Yesterday was, of course, farmers market day! It is fall in most parts of the world so the squash and pumpkins and I thought, great, I can make butternut squash soup. Alas, Los Angeles thinks it is still summer. At 3pm yesterday it was at least 80 degrees outside and even warmer in my apartment. I decided then and there I would have to hold onto the squash I bought and use the collard greens I bought instead. No big loss, but I was looking forward to learning how to cut up a squash and make the soup from scratch. There's always this weekend. I also bought several pomegranates which are beautiful and completely in season thus inspiring my main dish, Pomegranate Chicken.
The Menu was as follows:
Pomegranate Chicken: from Kosher By Design by Susie Fishbein http://www.amazon.com/Kosher-Design-Picture-Perfect-Holidays/dp/1578197074/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288386252&sr=8-1 (I am discovering that the jews really know their stuff when it comes to cooking. I really like this cookbook a lot.
Spicy Sweet Collards: Recipe by Aaron McCargo Jr http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/spicy-sweet-collards-recipe/index.html
Left over Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Shallots - Cooking Light http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dynaction=displayRecipe&recipe_id=50400000107525
Everything ended up tasting good but again, I ran into some road blocks and I think I was off my game last night because it felt like chaos in my kitchen instead of calm.
First of all, the chicken calls for Pomegranate Syrup. Luckily my mother in law had some in her kitchen, otherwise I would have been SOL. Apparently you can only find the stuff at specialty food stores. Next, I didn't read the recipe through thoroughly (which I'm learning is one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make) and discovered too late in the game that it calls for marinating the chicken overnight or longer! I tried the recipe anyway, but I think the chicken could have been far more flavorful and tender had I actually marinated it for longer than an hour and a half. Another problem I encountered is the recipe book tells you to sear the chicken skin side down at high heat for approx. 5 minutes till its perfectly seared. I tried the breast first and burnt it to a crisp even though I followed the directions exactly. I think that because I have an electric stove the times are all off. For the rest I merely seared the chicken for a minute and pulled it off, next time I might sear it at a lower heat. The picture below is only of a portion of the chicken. I forgot to photograph it before we started eating it.
The greens were easy-peasy and very tasty. The husband took seconds then thirds, fantastic sign!
The whole meal was healthy and came in under 450 calories, give or take.
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