Tag Archives: sweet peppers

Chicken and Chickpea Tray Bake

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Another winner of a dinner from NYTImes Cooking! They claimed this easy chicken sheet-pan supper brings bold, warming flavors with minimal fuss—and they weren’t kidding. Tossed with ras el hanout, the chicken roasts alongside potatoes, sweet peppers and chickpeas, creating a richly flavored dish that practically makes its own sauce. The sheet pan may look crowded, but everything melts beautifully together as it cooks.

The peppers, potatoes and chickpeas simmer gently in the (reduced amount of) oil, while the chicken sits halfway in, its skin staying crispy as the juices mingle below. Any chickpeas peeking out get delightfully crisp, while the rest confit in the oil, becoming soft and smooth.

A finishing drizzle of sherry vinegar adds a bright, tangy kick, balancing the warm spices and bringing out the dish’s deep roasted flavors. Best of all, the prep is simple, and the oven does the rest, making this perfect for a cozy midweek dinner that still feels special. Although it does take a good bit more than one hour.

Here’s what we did differently: A huge reduction was made in the amount of oil, from 3/4 cup to just over a 1/4 cup. The quantity of Roma tomatoes was doubled from 3 to 6, and garlic from 1 head to 2. Unable to source romano peppers, we used the tricolored mini bell peppers. The potatoes were first cut in half crosswise, then sliced into small wedges. Since the homemade ras el hanout made about 2 1/2 tablespoons, the entire amount was incorporated.

TIP: It is really difficult to evenly toss all of the chicken and vegetables with the oil on the rimmed baking sheet. I used a very large mixing bowl instead. If you don’t have a large enough bowl, try oiling the ingredients in two batches before spreading onto the baking sheet.

There are numerous versions for the ras el hanout spice combination. It is a North African Spice and it’s name translates loosely to “House Blend”. It can contain as many as 50 ingredients including rosebuds and Spanish fly (say what??). If the recipe below doesn’t suit your tastes, feel free to create another mixture, or use a store-bought variety.

Chicken and Chickpea Tray Bake

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 6-8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 ¼ lbs.)
  • 2 Tbsp. ras el hanout (store bought, or recipe below)
  • Fine sea salt and black pepper
  • 3 small Yukon Gold (or similar) potatoes, each cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
  • 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed
  • 4-6 medium Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 4 romano peppers, halved lengthwise and stems removed (or 12 mini bell peppers)
  • 2 heads garlic, top ½ inch removed to expose the tip of each clove
  • ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Ras El Hanout Ingredients

Makes about 2 1/2 Tablespoons

  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3⁄4 tsp. sugar
  • 3⁄4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
  • 1⁄2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1⁄2 tsp. ground coriander
  • 1⁄2 tsp. cayenne
  • 1⁄2 tsp. ground allspice
  • 1⁄2 tsp. ground fennel
  • 1⁄4 tsp. ground cloves

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Season the chicken with the ras el hanout, 2 teaspoons of salt and a good crack of black pepper on a 13-by-18-inch sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray, and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
  3. In a very large bowl, add the potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, oil, seasoned chicken thighs and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, and gently mix so that everything is coated with oil. Spread the mixture as evenly as possible across the treated baking sheet arranging the chicken on top, skin-side up.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes, then give the pan a gentle shake to encourage everything into an even layer. Cook for another 35 minutes, until the chicken is tender and well browned.
  5. Use tongs to squeeze out the garlic cloves, discarding the papery skins. Use a fork to crush the tomatoes and the garlic cloves, then loosely mix them into the sauce. Sprinkle with the cilantro, mixing it in as well. Drizzle over the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar before serving.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi for NYTimes Cooking

Hunan-Style Ginger Chicken

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This is a flavorful , easy-to-make weeknight dish. Here, you simmer juicy chicken thigh pieces in an umami-rich soy-based sauce with earthy shiitake mushrooms and sweet mini peppers for this 30-minute, one-pan dinner.

This version of the comforting Hunan classic, lao jiang men ji, from cookbook author Andrea Nguyen is a simple braise that gets its heat from a generous handful of unpeeled fresh ginger root. However, we decided to peel our ginger…

If you don’t have a wok, a large skillet, with plenty of surface area, will also work well. It is recommended to use a cast-iron skillet, which has a naturally nonstick surface. (Avoid using a skillet with a nonstick Teflon coating when cooking over high heat, such is the case in this recipe.)

Our changes? We had a frozen packet of chicken thighs that weighed in at 2 1/4 pounds, more than the recipe called for. That fact, plus only 4 ounces of bell pepper just seemed too paltry so we tripled that amount, doubled the scallions, and replaced the water with chicken stock. With all of the “extra” ingredients, we decided to double the sauce ingredients too. Then, at the end, the sauce didn’t seem thick enough so we mixed in a small cornstarch slurry.

The Hubs decided to stir-fry the ginger and garlic, then instead of pushing them to the side, he removed them to a side plate so as not to burn. Next he stir-fried the chicken in two batches (remember we had more than the instructed amount), and added the ginger and garlic back to the wok with the chicken. While the recipe was very good, it just didn’t contain enough “heat” for us, so next time we’ll add some dried chili peppers to kick it up a notch.

Hunan-Style Ginger Chicken

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
  • 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, halved crosswise and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks
  • 6 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and caps halved (quartered if large)
  • 2/3 cup chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine
  • 2 tsp. soy sauce, plus more to taste
  • 1 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
  • 4 oz. multicolored sweet mini peppers, stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise
  • 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Steamed white rice

Directions

  1. Toss together chicken and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Heat oil in a wok or large cast iron skillet over medium. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Push garlic and ginger to one side of wok; increase heat to high, and add chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, until browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
  2. Stir mushrooms, 2/3 cup chicken stock, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar into wok. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer vigorously, undisturbed, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest piece of chicken registers 165°F, 5 to 8 minutes.
  3. Uncover wok, and increase heat to high. Add peppers and sesame oil; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has reduced into a thick sauce, 3 to 5 minutes. If not thick enough to your liking, stir in a small amount of cornstarch slurry.
  4. Remove from heat, and stir in scallions. Season to taste with additional soy sauce. Serve with steamed rice on the side.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Andrea Nguyen for Food & Wine

Salmon with Sweet Peppers and Chorizo

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Never would I have conceived of assembling this eclectic group of ingredients, but WOW, it sure made a convert out of me! The rich flavor and firm texture of salmon paired perfectly with sweet peppers made into pipérade, a Basque relish-like stew of peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic. Piment d’esplette is the authentic seasoning for pipérade, but instead Milk Street used a combination of sweet paprika and cayenne—both of which are probably already in your pantry.

And for smoky, meaty flavor, sauté slices of Spanish chorizo; the rendered fat helps cook the vegetables and the browned chorizo simmers with peppers for a few minutes at the end. For a medium doneness, cook the salmon until the center is translucent. To cook the fish until opaque throughout, simmer the fillets for a few minutes longer, or until the center reaches 125°F to 130°F

A few changes we made included using a single piece of salmon weighing one pound. Plus, the recipe called for only two ounces of Spanish chorizo, but with each link weighing three ounces, we included one entire sausage, which we thought was the perfect amount. The Hubs made the rice with a Spanish twist incorporating olive oil and a few smashed garlic cloves. Our side of asparagus not only lent healthy nutrients, it was a nice pop of color on the plate.

TIP: Don’t forget to place the salmon skin side up in the pan. This way, while the fillets cook gently in the pepper mixture, the skin, which is removed before serving, protects the surface from drying out. Also, don’t allow the pepper mixture to simmer vigorously while the fish is in the skillet. Medium heat should ensure a gentle simmer, but adjust the burner as needed.

Salmon with Sweet Peppers and Chorizo

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 4 6-oz. center-cut salmon fillets
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
  • 2 oz. Spanish chorizo, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 2 medium red or orange bell peppers (or 1 of each), stemmed, quartered lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
  • 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp. sweet paprika
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • ¼ cup dry vermouth or white wine
  • 14½ oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 3 large thyme sprigs

Directions

  1. Season the salmon on both sides with salt. In a 12-inch skillet over medium, combine the oil and chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until the oil has taken on a reddish hue and the chorizo begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a small plate and set aside.
  2. Set the skillet over medium-high and heat the fat until shimmering. Add the bell peppers, onion, paprika, cayenne and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are wilted and tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the wine has evaporated, about 1 minute.
  3. Add the tomatoes with juices along with the thyme, then bring to a simmer. Nestle the salmon fillets, skin-side up, in the mixture. Reduce to medium, cover and simmer, until the thickest parts of the fillets reach 115°F to 120°F, 6 to 8 minutes.
  4. Remove the pan from the heat. Using tongs, carefully peel off and discard the skin from each fillet. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the salmon to serving plates, flipping each piece so the skinned side faces down.
  5. Bring the pepper mixture to a simmer over medium-high, add the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Remove and discard the thyme, then spoon the mixture over and around the salmon and drizzle with additional oil.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Courtney Hill for Milk Street

Grilled Italian Sausages, Onions, Peppers and Potatoes

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Simple, easy, delicious, there is no more reliable guest at a cookout than sausage, roasted over the open fire. But before you grill the meat, get some peppers, onions and potato slices soft and dark and fragrant in the heat, and use these as a bed on which to serve the links.

Well, the best laid plans… right? Our grilling hopes were dashed by a torrential day-long tropical storm soaking. I can’t really complain because we were in dire need of some precip for the gardens and lawn. That’s why it’s important to formulate a Plan B, in this case, “grilling” indoors.

To bulk up the meal, we included sliced Yukon gold potatoes. They were a perfect compliment to the roasted onions and peppers, and were crispy on the outside while remaining creamy on the inside.

Grilled Italian Sausages, Onion, Peppers and Potatoes

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 sweet peppers (green, red or yellow) seeded and cut into eighths
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into large coins
  • 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, sliced about 3/8″ thick (we only used 2 potatoes)
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 4 links (about 1 lb.) sweet/mild Italian sausages

Directions

  1. For a gas grill, turn all burners to high, lower cover and heat for 15 minutes, then turn burners to medium.
  2. Meanwhile, toss peppers, onions and potatoes with oil and dried oregano, and sprinkle with salt. Lightly prick sausages all over so that they do not burst.
  3. Put peppers, onions and potato wedges in a grill basket on the grill, turning occasionally until they are softened and dark at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Move them to the cooler side of the grill.
  4. Place the sausages on the hot side of the grill, cover and cook, turning occasionally until they are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
  5. Transfer the vegetables to a platter and top with the sausages. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
  • Oil and season the sliced veggies
  • Roast one side for 15 minutes
  • Flip and roast the other side
  • Sear the sausage links in a hot cast-iron skillet
  • Portion out each serving
  1. OR PLAN B: if you have to cook indoors, rub a rimmed baking sheet lightly with oil, put the pan in the oven and preheat to 450°.
  2. Once the oven comes to temperature, spread the oiled veggies in a single layer on the hot baking sheet and return to the oven. Cook for 15 minutes.
  3. Remove pan from oven, flip each morsel over, rotate the pan 180° and continue cooking another 15 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add a teaspoon or two of olive oil and place the links in the hot skillet. Cook for 10-12 minutes total, turning a few times to brown all over. You may have to put a lid on the pan for a few minutes to make sure the links reach 155°.
  5. Place roasted veggies on a platter and top with sausage links.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Lightly based on a recipe by Sam Sifton of the NYTimes