Hello Again.
Well, if there’s any better moment than this to resurrect (for the hundredth time) a dead and dying food blog, I don’t know what it is. Like most everyone else in the world, I’m self-isolating in response to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe, which has left me with more time on my hands than I’m used to. I’m fortunate to have a job that can be done (more or less) from home, and Alex is no longer working as a freelancer, so we’re doing all right in the grand scheme of things. I also feel pretty lucky to be one of those people who likes nothing more than staying home and whose favorite activity is cooking; for those who aren’t domestically inclined, I’m sure these weeks (months?) will be much more of an emotional strain.
A few items on the docket:
Currently reading: The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson. I read and loved his most recent novel, Nothing to See Here, at the end of 2019, and when I got word that the Hennepin County libraries were about to close (because, oh, that’s right, I forgot to mention: we moved to Minneapolis), I made a beeline for the central library and picked up his entire back catalog. Also obsessively following the annual Tournament of Books.
Currently listening to: Cantus, an eight-voice men’s ensemble based in Minneapolis. Alex is one of those eight voices, hence our cross-country move. Cantus is releasing new recordings on Facebook every week for the foreseeable future; feel free to tune in!
Currently watching: Salt Fat Acid Heat on Netflix. Samin Nosrat is a gem, and if she doesn’t make you break out in an uncontrollably goofy grin at least twice per episode, I’ll eat my hat.
Currently cooking: Well, now we’re talking. Even though we’re in pandemic cooking mode at the moment (i.e. meals that make use of shelf stable ingredients and produce a lot of leftovers), I do want to share two of my recent favorites: knockoff Sweetgreen salads.
Ah, yes, Sweetgreen: the home of $12 salads. People love to snark on the price point here, but personally, I always found Sweetgreen worth the price (newsflash: fresh local ingredients cost money!), and every time I ate there, I asked myself two questions: 1) how can a salad be so filling? and 2) why don’t I cook like this at home? Well, now that I live in a city without a Sweetgreen, I’ve started trying to copy their menu a bit. This one, which we eventually started calling Winter Salad, was especially good during the coldest months, when it was hard to convince myself that I’d rather have a salad than, say, a whole pot of mac and cheese. The variety of hearty ingredients here makes this feel like a big indulgent meal while actually still being [checks notes] a salad.
The best part is that all the cooking can be done on one sheet pan in about half an hour. Boneless chicken thighs, sweet potatoes, and brussels sprouts all roast at the same temperature for the same amount of time, and while they’re doing their thing in the oven, you can easily assemble the rest of the salad—greens, diced Granny Smith apples, chopped smoked almonds, and crumbled aged cheddar. And the marinade you make for the chicken becomes the dressing! Doesn’t get much easier, or more satisfying.
The second salad is a bit more labor intensive, but worth every minute. We call it the Buffalo Chicken Salad, though that’s a bit of a misnomer- it involves spicy chicken and blue cheese, but there’s no buffalo sauce involved. I make it by smothering boneless thighs in my dad’s blackening seasoning mix and roasting them, then tossing them in a salad with chopped cherry tomatoes, za’atar bread crumbs, blue cheese dressing, and pickled carrots. The carrots are the trick here—you do have to remember to make them a little bit before you want to make the salad. They’re pickled enough to enjoy in about half an hour, but they get even better as they sit, so be sure to make enough for a few salads, and you’ll be ready next time.
It also occurs to me that I’m about to offer you at least one recipe with multiple sub-recipes, which is one of my favorite things to complain about in cookbooks. Well, all I can say is, I found all this well worth the effort, and I hope you will, too.
Take care, everyone, and wash your hands!!
Winter Salad
Adapted from a chicken recipe from thekitchn.com and Sweetgreen’s winter menu
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling and dressing
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 package (1.25 pounds or so) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
About 16 brussels sprouts, halved
1 Granny Smith apple
2 tablespoons smoked almonds
About 2 oz. aged white cheddar- the best and tastiest you can find
Salad greens- I like baby kale and other hearty salad greens for this
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425F.
In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons olive oil, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Line a rimmed half-sheet pan with foil. Arrange the chicken thighs on one half of the sheet pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush a couple teaspoons of marinade onto each thigh, being careful not to let your utensil touch the raw chicken and then touch the marinade again—you’ll be using the leftover marinade as dressing, so you don’t want to contaminate it.
On the other half of the sheet pan, toss the sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts with a little bit of olive oil, just enough to lightly coat them.
Roast the chicken, sweet potatoes, and brussels sprouts for about 20 minutes; the chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165F. If anything needs more time in the oven, remove the items that are done to a cutting board. Let the chicken cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, peel and dice the apple, roughly chop the almonds, and crumble the cheddar into chunks. Whisk additional olive oil into the remaining marinade to make a dressing; taste as you add the olive oil, and stop when the dressing tastes right to you.
I like to make a “composed salad” by tossing the greens with dressing and then adding little piles of individual ingredients. If that’s your style, wonderful! Otherwise, you can toss everything together in a large bowl with dressing to taste.
“Buffalo” Chicken Salad
Adapted from that same chicken recipe and Sweetgreen’s summer menu
1 package (1.25 pounds or so) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons blackening mix (recipe follows, but feel free to use storebought)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
½ panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon za’atar (recipe follows, but feel free to use storebought)
Pickled carrots (recipe follows)
Cilantro for garnish
Salad greens- I like something extra crunchy here—like, iceberg levels of crunchy.
Blue cheese dressing (recipe follows. You could use storebought, but please don’t do that to yourself)
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425F.
Line a sheet pan with foil. Arrange chicken thighs on pan, and coat with blackening seasoning, top and bottom. Roast in the preheated oven for at least 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. I like these with a lot of color, so feel free to add a few extra minutes to the roasting time. Let cool for about 10 minutes before chopping and adding to the salad.
While the chicken roasts, add just a bit of cooking oil (olive, vegetable, whatever) to a skillet and heat it over medium. When the oil is hot, add the panko, and shake it around in the pan until it’s golden brown. This happens pretty quickly, so don’t walk away from it. When it’s toasty, stir in the za’atar and transfer to a bowl.
Again, I go for a composed approach here: a bed of lettuce with little piles of chicken, tomatoes, and pickled carrots. Then a heavy drizzle of blue cheese dressing, followed by a bit of cilantro and a heavy scattering of the za’atar breadcrumbs. But you do you!
Blackening Seasoning
(courtesy of my dad)
2 tablespoons ground chipotle pepper
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons paprika
4 teaspoons garlic powder
4 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Mix all ingredients together and store in a tightly sealed container.
Za’atar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon sumac
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients together and store in a tightly sealed container.
Pickled Carrots
from thekitchn.com (I usually make a half recipe since I only seem to have small jars)
3 large carrots
2 medium jalapeños
1/2 small sweet onion
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Peel and slice the carrots on the bias into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Trim the stems from the jalapeños, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Halve and thinly slice the onion. Place them all in a medium bowl and toss to combine.
Pack the vegetables into the jars, making sure there is a 1/2 inch of space from the rim of the jars to the tops of the vegetables. Pack them in as tightly as you can without smashing. Add 1 garlic clove, 1 bay leaf, and 1 sprig of thyme to each jar.
Place the vinegar, water, salt, oregano, and sugar if using in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar.
Pour the hot brine into the jars, filling each one to within 1/2 inch of the top. You might not use all the brine. Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove all the air bubbles. Top off with more pickling brine if necessary.
Place the lids over the jars and screw on the rings until tight. Let the jars cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Store the pickles in the refrigerator. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 24 hours before cracking them open. (I blatantly ignore this and use them after about 30 minutes, but I can attest that they’re better when I remember to make them in advance and do it correctly.)
Note: Refrigerator pickles will keep for about 1 month. If they develop any off flavors or smells, or if you notice fermentation, it’s best to just discard the remaining pickles.
Blue Cheese Dressing
2 ½ oz blue cheese
3 tablespoons buttermilk
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons white vinegar
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
1 pinch garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper
In a small bowl, mash the blue cheese and buttermilk together with a fork until the blue cheese is broken down into small bits. Add the sour cream, mayo, vinegar, sugar, and garlic powder and blend well. Taste and add salt and pepper as you wish.