Cheever Sauce

Sometimes it’s fight night inside my head. In one corner is my healthy, fit, skinny (!), self whose already drank her eight servings of water a day, ran 4 miles, and went to Bikram yoga…twice. And putting on her gloves in the other corner is my more lazier, indulgent, woke up at noon but will muster up enough energy to fight for right to eat carbs self. It’s easy to predict which side battles for the healthy meals and which one screams, “It’s Sunday and Westville’s Mac and Cheese is so close and accessible!” And while I would hope that after a couple rounds, my healthy side will win, it’s always good to have a back up plan.

This meal is a perfect compromise. A white flag if you will, that surrenders and satisfies both sides of my subconscious. This fish is light and fluffy and preparing it with a coconut crust is the perfect amount of indulgence that doesn’t put me over the edge. Oh, and did I mention that it tastes absolutely, positively, and incredibly delicious. The coconut crust has that deceptive deep fried feelings to it without all the added fat. This crunchy sweet fish is perfectly complimented by the salsa’s bitter radishes, cool cucumbers, fresh mint, mild scallions and bold garlic. It’s a genius combination of flavors and you can’t get enough. 

All in all this an amazing summer dish, that offers a fun mix of ingredients and flavors reminiscent of a tropical island feast. I served it with a side of brown basmati rice which I later mixed with the leftover salsa for my lunch the next day. If you’re looking for something new and different to make for dinner this week that satisfies both your healthy and indulgent sides - this meal is a winner. 

Read on for the recipe adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen:

I’ve kept this chili recipe on the back burner for a while. I was waiting to post it on that unbearably cold day that usually comes around this time of year. You know, to remind us that winter isn’t finished with us yet, usually freezing one into a depression because you begin to believe the cold will engulf you forever. Whelp, it’s now looking like we’re being spared this misery, so I am posting this as an au revoir to Winter: “Thanks! It’s been great. I appreciate the brief visit…I never really got wear my new snow boots but maybe see you in November? If you decide to even show up at all next year.”

Cold weather or warm weather, this recipe is the best chili you will ever cook in your life. My mom made it often for our family growing up. I. Could. Not. Get. Enough. It is incredibly flavorful and delicious, yet also surprisingly light for a hearty chili with not one unhealthy ingredient in the recipe. The chicken and beans give it its sustenance and ingredients like onions, jalapeno peppers, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce add a lot of kick and zing to the dish.

I was originally motivated to make this chili on my own (typically I ask…or beg for it on visits home to CT) when I couldn’t help but buy one of those “raised on an organic farm, happily fed and taken care of, lays golden eggs every morning” chickens from the Union Square Farmer’s Market and the vendor instructed me to boil this chicken “as long as I could possibly bear to.”  Ummm ok….

Nevertheless, I’m a sucker for slow cooking and I knew that I wanted my chili to have that pulled chicken consistency. Boiling the full chicken for 4 hours also allowed me to use homemade chicken stock where it called for it in the recipe, which really amped up the flavor. You could of course just boil your chicken normally and use store bought stock, but if you have the time, I would definitely recommend trying out the slow cooked route….as long as you can possibly bear to. 

Read on for the recipe:

Nothing encourages a stay at home and cook all day marathon like fresh fallen snow. Seems a bit backwards that during my first winter snowfall, a time when most people are out skiing, sledding, ice skating, and enjoying the fresh powder, I chose to spend the day in my kitchen. I’m not sure whether my pessimistic New Yorker attitude, dreading the thought of trekking through street sludge, only to discover that ongoing traffic won’t even slow down for me when I inevitable slip on ice while crossing the street, was keeping me indoors today. Because even without these homebody thoughts, something about the crisp winter air was telling me it was a day for cooking, and that same voice was telling me it was a day for cornbread.

Like I’ve stated before, baking isn’t my thing. But the chilly air was making me crave something that would compliment the warm and cozy atmosphere of my apartment, and nothing screams soul and comfort like corn bread. I love this particular recipe because it’s different than the cornbread I am used to in restaurants. Don’t get me wrong, I love the taste of a nice, sweet, fluffy, cake-like bread, but I try to keep things on the lighter side here, and this recipe does the trick.

This bread contains no butter, minimal sugar, and the sour cream (I used low-fat and it didn’t affect the flavor a bit) gives it a nice gooey consistency. The best addition is the Aleppo, which is a Turkish bright red pepper flake. This adds a subtle kick to the bread, which is a perfect addition to the corn flavor (If you don’t have aleppo flakes, feel free to use red pepper - but just use a fraction of the amount). The taste feels like less of a dessert and more like a bread with it’s grainy, hearty texture. It’s delicious on it’s own with butter and honey, but also amazing alongside a warm soup or chili. I will most certainly be serving it for breakfast tomorrow with a fried egg or two…

Onward for the recipe from Smitten Kitchen