Now, I know someone is going to take a look at this and say, “That’s not  Feijoada!”. And of course, you would be absolutely right. And wrong.

At our house this is Feijoada. A long LONG time ago when we had very little money for groceries I wanted to make something different. I had black beans, ground beef, and rice. After much searching I found a recipe for Feijoada and even though I had few of the ingredients, I made it with what I had.

Now, argue with me if you want but that is the true spirit of Feijoada, isn’t it? Using what you have in such a way as to create gastronomic Olympus.  Rich and spicy, filled with the flavors of Central and South America this is my version of a Brazilian dish.  It is flavorful, frugal, foreign and filling and can you ask for much more than that out of a food? Really?

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Although I made this spicy apricot glaze for chicken it would also be fantastic on pork.  It is sweet and spicy, tangy and smoky with layers of flavor. It really was delicious.  You can find the whole Father’s Day Menu here.

Father’s Day is always fun around here. This year, however, Marc is working on that day so I was glad to test the menu ahead of time. He was very enthusiastic about the chicken, and he tends to be a meat and potatoes (and lasagne) kind of guy. There is enough heat to the glaze to keep it from being too fussy. It has presence!

Adjust the amount of peppers to your own taste. There are a lot of different types of peppers in this but each conributes something besides heat-each has a unique flavor that, when combined, is amazing.

Spicy Apricot Glaze

• 1/2 lb applewood smoked bacon
• 1 1/2 cups chopped sweet onion
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 cup organic orange juice, with pulp
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 poblano peppers, diced
• 1 red Fresno pepper, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle granules
• 1 teaspoon tabasco
• Black pepper to taste

1. Saute the bacon until crisp. Add the onions and continue to saute until they are tender, and then add the garlic and saute for a minute or so.
2. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for fifteen minutes or until the apricots are very soft.
3. Puree mixture in a blender until it is almost smooth. You want it to have a bit of texture. Allow to sit overnight in the refrigerator if you have time. It will keep for up to a week, refrigerated.

Yield:about 1 cup

Just brush it on the chicken toward the end of grilling time and serve the chicken with more glaze on the side.

I served this with the spicy mango chutney and it was a big it at the house. Marc is always appreciative of my cooking but doesn’t always comment on it. He gave this recipe a Marine Corps “Out-effing-standing” . I think that is as high in the USMC rating system as anything can get that isn’t directly related to Chesty Puller, or a bulldog.

The chicken comes out very flavorful and tender. The flavors are exotic enough to be impressive but, and here is the best thing of all, you can have it totally finished in 45 minutes. Serve it with brown rice and melon wedges for a complete, simple, and yet exotic meal.

Moroccan Chicken with Spicy Mango Chutney

This is based on a recipe in the Culinary Institute of American Cookbook.

Moroccan Chicken

• 8 chicken breast halves, boneless
• 1 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 can cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• 1 bunch cilantro chopped
• 1/2 cup coconut for garnish

1. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and about 1 tsp of the curry powder.
2. Cut lemon in half and squeeze the juice from half the lemon over the chicken. Slice the rest of the lemon and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a skillet. Brown chicken on both sides until golden brown, about two minutes per side.
4. Add onion, garlic,chicken broth, sliced lemon, and curry. Cover and cook about 15 minutes or until chicken is tender.
5. Stir in garbanzos.
6. Lay chicken on the plate, spoon juice and garbanzos over it. Add a spoon of the mango chutney, sprinkle with cilantro and coconut, and serve.

Serves 8

images:marye audet

I love it when I take the time to make egg noodles.  They just taste fresh and delicate and the texture is wonderful.  I love the color of them because everything I make with the eggs that our chickens lay has a beautiful golden color from the darkness of the yolks.  Seriously, I could probably exist on egg noodles…totally.

O.k. Egg noodles and chocolate….and pizza…and..

O.k.maybe I couldn’t exist on them.  I lied.  But they are awfully good.  The secret to thin, delicate egg noodles is to let the dough relax before rolling it out.  It is best if you can let it sit in the refrigerator, well wrapped, for a few hours.  This way the gluten will loosen up and you will be able to roll very thin.   I don’t worry to much about how uniform they are in size.  After all, I want them to look homemade!  You can cut them with a fluted pastry cutter for pretty edges.  Personally, I just run a knife down them.

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Lemongrass is not something I use much.  I love Asian food but I have not really played around with the ingredients a whole lot- I guess I am rather in a rut with European and classic styles, with a little Tex-Mex thrown in. It is a comfortable place for me…not much thought goes into the flavor combinations and I am familiar with the techniques.  My family likes it.  What more can you ask?

Umm….variety?  Challenge? Stepping out of the box with flavors?

The last time I shopped I saw lemongrass at the little natural grocer I use and I decided I would get some and do something with it.  It is very inexpensive and it just smells so good!

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Sometimes I surprise myself.  This was one of those times.

It seems like pork has been on sale a lot at the local Tom Thumb store.  Translated that means that the Audets have been eating a lot of pork!

I wanted something different and I wasn’t sure what.  I knew that I wanted rosemary potatoes because I bought four rosemary trees after Christmas for a ridiculously low price.  In other words, you can plan on seeing a lot of rosemary dishes.

But for the pork I wanted something..different..something..spicy..but not southwestern.

I was sipping a cup of chai and all of a sudden I felt inspiration hit.  (Actually it was Chef Kyrie jumping into my arms unexpectedly but let’s not spit hairs, o.k.?)  Chai and balsamic reduction.  Yum.  I thought of all of those flavors of chai; anise, cloves, black pepper, cardamom….perfect!

This is fantastic.  The balsamic gives the chai just enough fruitiness to bring out the flavor of the pork.  I did add a pinch of chipotle to give it some authority.  I did this in the house but searing the meat on a grill pan and then baking but you would probably get an even better result on the grill.  Cook the pork just until done, don;t overcook it.  Pork used to need to be cooked until it resembled cardboard but now days it is really a very clean meat and is best cooked just to 155.  Let it rest about five minutes out of the oven and it will be succulent, juicy perfection.

Grilled Pork Loin Chops with Chai Reduction

• 8 pork loin chops
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 c triple brewed chai
• 1/4 tsp dried chipotle, or to taste
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbs honey

Make reduction:

Simmer chai, honey, and chipotle until reduced to about 1/4 cup.  Add balsamic vinegar and set aside.

Make Pork Chops:

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Season the meat and add to a preheated grill pan to create grill marks.  Place on a baking sheet.
3. Repeat with each chop.
4. Brush with the reduction and place in the oven.
5. Brush 3 or 4 more times using up all of the reduction.
6. Bake until internal temp is 155, about 40 minutes.

Serves 8

images:(c)MaryeAudet 2009

Last week we had summer. This week we are back to chilly winter. Who knows what next week will bring?

Did you see this month’s Bon Appetit? The entire thing is devoted to comfort foods. You have to admit, when you are cold and hungry, comfort foods seem to reach right in and fix you up.
And what is more comforting that soup? Nothing except maybe chocolate.

This soup is every bit as good as it looks.  Hubbard squash, granny smith apple, Texas sweet onions, and garlic cloves are roasted to bring out the flavors.  Once the soup is finished a swirl of chipotle and cinnamon puree is added.  The flavors are complex, bouncing between spicy, sweet, smoky and tart; all wrapped up in silky smooth texture.

You can certainly cut down the richness of this soup by using milk, skim milk, or chicken broth.  Just be sure to get enough liquid in it to keep it from being a puree exactly but not so much that it is thin.

I recommend the Texas Sweet Onions for thisl.  They have a milder flavor that becomes very complex during roasting.

My menu was:

• Roast Hubbard Squash and Apple Soup
• Artisan Raisin-Pecan  Bread with organic butter
• Salad of Baby Herbs with homemade balsamic vinaigrette
• Red Grapes

It went together well, and the flavors complimented each other.  The addition of bleu cheese to the salad would have been amazing, but my family does not like bleu cheese.

Roasted Hubbard Squash and Apple Soup with Cinnamon Chipotle Swirl

• 2 small hubbard squash, peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks
• 2 large Texas Sweet onions, peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks
• 2 Granny Smith apples (or other tart style apple), cut in chunks but not peeled
• 1 head of garlic, peeled
• Olive oil
• 2 cup cream
• 3 cups half and half
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• salt to taste
• Agave to taste

1. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and toss lightly to coat.  Bake at 450 until cooked and slightly caramelized.  Stir often.
2. Puree with a little of the half and half in a blender until smooth.  Depending on the size and strength of your blender you may need to do it in batches.
3. Add the puree back into the pan and whisk in the heavy cream and the rest of the half and half.  Add butter.
4. Warm slowly. The soup should be thick and silky, about the texture of heavy cream.
5. Check the seasoning and add salt and Agave as needed.

Chipotle Cinnamon Swirl

• Take about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the soup and add 1/2 tsp. chipotle granules, or to taste.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon of Vietnamese Cinnamon.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• Heat until the chipotle softens, but do not boil.  Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Puree until smooth.  Thin with some of the cream if necessary.

Ladle the hot soup into bowls and drizzle the chipotle cinnamon swirl over the top, use a knife to swirl it into the soup.  Drizzle a few drops of olive oil or cream randomly over the top and serve hot.

Serves 6

Images: c) marye audet 2009

One of the things I don’t like about making up a recipe is coming up with a name for it.  Today I could have had this name that went on for pages.    It was hard to decide which ingredients to highlight.  And because of my run in with code enforcement I have a major, pounding, Excederin Headache No. 2009.  In fact, they nearly caused me to mess this up.

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I love Pasta Primavera.  It is light, flavorful, and really fast.  Can you ask for more? I don’t think so!  The only thing I thought it was missing is a little “bite-cha-back.  You know what I mean.

Chipotle.

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This is such an easy dish that it is terrible to even post.

I love pork loin.  It is a tender and flavorful cut of pork that is easy to fix and hard to mess up.  In my book that makes it perfect.

In the jelly section of your grocers there should be, on the top shelf way out of your sight, a jar of red stuff with a label that says something like “Red Pepper Jelly” or “Jalapeno Jelly.”

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