Roasted or grilled Duq'qah Spatchcock Chicken or Cornish Game Hen

 Impress yourself and your guests!  This is so easy to prepare, with excellent results.  

Duq'qah Spatchcock Chicken (or Cornish Game Hens)

1-2 chickens, depending on number of guests, or, generally 1/2 Cornish Game hen per guest

Dijon mustard, to coat the hens

Duq'qah (Dukkah, Duckah, etc), to coat the hens

drizzle olive oil

Sprinkle salt, to tastes

With Kitchen shears, cut out the spines of the hens, and reserve for chicken stock (in a freezer for later use).  Flatten the hens and coat lightly with the Dijon mustard.  Coat again with the Duq'qah and pinches of salt.  Chill until ready to cook.  

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Place hens in a roaster or prepare for the grill, with a drizzle of olive oil.  Roast, flattened in the pan, for about an hour, or until the meat is loose from the bones.  If on the grill, heat low and slow and turn hens every few minutes, until cooked through.  

Let the meat rest.

Cut at the table.  Enjoy!

St. Norberts Online Farmers Market

Spice Blends now available at the St. Norberts Online Farmers Market!

 https://www.localline.ca/le-marche-st-norbert-farmers-market-coop

I will be offering my spice blends at the St. Norberts online Farmers Market.  You can order and pick up this Saturday at the market.  It is open from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, with the first hour for seniors and additional needs.

Thank you for your support!  Please support local.  No food without farmers!

Pickerel Piccata, Oven Fries with Feta, Chicken burgers, and more.

Weekday meals that are actually relatively simple to prepare, if you have a few essentials on hand.  Winter pickerel, from Gimli Fish, is my favourite.  It is slightly pink and has a wonderful sweet taste. I will be referring to the fish as the local name, Pickerel, but it is also known as Walleye.

1. Lemony Pickerel Piccata

2-4 Pickerel Fillets, strip of bones cut out (Save for fish stock)
1/2 cup Panko crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Salt, pepper, and thyme for the crumbs
1 egg beaten into 1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
olive oil or butter, for frying the fish

2 tbs butter
drizzle olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1/4 tsp dried thyme
juice of one lemon
1/2 cup cream
2 tbs cream with 1/2 tsp corn starch (to thicken the sauce and prevent splitting)
salt and pepper, to taste

For the Sauce; in a small saucepan, heat up butter and oil.  Add shallots and cook, until tender, on medium heat.  Add garlic, then creams.  Add lemon juice and seasonings.  Bring to a slow simmer and remove from heat until just prior to serving.

For the fish;  in one dish, beat an egg into the buttermilk. Place crumbs, Parmesan, and seasonings in another dish.  Soak the fish in the milk mixture and then coat with the crumbs.  Heat the butter in a pan and cook fish for a couple of minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Serve immediately with sauce.  Enjoy!  Pictured here with Oven baked fries with feta, and Korean Zucchini.

2. Korean Zucchini (simple!!!)

1 zucchini, sliced
drizzle sesame oil
1/2 tsp fish sauce
sesame seeds

Sauté zucchini slices in sesame oil over medium high heat.  Near the end of cooking, add the fish sauce.  Serve with sesame seeds on top.

Enjoy!

3. Oven Fries with Feta (by Ottolenghi)

3-5 medium potatoes, cut as thick cut fries.
1/4 cup + crumbled feta cheese
3-5 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
oil, to coat potatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 450ºF.  Parboil potatoes for 7-8 minutes and let drain well for 5 minutes.  Coat potatoes with oil, a good sprinkle of salt, and spread out onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 40 - 45 minutes.

5 minutes prior to finishing roasting the potatoes, cook garlic slices in olive oil until brown and drizzle over the potatoes.  Return potatoes to finish roasting  Toss with feta cheese and oregano.

Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

4. Duq'qah Chicken Burgers

1 pkg (~450 grams) ground chicken
1 egg
1 tbs + Duq'qah
1/2 tsp salt

Mix ingredients together and form into 4 patties.  I made oval shaped patties, to go with the flatbread.

In a hot pan with a bit of oil, cook chicken burgers on both sides, about 3-4 minutes each.  Remove from heat and let rest. 

I served these on flatbread made from my Turkish pizza dough, that I often have on hand, baked with asparagus spears, sautéed mushrooms and onions, and yoghurt tahini sauce.

Enjoy!

Made in Manitoba - Grilling in season

 I've been away from blogging for a little while.  Not that I don't wish to share recipes.  Just busy with other things. 

Spring is bringing forth great treats for the grill.  These are all locally available ingredients from the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.  The asparagus and spring onions are particularly sweet at this time.  The chicken is available soon at Wildfire Farms, and you can get fantastic pizza dough, if you don't wish to make your own, from Old Church Bakery.  The spices you can enjoy from me, and the organic asparagus and spring onions were from Fertile Farms. 

Grilled Turkish Chicken on Pide (Serves 2-4 people)

4 Boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tbs Turkish Baharat*
3-4 shallots, grated or one small onion grated
2 tsp lime juice
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika (can used smoked)
pinch salt and pepper

Combine Turkish Baharat, grated shallots, lime juice, olive oil, paprika and salt and pepper in a bowl. Place chicken thighs in the bowl and cover completely with the marinade. Place in fridge and let marinate for 6 hours. Grill 4 minutes a side on a very hot BBQ grill.

 Turkish Pizza Dough
1 tbs dried yeast
3/4 tsp sugar
2 tbs warm water
2/3 + cup Greek style yoghurt
1/4 cup olive oil
10 ounces bread flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
olive oil

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and set aside in a warm place for about 10 minutes until frothy. In another small bowl, whisk the yoghurt and olive oil.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast and yoghurt mixtures. Use your fingers to work in the flour and form a smooth ball. Transfer to mixer and knead with a dough hook on low speed for 10 - 15 minutes until very smooth and shiny. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel and let rise for 2 hours or doubled in size.

Enjoy!

Its so easy to make great meals!

Last night I made roasted vegetables, tossed with Duq'qah (Dukkah, Dukah, etc).  Could not be easier! I filled rotis from Famena's with the roasted vegetables and added a soft fried egg from Nature's Farm.  On top, we drizzled pomegranate tahini sauce. 

Roasted Cauliflower, and other supporting cast vegetables

1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small flowerets
1 onion, thickly sliced
1 zucchini, sliced rounds in half
1 orange pepper (any pepper)
Options:  Any vegetables that you have on hand to roast
1-2 tbs Duq'qah (great news!  Available on Saturday at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market Valentine's Sale!!)
salt, to tastes
olive oil, to coat the vegetables

Set oven to 375ºF.  Toss all ingredients together.  Spread out on a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.  Roast, until softened and browned.  Enjoy as a side dish or in Rotis.  Enjoy!

December 22nd - Last Christmas sale at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market!!!

I'll be at Saturday's St. Norbert's Farmer's Market on Saturday, December 22nd for the last Christmas sale!  I'll have my spice blends of Ras el Hanout, Turkish Baharat, Tea Masala, and Duq'qah. I'll also have Onion Jam, Snap Pea Coconut Chutney, and More!  Perhaps Biscotti.

It has occurred to me that, while I use Duq'qah all of the time, I haven't featured is as much on my blog.  It is so versatile.  Traditionally, with flatbread, salt and olive oil, it is also great as a dry rub on meats and for roasting vegetables.  I've put it on popcorn, Corn on the Cob, Chicken, lamb, burgers, and has given me a new taste for broccoli. 

I hope to see you at the market on Saturday.  It is open from 10 - 2PM.

Duq'qah/Dukkah/Dukah, etc

Recently, I added a new spice blend to my repertoire.  I love it.  Duq'qah is an Egyptian blend, often with ground hazelnuts, and spices, to be used in olive oil as a dip, rub, etc. 

I have been so pleased with this blend.  Mine has ground pumpkin seeds and smoked paprika in the blend and it works in so many ways.  I use it as a dry rub, in marinades, on flatbread with olive oil and a pinch of salt, on popcorn, or corn on the cob.  I tossed it with broccoli, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and roasted that in the oven. Spectacular!  I put it on nachos and was delighted.  It goes on and on.

You will find my Duq'qah spice blend, and others,  at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market on Saturday.

Some uses of Duq'qah;