Crispy Smelt with a Parsley Lemon Viniagrette

Crispy Smelt with Parsley Lemon Vinaigrette

I LOVE Smelt, LOVE them. In fact I love them so much I wish that I could eat them year round.  If you've never tried smelt, then after you read this blog, stop by your grocery store, and get some! They are rich in omega-3 fatty acid, so not only are they delicious, but they're great for you. Smelt are small boned fish, like anchovies, so you can eat them whole, even the head. if you're so inclined. If you're really lucky, like I have been thus far, you'll find them fresh at your grocer.  I'm told that most grocers sell them frozen in bags.  Fresh is best, but these are so good that I would imagine they would still be good even after they've been frozen and defrosted. But if you have a choice, why not choose fresh?

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
1 pound of Smelt (cleaned)
1/2 cup of coconut flour
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup of coconut oil

Ingredients for Parsley Lemon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup of fresh organic flat leaf parsley finely chopped
5 tablespoons of Lemon juice
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic grated
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions: Melt the coconut oil in a cast iron skillet, and bring up to temperature. Season the smelt with sea salt and pepper:

Dredge through the coconut flour, coating all sides of the fish with the flour:

Carefully add the fish to the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides, about 5-7 minutes:

 Add the ingredients for the parsley lemon vinaigrette to a bowl and whisk until well combined, spoon over the fish and enjoy! These make a great appetizer at a party, just make sure that you buy enough, because no one can eat just one of these!

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Greek Marinated Lamb chops

 Greek Lamb Chops

The FoodSaver that my husband gave me for Christmas this year has turned out to be one of my favorite kitchen gadgets of all time! I absolutely love it. I can place meat into a container and push a button and 10 minutes later I have marinated meat! And not just meat marinated on the surface, the marinade goes throughout the meat. The process of sucking the air out and pulsing the marinade in, produces tender, delicious, and fully marinaded meat. It's so awesome that I'm smiling just typing this. I love it when a kitchen gadget does what it's supposed to do, and I love it more when it saves me time in the kitchen. I've been using my new gadget a lot lately and testing out some fun marinades. This lamb marinade is just one of the many, many delicious marinades coming up on the blog for you.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes


Ingredients:
6 lamb chops
1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary chopped finely
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 clove of garlic grated or crushed
1/4 cup of organic Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
In a medium bowl combine ingredients 2-6. Season the lamb chops with sea salt and black pepper then place them in the marinade and toss. Let marinate for 10-20 minutes. Pre-heat the oven 425F, place the lamb chops on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes, remove from the oven and enjoy!

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Oregano

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Oregano

It is officially lemon season! I love lemons, I love the smell of them, the tastes of them, but most of all I love cooking with them. This recipe is perfect for the cold weather we are having here in California. Nothing warms up a house better than roasting chicken, and while I avoid using my stove  11 months of the year, I always love to use it in December. Maybe it's the Christmas season, I don't know, but there is just something about pulling something out of my actual oven  that makes me feel in tune with the season.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs skin on
1 lemon divided in half with one half sliced thinly into rings and the other half cut into 2 wedges
1/4 cup of onion chopped finely
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup of white wine Sauvignon Blanc
1/2 cup of low sodium chicken stock
1 clove of garlic
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425 F. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a skillet. Season chicken with sea salt and black pepper, then add it skin side down to the skillet. Allow to brown, without turning for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked half  through. Pour off excess oil, maintaining a thin layer of oil in the pan. Place half the lemon slices on the bottom of the pan, and the other half on top of the chicken.  Move the skillet to oven and allow chicken cook through about another 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken  from oven, and transfer to a plate. Add in the onion, oregano, garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet and let cook for 2 minutes, remove the skillet from the fire, add in the wine and give a quick stir. Return the skillet to the fire  cook for 2 minutes and add the chicken stock cook for another 3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened a bit,  add in the remaining olive oil. Return the chicken to the skillet. At this point you can taste the sauce to see if you need more lemon, I usually add in the juice of one of the two remaining wedges. Add sea salt and black pepper if necessary,  serve and enjoy!

What is your favorite cold weather oven meal?

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Braised Chicken in Caper Sauce

Braised Chicken in Caper Sauce

I love capers, something about their salty brininess speaks to my taste buds. This dish is so simple, and easy to make. All the work is in remembering that you're cooking it, so that you don't burn down the house!


Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1lb of chicken ( I used skinless, boneless thighs, you can use bone in with skin, but just be aware it will extend the cooking time a bit.)
1/3 cups white wine vinegar
1.5 cups of organic chicken broth
1/3 cup of capers drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of fresh parsley
1 medium onion
Sea salt and black pepper to taste


Directions:

• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with sea salt and black pepper, then add the chicken and brown on both sides. Add in the  onion; cook, stirring often, until softened. Add the parsley, and capers to skillet; cook for 1 minute. 
  
  
  
  
  
  Stir in broth and vinegar.  Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until meat is tender and  cooked through falling off the bone, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a large platter. Spoon sauce over chicken; garnish with parsley.