Holy mother of eff. These are a revelation. Who would think butter, cilantro, chipotle and orange juice would be dynamite?
THE GREATEST CHICKEN TACOS EVER or Easy Chicken Tacos America’s Test Kitchen
3 T. unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
3/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 c. orange juice
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (we also tried with chicken thighs)
1 tsp. yellow mustard
salt & pepper
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
shredded lettuce, grated cheese, diced avocado,
diced tomato & sour cream (for toppings)
Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chipotles and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cilantro, the orange juice, and Worcestershire and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes (depending on thickness it might be more), flipping the chicken halfway through. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and return to the skillet. Add the remaining cilantro and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the tortillas and top with desired toppings.
It’s a great tradition… watching films back-to-back at the wonderful Banff Centre.
But each year, I forget how crummy the brown bag sandwiches are, and kick myself for not planning ahead.
We would have killed for a healthy, hearty sammich with these famous cookies from Evelyn’s Coffee Bar, recipe at bottom. Evelyn’s super yummy Health Sandwich of avocado, hummus, Monterey Jack, mayo, tomato, cucumber and sprouts on healthy multigrain bread would likely never survive the trip from town! Or her roast chicken with mayo, lettuce and cranberry sauce beloved by sumo wrestler Akebono, who I photographed chowing down on a plateful!
We were madly craving a ham, brie, tomato and Dijon on baguette. But also thinking of a pretzel bun with Gruyere and Swiss salami — a little old school mountain mouthful.
Then we started thinking about chicken salad, and not just any chicken salad. What about a GORP/trail mix-infused recipe, with raisins, dried cranberries and nuts? With celery bits and mayo/apple cider vinegar, and honey to bind it together, it would be yummy.
But we’ve been hoarding this for years, and we’re thinking a curry chicken salad would have done the trick. And it looks like it would feed a few friends!
OPRAH’S FAVOURITE: MARGAUX’S CURRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH
(this looks like a lot of dressing, so we are going to add only enough to bind. Will report back!)
20 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
1/2 lemon
3 pounds medium chicken tenders
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder
3/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
Butter for spreading
1 loaf challah or other rich egg bread, cut into 12 thick slices
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 medium tomatoes , chopped
1 bag (about 5 ounces) mesclun salad greens
Red grapes and assorted berries for garnish
In a large saucepan over high heat, add peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, lemon and 14 cups water; cover and bring to a boil. Add chicken and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, 7 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through; drain. Once cool, quarter each tender crosswise.
In a large bowl, combine mustard, honey, curry powder, lemon pepper and salt; stir in chicken. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 day.
Butter both sides of bread slices. In a heated nonstick skillet over medium-high flame, cook bread in batches 3 to 5 minutes or until browned, turning once.
Combine carrots and almonds with chicken mixture. Divide chicken curry among 6 bread slices. Top with tomatoes, mesclun and remaining bread slices. Serve with fruit.
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CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES
These are Evelyn Zabloski’s cookies from her old Banff coffee shops. A classic mountain treat.
3/4 cup all purpose flour (or half whole wheat and half all purpose)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups oats
3/4 cup dried cranberries (or blueberries)
In a medium bowl, combine flour, spices, baking powder.
In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla Stir in flour mixture just until blended.
Stir in rolled oats and cranberries.
Shape mixture into 16 balls and flatten slightly on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cookies are slightly browned and hold their shape. Cook on racks.
MARCH IS A month at war with itself. Cold, windy evenings eventually give way to promising sunny, spring days only to blow back into blustery darkness.
March is, therefore, the perfect month for meatloaf.
Old-fashioned, warm and comforting dinners transform into hipster-friendly cold sandwiches for lunch the next day. See? Conflict resolution, people.
We were raised on our grandmother’s onion soup staple, and a sweeter, jammy ketchup and bacon-topped home variety. (2 beaten eggs, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or finely crushed saltines, Lipton’s onion soup mix to 2 lbs lean ground beef. Combine and press firmly into a loaf pan. Bake at 350F for 60-70 mins but check on it.
As teenhood advanced, our household turned to adding oatbran or oatmeal and grated carrot and squash, which turned meatloaf into something entirely different — a little something we liked to call child abuse.
But seriously, our love of this dual dinner-to-lunch staple will never fade.
We flirted with a white wine and lemon scented New York Times version, and an allspice number with a ketchup, brown mustard and steak sauce pan gravy. We love the kitsch of our friend R’s cheeseburger rollup style: a diner-esque jelly roll stuffed with shredded cheddar and grilled onion, topped with mustard and ketchup, and served with cold dill pickles. A classic from L.A.’s The Ivy. And there’s this Pioneer Woman bacon-wrapped goodness.
But we want something that tries a little less, just like us. Because, people – this is meatloaf, not chateaubriand.
Welcome to a meatloaf depository of sorts:
We are simply mad for the lashings of red pepper jelly served atop Diner Deluxe’s veal meatloaf alongside Dijon mashed potatoes and Avenue Diner’s AAA beef meatloaf served open-faced on savoury bread pudding.
DINER DELUXE MEATLOAF
Recipe by Dwayne Ennest
1.2 kg ground veal
1.2 kg ground beef
4 eggs
1 cup diced carrots, roasted
1 cup diced parsnips, roasted
1/4 cup diced green onions
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbsp HP Sauce
1/2 tsp each: garlic powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, mustard powder, Worchester sauce
2 tbsp hot sauce
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix all ingredients together. Cook a small piece of the mixture on the stovetop to taste and check seasonings.
Place the mixture in two or three loafpans and bake until internal temperature is 120°F, approximately two hours.
Red Pepper Jelly
2 cups pureed roasted red bell peppers
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 tbsp red chili flakes and Tabasco sauce each
salt, pepper
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Mix all ingredients, except for cornstarch and water, in a stainless steel pot; bring to a boil. Mix the starch and water and stir into the jelly. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer over medium low heat for two hours until it is thick and jammy with a shiny bright colour. Cool and refrigerate in airtight container. Keeps two weeks and can be frozen. Makes four cups.
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CATHI’S ‘SORRY IT’S SOLD OUT’ MEATLOAF
Cathi’s meatloaf is made fresh on the premises almost daily but sells out so quickly that the staff end up apologizing to disappointed customers for the rest of the day. The recipe forherb wine jelly is a natural accompaniment to this dish.
1.25 kg lean ground beef
1 cup onions, finely minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 eggs
salt, pepper
3 tbsp combined chopped fresh basil, tarragon, oregano, thyme
Combine all ingredients and pat into a 20 cm by 10 sprayed pan.
Bake at 325°F for 30 to 45 minutes.
Heather’s Herb Wine Jelly Heather and her sister, actress/singer Ruth Nichol, can’t make enough of this savory jelly to satisfy their friends and the store’s customers. It plays a supporting role in Fourth Avenue Food Store’s most popular lunch item: roast turkey with cream cheese on whole-grain bread.
1 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs: rosemary, basil, tarragon, oregano
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups red wine
4 cups sugar
1 bottle of Certo
Combine herbs with boiling water and let steep for one minute. Transfer herbs and water to a saucepan. Add wine and sugar and boil for one minute.
Add Certo and remove from heat. Continue to stir well for several minues, straining any foam from surface.
Pour into sterilized jars leaving 1 cm at top and seal.
Makes 6 one cup jars.
______________________________________ BILL BLASS’S MEATLOAF 2 lbs ground sirloin 1/2 lb ground veal 1/2 ground pork 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped onions 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/3 cup sour cream 1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce pinch dried thyme pinch dried marjoram 1 bottle Heinz chili sauce salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In large mixing bowl gently combine ground sirloin, veal and pork; set aside.
In a medium sauté pan, melt butter over medium high heat. Add celery and onions and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add sautéed celery and onions and all remaining ingredients except chili sauce to meat mixture.
Combine well and form into a loaf. Place loaf in a baking dish and top with chili sauce.
Bake 1 hour in a preheated 350° oven.
Jann Arden’s Mom’s Meatloaf
4 large eggs
2.5 kg lean ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup HP sauce
2 Tbsp. Montreal steak spice
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 Tbsp. crushed garlic
Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix all ingredients together and pack tightly into 2 loaf pans lined with parchment paper. Cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove foil, increase the oven temperature to 425F and cook for another 20-25 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before slicing and serving.
To make grilled meatloaf sandwiches, place a thin slice of Havarti or aged cheddar on a piece of bread, top with a slice of meatloaf, another slice of Havarti and another slice of bread, and cook in a generous drizzle of olive oil in a hot pan until the cheese is melted and the bread is crisp.
STROMBOLI MEATLOAF
From Calgary Herald circa? While the spiral looks nice, you can also just close it like a book.
3 lbs ground beef 3 cloves minced garlic 3 eggs 1/2 tsp each sweet basil, oregano 1/2 cup bread crumbs grated parmesan cheese 1/4 lb boiled ham slices 1/2 lbs provolone slices 1 can 8 oz canned mushroom pieces grated mozzarella cheese 1 can 16 oz tomato sauce Mix first six ingredients combining well. Pat on a large sheet of heavy duty foil and spread thinly (between 1 and 1/4 inch) until it looks like a giant hamburger patty. Sprinkle with parm to cover. Distribute ham and then provolone, then mushrooms. Cover with grated mozzerella.
Roll the beef and toppings as you would a jelly roll. Place in a large deep pan and bake overed at 375F for an hour. Remove from oven and drain off any fat. Cover with tomato sauce and bake covered for another half hour. Makes eight to 10 servings.
Holy mother of eff. These are a revelation. Who would think butter, cilantro, chipotle and orange juice would be dynamite?
Saucy Cherie 