Thai-Spiced Roasted Chicken

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Roasted chicken is a great go-to dinner week after week, provided you know a few basic tweaks to keep it interesting. This is a simple yet unique preparation for this otherwise basic dish, which uses several warm spices as well as garlic, ginger, and lime zest to give the chicken great flavor and an intoxicating fragrance.

The spice paste takes just a few minutes to whip up, and is then rubbed under the skin of the chicken before roasting.  If you’ve never manhandled a chicken before, don’t be shy. With just the littlest bit of prodding, the skin surrounding the cavity of the chicken can easily be stretched away from the meat, creating a generous pocket which allows these great Southeast Asian flavors to come into direct contact with the chicken, while simultaneously being protected by the skin during roasting.

We can never finish off a whole roasted chicken, and these leftovers can be used to make a lovely Asian version of chicken noodle soup. Rice noodles, chicken chunks, and greens can be stirred into hot chicken broth seasoned with a few generous shakes of fish sauce. Top with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime and you’ve got a second dinner.
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Thai-Spiced Roasted Chicken

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Layered Crunchy Cabbage Salad

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This crunchy and colorful salad is based on the Crunchy Cabbage Icebox Salad created by Jenn Louis, one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chef’s of 2012. It’s no wonder the salad intrigued me, Jenn is a chef in Portland, Oregon, the city which has held my heart since I first ventured there to attend culinary school in 1998. 

I swapped out some of the veggies in the salad, based on what I had on hand and what was fresh and local at my neighborhood grocer (pea shoots and carrots are currently in season).  I also made my dressing with full-fat dairy products, which are not only more flavorful and satisfying than their skimmed counterparts, but also allow for more absorption of the plentiful vitamins and minerals found in this colorful dish.

We served the salad alongside grilled sausages from Smoking Goose, an incredible Indiana meatery featuring local, pastured meat in many forms. The crisp, cooling vegetables and the creamy dressing were the perfect match for their specialty elk sausages seasoned with ancho chili and tangerine.

Keeping it simple and buying local makes for an effortless and healthy dinner, yet again.


Layered Crunchy Cabbage Salad

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Shaved Asparagus and Zucchini Salad

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Ahhh, Spring!  Those of us that love to buy local and seasonal produce feel our hearts stir this time of year. The trees start leafing out and you feel a little pep in your step and then all of a sudden, the ramps show up! Ramps are the long-awaited symbol of the coming culinary bounty in the Midwest. 

Next comes the asparagus, roughly snapped across the bottom as if picked that very morning.  You grill it on a warmer night and roast it on a cooler one and you think, I could get used to this.  Next, you come across some of that divine purple variety and you roast and grill some more and you think, this is how we were meant to eat.  The next morning you’re kind of weirded out by the smell of your pee, but a few days later you make an asparagus risotto anyway because the asparagus still looks so damn fresh. You’re back at the market again, and lo and behold, asparagus!  What is it with all the asparagus?  Isn’t anybody growing any beets?  Can I get some Swiss chard up in here?

Well guys, it’s May 2nd, and it’s still undoubtedly asparagus season in Chicago.  I had to come up with something new to do with my week’s rations, and this simple and lovely salad is just the thing – with tart sundried tomatoes, salty ricotta salata cheese, and the inimitable flavor and texture of pine nuts.  You’ve got a few more weeks of asparagus in you, right?


Shaved Asparagus and Zucchini Salad

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Grilled Sweet Potatoes

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Last month, I blogged a gratin of sweet potatoes in coconut milk. I was so enamored with the flavor of sweet potato and cardamom together that I had to create a recipe that paired up these two lovebirds again. Cardamom, like fenugreek, is a very strongly flavored spice. You’re sure to fall in love with it, but don’t use a heavy hand or your recipe will wind up bitter rather than fragrant and slightly sweet.

For this recipe, sweet potatoes or yams are peeled and sliced lengthwise into wedges, tossed with complimentary flavors, and grilled over low heat until nicely crisped on the outside and tender on the inside.  These would make the perfect compliment to grilled burgers of any variety.
Grilled Sweet Potatoes

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Pickled Brussel Sprouts

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While visiting my in-laws in Wisconsin over the weekend, we took a trip to an Amish grocery store, which featured an entire aisle of pickled foods.  As soon as I saw the Brussel sprouts, my eyes popped out of my head and I heard that pesky inner voice say, I cannot believe you never thought of that, you a**hole.

Brussel sprouts are ideal for pickling because they’re nice and dense, which means they’ll stand up to the power of vinegar, which will break down softer foods into mush. Additionally, Brussel sprouts pair perfectly with vinegar because it’s strong enough to stand up to their inherent bitterness. Last but not least, Brussel’s are so darned healthy that having another way to enjoy them just makes good sense, and these pickled sprouts are perfect for just popping into your mouth as a snack.  We enjoyed them alongside some pub cheese and cut raw vegetables.

Pickled Brussel Sprouts

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Manila Clam and Aromatic Vegetable Chowder

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My fresh take on clam chowder requires just over an hour from start to finish. This version is nothing like the chowder that you find at most restaurants, so thick with flour or other undesirables that your spoon stands up. This chowder gets its great body from the breakdown of the Russet potatoes as they simmer in the broth, as well as from the addition of several cups of aromatic vegetables.  As it should be!

Clams, like mussels, are a less expensive way to enjoy seafood. If you don’t have much experience cooking with them, it’s definitely worth getting comfortable.  Both are nutritional powerhouses, full of minerals and vitamin B-12, and unlike fish, it’s very easy to tell when they are done.  I chose Manila clams because they were just too beautiful to resist.  Any variety of clam will work for this recipe, and mussels would make a great substitute.

Manila Clam and Aromatic Vegetable Chowder

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