Salted Caramel & Chocolate Matzo Bark

70% dark chocolate

dulce de leche, manjar, or caramel

matzo

sea salt

"Can someone please explain to me why, when I went to dry my hands, a piece of matzo fell out of the hand towel?"

-Natalie

I am not Jewish. Likewise, I don't eat flour, so this may seem an odd choice of recipe. But in spring of 2011, I had the most wonderful Passover dinner shared with people that became dear friends over the course of our study abroad program in Valparaiso, Chile. It was a night of beautiful people and beautiful food, with harmonica and piano playing, singing, talking and laughing.  Traditions were shared, such as the hiding of a piece of matzo somewhere in the house to be found by a seeker-- or, in this case, by someone who arrived late and came across it unwittingly.  Of all the delicious food that night-- chocolate covered pears, matzo ball soup, fish 'breaded' with ground walnuts--this is the recipe I wrote down.  Truthfully it is an ingredient list, as quantity of chocolate and caramel varies depending how many pieces of matzo you cover.

Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler; one can be jury-rigged by putting the chocolate in a pyrex dish in a saucepan partly filled with water and brought to a simmer.  Trader Joe's 70% Dark Chocolate worked well for this treat.  Spread over the matzo using a spatula or silicon pastry brush. Dip a spoon in the caramel and drizzle over the chocolate.  Top with several dashes of fresh-ground sea salt.  After everything cools and sets, break the bark into large pieces using your fingertips or the tip of the spoon.

Fried Frog's Legs

spring roll wrappers

dill pickles

Havarti cheese

bacon

No, not actual frog's legs. Which bears stating, since I do live in Louisiana and the dish is not uncommon especially outside New Orleans.  This is a restaurant dish that I've tweaked a little, and let me tell you-- it may sound weird, but give it a shot. They go very well with beer and a football game, and the cheesy/salt/bacon mix is crave-worthy.

After deciding whether you're feeding a crowd or just your late-night snack habit and buying ingredient amounts accordingly, cook up the bacon and leave the grease in the pan. Slice the pickles, bacon and cheese in long, thin spears. Follow the package instructions for preparing the spring rolls--usually it goes something along the lines of dipping them in warm water until soft and blotting with a paper towel until sticky.  Lay out the spring rolls and fill with cheese, pickles and bacon. Wrap tightly (use your best burrito rolling skills!) to avoid them coming apart in the pan or tearing. Fry in the bacon grease over medium-low heat until golden brown and crispy. Let cool and enjoy the cheesy goodness.

Pomegranate-Clementine Black Pepper Glazed Chicken & Sweet Potatoes

For the chicken:

 4-5lb. fryer chicken

3 cloves garlic

5tbs. butter, melted

3 bay leaves

1 sprig tarragon, finely chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

2tsp. sea salt

powdered garlic to taste

onion powder to taste

2 small sweet potatoes

drizzle of olive oil

sea salt & black pepper to taste

For the glaze:

2c. pomegranate juice

2 small clementines

1tsp. black pepper

I couldn't help feeling a small sense of accomplishment when I finished this dish. I've never roasted any whole animal before (as was evidence by my disgusted squealing when removing the neck and organs from the cavity of the chicken, much to my roommate's amusement). But this was simple to pull off, tasted delicious, and a great way to get back into cooking dishes more creative than an omelet. Grad school--not good for kitchen creativity. Or sufficient sleep.

Preheat oven to 425°. Mix the spices and chopped tarragon into the melted butter and pour both inside and outside the chicken, spreading it evenly with your fingers or a basting brush (if you can find yours--I was not so lucky).  Stuff the cavity with the onion and bay leaves. Chop the sweet potato and, after buttering a cast-iron skillet, toss the pieces in the skillet with olive oil, salt and pepper. Settle the chicken on top of the sweet potatoes and roast on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the pomegranate juice and pepper into a pot.  Peel and squeeze the clementines, adding the remnants of the fruit to the juice in the pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the glaze has reduced.

When the chicken is cooked through with a golden-brown skin, remove from the oven and brush the pomegranate citrus glaze over it.  Let cool slightly before carving.

Mustard-Lime Chicken with Bacon-Pineapple Hash

For the chicken:

2 drumsticks, 2 thighs

1/2c lime juice

1/4c  brown mustard

1tbs olive oil

1 1/2tbs red chile

sea salt & black pepper to taste

For the hash:

2 large strips bacon, chopped

1/4th yellow onion, diced

1/2 avocado, chopped

1/3c diced pineapple

Typically, I'm not a fan of explaining much outside the world of what's on the plate here, as I'm sure readers (you lovely, lovely readers who have stuck with me even through a period of neglect!) have noticed.  But I feel I must beg y'all's (well hello there Southernisms...) forgiveness for my total lack of attention.  This summer has been a wild ride, including a trip to Peru in June for bioarchaeology field school and a couple months of working doubles, having fun and working through some drama.  All topped off with the darling Hurricane Isaac in August!  Needless to say, I'm relieved things are calming down as I get back to class and back into the kitchen.

The first dish back when actually cooking something that does not involve eggs scrambled with _*insert ingredient here*_ is always daunting.  This combination is not one I'd exactly been planning on, and my creativity might've taken some liberties, but I liked how the flavors worked out. The chicken is actually of the invention of Elana's Pantry, so I take no credit for it although it has been tweaked.

At least an hour before you want dinner, whisk the marinade ingredients together until smooth and pour over the chicken in a shallow pyrex dish.  Let sit in the fridge half an hour or more, then bake at 400° for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Cook the diced bacon over medium heat until beginning to brown, then add the onions and cook until bacon is near crispy. Drain some of the grease, then lower the heat and add the pineapple and avocado and cook until the pineapple begins to caramelize.  Serve with the chicken, a squeeze of fresh lime and black pepper to taste.

Skillet Granny Smiths & Cheddar

1 granny smith apple
coconut oil

thin sliced strong cheddar cheese

handful raw pecans, crumbled

drizzle of honey (optional)

This is another one of those ridiculously--and I do mean ridiculously--easy dishes.  If you like the combination of sharp cheese and tangy granny smith apples on salads, you'll love it in dessert.  Pecans add some crunch and, if you want to be especially decadent, a drizzle of local honey (or some from your Pop-Pop's bee hives) really tops everything off.


Slice the apple thinly and heat it in the coconut oil over medium-low until the fruit is soft or lightly browned.  Turn off the heat and toss the pecans in the pan with the apple.  Serve, topping with the cheese and honey.  Toss briefly to mix.  Serves 1-2.