Orange and Cinnamon Chicken with Herbed Couscous

Here is an easy and delicious recipe that includes the warmth and sweetness of orange and cinnamon. This dish is a favorite of mine during the winter months because the aroma just wafts through the house, adding a sense of coziness on these cold evenings. Also, when I serve this on a bed of couscous scented with parsley and mint, it adds a little bit of Mediterranean flair to a weeknight dinner.

Orange and Cinnamon Chicken with Herbed Couscous

Serves 4 to 5

5-6 chicken thighs

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 garlic cloves (grated)

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp salt

zest and juice of 1 orange

1 cup chicken stock

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Season the chicken with the cinnamon, garlic, black pepper, salt and orange zest.

3. In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil.  Sear the seasoned chicken thighs on both sides, about 1 minute per side.

4. Place the seared chicken thighs in a large ovenproof dish. Pour in the chicken stock and orange juice. Cover tightly with lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.

5. Once cooked, remove the chicken pieces from the sauce. Place the sauce on the stovetop over medium heat and allow to thicken; this might take about 6 to 8 minutes. Pour this thickened sauce over the chicken. Serve with herbed couscous (see recipe below).

Herbed Couscous

2 cups dry cous cous

2 ½ cups water

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp oil

¼ cup chopped parsley

¼ cup chopped green onions

2 tbsp chopped mint (optional)

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the salt and oil. Add the couscous and stir well. Cover, remove from the heat, and allow to sit for about 10 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork, and add the herbs right before serving.

Cuban-Style White Bean Soup

At the moment it is - 22 ºF in this part on Minnesota, with a wind chill of - 47 ºF. Schools are closed today, as are some businesses. It is easy for me to complain about living here but I feel I have been doing that since November. Instead, I am going to look at the positive: I get to spend an extra day at home with the hubby and our puppies. Plus, there is more time for cooking, something that is rare these days, particularly on weekdays.  

Yesterday, I made up a batch of this hearty Cuban style soup. The first time I had Cuban white bean soup was last October at Padrino's in Boca Raton, Florida. Usually, I'm not a soup person but this one takes me back to the Caribbean, with its distinct salted pork flavor.   Typically, these Caribbean soups and stews are made with dried beans that need to soak for a few hours prior to cooking. This version, however,  makes it easy by using canned white kidney beans, which by no means diminishes the heartiness and flavor of this soup. 

Stay warm!

Cuban-Style White Bean Soup

Serves 4

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 medium sized carrot, diced

4 to 5 oz salted pork, diced

1 ham hock

3 cans white kidney beans

5 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp fresh, chopped cilantro

1. Add the oil to a large stock pot set over medium to high heat. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves thyme and carrot. Cook until the onions have softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the salted pork and ham hock, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. 

2. Pour in the kidney beans and chicken stock. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cover. Let simmer on low for another 30 minutes. Carefully remove the ham hock from the soup to a cutting surface and remove a much of the meat as you can. Return the meat to the soup, discarding the bone. Take a masher and roughly pass it through the soup to create a chunky consistency. Stir in the fresh cilantro before serving. 

Pear and Ginger Cocktail

Ginger is the flavor of the moment in our kitchen. It started with a new flavor of yogurt the hubby found at the grocery store recently: honey and ginger. Who would have thought that ginger would work so well in yogurt? I think what it comes down to is getting the right balance of sweetness to counter the characteristic spiciness of the ginger. A technique that I tried and, thankfully, worked well for this cocktail.  

Pear and Ginger Cocktail

Serves 3 to 4

4 ripe pears, cored and sliced

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp agave

1 24oz bottle of ginger ale

Add the pear slices and water to a blender and puree. Strain into a pitcher, trying to filter as much of the liquid as possible. Stir in the agave and fill up with ginger ale. Serve as is for a non-alcohlic drink, or add 1 oz of white rum and 1/2 oz ginger liqueur per serving for a sweet and spicy cocktail.  

Chicken and Date Meatballs with Balsamic Glaze

Holiday recipes for me have to be simple, quick and, of course, tasty. This recipe encompasses all of that plus it is baked, making it lighter in calories. 

Chicken and Date Meatballs

Makes about 20

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

4 fresh sage leaves

2 lbs ground chicken breast

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

10 dates, chopped

Balsamic glaze:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp honey

1. Add the vegetable oil to a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, pepper, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and sage leaves, until the onion and pepper have softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, and remove and discard the bay leaf, thyme sprigs and sage leaves. Set the mixture aside to cool.

2. Add the cooled onion and pepper mixture to the ground chicken, in a large  bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly.

3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Scoop up about 2 tablespoons of the mixture and form into a ball and place on the baking sheet. Continue this process until all of the chicken mixture has been used up.

4. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 30 minutes.

5. To make the balsamic glaze: Add the ingredients to a sauce pan over medium heat. Cook until the mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour this glaze over the meatballs before serving.

Butternut Squash Creme Brulee

Last weekend, I revisited one of my most decadent recipes, one that makes good use of butternut squash. This is my butternut squash creme brulee. Find the original recipe here.