Blake Makes

Sandwiches are one of the greatest inventions ever- a whole yummy meal you can hold right in your hands.  I’m always on the lookout for new sandwich recipes because we eat them so much at our house, and as I was browsing through the May issue of Bon Appetit, I thought the Chicken Breast Sandwich with Caramelized Onions, Watercress, and Paprika Aioli sounded so delicious I should make it the next day.

I made this sandwich for a lovely picnic we had in our backyard (okay, that’s not quite true– Blake was dirty from doing yardwork so I made us eat on a blanket outside so as not to track his dirt into the house), and we both raved over it.  The paprika aioli was especially good- it had a wonderful tangy spiciness that went really well with the sweetness of the onions.  I used the leftover aioli on turkey sandwiches later in the week and it was still just as tasty.  This sandwich will probably become one of our weekend lunch faves, and I know Blake can’t wait for me to make it again.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika* (note- I couldn’t find Spanish paprika, so I used hot Hungarian paprika)
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing on rolls
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pounds onions, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise (about 7 cups)
• 3 8-ounce skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise in half
• 6 sourdough sandwich rolls or twelve 1/2-inch-thick slices sourdough bread
• 3 cups (lightly packed) watercress or arugula

Directions:

• Whisk first 4 ingredients in small bowl. Gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover prepared aioli and chill.
• Heat vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sprinkle with salt, and cook until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until onions are soft and deep golden brown, stirring often, about 20 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Caramelized onions can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pound with mallet to 1/3-inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface. Brush cut side of rolls with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill rolls, cut side down, until grill marks appear, about 1 minute. Spread rolls with some of aioli. Assemble sandwiches, dividing chicken, caramelized onions, and watercress among rolls. Serve warm.

Blake and I both love Indian food (coconut naan and lamb tikka masala- yum!); unfortunately, New Orleans is severely lacking in good Indian restaurants. I can only think of two, both of which are really out of the way for us. We usually only get to enjoy good Indian when we travel, so we try to make it at home every once in a while. I like this recipe because the house doesn’t get as pungent with the smell of curry and it’s not overpowering with spice. It’s also relatively easy as there’s not a ton of actual work involved.

Adapted from a recipe in The Naked Chef Takes Off.

Ingredients:

• 1 T Garam Masala
• 2 T butter
• 2 14 oz cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 lbs skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• salt and black pepper
• lime juice to taste
• 2 inches peeled fresh ginger
• 2 small red onions, peeled
• 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 fresh red chillies, with seeds
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Chop the ginger, red onions, garlic, chillies and cilantro roughly then add to food processor along with Garam Masala. Puree in food processor to make a paste.
• In a large casserole, fry the curry paste mixture in the butter for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the tomatoes and the stock. Bring to boil, cover with aluminum foil and place in oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and continue to simmer on the stove until it thickens.
• Sear the chicken in a little olive oil until golden, then add to the curry sauce and simmer for 1 hour until tender.
• Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and stir in the yogurt. Season to taste and add squeeze of lime juice. Serve with steamed basmati rice.

During the busy work week, I want meals that are delicious but incredibly easy to make. There’s nothing worse than having a long, stressful day and knowing you have to come home and start cooking (and then the dreaded clean-up afterward).

This salad is so simple and is a good way to use up any barbecued or grilled chicken you might have leftover from the weekend. I usually just buy a barbeque rotisserie chicken to make this meal even easier. You can also vary the salad ingredients to use up any veggie leftovers you might have on hand because what makes this salad great is the poblano dressing– it’s creamy and smooth with just enough spice.

Recipe courtesy of Susan Spicer’s Crescent City Cooking.

Ingredients (Salad):

• 1 1/2 to 2 cups diced bbq chicken meat, from leftovers or a store-bought roasted chicken
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels,, thawed, or 2 ears corn, grilled in the husk then shucked and cut from the cob
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced celery or celery hearts
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 head Bibb lettuce, broken into leaves, washed and dried
• Creamy Poblano Dressing

Directions (Salad):

Toss all ingredients except dressing in a salad bowl, then toss in the dressing or serve it on the side.

Ingredients (Dressing):

• 1 poblano, roasted and peeled
• 2 T fresh lime juice
• 2 T chopped scallion greens
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 cup Mayonnaise (I used light mayo)
• 2 T sour cream or buttermilk (I used light sour cream)

Directions (Dressing):

Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

I like to keep things simple, especially when it comes to my cooking. A soup with a few ingredients, or a simple salad can send me swooning. Such is the case with this absolutely delicious roasted chicken.

This bird was a regular, run-of-the-mill chicken. I removed it from its wrapper, rinsed it thoroughly and patted it dry. I seasoned the cavity with salt and pepper, and tossed in a few lemons cut into quarters. I salt and peppered the outside, and drizzled over 3 tblsp. of melted butter.

In a 400 degree oven, I roasted the chicken on its side for 20-25 minutes. Then, I turned the chicken on to its other side and roasted for another 20-25 minutes. Finally, I basted the chicken with pan drippings (I used a little more melted butter), and roasted it breast-side up for a final 20-25 minutes.

Your house will be filled with the heavenly aroma of golden, buttery, crispy chicken. We picked this bird clean.

These chicken nuggets are so good, and (again) take me back to my childhood. They’re surprisingly healthy, too. The batter is made from pulverized corn flakes, and they’re baked in a hot oven until crisp. We ate them with crispy, baked sweet potato matchsticks. This is an Ellie Krieger recipe.

Ingredients:

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Low-fat buttermilk
• S&P
• 4 cups crushed corn flakes

To Make:

I used one-and-a-half pounds of chicken, but this recipe is flexible, so use as much as you want. Slice the chicken crosswise into nugget-sized chunks. Put the chicken in a bowl, and drown it in buttermilk (I added a little hot sauce, too).

Soak the chicken for at least 15 minutes (I let it go for an hour) in the fridge. Crush the corn flakes in a bag, or blitz them in the food processor, and pour them into a shallow dish. Drain the buttermilk and salt and pepper the chicken pieces.

Coat the chicken with the cereal, then place it on a greased sheet pan. Back for about 10 minutes at 400. Test the thicker pieces for doneness. Let them cool. The nuggets will crisp upon standing.

We dipped our in honey. I figured we could spare the extra calories since we didn’t fry these beauties.

To Make The Sweet Potato Matchsticks:

Make broad slices of a sweet potato, then slice those broad slices into thin matchsticks. Toss with a little oil, and salt and pepper. Bake in a single layer on a sheet pan at 450 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with a little more salt when they’re done.