No. 613Recipe Card Posted on Leave a comment

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon | Bijouxs Little Jewels

ON THE MENU tonight, Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon, a favorite No. 613 in the Membership Collection.

Tagines are exotic and comforting at the same time: the pungent spices, a juxtaposition of the salty and sweet, combined with meats and vegetables gently simmered tender in a delicate broth create a different take on a comforting stew. This simple chicken tagine is a Bijouxs I would like to share.

ABOUT TAGINES

More info: Tagine is the name of the stew, and also the name of the beautiful glazed clay vessel in which tagines are prepared. No worry, you do not need a tagine (the vessel) to make a tagine (the stew) – a heavy Dutch oven with a lid will do. The things I love about tagines (the stews), besides the incredible layers of flavors, are that they are easy to prepare and utilize less-expensive cuts of meats, pure Bijouxs.

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon | Bijouxs Little Jewels

SIMPLE RECIPE

The basic technique for most tagines is rather simple, place the meat in the tagine (or dutch oven) add the vegetables, spices, and water, then cover and simmer, that’s it. Most tagines do not require an initial browning of the meat and utilize dried spices, olives, etc. many available in your pantry.

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon | Bijouxs Little Jewels

COOKING IN A TAGINE

In my beautiful azure blue tagine I purchased long ago from Global Table in NYC, it is import to heat the tagine slowly on the stove, a flame tamer really helps. I recently found a pretty tagine at Willams Sonoma. The key is that the ingredients do not dry out due to the conical shape of the lid which keeps the liquids flowing back onto the ingredients. Important for getting really tender chicken in this recipe.

Enjoy this recipe!

No. 609Recipe Card Posted on Leave a comment

Fusilli with Anchovy Butter & Lemon Garlic Breadcrumbs

Fusilli with Anchovy Butter & Lemon Garlic Breadcrumbs | Bijouxs Little Jewels

This recipe is a preview from my new cookbook “Simple Italian”. Curly spirals of Fusilli pasta are bathed in a mild anchovy butter, then tossed with crispy Garlic-Lemon Breadcrumbs-Recipe No.609 from the Membership Collection.

FUSILLI PASTA

Fusilli is one of the loved pasta shapes, the curly spirals are the prefect vessel to grab and hold the sauce, in this case, a mild Anchovy Butter pan sauce. I know, anchovy butter does not get your attention but the mild Unami flavor is an Italian classic. This recipe is a take on one from Ina Garten’s Be My Guest with Bobby Flay. So if Ina likes it, it has to be good.

GARLIC LEMON BREADCRUMBS

The crowning glory to the pasta are the Toasted Garlic-Lemon Breadcrumbs, not be to missed. The crispy crunch is the perfect finish for the creamy pasta. Beautiful Food by design.

SIMPLE ITALIAN FOOD

Simple Italian Cookbook | Bijouxs Little Jewels

This recipe is a preview of my 5th cookbook “Simple Italian” in now production. This project is close to home, with many of the recipes from my own family kitchen. Coming soon!

 

No. 580Recipe Card Posted on Leave a comment

Seared Halibut & Lemon Caper Sauce

Seared Halibut & Lemon Caper Sauce | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Living along the Southern California coast in my early days meant mountains of fresh fish available almost everywhere. Turns out I was a foodie even at 5 years old. I always ordered fresh pan seared halibut with lemon & butter at a local restaurant–Seared Halibut & Lemon Caper Sauce is another Bijouxs Little Jewel from the Collection.

5 YEAR OLD FOODIE

I began my love of food and my selective taste palate early on, I knew what I liked. Vegetables, salads and fresh fish were among my favs. I sensed a bit of agitation from my family for my very particular tastes, only food prepared a certain way. There are a few things I did not eat then and still avoid to this day, such as mayonnaise or ANY creamy salad dressings. I loved my Italian simple school lunch of dry salami on sourdough bread with a little oil and vinegar. Yes, my tastes have remained the same. Who knows that picky child may be a budding foodie!

FRIDAY NIGHT FISH

My family did engage in the ‘fish on Friday’ routine and we were lucky enough to have a great casual fish restaurant nearby. Long ago fish was not the pricy splurge it is now, we were working class folks, but still able to enjoy a night out for fresh fish. The restaurant served thick pieces of fresh halibut pan seared served with fresh lemons, this was my favorite. I rarely ordered anything different, I knew what I liked and still do.

Sharing another Little Jewel from the Kitchen – Seared Halibut & Lemon Caper Sauce. Join the Recipe Club Membership to access all 580 recipes anytime.

 

No. 572Recipe Card Posted on 1 Comment

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Capers, Dill and Lemon

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Capers, Dill and Lemon | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Capers, Dill and Lemon is a beautiful, simple weeknight dinner. Recipe No. 572 from the Membership Collection.

SIMPLE SALMON

Slow roasting is a simple method to produce a tender salmon you will repeat often. Simplicity is one of the watch words here in the Bijouxs Kitchen. I know life can be extremely busy, so many things pulling your attention. This salmon is a no-stress cook, giving you time for a glass of wine and check the mail.

SLOW ROASTING

If you have not slow roasted any fish, this method is great for keeping the salmon tender without drying it out, which many times happens when you roast salmon. This method came to my attention when taking a cooking class eons ago taught by Chef Paula Wolfort. Her books are classic, I enjoy her Slow Mediterranean Kitchen cookbook. Full of Little Jewels.
I also have a Slow Roasted Salmon with Salsa Verde recipe on my website.

BEAUTIFULLY SIMPLE FOOD

Your Collection Membership gives you full access to all 572 Recipes. A perfectly portable cookbook, no lugging a big book around, all the recipes are easily accessible via your phone. Handy when picking up ingredients at the market. Enjoy this Collection, created for the home cook in mind.

 

No. 562Recipe Card Posted on Leave a comment

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Autumn is here and with the season arrive persimmons, a perennial favorite in the Bijouxs Kitchen here with a new recipe. Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars made with a little gleaning, always a little jewel in the kitchen.

GLEANING FRUITS & VEGETABLES

Let’s start with the gleaning of the persimmons. Gleaning is new term to me, defined as the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers’ fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest. Turns out I have been gleaning for years.

 Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

Along my neighborhood walks I find crops of fruit and vegetables that have fallen to the ground, soon to be food for the critters. I’m careful not to encroach, but lemons, avocados, and persimmons which all thrive in the beach-influenced climate fall off the tree, often sitting for a days are perfect candidates for gleaning. I know my neighbors and they have give me clear reign to collect fallen fruit.

PERSIMMONS IN FALL

Persimmons have a storied place in my blog. Some of my very first posts way back in 2012, with my recipe for Persimmon Pudding, which is the crown jewel recipe for the season. I also have made wonderful cookies which were shared by a dear friend.  I only had a small gleaning of 4 persimmons which I had used in a “punk ikebana” floral workshop with the amazing Ojai artist Louesa Roebuck. I love her works are her books are amazing, so beautiful check them out here.

PERSIMMON BARS

I was seeking a new way to use persimmons, and with only four I had some limits. It is a natural jump from cookies to bars, which is where my mind went, sort of a persimmon bar like a brownie. Seems there are a plethera of persimmon bar recipes, so I had some choices. This recipe is one of the minimalist recipes, close to a cookie but thicker and softer with a crackling lemon glaze.

Now, my four ‘gleaned’ persimmons may appear a bit sad, however, I ripened them in a paper bag along with an apple. Although they had not visually changed they were soft and ripe, perfect to cook with.

This bar recipe is very easy. I used my stand mixer to complete the final mix of the batter, but you can do it by hand. I found that if the baked bars are covered, they are even better the next day, with the crackling lemon glaze.

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars |Bijouxs Little Jewels

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Persimmons are fall’s little jewels.