Spicy Mushroom Chicken

Sometimes I come across a blog (or two), like this and this, that make me wish I was a better blogger. And by that, I mean a better writer. Don't get me wrong, I became well versed in writing the blah, blah, blah's during college to make my professors think I knew what I was talking about. But I'm not, nor will I likely ever be the type of writer who moves people with my words, whether with humor or through inspiration. And I'm OK with that. It also doesn't help that I like to be short, sweet and to the point. I mean really, this post is already getting a little too lengthy for me. Oh well, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Even if it is gluten free.

But I think I'm going to at least try to improve my blog writing skills... maybe tomorrow.


Spicy Mushroom Chicken
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2 1/2 lbs chicken thighs
2 t extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 slices salami, thinly sliced (optional)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 c shittake mushrooms, sliced
1 c cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 glove garlic, minced
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 t red pepper flakes
2 T chipotle puree
1 T tomato paste
2 c chicken broth

In a dutch oven or oven-safe pot, sear salami over medium high heat until crisp. Remove salami from pan. Add oil to pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear chicken for 6-7 minutes per side. Remove chicken. Saute onion, mushrooms, rosemary and red pepper flakes for 7-8 minutes, or until mushrooms browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Stir in chipotle puree and tomato paste. Add 1/4 cup of the chicken broth and using wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the dutch oven. Add chicken back to the dutch oven and add the rest of the chicken broth. Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Top with salami and scallions.

Caribbean Jerk Stew

My boyfriend, Stephen, LOVED this stew. He doesn't think about or care that the weather is already too warm for stew down here in Texas. All he cared was that it's spicy and it contained steak.

This was originally a ground turkey chili, but Stephen is not a fan of ground meat and he says he doesn't like 'chili'. So weird.


Caribbean Jerk Stew
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adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine

1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs chuck steak, cubed
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh ginger, grated
2 habanero peppers, finely chopped
3 T fresh thyme
1 T smoked paprika
1 t ground allspice
1 t ground cloves
1/2 t ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
3 c beef broth
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
12 oz lager beer (Redbridge if you want gluten free)
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
1 t agave nectar
2 T apple cider vinegar
Scallions, thinly sliced, optional

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add steak, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and habanero. Stir in the thyme, paprika, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in beef broth,, tomatoes, beer, Worcestershire, agave nectar and vinegar. Simmer for 30 minutes until steak is tender. Top with scallions.

Pomegranate Glazed Drumsticks

I've been having some issues lately with the formatting on my blog. There is very little that I know about HTML, and for some reason the little bit I do know has not really been working for me. And I am very picky about how my posts are formatted (Mmm, you think I have some control issues?). I'm trying my best to get over it. So please excuse any odd formatting you may see.

Oh, and this recipe is so easy it's ridiculous. But so good that I just had to post it.

Pomegranate Glazed Drumsticks

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6-8 chicken drumsticks

Salt and pepper

2 c pomegranate juice

1 T agave nectar

In a small skillet, stick together pomegranate juice and agave nectar. Bring to a simmer and let reduce by half, for about 10-15 minutes. Season drumsticks with salt and pepper. Baste drumsticks with glaze. Grill drumsticks over medium-high heat, basting them with the glaze every 5 minutes. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through.

African Meat Pies - Take 1

I try more and more to cook gluten free, even for my boyfriend, Stephen. But sometimes I just have to make something that I know he loves. He grew up eating African meat pies and talks about them a lot. So I found this recipe and decided to give them a try. Unfotunately, I can't remember where I found this recipe. But I might as well retype, because it did not have very good directions.

Oh, and this is Take 1 of the meat pies because Stephen was so excited about these that he has already told me the other versions of fillings that he wants. So there will be more versions to come. And he's hoping those versions will come sooner rather then later.

African Meat Pies

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3 1/2 c flour

Pinch of baking soda

Pinch of salt

2 eggs, separated

2 sticks butter, cubed

1/4 c water

1 lb ground beef

1 t extra virgin olive oil

2 carrots, diced

1/2 onion, diced

Salt and pepper

Ground red pepper, to taste

Put flour, baking soda, salt and butter into food processor and pulse until the texture looks like coarse sand. Add 2 egg whites and 1 egg yolk. Turn food processor on and slowly pour in the water. Process until dough forms and starts to pull away from the sides. Pour the dough out of the food processor and knead to form into a uniform ball. Wrap the ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add ground beef, salt and pepper to skillet and brown through. Pour out excess grease. Add carrot and onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Let meat mixture cool. Lightly flour board or surface you plan to roll the dough out on. You want about a 6 inch round that is about 1/8 of an inch thick. You can either roll it out first and cut it into the 6 inch round or roll it out thicker, cut a smaller round then roll it out again to a 6 inch round. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle of the dough round. Dip your finger in water and wet the outside of the dough round. Close the dough into a half moon and seal the dough together. Use a fork to further seal the dough and make a crimped edge. Prick the top of the half moon with a fork 2 or 3 times. Mix remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush tops of meat pies with egg wash. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, until browned.