Thanksgiving Lunch on the Fly: Maple Syrup & Mustard Turkey Legs With Sweet Potatoes & Green Beans

Thanksgiving Lunch on the Fly: Maple Syrup and Mustard Turkey Legs with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans

I am still cooking and still writing, but, for various reasons, unfortunately, not for this wonderful blog. I have missed the comradery of the blogging community!

It can be sometimes be challenging to balance working, my children’s special needs and the dietary guidelines of the Jewish faith. In an age of instant gratification, teaching my children to say “No” to delicious non-kosher food is not simple.

I want my daughters to enjoy our faith and feel committed to following our culture, even though they are unable to attend a yeshiva and they are in an environment with very few other Jews.

They are teenagers, and at the age where they want to feel that they belong to a group of friends or peers. It is hard to be different and not do or eat what everyone else is doing or eating.

Raizel was talking about the Thanksgiving school menu for weeks.  Her teachers were concerned that she might feel left out or deprived that she could not eat what all the other children were eating. They are so kind, that they bought a microwave that would only be for kosher food!

I made this wonderful crockpot turkey with sweet potatoes for the first time in years. It is fast, easy, all natural and delicious.

Paired with a super simple frozen green beans, Raizel was able to have a delicious thanksgiving lunch on the fly.

It occurred to me that this is a perfect simple menu for anyone!

Maple Syrup and Mustard Turkey Legs with Sweet Potatoes

 Ingredients

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in cubes

3 turkey legs, skinned

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup prepared mustard, of your choice

½ teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, ginger

¼ teaspoon pepper, to taste

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt to taste.

Optional: Thicken broth with 1 tablespoons of tapioca.

 Directions 

Put sweet potatoes in the bottom of the pot. Add the turkey legs on top. Mix together the maple syrup, mustard and spices and then pour over turkey.

Stove top: bring to boil and let simmer until done. Adjust seasonings to taste, if necessary.

Crockpot. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for to 3 to 3-1/2 hours.

In pressure cooker: 12 minutes to pressure and then use the quick release method by running cold water over the lid when done.

Easy Garlic Green Beans

 Ingredients

1 lbs. frozen green beans

3 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt and pepper to taste.

¼ cup water (approximately)

Optional: 1 tablespoon of olive oil or margarine.

 Directions 

Place frozen green beans in a skillet. Add 1/4 cup water. Cover the skillet, then steam the beans until tender. Add crushed garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. For an extra rich flavor, add oil or margarine and mix well.

Since I was not originally planning on posting these recipes, unfortunately, I only have 2 pictures:

 

The final product. Delicious!

Simple and easy green beans. Add extra oil for a richer taste. Raizel added toasted sesame oil. Yum!

I am happy to say that it was a success! Both girls, and even my husband liked it very much.

 

Enjoy!

 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

 

 

 

 

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Simple and Good Braised Chicken

Simple and Good Braised Chicken

This is such a simple chicken recipe, that it risked being called “Chicken With No Name.” It is endlessly adaptable, depending on available ingredients, personal preferences, time and circumstances. I have made it several times over the past few weeks, and it is always a hit.

Ingredients:

1 chicken cut in parts, skinned

Optional: leave skin on and sear the chicken pieces until browned for added flavor

2 -3 carrots, sliced

2 onions, sliced

2 celery stalks with leaves, cut in 1″ pieces

Optional: 1-2 parsnips, or other vegetables. Don’t add too many vegetables, or else the chicken will be overwhelmed. The more simple, the better the outcome.

Salt, to taste. Add the salt sparingly after it is cooked. Kosher chicken tends to be salty, and too much salt ruins the flavor.

1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Optional: paprika adds a nice flavor and color

2 bay leaves (I love bay leaves, so I like to add more)

1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed, near the end

1/2 cup water Optional: use chicken broth, or wine

Optional: 1 can crushed tomatoes or tomato paste for a thicker broth

Optional: 3-4 potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters

Optional: Thicken broth with 1-2 tablespoons of flour or starch. I usually dissolve the starch in a small amount of broth, and then add it to the dish and simmer until thickened.

Optional: If you REALLY want to be fancy, brown the starch or flour in fat, and then gradually add the liquid and stir or whisk until desired thickness. This takes a bit of time and skill, so I don’t recommend it if you are time challenged. It is something I do only for special occasions and for the right audience. My family does not like thicken sauce, and I find that it makes the leftovers “gloppy.”

Instructions 

Place carrots, onions, and celery in the bottom of the pot. If you have the time, you could saute the vegetables until browned, however, I did not. Add the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with pepper, garlic powder, and if using, paprika or other desired spices. Then add the liquid, and, the (optional) tomato puree or paste.

I place the chicken on top of the vegetables so that the stock almost steams or roasts the chicken.

The secret is to cook the chicken with only a minimal amount of liquid or stock. And, only add a minimal amount of salt after it is cooked. Too much salt, or liquid, and the taste is altered. I also only add crushed fresh garlic at the end. In general, less is more with this chicken recipe. The beauty is in its simplicity.

Stove top: bring to boil and let simmer until done. Add crushed garlic, salt and adjust seasonings to taste.

Crockpot. Cook on low until done. Add crushed garlic, salt and adjust seasonings to taste.

In pressure cooker: 7 minutes to pressure and then use the quick release method by running cold water over the lid when done. Add crushed garlic, salt and adjust seasonings to taste.

This week, I made it in the crockpot overnight. I adjusted the seasonings when I got up this morning before going to work. I forgot to take a picture of it in the crockpot. So, I only have pictures when I made it on the stove top.

Here are the pictures:

Layered in the pot before cooking. I see I added parsnips too.

The first time around, my husband ate straight from the pot!

Another live action shot of Jay eating from the pot.

Everyone was soooooo happy! Raizel said, “I am obsessed with this chicken. It is scary good!”  My husband said, “This chicken is killer!” It is one of the few times that there were actually no leftovers.

It is fast, easy, all natural and simple — cooking for the time challenged at its best.

Enjoy!

Bone Lickin’ Chicken

This is one of my husband’s favorite chicken recipes. I make it almost every week as my husband never seems to tire of it. 

Lately, I have been making it with orange marmalade jam. But,  almost any type of jam will work. 

According to Jay, the more bitter and coarse cut the marmalade, the better. He has elevated this to a work of art.

However, when Raizel was on the Feingold Diet, I used to use mango or fig jam instead and it was good too. 

Ingredients:

1 chicken, cut up

Mom’s Chicken Spice Rub

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, ginger, mustard powder

Bone Lickin’ Chicken Sauce 

1 cup jam

1/4 cup vinegar, can be any type but I used balsamic vinegar this time

Optional: 2 tablespoons sugar, to taste

Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Optional: ginger or mustard to taste

Instructions 

For the sauce: mix all the ingredients together. This is sort of a trial and error recipe. I put the jam in a bowl and add enough vinegar to get the right consistency. Then I check the sweetness to see if it needs to be sweeter. If it is sour enough but still too thick, fruit juice can also be used. But I have rarely done that. 

After I balance the sweet with the sour, I add salt, pepper and garlic to taste. For extra pungency, fresh ginger is also good or even a dab of mustard. 

Place chicken in a large pan. Season chicken with Mom’s Spice Rub and cover chicken with sauce. If possible, let marinate prior to cooking.

Preheat oven to 425*F.

Roast in oven for 1.5 hours, or until cooked, turning over for last 30 minutes.

I do not broil the chicken to brown it, as then the sauce burns off and the flavor is lost.

This could also be made in the crockpot or the pressure cooker, but the texture will be different.

Crockpot:

Skin chicken and place in crockpot. Season and pour sauce over chicken. Add 1/2 cup liquid –either water, broth or wine. Cook on low.

Pressure cooker:

Follow directions for the crockpot and cook 7 minutes to pressure, using quick release method.

OR: Season chicken and brown in pressure cooker. Add sauce and liquid and cook for 7 minutes to pressure, using quick release method.

This also can be made on top of the stove. 

This is a big favorite, but I am afraid that I only have 2 pictures:

 

spiced and in the pan

Since I am time challenged, I only took a picture of the final product:

The final product, just out of the oven


  

My husband said that “this is awesome!”

 
Raizel and my husband finished it by the end of Shabbat, so it was a good thing that I took a picture right away!

Enjoy!

 

Roasted Chicken With Dried Fruit And Balsamic Vinegar

Roasted Chicken With Dried Fruit And Balsamic Vinegar 

I still have leftover hamentashen filling. So this is a different version of the recipe I posted last week. This time, I thought that I would make roasted chicken and use the hamentashen filling as a glaze, with balsamic vinegar.

My husband felt that the vinegar made it too sour. So, it was his suggestion to spice it up with the red pepper flakes. It really made a difference!

Ingredients:

1 chicken, cut up

Mom’s Chicken Spice Rub

1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, ginger, mustard powder

Raisin-Date- Apricot Filling for Hamentashen

2 cups pitted dates (approximately)

1 box (15 oz.) sultana raisins

1 cup dried apricots (approximately)

1 lemon zested and juiced

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup water (approximately)

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional, but I thought it made it taste better)

I also added more cinnamon, garlic powder, pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste. 

I did not measure the balsamic vinegar. Together with the water, I added enough to get the right consistency and taste.

This was an experiment. So, measurements are not exact.

Instructions 

Boil all ingredients in a pot until soft. For the hamentashen, the filling needs to be slightly thick, so it is important not to add too much water. 

As a glaze for chicken, I added more liquid. This time I also added balsamic vinegar and additional spices.

Instructions 
Place chicken in large pan. Season chicken with Mom’s Spice Rub, and then add the hamentashen filling on top. 

If possible, let marinate prior to cooking.

Preheat oven to 425*F.

Roast in oven for 1.5 hours, or until cooked, turning over for last 30 minutes.

I think that this could be made in a crockpot and pressure cooker, but the texture would be different.

In both cases, the chicken would need to be browned or skinned prior to cooking. For a liquid, I recommend at least 1/2 cup water or broth. 

Cook on low until done or 7 minutes to pressure, quick release method.

Here are the pictures:

Spiced:

chicken spiced with Mom’s chicken spice rub

   Glazed:

spiced chicken and dried friut, balsalmic vinegar & additional spices

 
The final product:

 

chicken with dried fruit and balsamic vinegar

 
  

It smelled great. 

I will find out tonight how everyone else liked it.

Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken With Dried Fruit

Roasted Chicken With Dried Fruit

My life is a little hectic. 

The countdown to Passover has begun. We are also going to be moving soon. So, even more than before, I am particularly time challenged.

Passover is the time of year when we eliminate all leavened products from our home. Practically, this means I try to clean out my pantry and freezer.

I still have leftover hamentashen filling. So I thought that I would try to make roasted chicken and use the hamentashen filling as a glaze.

Ingredients:

1 chicken, cut up

Mom’s Chicken Spice Rub

1 Tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, ginger, mustard powder

Plus, additional cinnamon to the chicken.

Raisin-Date- Apricot Filling for Hamentashen

2 cups pitted dates (approximately)
1 box (15 oz.) sultana raisins
1 cup dried apricots (approximately)

1 lemon zested and juiced

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 
1/2 cup water (approximately)
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional, but I thought it made it taste better)

Instructions 

Boil all ingredients in a pot until soft. For the hamentashen, the filling needs to be slightly thick, so it is important not to add too much water. 

As a glaze for chicken,more liquid and more cinnamon is needed.

Instructions 

Place chicken in large pan. Season chicken with Mom’s Spice Rub, and then add the hamentashen filling on top. If possible, let marinate prior to cooking.

Preheat oven to 425*F.

Roast in oven for 1.5 hours, or until cooked, turning over for last 30 minutes.

Here are the pictures:

Spiced:

  
 

With the hamentashen filling. 

After I started cooking, I realized it was too thick. So, I added more filling, with a thinner consistency when I turned the chicken over. I also added more cinnamon.

 

The final product:
  

This was a definite hit. Raizel ate the chicken legs right out of the oven (you can see where the leg was on the plate) and declared “this is killer!”

Enjoy!

Shawarma Chicken

Raizel and I are crazy about the Schwarma Spice blend. I have been experimenting with it in everything! 

My friend Malka, a chef par excellence, made me aware that Schwarma Spice also goes well with chicken too.

This recipe is adapted from my basic roasted chicken recipe posted earlier this week.

Shawarma Chicken

Ingredients 

1 chicken, cut up

2 onions, sliced

2 lemons, juiced (about ½ cup)

Season with Shawarma Spice Mix to taste

Optional: 1-2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed 

Shawarma Spice Blend

1 Tablespoon cumin, coriander, garlic powder

1.5 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric, pepper

½ teaspoon cloves, cayenne pepper and cinnamon.

Instructions 

Slice onions and place chicken over onions in large pan. Season chicken with Season with Shawarma Spice Mix to taste and if possible, let marinate prior to cooking.

Preheat oven to 425*F.

Roast in oven for 1.5 hours, or until cooked, turning over for last 30 minutes.

Although I haven’t made it in a crockpot or pressure cooker, I think it is possible to make it in one. The method would be the same as for the roasted chicken.

Crockpot:
Skin chicken and place over onions in crockpot. Season and add 1/2 cup lemon juice. Cook on low.

Pressure Cooker 

Follow directions for the crockpot and cook 7 minutes to pressure, using quick release method.

OR: Season chicken and brown in pressure cooker with onions. Cook for 7 minutes to pressure, using quick release method.

This also can be made on top of the stove, using water or broth as the liquid.

Fast and easy and becoming one of our favorites. (I have Raizel giving me recipe and menu ideas now.)

Here are the pictures, which look very similar to the basic roasted chicken:

   

Final product:

   
Raizel liked it so much, she ate half the chicken at dinner! So, this was a hit!

My friend Malka made it with chicken cutlets and a red onion, with great success.

Malka was kind enough to send me pictures of hers. She made it with chicken cutlets, and it looks awesome!

   

Malka’s final product:
 

Thank you Malka!!

Enjoy!

Basic Roasted Chicken

Basic Roasted Chicken

I realized as I was preparing to post a new recipe, that I have never posted on how I make my basic roasted chicken. 

This is my go-to recipe, that I make almost weekly.

Ingredients

1 chicken, cut up

Mom’s Chicken Spice Rub.

Spice Blend

1 Tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, ginger, mustard powder

Variations:

Optional: 2 onions, sliced

Optional: 16 oz. mushrooms

Optional: vegetables of your choice. I often use zucchini, or carrots and parsnips

Optional: 3-4 potatoes, cubed

Optional: my grandmother used to squeeze a lemon on the chicken to “get rid of the barnyard smell.” When she was growing up, they bought their chickens from the meat market.

Instructions 

Slice onions and place chicken over onions in large pan. Season chicken with Mom’s Spice Rub and if possible, let marinate prior to cooking.

Preheat oven to 425*F.

Roast in oven for 1.5 hours, or until cooked, turning over for last 30 minutes.

My husband likes me to sometimes finish off the chicken by broiling it for 2 minutes on each side to give it a nice color and slightly drier texture.

Alternatively: broil for 20-25 minutes/side

This is the basic recipe that I follow, and then I make variations, as desired.

This could also be made in the crockpot or the pressure cooker.

Crockpot:

Skin chicken and place over onions and added vegetables as desired in crockpot. Season and add 1/2 cup liquid –either water, broth or wine. Cook on low.

Pressure cooker:

Follow directions for the crockpot and cook 7 minutes to pressure, using quick release method.

OR: Season chicken and brown in pressure cooker with onions and vegetables, if using. Cook for 7 minutes to pressure, using quick release method.

This also can be made on top of the stove. 

Fast and easy and everyone’s favorite.

Here are the pictures:

All dressed up and ready to go:

   
  

Final product:

 

Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Cutlets

I hesitate to actually call this a recipe, but this is something that I make regularly. 

Over the holiday I made grilled chicken cutlets with my Italian Herb Spice Mix.

Sometimes I use my regular Chicken Spice Mix. 

Other times I marinate them with lemon zest and the juice of 1 lemon, crushed fresh garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary.

Chicken cutlets are very versatile. 

Ideally, I try to let the cutlets “marinate” with the spices before cooking. I find it enhances their flavor.

Ingredients

Chicken cutlets. 

Spice blend of your choice

Method

Place cutlets in a ziplock bag and thin using a mallet. This helps them cook more evenly and makes a big difference!

After that, add the spices and cook on top of the stove using a cast iron grill. 

The grill makes a big difference in the flavor. I have one that also came with a lid. 

I love cooking with cast iron. It gives the food a great taste!

Here is the picture:

  

Enjoy!

Killer Chicken Salad

This week, Raizel loved the fresh food that I made for Shabbat, that she ate it fresh out of the oven!

Fortunately, I had some leftover grilled chicken and pasta. So I made this salad to serve to our guests.

This is my husband’s name for this salad. Of course, he makes a joke about the name: kill-la rather than killer. 

When I suggested that perhaps we should change the name to something less provocative, he disagreed. 

So, Killer Chicken Salad it is.

This is a great way to use up leftover chicken!

Ingredients 

Chicken, cut into bite sized pieces 

Pasta, (For Passover I use cooked potatoes)

Celery, sliced

Onion, minced

Pepper, chopped 

Dressing 

1/3 cups vinegar or lemon juice (I used lemon juice here)

2/3 cup oil, I used olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed 

1 teaspoon dried mustard

1/2 teaspoon each of salt, basil, oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper 

This time I think I just added my herb spice mix, but the basic recipe is as above.

Instructions 
Add chicken and vegetables into bowl. Pour over dressing. Toss together and serve.

Simple, and yummy!

  

Enjoy!

Chicken And Carrots

This is one of my easy, festive chicken recipes. I have made it in the crockpot, stove top and pressure cooker and it always comes out great!

Ingredients:

1 chicken, skinned. This recipe also works well with thighs or legs and thighs

2 cups carrots, sliced on the diagonal, or use baby carrots. I personally do not like baby carrots, as I feel they are less flavorful and crisp.

12 cloves garlic, peeled and whole

½ cups wine, broth or water.

1 teaspoon thyme, or use fresh oregano at the end of the cooking

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Optional:

2 tablespoon potato/corn or tapioca starch

2 tablespoon water

Instructions:

Place chicken, carrots and garlic in crockpot. Season, add water. Cook on low.

I also make this in the pressure cooker, 7 minutes to pressure.

This also can be made on top of the stove. I call it maximum taste for minimal effort. A winner every time.

Optional: remove chicken and carrots once cooked. Add starch which has been dissolved in water. Cook on high until thickened and pour over chicken and carrots. Adds an easy gourmet touch.

I save the sauce and use it for other dishes, especially cholent. I jokingly refer to this a “liquid gold.”

When I made it over the holidays, I couldn’t take a picture because all the chicken was eaten and there were only a few leftover carrots!

I made it again today, and below are the pictures:

   
 
The final outcome:

  

My husband said, “Gosh, this is good!” 

Bon Appetite!