Day 227: Yay! I Remember How to Cook!!

It's been over two weeks since I put on an apron, turned on the stove, or washed a pot or pan.  Fortunately (for me AND my husband), I remembered how to do all of those things and I made a really good dinner tonight!

The inspiration for our meal were the baby carrots we purchased at the farmer's market this weekend.  I knew I wanted to prepare them in a way that would bring out their sweetness - so what to pair that side dish with?  I went with something on the spicy side, knowing that the sweetness and spiciness would enhance and balance each other out.

The carrot side dish I went with was based on a recipe from Epicurious.com but I scaled it back significantly:

 

Ingredients:

1 lb of fresh baby carrots from the farmer's market, whole and unpeeled

2 T olive oil

1/2 T unsalted butter

1/2 T honey

1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar

I followed the recipe's instructions otherwise.

I chose another recipe from Epicurious.com for our entree:  Moroccan Chicken.  I followed the recipe other than these tweaks:

- I purchased a cut up whole chicken, disposing of the neck and the organs

- Instead of 4 cups of water, I used one 14 oz can of chicken broth

- I substituted parsley for the cilantro (read my entrees from Costa Rica for my thoughts on cilantro!)

- I made my own harissa, as I couldn't find it pre-made at the grocery store

I went to two grocery stores, in fact, looking for a jar of harissa.  I panicked at first when I couldn't find it, but then I remembered that several years ago, I took a Moroccan cooking class at NYC's Institute of Culinary Education and we were taught how to make harissa.  The instructor of that class was Myra Kornfeld and this is her recipe:

Harissa:

3/4 ounce dried hot red chili peppers

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 garlic clove, peeled

1/4 tsp salt

1 T water

4 T olive oil

Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers.  Place the peppers and tomatoes in a small pot covered with water.  Bring to a boil, turn off the heat and let the chiles and tomatoes soften for about 20 minutes (I covered the pot).

Meanwhile, grind the seeds in a spice mill.  Drain peppers/tomatoes and placed all ingredients into a food processor.  Blend until you have a thick paste.  This paste may be refrigerated for months.

All of this came together wonderfully and deliciously.  It was one of the best dinners I've made in awhile.  I made some quinoa to soak up all of the yummy sauce and it was perfect - but you could make couscous or rice instead if you prefer.

Happy cooking!!