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Pumpkin Seed and Lime Chicken from Dog-Gone Good Cuisine

February 18, 2014

Since the day we brought Dixie to her forever home three years ago, this sassy, sweetheart of a pug has had a favorite food.

Chicken on the bone.

If we dine on a vegetarian meal, she sleeps in the corner by the fireplace. Ribs or burgers? You can hear her snoring in her kennel. Even boneless chicken breasts don’t interest her.

But sit down with a plate of bone-in chicken and things drastically change.

She raises her nose to sniff the air. She nudges under your arm to get closer to the plate, and the sounds of soft, subtle whining and exasperated sighs can be heard throughout the house.

I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I have no idea what experience in her past made her develop a fondness for such a specific food, but that dog knows when you are having chicken on the bone.

And she wants some.

So when I received a copy of the cookbook, Dog-Gone Good Cuisine by Gayle Pruitt, I stopped my browsing when I found Pumpkin Seed and Lime Chicken. I knew I had to make it.

This might go down in history as the cutest cookbook, not to mention the most versatile. If you didn’t gather it from title, the book features recipes that are fit for both human and canine consumption. It includes a wonderful intro about ingredients that are safe for dogs and nutrients that benefit both you and your best friend. You’ll be thoroughly entertained by the tasteful pet photos and beautiful food photography by Joe Grisham. The recipes are simple and straightforward with ideas to please the entire family.

Also, don’t expect it to be all chicken and rice. The creativity here will inspire you. Plain Chia and Flaxseed Pancakes, Tomato-Carrot Soup and Mediterranean Meatballs on a Stick are a few more recipes I can’t wait to share with my furry family.

I also have to mention that my heart melted a little when I read the dedications, which included a mention of the author’s dog, Mister Casper. My childhood dog was named Casper. I knew him for the first 10 years of my life. What an amazing being.

As expected, the chicken was a hit (taken off the bone, of course.) This book is an excellent resource for cooking for your dog, and it would make a wonderful gift for all the dog lovers in your life.

Pumpkin Seed and Lime Chicken

From Dog-Gone Good Cuisine by Gayle Pruitt with photographs by Joe Grisham. Copyright © 2014 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Griffin.

Ingredients

4 chicken quarters, bone in, skin on
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces raw pumpkin seeds
Juice and zest of 2 limes
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt

Add all the ingredients except for the chicken to a food processor and pulse until the pumpkin seeds are in small chunks. Put the chicken in a bowl and pour the pumpkin seed mixture over the chicken, making sure to completely cover it. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Place the chicken, skin side down, in a hot skillet or grill pan. Place a cover over the top of the chicken, touching the chicken with the lid, and pressing down on the top of the chicken. Cook for about 10 minutes, then turn the chicken over; the skin should now be a golden brown. Reduce the heat to medium-low, re­ place the lid over the chicken, and cook for another 30 minutes.

Serves 4 adult humans and 6 to 8 small to medium dogs.

Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review purposes. I was not required to post about it and received no compensation for during so. However, I was paid in full by two very happy pugs in the form of pug kisses.

Where to Eat in 2013

January 13, 2013

Hello from California!

The move has been made and I’m working on getting comfortable in my new kitchen. I’m excited to start this new year in a new place and to see where my experiences take me and the blog.

I have to be honest. I can already feel things shifting a bit. I still want to cook with all the amazing ingredients that are now available to me, but I’m also in a place where there is some pretty amazing food (and drink) being made by others.

This year, along with recipes you are probably going to find more places dine and events to attend. I also hope to put the focus back on the global aspect of my blog. I have so much more to learn about the cuisines of other countries and it’s time to start trying more in my own kitchen.

Considering we’re already halfway through January, I really don’t want to look back and recap last year. But in 2012 I took part in 2 cross-country road trips, a trip to Toronto, a visit to New York City, a trip to Vegas, a day in Sonoma and Napa Valley and New Years Eve in Santa Barbara. Not to mention our explorations of Kentucky.

So, yeah. I have a few food recommendations for you.

So let’s not look back at the best eats of last year, but let’s look at it as where you need to eat and drink in 2013! These are my picks so start planning your road trip


Kansas City, KS – Oklahoma Joe’s 

We moved my husband out to California last September. That was road trip #1, to the north via I-80. What an amazing drive! I want to do it again already.


We didn’t have our food planned out, but left it to tips from friends and popular TV shows along the way. First up, Oklahoma Joe’s in Kansas City. It turns out Anthony Bourdain kind of likes the place too.

I like barbecue, but I’m not all crazy for it. And I don’t understand all the allegiances to different types. I like all of them for different reasons. But, oh my goodness. This food was amazing! My husband and I are still talking about it months later. The meat, the sauce, the hour-long line, the restaurant-in-a-gas-station atmosphere. It was one of the best meals I had all year.

My favorite was the burnt ends sandwich, and the beans were as perfect as they can get. Slightly meaty, loaded with barbecue flavor. I’m usually not a fan of ribs, but I’d order them again in a second. 



Salt Lake City, UT – Red Iguana 
 

We had no plan when we got to Salt Lake, but after checking out the FoodNetwork app we found the Red Iguana which had been on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It’s described as pre-Hispanic Mexican, and the big draw? 7 kinds of moles. 


I got the Mole Verde. This wasn’t your classic, chocolately mole, but it was delicious. The chicken was so tender and the sauce was full of spicy flavor. My husband got the Mole Negro and this is what I think of when I think of mole –  rich, dark, slightly spicy sauce. It was my favorite. 

Toronto, Canada – Steam Whistle 

In July last year, I made my first trip to Canada. It’s hard to believe I hadn’t been before! And yes, I know. Everyone is telling me that I need to see more places, but I LOVED Toronto. One of our favorite things was the local beer, Steam Whistle. We did the brewery tour, and the bar just happened to be one of the most affordable places to grab a beer so we hung out for a while and enjoyed it. 

New York City – Momofuku Noodle Bar

I traveled to New York City in October for the first time since I was in high school. Needless to say, a lot has changed. Mainly that I now have a deep appreciation for good food. I recapped the trip last year, but a round up on where to eat in 2013 wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Momofuku Noodle Bar. It was the first place I went when I got to the city, and I’m already planning to take my husband back this year. 

The corn ramen was the special on my visit and it didn’t disappoint. The blackboard lists the farms where a majority of the food is sourced, and with a huge bar for seating it is perfect for dining alone if you are traveling on business like I was.  

Sonoma, CA – The Girl and The Fig

Over the Thanksgiving holiday we took our first trip to California wine country. Knowing we would be in Sonoma around lunch time, we did what every food-lover does. We ate at The Girl and The Fig. We made reservations for lunch, as you should too because although the restaurant was only half full when we arrived, every table was taken by the time we left. 


We started with a cheese plate and that was good, but the best part of it was the dried fig cake made in house. It was delicious with the cheese. 


I had a simple lunch of a tasty grilled cheese, but for me my husband’s meal was the best. The pork belly sandwich with a slightly sweet apple slaw. 


Stanford, KY – Bluebird Cafe


If you think a small-town, rural restaurant can’t compete with food-cities around the U.S., I encourage you to go to Bluebird. On a downtown street that barely has one stoplight, this place will amaze you. With locally sourced ingredients and a creative menu that would rival any restaurant in the big city, Bluebird serves Kentucky favorites with a twist. 

Our first couple visits were for breakfast where I enjoyed the breakfast fries with smoked gouda sauce. We finally made it for lunch just before we moved – a fried green tomato BLT on a whole wheat sorghum bun. Yes, yum.


Santa Barbara, CA – East Beach Grill

We stayed in Santa Barbara on our final leg of the official move which also happened to be New Years Eve. (This time we took I-40 through the southern US.) Other than the wonderful ocean views, we experienced very little of what this awesome town has to offer. But we did manage to have pancakes on New Years morning. The East Beach Grill was close to our hotel, dog friendly and rumor had it they offered some amazing wheat germ pancakes. The rumors were true. I had a stack of blueberry and my husband a stack of strawberry while we relaxed outside with the pugs and enjoyed the view of the ocean. 

Oakland, CA Bocanova

There will be many more Oakland favorites to come, but I definitely found a place I love with only a few days of being here. Bocanova in Jack London Square has unique cocktails and one fine happy hour. One of my favorite appetizers is the Dungeness Crab Deviled Eggs with Chipotle Aioli.  

That about sums it up. Hopefully I’ve shared enough to keep you busy. And full. Recipes will resume soon, but for now I’ll leave you with one of my favorite offerings at our Farmer’s Market. Gorgeous greens with edible flowers. Happy New Year!

P.S. I was having some trouble with formatting on this post. The names of the cities and restaurants are links that will take you to the restaurant website.

Chicken with Spicy Cranberry Citrus Relish Recipe

November 1, 2012


I used to eat chicken breasts all the time, but when we made the switch to whole pastured birds, dishes featuring them became rare. This was a positive change. I’ve enjoyed the challenge of tackling a whole bird and it is much more budget friendly, but sometimes I just want a chicken breast.

Yes, I know you can cut them off a whole bird yourself, but I can’t cut up a chicken correctly to save my life. I end up with pieces, but they certainly aren’t pretty. Fortunately, we can still buy breast cuts from our pastured chicken sources so last weekend I splurged a little and let the butcher do the work.

I also bought my first bag of fresh cranberries this season, and you know how I can’t stop thinking about the holidays. I thought a cranberry relish would be perfect for the poultry.

In past years, I’ve neglected fresh cranberries thinking I always needed to cook them into a sauce. Not so. I now love grinding them up in the food processor to eat them fresh.

My very favorite fresh relish recipe is Cranberry-Jalapeno Relish by Emeril. I’m constantly changing it up a bit, and I set out for a new version for my chicken.

Surprisingly, I have a few Scotch Bonnet peppers that have hung on in the fridge since I took out the garden. I subbed those for the jalapeños, added some onion and then some maple syrup.

I know spicy and tart is not a common combination, but with just a touch of maple syrup, this relish is so good! It works well with fish and poultry, and I also eat it alone as a salad.

Chicken with Spicy Cranberry Citrus Relish Recipe 

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
Zest and segments from 1/2 an orange
2 tbsp choppped onion
1-2 small hot peppers, seeds and ribs removed
1 tbsp maple syrup
4 3-4oz chicken breasts, seasoned and grilled or baked

Place the cranberries, orange and orange zest, onion, hot peppers and maple syrup in a small food processor. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped. Makes 1 3/4 cups of relish. You may find you want to add a little salt to taste, but  I like mine without it.

Serve about 1/4 cup of the relish at room temperature over warm chicken breasts. Store leftovers in the fridge, but know that the heat intensifies as it sits!

 

Bringhe – Memories of Philippine Kitchens

June 4, 2012

I regularly revisit the goal to challenge myself in the kitchen by experimenting with cuisines from different areas of the world. I don’t always accomplish this goal, but over the past several months I’ve been happy with the variety around here. Foods from South Africa, West Africa, Ireland, Thailand, the Caribbean, and Italy have all found their way into posts.
I owe a lot of this to cookbooks. My most recent endeavor? A closer look at Filipino cuisine.
Other than the Filipino barbecue recipe learned from my husband’s college friend, I have no experience with the cuisine. I’ve not stepped foot in a Filipino restaurant (only because I’ve yet to have the opportunity), and while we entertained the idea of making Manila a stop on our Southeast Asia trip in 2009, it wasn’t meant to be on that adventure. 
So needless to say, I had a lot to learn. After reading this cookbook, I have been thoroughly educated.
Memories of Philippine Kitchens: Stories and Recipes from Far and Near by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan is a history book of traditional dishes. I received a revised and updated copy for review just a few weeks ago. The beautiful photos take you there – to the market stalls, to the rustic kitchens – you can almost feel the ingredients your hands and smell them cooking. The recipes make you wonder how you can bring such time-honored practices into your own kitchen; a challenge I welcome.
While taking a journey through geographic regions of the Philippines by way of food, the book introduces the reader to unfamiliar regions, and foods that seem different, but familiar at the same time. Dishes such as the classic Chicken Adobo, sweet Bibingka, and Lumpia. These names only mention the type of food or style of cooking. The recipes and variations seem endless.
I stopped turning the pages at the province of Pampanga – The Rice Heartland of Luzon. This led me to the Arayat Kitchen where I found Bringhe. The book describes this dish as Filipino paella. I took a quick look at the ingredients, and set out to find some banana leaves which I finally located last week.
I feared steaming a dish in leaves in a wok on my very U.S. American stove would be a difficult task, but this recipe was a breeze. The results were a dinner of nutty sticky rice in coconut milk complete with vegetables and pastured chicken. 
A one-pot meal at its finest.
There are very few times you find a book with so much of a culture within its pages. This book has a prominent place on my food history and culture bookshelf. 
I’m off in search of my next food culture challenge, and considering how many more recipes I want to try in this book, I have a feeling it will be Filipino once again. 
Bringhe
Reprinted with permission from Abrams Books 

Bringhe is a Filipino version of paella, made with glutinous rice and steamed in banana leaves.
Serves 4 to 6
One 3 1/2-pound chicken
1 large onion, quartered
Banana leaf sections, for lining the wok
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
One 1-inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled and grated
(or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric)
2 cups glutinous rice, soaked overnight in water
to cover, drained well
About 2 cups coconut milk
4 tablespoons fish sauce, or to taste
Place the chicken and quartered onion in a large saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove the chicken, strain, and reserve the broth. Set the chicken aside to cool, then remove the meat from the bones and shred it. Set aside.
Wipe the banana leaves with damp paper towels to clean them. Run them through a flame on both sides to soften them a bit. Grease a large wok (or 2 small woks) and line it with a double layer of banana leaves.
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the garlic, diced onion, and bell pepper and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the turmeric and stir for 1 minute, until aromatic.
Add the rice and cook, stirring, until thoroughly coated with the oil, about 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of the coconut milk, 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken stock, and the fish sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until all the liquid is absorbed. 
Add another 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup stock and continue to stir until the liquid is absorbed. This should take about 20 minutes—the rice should be tender but al dente. If the rice isn’t cooked through, add more coconut milk and stock. Continue to cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through. Add the shredded chicken and cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes.
Fill the prepared wok (or woks) with the rice mixture, smooth the top to create an even layer, cover with the lid or foil, and place over medium heat. Cook without stirring for 20 minutes, or until a golden brown crust that holds the dish together is formed at the bottom of the dish. If the crust hasn’t formed, raise the heat to medium-high and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes to form the crust. Invert onto a large serving plate, remove the banana leaves, and serve.
Disclosure: A copy of this cookbook was sent to me for review purposes. I was not required to write about it, and received no compensation for doing so. Opinions expressed here are my own.

Cookbooks for Christmas: Tandoori Chicken from How to Cook Indian

November 25, 2011

This is the third in my series of Cookbooks for Christmas with the purpose of sharing a few gift ideas for the foodie in your life. Be sure to check out the review and recipe from my other posts The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Bread Baking and The Vegetarian Option.


 

After a week of eating traditional US favorites at every meal, it doesn’t take long for me to start craving something a little more culturally diverse in flavor. With this in mind last year, I set a goal for myself at the beginning of 2011 to cook more ethnic foods, specifically Thai and Indian. I’m sad to say I’ve failed miserably. 
I’ve done some recreation and my own versions of Asian and Indian-inspired foods, but my real goal was to cook authentically. Maybe I bit off more than I could chew, but with only a few weeks left in the year, I’m not ready to give up just yet. 
So with a craving to put something different on my plate, I turned to my new cookbook – How to Cook Indian by Sanjeev Kapoor. This monster of a cooking resource has been my reading material of choice for the past few weeks. Like a mystery novel I can’t seem to stop turning the page to see what happens next – to the curry, the coconut milk, the ground lamb and the chicken. 
I find this cookbook ideal for anyone ready to add a little diversity to their kitchen whether beginner or advanced. There are over 500 recipes. Yes, 500. Everything from what I consider standard Indian foods (which simply means they can be found on the buffet at my favorite Indian place here in town) to things I have never heard of before. It’s been an adventure in culinary discovery for me. 
No food photography in this one, but those spaces are filled with even more recipes and instructions that are straight forward and easy to understand. The book begins with base spice mix recipes for things such as Chai Masala and moves on to everything from vegetarian dishes, to lamb, to chicken, to fish. 
For each recipe name the original is given followed by a description for those of us not well versed in cuisines or languages of India. There is Pyaaz Ki Tarkari (Onions with tamarind), Kolhapuri Sukka Lamb (Spicy coconut lamb) and Maa Chole Di Dal (North Indian Lentils) to name just a few. 
This weekend my husband brought home some fresh chickens so we decided to go with what I consider rather classic – Tandoori Chicken. I say we because while he doesn’t make an appearance on the food blog often, he helped with this dish as much as I did. 
This was my first time making Tandoori Chicken at home and I have to admit, it was pretty darn easy. As long as you take into consideration marinating times with your preparation I have a feeling you will think so too. This recipe calls for either Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika powder which is what gives the chicken that identifiable red color. Mine didn’t turn out as red as varieties I’ve had before, but I think that is because I did use paprika instead of the chili powder.
The flavor of the chicken is outstanding. With all the spices and marinating flavor is fully infused into the meat. Delicious. And with 499+ recipes to go, there is a lot more where that came from!
Tandoori Chicken
Chicken marinated in spicy yogurt and baked
 Reprinted with permission from Abrams Books
This darling of the Indian palate, traditionally cooked in a clay oven called a tandoor, is one of my per­sonal favorites. Leaving the bone in ensures that the final dish will be succulent and juicy.
Serves 4.
1 (1¾-pound/800-gram) whole bone-in chicken
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder or paprika powder
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon table salt
For the marinade:
1 cup (250 grams) plain yogurt, drained until thick
2 tablespoons fresh ginger paste
2 tablespoons fresh garlic paste
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder or paprika powder
½ teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons filtered mustard oil
To cook and serve:
2 medium red onions
Melted butter
½ teaspoon chaat masala
2 lemons, cut into wedges
1. Cut the chicken into 4 pieces: 2 leg quarters and 2 breast halves. Make incisions in the flesh with a sharp knife. Put the chicken in a deep bowl. 
2. In a small bowl, stir together the chile powder, lemon juice, and salt, and rub it onto the chicken pieces. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate. 
3. Make the marinade: Put the yogurt in a bowl, add the ginger paste, garlic paste, chile powder, salt, lemon juice, garam masala, and mustard oil, and stir. 
4. Add the marinade to the chicken pieces and toss so that all the pieces are well covered with it. Cover the bowl again and put it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours to marinate. 
5. Cut the onions into round slices and then separate the rings. Put in a bowl of iced water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain well and set aside in the refrigerator until needed. This will keep the onions crisp. 
6. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Put the chicken pieces onto metal or presoaked wooden skewers, arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until almost cooked through. Baste with butter and cook for 8 minutes more. 
7. Sprinkle with chaat masala and serve hot with the onion rings and lemon wedges. 
Disclosure: A review copy of this cookbook was sent to me free of charge. I was not required to post about it and received no compensation for doing so. 

Ginger Chicken Pot Stickers

March 23, 2011

These Ginger Chicken Pot Stickers are one my favorite recipes from the Fake Food Free archives! You can make your own won-ton dough, or take a shortcut and use store-bought wrappers. The filling is also a great use for leftover roasted chicken!

Ginger Chicken Potstickers Recipe | FakeFoodFree.com

 

When my husband asked me what we were having for dinner this past Sunday, “pot stickers” came out of my mouth before I really even thought about it. Apparently, my stomach knew what it wanted before my brain had time to register it.

Once I said it, I was committed, which really isn’t a bad thing. I had actually had making homemade pot stickers on the back burner since I started my food blog, so we are going on three years. That’s a pretty long time to be meaning to make something.

My first excuse was that I didn’t have a pasta roller to get the dough thin enough. Well, I got one of those last October for my birthday so I was quickly running out of reasons why I shouldn’t make it. Aside from the cutting and stuffing, they really are easy to make, just a little time consuming.

We had grilled a local, pastured chicken a few days before so I had plenty of meat to make a filling. I went through the fridge and pulled out a few things from the vegetable drawer, threw it in the food processor and was surprised at the delicious combination that resulted.

 

Easy Potstickers Recipe | FakeFoodFree.com 

 I mentioned that I had been meaning to make these since the start of my blog and that is because of this recipe for Soy-Butt Pot Stickers from one of the very first blogs I read regularly, Eating Out Loud.

That is where you will find the very simple dough recipe and some general instructions on making pot stickers. I found that running the dough through the roller just two times on a middle setting worked fine. Be sure to keep your surface well floured to prevent it from sticking. This recipe, both dough and filling, made about 60 pot stickers.

 

Ginger Chicken Potstickers Recipe

 

They cooked up beautifully with the exception of a few that got a little too brown on one side. The ginger came out strong in the filling, but it was balanced with the green onion, soy, and cilantro. We made a meal of these, but they would also work great for a party appetizer.

 

A favorite recipe from the early days of FakeFoodFree.com. Ginger Chicken Potstickers.

Ginger Chicken Pot Stickers
Yields 60
These Ginger Chicken Pot Stickers are one my favorite recipes from the Fake Food Free archives! You can make your own won-ton dough, or take a shortcut and use store-bought wrappers. The filling is also a great use for leftover roasted chicken!
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
  2. 2 carrots, peeled and grated
  3. ¾ cup cabbage, grated
  4. 3 green onions, finely chopped
  5. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  6. 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
  7. 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  8. 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or more to taste
  9. 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  10. 60 homemade won-ton wrappers
  11. 1 tablespoon cooking oil
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients except the won-tons in a food processor. Pulse 3 to 4 times in 10 to 15 second intervals until the ingredients are still slightly chunky, but hold together when pressed into a ball.
  2. Lay all of the won-tons out on a flat surface. Place an equal amount of filling in the center of each won-ton. Brush the edges of each won-ton with water. Fold in half and pinch and fold the ends to make a half moon.
  3. Preheat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Work in batches and place the pot stickers on their sides in the skillet. Allow to cook on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes. Avoid moving them around. Once they are stuck to the skillet, pour about 1/8 of a cup of water into the skillet. Cover with a lid or foil and cook for about 1 minute. Remove the lid and let any remaining liquid evaporate. Remove the pot-stickers and serve warm.
  4. You can freeze extra pot-stickers before cooking. They also hold up well if you cook them and store them in the fridge to reheat and finish off in a day or two.
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Local Meat: Marksbury Farm Market

February 13, 2011

A little over a year ago, when we had finally found the house and decided we would move to a rural county outside the big city of Lexington, KY, an article in a nearby newspaper caught my eye. The article described a business that would be moving to the area soon, Marksbury Farm.

Considering that this came at a time when I was beginning my commitment to buy only small scale, humanely raised and naturally fed animal products, I could not believe my fortune.

You see, according to that article Marksbury Farm was planned to be a processing facility for just that. Local farmers from around the area could have their animals processed at a local facility where they could then sell these products to consumers in the area. This would eliminate the need to drive hundreds of miles to the nearest USDA facility.

That alone had me thrilled, but I was even more excited about the proposed market that was part of this project. The plan was to have a shop where grass-fed, pastured, humanely raised local meats would be sold to the public. A one-stop shop, a place that would mimic the old-fashioned butcher, but with animal products I could feel good about buying and eating.

Fast forward to last summer.

Our community was hosting a showing of Fresh: The Movie and I was asked to speak about the nutritional benefit of local food. It was here that I first met, Richard McAlister, one of the partners behind bringing Marksbury to the area.

It was a busy a time, as they were undergoing USDA organic certification with plans to open the processing facility within that month. The market was soon to follow. It was at that meeting that I realized this wasn’t just rumor or an idea. Soon I would have access to an incredible resource!

Last Saturday, myself and three other Kentucky Food Bloggers – Mindy from Mindy’s Mouthful, Samantha from A Teenage Gourmet, and Melissa from My McDonald Meal met Richard to tour the facilities. I’ve been frequenting the market since the end of December, but this was my first chance to get an up close look at the facilities.

Richard took us through the empty facility and each step of the process for cattle, pigs and poultry. He explained to us each and every precaution they take to ensure humane handling, during this process that, let’s be honest, we really don’t like to think about.

I was glad to hear him mention Dr. Temple Grandin when we took a look at the outdoor holding area. If you haven’t heard of Temple and her research, or haven’t seen the movie that aired on HBO, I highly recommend it.

I have toured a processing facility one other time. As part of my Food Science course at Purdue we explored the facility on campus, and it was interesting to compare the processes there (about 10 years ago) to what I saw at Marksbury. There were noticeable improvements with this facility compared to what I have seen before in terms of respecting the animal and the fact that they are giving their life to nourish us.

We withheld many pictures inside the facility because I know many don’t wish to see that. Then we entered the smoking room, and the storage room. Let me just say, it was a smoked meat lovers paradise.

To simplify, Marksbury processes animals for local farmers. Their guidelines explain the conditions in which the animals must be raised. This meat can be picked up by consumers from the facility who might be ordering a full or half of beef or pork from a specific farmer. In addition, Markbury purchases animals which they process and sell in their market.

Yes, let’s get to the market. Set in a gorgeous old farmhouse is a Kentucky food paradise. Not just meat, but foods of all kinds.

Okay, first the meat. There is every cut you can imagine and some products you might not, everything from pork tenderloin to beef tongue. They are also offering prepared dishes like steak pie and ready-to-cook meatballs. Did I mention that some of the partners are of Scottish descent? So you can imagine the good meats and sausages in the case.

A few things we’ve purchased include Italian sausage, chicken sausage, ground pork, ground beef, whole chickens, chicken wings, smoked brats, prosciutto, braunschweiger and hot dogs. One of the best parts is that because Marksbury purchases and processes their meats their prices are very competitive and affordable in the market of grass-fed and pastured products.
Each time I visit, there are more foods available that aren’t meat at all. There are Kentucky cheeses, including this delicious Asiago Peppercorn from Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese.
Kentucky milk, cream, yogurt, granola, breads, produce, vanilla, flavored sugars, salts and soy sauce can also be found lining the shelves along with many more items.

There are still some farmers around the area whose relationships I value and I will continue to buy from them directly. However, I feel incredibly fortunate to make a short drive and have such variety at my finger tips.
The Marksbury Farm Market truly encompasses the local butcher. The kind of place where you go with no plans for your dinner menu, and leave with a gourmet meal planned based on fresh, local ingredients.

Several media outlets have published articles on Marksbury, so check out the links below to learn more. This coming week I’ll share what we did with the hotdogs we purchased. And of course, if you find yourself traveling through central Kentucky, don’t miss the opportunity to stop by and see it for yourself!
Marksbury Farm Market
73 Fisher Ford Road
Lancaster, KY 40444

Solving the Meat-to-Market Riddle – Edible Louisville
New Garrard operation provides market for local meat producers and consumers – Lexington Herald Leader

Disclaimer: I received no product or monetary compensation to tour or post about Marksbury Farm.

Buffalo Turkey Sandwiches with Celery Yogurt Spread

January 12, 2011

Buffalo Turkey Sandwiches with Celery Yogurt Spread Recipe | Fake Food Free

When it comes to flavors that I would consider truly US American, buffalo tops the list. No, not buffalo the meat, but buffalo the sauce. It is one taste that I haven’t found anywhere else in my travels, and it was one thing we did miss when we were living abroad.

There is just something about that spicy, buttery flavor that can only be cooled by celery and some ranch or blue cheese.

I’ve come to incorporate it in several of our meals at home. We love buffalo chicken pizza and sandwiches. Of course, chicken is usually the meat of choice with buffalo sauce, but I thought it couldn’t hurt to give it a try with turkey considering our recent over abundance.

Buffalo Turkey Sandwiches with Celery Yogurt Spread

 

We don’t buy bottled dressings anymore and although I know it is possible to make blue cheese and ranch dressing, I didn’t have the ingredients for either. Instead, I turned to some of that plain 2% Greek yogurt Chobani recently sent to me.

I mixed it with finely chopped celery and onion and flavored it with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Now, if I’d had some blue cheese to mix, that would have made it even better, but alone it went wonderfully with the buffalo turkey.

Recipe for Buffalo Turkey Sandwiches with Celery Yogurt Spread

 

The buns were made from the same recipe as used with the bread baking pottery I posted about last week. I just used white whole wheat instead of unbleached white flour, and then I split it into individual buns before the last time I let it rise. I placed the buns on a baking sheet in a hot 350 degree oven and they baked up in about 15 minutes.

I paired the sandwiches with a simple coleslaw and few of the pickled jalapenos I canned this summer. Delicious!

Buffalo Turkey Sandwiches with Celery Yogurt Spread

1 cup shredded or chopped cooked turkey
2 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup hot sauce (we use Frank’s Red Hot)
¼ cup yogurt
3 tbsp celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp onion, finely chopped
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder

Place the turkey in a skillet. Add 2 tbsp of water to the skillet and turn on medium-high heat. Cook the turkey until it is heated through. Add the butter and stir until melted. Stir in the hot sauce and coat the turkey.

In a small bowl stir together the yogurt, celery, onion, salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Split two buns and place half of the yogurt spread on each bun. Add half of the turkey to each bun. Sandwich it together and enjoy. Serves 2, but can easily be doubled or tripled.

 

Disclaimer: Chobani sent me yogurt free of charge. I was not obligated to post about it and received no compensation for doing so.

How to Make Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

January 9, 2011

In my family, a high standard has been set for Chicken and Dumplings. One so high that few people or recipes can successfully reach it. Why? Well, because we grew up with my mom making my great grandmother’s Chicken and Dumplings.

My mother did such a great job perfecting the recipe that even my grandmother would fail and call my mom to make them for her.

As you can imagine, we tend to judge other recipes by this high standard. Let’s start by saying that noodles that try to pass as dumplings are insulting. We’ll pass on those drop biscuit dumplings as well.

The dumplings must be flat, yet puffy with a firm bite, and most importantly, homemade.

I realize now that these dumplings are a lot like a large version of spaetzle. This makes complete sense considering my family is of German descent. There is a good chance that these dumplings were spaetzle at one point in my family history.

As a kid I would fish out all the dumplings from the pot and leave the chicken for my dad. I can’t say that this has changed too much, but as an adult I do include some chicken too, but mostly the white meat.

When we started buying locally raised, pastured chickens from nearby farms, and once I finally mastered cooking a full chicken and not just pieces, I knew it was time to try my great grandmother’s chicken and dumplings.

The whole process is actually quite simple and requires few ingredients. To summarize, you make a stock with the whole chicken, make your dough for the dumplings and cut it, remove the cooked chicken, cook the dumplings, then add the shredded chicken back in.

My mom warned me before I started that the key to the perfect dumplings is no stirring. Once you drop them in the boiling water, resist the urge to stir. Simply use a spoon to push them gently to the side and add more. If you stir them, they will break up and you’ll be left with a doughy mess instead of individual dumplings.

Are you ready to try it yourself? Well, here you go. It’s only 8 easy steps.

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

1 whole chicken
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
¼ cup oil (I used olive oil, the original recipe calls for lard)
¼ to ½ cup milk
3 cups unbleached white flour

Step 1:

Place your chicken in a large soup pot. Cover it completely with water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to just above a simmer and partially cover the pot.

As the water begins to boil the chicken will be making your broth. Once the water is hot, the skin will begin to cook immediately and look a bit like this. Be sure you have a pair of tongs handy to work with the chicken.

Continue to cook the chicken for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, begin your dumplings.

Step 2:

In a bowl, combine the eggs, salt, baking powder, oil and ¼ c milk. Whisk with a fork. Begin to add in the flour, a little at a time, until a dough is formed. It should be firm and only slightly stickier than a bread dough. If the dough is too dry, add in more milk until you reach the right consistency for the dough.

Step 3:

Place the dough on a floured surface and begin rolling it out into a large circle. You want it to reach about 1/8 to 1/4 inch in thickness. Continue to sprinkle the dough with flour as you roll to keep it from sticking.

Step 4:

Next, check your chicken. It is best to allow it to cook until the chicken begins to fall apart. Use a large spoon and tongs to help you carefully remove it from the hot water. Transfer it to a plate and let it cool to the point where you can shred it with your hands or with a fork.

Ensure that your broth is at a low boil, you may need to increase the heat a bit after removing the chicken.

Step 5:

Return to your dumplings and begin slicing them. I used a steak knife with a serrated edge. Cut the dumplings into strips about 1 to 1 ½ inches wide. Cut across from the opposite direction to create diamond shapes.

Step 6:

If your chicken is cool enough to work with, begin shredding the meat you want to use for your dumplings. You can use all the dark and white meat you are able shred off the bone, or reserve some of the meat for later use. It really depends on how meaty you want your dumplings and how many people you are serving.

Shred the chicken and set aside. If all of the meat isn’t cool enough to touch continue on with the dumplings and you can shred the rest of the meat once the dumplings are cooking.

Step 7:

Carefully grab a handful of dumplings, keeping them somewhat separated and slowly add them to the boiling broth. Continue dropping the dumplings in one to two at a time and be cautious of hot water splashing out.

The dumplings will immediately rise to the top as they cook. As you need space, use a spoon to gently move the cooking dumplings to the side of the pot as you add in more. Do not stir! Continue this process until all your dumplings are in the pot.

Once they are all in the pot, allow them to cook 2 to 3 minutes and test one. They should be firm and cooked through, yet they will be soft and flexible, a little like a noodle.

Step 8:
Once the dumplings are done, or are very closing to being done, begin to add in the shredded chicken. At this point you can gently stir the chicken and the dumplings.

Allow the chicken to heat through and the meal is ready to serve! Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serves about 6.

Chipotle Turkey Salad

December 29, 2010

After Christmas passes and before New Year’s parties begin, I always have my cooking focused on the double L – leftovers, but lighter.

You likely ready about our abundance of turkey blessings just before the holidays. We will be consuming this leftover blessing for weeks to come. Even when we can no longer bear a bite of smoked turkey, I’m determined to get our money’s worth out of the massive Tom we tackled in the guest bathroom.

Sorry, if this seems strange and confusing it would probably help if you read the previous post.

So the first thing I needed to make use out of was turkey.

Last week, just after an ice storm hit the area, I came home to a box of Chobani Greek Yogurt on the front porch. I was thrilled to see the yogurt, but was feeling pretty bad for our UPS guy. The sidewalk and drive were covered in a solid sheet of ice so I hope he didn’t bust his bum delivering it.

Despite the ice storm, the timing of the yogurt’s arrival was perfect for two reasons. I have time off to do some creative cooking over the holidays, and the ice cooler the yogurt came in is what we used to thaw that massive turkey in the guest bathtub. Yes, back to the turkey again. Sorry.

When I was offered to try out the yogurt in cooking and baking, I noticed Chobani has a lot of 0% fat yogurts, but that they also have a few 2% fat varieties. I happen to feel that yogurt was meant to have fat so I requested the 2% and that is what I got, along with a few others to try.

So the second thing I had to use was yogurt.

After craving something mildly festive, filling with some added spiciness, I decided to turn a traditional turkey salad into just that – Chipotle Turkey Salad.

I was really happy with the results. I used Herdez Chipotle Salsa for the spicy flavor, but you could just as easily use a little sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo or use chipotle powder. When topped with dried cranberries this turkey salad is delicious on crackers or as a sandwich.

Chipotle Turkey Salad

3 to 4 cups chopped turkey meat
¼ cup Chobani 2% plain Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp chipotle salsa
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup pecans, chopped
Parsley for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the turkey in a bowl and add the yogurt, mayo and salsa. Mix well. You can add more or less of each depending on how dry you like your turkey salad and how spicy.

Stir in the cranberries and pecans. Add salt and pepper if desired. Sprinkle with fresh or dried, chopped parsley. Serves 4.

Disclaimer: Chobani yogurt was sent to me free of charge. I was under no obligation to post about it and received no compensation for doing so.

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