chicken

I dream of Africa …

I long to go on safari anywhere in Africa. In 1986, I was a very impressionable seventeen year old. The movie “Out of Africa” – by Sydney Pollack with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford made an indelible mark on my life. It is my ‘Go To’ movie when I’m sick, on a rainy Sunday afternoon, or if I’m suffering the painful pangs of wanderlust. I put it on and recite the lines before they are spoken. I have the soundtrack and each time the waltz plays my heart aches just a little. It’s like a cozy sweater and reminder to keep dreaming of Africa. If you click on this image you can listen for yourself.

out-of-africa-gallery-5

Over the years I have had limited exposure to the foods of Africa. Growing up in southern Missouri did not afford many opportunities to experience real food and cultures of the continent. So, when we stayed at the Animal Kingdom resort I was thrilled to get some actual foods from Africa. I’ve even attempted to make a salsa they served for breakfast. It had dates, tomatoes, and onions. It was delicious.

Last week I was at Trader Joe’s and discovered a jar of Harissa Salsa. Ever the adventurer, I bought one. Tonight I am making a lentil and chicken dish with it. Chickpeas are a more commonly used bean for this I believe but I didn’t have any (plus they are not my favorite bean anyway). The salsa is tomato and cumin and a smoked chili flavor like chipotle but slightly different. It’s a bit spicy and a little bit will go a long way. TJ’s had organic multi-colored carrots and I used a purple carrot in it as well. Yummy! Try them!

The end result was delicious!

img_5975

Here is the recipe I followed: Spicy Harissa Chicken with Lentiles 

I suppose the moral of this story is … even if you can’t GO on safari literally, you can go there gastronomically. One of the many wonderful things the internet has afforded us is exposure to the rest of the world. You can order almost anything from Amazon and recipes are there to be had if only you look. Eat the foods from around the world. There are SO many amazing spices, herbs and foods to be had. Experience as many of them as you can. Life is short, grab as much of it as you possibly can!

 

When the husband is away …

… I eat soup. He doesn’t understand soup. To him it’s just broth with too many vegetables and not enough meat. For me, soup is warmth, comfort and a healthy way to eat. Oh sure, there are unhealthy soups but I tend to make broth-based soups not creamy ones. Yesterday it was raining and cold so I broke out the stock left over from the baked chicken from last week. It took all day to make, which wasn’t exactly necessary but I wasn’t in a hurry and it seemed the prudent way to do it. The end result was a spicy Chicken Chili. Mmmm.

Spicy Chicken Chili

I’m excited about this particular batch of soup because I grew the tomatoes that went into it and I finally figured out how to use dried beans instead of canned. In fact, all of the ingredients were fresh in this and it is so very good!  The other tasty treat I made yesterday was a cheese crisp. I have been searching for a cracker recipe and finally found a cheesy recipe that sounded good. I used whole wheat flour and two different cheeses for a salty and crunchy cracker. Yum!

Here’s how I did the soup. First the ingredients:

2 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper (roasted and diced)
2 carrots, chopped
14 oz diced tomatoes
2 medium jalapeño peppers, minced
2 large stalks of celery, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup dried white beans
1 bone in chicken breast
4-5 bone in chicken drumsticks (legs)
2 tbsp taco seasoning
2 tsp chipotle chili pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

First things first: get your beans soaking. (see instructions above or read package instructions) OR use canned, there’s no rule here. Except remember the best rule of cooking: FRESH IS BEST!

1. In a large dutch oven (or soup pot) heat olive oil on medium.
2. Add chopped onions, carrots, celery, jalapeño peppers and cook until translucent.(apps. 10 min)
3. Add minced garlic and roasted bell pepper, cook until fragrant (appx. 30 seconds)
4. Add tomatoes, spices (cumin, chili, taco seasoning, paprika) and chicken stock stirring until spices are well mixed.
5. Add chicken pieces, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside to cool.
6. By now your beans should be par-cooked so throw them into the soup and cover. Let cook at a rolling simmer for another hour. Taste to see if you need salt and the “doneness” of the beans.
7. Once the beans are done, shred your chicken and add back to the soup and let simmer on low for another 30 minutes to hour.
8. Taste. Season accordingly.

Serve with Avocado, fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.