Ginger and Honey Carrots

Two pounds baby carrots

Salt
2 Tbsp butter

2 pieces of fresh ginger (each about two inches long), peeled and julienned

3 Tbsp honey

Peel and wash carrots.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. 

Salt water, add carrots, and reduce heat. 

Simmer until carrots are almost tender. 

Remove carrots from heat, and drain.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

Add ginger, and saute, stirring, until transparent, about 2 minutes. 

Add carrots and honey, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until carrots are glazed. 

Serves 8-10

Moroccan Chicken and Rice

• 3 whole chickens (3 to 4 pounds each), cut into 30 pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 small yellow onions, diced medium
• 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 12 carrots, diced medium
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 9 cups sliced green beans (about 3 pounds)
• 3 cup chickpeas (from canned), rinsed and drained
• 7 1/2 cups chicken broth (or water)

Preheat oven to 350, with rack in lower third.  Pat chicken dry with paper towels.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil over high heat in a large Dutch oven (may need to split recipe over two Dutch ovens, depending on your size pots).  Cook chicken, skin side down, until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes.  Flip and cook until browned, 6 minutes more.  Transfer to a large platter.

Reduce heat to medium and add onion, garlic and carrots to pot.  Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.  Stir in paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and rice and cook for 1 minute.

Add green beans, chickpeas and broth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Arrange chicken, skin side up, on top of rice.  Bring to a boil, cover pot, and place in oven.  Bake until chicken is cooked through and liquid is absorbed... 25-30 minutes.  Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 12

Chicken and Brown Rice

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 chicken thighs
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 large yellow onions, cut into 8 wedges
• 6 celery stalks, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 medium carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 cups brown rice

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in pot.  Cook until golden brown on both sides, 10-12 minutes.  Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot, add onion and celery.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Add carrots, bay leaves, and 3 1/2 cups water, stir in rice and season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook until rice absorbs almost all the liquid, 40-45 minutes.  Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 12

Arroz con Pollo, Peruvian Style

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• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 12 chicken thighs, skinned and patted dry
• 12 chicken drumsticks with skin, patted dry
• Salt and black pepper
• 3 bunches fresh cilantro, leaves picked from stems
• 12 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 aji (Peruvian) pepper, seeded and deveined
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup orange juice
• 4 cups uncooked white rice
• 4 onions, chopped
• 1 cup white wine
• 7 cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 bell peppers, any color, sliced into rings
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas

Place a large skillets over medium heat, pour 4 tablespoons of olive oil into it, and heat oil until it ripples.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and fry until golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes.  Remove the chicken and drain on paper towels.

Place the cilantro, garlic, aji pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and orange juice into a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into the skillet, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring over medium-low heat until the mixture turns from bright to dark green, about 5 minutes.


Place the chopped onions into 4 tbsp of heated olive oil in a large dutch oven.  Cook and stir over medium-low heat until the onions turn translucent, 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the rice.  Cook and stir until the rice starts to turn opaque, about 5 minutes.


Pour the wine into the blender and pulse a few times to rinse off any extra cilantro mixture, then pour the win into the skillet with the cilantro mixture.  Add the cilantro mixture to the rice mixture and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stir in the chicken broth and black pepper, then bring to a boil.  Place the browned chicken pieces and carrots into the Dutch oven, stir to mix, and cover.  Place the pepper rings on the rice and sprinkle in the frozen peas.  Reduce heat and cook until rice is separate and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.


Uncover the skillet and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.


Serves 12

Arroz con Pollo

• 2 cups dry white wine
•  A large pinch of saffron
• 12 chicken thighs
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large onion2, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic (4 to 6 cloves)
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 4 dried bay leaves
• 9 cups chicken stock, plus more if needed
• 3 cups short-grain rice, preferably Spanish (like Valencia rice)
• 1 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives (or twice that... or none)  :)
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• Combine wine and saffron; let stand until ready to use. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, skin side down, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip, and cook until golden brown, 2 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium, cook onion and garlic, stirring often, until tender... for 10-15 minutes.  Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes.  Stir in wine/saffron mix, 1 heaping Tbsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and the bay leaves.  Cook until wine is almost completely evaporated, for another 10-15 minutes.  Add chicken, stock, rice, and olives.  Bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook until rice is tender for about 45 minutes, stirring about halfway through.  If rice is not done, add another cup of stock.  Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.  Remove bay leaves.  

Serves 12

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Spicy Coconut Chicken Casserole

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 pounds total)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces) light coconut milk
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 to 4 teaspoons Thai red curry paste, depending on how spicy you want it
• 2 cups jasmine rice
• 2-3 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 16 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium high.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.   Working in batches, cook chicken until browned, 6-8 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Add coconut milk, broth, 1 cup water, and curry paste to the pot; bring to a boil; stir in rice.  Add chicken in a single layer, if possible.  Cover and reduce heat to medium low.  Cook without stirring until rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes.

Add bell peppers and green beans on top of chicken; cover and cook until vegetables are crisp tender, 8-10 minutes.  Serve with lemon wedges on the side. (Lemon will cut the spice... if your mouth gets too spicy and feels like it's burning, bite on a lemon!  It helps instantly.)  

Serves 12

Gluten Free Skillet Lasagna

84 ounces canned whole peeled plum tomatoes (from three 28-ounce cans)

• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3 cups ricotta cheese, room temperature
• 2 boxes (12 ounces each) Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, shredded
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the fresh stuff, not the Kraft stuff)
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• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, pulse tomatoes until coarsely pureed. In a large Dutch oven, bring tomatoes, garlic, and oil to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer and cook on medium until thickened, about 12 minutes (you should have 10 cups marinara sauce).
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together egg yolks, ricotta, and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
• Carefully pour sauce 1 1/2 cup in casserole; spread sauce evenly. Add a single layer of noodles, breaking them up to fit, if needed. Top with half the ricotta mixture, spreading evenly. Follow with a second layer of noodles, then 3 cups marinara. Add a third layer of noodles, then remaining ricotta mixture. Follow with a final noodle layer, then remaining sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan over top.
• Bake lasagna until golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.