Chicken Marbella

This is a delicious chicken recipe. Perfect to serve when you have a houseful of company and you need something easy, but something that will blow their socks off.

I can think of so many occasions that Chicken Marbella will work, but this would be my favourite. Picture this... you are on your way to a beautiful home by the ocean with good friends. You don't want a lot of hassle on your first night there. You marinate the chicken the day before leaving, arrive at your destination (the Atlantic or Pacific oceans would both work for this), bake for an hour in the oven, make a pot of mashed potatoes, and voila - your friends are truly in awe of how you pulled such a tasty dinner out of your hat. Add good wine, candles, the sound of the pounding surf and you have the beginning of a wonderful weekend. (insert long sigh) Why do I live in the middle of the country?

This recipe calls for 10 pounds of chicken. I made it just for my family and there are plenty of leftovers. Last night, I needed a quick dinner for myself and I heated up some of the chicken on a bed of brown basmati rice and it was almost as good as having it with mashed potatoes. According to my friend Shaila, you can freeze some of the leftovers and the chicken still tastes great. I have no clue as to how many times she has made this chicken, but I'm sure it's in the double digits.

You may look at this recipe and wonder, "Why prunes?" You will have your answer the minute you take your first bite. The prunes turn into soft little blobs of sweetness, caramelizing as they cook. The olives and capers perfectly balance out that sweetness, making this, "a dish for all seasons". I cooked the chicken for about an hour and a half. The chicken tasted almost like it had been barbequed; not crispy, just full of flavour.

Chicken Marbella

10 lbs. chicken pieces (4 small, whole chickens or a bunch of thighs and legs) bone-in or de-boned, it's up to you
1 whole head of garlic, peeled and chopped in a food processor
1/4 c. dried oregano
1 T. kosher salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 c. pitted prunes
1/2 c. green olives
1/2 c. capers with a little juice
6 bay leaves

Combine all of the ingredients above in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. If you are taking the chicken somewhere the next day, divide the chicken and marinade into large ziploc bags.

When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in baking dishes, dividing the marinade evenly between them.

3/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. red or white wine
1/4 c. Italian parsley, chopped fine

Sprinkle the chicken with the brown sugar and pour the wine over everything. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours for bone-in chicken. Bake for 30-45 minutes for boneless chicken. Baste frequently. I would try to baste every 15 minutes or so, less at the beginning and more at the end. When the chicken is finished, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Muffuletta Sandwiches

This sandwich is intriguing. It sounds so good, but I don't think I have seen on it on many menus (could it be that I'm not getting out nearly enough?). Let me assure you, I made my first muffuletta sandwiches today and, they are as good as they sound.

As you may recall from reading about the apple strudel yesterday, my sister was visiting. Our visit was cut short because Hugh was under the weather, and she left early this morning. She left me four panini buns and all of a sudden I knew what I had to make - muffuletta sandwiches. I wrote up a quick grocery list and away I went.

Please understand this; these sandwiches aren't cheap. Lori bought the panini buns for around $2.00. I had some of the ingredients in my pantry and the rest I had to go out and buy. Here is what my grocery bill looked like.

Roasted Red Peppers - $2.49
Fresh olives - $4.10
Provolone cheese - $7.69
German Salami - $3.60
Mortadella - $5.62
Black Forest ham - $5.17
Total of ingredients that I bought today - $28.67

I did buy more meat and cheese than I needed. It happens every time. I was trying to visualize, in my head, the size of the buns. I pictured them being about 12 inches round, when in reality they were about 7 inches, at their longest spot. I only used 1 roasted red pepper out of the jar, but I can use those for something else (soon though, as roasted red peppers go bad quickly). Just note that the amounts for the meats and cheese are rough estimates - you may want more more or you may have leftovers.

These sandwiches are definitely impressive. Alan, who has been having a very busy week, will certainly appreciate one of them in his lunch tomorrow (I'm hoping he skips reading about the grocery bill, though...!). If you were going on a special picnic with friends, they would be blown away by these sandwiches. Hoping to impress that special someone? These would do the trick.

Muffuletta Sandwiches

4 flat panini buns
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced to paste
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 t. kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
2/3 c. combination of green and Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped fine
1/3 c. roasted red pepper (from a jar works fine)
1/3 lb. thinly sliced Black Forest ham
1/3 lb. thinly sliced German Salami
1/3 lb. thinly sliced Mortadella
1/3 lb. aged Provolone, sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Baby spinach, washed and dried

1. Whisk together the vinegar, garlic, and oregano. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the olives and roasted red peppers and stir together well. Add the salt and pepper, to taste.
2. Slice the panini buns in half horizontally. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette on the bottom of each bun. Layer the meats and cheese on the bottom buns. Top with slices of red onion and cover the whole thing with a layer of baby spinach.
3. Divvy up the remaining vinaigrette on each of the top halves. Place the top buns on the sandwich and press gently. Wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap.
4. Refrigerate for at least an hour before eating, to let the flavours mingle, or leave in the fridge overnight and have for the lunch the next day.

Apple Strudel

This is my sister's new go-to dessert. She arrived this morning with an unbaked apple strudel that had thawed on the drive up to our house. We just pulled it from the oven.

According to Lori, one of the secrets of this very simple dessert is the treatment of the phyllo pastry. Each layer of pastry is brushed with melted butter, followed by a light dusting of sugar. The recipe makes three strudels, enough to bake one right away and have two in the freezer for a rainy day.

I was reading a cookbook the other day, in which the author was insisting that making your own phyllo dough was easy enough to do. The recipe, following the enticing introduction, needed a dough that was thicker than pre-made phyllo, but still quite thin. With enough coaxing, I would consider making my own phyllo pastry - maybe in about 10 or 15 years, when I can fit it into my schedule!

Apple Strudel

1 package phyllo dough
1/2 c. unsalted butter
3 T. granulated sugar
8 c. apples, peeled and sliced
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a small saucepan. In a large bowl, toss sliced apples with lemon juice, 1/3 c. sugar, flour and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Unfold sheets of phyllo and keep covered with a dish towel. Take one sheet of phyllo and lay on a flat surface. Brush thoroughly with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar and place another sheet of phyllo on top. Repeat until 5 sheets have been used, keeping the remaining phyllo covered at all times.
3. Place 1/3 of the apple mixture down the centre of the phyllo sheets, lengthwise. Fold the top over the apples lengthwise, fold in each end and then fold the bottom over. Flip so that the seam of dough is underneath. Gently place sideways on a parchment covered baking sheet. Repeat twice more. Once all three strudels are finished and on the baking sheet, brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle generously with sugar. Cut three slits diagonally on the tops of each strudel to vent the steam.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until the phyllo pastry is golden. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 3 strudels.

*If you are freezing one or two of the strudels for later, wrap carefully in 2 layers of plastic wrap and place in a flat area of your freezer or in a shallow plastic container. Allow to thaw before baking.

*A picture of my little nephew, Hugh, in honour of his favourite dessert.

Mexican Pizza

According to my husband, Alan, this is the best dinner I have "made in ages". You can imagine the look on my face after that comment... Blogging about this recipe hadn't even crossed my mind until he was still going on about it after polishing off the leftovers. Apparently, if he could find a restaurant that had this on their menu, he would eat lunch there all the time. Add a Corona and you have pure perfection (according to Alan)!

Mexican Pizza

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 t. garlic, minced
1 c. tomatoes, chopped
1 medium carrot, grated
1 red pepper, diced
1 can refried beans
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 t. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. fresh ground pepper
1/2 - 1 c. pizza sauce
4 naan breads
2 c. old cheddar, grated
1/2 c. green onions, sliced thin
Guacamole (Oct. '08), salsa, and sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, onions, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the beef is no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, grated carrot, red pepper, and beans. Cook and stir for a few minutes, working the beans into the beef mixture. Add cilantro, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
2. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over the naan breads. Top with half the cheese. Spoon the beef mixture evenly on top of the pizza sauce. Top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with green onions.
3. Place naans on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted. Serve with your favourite taco toppings, such as sour cream, guacamole, and salsa .

Homemade Mayonnaise/Deviled Eggs

When I was working in France, there were many times that Linda Meinhardt (the owner) was back in Vancouver, leaving the place in my capable hands. During one of her absences, we planned a surprise party for Andy, the English gardener who lived nearby and had worked at the Chateau from the beginning.

Andy and his wife, Sue, were like family to me. They had given up running a busy pub in Hampshire, England to have a simpler way of life. They bought an old house in a small village and in their spare time, they renovated it enough to turn it into a small B&B.

For the birthday party, it was a beautiful July evening and we set up in the Chateau's outdoor kitchen. The details of the meal escape me now, except for one thing. A stainless steel bowl containing a bright yellow mayonnaise. A French couple, Patrick and Diana, showed up with a bottle of wine and the lemony mayonnaise. I remember thinking that it was an odd thing to bring to a party. But it was so good. We had steamed artichokes and pulled the leaves off, dipping each one in the mayo and scraping the leaves clean with our teeth.

Over the last 6 months, I have made deviled eggs a few times. Each time, I was trying different ingredients like capers, horseradish, or a variety of herbs, mixed with the egg yolks and Hellman's mayo. This time, I decided to make the mayonnaise from scratch and keep the deviled eggs very simple. It was a revelation. The yolk mixture was bright yellow and the deviled eggs tasted perfect.


Homemade Mayonnaise

1 cold egg yolk
1 1/2 t. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 t. white wine vinegar
1/2 t. sea salt
1/8 t. fresh ground pepper
1 c. sunflower or grapeseed oil

In a large bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together except the oil. Add the oil, a few drops at a time, until it comes together, and then add a little more. Once the mixture reaches a smooth, creamy consistency, you can add the oil a little bit faster. Still be sure to whisk any oil in before adding more.
Covered, the mayonnaise, will keep for 1-2 weeks in the fridge. Makes 1 cup.

Deviled Eggs

8 extra-large eggs
1/2 c. homemade mayo
2 T. fresh chives, chopped
1 t. fresh lemon juice
A little salt & pepper, to taste

1. Place eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute and then turn off the heat. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain the eggs and run cold water into the pan to cool the eggs.
2. Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and place them in the work bowl of an electric mixer with the mayo, chives (if using), and lemon juice. Process until smooth and check for seasoning.
3. Fill the egg halves with about a tablespoon of yolk mixture. Makes 12 to 16 deviled eggs.