Putting Off: Easy Tandoori Chicken

Have you ever had something lingering on your to-do list, for weeks? months? years?



I feel this way about a lot things that just sit in my "inbox" of life. To name a few:
Get a new license with my new name from the DMV (so I can subsequently get everything else with my new name on it)
Renew subscriptions
Learn how to use bleach to whiten my whites in the wash, really...no idea
Toss that plant out front away because it has been dead for a while...literally walk right by it everyday
Clean my car
Hang out with friends who have been and will continue to be neglected by a busy a work schedule for the next few months

Zach left early this morning because he had to get an oil change. He said he had been putting it off and just needed to get it done. That is something that took me by surprise. Why can't I just get something done? Well, I am doing just that by blogging this morning since blogging is forever on my to do list because I can never seem to do enough of it.

It just so happens this meal I prepared last Sunday night has been on my mind for far too long. This one goes back to early December when I went to North Carolina for a wonderful girls' weekend with Amanda and Becky. We galavanted around Chapel Hill, where Dr. Becky is doing her residency. We had such a good time taking in the adorable "small town" (and that is me comparing it in size to LA) and the cool woods behind Becky's oh-so North Carolina apartment. We even saw what was left of Occupy Chapel Hill:



We just had the best time sitting in Becky's living room with Mate-the-perfect-dog-and-inspiration-for-me-ever-wanting-a-dog-in-the-first-place talking for hours. I am pretty sure that is what the three of us did for the better part of the first day we arrived. It was like we picked up right where we left off. Do you have friends like that? It is something really special when you can feel the same way with friends as you would with your family.



We did another thing girls love to do when they get together: shop. We ended up at World Market at one point where I picked up some tandori chicken rub/marinade. I thought it would inspire me to get back to the kitchen right when I got back to LA.



Well, here we are 3 months later. I would like to dedicate this meal to that fabulous girls' weekend...and my stomach....and Zach's stomach.

Tandoori Chicken with Curry Couscous and sauteed veggies.

For Chicken:
2 lb chicken thigh filets (you can get breasts or bone in thighs...really anything you want)
2 cups plain greek yogurt (do not use the low fat or fat free kind)
juice from one lemon - fresh!
tandori chicken powder rub/marinade (this was from World Market, but they have a selection of other brands in the ethnic food section in the grocery store)
1 finely chopped onion

For Couscous:
1 box instant couscous (ready in 5 minutes)
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 C almond slivers

For Sauteed Veggies:
1 tbs olive oil
mixed veggies, any kind you like...I used green beans, mushrooms and red onion
sea salt (I had some curry lime sea salt which worked well
slivered almonds

Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag and squeeze lemon all over it. Throw the lemon rinds in the bag too.
Mix the yogurt, onions and the tandoori spice powder together in a bowl and add to the bag with the chicken. Make sure the chicken s coated and let marinate in the fridge for about 2-4 hours
Remove chicken from fridge about 15 minutes before you are ready to bake it.
Set oven to 475 deg F.
Place marinated chicken and all the contents of the bag in a baking dish and place it in the oven for 25-35 minutes (depending on the cut of the chicken you use --- jus check it after 25 minutes.

Make the couscous as directed on the box. Once it has absorbed the water and is ready, add the curry powder and almonds and mix in thoroughly.

Sautee the veggies in a pan with the oil until just tender, adding the salt and almonds during the last 4-5 minutes so the almonds become toasted.

Pile it all up starting with the couscous on the bottom, then the veggies and then the chicken. Use the sauce from the chicken to pour over the plate as well.

A Wedding and a Recipe.

I have had an abnormal amount of people lately tell me they really enjoy my blog (humble brag) which has inspired me to pick back up the laptop and finger-peck away another post. I make no promises here as I have clearly not exhibited consistent blogging behavior in the past six months; I am in no place to make any pledges.



The good news about being so absent lately is that I have an abundance of new material to yap away about. I guess the most obvious material would be the fact that Zach and I decided to get hitched back in September.

The wedding was in Orlando, Florida September 18th. It was a great day. Everything was perfect, and no I am not referring to the devine coming together of months of planning and crafting cute little do-dads. I am referring to the spending of quality time with all the people we care about most in the world and those that care about us (minus the few that were unable to make it and dearly missed).

Here are some highlights from the day in case you are interested and have not been assaulted with Lindzachary wedding photos too much already via the magic of facebook.


We did a private yoga class the morning before the wedding:




Rehearsal dinner, a backyard BBQ (Sonny's BBQ, that is) at Zach's parent's home:




The ceremony:




The portraits:








The reception décor...tables had names instead of numbers like "Jeff Goldblum: Zach kind of looks like him, Lindsey Kind of likes it.":






The party:





A couple if insider trading secrets from the day include:

The call to go through with the outdoor ceremony was made when it was still raining outside at 3:30pm for a 5:30pm ceremony. We had grandmothers on both sides of the family praying for sunshine, and boy did we get it. The weather was beautiful, and the rain from the whole first part of the day actually made the area nice and cool for the ceremony.

For pre-wedding gifts, Zach gave me a beautiful necklace with a thin gold chain and a garnet stone. I will wear it to any wedding I ever go to. I gave him a leather-bound book with blank pages and “Weissmueller” pressed into the leather on the cover. We wrote our vows in there and will write a little something to each other in there each year on September 18th.

We put ourselves through about 5 weeks of pre-marital counseling sessions in the months leading up to the wedding. I know this sounds like TMI, but I genuinely enjoyed our time doing it, and would recommend it to anyone. I know it is not for everyone. It was just really nice to talk to a neutral third party about our relationship. It is kind of a rare experience because if you think about it, anyone you or your partner might go to for wisdom or advice will have some sort of angle, bias or be sensitive to certain things they already know about you. It was really interesting to talk with someone who was a blank slate with us.

Planning a wedding out of state is not so bad. I know it sounds like it would really complicate things, and it certainly did. But there is something to be said about keeping your distance from the location of the wedding for the entire time you are engaged. It definitely keeps things in check since it is kind of impossible to get carried away when there are some things you just cannot physically accomplish from the opposite side of the country. The downside was that I definitely missed out on some fun wedding-planning related outings you tend to take with bridesmaids and family, but we managed to squeeze most of them in during the days I was in town to work on wedding things. The other stipulation (and it is a big one) is that I had a dream team of Orlandonites led by the mother of the groom herself that made the personal style of the wedding possible. I also had the worlds best wedding coordinator (if-you-are-having-a-wedding-in-florida-call-me-and-i-will-put-you-in-touch-because-you-cannot-do-it-without-her-I-don’t-think).

While the details of the bachelorette party shall remain under wraps, I will say there was a 3am (approximately) Domino’s pizza delivered to the house where we were staying. While I loved the whole bachelorrette party, my favorite part was sitting around the kitchen table with about 8 girls sharing one pizza giggling about the events of the evening. A slice never tasted so good.


We did not hire a videographer (pictures were more important to us), but our friend, Case, did record just our vows during the ceremony.

We wrote our own vows. They took up the majority of the ceremony. It was my favorite part of the day.

I am pretty proud of the fact that the "single lady" who "caught" my bouquet in the bouquet direct pitch, I mean toss, will in fact be the next to marry. We look forward to returning to Orlando for Rachel and Chris' wedding later this year. You're welcome.



Succotash has catapulted to the top of my list of favorite side dishes. So when Food Network Mag had a recipe using it, I decided to make the whole meal, including the delicious-looking pepper-jack stuffed chicken breasts. The whole meal is just, well, pretty. This meal looks more intense than it really is. It doesn't take long to prepare, and the payoff is really nice. Plus, succotash keeps in the fridge for a good week to serve as a side dish for other meals so make a bunch.



This recipe is from over a year ago in the magazine, and my husband was not even my husband when I made this meal. It must have been over the summer. Yikes it has been a long time since I have written. I have since made this and my previous succotash recipe using frozen edamame instead of lima beans. I have to say is superior to the limas. Edamame is a rich and buttery bean packed with all sorts of good-for-you stuff. Just make sure the frozen edamame are not in the pods, but peeled. They should be lose in the bag. They look and feel exactly like lima beans, but they have a deeper green color (similar to the color of green beans) and more flavor.

Chicken:
4 ounces pepper-jack cheese, shredded
2 cups baby arugula, roughly chopped
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (12 ounces each)
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing
Kosher salt
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons Cajun spice blend
Vegetable oil, for the grill

Succotash:
1 cup frozen lima beans, thawed (I like to substitute frozen peeled edamame)
1 medium yellow summer squash, diced
2 cups corn kernels
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 strips of bacon (I added this part, but believe me it makes it even better!)
Juice of 1 lime (I did not use this since I was using bacon, but you should use this is you don't add the bacon)


Instructions:
Combine the cheese and arugula in a bowl. Cut a deep 2-inch-wide pocket in the thickest part of each chicken breast with a paring knife. Stuff with the arugula mixture. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and the Cajun spice blend.

Preheat a grill to high and brush the grates with vegetable oil. Grill the chicken until blackened and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 155 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over high heat or if you are using bacon, just cook it until crisp (the fat from the bacon will serve as the "oil" in this case) --- then take out the bacon and crumble it up, leaving the grease in the pan. Add the lima beans, squash and corn, season with salt and cook until the squash is just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and crumbled bacon and cook 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice (if you did not use the bacon).

Slice the chicken and serve with the succotash.

Basil Roasted Chicken Salad With Avocado

It is hard to believe avocado was once on my "do not consume" list.



It was one of those foods that just clicked for me in my adult life. Perhaps I just grew tired of saying "no avocado please" when ordering at restaurants since they manage to work it into every sandwich, salad and beyond here in California. It is now rare that a day goes by where I do not eat this creamy, buttery fruit.

So when my friend, Elysse, over at The Daily Binge told me about the "Avocado Takedown", I decided that was a great way to get my avocado on last Sunday.



Let me explain this to you: 20 local chefs, 20 dishes featuring avocado, 20 samples to taste/judge (top chef style), $10, stuffed.



This event was just the perfect example of what I love about LA. There is always so much to do. Even when you think you might not have anything exciting to do on a Sunday afternoon, an irresistible event somehow makes its way through your email inbox or on your facebook newsfeed. I cannot think of anything in the world that would have been more worth my time last Sunday afternoon. I ate like a king for just $10, well...a king who really likes avocados.





The dishes were creative. I realized avocado was far more versatile than they usually get credit for. I remember a couple years ago, my friend Candace made vegan chocolate cupcakes with a "secret ingredient", and no one could guess what it was. When she told us it was avocado, it finally made sense that this fruit really does have the consistency of butter. The flavor is mild and nutty which is always something that works well with desserts. In fact, my favorite dish from the competition was a dessert.

Avocado cream cheese cake with mint whipped topping.


Other interesting dishes were:

The avocado bacon muffin:


An avocado and nut mixture wrapped in steak with a side slaw:


Avocado pesto pasta with an avocado "meatball" on top:


Avocado ice cream with pomegranate whipped topping:


Dark chocolate avocado caliente cupcake:


Then they gave us these cute bags on the way out:


Sunday night has become "Sunday Night Salad" Night at the Lindzachary household. Even after being stuffed with avocado-based foods all day, I could not resist throwing it into the salad I made. This recipe is a copycat for one of my favorite new salads to order for lunch while on the job. It is from Doughboy's Cafe and Bakery which has recently taken over as lunch king at work. Every day my coworkers Sara (at Lovely Clear Sweet, Ally and I mildly struggle to decide where to order our lunch from. If we are honest, the struggle is always to figure out a place that will satisfy us at least half as much as Doughboys since we cannot eat there every single day (record: 4 days in a row). I even found myself there with Zach and Stanley one Friday night; I cannot get enough of this place. They have amazing salads (favorites include "the works", the chef salad" and "basil roasted chicken salad"), freshly baked bread that is soft and well, doughy (I could make a mattress out of this plush ciabatta bread that comes with the salads), and they have a huge rest of the menu that includes "the after-school special: a huge grilled cheese sandwich and a PINT of chunky/creamy tomato soup, sloppy joe's, etc. They also have an extensive brunch menu that includes things like rice krispy pancakes and malted cornmeal pancakes; that will have to be a different story.

I copied the basil roasted chicken salad for dinner. While the salad was good, and I got pretty close, I would still recommend trying out the real thing...it really cannot be beat.



Copycat Doughboy's Basil Roasted Chicken Salad:
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (or about 6 boneless/skinless chicken tender cutlets)
2 navel oranges
1 bunch of basil (a generous handful)
mixed greens
tomato
gorgonzola cheese
roasted walnuts
1 avocado
1/4 c Citrus olive oil (I happened to have some, but you can just use canola oil with a drop of orange extract)
1/4 c White balsamic vinegar

Cut one orange into 4 sections. Squeeze the juice out and place juice with the peel in a plastic bag. Chop up half of the basil, and ad to the bag.
Add the chicken breasts or tenders to the bag and marinate for at least an hour (or overnight).
Heat a pan over med-high heat.
Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan.
Cook the chicken in the pan, about 3-5 minutes on each side until cooked all the way through.

In a large bowl, add mixed greens, the other orange (peeled and sliced), the gorgonzola cheese, the avocado (peeled and sliced), the tomato (chopped), the rest of the basil (chopped) and the roasted walnuts.

Mix the oil and vinegar thoroughly and toss into the salad. Once the chicken is cooled, chop it up and toss it in.

Cilantro Lime Dressing with a Kick

It is really not easy to eat healthy.



I have developed some pretty healthy eating habits over the past 15 years. It is quite common for me to eat about 7-8 salads per week, often more. However, I am sure my health conscious readers are well aware that while a salad can be your best friend, it can also be a deceitful little enemy. I used to think a good rule of thumb was if you really like the salad, it is probably bad for you.



That doesn't have to be true if you focus on bringing rich flavors to a hearty salad. I have to be creative by giving myself enough variety in salads so I don't get sick of eating them. Of course, I have my go-to options for some healthy take-out or dining-out. Here are some of my favorites in the LA area:

Chicken Chow Salad - Lulu's Cafe
Greek Salad (with chicken) - Trimana
The Cowboy Salad (I sub low cal honey mustard dressing for the blue cheese dressing w/honey drizzle) - Mixt Greens
California Chicken Salad (86 croutons and pasta with low cal ranch dressing) - California Chicken Cafe
Debbie's Chopped Salad (eat it with a big spoon!) - Factor's Famous Deli
Raw Salad with chicken (this is no longer on the menu, but they will make it if you ask)- Tender Greens

By focusing on hearty flavorful ingredients, a salad can be healthy and still satisfying. This simple dressing will add so much flavor to any salad, you will not need to add all the things that would make it bad for you to feel satisfied. You also do not need too much of the dressing itself. I added a couple tablespoons to a big bowl of my southwestern chicken salad . I couldn't get enough.



The recipe from Women's Health Magazine, calls for safflower oil (something basically no one has in the pantry) so I used olive oil instead.



Cilantro Lime Dressing with a Kick

(recipe adapted from Women's Health Magazine)

1/2 tsp hot sauce
3 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp cilantro
1/4 c oil (olive oil or safflower oil)

Blend the first 3 ingredients in a blender and then add the oil to blend.

A Decade in the Making: Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken

November 6th, in a wedding ceremony on the beach in St Augustine, Florida, my dear friends, Mike(y) and Amanda were married in front of 54 of their friends and family.



November 10th, they will celebrate their ten-year anniversary during their honeymoon in Jamaica. These two started dating our Sophomore year in high school (this suddenly makes me feel pretty old). They are newlyweds with the experience and history of a couple that has been married for years.

These two have been a staple couple in my life practically since the era of real dating began. Amanda’s sister, Sarah, gave a great maid of honor speech at the reception which included a list of trends and events that were going on during the year the couple started dating: “Survivor” was in its first season, The infamous Florida election recounts were underway, Amikeda even precedes Brangelina (and Brangelina have 6 kids). Sarah also mentioned that she always admired the fact that Amanda always knew, from the start, that she wanted to spend her life with Mike. I think we all (those that are close to them) always knew they would end up together as well. I remember talking to our other friends on several occasions about how excited I was for them to get married because their wedding would be really special not only to them, but to those of us who watched them grow together. It takes two really special people to A) recognize the kind of partner they want to be with for the rest of their lives at such a young age and B) be the kind of partner someone wants to be with for the rest of their lives at such a young age.

(I wish I had a really embarrassing picture of the two of them from high school to insert here)

I am so proud to call these two people my friends. They are two of the most fun and interesting people I know and such a blast to hang out with. They do not need my well-wishes or congratulations because Amanda and Mike’s wedding was just a great celebration of what they already have and will continue to have together as long as they both shall live.

I don't have many pictures from the wedding day, but here is a look at the little rehearsal set up on the porch of the beach house where the families were staying for the weekend:



The rehearsal was followed by a dinner at Saltwater Cowboys on the marshy, uniquely Florida land:




Here is my one and only good shot of the bride all dressed up:



Something Amanda and Mike have always loved to do together is cook. Although Amanda’s favorite food seems to be simply toast, she has bragged about their picadillo recipe for a long time. I told her to guest blog about it so hopefully she will be sharing that with us soon. I know they also like to create unique spice blends, which might be interesting to hear about as well. I almost love cooking with someone I love more than I love eating with someone I love. It can be a romantic activity to cook with your significant other or it can be a fun activity to share with your family during the holidays. Since the wedding was in St. Augustine, I had the pleasure of visiting with my brother’s family in Jacksonville for a few days before and after the festivities. I found myself in the kitchen cooking for my family on Sunday afternoon for one of three to four meals a year my immediate family gets to have together. I had a special helper in the kitchen for most of the cooking time.



Olivia was by my side, brushing olive oil on the bread, handing me toothpicks for the chicken and of course taste testing anything that was safe to eat. I was cooking for about two hours total, and I want to say she stayed with me for well over an hour of it. I kept explaining to her that sometimes if you want something to be really really yummy, it takes a long time to make (referring to the fact that we were making the croutons for the salad ourselves instead of buying them already made). She learned what garlic was and how fresh spinach “shrinks” when you sauté it. I learned how fun it can be to cook with curious little kids (it gave me an idea of someday teaching a “mommy-and-me” or even just a kids cooking class…could be chaotic-I-mean-fun right?). I also learned how much nicer/easier/better it is to cook with unlimited counter space and a garbage disposal.



It was such a treat to cook with someone I love so much. Olivia and I made panzanella (which basically gets better every time I make it), roasted potatoes and chicken stuffed with spinach, feta cheese and pine nuts. I realize I forgot something very important in making this recipe for my family because while they were all very complimentary of the dish, it could have used some fresh LEMON JUICE in the stuffing mixture. Lemon juice, by the way, is the miracle ingredient that provides bursting flavor to so many meals without adding a single calorie. You can use this recipe as a base for any stuffed chicken you would like t try. Sub goat cheese for the feta with the spinach, try something totally different with goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes or use Katie’s mom’s suggestion of creating a cream cheese and onion mixture to act as the stuffing. The stuffing can be made up of anything that sounds good to you. Just make sure it has a lot of strong flavors or else you run the risk of the dish coming up flat. Lastly, a nice flavorful sauce could be a great addition to the stuffed chicken (the gorgonzola sauce that goes with Ina Garten’s Beef Tenderloin recipe perhaps?).



This recipe is completely kid-friendly, see? (There is a bite or two way down at the bottom of her plate, people)



Although I am sure Charlotte prefers her popsicles:


Sometimes if you want something to taste really really yummy, it takes a long time to make. This is not one of those times.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken: not a decade in the making, but still good

(Makes 6-8 servings)

6 Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 package fresh spinach
4 oz feta cheese (or more...you will never regret using more)
1/4 c pine nuts
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
Olive oil for the pan
toothpicks

Coat a large pan with just a little bit of olive oil and place over med-high heat.
Add onion and garlic to the pan and cook until tender (about 8 min)
Add the fresh spinach to the pan and cook until wilted (about 5 min)
Add salt and pepper to taste, and remove from heat (try to drain, squeeze out or pat dry any excess moisture you can).
Toast pine nuts in a toaster oven until they turn slightly light brown (you can use a regular oven or just throw them in with the spinach in the pan for the last couple minutes while it wilts).
Add pine nuts, lemon juice and feta cheese to the spinach mixture, and combine well.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lay out the chicken breasts on a cutting board, and cover with plastic wrap.
Pound chicken breasts out until they are less than 1/2 inch thick (no thinner than 1/4 inch), and remove plastic wrap.
Place a small handful of the spinach mixture in the middle of each chicken breast, and roll them up, securing with toothpicks (to keep them from unrolling.
Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste on the outsides of the chicken rolls.
In a large pan coated with a little bit of oil, brown the chicken rolls on all sides.
Place chicken in a small casserole dish.
Bake for 25-30 minutes (mine took 28) at 350 degrees F (until the juices run clear and there is no pink left in the flesh of the chicken.

I got a chance to chill with my brand new niece after dinner when the world was quiet (i.e. the other two girls were in bed).