A Dinner Plan for whatever happens this week
Braised Chicken with Harissa & Chickpeas, Moroccan Carrot Salad, and two awakenings: one spiritual and one about avocado toast.
I have a few dinners in my back pocket that are easily riff-able with ingredients I have on hand and also can work for a few different scenarios. This chicken dish is one of them. It makes a big batch, it uses up odds and ends I have lingering in the pantry, and it’s special enough to serve when friends come over. Bonus: I can chop all the elements up super tiny, mix with a little yogurt and give it to Dean. It’s hearty and goes really well with a variety of veggie sides, which is always part of my thought process.
A Centerpiece Dish
Like a lot of delicious dishes, it starts out by cooking up onions, garlic and spices in olive oil. I add chicken thighs, but you can totally use breasts, and white wine. A big dollop of harissa paste goes in, which is a spicy Tunisian pepper paste. You can find it in almost any supermarket these days, but my absolute favorite brand is NY Shuk. Next goes in some form of canned or jarred tomatoes and the whole thing simmers until the chicken is “shreddable”. It’s delicious and very comforting. At the end I stir in olives and top the whole thing with lemon zest, orange zest and tons of herbs like mint and parsley. It is the centerpiece of the meal. The supporting roles are rice (I made saffron rice), a simple cucumber tomato salad, yogurt (or labne!) and my Moroccan Carrot Salad which I mixed with some air fried cauliflower. It’s a homerun that makes great leftovers, feeds everyone in the family, can be a dinner party… have I sold you? If you’re subscribed you’ll be getting the recipes and the whole rundown later today. If you’re not subscribed and you want in on this party, click the button below.
Really, even the carrot salad recipe alone is worth your subscription. It’s not a preparation that I invented, but if it’s new to you, it will have you looking at humble carrots a new way. The ingredients are simple and the cook time is short. A great back pocket vegetable recipe to know.
Mini Mouths:
The above recipes are great to turn into dinner for the babes. I wiped some of the sauce off the chicken because it’s a little spicy. But I’m glad to introduce just a tiny bit of spice to Dean so he gets used to it. Also, I’ve started an instagram account for Mini Mouths! @_minimouths and if are looking for inspiration for feeding babies & toddlers follow along! I am not even close to an expert in the field. Honestly, feeding Dean is often stressful and confusing. But I know a lot of my mom friends feel the same way, and need fresh ideas. The posts are visual and very simple captions to maybe spark and idea what to cook them. Got mom friends who would love the inspiration too? Tag them!
What I’m Loving Right Now:
Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday Episodes Dec 9-Feb 3: HUGE Super Soul fan over here. I’ve probably heard every single episode. So if the podcast as a whole is new to you, please, please go put some time in. I would happily share some of my favorite episodes. Typically she interviews spiritual teachers, celebrities, notable people in the space but these 9 episodes are a little different. The first episode is titled AWAKENING and it’s a combination of her talking plus excerpts from interviews speaking to experiences of spiritual awakening. And the episodes go on to topics like EGO, MINDFULNESS, SPIRITUAL GPS. As cheesy as this is to type, listening to these are like nourishment for your heart and soul. I think you’ll come away inspired as I am. Say what you will about Oprah, but I wish more powerful people in the media space were using their influence to push out content that is this positive and helpful.
Sumo Mandarins: My best friend turned me onto my new pricey citrus habit. Right now you can find these mandarins in the stores. They look like something is wrong with them, all bumpy on the outside with a little lump on the top. The price is about 3x your typical navel orange. But SO worth it! I don’t even like oranges, I would never have one as a snack. But sumo mandarins are really sweet and taste like what I’ve always wanted an orange to taste like. I used the zest of one to garnish the chicken dish.
Avocado Toast: Sounds dumb, I know. But just a reminder that it’s still delicious! I was out of the habit and then recently I started making it for both Dean and I again. Yep, still tasty. Sourdough for me, softer lightly toasted bread for him, avocado, salt, pepper and really good olive oil. Mmmmmmmmmm.
Wishing everyone a successful week in the kitchen and peace of mind. XO Liv