Spinach Salad with Smoked Chicken, Apple, Bacon and Walnuts

Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia and is an annual plant which grows to a height of up to 12 inches. Spinach is thought to have originated in ancient Persia (modern Iran and neighboring countries).  The earliest available record of the spinach plant was recorded in Chinese, stating it was introduced into China via Nepal (probably in 647 AD).

In AD 827, the Saracens introduced spinach to Sicily. The first written evidence of spinach in the Mediterranean was recorded in three 10th-century works: the medical work by al-Razi (known as Rhazes in the West) and in two agricultural treatises, one by Ibn Wahshiya and the other by Qustus al-Rumi. Spinach became a popular vegetable in the Arab Mediterranean and arrived in Spain by the latter part of the 12th century, where the great Arab agronomist Ibn al-‘Awwam called it the “captain of leafy greens”.

The prickly-seeded form of spinach was known in Germany by no later than the 13th century, though the smooth-seeded form was not described until 1552. (The smooth-seeded form is used in modern commercial production.) Spinach first appeared in England and France in the 14th century, probably via Spain, and it gained quick popularity because it appeared in early spring when other vegetables were scarce and when Lenten dietary restrictions discouraged consumption of other foods. Spinach is mentioned in the first known English cookbook, The Forme of Cury (1390), where it is referred to as spinnedge and/or spynoches. Smooth-seeded spinach was described in 1552. In 1533, Catherine de’ Medici became queen of France and she so fancied spinach, she insisted it be served at every meal. To this day, dishes made with spinach are known as “Florentine”, reflecting Catherine’s birth in Florence.

Spinach has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of vitamin A (and especially high in lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium,manganese, folate, betaine, iron, vitamin B₂, calcium, potassium, vitamin B₆, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus,zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. Recently, opioid peptides called rubiscolins have also been found in spinach.

Spinach Salad with Smoked Chicken, Apple, Bacon and Walnuts

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 pound sliced bacon
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup cooking oil
• 2/3 pound smoked and sliced boneless chicken breast
• 1 pound spinach, stems removed, leaves washed (about 9 cups)
• 1 small red onion, chopped fine
• 1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Toast the walnuts until golden brown and let cool.  Cook the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels and crumble.  In a glass bowl, whisk the vinegar with the mustard, salt and pepper.  Gradually whisk in the oil.

In a separate bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the dressing with the chicken and let stand for 5 minutes so the chicken absorbs the dressing.  Add the walnuts, bacon, spinach, onion, apple and the remaining dressing.  Toss together.

Serve with warm garlic bread for a delicious, satisfying meal.

Balsamic Glazed Chicken and Vegetables

A perfectly roasted chicken is a beautiful thing. Did you know there’s a way to increase the amount of crisp skin on your chicken while decreasing the cooking time? By using a five minute technique called Spatchcocking (or butterflying) you can greatly increase the surface area of your roast chicken as well as the amount of meat in direct contact with the cooking surface. These conditions work together to reduce the overall cook time of your bird and keep any skin out of the pan juices.

This technique cuts the cook time for a 3 ½ to 5 pound chicken down to around 50 minutes. Now you don’t have to save your chicken for Sunday afternoon. 🙂

To butterfly your chicken:

Position the chicken so the back is facing up and the drumstick are pointing towards you.

Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut all the way down one side of the backbone. You want to cut through the small rib bones – not through the center of the backbone itself. Cut as close to the backbone as possible to avoid losing any meat.

Next, cut all the way down the other side of the backbone and remove it completely. Note: reserve and freeze the backbone as well as the giblets for making homemade chicken stock at a later date.

Turn the chicken so the drumsticks are now pointing away from you and use a paring knife to make a small cut in the white cartilage that conceals the top of the breastbone. Bend both halves of the chicken backward at the cut to expose the breastbone.

Run your index fingers down both sides of the breastbone to separate it from the meat, then pull the bone out. If the bone breaks, just pull out both pieces – there’s no harm done.

Your chicken should now lay flat. Use your paring knife to remove any excess fat.

Balsamic Glazed Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 4 pound whole Chicken
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• 1 large Onion, thickly sliced
• 3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 1 teaspoon Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Rosemary

Remove neck and giblets from chicken.  Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Butterly chicken and season with salt and pepper.

Place vegetables in a large cast iron skillet.  Place butterflied chicken on top of vegetables.

In small bowl, whisk together the Balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, olive oil, honey, oregano and rosemary.  Pour over chicken and vegetables.

Bake chicken at 500 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 400 degrees and bake for 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees.

Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.

Indian Spiced Fish Tacos

On an elemental level, the fish taco can be reduced to a very simple equation: Fish + Tortilla = Fish Taco.

From this perspective, there is little question that people have been eating fish tacos in the coastal areas of Mexico for an awfully long time. It is said that the fish taco came about thousands of years ago when fishermen in seaside villages wrapped raw small fishes in stone-ground tortillas and ate them for lunch.  They ate from the land and lived off of what was plentiful.

The fish taco then became popular in Baja, Mexico around the late 50s, early 60s and into the 70s through street vendors and taco stands. According to aficionados, this humble delicacy consists of a lightly battered mild white fish that is deep-fried, then served in a corn tortilla with shredded cabbage, a thin sour-cream- or mayonnaise-based sauce, a bit of salsa, and a spritz of lime.

 As with most food history, there are at least two explanations as to where fish originated. Ensenada, Mexico claims to be the birth place of the fish taco. Ensenada has an incredible market or Mercado that opened in 1958 where fresh fish is sold and stands at every corner are offering tacos made with that very fresh fish. Ensenada is proud of their claim to fame and they advertise at restaurants throughout the city that their taco is the original.

San Felipe claims that their port town is the true home of the fish taco. San Felipe was on the way to some of the best surfing secrets in Baja and is where Ralph Rubio happened upon a stand in 1974. He loved the fish tacos and asked the owner, Carlos, to come to San Diego and open up a place. Carlos refused to leave his home but he did share the recipe. Rubio took his notes home, somewhat re-worked on the recipe and opened up his first restaurant in San Diego in 1983. Rubio’s is now headquartered in Carlsbad, California and operates, licenses or franchises more than 195 restaurants in California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Nevada.

Although fish tacos started out as fried and simply prepared – many changes have come along and those changes can be seen at different beach taco stands and restaurants across the country. My version doesn’t contain battered, deep fried fish and is seasoned with Indian spices.

Indian Spiced Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

• ⅛ cup Chives, chopped
• ¼ cup Cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Sour Cream
• ½ clove Garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon Lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Cod fillets
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 Green pepper, sliced
• 1 large Onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground Coriander
• ½ teaspoon smoked Paprika
• ½ teaspoon Red Pepper flakes
• ⅛ teaspoon Garlic salt
• 4 Tortillas

Combine first 7 ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until almost smoking. Add the green pepper and onion and cook, stirring often, until crisp tender – approximately 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Season the fish fillets with the cumin, coriander, paprika, red pepper flakes and & garlic salt. Place in skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes. Carefully turn fish and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily.

Warm tortillas in the microwave. Cut the fish into bite sized pieces and place in tortillas. Top with green peppers and onions. Serve with cilantro sauce.

Chocolate Banana Rum Pie

Dessert is typically a sweet course that concludes a meal. There is a wide variety of desserts in western cultures including cakes, cookies, biscuits, gelatins, pastries, ice creams, pies, pudding, and candies. Fruit is also commonly found in dessert courses because of its natural sweetness. Many different cultures have their own variations of similar desserts around the world. In Russia, many breakfast foods such as blint, oladi, and syrniki can be served with honey and jam, making them popular as desserts.

Desserts were first made using natural ingredients that were locally available. In ancient civilizations people enjoyed dried fruits, honeycomb, or nuts and these items were considered the first “candy”. When sugar began to be manufactured in the Middle Ages more sweet desserts became available. However, even then, sugar was so expensive usually only the wealthy could indulge on special occasions. The first apple pie recipe was printed in 1381.

Chocolate began to be appreciated in the Amazon 2000 BC. However, it was in central Mexico that the Aztecs recognised its qualities in a very tangible form – they used cacao beans as currency. 100 beans would buy a slave!

Cacao was worshipped by the Mayan civilisation of central America who considered it to be “the food of the gods” and also believed it to be a serious aphrodisiac. Cacao arrived in Spain in the early 17th century and soon spread throughout Europe, arriving in England in the mid sixteen hundreds. The first chocolate house opened in 1657 in London, selling hot chocolate.

Chocolate Banana Rum Pie

Ingredients:

• 9 inch Pastry shell, baked
• 1 cup Sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon unflavored Gelatin
• Dash of Salt
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 Eggs, separated
• 6 ounces semi-sweet Chocolate
• ⅓ cup Banana Rum
• ½ pint Whipping Cream
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

In saucepan, combine ½ cup sugar, gelatin and salt. Stir in milk and beaten egg yolks.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

Add chocolate and stir until melted. Add rum and chill until partially set.  Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add ¼ cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture and pour into pastry shell.

Beat whipping cream with vanilla extract and remaining sugar until stiff.  Spoon over top of pie and chill for several hours before serving.

Smoked Salmon Cheese Ball

The invention of cheese balls is shrouded in antiquity, and may in fact have occurred contemporaneously in several places at once. Cheese balls were referred to in everyday terms during the early 1920s, if not earlier, in recipes published in newspapers, suggesting a much earlier origin.

It’s quite possible that cheese was rolled into balls not very long after cheese itself was discovered.

Sadly, history has not been kind to the cheese ball. Early on, this classic party food earned an ugly reputation it’s been mostly unable to shake.  Food writer Amanda Hesser  once wrote in the New York Times magazine that “cheese balls tend to be associated with shag rugs and tinsel, symbols of the middle-class middlebrow.” Thankfully, with cheeses of all kinds getting gourmet treatment in recent years, this is one party food that seems ready for an update.

Smoked Salmon Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

• 1 – 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 16 ounces smoked salmon**
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup finely chopped pecans
• Assorted Crackers
• 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced

In small bowl, stir together parsley and pecans.  In separate bowl, mix together cream cheese, salmon, horseradish, onion and lemon juice.  Shape cheese mixture into a ball.  Gently press parsley and pecan mixture over ball to completely cover.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Just before serving, surround with cucumber rounds and crackers.

** 1- 15 ounce can salmon, bones and skins removed and 2 teaspoons liquid smoke may be substituted.