Category: Main Dishes

Pollo Asado al Carbon – Barbecue Chicken Mexican Style

pollo asado al carbon- trust in kim

On my recent holiday in Mexico I saw and smelled this awesome barbecued chicken at roadside stands, but whenever we happened to be near one, it was around breakfast time and I really wasn’t in the mood for chicken.  One day, shortly before we came home, I found this place called Polleria Alba just down the road from our apartment in Tulum.  They’ve got a barbecue outside and then some tables inside and outside of a garage. I ordered chicken for one, and out came this huge portion – a whole chicken on one plate, and a platter of rice, pasta and salad on another, and some fresh tortillas.  It was amazing, so I promised myself I’d learn to make it at home. I found a recipe on this site. It’s pretty easy  to make, and surprisingly moist, even the breast. I served it with Mexican rice and beans, with various sauces. And Mexican beer, Negra Modelo, my fave.

What you need:

1 roasting chicken

1 & 1/2 tablespoons ground ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (I didn’t use these because I didn’t have any)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed  lime juice
1 tsp. salt

What you do:

1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade.

2. Start the barbecue.

2. Rinse and then pat the chicken dry with paper towels.  Turn the chicken so it is breast-side down.  Cut through the middles of the back, then turn the chicken breast-side up.  Give it a bang with your fist so it lies flat.  You are going to barbecue the chicken whole. (see terrible picture below)

3.  Spread some of the marinade all over the chicken and let it sit until the barbecue is smoking hot. Place it breast-side up on the barbecue.  Let it roast for about 45 minutes with the lid down.  Baste with the marinade every 10 minutes.  It’s really important to leave the chicken alone, other than the basting, so don’t go flipping it or anything.  When it is done,you can turn it breast-side down for a few minutes to get some colour if you want, but I found it was nicely browned from facing up the whole time.

4. To make sure it’s done, pierce the thigh with a fork and check if the juices are clear; if not, leave it on for a little longer. Remove the chicken from the barbecue to a serving plate and cover with foil for 10-15 minutes so the juices can settle back into the chicken, then carve it up!

Inside the chicken restaurant in Tulum, Mexico
Inside the chicken restaurant in Tulum, Mexico

Mexican barbecued chicken - trust in kim

Tulum pueblo at night
Tulum pueblo at night
Tulum beach at night
Tulum beach at night

Fish Cakes in Tomato Sauce

cod cakes in tomato sauce - trust in kim

This popular Sephardic recipe from Syria comes from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook. I would have never thought of serving fish cakes in a tomato sauce, but it works really well, especially over rice.  And it’s excellent for leftovers.

I used tilapia instead of cod, and it was delicious.  The first time I made it I had a hard time keeping the cakes together while they were searing, but I think the trick is leaving them to cook on one side without touching them until that side has browned well.  Once I did that I had no problem. You could make the tomato sauce ahead of time to make preparation simpler.

What you need for the tomato sauce:

2 & 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 & 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon coriander

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

1-400 gram/14 oz  can chopped tomatoes (I used canned cherry tomatoes)

1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped coarsely

salt and pepper to taste

What you need for the fish cakes:

3 slices white bread with crusts removed (about 60 grams)

1 & 1/2 lbs cod, tilapia, halibut, hake or pollock

1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

30 grams flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

30 grams cilantro, finely chopped

1 tablespoon cumin

1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 extra-large eggs, beaten

4 tablespoons olive oil (for frying)

What you do:

1. To make the tomato sauce, begin by heating the olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and spices and cook until the onion is soft, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the wine and simmer for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes, chile, garlic, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer for about 15 minutes, then add freshly ground pepper and more salt if you need it. Keep this simmering so it is hot when you add the fish to it. (If you’re making rice, you could start it now)

2. To make the fish cakes, begin by putting the bread in a food processor and making bread crumbs, then place in a bowl.  Chop the fish up very finely and add to the bowl along with all of the other ingredients except the olive oil.  Mix it all together with your hands.  Form the mixture into cakes about 8 cm in diameter and 2 cm thick.  You may need to refrigerate them for about 1/2 an hour to firm up a little.

3. To begin cooking the fish cakes, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan, then add half of the fish cakes, searing  for a few minutes, until quite browned. Carefully flip the cakes and brown the other side.  Place the seared fish cakes in the hot tomato sauce and then sear the other half of the fish cakes.

4. Once all the fish cakes have been placed in the tomato sauce, add about a cup of water (or white wine) to cover the cakes partially.  Cover the pan and simmer over very low heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove the lid and turn off the heat about ten minutes before serving to let the cakes settle.

I liked them when they were served hot, but the cookbook says they are good at room temperature too.  Serve over rice or with bread to soak up the sauce, and garnish with a little mint or cilantro.

trust in kim - fish cakes

Chicken Marbella

 

Being a lover of olives I knew after my first taste of this chicken dish at a wedding that I would one day have to make it myself.  I’ve actually made it a few times now, but just haven’t had a chance to post the recipe – so here goes!

The olives and capers make it a little salty, and the prunes and figs balance it out with a little sweetness. It’s a big recipe, serving 6-8, and it’s a great one to make the night before you’ve got company, then pop in the oven an hour before dinner is served.

The recipe is from the Whitewater cookbook.

What you need:

  • 5 lbs chicken pieces (I don’t like to use breasts as they come out  a little dry)
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons pepper
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup prunes, chopped into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup dried figs, chopped into quarters
  • 1/4 cup green olives (I used extra)
  • 1/4 cup capers with a bit of juice
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 tablespoons parsley (garnish)

What you do:

1. Combine all the ingredients except the parsley and marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge.  Turn the chicken pieces once in a while to coat them.

2. Preheat the oven to 350F and bake the chicken with the marinade for 50 minutes.  Baste frequently. It should be a deep golden brown colour when it’s done.

3. Garnish with parsley when serving.

I like to serve it with a nice crusty loaf of bread. And if you don’t have a lot of people eating, it’s great for leftovers.

 

Whitewater Minestrone

trust in kim - whitewater minestrone

I’ve been working my way through the Whitewater Cooks cookbook, and I’m loving everything I make.  I love a soup that is a meal in a bowl, with lots of veggies and some protein, and of course lots of flavour.  This one is perfect, and I enjoyed the leftovers in my lunch all week.  You know it’s good when you can eat it for many days in a row!

This is a large recipe, enough to feed eight, or two for several days.

What you need:

4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon butter (olive oil to make it dairy-free)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 carrots, diced

1 large onion, diced

1 leek, cut in half, then sliced thinly

3 cups shredded green cabbage (I used savoy)

1 small potato, peeled and diced

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups beef stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup red wine

5 tablespoons parsley

2 teaspoons dried oregano

3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon black pepper

salt to taste

1-14 oz tin kidney beans, rinsed

1 small can cherry tomatoes (or a few fresh tomatoes)

1/2 cup small pasta (I used Christmas tree shaped pasta because that’s all I had, but you can used macaroni or orzo, or whatever you have)-optional, or substitute    with gluten-free of you need to

parmesan rind (if you have it – I had one, so I threw it in while the soup cooked, and pulled it out before serving.  I didn’t even put parmesan on top)

parmesan to garnish

(the recipe also called for twice as much potato, butter, and a zucchini)

What you do:

1. Fry the bacon in a large pot.  When it is cooked but not crisp, remove and drain it on paper towels.  Remove the bacon fat from the pan.

2. Add the butter, garlic, carrots, onion and leeks to the pot.  Sauté until the onions are translucent.

3. Add the cabbage, potato, stocks, wine beans, canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat and add the oregano, 2 tablespoons of parsley, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

4.  Add the pasta and cook until it is al dente.

5. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.  Add the rest of the parsley and the basil.

Serve with parmesan, if you wish.

I didn’t freeze any of this soup because I don’t like potato in soups when it has thawed; I find that it just falls apart, and I don’t like the texture after freezing.

Portobello-Poached Egg

trust in kim - portobello-poached egg on salad

I had a spare portobello mushroom from a dinner I made last night, and I wanted to find  way to eat it on salad, so I made this up.  It is not a poached egg on top of a mushroom, but instead I cooked the egg right inside the mushroom cap.  I made it soft-cooked so the egg yolk would ooze all over the salad.  And it was good.  Really good.  I was even patting myself on the back as I was eating this one.

I served this one on top of this salad with Glory dressing, and it made my salad into a meal.

What you need:

1 large portobello mushroom

1 small egg

olive oil for the pan

salt and pepper

What you do:

1. Remove the stem from the mushroom.

2. Heat a frying pan to medium, then add a little olive oil. Put the mushroom into the pan, hollow side down.

3. Flip the mushroom over after a few minutes, then let the mushroom cook for a few more minutes.  If the pan is getting dry, just splash in a little water and put a lid on it.

4. When the mushroom seems done, crack the egg into the hollow of the mushroom.  Put a little water in the pan, then put a lid on it and let it sit for a minute. Check it to see if the egg looks cooked, making sure the egg yolk stays runny, but the white is cooked.

5. Serve it right away on top of a green salad and grate on a little fresh salt and pepper.

You could serve it with a piece of bread to soak up some of the yolk and dressing.

Mennonite Cabbage Borscht

Mennonite cabbage borscht - trust in kim

A little while ago I posted a recipe for my Mom’s borscht.  While this is a great soup recipe, I recently found out it’s not actually her recipe.  Oops!  So this is really my mom’s borscht recipe; it’s on the same page of  The Mennonite Treasury of Recipes, the bible of Mennonite cooking.  The real difference is that this one has a can of tomato soup; not very old-world traditional, but it’s the yummy soup I grew up with.  A lot of people think borscht has beets, but the beetless version is part of the Mennonite culinary tradition.

My mom makes a few changes when she cooks it: she doesn’t always use potatoes, and she usually adds some carrots. As well, she doesn’t use cream, but adds yogurt while serving.

It is best to make the broth a day ahead of time so it can cool, and the fat can be removed.

What you need:

2 lbs of beef meat and bones (or a combination of beef and chicken)

1 large onion, chopped

1 small head cabbage

3 carrots, chopped

a few tablespoons of fresh dill

1 can tomato soup (I used Campbell’s)

salt to taste

plain yogurt for serving

What you do:

1. To make the broth, cover the bones and meat with cold water and bring to a low simmer.  Simmer for 2 to 3 hours.  Strain the broth and let it cool.   Remove the meat and pull it into bite-sized pieces.  Put the meat and broth in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

2. Remove the cold fat from the top of the broth and discard it.  Pour the broth into a large pot and bring it to a low boil.

3. Add the chopped onions, meat, cabbage, carrots and dill and let it summer until the vegetables are tender.

4. Add the tomato soup and let it heat, then add salt to taste.

5. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

This soup freezes well, and makes a big batch for leftovers or for sharing.

Mennonite Treasury of Recipes -Trust in Kim

Chicken in Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

spicy thai peanut chicken - trust in kim

Recently I had a craving for a Thai peanut chicken I remembered making many times a few years ago, but for the life of me I couldn’t find the recipe. I finally realized that it was in a cookbook I gave away in one of my purges of my book collection before moving apartments.  Thankfully I was able to find the book at the public library and I able to make the recipe once again.  It was as good as I remembered it; a little spicy, and the chicken tender and tasty.  I made a lot more broccoli than the original recipe called for, and I served it on brown rice.

This recipe comes from Charlotte Solomon’s Thai Cookbook.

What you need:

1 kg chicken breasts and/or thighs

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

2 teaspoons grated fresh or frozen ginger

1 tablespoon red curry paste

2 tablespoon peanut oil

1/2 cup spring onions, cut into 5cm lengths

1/4 cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped, or 2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter

2 teaspoons brown sugar (or palm sugar, if you have it)

1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)

1 cup coconut milk

3 cups broccoli florets

What you do:

1. Cut each chicken breast in half. If you are making brown rice you can start it now.

2. Combine the garlic, ginger and curry paste and coat each piece of chicken with it.  Let the chicken sit for at least 20 minutes.

3. Heat the peanut oil on medium-high heat, and add the spring onions to the pan. Stir them for a few seconds, then remove them from the pan.

4. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until each side has browned.

5. Add the peanuts, sugar, fish sauce and coconut milk.  Cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

6. Steam the broccoli.

7. Serve the chicken over rice with broccoli and top with sauce and spring onions.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

 

French Hot Dog Video!

kim in france -trust in kim

Last summer I was fortunate enough to visit France for a third time. If I had been on my own I might not have tried French hot dog, but because I was traveling with my sweetheart, Corey, I was tempted to take a bite of his hot dog.  He had ordered one, and I thought it would be just like the ones at home that I don’t enjoy, but this one looked so good. It was made on a baguette, with a European wiener, with mustard and grilled cheese.  The toasted baguette was crusty, the wiener was of a much higher quality that Ameri/Canadian wiener, and the gooey grilled cheese made it magnifique!

My friend Justin Cathcart recently filmed me making French hot dogs (pronounced ‘ot dogs), and worked his magic with his amazing production values and inspirational direction! Check out what he’s done!

 

 

Brown Rice, Veggies and Ground Turkey- Meal in a Bowl

I made way to much rice the other day, so I bought a bunch of veggies to cook up with the leftover rice to make a great new meal.  I love making a big meal and then having leftovers for lunch for a few days, and this works perfectly for that.  It’s easy to make, and the only part that takes a bit of time is letting the onions brown, which is key to the flavour in this dish.

I took this picture before adding the kale; it’s really good without kale too, but I added it because it’s so good for you.

What you need:

leftover brown rice, about 2 cups (okay, you can use white if that’s what you’ve got)

400 or so grams of ground turkey (or not, for a veggie option)

one large sweet or red onion, sliced

1 leek, thinly sliced

3-4 garlic cloves, sliced

red bell pepper, thinly sliced

carrot, grated

a bunch of kale, finely chopped

olive oil

pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne, unless you like it really hot, in which case add more

soy sauce

What you do:

1.  Slice the onion into strips that are just less than 1cm wide.  In a large frying pan, heat the oil on medium high, then add the onions and cook them until they are slightly browned.

3.  Cut peppers into strips similar in size to the onions.  Add to the onions, along with the sliced garlic and leeks, and cook for a few minutes.

4.  Grate the carrot and add to the other veggies.  Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the onions are quite brown.

5.  Place the veggies in a bowl, then cook the ground turkey until it’s not pink any more.

6.  Add some olive oil to the pan, then add the cooked rice to the turkey and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, for several minutes.  Now add the veggies, the chopped kale and some soy sauce to taste, and cook for a few minutes.  Season with lots of pepper.

Awesome Ouzo Prawns

For my mom’s 70th birthday party last weekend we made many appetizers, but I think this was my favourite.  The sauce is really yummy, and the prawns were so fresh and huge that they popped when bitten into.  Even if you don’t like ouzo, you’ll probably still like these, as the anise taste is quite subtle.

I served these as an appy, so I just put a toothpick in each one.  They would also work great on pasta.  Mmmm, makes me want to make them again!

What you need:

about 1lb fresh prawns, cleaned and shells removed

3 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, finely diced

1/3 cup cream

1/4 cup ouzo or sambuca

salt and pepper

What you do:

1.  Cook the garlic in the butter for a minute or so, but make sure the garlic doesn’t brown.

2.  Add the cream and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until it has thickened up a bit.  Add some salt and pepper.

3.  Now you have two options:  you can either add the ouzo to the cream and cook it off, then cook the prawns, which is the way I did it.  Or,  you can cook the prawns, then add the ouzo to them and set a flame to them, then add the cream mixture.

4.  If you chose the adding the ouzo to the cream choice, you may now heat some butter in a large frying pan, add the prawns and cook on each side only until they turn pink.  Over-cooking will turn them into tough, unpleasant things.  Once they are cooked, add the cream and ouzo sauce, give it a good stir, and serve.