Fave Recipes V

• Harissa Chicken Thighs

I religiously read the New York Times Food section every week, but for the most part I'm not keen on their recipes. Too complicated. Too ethnic. Too treif. 

But every once in a while, I hit upon something with potential. Although harissa is probably the furthest thing from the comforts of my Hungarian seasoning, I was intrigued.  

I bought harissa online, and based on the online comments altered the recipe a bit. 

• It called for 3 tablespoons; I used 1 1/2. 

• It called for skin on; all my chicken goes naked. 

• It called for shallots; eh, I used leek. 

• It called for chicken stock; I didn't bother. (The following week I made it again at Han's request, but since I had leftover soup I used it. It made the sauce too thin.) 

• It called for cilantro; I hate cilantro. Nuh-uh. 

• One commenter mentioned a splash of white wine; I had an open bottle of Chateauneuf, why not?

• It called for a very short cooking time; I give all my chicken thighs/legs a solid 90 minutes of simmering. 

My audience loved it. Like I wrote, when asked, Han requested it again. I forgot to take a picture. Here's the one that goes with the recipe: 

• No Way That's Healthy Delicious Maple Vinaigrette 

I linked this one a few centuries ago, and it is worth a reminder. This salad dressing is perfection. It's the only one I use, really, besides the homemade tossing of haphazard ingredients (olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, black pepper).  

Via Aggies Kitchen

I bought a bag of "Power Greens" from Costco (kale, collard greens, and spinach), chopped up a cucumber and an orange pepper, then drizzled this on top. 

Han requested a big bottle of it to use at work. Thank you, Rena! 

• Couldn't Be Pareve Lemon Mousse

I linked this recipe eeeeeeoooooons ago, and it's still a winner. I'm obsessed with lemon. I think it's the perfect palate-cleanser following a heavy Shabbos meal. 

I don't use a microwave; I make the yolk batter on a teeny-tiny flame on the stove while constantly stirring. Nor do I bother with the whites over boiling water; eggs tend to be pasteurized, and after eating raw cake batter my whole life I have yet to be felled by glorious eggs.  

Via Confidently Keto. I did not serve mine with lemon slices on the glass.

I made this when hosting a guest for Friday night. I topped the mousse with some blueberries. The guest flashed me a thumb's up in appreciation.   

I do think that now I have a palate less reliant on sweet, I should try cutting back on the sugar and see what happens.