One of the side effects of being a culinary professional is that almost every person we meet makes a joke about how my husband Neil must be REALLY well fed. The irony is that when I was working all week long in a restaurant kitchen, I didn’t have the energy or enthusiasm for cooking much at home.
Since I turned in my restaurant tongs and proudly took up my house-wife tongs I cook a lot more in our home kitchen! Many of Neil’s favorite things that I cook are complicated recipes when done right: Beef Stroganoff, Lasagna, and Chicken Parmesan. They frequently involve LOTS of dishes, pots, and, pans--which means lots of cleanup. I am constantly on the lookout for recipes that bring together the flavors of a more complicated dish and simplify the process--this week I found a gem of a recipe that accomplishes this very goal: Chicken Parmesan Meatballs.
All I had to do was mix up the ingredients in ONE DISH, form the mix into golf ball sized rounds, plop them into some red sauce, and bake in the oven. I finished off this tasty dish by melting provolone cheese over the top. Neil and I decided to eat our meatballs over pasta, but I would have enjoyed them just as much on a crusty loaf of bread. The meatballs were moist and fork-tender coated in a sweet pepper marinara and topped with stringy, gooey cheese--PERFECTION.
I am always on the hunt for neat culinary products. This week was all about adding some deliciousness to my spice cabinet and Barrel & Burlap was there to fill my need. Barrel & Burlap specializes in single origin spices including such noteworthy offerings as Cobanero Chili Flakes (fruity and floral with a slow burn), Black Urfa Chili (rich and chocolatey, almost like a spicy raisin), and Cured Sumac (bright and lemony). When my package of spices arrived, I wanted a tasty dinner to try a few out! Please welcome to Kelli’s Kitchen: yogurt marinated chicken thighs baked with spiced chickpeas and red onions.
I mixed up Greek yogurt, turmeric, lemon juice, salt and pepper and let the chicken marinate in the fridge overnight. Then I roasted the chicken on a sheet pan surrounded by chickpeas tossed with turmeric, cumin, sumac, and some fennel seed homegrown on my father’s farm in Washington. The dish was completed with slivered red onions, mint, cilantro and a sauce made from Greek yogurt, sumac, and lemon juice. A most ideal showcase for the pungent spices that now reside in my cabinet.
Cheesy Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
(by Kay Chun)
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 oz firm tofu, crumbled
½ c ricotta
½ c grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 large egg
2 T garlic, minced
1 t dried oregano
½ c parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 # ground chicken
2 T olive oil
2 red (or orange) bell peppers, cored and
½ inch slice
3 c marinara sauce
6 slices provolone cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl combine: tofu, ricotta, parmesan, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, oregano, 2 t salt, 1 t black pepper, and parsley, and mix until well combined. Add chicken and gently mix until combined. With wet hands, form the meatball mix into 20 balls.
2. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add bell peppers, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft (about 5 minutes). Add marinara sauce and meatballs and stir gently to coat the meatballs with the sauce. Remember, your meatballs are fairly delicate so treat them lightly. Bring the marinara to a boil, cover and transfer into the oven to bake until the meatballs are cooked through (about 20 minutes)
3. Remove cover and top with sliced provolone cheese and continue baking until the cheese is melty and gooey, about 5 minutes.
4. Serve meatballs and sauce over cooked pasta or on a loaf of crusty bread.
Sheet-Pan Chicken with Chickpeas, Cumin, and Turmeric (by Alison Roman)
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
3 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
1 ½ c Greek Yogurt, divided
5 T lemon juice, divided
2 t ground turmeric, divided
2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and
rinsed
1 T fennel seed
1 t ground cumin
1 red onion, thinly sliced, divided
2 T olive oil
Mint & cilantro for garnish, torn
Directions:
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Combine ¾ c yogurt, 2 T lemon juice, 1 t turmeric and 2 T water in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper (It should be a little salty as this is the marinade). Add chicken and toss to coat evenly. Let sit at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
3.Combine chickpeas, fennel seed, cumin, remaining turmeric, and half of the sliced red onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
4. Move chickpeas to the outer edges of the baking sheet. Scrape excess marinade off the chicken and place chicken thighs in the center of the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake, tossing chickpeas occasionally, until the chicken skin is browned and the chickpeas are starting to get crisp (45-50 minutes)
5. While the chicken is baking, toss the remaining onion slices with 2 T lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
6. Combine remaining yogurt with 1 T lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and set aside (this is where I added sumac and cobanero chili pepper).
7. Once the chicken is done cooking, top with lemony onions, mint, and cilantro. Serve with yogurt sauce on the side.
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