Chicken Tajine with Spring Vegetables

Tajine is a special dish named for the pot used to cook it. When you hear of a dish that is a Tajine, you should automatically think of cuisine from the Northern African countries of Morocco, Algeria & Tunisia. My fiancee is originally from Morocco, so I have been learning how to cook tajines. Although, I do not have any genuine Tajine pots, I have been able to make similar Tajine recipes with my American pots and pans. Plus my fiancee says they are just as good as when his mom used to cook for him! :)
Tajines usually consist of meat and or vegetables with a thick, seasoned sauce. Most tajines are served with bread to sop up the sauce. No part of the tajines are discarded.

Ingredients:
Makes 8 servings
1 lemon, halved
6 medium artichokes, stems trimmed to 1/2"
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lb. onions, chopped
8 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 Tbsp grated lemon peel
1 Tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
8 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
8 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
8 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
4 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs
4 cups chicken broth
3 fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed
5 large carrots, peeled, cut 1 inch length

Fill bowl with water, squeeze in lemon juice. Break off enough outer leaves of the artichokes to expose pale green leaves. Trim dark green areas off stem and base. Quarter artichoke lengthwise. Separate out choke, drop into lemon water. Heat 1/4 cup oil in skillet. Add onions and saute 5 minutes. Add next 7 ingredients and 6 Tbsp each of parsley, dill and mint. Saute for additional 3 minutes.
Move ingredients from skillet to large pot. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in skillet. Add 1/3 of chicken and saute 3 minutes per side. Transfer to pot with onion mixture. Repeat with remaining chicken. Add broth to skillet and bring to a boil. Transfer to pot and add fennel and carrots. Drain artichokes and add to pot.
Bring tajine to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer 15 minutes. Transfer chicken and vegetables to large bowl. Boil sauce 10 minutes. Return chicken and vegetables to sauce. Rewarm tajine. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp each parsley, dill, and mint.
Serve with bread!

Orzo with Parmesan & Basil

Orzo is a mix between pasta and rice. Orzo looks like rice in shape but is really pasta. You cook it the same way you would cook pasta. It is mainly used in conjunction with vegetables or salad as a side dish to a meat entre. For people who dislike rice but hate the bulkiness of pasta, orzo is perfect.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned. Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with basil sprigs.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

When you are in the mood for something sweet, home baked goods are always the best. The other night I was in the mood for something chocolatey and I decided to make chocolate chip cookies, however every recipe I came across told me to use brown sugar and unfortunately I didn't have any. I decided to continue on and make the recipe without the brown sugar and surprisingly they came out ok. The brown sugar adds to the brown color and chewiness of regular chocolate chip cookies. However, the cookies without sugar are just as good but lighter in color. So if you are ever without brown sugar and in the mood for some chocolate chip cookies don't worry, just make the recipe without.

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl mix sugar, butter, oil, vanilla, and egg until well blended. Add in flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.
On a greased baking sheet, drop spoonfuls of cookie dough. Bake 9 minutes. Enjoy!

Steak & Beans

This is a quick, simple dinner that is easily made and ready with a half hour. All you need is thin sliced steak, garbanzo beans and black beans. Additional ingredients can be added such as olives, potatoes, or peppers to your liking. The idea is to cook the beans in the sauces of the steak so that they infuse the sauce into the beans.

Ingredients:
4 or 5 thinly sliced medium size steaks
1 cup garbanzo beans
1 cup back beans
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp cumin
1 Tbsp canola oil

Pour oil in large saucepan. Sprinkle steak with salt and cumin on both sides. Cook steaks in saucepan to your desired tenderness. Add garbanzo beans and black beans. Sprinkle remaining cumin and salt over beans in saucepan. Cook for another 10 minutes. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Roasted Potatoes

Potatoes come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. You can cook, bake, fry, or mash them. There are so many things you can do to potatoes, the varieties are endless. I am used to cooking potatoes in water until they are soft and then mashing them or cutting them and frying them up in a saucepan. However recently I was introduced to a new way to roast potatoes; bake them in the oven.

4 large potatoes (your own preference of kind) peel skin, cut into small pieces
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
2-3 tbsp canola oil

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix salt, pepper, and cumin and potato pieces in a large bowl. On a baking sheet put 2-3 tablespoons of canola oil and tilt baking sheet to evenly coat with oil. Place potatoes on baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned on the edge facing down. Remove baking sheet. With a spatula flip potatoes to non-baked sides and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes, until browned on edges. Serve with entree of meat.

Alternative: An alternative to roasting in the oven is roasting in a saucepan. This method is just as effective however potatoes come out slightly more greasy. Follow recipe, however potatoes will be put in saucepan. Cook for 45 minutes on medium-low. Flipping with spatula occasionally. Make sure potatoes are completely cooked through or else they will be hard in the center.

Peppers

Do you like spicy food? Most people don't know which peppers are which or which peppers are hot or spicy. Add some spice to your cooking with these peppers:
(In order from least spicy to most spicy)

Poblano
Jalapeno
Chipotle
Serrano
Habanero

Be careful when picking out your peppers or you may get a spicier pepper than you expected!

Chocolate Truffles

I love chocolate! My favorite chocolate treat is truffles. Unfortunately I have never found a way to make truffles until I found this recipe. I hope you enjoy these truffles just as much as I did.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup heavy cream
6 oz. dark (semi-or bittersweet) chocolate, very finely chopped
2 Tbsp butter, very soft
Unsweetened cocoa powder

Bring the cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Wait 1 minute. Whisk until the mix is smooth and shiny. Whisk in butter, cover, and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Scoop out teaspoons of chocolate, then squeeze and roll them between your palms. Roll the truffles around in a bowl of cocoa. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Makes 24.

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Drops

If you love chocolate you will love these delicious cookies. They are so additive you can't eat just one. Although they are cookies they taste like they are brownies baked into a cookie. You can make them with or without glaze on top. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a drop of chocolate heaven!

Ingredients:
4 Squares Unsweetened baking chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour

Glaze:
1 tub frozen cool whip whipped topping
6 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate

Baking: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave unsweetened chocolate and butter for 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar and mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and mix well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Scoop 1 inch balls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes, make sure not to overbake!

For Glaze: Microwave frozen whipped topping and semi sweet chocolate for 1 1/2 minute. Stir. Let stand 15 minutes to thicken. Spread over cookies. Let stand until set.

Butterscotch Haystacks

Want to make a fun, yummy summer dessert? Butterscotch haystacks are an alternative to chocolate desserts. This dessert is so easy to make that you can even have your kids help you with this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 (11oz package) cups butterscotch flavored morsels
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
8 1/2 oz or 2 cans (5 oz each) chow mein noodles
7 oz miniature marshmellows

Line cooking trays with wax paper. Microwave butterscotch morsels in microwave safe bowl, for 1 minute, stir. If not melted, microwave at additional intervals of 10-20 seconds until smooth. Stir in peanut butter until combined. Add chow mein noodles and marshmellows. Toss until all ingredients are well coated. Drop by tablespoons on prepared trays. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 36

Aioli

Aioli is a french sauce that resembles mayonnaise. Usually the ingredients include garlic, lemon, olive oil and sometimes eggs. There are many different variations of ingredients. Aioli can be served with meat, fish or vegetables. To make Aioli, cooks have to be very precise about their measurements. Recipes for Aioli recommend mincing garlic however true Aioli requires garlic to be ground.
Don't be discouraged if you don't make the perfect Aioli on the first try. Getting it just right may take several episodes of trial and error.

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 egg yolks
1 cup light olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

In a bowl, beat eggs well with a whisk. Stir in garlic. Gradually add oil in a thin stream, beating constantly until light and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice. Refrigerate any remaining aioli.

Grilled Lemon & Rosemary Chicken

Summer is the time for grilling. This is a wonderfully delicious grilled chicken recipe. It is simple and healthy. A numerous number of sides can go with grilled chicken ie. salad, potato salad, summer vegetables, corn on the cob, etc. Enjoy this summer recipe at a barbecue or with family and friends.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup Italian style dressing (homemade or bottled)
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 lemon, cut in rounds

Prepare your grill to medium heat. Place chicken in baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup dressing over chicken. Sprinkle with rosemary and turn chicken breasts to coat. Let marinate for 10 minutes up to 2 hours. Place chicken on grill rack. Dip lemon rounds in remaining dressing and place on the edge of grill rack. Grill chicken for about 5 minutes. Top with lemon rounds and serve.