Dukkah Crusted Chicken Tendersfeatured
Until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of dukkah, and now it seems to be everywhere (I even saw jar of it at Trader Joe’s the other day). Hmm…is this proof that the folks at McCormick really can tell the future of flavor?
You see, I first learned of dukkah (an aromatic Middle Eastern spice and nut blend), when I did this sneak preview of McCormick’s Flavor Forecast 2013. A dukkah spice blend was featured as part of the “Empowered Eating” trend, which is all about not sacrificing flavor for healthfulness.
I was immediately intrigued by the aromatic blend of toasted nuts and seeds. Dukkah is traditionally sprinkled on olive oil-dipped pita bread, but it can also be used as a versatile topping, sprinkled over roasted vegetables, pasta, or even as a crust on fish or meat. And then the light bulb went off.
Hello, Dukkah Crusted Chicken Tenders.
Fried chicken fingers get a healthy and flavorful makeover with this baked version. You still get that chicken strip crispy crunchiness you know and love, but the taste factor is punched up with toasted hazelnuts, sesame, coriander, and cumin.
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Apple Crumb Cake: A Naughty Version of Nicefeatured
I first tasted this apple cake at a lovely brunch my friend, Leslie, hosted about a year ago. It was a simple, satisfying cake, full of juicy chunks of apples, warm spices, and a bit of crunch on the surface and around the edges. As I helped myself to a second serving, I grilled Leslie for the details and she promised it was silly easy – a one bowl affair that didn’t even require a mixer. Sold.
Leslie’s apple cake is awesome as is. I made minor tweaks to it, cutting down a bit of the sugar and swapping in olive oil for the light vegetable oil. This cake feels wholesome. The kind of breakfast cake or snacking cake I could whip up on a whim and eat without feeling guilty.
Sometimes though, times call for something…well, a little less wholesome. Sorry Les, I got nasty with this apple cake. I added two sticks of butter and layered it with thick swaths of decadent New York-style crumb topping. I know, I’m a depraved soul. Forgive me. Or, um, thank me 🙂
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High Five Fridays: Weekly Meal Plan, Comfort and Joyfeatured
Happy High Five Friday, friends! Sending you hugs and ho ho hos this weekend, whether you’re heading home for the holidays or plan on cozying up with some good movies. I, for one, will be queuing up Love Actually, Elf, and the greatest movie that ever was, The Sound of Music. Wishing you all, Comfort & Joy 🙂
- Ad Hoc’s Leek Bread Pudding. A friend made this savory bread pudding for his Friendsgiving feast this year and it was ridiculous. We’re talking uber indulgent, uber delicious. Crispy and brown on top, rich and custardy inside, and aside from the generous amounts of gruyere, heavy cream, and whole milk in this, it is made with BRIOCHE. I mean, if you can’t indulge now, when can you?
- Rosemary Scented Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter. Homemade pumpkin ravioli may be a bit labor intensive, but this labor of love will not go unappreciated by whoever is lucky enough to eat them. P.S. Brown butter FTW.
- Pancetta Mac and Cheese. A post themed Comfort & Joy would not be complete with this ooey, gooey, creamy, saucy, ultimate mac and cheese. Plus, special touches like pancetta bits and pretty herb-flecked panko crust make it worthy of gracing your holiday table.
- Blood Orange Salad with Olives. This beautiful composed salad is just the thing to bring some fresh vibrance to the mix. Can’t find blood oranges? Use regular oranges and throw in a grapefruit for a burst of tartness and color.
- TREAT YO SELF: Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie. Warm pecan pie is a bit of a tradition on Christmas Eve at my house, and I love this modern take on it. After all, chocolate does make everything better.
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Holiday Bread Wreath with Honey Butterfeatured
‘Tis the season for gathering around the table with loved ones and breaking bread together. In the spirit of this, I wanted to share one of my favorite party tricks today. This bread wreath is always a stunner at dinner parties, and would be a beautiful, festive touch for any holiday table. I wrote about it once before, ages ago, but it is so good, it deserves to be exhumed from the archives.
I first came across this recipe in Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois’ Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day. The wreath is created by forming the dough into a ring and then cutting it with a pair of kitchen scissors at a sharp angle. It is super easy and makes for an impressive presentation. For a great step-by-step visual of how to do this, check out their post here.
You can use this wreath technique using any dough recipe, but my favorite is this easy Whole Wheat Honey Rolls recipe. This wholesome bread bakes up tender and soft, and is full of good things like buttermilk, honey, and butter.
The best part of this bread though is the HONEY BUTTER that you should make to go with it. Honey butter is actually the second party trick here. It is dead simple – literally, you just mix together softened butter and honey – but the result is pure, homey, bliss.
Enjoy this bread wreath, friends! Pass it around while it’s still warm, let people rip a hunk off for themselves, and don’t forget to slather it in honey butter goodness.
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