Lemon and Garlic Cutlets or Pollo A La Plancha Con Ajo y Limón

cutlets with greek salad

I like to make 3-4 of these cutlets on Sunday nights to use in several meals during the week.  I find that it is a good idea to keep a few chicken cutlets in the freezer and then pull them as needed.  The best thing about these cutlets is that my toddler has started to eat them again thinly sliced on a regular basis; he went through a stretch of time rejecting them any any shape or form.


I like to switch up these cutlets with the breaded ones (see earlier post).  Both recipes go well with a myriad of side-dishes.  Some favorites are quinoa salad, oven-baked sweet potato fries, greek salad (seen here in picture), and apricot, all-spice rice (coming up in post soon).  


These lemon and garlic chicken cutlets go great with just about everything. 


What you need:
chicken or turkey cutlets, have your butcher pound them out as thin as you like them
lemons for juice

side of oven-roasted
sweet potatoes 

thinly sliced garlic
salt/pepper/paprika all optional


What to do:
Wash and dry cutlets.  Season with salt, pepper and seasonings if using.


Add oil to pan,  I use electic skillet.


When oil is hot, about medium heat, add cutlets.  Move cutlets around to prevent sticking.


As they brown up,  squeeze lemon juice and throw in garlic.


Keep adding lemon juice to add flavor and to prevent chicken from sticking.


You can finish cooking directly in skillet or pan.  You can also move to a 350 degree oven.

2 Kinds of Beans, 2 Seconds To Prepare, 2 Yummy Snacks!

roasted chickpeas
with salt and garlic powder

I like to roast chickpeas with some spices.  I find them satisfying and a good replacement for cocktail peanuts at a cocktail party.  In fact, these roasted chickpeas have been a replacement for any kind of tree-nuts for me.  Sprinkle them for some added bite and crunch to a salad or serve them as-is as a snack.


I never thought to try something similar with black beans.  The February 2011 Real Simple magazine features these roasted black beans (along with kale chips, see post!) in an article titled, "the 30 healthiest foods".


I am curious to see if my toddler likes these snacks or if he will even try them.  


Please note, that chickpeas are a legume, so those with a peanut allergy may also be allergic to chickpeas.


Roasted Chickpeas
Rinse drain and dry can of chickpeas. On a baking sheet, toss chickpeas with olive oil,salt,pepper,garlic powder and dash of cayenne pepper (you can add splash of balsamic vinegar or change up seasoning-try cinnamon and sugar!).  Make sure well-coated.  Roast at 400-450 degrees (I have compared several recipes and temperatures vary greatly) until crispy, about 30-40 minutes.


Roasted Black Beans
On a baking sheet, toss canned black beans with olive oil, ground cumin, and salt.  Roast at 450 degrees until crispy, about 10 minutes.  

Egg Whites in Red Wine

It never would have occurred to me to question egg as an allergen in wine.  I stumbled across this topic in the Allergic Living forum.  


http://allergicliving.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3154


I decided to contact a winery in Chile, Cono Sur, to get some information from the source.  
The winery promptly responded via email and informed me that they do not use any eggs in any part of the winemaking process.  


Big sigh of relief!  For now, I will continue using Cono Sur wine in my cooking.  At the same time, I will be double checking with more of our favorite Chilean wineries.

Allergic Living Forum

Allergic Living magazine has a wonderful forum.  Check it out:

http://www.allergicliving.com/forum/

Homemade Chicken Soup

My toddler's favorite bowl of chicken soup:
with added frozen green beans and brown rice

Chicken soup is my toddler's favorite meal.  He could eat it everyday and he usually does.  I switch up the grains, pasta and veggies accordingly.  I probably make on average 2 pots of stock/broth every week.  I either make it on the stove-top (this post reflects that version) or I make it in my Thermomix (that version will come in a later post).  


I like that we always have chicken broth as a flavor base for more other soups and meals. Nothing for dinner one night?  No worries, just add some buckwheat noodles to the broth, add your chicken back in, throw in whatever veggies you have in the fridge, and you have a nutritious meal in no time.  In the winter, I like to add some fresh ginger and garlic, while the broth is simmering,   My husband and I then add some cayenne pepper, black pepper and fresh lemon juice to our own bowls.  

stock simmering while starting a pot of Bolognese 

I like to make a batch of broth or stock on the weekends at the same time as I make sauce or a braised meat dish. That way, I just ladle the fresh broth/stock when needed. Having homemade chicken broth/stock in the refrigerator or freezer cuts out having to read the ingredient labels of the store-bought variety in the grocery store.  And if you make the broth by poaching whole pieces of chicken (just ask butcher to cut whole chicken up for you!)  you have meat to use in different dishes throughout the week.  Visit: http://searchwarp.com/swa218164.htm 
to learn more about the difference between stock and broth. 


It is so easy to make a batch of stock or broth and then freeze for later use. I learned how to make chicken soup from my mother.  Since I do not have my own set of instructions, here is my adapted version of how I make stock from marthastewart.com.  You can go to her website and enter both "chicken broth" and "chicken stock" to better understand the difference.


What you need (quantity varies depending on how much you want to make):
Whole pieces of chicken, bone-in and skin on.  My mom calls whole cut-up bird a "pullet"
Carrots cut in 1 inch pieces.  I like to cut on the diagonal
Celery cut in 1 inch pieces.  I like to cut on the diagonal 
1-2 bay leaves
Bunch of dill
1 Garlic clove
You can add peppercorns and chunks of onion for additional flavor
    


What to do:
Combine all ingredients in a stock pot and cover with water by 2 inches.


Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook chicken until no longer pink in center and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat (avoiding bone) registers 160 degrees.  If adding rice, add towards the end.


Transfer chicken to a rimmed baking sheet; arrange in a single layer, and let cool. With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables. Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve (lined with a damp paper towel). 


Once cooled, refrigerate for up to 2 days (I have heard that up to a week is ok, not sure!), or freeze for up to 3 months.


When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin and bones. Shred with forks (see above) or chop chicken, as desired. 

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Poached Chicken Breasts and Chicken Broth - Martha Stewart Recipes Read more at Marthastewart.com: Basic Chicken Stock - Martha Stewart Recipes 

Searching: spices made in sesame-free and egg-free facility

I have not found spices I am completely comfortable with.  I have my pantry stocked with Frontier/Simply Organics and Whole Foods 365.  My toddler has not had a problem with any of these spices to date (we had been using them prior to confirmed sesame allergy). Still, I feel like I should do more research in order to find a brand that does not process or package sesame.  


Thus far I have contacted several companies. All responded promptly.   


Frontier:  Company's customer service informed me the facility is not allergen free. They do not state that any of their products are allergen free. They follow strict Good Manufacturing Practices to minimize the potential for cross-contamination, but do not test for the presence of allergens in final products. Both eggs and sesame are present in their facility. Since they utilize the same lines for allergen and non allergen spices, to be on the safe side, they unfortunately recommend not purchasing this line of products. Customer Service emailed a list which includes the allergens present in their facility below. 


www.OrganicSpices.com: Company's customer service informed me that they do not carry or offer egg in their plant however they do pack sesame seeds in their facility.  They stressed that there is always some risk of cross contamination.


Whole Foods 365 organics:  The label in Canada states, "Good manufacturing practices used to segregate ingredients in a facility that also processes tree nut, milk, egg, wheat and soy ingredients."  So, no sesame is mentioned (It has to be since sesame is considered priority allergen), but egg is listed.  Personally, I am ok with with the tree-nut warning.  As a mother, I am not comfortable taking the risk for my child.  


As you can see, the labeling practices are not consistent.  Is the Whole Foods 365 organics more safe or less safe than the the other brands compared in this post? It's the only brand of the three in this post that has allergy information printed on the product. Should a consumer assume that if no allergen information is present, than the product is safe?  


The allergic individuals have the responsibility of making sense of labels.  We all have different comfort levels with labeling, but I think that we can agree that it is a hard call to make when, as a parent, you are making the decision for a child.  


Do we contact each and every company to inquire about their facilities?  This process could drive anyone nuts.


I am hoping that someone has already done similar research and can share there results with me. 

Kale Chips

I see recipes for kale chips everywhere these days.  They are gaining popularity, and they have with my family.   For the allergic community, this vegetable chip is beyond great: crunchy, delicious, easy to make and free of all top allergens!


I buy a bunch of kale every week.  I use half to make chips and the other half is thrown into pasta and soups and meatloaf.  


I spin the leaves in my Oxo salad spinner.  My toddler loves to push the button repeatedly.  Get your toddlers involved and I'm sure you will even get them to eat a plate-full of kale.  


I have a few kale chips recipes in my files.  I am posting one I have from this February's Real Simple magazine.  


What you need:
Bunch of kale
olive oil
salt and pepper (you can add garlic powder, cayenne or any other spices you like)


What to do:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line baking tray with parchment paper.


Tear leaves off from stems into pieces.


Toss with olive oil and seasonings.


Spread on baking sheet.  Try to not have edges touching to prevent soggy chips. 


Bake for about 20-30 minutes.  This is the hardest part of the recipe, it takes some practice to know when they are ready.