GourGanics Spicy Braised Chicken with escarole, tomatoes and olives

This is a spicy, satisfying dish that is succulent and delicious.

Here’s what you need:

1 tablespoon organic olive oil

1 3 1/2 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces

Organic Kosher Salt and organic black pepper

2 medium organic sweet onions

12 cups torn organic escarole (about one head)

small 8 ounce can of organic diced tomatoes

1/2 jar spicy GourGanics Salsa

1/3 cup pitted organic kalmata olives, pitted and halved

Here’s what to do:

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a Dutch oven. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and. Work in two batches and cook the chicken until brown, 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb some grease. ADd the onions to the pot and cook until they begin to soften. Then  add the escarole, tomatoes, GourGanics salsa and 1/3 cup of water. Mix to combine. Place the chicken on top of the escarole, cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Bake, covered until the escarole is wilted and tender. Uncover the pot, cook time more minutes through and fold in the olives.

Enjoy as is or serve with a nice jasmine rice.

GourGanics Vegetarian Tamales

Have you ever made homemade tamales? This is very fun, simple enough more work than most recipes here but  oh so delicious. This is an Old Guatemalan recipe that I have adapted from Vegetarian Times Magazine. Some Latin markets and Whole Foods carry frozen banana leaves (many organic).

Here’s whatcha need:

Flour (MASA)

3 1/2 cups organic masa harina (Bob’s Red Mill makes some)

2 tps. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

10 tbs organic vegetable shortening (Spectrum naturals)

1 cup low-sodium organic vegetable broth

Filling

3 poblano chiles (organic if possible)

2 tbs olive oil

1 medium organic onion (chopped) about 1 1/2 cups

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup low sodium veggie broth

1/2 tsp dried organic Mexican oregano

1 cup pitted green olives, sliced

8 9 inch square banana leaf

Sauce

1/2 cup GourGanics Spicy salsa

3 tbs sherry vinegar

1 tbs smoked paprika

1/2 cup roasted almonds

1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup olive oil

To make Masa: combine masa, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Add 2 1/4 cups ht water in a bowl and beat on medium speed until crumbly. Increase speed till medium-high. Add shortening and broth, 1 tbs. at a time. Beat 15 minutes, till light and fluffy. To test texture, drop a spoon of masa in the water, if it floats it is ready.

To make filling: Preheat oven to broil. Place chilis on baking sheet; broil 8 to 10 minutes until blackened on all sides, turning occasionally. Place in a bowl, cover with a lid and steam for 10 minutes. Pull of charred skin, rinse in water, take off stems and remove seeds. Dice into 1/2 inch pieces. Meanwhile, warm oil in skillet, brown onions, add raisins, Spicy GourGanics, chopped poblanos, simmer. Add olives. cool.

To assemble Tamales: Soften banana leaves over heat of gas or electric burner. Place each leaf, shiny side up on top of a 10 inch foil square. Spread 1/2 cup masa over center of banana leaf. Top with heaping 1 tbs filling. Fold over sides and then ends of banana leaf over filling. then wrap in foil square.

Stack Tamales in steamer basket and simmer for one hour or until masa is pulling away from leaf.

To make Sauce: Puree peppers, sherry vinegar, spicy GourGanics and paprika in blender until smooth. Add almonds, breadcrumbs, garlic puree until smooth. Add olive oil and run blender until sauce is smooth.

SERVE: remove and discard foil. Serve with sauce and salsa.

 

 

GourGanics Crock Pot Pulled Chicken

This is a super simple recipe that I made AGAIN this weekend. The work was all done while I  played at the beach with my family. I used this recipe to make pulled chicken enchiladas, a more elaborate dish I will post soon, but you can just serve it warm over rice, toss with pasta or on soft rolls. This is a master recipe you can do so much with. Don’t forget to freeze some of the juices you used to stew your pulled chicken–it makes a fantastic spicy broth for soup.

Here’s what you need:

1 package organic chicken ( I used bone-in thighs and breasts)

1/2 cup white wine

1 large organic onion chopped rough

1/2 cup Spicy GourGanics Salsa

splash water

Anything else you like ( I rough chopped squash, baby spinach, a few tomatoes and other veggies from my garden just because I had then and they add extra healthy nutrients to the broth)

Here’s what to do:

Open the pack of chicken, rinse the chicken and pat it dry. Add a little salt if desired. Add any veggies you have hanging around, plus rough chopped onion. Then cover with wine, water and salsa. You are done. I cooked it slow and low all day long while we biked to the beach. When we got home, the house smelled amazing! I extracted the chicken from the broth and took a quick shower while it cooled just a little.  It was falling off the bone at this time. I used two forks to pull the chicken apart and added two tablespoons of salsa and a little broth to the pulled mixture just to flavor the chicken and keep it moist.

That’s it! Toss with pasta, add to cooked rice, serve on warm rolls. You can add chopped frozen mango, canned kidney beans, fresh or frozen corn to the mixture for variety.

GourGanics HAPPY SUMMER Mahi Mahi Mango Fish Tacos

I love a good fish taco. You can go out for tacos right here in Fairfield, CT. If you are local, I suggest the Mahi Mahi fish tacos at Bodega.  I tried my first fish taco in California about 16 years ago and I was hooked. Pun intended. I loved crispy crunch of a deep-fried fish taco. I wanted to replicate the experience as a home cook but frying is messy and not too healthy. So, I began hunting for a recipe that I could modify and make into the best baked fish taco known to humankind. YUM.

To my surprise, I found that the subtle texture and taste of a baked fish such as Mahi Mahi tastes even better than a fried version. And I mean WAY better. Here’s a new recipe I simply LOVE. I used a little SPICY GourGanics in my marinade and then topped it with some MILD GourGanics USDA Organic Salsa & Simmer Sauce. For crunch, we have some iceberg lettuce. I needed something that would replicate the CRAZY CRUNCH experience I enjoyed in a fried fish taco and I found this really did the trick. The medley of the subtle marinade, plus the sweetness of fresh mango intermingle with the bright burst of GourGanics USDA Organic Salsa in a way that leaves even yours truly at a loss for words.

Here’s what you need:

2-4 Mahi Mahi Fillets

2 tablespoons GourGanics Spicy

Juice of one Organic lime

1/4 cup white wine

Dash of olive oil

1 fresh USDA ORGANIC mango, chopped into small bite-sized chunks

1/4 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 pack corn tortillas

1/2 jar GourGanics Mild

Here’s what to do:

Place the fillets in a glass dish with the lime juice, wine, and salsa. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Then rub a little butter or a dash of oil on the bottom of a baking pan and place fish fillets in the dish. Pour the salsa marinade over. Cover with parchment paper or foil and bake in oven at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

When the fish is almost cooked through, place your corn tortillas in the oven on a cookie sheet and allow to warm for about 3 minutes, so they will be warm and ready for taco assembly.

Pull the fish out of the oven and using two forks, gently flake the fish apart into bite-sized pieces.

Now to assemble your tacos:

First open a beer and have a swig. Then, use a small amount of chopped iceberg lettuce as a bed in your warmed corn tortillas, add fish,  chunks of fresh mango and one teaspoon of GOURGANICS USDA ORGANIC Mild salsa. Serve and enjoy with a crowd of 4.

Happy Summer. Happy Salsa!

GourGanics Spicy Vegetarian Spanakopadillas

What a crazy idea we came up with here in Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. Traditional Greek spanakopita meets the traditional quesadilla. The result is a non-traditional creation that spinach lovers, cheese lovers, and tortilla lovers will adore. The two cultures unite and take over in this crazy MEXIGREEK fusion dish that tastes nothing short of AMAZING!

Here’s what you need:

6 teaspoons organic olive oil

1 9 oz bag organic baby spinach

1/2 finely chopped organic onion

4 teaspoons GourGanics USDA organics spicy salsa

1 large organic egg

pinch organic nutmeg

2 tablespoons organic fresh parsley (minced)

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (organic if possible)

4 (8inch) organic flour tortillas

3/4 cup shredded organic mozzarella

Here’s what to do:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saute pan, the spinach and saute until spinach wilts, tossing with tongs, about 2 minutes. Remove spinach and squeeze out excess liquid, then chop.  Pour off any liquid from the pan, and add remaining olive oil. Add onions and saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salsa, spinach,  then parsley and nutmeg. Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. (This part can be done ahead and kept refrigerated).

Stir the cheeses and beaten egg to moisten the cooled spinach mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a tortilla with butter and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp.

Using a knife, cut the tortillas into triangles.  Place a small spoonful of spinach filling and cover with another crisp tortilla. Bake at 350 Degrees for 15 minutes and serve hot.