Baked Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Artichokes

Now that we have all these preserved lemons, what to do?? How about an awesome Moroccan-themed oven-roasted chicken, served over couscous? Sounds yummy to me. I cooked mine in my new Le Creuset Dutch Oven (thanks Mom and Dad!!), but any ol' baking dish will do!

Once you have the preserved lemons, the rest of the recipe is incredibly simple. Essentially just toss everything together in a baking dish and throw in the oven.

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How to Preserve Lemons

I'm not at all experienced with Meyer lemons, but what I have heard/read about them is that they are perfect for preserving, which is another first for me! I went to the Container Store and bought a singular canning jar (since I don't have plans to make this a habit...yet) that seals via boiling. The actual preserving process was stupidly easy, and I now know that the results are kinda awesome, so if I do come across Meyer lemons again I know what I'm gonna do.

If you have seen these lemons at the store, I recommend trying your hand at canning to preserve them! As mentioned previously, Meyer lemons are slightly sweeter and less tart than regular lemons; preserving them only enhances these attributes. The actual preserving is no more than adding a buttload of salt and sealing them in a jar with their juices. Then waiting, for at least 3 weeks. Read on for the steps!

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Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had as great a holiday as I did. I know I promised my next post would be on preserving lemons, but you'll have to be patient. They are still sitting in the fridge a'preservin' and I didn't feel like taking them out for photos just yet. So instead I'm posting a recipe for an amazing appetizer I used to buy frozen all the time (...and eat the entire tray myself, but who's counting). I decided a while back that I wanted to try my hand at making spanakopita myself. This particular recipe has three different kinds of onions, but don't fear because the end product is definitely not overwhelming in the onion department. However, the flavors meld deliciously with the spinach and feta cheese. Serve that up in a flaky, crusty phyllo dough and your guests are sure to swoon! I won't lie, working with phyllo dough is time-consuming and can be frustrating at times when the dough breaks apart, but it's totally worth it for special occasions.

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Meyer Lemon Mojitos

I recently received some goodies to try out from Frieda's, a specialty produce company based in California. Frieda's products can be found at Giant Eagle stores which are all over Pittsburgh, but there is also one located in Frederick, MD, for my more local readers. In the package were shallots, red pearl onions, and Meyer lemons. I decided to experiment first with the Meyer lemons, since I've never used them before. Meyer lemons are smaller and a little sweeter than regular lemons, making them a perfect option for preserving (next post!) and using in drinks. When coming up with ideas, I remembered that ancient saying: "When life hands you lemons, make lemon mojitos!" Yup, that was it.

The Meyer lemon is on the left!

I have to admit, I've had trouble making a great mojito at home, but this recipe, even though a slight twist on the regular lime mojito, really hit the mark!

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Farro with Apples, Almonds, and Smoked Mozz

So, I had 80% of this post written the other day and I accidentally hit my browser's back button a bunch of times, losing the entire thing. I thought there would at least be some of it saved, but no! None! So I threw in the towel. But I'm back and ready to post again, no longer angry at the computer. For the time being, at least. Anyway, to the foods.

Farro is another one of those ancient grains that is just now becoming popular in the U.S. It reminds me a bit of barley, but with more of a bite to it. It's hearty and healthy and a perfect alternative to pasta or rice in soups, bakes, or on its own as a salad. This recipe does just that - farro served with a delicious combo of apples, toasty almonds, dried cranberries, and smoked mozzarella. It would have been great as-is, but we were in a non-vegetarian mood so I baked some breaded chicken cutlets and served those on top. Delicioso! FYI the breaded chicken recipe is awesome in general for all your breaded chicken needs (chicken parm sandwich, salad, etc.).

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Oma's Gulyasleves (Goulash Soup)

Goulash is a staple in the Hungarian diet, and our family was no exception. Oma (my grandmother) always had a piping hot bowl of goulash ready for us, served with a heap of nokedli (like spaetzle noodles). She always knew to make extra nokedli when I was coming over, since I tended to have a bowl of nokedli with a dash of goulash on top. I've gotten a little better about that now, but still, goulash without nokedli is like summer without sand, or Ben without Jerry.

This soup is easy to make and has few ingredients, but packs a lot of flavor. Note that Hungarians eat their goulash as a soup, while Czech's tend to have it as a stew. We do it the Magyar way. This is the second recipe from Oma that I've posted. They are all near and dear to my heart!

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Seared Scallops over Celeriac and Rutabaga Puree

I've never cooked with celeriac (aka celery root) nor rutabagas, so this post can easily qualify as a "branching out" recipe. I haven't done one of those in a long time! I had a Groupon for Whole Foods, so decided to use it on fresh sea scallops, a treat in our house. Um, and $100 worth of produce and other goodies... but let's not split hairs. That's how they get ya!

Celeriac is an ugly, bulbous-looking root of a kind of celery plant. The greens that grow off it may look like celery, but they do not taste as good. I saved mine for chicken stock. Rutabaga is in the turnip family and also not very attractive, but fear not! Both are unoffensive yet have distinct flavors that are perfect for wintery soups, vegetable roasts, and purees. For an easy yet ridiculously fancy-shmance-sounding dinner to impress the in-laws, give this a whirl!

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