Passover Recipe: Passover Fried Chicken

It is now mid Passover week and I don't know about you but by now my mother's delicious brisket leftovers are not so delicious anymore. It is time for something different, so why not go southern?

I based this recipe off of Thomas Keller's famous Ad Hoc Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe and although obviously not as good as the real thing this kosher for passover recipe is top notch.

Although you have to start the prep for this dish the night before, brining the chicken before hand ensures juicy and flavourful chicken and makes a huge difference. Enjoy this chicken fresh from frying, reheated in the oven or even cold.

Passover Fried Chicken
Serves 6 (2 pieces of chicken each)

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 6 chicken legs
• 8 cups of water
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 head of garlic, cut in half  horizontally
•  1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
• a few thyme sprigs
• a handful of fresh parsley
• juice and zest from 2 lemons
• 6 eggs, whisked
• 4 cups matzoh meal
• 2 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• a couple pinches of cayenne pepper
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• vegetable or canola oil for frying 
• honey for drizzling

1. In a large pot combine the water, salt, honey, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, thyme, parsley, and lemon zest and juice. Place on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for one minute until all the salt is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool.
2. Once the brine is cooled add the chicken pieces. Place in the fridge over night or up to 12 hours.
3. When ready, remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Let come to room temperature.
4. Place the eggs into a shallow dish. Combine the matzoh meal, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne and salt and pepper.
5. Once the chicken is at room temperature you are ready to bread. Working with one piece at a time, place the chicken into the matzo meal mixture, followed by the egg mixture and then back into the matzoh meal. Place onto a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.
6. Fill a large, saucepan with vegetable or canola oil and place over high heat. Once the oil is heated (if using a thermometer the oil should be about 325 degrees F), start frying the chicken a few pieces at a time until brown and crispy and cooked through. Remove onto a paper towel lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.
7. Just before serving drizzle the chicken with a little bit of honey.
8. Enjoy!

Passover Recipe: Dark Chocolate and Fleur de Sel Matzoh Crunch

It is that time of year again when Jews all around the world are celebrating Passover and thinking of creative ways to dress up the limited food that we can eat. One of the most popular Passover snacks is Matzoh Crunch; plain boring matzoh topped with delicious toffee and other delicious sweets. This year I decided to fancy up my matzoh crunch with some good quality  dark chocolate and fleur de sel. The results were SCRUMPTIOUS.

Whether  you are celebrating passover or not whip up a batch today and you will not be disappointed.

Dark Chocolate and Fleur de Sel Matzoh Crunch

•  6 pieces of unsalted matzoh
• 1 1/2 cups butter (or margarine)
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 100g bar of good quality dark chocolate
• a few pinches of fleur de sel or other flaky salt

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Lay the matzoh onto a parchment lined baking sheet (you may have to use more than one) and set aside. You can break some of the pieces of matzoh in half to fit more onto a tray
3. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter or margarine with the brown sugar until melted. Raise the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally until starting to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Pour the sugar mixture over the pieces of matzoh and spread using a spatula until all the pieces of matzoh are fully covered. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden.
5. While the matzoh is baking, melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second intervals, being very careful not to let it burn.
6. Remove the matzoh from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes then lightly sprinkle with the fleur de sel. Allow to cool for another few minutes and then generously drizzle the chocolate over.
7. Allow the chocolate to harden at room temperature for about 30 minutes and then break the matzoh into small pieces. 
8. ENJOY!

Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes: Piri Piri Chicken, Dressed Potatoes, Arugula Salad

Last night was the third installment of Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes cookbook test!

On the menu:

• Piri Piri Chicken
• Dressed Potatoes
• Arugula Salad

This time, I followed the recipe exactly, no substitutions at all.

Here are my thoughts:

Ingredients: Just like the other recipes all the ingredients were easy to find and economical.

Method: The method for this recipe was pretty easy to follow and was actually the simplest so far.

Cook Time: Because I skipped the dessert portion of the recipe dinner was on the table in 30 minutes.

The Food: This recipe was not one of our favourites. The potatoes were delicious but the chicken was lacking. We found the piri piri sauce to be quite strong from the vinegar and onions. I think if the sauce had some more time to cook, or was cooked prior to being added to the chicken we may have liked it a bit more. Either way it was still a satisfying meal that was easily prepared and I will definitley be making the potatoes again.

Happy "Super" Birthday!

Just wanted to share a picture of a cake made over the weekend for my nephews 5th birthday!!!

Happy birthday Jonah! I love you!

Panko Crusted Rainbow Trout with Caper-Dijon Aioli

Jordan is not the biggest fish eater so whenever I have an evening to myself I take the opportunity to prepare some to enjoy on my own. Today I picked up a delicious looking filet of rainbow trout. The rest of the dish was easily made with ingredients I had on hand. It required minimal amounts of cooking which worked perfectly for a warm night like tonight. Just pair this fish with some steamed or grilled veggies or a side salad and you have a delicious, healthy and balanced meal.

Panko Crusted Rainbow Trout
Serves 1 (simply double, triple or quadruple the ingredients for more people)

• 1 6 oz filet of rainbow trout
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. butter, melted
• salt and pepper to taste

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Check the fish for any small bones and remove using fish tweezers or your fingers. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, skin side down.
3. In a small bowl combine the breadcrumbs, zest, parsley and butter. Season with salt and pepper and stir until combined.
4. Press the breadcrumb mixture onto the flesh of the fish. Bake in the oven until the fish is cooked through and the crust is brown and crisp, about 10-12 minutes.

Caper-Dijon Aioli

• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. capers, drained and chopped
• 1 tsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp grainy dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. 
2. Serve with your favourite fish recipe.

Nutella Hot Chocolate

The other night, while curling up on the couch I was in the mood for hot chocolate, but I wanted to mix it up a bit. When I opened my pantry and saw a jar of Nutella (my ultimate addiction) I knew exactly what I had to do. In a small saucepan, I added a cup of milk (I used skim, so that makes it healthy right?). I brought the milk to a gentle simmer and then whisked in about 1 Tbsp. of Nutella until it was melted and combined with the milk. I poured the mixture into a mug and topped with some mini marshmallows (whipped cream would be perfect too). It was just so delicious I had to share. This is a DEFINITE must try! ENJOY!

Roasted Herb and Balsamic Chicken with Caramalized Shallot Gravy and Shaved, Roasted Brussel Sprouts

This meal is quick, delicious and perfect for weeknight cooking but is also fancy enough for weekend entertaining. I used chicken thighs but you can switch to white meat if you prefer, just adjust the cook time accordingly.

Shaved, Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Serves 4

• 1 lb. brussel sprouts
• olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Using a knife or the slicer blade of a food processor thinly slice the brussel sprouts lengthwise into thin shavings.
3. Place the brussel sprouts into a mixing bowl and toss with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
4. Place onto a baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Once in the oven, start preparing the chicken.

Roasted Herb and Balsamic Chicken
Serves 2-4

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 3 sprigs thyme, roughly chopped
• 1 small spring rosemary, roughly chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp. dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. honey
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and heat a large saute pan over high heat.
2. Season the chicken breasts with some salt and pepper then place into the heated saute pan, skin side down. There is no need to add any extra oil, the fat from the chicken will  be enough. Let cook until brown and crispy.
3. While the chicken is browning, whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Once the chicken is brown and crispy, flip over, allow to cook for a minute longer then remove from the heat. Pour the balsamic mixture over the chicken then place in the oven.
4. Roast until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 165 degrees F. While the chicken is roasting prepare the gravy.

Caramelized Shallot Gravy

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 sprig of thyme, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp of the oil, the shallots, garlic and thyme. Cook the shallots, stirring occasionally until almost burnt, about 5 minutes then stir in 1/4 cup of stock and the balsamic vinegar. Reduce the liquid, stirring occasionally until the shallots are caramelized, they should have a syrupy consistency.
2. Stir in the remaining oil and the flour to form a roux. Cook out for 1 minute then slowly stir in the stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and allow to simmer for 1 minute then stir in the heavy cream. 
3. Season with salt and pepper and serve.