Roast Chicken Salad | You've Got Meal!

This week we had a great organic chicken to cook and for such a beauty we had to make a roast,a simple, full of flavor whole chicken roast. There is only the two of us in this household, so we can't be done with a whole roasted chicken in one dinner, so the next day we had to use the leftovers in a fresh and healthy salad.

This is also a great way to take some of the previous evening dinner at the office for lunch. Plus, it happens to all of us, once the spring arrives we just want to make the most of those beautiful fresh vegetables.

You will need:

• chicken leftovers (for 2 portions we had half of the breast and a thigh)
• 2  handfuls of cress
• about 6-8 radishes
• 6-8 cherry tomatoes
• a handful of pomegranate seeds
• 1 medium red onion

For the dressing:

• 150 g yogurt
• the juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• fresh coriander leaves
• salt and pepper

Wash the cress leaves thoroughly, place them in a salad bowl with the chicken. We cut the chicken pieces in big cubes. Add the tomatoes, halved and the radishes cut in quarters. Cut the red onion in thin rings, add it to the bowl, then sprinkle the pomegranate seeds on top.

For the dressing, crush the garlic, add it to the yogurt, pour the lemon juice over them and season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped coriander and mix well. 

Pour the dressing over the salad and you are done! It would be great if you would comment below telling us how do you use your weekend roast leftovers.

XO XO,

Chicken and Gorgonzola Roulade | You've Got Meal!

For some strange reason, people tend to appreciate meat roulades at a dinner table. Apparently, there seems to be some sort of fear of making such a dish or trying it. I remember my mom cooking meat rolls only a couple of times and on special occasions. And I remember my dad saying we have to say it was good. Don’t know why he said that, the dish was great. Is that ok, Dad? You’re now safe if she reads this post.

For me, making a roulade is a more interesting way of using a rather dull meat like chicken breast. Combine that with a couple of savory ingredients like Gorgonzola cheese, artichokes, cipolline borettane and the all-mighty bacon and you can elevate the pour poultry piece. 

Let’s talk ingredients: 

• a couple of pieces of chicken breast meat, 
• sweet gorgonzola, 
• artichoke hearts, 
• cipolline borettane (you can caramelize some baby onions if you don’t have them around), 
• thin bacon strips for covering the rolls, 
• salt, pepper, chili flakes. 

You can use a whole breast, but be careful how you cut it. The idea is to get a couple of pieces of meat that you can tenderize with a meat hammer (or a rolling pin) and bring to a shape works for the roulade. We got 4 “sheets” of chicken meat from 1 breast, enough for some medium rolls.

Place the flattened meat on the work surface and season it with salt, pepper and chili flakes on the inside. Put a small amount of cheese in the center and a couple of artichoke hearts and roll the meat. Don’t overdo it with the cheese, too much of it will melt and burn in the pan/oven. 

Use the bacon strips to cover the rolls, make sure they’re nice and covered all over the place -  it will help you keep the cheese in and not burn. We also made a roll using the same amount of cheese and some cipolline borettane instead of the artichokes – asparagus will also work really nice. Cook the roulade in the hot pan, medium high heat, in a couple of tbs. of olive oil, for 2-3 minutes, then straight in the preheated oven,190 Celsius for 15-20 minutes.

As a side dish, we tried to mix things up with some Jerusalem artichokes. So, we got a couple of nice potatoes, pop them in the oven to bake, alongside some Jerusalem artichokes and garlic, none of those peeled, only cleaned. After the potatoes are done, remove 1 quarter of the spud and use a spoon to remove the inside of the remaining potato. Use a knife or a spoon to remove the Jerusalem artichoke’s white insides, and mix that well with some Gorgonzola, salt, pepper and the potato you pulled out. Use the mixture to fill in the spud, sprinkle some hot paprika on top. Serve the potato with the chicken and some valerian salad sprinkled with some lemon juice and olive juice. As an added bonus, grab a chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and enjoy a light, simple dinner.

Enjoy,

Oven Roasted Carp and Peas | You've Got Meal!

Big shocker right in the title, Internet – you can actually eat carp and it’s delicious. I’ve seen a lot of people who consider carp kind of a second-hand fish and don’t really consider it worthy for their kitchen. I can assure you that that is not the case. Fresh, river caught carp can be a knock-out at a table (in the good sense of the way) and it can hold its own against more popular fresh water fish like trout. The thing to remember here is that the bigger the carp is, the fattier it will be, so make sure to pick your fish accordingly. 

So, if you’re going for a nice oven roasted  filet, pick a leaner cut. But, let’s say, for a fisherman’s sour soup (yum, it makes my mouth watery just by typing it) or for grilling on a coal barbecue you can get a fattier piece (there is such a thing called carp belly and it’s great for this last category, with some grilled vegetables and some thyme flavored light brine).  

So let me take you through this recipe that literally takes to cook 15 minutes. You’re going  to need a lean filet of carp (about 200 grams per person), some fresh thyme leaves, a can of peas, some garlic cloves, salt, pepper and olive oil. 

• Simply rub salt, pepper on the fish and sprinkle with the thyme leaves and olive oil. 
• Place the carp on an oven proof rack, pop a tray under it so any juices won’t trickle directly on the oven. 
• Cook the fish on high heat for 13-15 minutes. In the last minute, heat up some olive oil in a pan, cook a couple of whole garlic cloves for 30 seconds, then give the drained peas the same amount of time to heat through, then add some salt and pepper. 

Plate the carp with the peas and sprinkle some lemon juice on top and you’re done. Nothing fancy, nothing elaborate, everything is done in 15 minutes. If you’re looking to try some carp, don’t overdo it in your first recipe, try something simple, with only a couple of flavors, that can give you an idea of the taste of the fish and I’m sure you’re going to be back at your fishmonger for more carp.

Enjoy,

Beef and Root Vegetables Salad (Russian Salad Variation) | You've Got Meal!

This dish is a version of a mayonnaise-folded salad that is extremely popular in Eastern-Europe and in post-soviet countries. It is usually prepared during the winter, for special occasions like Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve. It is  a great recipe for winter because it uses meat, potatoes, root vegetables and pickles, so all ingredients were and are easy to find during winter. This version is most similar to the Romanian version, that has a fancy, French name "salata de boeuf", although the inspiration is not French, but Russian, from Salad Olivier  or Russian Salad. As popular as it is, everybody seems to have their own version. Some use chicken breast, some beef, some don't even use meat, some add peas, some are totally against peas...Being such a simple salad, it is delicious in any way.

I think is that delicious because it has everything it needs: the meat, the neutral taste (potatoes), the sweet (carrots and parsnip) and the sour (pickled cucumbers). It can be useless to give exact measurements, it all comes down to preferences, but usually you will need relatively equal quantities for the four components above.  All that topped with delicious home made mayonnaise.

 Ingredients:

• 400 g beef meat
• 5 potatoes
• 3 carrots
• 1 parsnip
• 4-5 pickled cucumbers
• home made mayonnaise made from 1 yolk
• salt

1.  Boil the meat and the boiled vegetables separately. 
2. Dice the meat and the vegetables. Dice small the pickled cucumbers and squeeze the pickles to remove some of their juice, or the salad will be too watery.
3. In a bowl, place all the diced ingredients, add salt to taste and  mix them.
4. Add mayonnaise to the diced ingredients and toss and mix well. Always taste, you might not need to add all the mayo.
5. By now, you can traditionally place the salad in a pretty bowl and cover with another layer of mayonnaise (optional). It can also be decorated with hard-boiled eggs or vegetables.
6. Decorated or not, it is delicious served chilled as a spread, as an appetizer on crusty bread or salad leaves, or even as a side dish for fried or grilled meats.

Enjoy,

Fried Fish Sticks with Broccoli and Okra Recipe | You've Got Meal!

Super easy recipe for fried fish in beer batter, served with a healthy vegetable side dish.

Do you hate fish? Really? Why? Doesn’t matter, you will love this way we cook it, in an airy and fluffy beer batter. Actually we’ve covered the recipe before here, so I won’t insist too much on it. It is one of the best recipes for us, because the nutmeg give it a nice flavor and the batter is always very fluffy and it does not get very oily. So, go on, check the recipe, don't be shy!

Needles to say that it worked perfectly again, but this time with a little spin on the side dish. Fish wise, we used black cod, can’t say that it was better than perch, but it did the trick.

For the side dish, I have to confess that I was lazy. Not  “lazy so I cook something terrible” (that doesn’t happen in the YOUVEGOTMEAL kitchen – a touch of modesty there), but “lazy so I will use frozen veggies”. 

• So, I pack of frozen broccoli, 
• 1 of frozen okra, 
• 1 chili, 
• 1 onion, 
• 2 cloves of garlic, 
• cardamom, 
• all spice, 
• curry leaves, 
• coriander seeds, 
• lemon juice, 
• salt , pepper and olive oil. 

You probably realized that the differences from the post above are the spices and the okra. About the latter, it is a vegetable that is used in Lebanese cooking, but I’ve seen it as an ingredient in Mediterranean dishes as well. The thing about it is that it gets gooey when cooked if not treated with an acidic ingredient (say vinegar or lemon juice). Traditionally, I’ve cooked this by boiling it with salt, vinegar and various spices and added the okra at the end.  But, considering that a lot of lemon juice was already being used for the broccoli, this wasn’t the case. Start of by sautéing the onion, chili and garlic in the olive oil on medium heat for a couple of minutes, until the onion gets nice and shiny. Add the broccoli, okra and the spices. Cook this mixture for 5 minutes, then add a couple tbs. of water and the juice of 1 lemon, cover the pan and cook for another 7 minutes . 

As a last touch, increase the veggie power in your dish and get “lazy” again by getting a small can of baby carrots and peas and mix them with the other greens after turning the heat of. The spicy fish and this health bomb (be it even from frozen/canned veggies) of a side dish will make your day.

Enjoy,

PS: why give your liver a break ? Get a nice bottle of sauvingnon blanc and turn this into an adult menu *wink.

Spicy Chicken Wings and Special Fries | You've Got Meal!

The title doesn’t really do justice to this dish as it is a very nice fusion of American, Chinese and Italian cuisine (the Italian part being the beautiful Nero D’Avola that accompanied the meat and potatoes J). This thing is a singe to make and it guaranteed to impress, especially with the spicy food loving crowd.

We used 10 wings that we cut in half, you can adjust the amount of wings according to your own desire. The idea behind cooking the meat here is that we wanted to cook it in a healthier way that just frying it, and we managed to do just that without sacrificing taste. Making these wings is a 2 step process. Start of by flouring the wings (that you’ve thoroughly washed) and placing them on an oven tray that you pop in the oven, at high heat for around 30 minutes. Meanwhile you have time for the second part, another dead easy step. Heat up 75 grams of butter on bain-marie, and this will serve as the base for a sauce that will coat the oven cooked wings. To the butter add 2 (or more, you hot devil J)hot pepper sauce -  I used tabasco, 1 tbs Worchester sauce and 1 tsp of red wine vinegar (I find this step optional, as the hot sauce usually has a fair amount of vinegar in it). Next, choose you condiments. My suggestion is to use ground ones, that mix well in the butter, and don’t overdo it as you can get a dusty feel to the meat. I used  smoked paprika, ground ginger, cardamom, dried garlic powder, curcuma, salt and pepper. Mix the spices with the spicy butter. After the wings are done, remove them from the tray and place them in a large bowl. Pour the sauce on the wings and mix really well, making sure the meat is fully covered with the spicy goodness, and you’re done with the meat. I find this recipe to hold its ground over traditional deep fried wings and you can choose it when you want to avoid an oily situation.

This being a super easy wings recipe, the side dish couldn’t be far away from it. For the Chinese style fries you’ll need to slice your spuds thinly and evenly – think of a No.2 pencil and quarter it- that’t the size you want. Clean the potatoes really well, making sure you get rid of that starch, and let them rest in salted water for 10 minutes. The other things you’ll need are 2 tbs of dark sugar, hot sauce- about 2-3 tbs., and (optional, I’ve explained above why), 1 tbs of rice vinegar, 1 tbs. of soy sauce and some cucumbers, cut the same way as the potatoes. Heat up your wok, add a couple tbs. of peanut oil (or vegetable oil) and add the sugar, hot sauce and vinegar. Immediately pop in the potatoes and mix them well to make sure they are coated with the flavor base. Cook them until almost done. Next add the soy sauce and cucumbers and cook those for another minute or so (you can sprinkle some chopped coriander on top for a more Chinese touch).

I can assure you that this wing and fries mix has nothing to do with its fast food cousins. It may be fast, but make no mistake, it packs a big punch and it is poised to surprise you.  

Enjoy,

Autumn Stew | You've Got Meal!

There are only a few dishes that, cooked during the cold seasons, can make me feel better about the crappy weather outside, and this stew is one of them. You can always come up with another combination of vegetables or other meats for this one, but I was pleased (and warmed) by the result.

So, grab yourself 2 medium onions, an obscene amount of garlic (don’t worry about the amount, when cooked in stews garlic gives a rather sweet taste instead of, well, garlic taste), 2 carrots, 200 grams of honey fungus (during this time of the year this mushroom is available in farmer’s markets), 200 grams of pumpkin (with or without skin), 300 grams of potatoes, 150-200 grams of quince, 150 grams of smoked bacon, some nigella seeds, fresh  oregano, sage and parsley, salt, pepper, 500 ml of dark beer (I used Guiness in this recipe).

Start of by heating up a good amount of olive oil in a heavy base, tall pan, then pop in the diced onion and garlic. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, then add in the sage, finely diced carrots and bacon -  cook them for another 3-4 minutes. Add the pumpkin, quince, both finely diced, and the honey fungus. Give everything a good mix, so that the hard vegetables get covered in the flavorful oil and bacon, cook for another  4-5 minutes. Pour in the beer, crank up the heat, add salt, crushed nigella seeds, pepper and 1 tbs. of chopped oregano leaves and reduce the liquid to about a third. Next, reduce the heat to medium low, put in the spuds, cover the pan and let it simmer for about 25-30 minutes. 

You can check to see if the vegetables are done during this time, this is especially useful if you decide to leave the skin on the pumpkin, which makes cooking the vegetable in case takes longer. Garnish the stew with some chopped parsley and, if you feel like it, pour a couple tbs. of heavy cream on top.

Serve this stew with some spicy pickled cauliflower for a more rustic feel and, if you really feel like the incoming winter is getting on your nerves, don’t forget about a nice cup of mulled wine. 

Enjoy,

Chorizo, Cauliflower and Porcini Risotto| You've Got Meal!

Cooking rice is something that doesn’t happen nearly enough in our kitchen, so, when we had to plan a meal for a couple of guests coming over, this risotto dish came to mind. Maybe I was influenced by the fact that we had all in the ingredients in our pantry or fridge, but who knows?

So, a nice piece of spicy chorizo sausage, about 200 grams, cut into slices, 

200 grams of cauliflower florets, 

300 grams of porcini , cut into big chunks (that’s the way I like them, feel free to change it), 

1 large onion diced, 

3 cloves of garlic, diced, 

about 220-250 grams of rice (use a risotto appropriate variety), 

100 grams of a good quality dry white wine, 

400 ml of vegetable or chicken stock, 

100 grams of butter and 

your heart’s desire of parmesan, salt, pepper and olive oil.

 Start of by cooking the onion and garlic on high heat for a couple of minutes, until they start softening. Add the meat and cook it for another 3-4 minutes, after which add the mushrooms and give those another 4 minutes, making sure that they are coated in the chorizo infused oil in the pan. Throw in the cauliflower and cook that for another 3-5 minutes. Add the rice, salt and pepper and cook it without liquid for 2 minutes, constantly stirring so that it mixes with the rest of the ingredients. Add the wine and reduce it on high heat down to about a third. Add the stock, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the liquid has reduced enough and the rice has a creamy rich consistency. If necessary, add more stock.

Right at the end, put in the butter and whisk it in so that it melts and mixes in uniformly. Remove from heat and add the grated parmesan, whatever quantity you feel like and some parsley (optional, our guests didn’t need it). If you feel that the chorizo doesn’t hold the spicy kick you need in this risotto, add a diced red (for visual purposes) chili with the onion and garlic.

 To serve as a salad for this risotto, I opted for a very nice lemony, crunchy blistered  broccoli. I already explained how to make that in this recipe, the difference in this instance being that I didn’t add garlic but only lemon, some more olive oil, salt, pepper, chili and some tomato tiny cubes. If you have some nice salad leaves (some lola rosa works nice for taste and it brings a nice visual upgrade) you can mix them in for a more salad-ish feel to this broccoli.

  

Enjoy,