February 18, 2014

Chicken with preserved lemons, olives, and saffron couscous

Serving bowls of chicken with preserved lemons and olives along with a bowl of saffron couscous.

You may remember that early last month I made salted preserved lemons. Well they are now ready to eat! This is the first dish that I have used them in. I tasted a small piece of one on its own and it was really different -- the lemon and salt flavors were there, but mellowed. 

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The rind had become soft and almost silky. They added a nice, bright flavor to this dish and I'm looking forward to using them more. I think that they will go really nicely in other stews and with vegetables like broccoli. This dish combines a lot of Moroccan flavors and turned out to be quite delicious. It will serve about four people.

Today we made another attempt (at a different location) to see a snowy owl and I was skunked again! I couldn't believe it. We did see some snow buntings, which were new for me, but that just wasn't as exciting as the snowy. I hope that I'll see one before they start moving back up north again. We did some snow shoeing this weekend as well. I'm trying to enjoy the last of winter as it's going to get up to 50 degrees later this week! I know we'll still have cold and snow for another month or so, but I like to make sure to enjoy each season to its fullest before the next one comes.

Serving bowl of Chicken with preserved lemons and olives and saffron couscous.

February 13, 2014

Cajun chicken and pepper pasta

Serving bowl of Cajun chicken and pepper pasta. 

I threw this pasta dish together on a whim and it turned out to be a keeper that we will be having again (and again). 

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I was able to incorporate a few herbs I dried last fall from our herb garden. It was really delicious - spicy, but not too hot, creamy, and a touch sweet from the peppers and onions. It was good for a cold night which is what we are having a lot of lately. I do like winter and snow, but the cold is starting to get to me this year. It didn't help that my work office is freezing cold (though I did receive a space heater this week, and I'm super happy and thankful for that). I'm hoping that this weekend we can get a snow shoe in since we should still have snow and it shouldn't be in the negative temperatures! 

This pasta dish would be nice to make after spending some time outside because the spice will help to warm you up from the inside out! This dish should feed 4-6 people.

Top view of a bowl of Cajun chicken and pepper pasta.

February 6, 2014

Soft pretzels with cheddar-ale dipping sauce

Soft pretzels with a bowl of cheddar-ale dipping sauce.

I've always loved soft pretzels. I remember being a teenager hanging out at the mall and almost always getting a soft pretzel with some bright orange cheese sauce to dip it in. It was one of my favorite snacks/treats and something that I never had at home....until now. I finally decided to learn how to make soft pretzels myself. I've been wanting to try them at home for a few years now. So I made a batch last weekend to snack on during game. They were easier than I had imagined they would be. To make it a bit more "adult" I made a dipping sauce of sharp cheddar, pale ale, and pickled jalapenos. You can leave out the beer or dip your pretzels in something else like honey-mustard. Or, sprinkle them with some cinnamon-sugar instead of salt for a sweet version. These pretzels were adapted from this recipe and will make about eight pretzels (allow about 2 per person).

Bowl of cheddar-ale dipping sauce with a pretzel piece dipped in.

February 3, 2014

Rabbit and dumpling stew


Warm, rich broth filled with vegetables, rabbit, and light, buttery dumplings - this is a rich and comforting dinner for a cold winter evening. I used this chicken and dumplings recipe from Fearless Homemaker to create a rabbit version of this classic dish. Surprisingly, this the the third rabbit recipe I've shared on my blog now. I never thought I would love to eat rabbit, but hey, now I do. 

Today my husband and I went to look for a snowy owl. He saw this snowy owl a few times and it's been in the same field for a couple of weeks. I was really excited (and hopeful), but we didn't spot it. I am pretty bummed because this is not the first time I've attempted to see an owl in the wild and been skunked --- I've yet to see one. I've heard them, but not seen them... We aren't huge birders, but I do keep a life list and enjoy trying to see new species. After being outside in the winter looking for owls, or doing any other activity, you need a stick-to-your ribs meal like this stew!