Jenn’s Cook Book

Another new recipe from the new kitchen! For my second meal, I adapted a recipe from Cooking Light magazine originally called “Orange-Ginger Skillet Chicken.” The recipe was designed to make ahead and take camping or to a cookout, but works just as well made immediately. To balance the citrus flavors, I added earthy mushrooms.

Macaroni is only a suggestion, you could also use egg noodles, rotini, or even brown rice. Though this is mostly an all-in-one meal, I would suggest a side salad or steamed vegetables to complete the meal.

Above: Okay, I cheated and used canned mandarin oranges. So sue me.

Orange-Ginger Chicken with Macaroni
adapted from Cooking Light

1/2 cup orange juice
3-4 chopped green onions
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 1/2 lb chicken breast tenders
8 0z sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped orange sections
3 cups uncooked macaroni or similar shaped pasta
Combine first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl. Place chicken tenders in the mixture and chill for 15-20 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions, about 6-8 minutes, until just al dente (still slightly firm). Drain and keep warm.

Over medium heat in a large skillet, saute mushrooms in a small amount of oil. When near tender, add chicken mixture to pan and increase to medium-high heat. Cook 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through until no longer pink.

Add pasta to skillet and toss well to coat. Sprinkle orange segments on top. Remove from heat and cover, allow to set 2-3 minutes before serving (this will allow the orange segments to warm without breaking).

Above: James wasn’t feeling well, so I came home and made some “comfort food.”

From Cooking Light magazine, this smoothie is based on a traditional Cuban beverage (batido is a smoothie made with milk and tropical fruits). Look for a mango with bright coloring and no blemishes on the skin. A ripe mango will yield gently when pressed and have a fragrant scent. You can also find peeled, refrigerated slices, which would be a fine substitution (use about 1 1/2 cups). Use brown sugar instead of honey if you would like your smoothie a bit sweeter.

1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups skim milk
juice of 2 small limes, about 1/4 cup
1 tablespoon honey

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until very smooth. Pour over ice and serve. Makes about 3 cups.

Shown left, garnished with mint.

Is there anything a little Spicy Paprika Rub can’t do? Aside from flavoring meat, this spice mixture of paprika, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and allspice is excellent on sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes lend themselves perfectly to this savory-sweet application. Like white potatoes, sweet potatoes need a long time in the oven in order to soften, so the smaller you cut the pieces the less time this dish will take.

2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges or chunks
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp Spicy Paprika Rub
1 tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 400F and coat a roasting pan heavily with cooking spray.

Combine sweet potatoes in a large, zip-locked bag with vegetable oil and paprika rub. Seal and toss contents to coat potatoes thoroughly.

Spread potatoes in a single layer in roasted pan. Drizzle with honey and bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the potato pieces. Stir every 10-15 minutes.

Bake until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve immediately.  

Another dual project recipe for Smoothie-licious and Midnight Snacks, again from chapter 1:00 AM: Spa Night, this smoothie gives green tea a fruity new twist. Spa Night features “light, enlightening foods to bask in…If you don’t indulge yourself, who will? You deserve it.” I do not normally care for bananas in smoothies, but combined with kiwi the flavor is very refreshing. With a small kick of caffeine from green tea, this is a great early-morning revitalizer. Kiwi skins are actually edible, according to the authors the peel adds an earthy flavor to the smoothie and (of coarse) will change the color slightly. Recipe makes enough for two servings, but can be halved for one.

1 1/2 cups soy milk
4 green tea bags
4 kiwis, peeled or unpeeled, quartered
1 banana, peeled and broken into pieces
1 tbsp honey
3-4 ice cubes

In a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, bring soy milk just to the point of simmering (do not boil).

Steep the tea bags in the milk for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and pour liquid into a blender.

Add fruit pieces, honey, and ice cubes. Blend until smooth.

Shown below, served in a chilled glass with mint:

The first recipe for Smoothie-licious is also part of my Midnight Snacks series as well. In chapter 1:00 AM: Spa Night, the authors wrote a section called “Lots of Lassis” that features a tradition lassi as well as several variations. Lassi is a tradition Middle Eastern and East Asian beverage with yogurt often mixed with fruit or spices. Some versions are savory, but most are sweet. Below is the general recipe followed by several mix-in variations. I tried the Honeydew and Ginger Lassi, shown above with a sprig of mint.

Lassi Recipe:
1 cup plain non-fat or low-fat yogurt
1 cup skim milk
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a blender and, in the author’s words, ”let ‘er rip.” Pour the lassi in a glass filled with ice.

Variations:

Lemon Lassi: add grated zest of 1 lemon (do not add lemon juice, it will curdle the yogurt)
Indian Spice Lassi: add a pinch of ground cardamom, ginger, cumin, and black pepper
Pistachio and Honey Lassi: blend in 1/2 cup of pistachio and an additional tbsp of honey
Honeydew and Ginger Lassi: Add 1 cup of honeydew cubes and a nickel-size piece of fresh ginger (make sure to peel ginger first) 
Mint of Persian Lassi: add 10 fresh mint leaves
Berry Lassi: add 1/2 cup strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries, or blackberries
Mango Lassi: add 1/2 cup sliced, peeled mango (an Indian favorite)

These recipes all make 2 generous servings.

These potatoes are similar to my Mexican Potatoes, but instead of just spicy I’ve added a sweet element. Peeling and chopping raw sweet potatoes can be hard work, so I cheated and bought the peeled, pre-cut variety that you can steam in the microwave, and it’s also much quicker than baking the potatoes in the oven. You will need two packages if you decide to go this route and you will want to reduce the oil to 2 tbsp since you are steaming and not baking.

3 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne (red) pepper

Preheat oven to 400F

Peel and chop sweet potatoes into 1-inch chunks. In a large zip-locked bag, combine potatoes with the rest of the ingredients. Toss potatoes in the bag to coat. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until potatoes are tender, rearranging occasionally to prevent the sugars in the potatoes to burn.

If using the pre-cut variety, steam bags in the microwave per package directions. Combine steamed potatoes in a zip-locked bag with the other ingredients and toss to coat.

For serving, drizzle lightly with honey if desired. This dish would be great with baked apple or pear wedges. If you would like a more savory application, bake the sweet potatoes with 1 cup chopped onion and 1 tbsp minced garlic.

Pears and parsnips are in season during the fall, but also work well in the winter. Parsnips will be easy to find, but use a careful eye to avoid pears that are past their prime as the selection will be picked over this time of year. This recipe comes from Everyday Food magazine and originally called for chicken thighs and legs, but I substituted boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The recipe also calls for 1 large parsnip and 1 large white turnip, but I used 2 large parsnips instead. I am going to post the recipe as I prepared it.

2 large parsnips, peeled, halved length-wise and cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
2 small or 1 large red onion, cut into 1 inch wedges
2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp dried thyme, divided  
2 tbsp fresh or 2 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp honey
2-3 medium to large pears, firm but ripe, halved, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch wedges

Preheat oven to 375F

On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss parsnips and onions with vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1/2 tsp thyme. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Rub parsley and remaining 1/2 tsp of thyme on chicken. Push vegetables to edges of baking sheet and arrange chicken breasts in the middle. Bake 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine honey and remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. After 20 minutes, brush chicken with honey glaze. Toss pears with vegetables and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until pears are warmed through and chicken is no longer pink. Serve immediately.

Shown below served with Vigo’s Yellow Saffron Rice:

From Cooking Light magazine, here is a great way to spice up chicken breast without adding fat to your dinner.

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp five-spice powder
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders

Preheat broiler

While broiler heats, combine hoisin, honey, vinegar, and oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Combine cornstarch and water, add to hoisin mixture, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, and remove from heat.

Combine salt and next 4 ingredients (through five-spice powder) and rub evenly over both sides of chicken. Coat broiler pan with cooking spray and arrange chicken in an even layer. Broil 5 minutes, then brush with hoisin mixture and broil another 4 minutes. Turn chicken and brush with remaining hoisin mixture, broil 4 minutes or until done.

Serve with heated hoisin sauce on the side, if desired.

Here is another recipe in the DIY Herbal Teas mini-series, this one a Jenn Original Recipe. The combination of cinnamon and lavender is great at night before bed. Sip this fragrant tea as the temperature drops after the dark.

1 cup boiling water
1 tsp dried lavender
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp honey, or to taste
lemon wedge, for serving

Pour boiling water over lavender and cinnamon stick. Steep for 5-7 minutes. Drain lavender and cinnamon stick.

Stir in honey to taste. Garnish with lemon wedge and cinnamon stick if desired. Serve hot.

After seeing a recipe onRecipezaar for Green Tea with Rose Water, I was compelled to make my own version. This iced tea combines rose water (pink) and lime (green) with green tea to make a fresh iced drink with an interesting twist. Rose water is typically used in Middle Eastern-style cooking, so whip up this drink, take a sip, and image yourself in an exotic cafe far, far away.

2 green teabags
1 cup water
1/2 tsp rose water
1 tsp honey
1 tsp fresh lime juice
lime slices, for garnish

Bring water to a boil and add teabags. Steep 3 minutes and remove. Stir in rose water, honey, and lime juice.

Fill a large glass with ice. Pour tea over ice and add lime slices. Pop in a sprig of mint, if desired. Sip slowly and enjoy!