Honey Curried Chicken & Root Vegetables

It is the first day of autumn and there is nothing better than to fill the kitchen with warm spices and fresh bounty of fall vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 2 – 2 1/2 pounds of skinned chicken breasts
• 3 large potatoes quartered or 9 – 12 whole baby potatoes
• 2 medium turnips peeled and cut into eighths
• 3 – 6 carrots peeled and cut into large bites
• 6 – 9 shallots cloves separated and cut in half *
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup whole dijon mustard
• 2 – 3 tbsp water
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp crushed dried chiles

Directions:

Place all vegetables in a steamer and steam for about 15 – 20 minutes (you can also boil in a large pot in you prefer).  While vegetables are cooking preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small saucepan, add honey, water, mustard, garlic, butter, chiles, curry, salt & gingers and bring to a slow boil stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.  

Trim any excess fat off the chicken breasts.  Spray a shallow pyrex roasting pan with cooking spray and lay breasts evenly.  Add steamed root vegetables and fill any open gaps.  Pour 1/2 of the curry honey mixture over the chicken and with a basting brush, spread sauce over the chicken and vegetables.  Bake uncovered for 35 – 40 minutes basting the remaining sauce every 10 – 15 minutes until no more mixture remains.

Serve hot.

* If you do not have shallots, you can substitute quarter chipolini onions or even add 2 tbsp dried minced onions to the sauce instead.

Fresh Pico de Gallo Green Salsa With Green Zebra Tomatoes

Green Zebra Tomatoes

Another great thing about some CSA’s is that they are unfraid to try different heirloom variety tomatoes and this week was no exception, though the variety I am talking about is actually not a heirloom but easily misconstrued as one!  We got a ton of a rare variety called Green Zebra Tomatoes.

I was never a huge fan of tomatoes but I do like salsa.  So instead of the traditional red salsa I made a greener variety.

Ingredients:

• 4 Green Zebras seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 jalapeños seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tomatillo chopped
• 2 tbsp of green banana pepper chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp lime juice
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a non-metal bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.  Drain excess juice as desired.  Makes about 2 cups.

Final result:

Pass the totilla chips!

 

 

Off To The Beach!

It’s a last minute deal, but we are going ‘Down Da Shore’ as we say here in New Jersey. Personally I am a lake person myself.  Of course I am put in charge to feed my small army of 4 and maybe a couple of other moochers.

I do not have a big budget and found that cleaning the refrigerator is the best way go go about it. Also, I find finger foods and eating from the original container is works great, less garbage to tow.

Menu:

• 1/2 Portabella Mushroom & Mozzarella sandwich on Panini bread leftover from Tooze, a local restaurant
• Crudite of black tomatoes and purple peppers
• Cherry tomato, basil and dry mozzarella salad
• Organic watermelon slices
• Leftover Cheese Pizza on Whole Wheat Crust
• Boxed Juice
• Diluted apple juice in large container

Of all the food that we had, only the watermelon slices were leftover.  Everything was wiped out.