That's the name of the farm that this delectable organic chicken came from- Hallelujah Farms. The name kinda cracks me up because back in my youth group days in Edmonton, I knew a girl whose parents owned a dental lab called Hallelujah Dental Laboratory, so when I saw this chicken, it made me think that this is a farm that could have been owned by them… But I digress.
I made this roast chicken dinner for C because I'd lost a best of three game of Memory and we agreed that the winner would decide what dinner they wanted and the loser would have to prepare it. And what a chicken it was… tender, sweet, juicy meat… I hadn't made or eaten a roast chicken in awhile but this one was a damn good one. And on the side? Braised red cabbage & apple and a potato + kale purée. To drink- an inexpensive Sangiovese- the blood of Jove. I should also mention that C made an artichoke parmigiano dip that we had with spelt flatbread, while the chicken was resting. And even though there were traces of mayonnaise in it, it was savoury and delicious and difficult to stop eating.
Next time, I hope I win the best of three Memory challenge, because I've got a hankering for osso buco with polenta!
I was looking for something with fennel and fish... f&f. When came across this recipe it reminded me of another favorite s&a, so I had to try it.
Here's another recipe for Jill Norman's Winter Food. This isn't a 15-minute meal, but it isn't complicated either.
We're too tired tonight to go into detail about what was for dinner, so here are the pics. I made mussels in white wine sauce and crispy fingerling potatoes, but then my sidekick's mother sent over two trays of homemade Italian delicacies: white pizza with tomato & zucchini *and* my favourite, stuffed eggplant! Guess what I'm having for lunch tomorrow, Broccoli?
My first Calabrian meal upon arriving was at Zio Salvatore, in Siderno Superiore, which I later found out is a Slow Food guide recommendation. Everything here is made fresh from local ingredients- the sausage, cheese, all the vegetables. My favourite on the antipasto plate is a Calabrian specialty- stuffed eggplant. For dinner, the most succulent meatballs ever, and for dessert, a crepe filled with vanilla gelato topped off with a berry reduction.
Remember that road trip with all the bufala products? It went into dinner one night and breakfast the next day. For dinner, here we have bowtie pasta with homemade tomato sauce with the ricotta melted through. So creamy and delicious. And for breakfast the next morning, the same ricotta spread on slices of dense bread drizzled with Calabrian honey. Sorry no pic for that one!
What can I say? I love spelt. Spelt pasta is not only nutritious (higher protein content than wheat pasta), but it has a nutty flavour and a slightly chewy texture. It's become a staple in my kitchen these days with my preference being this brand. Here's a quick "madrigiana" sauce- chopped cooked bacon in an organic tomato sauce with spelt rigatoni and spinach garnish. Fast, delicious, and good for you. [I can't believe I posted about bacon again!]
Long weekends are a good time to futz in the kitchen. This one isn't super complicated, but it did require a trip to the market. The full recipe is posted in the comments, enjoy.
Recipe: Donna Hay magazine Feb/Mar 2008
The second versus challenge. This time, Orechiette Carbonara, a fast and delicious weeknight meal.
First up, Broccoli: I wanted to green this dish to offset my feelings of carb-guilt. I puréed spinach to create a pesto that I cooked quickly before adding the pasta and egg mixture to combine. I ended up making way too much, but I ate it anyway so I guess I wasn't feeling that guilty after-all. : )
Next up, Prosecco: Although the original recipe called for leeks, I chose to skip them as I'm not a fan. But like my colleague, Broccoli, I needed to bring some green to this dish so I wilted about a cup and a half of arugula in the pan the bacon was cooked in. The best part was eating the 'little ears' that had bacon stuck inside them. Bacon makes everything better.
