Moroccan Beef & Sweet Potato Stew

I was given this clay pot early in our marriage as a gift from a friend.  It has sat on a shelf in my kitchen as a decoration and a few months ago, my husband said I should make something in it.  I had to do some research about how to use it and it involved prepping the clay pot (rubbing with oil, soaking in water, drying in a barely warm oven for a day).  Then, I looked through a bunch of recipes to find something that sounded good to us.  The blend of moroccan spices was really good and it smelled great throughout the day as it cooked.  This isn't a last minute recipe and takes awhile, but it was a big hit with my husband and I thought it was delicious.  The kids were so so on it but we made it 2-3 times last winter.  I wanted to share it here so I can find it again and remember what I did!

My directions below are for a dutch oven.  For the clay pot, I did the searing and sautéing in another pan on the stove and then dumped it in the pot before I put it in the oven.  I imagine being a braised meat dish, you could easily adapt this for the instant pot.

Moroccan Beef & Sweet Potato Stew (serves 4-6)

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 ½ lbs chuck roast, trimmed and cubed 
1 tsp cardamom 
½ tsp cinnamon 
1 tsp cumin 
1 tsp ginger 
½ to 1 tsp freshly ground pepper 
1 large yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz Diced tomatoes
3 cups beef broth 
2 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 -2 inch chunks)
15 oz canned garbanzo beans 
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Heat oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add meat and sear or brown, tossing occasionally to get sear on all sides (about 5 minutes). While meat is browning, measure out the spices (cardamom through pepper mix) and place in small bowl.

Remove meat to platter when finished browning and add onions to the pot. Saute the onions over medium heat 3-5 minutes until translucent and then add garlic for 1 minute (don’t burn garlic). Add ground spices and stir into the onion-garlic mix. Saute spice-onion mix for 1-2 minutes

Add the meat back into the pot, along with the tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Turn the pot to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for 1 hour.

Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and simmer for another 1/2 hour or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.   Add the garbanzo beans and simmer for another 15 minutes.  

Balsamic Basil Chicken

 This recipe reminds me of our family favorite Lemon Olive Chicken - very similar cooking method, quick to the table, and everyone loves it.  My mom sent me this recipe originally and I just made it for the 3rd time because I had all the ingredients on hand including a bunch of basil that I needed to use up.  Some of my kids don't enjoy tomatoes but they are big enough to pick out.

I have made this with thin chicken breasts, with thicker ones that I have pounded to an even thickness and with breast tenders - you may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the size & thickness of your chicken.

Balsamic Basil Chicken (serves 4-6)

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 T honey

2 T olive oil

2 minced garlic cloves

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 T Dijon mustard

8 oz grape tomatoes, halved

8 oz fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine or pearls)

2 T finely chopped fresh basil

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

In a bowl, mix together the vinegar, honey, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning and mustard and give it a whisk.

In another bowl, mix together the tomatoes, mozzarella & basil.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat some olive oil or cooking oil in a large oven safe skillet.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.  When the pan is hot, add the chicken in a single layer and brown for 1-2 minutes on each side.  Pour the sauce mixture into the pan - it should quickly come to a simmer.  Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Remove from the head and add the tomato, mozzarella, basil mixture over the top of the chicken.

Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through.  The cooking time will also depend on the thickness of your chicken and how long you browned it but in general, the internal temperature of chicken should be 165F.  Remove from oven and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

Time to heat up the grill!

We grill pretty often throughout the year but with the amount of rain we have had so far in 2023, there haven't been as many occasions to grill.  A few weeks ago, I was thinking about some chicken satay skewers that my girls had all enjoyed at a restaurant and went looking for a recipe to make them at home.  The marinade was super easy, they grilled up quickly, and I paired it with a Thai noodle salad from Trader Joe's that I doctored up a bit.  Little told me that I should make this "all the time" so I'm putting this one in the success column . . . and I'll try not to make it so much that they all get sick of it!

On a side note, anyone notice that this chili garlic sauce is super hard to find?  I have checked the major grocery stores near me and it's out of stock everywhere.  Bummer - didn't know I should have kept a stash of it in the pantry.  I've been substituting the crunch garlic chili oil thing from Trader Joe's but it's not quite the same.

Chicken Satay Skewers (serves 4)

2 T peanut butter
2 T honey
2 T soy sauce
2 T water
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 T sesame oil
2 tsp lime or lemon juice
2 tsp chili garlic sauce
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
1 lb chicken

Put all the ingredients except for the chicken into a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Pour into a large ziplock bag.  Slice the chicken into long strips (or buy chicken tenders) and add it to the marinade.  Marinate for 1-4 hours in the refrigerator.  If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 30 minutes before you're ready to grill.  Thread the chicken on the skewers and discard the marinade.  Grill & enjoy!

Honey & Pistachio Baked Brie

Dairy has been bothering my stomach and I haven't recently eaten much cheese.  Sad, I know!  When I made this appetizer for some friends a few weeks ago, I ate more than my fair share and although my belly hurt later, it was actually worth it.  Delicious!  I like how simple, yet impressive this appetizer is and I know I'll be making it again soon.  You can serve it with toasted baguette, crackers, and sliced apples (green Granny Smith ones are great with it).

Honey & Pistachio Baked Brie (4-6 appetizer servings)

Ingredients:

1 round brie (6-8 oz)

1/4 cup lightly salted pistachios, shelled

2 T honey

1 T olive oil

1-2 tsp freshly chopped thyme

olive oil for the pan

Method:

Start by lightly scoring the top of the brie in a crisscross pattern with cuts about 1 inch apart.  Drizzle a little olive oil in a baking pan and set the brie in the pan.  Top with the pistachios, honey, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and thyme. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is soft and oozy but not completely melted - you don't want the brie to flatten out but to hold its round shape and still be spreadable.  I had to poke around at it a few times to make sure it was ready.

Serve with crackers, crusty bread, or apple slices

Vanilla Creme Brûlée

I love it when my girls get an idea of something that they want to make or a recipe they want to try - I may dread them making slime but I'm always happy if they make me dessert!  Middle (who is now the tallest!) recently asked me how to make creme brûlée.  I told her that it's not that complicated and basically just a custard like an ice cream base.  We had a super busy week in February when Valentine's Day rolled around and no special plans to celebrate, but she made this dessert and it was a hit.  I liked showing her how to scrape out and use the vanilla bean and how to temper her egg yolks when adding them to the warm cream.  Since our recent trip to Florida involved a lot of eating out, she took every opportunity that presented itself to order creme brûlée for dessert!

Vanilla Creme Brûlée (makes 4)
from NYT Cooking
 

2 cups heavy or light cream (or half-n-half)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar (more for topping)

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt and cook over low heat just until hot. Let sit for a few minutes, then discard vanilla bean. (If using vanilla extract, add it now.)
   
   In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Stir about a quarter of the cream into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until centers are barely set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours and up to a couple of days.
   
   
   When ready to serve, top each custard with about a teaspoon of sugar in a thin layer. Place ramekins in a broiler 2 to 3 inches from heat source. Turn on broiler. Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve within two hours.

Big's Comfort Food

George woke up from hibernating - finally spring!

Beautiful trip to Crestline with Middle's class

Soaking up the sun

I've had a rough time with all the rain and the lack of sun - last weekend was a huge tease.  It finally felt like summer and got into the 80s (as pictured above) but then today I woke up to rain again.  Such a drag.  

I've been meaning to post this recipe for awhile.  We all like this one baked pasta with chicken and broccoli that I posted about here.  However, I was looking for a lighter version without all the cheese & less dairy and came across this recipe.  It's been a big hit - Big pronounced this her comfort food which is a big compliment!  I have tried making it ahead and it's not as delicious (gets dried out) but it's super quick to the table - as fast as it takes to boil the noodles.  Even though it's on regular rotation, I keep forgetting to take a photo before it gets gobbled up.

Creamy Ricotta Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli (serves 4-6)

1 large head broccoli
1.5 cups shredded chicken
1 medium lemon
1 pound penne (or other short pasta)
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
freshly ground black pepper
salt
red pepper flakes
parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.  While waiting for it to boil, cut the broccoli head into small florets.  Finely grate the zest of 1 lemon, and then juice the lemon.  Place the zest, juice, and ricotta cheese into a food processor or blender.  Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, if desired.  Process until airy and smooth, stopping a couple of times to scape down the sides.

Add the pasta to the boiled water and cook according to package directions.  When the pasta is about 2 minutes from being ready (2 minutes less than al dente), toss the broccoli florets into the pot and cook for the remaining 2 minutes.  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta and broccoli.

Return the pasta and broccoli to the pot.  Add the ricotta mixture and 1/4 cup pasta water.  Stir.  Add more pasta water as needed until the sauce coats & clings to the pasta.  Taste and season with black pepper & parmesan cheese, if desired.  Serve immediately.

Spring Break Fun (Food from Instagram Part III)

We had an absolute blast during spring break with a trip to Florida.  We started planning a few months ago and the girls wanted to go somewhere they had never been before.  Disneyworld has always been on my list of places that I wanted to take them but I didn't really want to go with a toddler or kid who was too young to really enjoy it (or keep up!).  I'm so glad I waited - they were the perfect ages for it and such great travelers.  We began our trip in St. Petersburg on the gulf coast and ended it with some time in Reunion FL with our cousins from Connecticut.  In the middle, we did 3 days in the parks (1 day for my husband) and I put Big in charge of our itinerary, the Genie + / Lightning Lane situation, eating plans etc.  I joked that I just wanted to follow behind with the credit card and in the end, it took a lot of pressure off and made it so much more fun.  She did an awesome job.  I took so many photos but here are just a few. . .

Key Lime Pie in FL

Art festival in St. Petersburg

Dairy Free Milkshake!

This restaurant brought us fresh cotton candy after our meal

World's Largest Sundial

Warm Gulf waters - Pass-a-Grille Beach

Epcot Day 1 - flower festival topiaries were amazing!

My goal was to eat a Dole Whip every day . . . 

Ratatouille Ride

Disney Bounding on Day 2 - Cinderella, Rapunzel & Belle

Fun with Family

Disney Bounding on Day 3 - Tink, Eeyore, and Alice

It rained :(

Reunion with Aunt Janelle

In other spring break fun, we tried another Instagram recipe for Peep Rice Krispy Treats.  Big didn't like them but the rest of us did - you could combine or mix colors / styles of Peeps.  We found we had to increase the amount of Rice Krispies when we stirred it up because it was too marshmallow-y.

Peep Rice Krispy Treats (makes 9)

15 peeps (1 package)

3 cups Rice Krispies

3 T butter

Put the peeps in a greased 8x8 pan.  Pour the Rice Krispies over.  Top with slices of butter.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes or until the marshmallows are melty.  Stir to combine.  Add more Rice Krispies if necessary.  Pat down.  Let cool before serving.