(Ground) Turkey a l'Orange ... ¡En Fuego!

Man, life has been crazy lately! Poor Suanne is on a huge project at work and she has been working from sun-up to sun-down and then some! And I ... well, I'm nowhere near as busy as Suanne. Either way, neither of us have had much time to post anything, so on behalf on the Chic-Peas, I apologize. I know that all of you have just been waiting with bated breath for our next riveting installment, so here goes:

Tonight, I wanted something hearty, healthy, and ... what's an 'h' word for quick? I had a ton of produce in my fridge, so I decided to use at least some of it tonight. I served the finished product over a mildly sweet, sticky, coconut rice (which will most likely make its way into another post in the future) and garnished it with avocado.

**Disclaimer: I realize that this recipe bears no resemblance to duck a l'orange. The name is simply a nod to the mishmash of ingredients, but I am open to better suggestions. Feel free to leave them in the comments below!***

(Ground) Turkey a l'Orange ... ¡En Fuego!

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts (optional, but I like the texture they provide.)
1 lb. ground turkey (you can also use ground beef)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 to 2 tbs. of Sriracha hot sauce, depending on how spicy you like it (or how spicy you can handle!)
Approximately 1 cup orange juice (Approximately. Eyeball it! ... Also, I used OJ with a lot of pulp, in case you were wondering.)

1. In a large skillet, saute the onion and peanuts in a bit of oil until the onion is translucent. (If your peanuts turn translucent, you have a problem.)
2. Add spinach and let it cook down.
3. Add ground turkey and season with salt. Break up the turkey as it cooks.
4. When the turkey is almost finished cooking, add the Sriracha and stir well.
5. Add orange juice and simmer until it reduces by about half.

Makes about four servings.

You know, this would probably freeze well. I will get back to you about that ...

(Very!) Spicy Coffee Chicken Curry

I've had a lot of family functions lately, so it's been a while since I've cooked in my own kitchen. Tonight, however, I had an abundance of time and creativity (and some new coffee), so I decided to experiment with what was in my kitchen.

I started with just the spicy coffee-roasted chicken and I will definitely make it again. It is fantastic on its own. The coffee is actually a pretty subtle flavor; it's not overpowering at all. I see serving it maybe with some couscous and zucchini. Mmm!

But I've been craving Thai food lately, which became obvious as I cooked. I found a sort of curry evolving and I just ran with it. Mmmm!

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken thighs (approx. 1/2 lbs.)
• kosher salt
• 2 tbs. Sriracha hot sauce
  
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 cup strongly brewed coffee, room temperature
• 1 clove of garlic, smashed
• 1/4 cup of corn
• 1/4 cup of peas (I don’t really like peas. I’ll probably use a different veggie next time.)
• 1 tbs. lime juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
  
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 cup (approx.) udon noodles

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Season the chicken with salt.
   
3. Combine the Sriracha, cinnamon, and ginger. Generously rub into chicken and marinate for twenty minutes.
4. Place chicken in a baking dish. Pour coffee over the top of the chicken to coat, letting it collect in the bottom. (Don’t submerse the chicken. The coffee should cover no more than the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of the chicken.)
5. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about forty-five minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside to rest. (Reserve leftover coffee/chicken juice mixture.)
7. Saute garlic in a splash of oil for a minute or so, then toss in corn and peas.
8. Once veggies are hot, pour in the leftover coffee mixture and lime juice to deglaze the pan and let it reduce to about half.
9. Shred chicken and add to pan.
   
10. Add coconut milk, coconut, curry powder, and udon noodles and simmer until liquid thickens and noodles are hot.

Chicken Stew

When it gets cold, nothing makes me happier than hot food. Now you've seen my Chicken Stock and Tofu Stew, but I wanted to make something a little more traditional and Americana this time. Hence, Chicken Stew!


Chicken Stew (6-8 servings)
leftover chicken bones in your freezer (I had about 3 sandwich bags full)
3 chicken thighs/drums, skinless, and with the meat scored (aka cut parallel lines to the bone. Helps you to tear the meat off into edible chunks later)
1 large carrot, rough chopped (bite size chunks)
4 stalks celery (bite sized)
2 medium potatoes (bite sized)
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
1 large bay leaf
6 cups boiling water
pepper
salt
oregano
cumin

1.  Heat a large pot. Add olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom.
2. Add the chicken bones and sear. When you start seeing "brown bits" on the bottom, deglaze with a few spoons of beer or wine.
3. Add the chicken thighs and drums. Sear. Flip over and sear the other side. When things start to stick, add more beer and/or start adding onion.
4. When the chicken is fully cooked on the outside, add all the vegetables. Celery leaves included. Scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add a teaspoon of salt, pepper, oregano, the garlic, bay leaves, and a pinch of cumin.
5. Slowly pour in the boiling water. The water shouldn't be enough to cover all your ingredients - you're making stew, not soup.
6. Bring back to a boil, then to a simmer. Monitor for 10 minutes and skim the scum from the top.
7. Let simmer for 2-3 hours. Taste test for salt and how thick you would like the stew to be. As the veggies cook, they will thicken the soup.
8. Grab your trusty chopsticks. Fish out all the bones and the bay leaves and discard. After two hours, the meat should fall right off the bone into shreds. 
9. If your soup is not thick enough, mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water. Stir slowly into the soup stock.
10. Serve! Great with crusty bread OR...

Chicken and Dumplings (aka day 2 of chicken stew)

for one serving

One pint Chicken Stew

1 teaspoon butter, melted

1/3 cup flour

1/6 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

pinch of oregano and/or basil flakes

1. Reheat the chicken stew on medium heat. Check and see if there is enough liquid to create the consistency you like. I usually have to add a quarter cup of milk. Bring to a simmer
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a bowl. 
3. Add the flour, milk, baking powder, salt, and herbs
4. Incorporate into a batter - should be goopy
5. When the stew is simmering, give it a quick stir. Drop the batter into the stew one heaping teaspoon at a time. DO NOT STIR. Let the dumplings sit on top of the stew. 
6. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes. The steam of the stew will cook the dumplings.
7. The dumplings are done when you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. Carefully spoon out the stew and dumplings and enjoy!