Candyce's Greek Seasoning Mix

 

Okay friends, this recipe is as easy as 1, 2, 3! This is the kind of seasoning that can turn any chicken breast, fish, or roast into a Mediterranean adventure. Sprinkle as much or as little as you like onto your meats before cooking and enjoy!

You can also use it to make a marinade by adding some extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and a splash or white wine or apple cider vinegar. Have fun! 

 

Ingredients:

2 T Oregano

1 ½ T Garlic Powder

1 ½ T Onion Powder

1 T kosher salt

1 T Thyme

1 T Dried Parsely

1 tsp Dill Weed

1 tsp Marjoram

1 tspn Basil

1 tspn Paprika

2 tspn freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Mix together!

 

Calabacita Nueva

 Calabacita, which literally means, "little squash" is a traditional Mexican comfort foot that combines chayote squash, tomatoes, corn, onions, chile, and many times, chicken. It is enjoyed by families all over Mexico, and the Southwest United States. It is a childhood favorite that I enjoyed many evenings after a long day at school during the fall or winter season. Sadly, when I first tried introducing the more traditional version to my family, they rejected it and weren't interested in it. :( I wasn't willing to part with such a classic family dish, and began my experiment to reconstruct it in a way that brought a classier presentation all while maintaining the integrity of the ingredients. 

Calabacita Nueva is a New American cuisine twist on a Mexican classic that combines the best of both worlds. During the fall and winter, all of these ingredients are easily accessible in most grocery stores. It's also very kind on the budget and easily feeds 6-8 people. I purchased all of my ingredients at my local Trader Joe's. It's easy, fast and out of this world! It's a perfect dinner to entertain with, especially for Shabbat. Serve with a big loaf of warm bread, or freshly heated tortillas. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lb of baby zucchini (courgettes)

1 lb baby heirloom tomatoes

1 red onion, cut into large chunks

2 lemons

1 bunch of cilantro

¼ cup organic corn

3-4 chicken breasts

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

Paprika

Balsamic reduction sauce

Directions:

1.     Cut each chicken breast in half, creating two thin long slices.

2.     Marinate in the juice of two lemons.

3.     Liberally sprinkle each piece with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder and paprika.

4.     Liberally coat a non stick skillet with extra virgin olive oil and preheat the skillet to medium heat.

5.     Sear the chicken on each side, for about 4-5minutes or until thoroughly cooked. The inside of the chicken needs to reach the internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

6.     In a separate pan, liberally coat your pan with more extra virgin olive oil and bring the skillet to a medium heat.

7.     Place your baby zucchini, baby heirloom tomatoes, red onion, and corn in the pan. Sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Cook on medium to medium high for about 10 minutes, or just until some of the baby heirloom tomatoes start to burst.

8.     Cut one bunch of fresh cilantro, and reserve for garnish.

9.     Combine the chicken and vegetables into large serving dish. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

Moroccan Apricot Chicken with Holiday Tzimmes

Everyone has classic go to recipes that grace the table during the holidays. Two of the most popular dishes in Jewish homes are roast chicken and tzimmes. Here is an easy, tantalizing and exotic version of these two classics! With a little help prepping the veggies from your local grocery store, this luxurious meal can be prepared in under half an hour, and all in one roaster oven! It's a win-win recipe that is sure to please family and friends!

Holiday Tzimmes

Ingredients:

½  yellow onion thinly sliced

½ bulb thinly sliced fennel

2 small- medium white potatoes, cubed

1 ½ cup sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed   

1 ½ butternut squash, peeled and  cubed

2  carrots, peeled and cubed

1 turnip, peeled and cubed

¾ cup of dried organic cranberries or raisins

¾ cup prunes

½ cup apricots

3 tbspns Candied Ginger

4 cardamom pods

4 cinnamon sticks

1 tspn kosher salt

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

1)   Prepare ingredients. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and a tspn of kosher salt.

2)   Combine and toss with hands and place in a roaster pan.

3)   Place the chicken on top.

Your root veggies should look like this, but all glossy from the extra virgin olive oil!

Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 small orange, cut in half with the skin on

½ onion with the peel on

1 sprig rosemary

2 sprigs thyme

2 sticks of Cinnamon

Directions:

1) Wash and dry the chicken and place in the roasting pan over the holiday tzimmes.

2) Salt and pepper the inside.

3) Fill it with the orange, onion, rosemary, thyme, and cinnamon. 

 

Moroccan Apricot Glaze

Ingredients:

1 cup of Apricot jam

¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar

¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 tbspn kosher salt

½ tspn Cayenne

2 tspns Cinnamon

1 tspn mustard powder

1 tspn cumin

2 tspns Garam Masala

1 tspns  ground ginger

Directions:

1)   Combine ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth and incorporated.

2)   Pour over chicken.

3)   Bake chicken at 350 degrees F for 2

 ½  hours. Check the chicken to make sure it reaches 165 degrees inside.

4)   Serve on a large platter with thyme and orange slices. Enjoy!

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

To me, there's no better accompaniment to an overcast autumn day than enjoying a big bowl of delicious chili while sitting next to a crackling fire. Mounted with melted cheesy goodness, and a dollop of sour cream, this vegetarian chili is guaranteed to warm you from the inside out.

The preparation starts at night once all my kids are in bed. I make myself a cup of tea, turn on some BBC or a Ted Talk (power to the nerds!),  sort through the beans, give them a rinse and throw them in the crockpot set to "low." They'll cook all night, filling your home with the warm aromas of your favorite Mexican restaurant. In the morning, or sometime during the day, you have three steps left. 1) Sautee your veggies, 2) add the canned ingredients, and 3) add your spices. That's it!

This will feed an army of Shabbat dinner guests, or your family for a whole week. If you're making it for 4-6 people, you might consider halving the recipe, or filling up some mason jars to drop off to a friend or family member in need.

Ingredients:
2 cups of uncooked pinto beans
2 cups of uncooked black beans
2 cups of uncooked red beans
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 bell peppers (any color), diced
4 cloves of garlic
4 bay leaves


1 28 oz cans of crushed whole peeled tomatoes *Note, if you don't have this around, you can use your favorite spaghetti sauce. I like Trader Joe's Tomato Basil sauce. Just one jar is good!
12- 16 oz (1 1/2- 2 cups) of chopped green chiles or chile sauce (505 is a good one!)  Use as much or little as you like.
1 12oz can of tomato paste
4-6 shakes of Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons Chicken flavored Better than Bouillon 

2 tablespoons of cumin
4 tablespoons of New Mexico chili powder
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika, or Hungarian paprika paste
1 tablespoon instant coffee
2 tspns of dried oregano
Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:
1) Sort through your beans and take out any small pebbles, or defective beans. Rinse them. Put them in the crockpot and fill it almost full with water.  Add your bay leaves and cumin, and set the crockpot to low.  Go to sleep and enjoy the amazing smell of beans cooking all throughout the night.
2) In the morning, give your beans a stir and make sure none of them are stuck to the sides or bottom of your crockpot. Smell that amazing-ness? YOU did that!
3) Sauté your diced onions and bell peppers. Toward the very end, add the minced garlic. Add it to your crockpot.
4) Add all of your cans and jars of goodies: tomatoes, green chiles, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and better than bouillon. Give it a good stir.
5) Add your spices: cumin, chili powder, paprika, instant coffee (yes! I'm serious!), oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix it up!
6) Leave it in your crockpot on low until your ready to serve it.
7) You can serve it with corn bread, tortilla chips, basmati rice, in a bread bowl, or even with a nice fresh side salad. Suggested toppings include: green onions, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and shredded cheddar jack.
Enjoy!