediately.

more warm soups for winter
Categories
Cocktail

The Flannel Shirt

one and a half slices cocktail recipe scotch whisky fall
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The Flannel Shirt

one and a half slices cocktail recipe scotch whisky fall

Hot take (updated): You can make this drink with scotch (The Original), bourbon (The Commoner), or cognac (The Après). It’s good all three ways. The cognac version may just be my new fav – perfect for Christmas and after Thanksgiving dinner.

This is Fall epitomized in cocktail form. From scotch whiskey to allspice dram, you could not possibly get cozier. All the other flavors cut the scotch quite nicely so this isn’t a punch-in-the-stomach cocktail. And it was the Allstar at our Inaugural Saturday Supper last weekend. Many thanks to a good friend who rocked the cocktail bar, as always. This gives #fallvibes and really brings the season. Happy Spooky Month!

🎃🦇👻

what you need

1 1/2 oz Scotch of choice

1 1/2 oz Apple Cider

1/2 oz Averna Amaro

1/4 oz Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Simple Syrup (or a demerara sugar cube)

1 healthy teaspoon Allspice Dram

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

how to make it

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously with ice. 

(if using a sugar cube, you will need to muddle this so it mixes with the other ingredients)

Strain over a large ice cube and garnish with an orange peel. #fallvibes
Categories
Omni

Zinger Chicken Soup

one and a half slices chicken soup recipe easy thai spicy local
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Zinger Chicken Soup

one and a half slices chicken soup recipe easy thai spicy local

The origin of this soup is… Fridge Soup. Fridge Soup is soup I make at least once a week, sometimes at the end of a week, when the fridge is almost empty but the freezer is stocked with chicken broth because I bake so many chickens. Fridge Soup involves chicken stock and whatever happens to be in the fridge (and pantry). It is flexible. It is hearty. It is warming, calming, homey, and very, very low maintenance. At minimum, you need something like dried herbs, onions, carrots, garlic, a rice or a noodle, maybe some chicken or perhaps just some really nice beans. This particular Fridge Soup, though, came out really, really well. So well that the entire household agreed it deserved its own post. So here is it. I dub thee Zinger Chicken Soup, mostly because it blends thai flavors with Italian inspo super well in this spicy, zesty, fresh yet hearty soup like nothing I’ve ever quite tasted. If you want that specific experience, recreate the recipe precisely. If you just want to go the way of Fridge Soup, vibe on, my friend… vibe on.

what you need

1 lb chicken (a breast is fine)

1-2 cups cooked brown rice or wild rice, or 1-2 cups cooked pasta noodles of choice 

1 cup beans (like a great northern bean, a pinto bean, or a kidney bean – a can is fine, but if fresh, soak overnight)

1 cup finely chopped vegetables in the allium family (e.g., garlic, onions shallots, green onions, leeks)

1 large knob of fresh ginger, minced

the zest from 1 lemon

the juice from that same lemon

2 thai chilies or serrano peppers. minced

6-8 oz dry white wine

1-2 cups finely diced carrots, celery, and/or baby turnips 

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes 

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup parmesan cheese

8-10 cups chicken and/or vegetable broth (a mix of both is fine)

3 cups washed and trimmed kale, spinach, or swiss chard

3-4 tablespoons herbs of choice (e.g., herbes de provence, oregano, thyme, parsley, salt)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

how to make it

Method: stovetop

Utensil: Dutch oven or large cooking pot

Chunk your chicken and season it as you see fit (salt, olive oil, mustard, paprika, lemon juice, ???, get jiggy w it)

Place the olive oil in the dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken really well until cooked almost through. Remove from the pot and shred or cut into smaller pieces for the soup. Set aside.

Back to the pot. Go in with the white wine and fully deglaze the pan. Add the butter, alliums, peppers, ginger, red pepper, lemon zest, herbs, and salt, and give it a good solid sauté for a minute or two. Then add the carrots/celery/turnips, along with some more salt and black pepper, and soften for a minute or two more. 

Once everything is softened, add the broth and the beans. If the beans were raw, at this point you’ll need to cover the pot and boil steadily for 40-50 minutes or until the beans are soft. If the beans were from a can, you can keep the boil to around 15 minutes. 

Add the chicken, rice/noodles, and kale/chard, and boil steadily for another 10-15 minutes until everything is fragrant and combined. After the soup is mostly composed, kill the heat. Into the steaming soup, add the heavy cream (slowly so it does not curdle), the parmesan cheese, and the lemon juice. Stir to combine. 

Ladle into 2-3 bowls, top with fresh chives or parsley, a glug or two of olive oil, and more parmesan cheese. Serve on its own or with very crusty, hearty bread.  

impromptu soup
Categories
Cocktail

Butterbeer (iced)

one and a half slices harry potter recipe butterbeer hogwarts winter grog
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Chilled, Foamy Butterbeer

one and a half slices harry potter recipe butterbeer hogwarts winter grog

Whether you like your butterbeer hot, iced, boozy, or clean, I’ve finally got the recipe for you. Personally, I see no way to drink it other than hot and boozy.

#youreawizardharry

🪄

what you need

1 bottle of cream soda [My brand of choice is Virgil’s Vanilla Cream]

2 oz butterscotch liquor chilled [My brand of choice is Dr. McGillicuddy’s which is, admittedly, quite difficult to find but quite worth the effort of finding it]

*note the use of “liquor” over “schnapps”

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

a dash of cinnamon

freshly ground nutmeg for topping

1/2 tablespoon lemon zest

(optional) 2 oz cognac (or dark rum in a pinch)

how to make it

(makes 2 servings)

Whip the cream with the sugar into soft peaks. Just before it comes together, add the cinnamon to incorporate. A very soft whip works best as it allows the cream to infuse the cocktail more readily.

Add the cognac, lemon zest, and butterscotch liquor to a cocktail shaker with ample ice and shake vigorously.

Strain the mixture into two tall, preferably frosted glasses. Add a few ice cubes and pour the cream soda on top. 

Top with two dollops of the softly whipped cream and grate some fresh nutmeg lightly on top. 

Enjoy immediately, preferably while watching Harry Potter or playing Hogwarts Legacy.  

more literature-inspired recipes
Categories
Cocktail

Ginger Peach Smash

one and a half slices recipe peach summer fall cocktail vibe
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Ginger Peach Smash

one and a half slices recipe peach summer fall cocktail vibe

Okay, one more to round out summer. A simple segue from summer to fall with some #datenightvibes and fresh peaches. What could be better than a tart, tangy, spicy fresh cocktail to welcome the fall leaves? This is the perfect start to Summer Sausage Orzo or perhaps a heartier Pork and Apples as a main. 

what you need

1oz brown sugar or peach simple syrup

*the peach simple syrup can be made as in the Burnt Peach Old Fashioned recipe. Otherwise, simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar (1 cup) simmered stovetop for ~20 minutes until the water reduces by half.

several chunks of fresh, ripe peach (or the leftover peach chunks from making the simple syrup)

3oz bourbon of choice

4 large mint leaves

Ginger Beer (I use Maine Root – it is pretty spicy)

how to make it

Gently muddle the peach chunks, simple syrup, and mint together in a cocktail shaker. 

Add some ice and the bourbon, and shake well. 

Strain into a rocks glass over one large ice cube and top with your desired amount of ginger beer. 

Add a peach slice or a sprig of fresh mint for garnish.  
More Peaches
one and a half slices summer and fall peaches simple dessert recipe

Crisped Peaches

Quite possibly the easiest, most summery, and healthiest dessert! If you just don’t have the energy for my easy stone fruit skillet cobbler but still need something sweet to make after a summery date night

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August 25, 2023 1 Comment

Cashew Chicken Noodle

This is a great sweet and spicy weeknight meal, made in one pot with interesting fruity flavors and cashews! Pair with your favorite rice noodle (I like vermicelli) and sprinkle with Thai basil for full

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July 2, 2021 No Comments

Peach Caprese

This is a continuation of my summer eats glorified snack dinners (see Watermelon Feta Salad). For when the summer months take hold, the cicadas ring true, and the humidity is as thick and sticky as

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August 11, 2021 2 Comments
one and a half slices peach cobbler

Peach Cobbler

Cobbler is one of those things you can make on any weeknight with any fruit in about 20 minutes (plus 1 hour of cooking time). Top it with some vanilla bean gelato and serve it

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August 27, 2022 No Comments
skillet berry fruit cobbler easy oneandahalfslices

Flaky Cobbler

We find ourselves mid-way through summer with a plethora of beautiful fruits like blueberries, blackberries, peaches, and plums. The stone fruits – peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums – are delicate fruits with high water content

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July 31, 2021 2 Comments
Categories
Cocktail

Butterbeer (hot)

one and a half slices harry potter recipe butterbeer hogwarts winter grog
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Frothy, Hot Butterbeer

Whether you like your butterbeer hot, iced, boozy, or clean, I’ve finally got the recipe for you. Personally, I see no way to drink it other than hot and boozy.

#youreawizardharry

🪄

what you need

1 bottle of cream soda [My brand of choice is Virgil’s Vanilla Cream]

2 oz butterscotch liquor at room temperature [My brand of choice is Dr. McGillicuddy’s which is, admittedly, quite difficult to find but quite worth the effort of finding it]

*note the use of “liquor” over “schnapps”

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

a dash of cinnamon

freshly ground nutmeg for topping

1/2 tablespoon lemon zest

(optional) 2 oz cognac (or dark rum in a pinch)

how to make it

(makes 2 servings)

Whip the cream with the sugar into soft peaks. Just before it comes together, add the cinnamon to incorporate. A very soft whip works best as it allows the cream to infuse the cocktail more readily.

In a small saucepan, heat the cognac and butterscotch liquor over high heat until very hot (but not boiling). Once steaming, add the bottle of cream soda along with the lemon zest. You want to leave the mixture on high heat for no more than 1 minute before killing the heat and letting the residual heat from the pot heat the liquid. 

Once warm, strain through a mesh strainer into two small mugs. Top with two dollops of the softly whipped cream and grate some fresh nutmeg lightly on top. 

Enjoy immediately, preferably while watching Harry Potter or playing Hogwarts Legacy.  

more literature-inspired recipes
Categories
Omni

Moroccan Tagine

one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Moroccan Tagine

I have been SO excited to release this post!!! Why? Because this is your new weeknight dinner. It will impress your family, fill your stomach, warm your heart, and make your house smell like North African spices. I started making tagine [pronounced tah-jeen with a soft ‘j’] years ago when I first moved to DC and came across a tagine (distinction below) in World Market. I was instantly and aesthetically intrigued, and purchased the thing on the spot not having a clue what I would do with it. Well… figured that one out. A tagine is the OG slow cooker.  And whatever you put inside – lamb, chicken, chickpeas, rabbit, potatoes – you will taste the spicy exoticism. If you don’t have a tagine, no worries. You can make it in a Dutch oven, stovetop or, yes, in a slow cooker. And before you think this is just chicken slow roasted in tomato sauce… keep reading…

For reference, the clay pot pictured above (the vessel) is a tagine. What is pictured below it is the deliciousness you are about to create in said vessel, which also happens to be called tagine. Both the pot AND the dish are called “tagine.” A tagine (the vessel) is a clay or ceramic pot. A tagine (the food) is a stew. Both of these items are native to North Africa (think Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), but this cooking style is traditionally Berber and has its counterparts in both Cypriot and Ottoman cuisine.  In Cypriot cuisine, it is called the tavas and in Ottoman (present-day Turkish) cuisine, it is called testi.

In the traditional Berber implementation, a fire is made in a hole in the ground, the clay pot nestled inside, buried, and left for many hours. Upon return, the meat and vegetables inside have become a hearty stew and the meat is super tender (see? slow cooker…). In traditional Ottoman cuisine, the clay pot is made and preliminarily fired before the meat and vegetables are added. Then the clay pot is sealed (with more clay) and placed in the fire for several hours like a kiln. To extract the food, the pot is broken (often tableside for showmanship), and its contents poured onto a bed of rice. The streets of Turkey brought me this Ottoman delight in 2014, well after I tasted Moroccan and Algerian flavors in 2011. One of the best meals I have ever had in my life was rabbit plum couscous (made in a tagine) in central Morocco (the blue city, to be precise). While the cooking methods are similar, the tastes can vary drastically due to the spices! An exemplar Moroccan spice blend is pictured below. Cloves, fennel, anise, fenugreek, caraway, cardamom, turmeric, and saffron could just as easily find their way into the mix. As we move further east from the Berber origins, Lebanese (deep red) or Turkish (purple) Sumac may make an appearance. 

This has always been a personal fascination of mine… how culinary traditions jump borders. For example, German schnitzel is Argentinian Milanesa is American Country Fried Steak (well, almost). Similarly, almost every Eastern European country, to include Greece and Turkey, has its own version of borek (baked, fried, cheese-filled, spinach-filled, meat-filled… recipe coming eventually). Borek is not too dissimilar from the Latin empanada (which varies drastically from country to country –  baked, fried, with potatoes/peas/carrots, with egg/olives/raisins, with cheese, without cheese). 

Given the diversity of this dish and its multicultural origins, it is like almost everything I make – flexible. You can make it your own. You can also eat it on Monday with chicken, on Wednesday with lamb, and go vegan on Saturday – versatile. I’ve provided a base ingredient list and a base recipe below, with instructions for how to make it stovetop or in the oven. If you love it as much as I do, a simple tagine isn’t hard to come by. No, it isn’t technically required… but neither are sprinkles. For testing purposes, however, your Dutch oven or a large stovetop pan will suffice. Truth be told, I typically make it stovetop unless it’s for presentation. The quickest, weeknight version is made in the oven. Don’t be alarmed by the length of the ingredients list – it is mostly spices that you already have in your pantry.

You can serve this over rice or over couscous, or even just with the stewed potatoes all mashed up if you wanted to. 

what you need

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (2 cups for the stovetop version; 1 cup for the oven version)

1 cup dry couscous or rice

4 chicken pieces (drumsticks or thighs work best, but breasts cut into chunks work as well). You can also use rabbit meat, chunks of lamb loin, or a can of chickpeas for a vegan option.

fresh cilantro, coriander, or parsley

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground turmeric 

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if you prefer your tagine super spicy)

2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil

1-2 tablespoons honey

1/2 onion, thickly diced

1 whole, small lemon, washed and cut into wedges with seeds removed

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 can crushed or diced tomatoes

1/4 cup golden raisins or diced dried apricots

1/4 cup sliced almonds, cashews, or pine nuts, roasted

(optional) 1/4 cup green peas

(optional) 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and sliced in half

(optional) 2-3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

(optional) 1 16oz can of chickpeas

My favorite: I prefer a chicken drumstick tagine made stovetop with golden raisins and lemon wedges, with or without the chickpeas, topped with toasted almonds. The golden raisins, lemon, and almonds are what make the dish. 

how to make it (stovetop method - recommended for best flavor)

Mix the dry spices together and set aside (cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and cayenne pepper).

Prepare the protein. Heat olive oil or ghee over high heat in Dutch oven or large pan on the stove. Brown the chicken on all sides, about three minutes on each side, and sprinkle with salt. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add onions to the pan and sauté until softened, about 1 minute. Add sliced garlic and grated fresh ginger and cook another 30 seconds, taking care not to burn the garlic. 

Make the tagine. Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes, chicken broth, honey, drained chickpeas (if using), green olives (if using), lemon wedges, and golden raisins to the pan. Stir in the spices and bring to an extremely low simmer. Nestle the chicken back into the stew, cover, and cook on the lowest possible setting for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until chicken becomes extremely tender. Check the stew once every 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally to ensure there is enough liquid and nothing is burning. If the liquid dissipates, you can add about 1/2 cup of water. About 45 minutes out, throw in the carrots so they stay a bit firmer. You can do this with half of the lemon slices as well if you choose. 

Notes on cooking time: 1 hour is plenty sufficient for chicken breast or rabbit, but this dish is more delicious with bone-in chicken drumsticks or thighs.  These will do better with a 2-3 hour cooking time to ensure it is extremely tender. Lamb will benefit from the 2-3 hour cooking time as well. I will be posting a second rabbit couscous recipe down the road with a different set of ingredients.

Serve. While the tagine is cooking, make the rice or couscous according to instructions on the package, and roast the nuts in the oven as well. When the stew is ready, spoon rice or couscous into a bowl and spoon the tagine over top. Garnish with a lemon wedge, fresh cilantro or parsley leaves, and toasted nuts. 

how to make it (Dutch oven or tagine method - recommended for speed)

Preheat oven to 350 or 200 (see notes below). Mix the dry spices together and set aside (cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and cayenne pepper). 

Make the tagine. Place chunked meat in tagine or Dutch oven and nestle vegetables (carrots, chickpeas (if using), onions, and lemon around the meat). Top with sliced garlic, grated ginger, golden raisins, and green olives (if using). Sprinkle with spice mixture. Pour 1 cup of chicken broth and can of diced tomatoes over the mixture, secure the lid, and place in the oven.

Notes on cooking time: If you are making a quick weeknight meal and are using diced chicken or rabbit breast, you can get away with cooking this on 350 for 1 hour. If you have the time, aim for 2-3 hours on 200, checking once at the 1 1/2 hour mark to ensure there is still enough liquid. 

Serve. While the tagine is cooking, make the rice or couscous according to instructions on the package, and roast the nuts in the oven as well (or quickly under the broiler when the tagine comes out). When the stew is ready, spoon rice or couscous into a bowl and spoon the tagine over top. Garnish with a lemon wedge, fresh cilantro or parsley, and toasted nuts (almonds work especially well).

more diverse flavors
Categories
Omni

Chicken Francaise

one and a half slices german germany
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Chicken Francaise

one and a half slices chicken francaise easy weeknight recipe

This recipe has just a few ingredients but a lot going on. And it wants for capers. But nevermind. It’s fabulously simple and deceptively French (deceptively so, because it is not actually French). It is kind of German and kind of Italian, reminiscent of the Italian Chicken Piccata (without the capers). It’s a beautifully simple technique to master that makes for a glorious weeknight affair – over brown rice (for health), over pasta (for joy), or with a well-earned, crispy, buttery potato of choice. Or… wait, wait… haricot vert. 

✨ 

what you need

this is a perfectly portioned weeknight dinner for two

2 fresh chicken breasts

1 lemon, washed 

1 cup chicken stock

1/3 cup dry white wine

a handful of fresh chives, chopped finely 

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon paprika

2 eggs

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated 

5 tablespoons butter, cubed and kept cold

3 tablespoons olive oil

how to make it

Method: stovetop

Utensil: one very large pan

PREPARE slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so that you are left with four thinner chicken breasts, as if you were making schnitzel 

in a small bowl, mix flour, oregano, paprika, and a generous amount of salt together

in another bowl, whisk the two eggs along with the parmesan cheese and a bit of salt

slice four rounds out of the center of the lemon and retain the two ends for juice

PAN FRY heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a very large pan over medium heat (leave the rest of the butter in the fridge). once heated, roll each piece of chicken one by one in the flour mixture, coating completely, and then dip in the egg mixture. arrange the four chicken breasts in the pan and allow to pan fry, flipping once, until almost cooked through (~150-160 degrees). remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and pan fry the four lemon slices for ~45 seconds on each side. remove those to a plate. by this point, your pan is probably smoking and quite hot.

SAUCE deglaze the pan with the white wine and scrape the chicken bits off the bottom of the pan (yes, there will be a lot of smoke. it’s okay, calm down). then add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. take the butter cubes from the fridge and roll them generously in the flour mixture before adding to the pan. whisk the butter in to create a very silky sauce. at this point, if you have a lot of chicken bits or flour chunks in your sauce, you have the option to strain it quickly and return it to the pan. 

throw in your handful of chives (reserving a few for serving) and return the chicken breasts to the pan, spooning the sauce over them. place one lemon slice on each breast. squeeze the remainder of the lemon juice from the lemon ends into the sauce. allow to simmer for a few minutes until the chicken climbs over 165 degrees. if your chicken seems undercooked, you can put a lid on the pan and simmer on low for ~10 minutes to bring it up to temperature.

SERVE so far, my preference is to serve this over brown rice. it provides more structure than orzo. but if your jam is chicken piccata, I could easily see this over some capellini. it also pairs exceptionally well with sturdy green vegetation such as asparagus or broccoli, and/or potato mash or some sort of internet-trending crispy buttered potatoes. serve two chicken breasts over your base, spoon a little sauce on top, and throw on a few fresh chives and some additional parmesan cheese. enjoy immediately. 
fav ways to prepare chicken
Categories
Omni

Butternut Pasta

one and a half slices butternut squash fall pasta recipe healthy agriculture
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Butternut & Sausage Pasta

one and a half slices butternut squash fall pasta recipe healthy agriculture

this one was quick and dirty (and, yes, internet-inspired). but! I had a brilliant and enthusiastic ginger accomplice. and she was determined to put this butternut squash to creative use (not pictured: the illustrious butternut squash in its original form). we chopped and roasted, sauteed and blended, and created this hearty, super sweet Fall fav. cheers, you guys. we have officially entered spooky season.

🦇💀🎃

what you need

1 small-medium sized butternut squash, chopped into ~2 inch squares

1 onion, quartered

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

salt, to taste

1/4 cup water

1 pound loose, mild sausage (Whole Foods’ bulk sage sausage is a great choice)

1/2-1 pound pasta noodles of choice (we used tagliatelle for lacking farfalle, paccheri, or campanelle, all of which would have likely been better) 

8-10 fresh sage leaves 

2 tablespoons salted butter 

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half 

1/2-3/4 cup parmesan cheese

how to make it

Method: stovetop

Utensil: blender

Preheat oven to 400. Place butternut squash squares, onion, and garlic on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary, and roast until cooked through, ~15 minutes. 

While the veg is roasting, roll the loose sausage into small, hastily-formed meatballs, and brown them in a saucepan until cooked through. Remove and set aside on a plate.

Cook the pasta until al dente.

Transfer the roasted veg to a blender with about 1/2 cup of water and some salt. Blend thoroughly, adding water until very smooth. 

To the original sausage saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of butter and fry the fresh sage leaves over medium heat for ~1-2 minutes. Add the blended veg to the saucepan and stir until combined and bubbling. Add the sausage. Then add the cream. Stir and heat completely (the mixture will be very thick and will pop all over the place if you do not heat it slowly). Add the pasta along with several tablespoons of pasta water to make the sauce silky. Add in some grated parmesan cheese an give it all a good mix.

Plate and serve immediately with additional parmesan on top and a sage leaf, for dramatic effect. 

get your #fallvibes