Paccheri Pasta with Braised Chicken and Saffron Cream

The Restaurant Issue of Bon Appetit, September 2010, features The 10 Best New Restaurants in America.   Bar La Grassa, in Minneapolis, has a 24-seat pasta bar for the serious eaters, and a long list of pasta dishes, like Paccheri Pasta with Braised Chicken and Saffron Cream. La Grassa means "The Fat" in Italian and refers to the legendary cuisine of Bologna. This pasta dish soaks up flavor from braised chicken, onions, garlic, saffron, white wine, chicken broth, whipping cream, and basil. I wasn't able to find paccheri pasta, and used Rustichella D'Abruzzo's Trenne. Bristol Farms and Whole Foods carries this wonderful brand of Italian pasta.  One of our favorites is the Rustichella D' Abruzzo Bucatini.

Paccheri Pasta with Braised Chicken and Saffron Cream
Bar La Grassa, Minneapolis
Featured in Bon Appetit, September 2010
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds chicken thighs with skin and bones
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped white onions
6 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
2 cups dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 pound paccheri (giant rigatoni) or regular rigatoni
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation:

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, to skillet and cook until golden, about 7 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate. Add onions and garlic to drippings in skillet; sauté until onions are slightly softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add wine and saffron to skillet; bring to boil. Continue to boil until liquid is thickened and reduced by less than half, about 8 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth to skillet. Return chicken to skillet; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer gently until chicken is very tender (adjust heat to prevent boiling and turn chicken over after 30 minutes), about 1 hour total. Transfer chicken to plate and cool.

Reserve skillet with juices. Remove skin and bones from chicken and discard. Tear chicken meat into bite-size pieces; place in medium bowl and reserve.

Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; return to pot.

Meanwhile, spoon off fat from juices in skillet; discard fat (I used my gravy separator with great results). Add cream to juices in skillet and boil until sauce is reduced to 2 1/2 cups and is thick enough to coat spoon, about 10 minutes (more like 15-20 minutes). Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice, then chicken pieces. Stir over medium heat until heated through, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin sauce as needed (not needed) and adding more lemon juice by teaspoonfuls, if desired (mine was fine without more lemon juice), about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken mixture to pasta in pot and toss to coat. Stir in basil. Transfer pasta to plates.

This was a hit with everyone at our impromptu pasta dinner party!

Wine pairing:  Serve a floral, fruity white wine.

Cooking with Wine - Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce

Tonight, for our Concert in the Park culinary challenge of the week, the theme is Cooking with Wine.  It's become so hectic trying to photograph all the dishes in the park, and then feature them in one blog post, I decided to do a test run of Giada De Laurentiis' Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce, the dish Mom is preparing for tonight.  

Marsala is a wine produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala in Sicily. Marsala wine is frequently used in cooking, and one of the most popular Marsala recipes is Chicken Marsala, in which flour-coated pounded chicken breast halves are braised in a mixture of Marsala, butter, olive oil, mushrooms, and spices.

In Giada's version, the chicken breasts are not pounded or coated in flour.  She also adds Mascarpone cheese and Dijon mustard, which provide a rich, velvety creaminess and wonderful flavor. With only a few minutes of prep time chopping the onions, garlic and mushrooms, the chicken is then quickly sauteed, and the sauce comes together in a few more minutes while the pasta cooks.  I used spinach fettuccine, but you could use any pasta you prefer. We all loved this!

Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce
Slightly adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup Marsala wine (Giada called for dry, but I used sweet)
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish
12 ounces fresh Spinach Fettuccine (or other pasta of your choosing)

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.

While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, and then add the onion and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tablespoons of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.

Smooth and Creamy Pâté in Minutes

The Daring Cooks' Challenge for June was Pâté. Our hostesses thought it would be perfect for a summer picnic in the park, because it's light, incredibly versatile, and has the potential to be beautifully presented.  I couldn't agree more, since we're all about summer concerts and picnics in the park this time of year!

In keeping for our theme for out second Concert in the Park Culinary Challenge, Home on the Range, and knowing John and I would be just returning from our trip to Idaho and Triple Creek Ranch in Montana, I found a recipe for Ranch House Pâté with Cognac, originally featured in Saveur #26. A ballerina named Carmeleta Maracci offered this recipe to Alan Hooker, founder of the Ranch House Restaurant in southern California's Ojai Valley. "There are those," Hooker once observed, "who will consider the addition of cream cheese a sacrilege, but it smooths the pâté so beautifully that we disregard the purists."

The Ranch House serves its Pâté, which resembles a big scoop of mocha ice cream, with Ranch House Rye bread, cucumber chips, caper berries, and spanish olives.  I chose to serve it as presented in Thomas Keller's Bouchon, as an assiette de charcutier, with a tasting of dry-cured sausages.  Knight Salumi Company, in San Diego, sells rustic Sopressata and Tuscan salami at our Little Italy Farmers' Market.

John and I recently attended Thomas Keller's book signing of his latest cookbook, Ad Hoc at Home, which now completes our Keller collection of cookbooks! This collection should keep me challenged for the rest of my life!

Home on the Range Pâté

Adapted from Ranch House Pate

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, chopped
1 black truffle (optional), shaved
3⁄4 lb. chicken livers
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
4 ounces cream cheese
2 Tablespoons Armagnac or Cognac

1.  Melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, if using truffle, finely chop all but 4 shavings (reserve these for garnish) and set aside.

2.  Add chicken livers and cook, covered, over medium heat until just cooked through, 5–7 minutes.

3.  Remove pan from heat and stir in salt, mustard, nutmeg, and cloves. Transfer to a food processor and purée until smooth. Continue to process, blending in remaining 4 Tablespoons butter, cream cheese, and Armagnac.  Mix in chopped truffle (if using), then transfer to small bowls or well-oiled molds, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 24 hours.

4.  Serve a generous portion of pâté on a bed of greens with bread, olives, and caper berries, if desired, and garnish with reserved truffle shavings.

The Daring Cooks' blog checking line...

Our hostesses this month, Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz, and Valerie of a The Chocolate Bunny, chose delicious pate with freshly baked bread as their June Daring Cook’s challenge! They’ve provided us with 4 different pate recipes to choose from and are allowing us to go wild with our homemade bread choice.

I'm sorry, Evelyn and Valerie, but I wasn't able to squeeze in the time to bake homemade bread. It's really hard for me to justify baking bread when we have Bread & Cie deliver to Coronado's Tartine every morning. We enjoyed an early morning walk witih the Newfs down to the Ferry Landing and stopped by Tartine for a fresh baguette on the way home.

The recipe I used is really a breeze to put together and is so creamy and smooth with the cream cheese.  Laced with Armagnac or cognac, bits of black truffle, and presented on a platter with dry-cured sausages, olives, and cornichons, it makes a beautiful presentation for a cocktail party or, as in our case, gourmet picnic in the park!

Please visit The Daring Kitchen recipe archives for the complete recipes provided for this month's challenge. You can also visit the Daring Cooks' Blogroll to visit other Daring Cooks' blogs.

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Home on the Range and Off to the Ranch

Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam

And the deer and the antelope play

Where seldom is heard a discouraging word

And the skies are not cloudy all day

For my birthday, John is whisking me off to Montana's Bitterroot Valley, for a return rendezvous at Triple Creek Ranch. We are looking forward to horseback riding, fly fishing, nature photography, luxury accommodations and gourmet ranch cuisine. Last time, we dined at the Chef's Table with Executive Chef Jacob Leatherman, who also welcomed us into the kitchen to observe and photograph preparation of a special wine dinner. Another culinary highlight was when guests were invited to Craig Barrett's private cabin for a cocktail party and viewing of his magnificent art collection. Craig, retired Chairman and CEO of Intel, bought the Ranch as a birthday present for his wife.

Last night, our Coronado Concert in the Park culinary theme was Home on the Range, featuring a combination of gourmet chuck wagon and ranch-style fare.

  Everyone dressed for the occasion...

We started the evening with Ranch House Pâté, Bouchon-style, as an assiette de charcutier.  I'll be doing a separate post on this pâté when we return.

Of course, the men were properly welcomed to the picnic with a shot of Buffalo Trace, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Hillari rode into the park with a basket of Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins

perfect with a bowl of Kai's Venison Chili

Corn was well-presented, with John's Amarillo Grilled Corn on the Cob 

John made a special sauce for the corn, which I will also share later...

Men of the Corn (from left to right) Kai, Jim, Brent, John and Alec 

and Alec and Nina's Macque Croux and Roasted Butternut Squash duo

Brent, the skilled hunter in our group, shot the venison for Kai's Venison Chili, the antelope for Kai's Antelope Meatballs...

the elk for the most amazing Elk Tenderloin stuffed with Feta Cheese....

AND, did I mention the Wild Boar Sliders?!

Jim grilled Pljeskavica - thin, large, juicy Serbian hamburgers made with beef, lamb and pork.  Jim and Carmen came over the night before to grind beef cheek and pork for the burgers with our grinder

For dessert, Mom shared Tyler Florence's Bourbon Peach Cobbler with bourbon-spiked whipped cream

and I finally had the opportunity to try my hand at Momofuku Milk Bar's Crack Pie.  It's definitely gooey and drool-worthy.  You can find the recipe, published in the Los Angeles Times, here.

Birthday roses...

Thank you for another splendid evening at the park...See ya around the Ranch!

Grab the Captain and Run for the Roses - Country Captain on Derby Day!

Country Captain is a chicken curry dish which, in its basic form, is a mild stew made with browned chicken pieces, onions, and curry powder. Golden raisins and almonds are usually added. Many versions also call for tomatoes, garlic, and bell peppers. The dish is served over white rice.  Country Captain may have originated in India as a simple poultry or game recipe involving onions and curry and possibly enjoyed by British officers. One theory is that an early 19th-century British sea captain working in the spice trade introduced it to the American South via the port of Savannah.  Wikipedia

The dish was featured on an episode of Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, guest-starring Matt and Ted Lee. The Lee brothers took victory.

Read an interesting New York Times' article, by Sam Sifton, here.

I made Saveur's Country Captain almost a year ago, a version featured on the the menu of Watershed, Atlanta.  The recipe I made last Sunday is from Bon Appetit. We enjoyed it after watching the Kentucky Derby, and a disappointing 2nd place finish for Icebox (I had $10 on him to win).  I chose him because he was caked in mud after winning the Florida Derby, so I figured he would run well on a wet and muddy track, the conditions on Derby Day!  That's my logic, and I'm stickin' to it!  He was in the back of the pack most of the race, but had an amazing, nail biting, final stretch run, powering around the outside and passing the entire field...with the exception of Super Saver, who took home the roses!

Ice Box, #8, with a late run to win the Florida Derby

Sorry for going off on that tangent, but I LOVE watching the horses run our Del Mar track during the summer season, and I always tune in to see The Run for the Roses the first weekend in May!

OK, back to Country Captain...or Country Colonel in honor of the Derby...

Saveur's recipe uses a whole cut up chicken with bacon, green peppers and tomatoes nestled in a thick curry sauce and baked, garnished with currants and peanuts (see my post and photos, here).  Bon Appetit's recipe uses bite size pieces of boneless chicken thighs simmered with cauliflower, tomatoes, dried cherries and peas, seasoned with a mix of freshly toasted and ground spices, garnished with green onion tops and toasted coconut shavings.  Bobby Flay's Throwdown recipe, here, features a little of both, and sounds amazing.  Bobby prepares his Mesa Curry Mix, which incorporates two chili powders, and he also adds half of a fresh Serrano Chile to the stew....hummm, just might have to try Bobby's version next!

Without doing a side by side tasting, it's hard to chose a favorite.  My memory is a bit faded since cooking Saveur's recipe, but I think the spice blend in Bon Appetit's recipe is a little more complex and flavorful, and I liked the addition of cauliflower and peas.  It really comes down to personal preference, and whether you favor white and/or dark meat, chicken on the bone or boneless bite-size pieces, and what vegetables and garnishes float your boat.  This dish is all about the spices!  I do recommend serving any version you concoct over steamed, white rice (or coconut rice), and garnishing with with toasted almonds, peanuts or pistachios.

Country Captain with Cauliflower and Peas
from Bon Appetit, March 2010
Serves 6

SPICE MIXTURE

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds (from 3 whole green cardamom pods)
1 1/2-inch piece cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon (scant) cayenne pepper

Preparation
Place coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom seeds, and cinnamon stick in small dry skillet. Stir over medium heat until fragrant and slightly darker in color, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; cool. Finely grind spices in spice mill or in mortar with pestle. Transfer to small bowl; add turmeric and cayenne.

CHICKEN

Ingredients
5 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil, divided
1 small head of cauliflower, trimmed, cut into 1-inch florets (about 4 cups)
Coarse kosher salt
2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, trimmed, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
1 bunch green onions, dark green and white parts chopped separately
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 2/3 cups crushed tomatoes with added puree (from 28-ounce can)
1/3 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 cups frozen petite peas (9 to 10 ounces; do not thaw)
1/3 cup coconut shavings, lightly toasted

Toasted almonds, optional, for garnish
Steamed, white rice (John made coconut rice, substituting a small can of coconut milk for some of the water)

Preparation
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large deep pot over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower florets; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and sauté until beginning to soften and brown in spots, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and half of chicken to same pot; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and sauté until chicken is light brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer chicken to large bowl. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Add white parts of green onions, finely grated ginger, and minced garlic to same pot; reduce heat to medium and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground spice mixture; stir 15 seconds. Stir in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.

Add crushed tomatoes; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.

Stir in dried cherries and peanut butter; return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Add sautéed cauliflower to pot; cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and cauliflower is tender, adding more chicken broth by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry, about 10 minutes longer. Season with coarse salt and pepper.

DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.

Add frozen peas to stew and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Ladle stew over white rice. Sprinkle each serving with green onion tops, toasted coconut shavings, and almonds, and serve.  Recommended wine:  Riesling

Ok Bobby, I'm ready for your Throwdown recipe next!

A Spring Version of Brunswick Stew, for The Daring Cooks' Challenge

The 2010 April Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Wolf of Wolf’s Den. She chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make Brunswick Stew. Wolf chose recipes for her challenge from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, and from the Callaway, Virginia Ruritan Club.

Brunswick stew is a traditional dish from the southeastern United States. Debate exists as to the origin of the dish. Brunswick County, Virginia, claims to be the home of the original, created in 1928.  A plaque on a pot in Brunswick, Georgia, states the first Brunswick stew was cooked in that pot in 1898, on nearby St. Simons Island.

Recipes vary, but it is usually a tomato-based stew, containing lima beans, corn, onions, potatoes, and one or more types of meat. Most authentic recipes call for squirrel or rabbit, but chicken, pork, and beef are also used.

I've prepared Mario Batali's Braised Stuffed Rabbit Legs with Walnuts, Prosecco, Dried Cherries and Apricots, and it was quite delicious.  I have not yet prepared any recipes calling for Squirrel, and don't think I will anytime in the foreseeable future.

For this Daring Cooks' Challenge, I chose to adapt the recipe from the Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook, into a lighter, Italian-inspired, Spring version, using chicken and a few different varieties of vegetables.

We are enjoying beautiful Spring weather, and I wasn't in the mood for a thick, hearty, bowl of stew.  Can you blame me, when these beauties were calling out to me during our Saturday morning stroll through the Little Italy Farmers' Market??  I also found some fresh, white corn and sweet, baby Roma tomatoes.

Spring Brunswick Stew, for two...

Spring Brunswick Stew
Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
6 bone-in, skinned, chicken thighs  (rinsed and patted dry)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, for seasoning
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup Italian white wine
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlics, peeled and crushed
2 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from 2 ears of corn
1 cup fresh shelled favas
10-12 small Cipollini onions, outer skin peeled and hard roots cut off
1 package, about 2 cups, fresh baby Roma tomatoes
8-10 assorted small fingerling and baby potatoes
A few drizzles of olive oil
1 Tablespoon Sherry or red wine vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Dash of Chipotle Tabasco, to taste
2 Tbsp. Chopped Italian parsley for garnish

Preparation:

In a Dutch Oven, fry the bacon over medium-high heat until it just starts to crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.  Brown chicken in rendered bacon fat, over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes per side.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add pinch of red pepper, carrots and celery to the pan, and cook over medium-high for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.  Add chicken broth and wine, scraping up any brown bits from the pan, and simmer for about 5 minutes, allowing to reduce slightly.  Return chicken thighs to the pan, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 45 minutes.

This is before covering and braising (meaty side down)

While the chicken is cooking, preheat oven to 375 F.  Place cipollini onions and tomatoes on one side of a baking sheet, and place the potatoes on the other side.  Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to coat.

Roast for 30 minutes, keeping the potatoes separated from the onions and tomatoes.

In a saute pan, add another drizzle of olive oil and saute the favas and corn together for about 5 minutes.  When the tomatoes and onions are roasted, add them to the fava and corn mixture and gently combine.

These are the favas beans after removing from the pods and blanching.  You then must shell them again to pop out the bright green, sweet, inner bean.  Here's a link on how to shell fresh favas, here.

When chicken is done braising, remove it from the Dutch Oven and tent with foil to keep warm.

To the braising liquid, add Sherry vinegar, a squeeze of lemon, and a dash of Chipotle Tabasco, and simmer for another few minutes.  Carefully pour liquid into a blender and blend until smooth.  Pass through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the solids, and reserving the sauce.

To plate, spoon the fava, corn, tomato and onion "succotash" into shallow serving bowls, top with 1-2 chicken thighs, arrange a few potatoes around the edge, spoon sauce over the top of the chicken, and garnish with bacon and chopped Italian parsley.

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You can find the original Challenge recipes in The Daring Kitchen Recipe Archives, here.

Thank you, Wolf, for hosting this month's Daring Cooks' Challenge!  The flavor combinations in this dish were wonderful, and I hope you find my Spring version an interesting variation of the Lee Bros.' recipe.

Cinnamon Chicken Satay with Harissa Sauce, for The Daring Cooks' First Challenge of 2010

The January 2010 DC challenge was hosted by Cuppy of Cuppylicious and she chose a delicious Thai-inspired recipe for Pork Satay from the book 1000 Recipes by Martha Day.

The Challenge guidelines allowed for creativity and variations. We were permitted to create a satay appetizer, side dish or main course; use any meat; use skewers or not; and fry, grill or broil. The only requirements were to marinate the meat, which adds flavor and tenderizes tougher meats, and create a complementary dipping sauce.

I love Thai food, and have made chicken satay with peanut sauce in the past. Therefore, for this challenge, I chose to adapt a recipe we tried and enjoyed last summer:  Cinnamon-Roasted Chicken with Harissa Sauce.  The only adaptation required to turn this into Satay was to cut the chicken into strips, thread onto skewers, and grill.

Cinnamon Chicken Satay with Harissa

Inspired by Cinnamon-Roasted Chicken with Harissa

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
Harissa Sauce (recipe follows)

Preparation

Rinse chicken breasts in cold water, pat dry and place chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag.  In a small bowl, whisk together oil, cinnamon, salt, cayenne pepper and sugar.  Pour mixture into bag over the chicken, seal bag, and turn bag to coat chicken with  marinade. Chill overnight.  

Prepare the Harissa sauce.

Harissa Sauce
Bon Appetit, September 2002, Epicurious

1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 large red bell peppers (or jarred roasted red bell peppers)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper

Stir coriander and caraway in small skillet over medium-high heat until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Transfer to food processor. Cook garlic in same skillet, covered, over medium-low heat until tender, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool. Peel garlic; add to processor.

Char bell peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag; let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop peppers; add peppers, oil, sugar, and crushed red pepper to processor. Puree. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Remove chicken breasts from the marinade, slice into strips, and thread onto wood skewers that have been soaked in water for 20 minutes.  Grill over medium-high heat, approximately 4-5 minutes per side.  Serve chicken satay over couscous, with Harissa.

Chicken in marinade

After marinating overnight...

Cut into strips and thread onto skewers...

On the grill, in the dead of winter, i.e., 60 degrees F, one of the advantages living in Southern CA ;-)...

Couscous, bottom left, and other ingredients:  currants, toasted pine nuts, and fresh spinach, to be gently folded into the hot couscous

Platter of Cinnamon Chicken Satay served over Couscous

For the Couscous, simply prepare according to package directions and gently fold in toasted pine nuts, raisins and fresh baby spinach

If you're in the mood to go Greek, try this incredible Chicken Souvlaki with Piquillo Pepper Yougurt Sauce, another Coronado Concert in the Park dish we enjoyed last summer

Thank you, Cuppy, for a great Challenge to start out the New Year! 

Please visit The Daring Kitchen and The Daring Cooks' blogroll to see what our other member came up with this month.