Hot and Cold

Mediterranean holiday

Moroccan chicken with prunes, almonds and couscous

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Servings: 5

Braising chicken in a sauce that combines cinnamon, nutmeg and honey with a hint of saffron might sound surprising, but this is a delicious, spectacular dish. Some people sprinkle the chicken with toasted sesame seeds as well. If you'd like a touch of green, you can garnish the dish with fresh basil.

• 3 pounds chicken pieces
• 2 yellow onions, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 cup chicken stock, broth or water
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 1/3 cups pitted prunes
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 package (10 ounces) plain couscous, cooked to package directions
• 1/2 cup whole blanched almonds, lightly toasted

1. Combine chicken, onions, salt and pepper in a Dutch oven. Cover; cook over low heat, turning chicken pieces over occasionally, 5 minutes. Add cinnamon, stock and saffron. Heat to a boil over medium heat. Cover; simmer over low heat, turning pieces occasionally, until breast pieces are tender when pierced with a knife, 35 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cook remaining chicken pieces, until tender, covered, 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate.

2. Add prunes and honey to sauce; cook uncovered over medium heat until prunes are just tender, 5 minutes. Transfer prunes to a heated bowl; cover. Discard cinnamon stick. Cook sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Add nutmeg. Taste; adjust seasoning. Return chicken to pan. Cover; heat over low heat 5 minutes.

3. Fluff couscous with a fork; mound it on a heated platter. Arrange chicken around or over couscous; spoon sauce and prunes over chicken. Garnish with almonds.

Nutrition information:
Per serving: 785 calories, 30% of calories from fat, 26 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 115 mg cholesterol, 88 g carbohydrates, 48 g protein, 425 mg sodium, 8 g fiber.

Copyright © 2010, Tribune Media Services

Fried Spicy Anchovy mix

I love Anchovies my self, so I thought was kind of interesting. I have not tried it yet myself, but I do plan to... Kent@KensKreations

I'm sure you've eaten nut mix, or bombay mix, or similar mixture of fruits and nuts and spices. Well this is a Thai version, it's a snack  made from fried battered anchovies, dried chillies and spices.

The above one is with dried chillies and dried kaffir lime leaves.

But it also comes just as the fried anchovies on their own as a snack.

Fried green tomatoes

Once green could get the tomato sent to the guidance office, written up for bad attitude, lectured on lack of effort.

But times change, especially in the fall, when frost threatens to dispatch the tomato of any persuasion left hanging on the vine. These days counselors speak of multiple intelligences — not just keen math skills, but empathy, intuition and — I would hope — style.

Given a chance, the green tomato steps up. The fruit has a firm bite and something of the wild, spicy flavor that wafts from the plant's prickly looking stems.


It's starchy out of hand, but its thick flesh helps it hold up under heat. When soothed in a milk bath, spiked with cayenne, crumb-coated and pan-fried, the green tomato comes back with snappy, refreshing crunch.

Which isn't better than the gushingly ripe tomato. It's simply that delicious quality we've all learned to value: different.

Ingredients:
Green tomatoes
Salt
Milk
Flour
Egg, lightly beaten
Panko or other fine white breadcrumbs
Cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil

Prep:
Slice tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Season with salt.

Dip:
Set milk, flour, egg and panko out on separate plates. Season flour with a little salt and panko with a pinch of cayenne. Dip each tomato first in milk, then flour, egg and finally panko.

Fry:
Coat a heavy skillet with oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Fry tomatoes golden, 2-3 minutes per side. Enjoy with aioli or tucked into a rockin' BLT.

Leah Eskin is a Tribune special contributor. Contact her at leahreskin@aol.com

Baked zucchini, tomato tian

Summer's last holiday calls for the best from farmers markets. For 128 years, we have been celebrating -- or lamenting -- the unofficial end of summer with Labor Day picnics and parties. If you have plans for an outdoor feast, here's the simplest way to fuel the hungry.

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 50 minutes
Servings: 4

-- Adapted from " Williams-Sonoma: Cooking from the Farmers' Market."

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound plum tomatoes, sliced
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 tablespoon each, minced: fresh basil, fresh marjoram
1/4 cup chicken broth or water

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; add onion. Cook, stirring, about 10 minutes. Spread onion slices evenly over bottom of an oiled 2-quart baking dish. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste.

2. Alternate rows of tomato and zucchini slices over the onions. Sprinkle with basil and marjoram; season with remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste. Pour broth over vegetables. Cover; bake until vegetables are bubbling and tender, about 40 minutes.

Nutrition information:
Per serving: 88 calories, 69% of calories from fat, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 348 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune