Chicken Breasts with Pomegranate Glaze, Feta Cheese and Vegetable Couscous

I love couscous, it is so adaptable to whatever you choose to serve or cook with it, and it only takes 5 minutes to cook...or steam! I did a fridge clean out over the weekend, and used up a lot of bits and pieces. One of the things to be used up were the seeds from 3/4 of a pomegranate. No one seemed to be eating them, so I decided to turn it into a glaze for chicken breasts.

I added the chicken stock, fresh parsley and red pepper that were also in there, and came up with this...

Put the seeds into a blender and puree them. Then strain the juice, pushing on the pulp to extract as much juice as you can.

Put the juice into a small saucepan, and cook at a slow boil until it reduces about half, and starts to become syrupy.

I had about 1/4 cup of juice to begin with, and ended up with about 2 tablespoons.

Cool the juice and then add in 1 - 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar...do this to taste, some balsamic vinegars are sweeter than others.

Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and ground cumin.

Heat the oven to 375F.

Using olive oil, sear both sides of the breasts in a hot pan.

Using a pastry brush, baste the top of the chicken with the pomegranate juice and place into the oven to cook.

Continue to baste the breasts occasionally, until they are fully cooked.

When the chicken breasts are fully cooked, remove them from the pan, and place in an ovenproof dish. Save the pan.

Put crumbled feta cheese on top of the breasts and put them under the broiler to melt and brown the cheese.

Place the reserved pan with the pan juices onto the stove.

Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock and reduce it down slightly, to make a thin but tasty sauce.






Make the couscous while the chicken breasts are in the oven.

In a pan large enough to hold at least 4 cups of liquid, cook:

1/2 red pepper, diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper

When the peppers and green onions start to soften, add:

3 cups chicken stock

When the stock comes to a full rolling boil, stir in:

1/2 zucchini, grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups couscous

Stir with a fork to combine, then turn off the heat and cover. Leave for 5 - 10 minutes.





Remove the lid, and gently fluff the couscous with a fork, and it is ready to serve! Slice the chicken and serve it on top of the couscous, drizzled with a bit of the sauce, and sprinkled with chopped pistachios. Yum!

• You can buy pomegranate juice in some supermarkets and specialty stores. You can also use any juice instead.
• If you want a stickier glaze, add about 1 tablespoon of honey to the juice and vinegar.
• These breasts can be grilled (brush it on kebabs), or cooked completely in the frying pan.
• I was using up chicken stock, but if you don't have any, or don't have enough, for the couscous, plain water, a combination of water and stock or apple juice can be used.
• Leftover couscous and chicken went to work and school today in the form of a salad. Add in more chopped vegetables, such as cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives and fresh red pepper and dress it with lime juice and olive oil.
• I used soft goat cheese for two of the breasts, as not everyone likes feta cheese. 
• Dried fruit can be added to the couscous while it cooks...chopped apricots, raisins, dates.
• Toasted chopped almonds can be used as a garnish. If you think ahead and save some pomegranate seeds, they really brighten up the plate and add crunch.
• Try the glaze on pork tenderloin, firm white fish or prawns.
• Stuff the chicken breasts with the cheese. Add in some cooked spinach, roasted red peppers, chopped artichokes or whatever you have available. The cheese will be softer and gooier than if it is broiled on top.
• Leftover cooked chicken can be used to top a salad, or shredded and put into a wrap, along with feta cheese, lettuce or spinach and hummus.

Homemade Maple, Pecan and Cocoa Nib Granola

Homemade granola is something I like to have on hand for breakfast or as a snack. It's also my way to use up bits of nuts and seeds, as well as dried fruit.

The sweetness can be adjusted to suit your taste, and the granola keeps well for a few weeks in a tightly sealed container.

Heat the oven to 325F and have a baking sheet ready for the granola.

In a small saucepan melt:

2 ounces butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla







In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients:

4 cups oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup pecans
3/4 cup almonds
2 tablespoons cocoa

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well to combine, making sure to break up any clumps of brown sugar that might form.

Spread the granola evenly onto the baking sheet.

Bake until golden and crispy, stirring every 10 minutes, as the edges colour and crisp first.

This takes between 25 - 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Place the cooled granola back into the large bowl and add in dried fruit. I used:

1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup cocoa nibs

Mix well to combine.






We like to eat the granola for breakast, along with fresh summer fruit and Greek yoghurt. It can also be eaten as a cereal, with milk, or dry as a snack.

• The wet ingredients can be altered by using honey or golden syrup instead of maple syrup; lemon zest instead of orange; almond extract instead of vanilla. Vegetable, nut oil or coconut oil can be used instead of butter.
• Oatmeal and brown sugar are the base of the dry ingredients; everything else can be changed to fit what is available at the time you make the granola. The brown sugar can be adjusted to increase or decrease the sweetness.
• Cinnamon is a sweet spice, but it is not essential to the recipe. It can be omitted or changed to another spice such as ground ginger (you could also use grated fresh ginger in the wet ingredients for a more peppery ginger taste), nutmeg or aniseed.
• As far as the nuts go, I like to use a combination of pecans and almonds. I have also used hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios and macadamia nuts.
• Any nut that you have in house, or really love, can be added to the granola. I like to chop larger nuts into smaller pieces, as it's easier to eat something the size of a flaked almond than a half pecan or whole brazilnut.
• If I have sunflower, pumpkin or flax seeds in the house, I add a few as well. You can also add other seeds such as sesame seeds, poppy seeds, hemp seeds or chia seeds.
• Dried fruit is again, a personal choice. Try cranberries, raisins (dark or golden), sultanas, apricots, blueberries, dates, dried banana or mango, or dried figs.
• Granola can also be sprinkled over rice pudding to add some crunch.

Homemade Ravioli

Making two kinds of ravioli was a project that took time, but was well worth it...

I used up spinach, bocconcini, butternut squash and Parmesan, and we all ate well!








I picked up some ricotta cheese, and proceeded to make a spinach and cheese filling, and a roasted butternut squash filling. Making the filling is the quick part of this process, but I find that making the raviolis is the most rewarding part. It's also a great opportunity for everyone to come together in the kitchen and help out. With the availability of fresh pasta, some of the work is already done for you!

Another plus is that you know exactly what is in the filling, no fillers such as breadcrumbs. You can also control the ratio of pasta : filling, and therefore enjoy the flavours of the ravioli, and not just the pasta and sauce.

To make the butternut squash filling, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Season the cut side of the squash with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Place cut side down in an ovenproof dish, add about 1" of water and bake in a 400F oven until soft; the skin will start to go golden.

 Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before scraping out the cooked flesh and placing it into a bowl, along with:

1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (the last of the season)
salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg

Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning, then add in 1 egg yolk.

Refrigerate until needed.







For the spinach filling, start by wilting the spinach if you are using fresh, as I was. If you are using frozen cooked spinach, defrost it. Squeeze as much water as possible out of your spinach, and chop it. You will need about 1 1/2 cups.

Mince 1/4 cup of onion, and cook in a bit of olive oil until it is softened and starting to caramelize.

Remove the onions from the heat, and allow to cool before placing them into a bowl with:

The cooked, chopped spinach
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Add:

1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup bocconcini, diced
salt, pepper, pinch of nutmeg and pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning and refrigerate until needed.

Both fillings can be made a day ahead if you like.








For the assembly you will need:

2 baking sheets, lightly dusted with cornmeal to prevent the raviolis from sticking
A small dish of cold water and a pastry brush
A sharp knife or pizza wheel
A small scoop or spoon
About 6 - 8 sheets of fresh pasta dough

Lay out a sheet of pasta, and place balls of filling along the middle of the sheet. The size of your raviolis will determine the size of the ball.

Our raviolis were about 2" square, and the filling was about 1" in diameter.

Lightly brush the pasta dough with water, all around the filling.

Using the knife or pizza wheel, cut the dough in between the filling.

Bring one side of pasta dough over the filling to meet with the other. Firmly press the edges together to seal, and then work your way around the filling, pressing the dough edges together and removing as much air as you can.

Trim any excess pasta away to neaten the look of the ravioli. Place the finished raviolis on the prepared baking sheet and continue until you run out of pasta or filling.

I made about 30 of each filling.

Cook the ravioli in a large pot of boiling, salted water. They will float to the top as they cook, and usually cook in less time than store bought pasta.








Drain, and gently toss with the sauce of your choice. We used cream sauce for the squash ravioli and Basic Tomato Sauce  for the spinach and cheese ravioli.

 

• The raviolis can be made as big or small as you choose. I have made jumbo ravioli, and served 2 per person, as a garnish in Smoked Tomato Soup. 

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•  There are various ravioli forms available, such as the one shown on the right. These help with the consistency of size and appearance, but being homemade sometimes means looking homemade, in my opinion!

• A cookie cutter can also be used to cut shapes from the pasta dough, before filling and sealing them. This opens up a whole lot of choices. To make things easier for yourself when it comes to sealing the shaped ravioli, it works best if you have 2 cookie cutters of the same shape, but one size apart. Use the smaller one for the bottom piece and the larger one for the top piece, as it has to stretch over the filling.
• The filling can be made ahead and refrigerated for a day or two; it can also be frozen. The ravilois can be filled and frozen; cook from frozen, allowing a bit of extra cooking time.
• If you have a pasta maker at home and make your own pasta sheets, think about adding flavour to the pasta sheets before you make the ravioli. Try chopped fresh herbs, minced garlic, lemon zest, tomato paste or roasted red pepper puree...
• Filling combinations are endless, but try and include a cheese such as ricotta, mascarpone, cream cheese or soft goat cheese to help bind the other ingredients as well as to add creaminess.
• Leftover meat, finely chopped; that lonely sausage or chicken breast in the freezer; the last few scallops or shrimp; extra pulled pork or braised beef...meat choices are endless and if you are using leftovers the ravioli will benefit from the flavours already in the meat.
• Herbs and spices should enhance the meat and cheese that you are using. 
• Vegetables should be cooked first, as the raviolis are not in the water long enough to cook them. Vegetables such as mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant and spinach  release a lot of water during cooking, and that will not only dilute the flavour of the filling, but can also seep out and make the pasta dough soggy.
• I like to include a stronger cheese with the creamy one. A ravioli is only one or two bites and you want to experience the intensity of the filling in each bite. Think of cheeses such as goat cheese, feta, blue cheese, Parmesan or asiago, smoked cheese or a peppered cheese.
• Some ideas for filling options: finely chopped cooked chicken, soft goat cheese, chopped sundried tomatoes and basil; grilled or roasted zucchini, finely chopped with feta cheese, cooked spinach, basil and ricotta cheese; mushrooms finely chopped and cooked with onions, garlic, fresh thyme and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, ricotta and blue cheese; roasted garlic, cream cheese, cooked scallops, lemon zest, Parmesan and black pepper.

Double Chocolate Brownies with Cinnamon and Chipotle

Everyone has been asking me to bake treats, so I decided to make some brownies...I still have copious amounts of cocoa, for some reason. I also used up the last bit of white chocolate and chocolate chips.

The brownies are very easy to make, and I added some cinnamon and chipotle pepper to give a bit of a kick, and instead of using melted butter I used olive oil.

Start off by heating the oven to 350F and lining an 8" X 8" pan with foil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
2/3 cup white sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon dried chipotle chili powder

Whisk together:

3/4 cup olive oil or melted butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Continue to whisk, and add in 1/4 cup strong coffee.

Now add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just combined.

Stir in:

1/2 cup chopped white chocolate
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until the brownie is set, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 25 - 30 minutes.








Cool before removing from the pan, and cutting into 16 squares.

• Decorate the top of the brownies before serving, by dusting with cocoa or icing sugar, or drizzle with melted chocolate.
• The spices can be omitted or changed. Try nutmeg, ground or fresh grated ginger, star anise or cayenne pepper.
• Vanilla extract is my personal favourite, but almond or peppermint will be a nice choice with the chocolate.
• Any chopped chocolate or chocolate chips can be used, alone or in combination.
• If you are a fan of nuts in brownies, some suggestions are pecans, almonds or hazelnuts.
• Dried fruit such as cranberries or cherries will add a chewy texture to the cakey brownie.
• The coffee worked with the chocolate and cinnamon. Liqueur can be used instead...Kahlua, Grand Marnier, dark rum are a few good choices to try.
• Orange zest, toffee bits, peanut butter heated up and swirled into the brownie before baking, or chopped candied ginger chunks are some other ideas to try.
• The brownies will freeze well, and as Christmas is approaching can be wrapped and given as gifts.

Risotto with Sausage, Leeks and Roasted Red Pepper

This risotto came about because I had a whole lot of things to use up...and the result was a creamy, rich, filling and flavour loaded meal.

2 Tandoori chicken sausages
Half a roasted red pepper
Half a leek
Some cream sauce from a previous dinner
The last onion in the house
Half a glass of leftover white wine

In a hot pan, with a drizzle of olive oil, cook:

1 small onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced

Cook until the onion and celery soften, but don't let them colour.

Now add in 11 ounces of arborio rice, and stir for a minute to coat the rice with the oil.

Pour the half glass of wine into the pan; it will sizzle. Stir over a medium low heat until the wine is evaporated.

Add half a cup of warm chicken stock, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the stock is all absorbed by the rice.

Continue to add stock, allowing it to absorb before adding the next half cup. Keep an eye on the heat, it should not be too high, or the stock will evaporate before it is absorbed.

When the rice is almost cooked through, but still retaining a bit of a bite, remove it from the heat and spread it out onto a lightly greased baking tray to cool.

Remove the casing from the sausages, and cook the meat, breaking it up with a spoon. When it is cooked through, set it aside.

In the same pan (it has all the sausage flavour) add a bit of olive oil and cook the sliced leeks, until they start to soften.

Add a sprig of fresh rosemary to the pan while the leeks are cooking.

Add the cooked rice to the leeks, and continue to cook, adding chicken stock as needed, until the rice is fully cooked.

Add the cooked sausage, sliced roasted red pepper and season with salt and pepper.

Stir the cream sauce into the risotto, and allow everything to heat through.

Just before serving, stir in a handful of grated Parmesan, and some chopped fresh parsley.

Taste, and adjust seasoning.





I served the risotto with some blanched green beans, and an extra sprinkle of grated Parmesan.

• This recipe will serve 4 people as an entree; more as a side dish or accompaniment to stew or braised meat (omit the sausage).
• I used a total of 3 cups of chicken stock, and about 1/2 cup of water.
• The wine can be omitted, or you can use juice instead...apple juice will add a nice sweetness to the risotto, especially if you are using pork sausage or serving it as a side to pork.
• The green beans added a crunchy contrast to the creamy risotto, as well as visual appeal.
• The sprig of rosemary added a lot of flavour, so did the sausage. The leftover cream sauce had garlic in it, so all the dish really needed was salt and pepper to round out the seasoning.
• Instead of sausage try cooked diced bacon or chicken breasts, especially if they have been marinated first. Dice, skewer and grill the chicken breast and top each portion with a kebab.
• The rice can be cooked a couple of days ahead, and kept well wrapped in the fridge. Make extra and you can make risotto balls to freeze for another meal. Roll the cold risotto into 2" balls, dip in egg wash and then roll in breadcrumbs. Bake in a 425F oven for about 20 minutes. They can be stuffed with cheese before coating in egg and breadcrumbs.
• Add herbs and spices to give character to your risotto...fresh basil, thyme or sage; chili flakes, crushed fennel seeds or paprika. Add garlic, fresh or roasted. Instead of roasted sweet pepper, why not roast some hot peppers, and add them for the smokiness and extra heat.
• Brown rice can be substituted for arborio rice.
• Peel and dice butternut squash, toss in olive oil and spices, roast until tender. Add this into the risotto just before serving. 
• Extra pumpkin from making pumpkin pie? Stir some into a risotto, add minced fresh sage, a pinch of nutmeg, a bit of cream and top with goat cheese.