From Israel With Love

Recently I had the pleasure of being invited to a dinner party hosted by some lovely folks from Israel. Our food was Mediterranean themed and our gracious hosts made such wonderful dishes as falafel, Israeli salad, hummus, roasted chickpeas salad, and chicken shawarma with fresh pita.

Traditionally shawarma refers to meat that has been slow-roasted on a spit rotisserie style. It is often served as a sandwich or wrap with a pita and fattoush salad. Our version has been adapted for home cooks without access to a rotisserie (or hours for slow cooking).

Chicken Shawarma
--1 small sweet white or yellow onion, finely minced
--olive oil

--2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into chunks
--garlic, finely minced
--paprika

--light curry powder
--cumin

--black pepper

Tip!
Peel the onion and slice in half. Using the smallest grade on a cheese grater, grate each half of the onion. Be careful not to slice off chunks of your fingers! Grating the onion in this way gets the onion into small pieces and also keeps the juices which will mix well into your shawarma sauce.

I planted myself in the kitchen while Naor, one of our gracious hosts, showed me how to make his version of the shawarma.

Ours is a fast version that takes about 45 minutes. If you have two hours, you can also cook the shawarma slowly on medium low. Naor informs, "When I am in Israel and we make this it is done over a wood stove."

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot throw in the onion and 3/4 of the chicken. Move the chicken so that 1/4 of the pan is still open. Pour some olive oil into this hole and add in the minced garlic. Let it saute for a few minutes before stirring together and adding in the rest of the chicken.


"When making shawarma look for the color," Naor tells me as we begin to add spices to the chicken mixture. First we layer on the paprika, then the curry powder and the cumin.



The water that cooks out of the chicken combines with the onion and garlic juices to form a sauce. As we mix our chicken and spices together I notice there is a lot of water in the pan.

As we continue to cook down, season, and stir this water will evaporate and the liquid will cease to be thin as time goes on.


Naor lets the chicken cook down for a few minutes in between seasoning. He'll stir and then add a layer of paprika, cumin, and curry powder. Our chicken, which started off pink, is now a lovely golden color. Our sauce which was once quite yellow has transcended to gold and then finally a rich ochre color.

Once Naor is satisfied with the color and the consistency of the caramel-colored sauce, we begin to sneak bites of the chicken to determine whether we should add more seasoning. Finally, after one final seasoning, stir, and cook down session, he declares it ready.

And man, was it ever good!

You Are Exactly What You Eat

Generally, this website is reserved for recipes and other tips like pantry stocking or planning that are directly related to making meals. Today however, I leave you the video below. I know it is 22 minutes long. But I promise you, it is 22 worthy minutes. If it weren't, I wouldn't have placed it here.



Jamie Oliver--perhaps known to you as "The Naked Chef"--has been working on a "food revolution" for the past seven years. Many of the folks highlighted in the below talk come from a third generation of folks who have never cooked their own food. Ever.

When I started this blog (and asked Kathryn to partner with me), it was cheekily named "Bacon and Other Bad Habits." I love bacon. There's no doubt about that. But I also consciously eat healthily most of the time. Many of the recipes here reflect special diet restrictions. Vegans and folks who are gluten intolerant can find recipes here. Carnivores, Herbivores, Pescetarians can find food here.

I write and I cook for the same two reasons--I love to.

Perhaps you're learning to cook and that's why you're here. Perhaps you are an excellent home cook and you love the tips, tricks, and recipe ideas we feature here. Frankly, today it doesn't matter exactly why you've come here. Please, this is what I ask you to come away with

So I present you with a challenge:

Watch this. And please, teach someone how to cook. Even just one meal.

xoxo, Leah.

I Like My Chicken Juicy

One of my favorite ways to prepare meats (especially in the winter) is by braising. When braising any meat you first want to sear the meat at a high temperature to lock in all the delicious juice (but not cook all the way through). Then the meat is submerged into a liquid and cooked slowly.

I like to experiment with different braising liquids, though broth, stock, and wine are the most common liquids. The following recipe uses apple juice with some wine and bourbon for addition flavors. I typically add something with an alcohol content because it helps some of the liquid to evaporate and the sauce will thicken as a result.

Apple Juice Braised Chicken

--Olive oil
--chicken
--garlic salt
--black pepper
--paprika
--onion, roughly chopped
--garlic
--fennel bulb, ends trimmed, center core removed, sliced
--1 cup dry white wine
--1 cup apple juice or cider
--2 TB bourbon
--2 green apples, cored and sliced

Trim any fat off of chicken, rinse and pat dry. Season with garlic salt, pepper and paprika.

In a large deep-sided skillet that has a well-fitting lid, heat a quarter-sized dollop of olive oil over medium high heat. Sear both sides of chicken (2-ish minutes each side). Remove from heat and set aside.

In the same deep-sided skillet, turn the heat down to medium and add the onion, garlic, and fennel. Cook for a few minutes until veggies begin to brown and/or get translucent.


Nestle the chicken back into the pan. Cover with the apple slices. Pour in the apple juice, wine, and bourbon. Turn heat up to high and allow liquid to come to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute.

Cover with the lid and turn heat down to simmer. Simmer for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly. Liquid will reduce and sauce will thicken some. I've also had success adding in sliced potatoes and/or quartered brussels sprouts when I was craving starch or veggies. I suggest serving over brown rice!

A New Spin On Chicken Wings

It's Super Bowl Sunday and maybe you are thinking about serving wings--a definite football staple that needs a bit of shaking up.

Here are 2 easy recipes that will impress your guests.

Crispy Potato Wings
--3 1/2 lbs chicken wings ( I use drumettes)
--1 bag (8oz) potato chips - any flavor
--1/2 tsp garlic powder
--1/4 tsp paprika
--1/2 tsp pepper
--1/2 cup olive oil

--2 sheet pans, aluminum foil, 2 cooling racks, rolling pin, cooking spray, 2 wide, shallow bowls

Pre heat your oven to 425 degrees.

Line both sheet pans with aluminum foil, top with the cooling racks and spray rack with the cooking spray.

Pour olive oil into one of the bowls. Keep oil near by incase you need more.

Open the bag of chips to let all of the air out of the bag, then secure with a clip. Use the rolling pin to crush the chips. You want them crushed finely but not to dust. (If you start to crush the chips without letting all of the air out, insert cleaning-up-chips-from-all-kitchen-surfaces and purchasing-more-chips as part of your preparation).

Pour chips into the other one of the bowls. Add garlic, paprika and pepper to chips, use a spoon to mix all ingredients together. Taste a small amount and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Using one hand, place chicken into oil bowl and coat all sides. Using the same hand, drop chicken into the chip mixture.

Using the OTHER hand, coat all sides of chicken with chip mixture and place on racks.

* Any time you are battering an item, keep a hand for wet items and one for dry.

Bake wings for about 40 minutes. If you want to check if they are done, remove one and cut meat away from the bone. If the meat is no longer pink, they are done. Eat tester wing.

Balsamic Glazed Wings
--3 1/2 lbs chicken wings
--1/2 tsp salt and pepper ( I have a shaker of salt and pepper mixed that I use to --season food)
--1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
--1 small shallot diced small
--1/4 cup sugar
--1 tbsp butter

2 sheet pans, aluminum foil, cooking spray, a small sauce pan, wire whisk, a small bowl, basting brush

Pre heat oven to 425 degrees.

Cover bottom of sheet pans with aluminum foil and coat foil with cooking spray.

Place chicken on sheet pans and season with salt and pepper. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. The chicken will not be cooked all of the way through. You will be glazing the chicken then will finish cooking it.

While chicken is cooking, add shallots to sauce pan and cook until slightly translucent. Add sugar and vinegar. Boil mixture for about 5 minutes. Mixture will start to thicken and reduce by about half. If chicken is still cooking, remove glaze from heat until chicken is done.

At 30 minutes, pull the chicken out of the oven. Put glaze back on heat and bring to a boil, add the butter and stir until melted. Pour about 2/3 of the glaze onto the small bowl*. Using the basting brush and the glaze in the bowl, brush the glaze on to the chicken, covering both sides.

* You need to separate out the glaze so that you are not risking cross contamination. The first 2/3 of the glaze is being used on chicken that may not be completely cooked.

Put the chicken back into the oven for 10 minutes, then pull out oven rack and coat the chicken again with the rest of the glaze in the bowl, and cook for another 5 t0 10 minutes.

Remove 1 wing from the oven and cut the meat away from the bone to test for doneness. If the meat is no longer pink, they are done.

Before serving, drizzle with remaining 1/3 of glaze.

Both of these recipes can be served with a dipping sauce but will be great on their own.

I do recommend having wet naps close by.

Hope you all enjoy and that your team wins. My team has been golfing for most of the season.

Super Quick Treat For Super Bowling

It's time for the big game!

This little treat is a great appetizer that a friend made and brought to a party of mine a few years ago. Ever since I've been taking it as my go-to quick and easy appetizer. The recipe below makes 16 but it's very very easy to double, triple, or more!

The other bonus? It goes great with chili!

Game Day Poppers
--1 package of crescent rolls (from the refrigerated section of the grocer)
--4 thin slices of proscuitto
--1 jalapeno
--cream cheese

PREP:

Whack and unwrap the crescent rolls. Cut each triangle in half so you now have 16 pieces of dough.

Slice the prosciutto into 16 slices.

Remove the top of the jalapeno. Cut the jalapeno in half. Slice the pepper along the length of the pepper so you have 16 slices.

Preheat the oven to the specifications on the crescent roll package.

Place the jalapeno slice on the proscuitto. Add a dollop of cream cheese (or a small square if you are using block cream cheese instead of out of the tub).


Roll up the prosciutto, wrapping it around the jalapeno/cream cheese chunk.

Place it on one end of the dough triangle.


Roll it up. Use your thumbs to spread the dough out to cover the ends so that you make a nice little football and no cheese, prosciutto or pepper is exposed.


Bake per the crescent roll package instructions (typically 35o degrees for 12 or so minutes).

Bacon, In Cupcake Form

You knew it was coming. Because we're a food blog with bacon in the title. Because everything is better with bacon. Because we can!

Last week marked the birthday of Miss Kitty, a fabulous Denver rock and roller. In celebration, I made cupcakes which were sent to a show her band played that night.

I am not a baker. I mean, clearly, I am capable of baking. But I am not a baker in the sense that I cannot (yet) just make up a recipe on the spot (especially at altitude) and have it taste amazing (unless it's a southern dish like cobbler or pie, which doesn't scare me in the slightest).

But using the power of the internet (such a magical place!) I found several recipes that I kind of combined to make what is below. These cupcakes were dark and delicious (but I will warn you, they will dry out if you don't keep them in tupperware).

Dark Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes w/ Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Bacon Sprinkles

Dark Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes:
--1 bag of dark chocolate chips/chunks
--3 sticks butter at room temperature
--2 1/4 cups sugar
--8 eggs
--1 1/4 cup flour
--1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
--1 1/2 tsp baking powder
--pinch of salt
--1/2 pound uncooked bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While oven is pre-heating, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain, and chop the bacon into small pieces and set aside.

Place chocolate chips and butter in a metal bowl and put the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to create a double-boiler. Stir until everything is melted (see photo above). Once melted, remove the bowl from the pan and stir in the sugar. Allow the mix to cool for 10 or so minutes.

Once the mixture is cool beat with a mixer (electric or stand) for a few minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30-or-so seconds between each egg.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add the dry mixture to the chocolate/egg mixture and mix on low or stir until dry ingredients are just incorporated.


Add the bacon and stir. Scoop the batter into cupcake sleeves to about 2/3 fullness. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the middle cupcake comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.


While the cupcakes are baking it's time to make the frosting!

Vanilla Bean Buttercream with Bacon Sprinkles
--4 slices bacon
--10 TB softened unsalted butter
--1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
--1 TB heavy cream
--1 1/4 cups powdered/confectioners sugar
--pinch of salt

We made this frosting by hand, but you can use a standing mixer also.

Cook the 4 strips of bacon until crispy. Chop into small bits and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cut the butter with 2 knives until choppy. Then, using a spoon or spatula, mix the butter vigorously until smooth. Add in the sugar and the salt. Continue mixing/beating until fully combined. Add in the vanilla extract and heavy cream and mix some more until all blended. Beat until frosting is fluffy. Yum!


Frost the cooled cupcakes. Add the bacon sprinkles to the top. EAT!