Java Dry Spice Mix Chops

These java dry spice mix chops are seared for a few minutes in a hot grill pan, then finished off in a hot oven, which keeps them tender and juicy. The java dry spice rub is made with ground roasted coffee beans, cumin, brown sugar, smoked paprika and garlic powder. And, of course, salt! 

This is probably my favorite homemade spice mix. The roasted coffee really adds a depth of flavor that goes so well with pork. So well, in fact, that I also use it on whole pork roasts. If you have a sous vide precision cooker, you'll want to have a look at my sous vide java dry spice pork roast recipe. Boy, howdy, it is good! 

Java Dry Spice Mix Chops

Apologies for the lack of photos of the pork chops being cooked in the griddle pan. Lighting wasn't great but I hope I have made up for it with good instructions. Should you have a question, please leave me a comment. 

Ingredients

2 thick cut pork chops, untrimmed 

3­-4 teaspoons java dry spice rub (Get the recipe here: https://www.foodlustpeoplelove.com/2020/05/java-dry-spice-rub.html)

Tools needed

heavy grill pan 

wooden skewers

Method

Wash the pork chops and dry them slightly with a paper towel. Sprinkle the chops liberally with the java dry spice rub and use your clean hands to rub it all over.

Cover the chops with cling film and refrigerator at least half an hour or longer if you have the time. 

When you are ready to cook the pork chops, preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and remove the chops from the refrigerator. 

When the oven is just about at temperature, heat your grill pan or an iron skillet over a medium high flame. 

Use several wooden skewers to pin your chops together, fat/skin side together. Once the pan is hot, stand the chops up fat/skin side down for 4­-5 minutes. 

Move them around the pan to take advantage of the heat to render the fat and get the skin a bit crispy. 

Transfer the chops to a plate and remove the skewers. 

Put the chops back in the pan, this time on their sides and set a timer for 3 minutes. 

When the timer rings, turn the chops over and set it for another 3 minutes. 

Repeat, giving the chops only 1 minute on each side. If you want to get fancy, turn the chops so the grill lines cross. 

Transfer the grill pan to your preheated oven and roast for a further 8-10­ minutes. You can cut near the bone to check for doneness. (If you have a meat thermometer, the ideal temperature is 145°F or 62.8°C.) The pork can be slightly pink. It will continue to cook as it rests. 

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 10th addition to the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter J. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the J recipes below:

• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Jeera Bhaat | Jeera Rice 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Jhatpat Bhendi Masala 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya 
• Culinary Cam: Bulgogi-Inspired Oven Beef Jerky 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Blueberry Jam Palmiers 
• Palatable Pastime: Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese Grits 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Johnnycake Cobblers 
• Blogghetti: Jam-Filled Corn Flake Muffins 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Brown Sugar Caribbean Jerk Seasoning 
• Magical Ingredients: Jackfruit Paratha 
• Food Lust People Love: Java Dry Spice Mix Chops

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far: 

A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs

B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly

C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw

D: Cajun Chicken Eggpland Dressing

E: Everything Pizza Tartin

F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs

G: Grape Juice Jigglers

H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts

I: Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

J: Java Dry Spice Mix Chops - this post!

Pin these Java Dry Spice Rub Chops!

 .

Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

This Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream is so easy to make, rich and creamy, tangy and full of flavor. It’s the perfect taste of summer. No churning required! 

I’ve mentioned here before about the delicious. magazine group I belong to, a disparate group of women, brought together on What’s App by one of the delicious. team, who have now become firm friends. 

And like many friends, we lead each other into temptation! Cookbooks are a particular weakness many of us share and when one of our number mentioned that she makes ice cream all the time from a vintage book she owns, we all scurried to find a copy online to order. 

Of course, this then required the creation of yet another What’s App group called Ice Maidens where we share photos of our ice cream. I fully expect that group to ramp up production as the weather heats up! Watch this space if you love no-churn ice cream.

Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

This is mash up of two recipes from the vintage cookbook Ices Galore by Helge Rubinstein and Sheila Bush. If you love easy ice creams, sorbets, etc. that do not need an ice cream maker to create, look for a copy of this book online. It’s a small paperback packed with great frozen treats.

Ingredients

312g or 11 oz rhubarb, trimmed

1 cup or 225g sugar

5 1/2 oz or 156g raspberries

1 cup or 240ml double or whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Optional: 2 tablespoons gin infused with strawberry

Method

Cut the trimmed rhubarb into 1 in or 2 cm pieces.

In a pot with a lid, cook the rhubarb down with the sugar until it is soft, stirring occasionally. Do not add any water. Depending on your rhubarb, this should take about 20-25 minutes.

Remove the lid and set the rhubarb aside to cool. 

Puree the raspberries and push them through a mesh sieve. Discard the seeds.

Add the raspberries to the rhubarb. Stir well. 

Once the rhubarb and raspberry are cool, stir in the strawberry infused gin, if using, 

Whip the cream to soft peaks, sprinkling in the cream of tartar as you go. The cream of tartar helps stabilize the cream.

Gently fold the fruit through the whipped cream. 

Put it in the freezer for 3-4 hours or until it’s beginning to set. 

When the mixture is beginning to set, beat well. 

Transfer to a freezer safe container with a lid and replace in freezer.

 

Freeze till completely set. 

Remove from the freezer shortly before serving. 

Scoop to serve.

Enjoy! 

I'm a little late joining the group but this is my 10th addition to the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter I. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the I recipes below:

• Sneha’s Recipe: Instant White Dhokla
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Iceberg Wedge Salad
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Instant Pot Bean and Smoked Pork Soup
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Italian Beef Sandwiches
• Culinary Cam: I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Saffron-Cardamom Ice Cream
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Italian Pane di Genzano
• Magical Ingredients: Instant Aloo Paratha
• Palatable Pastime: Indonesian Bami Goreng
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Orange & Feta Italian Orzo Pasta Salad
• Blogghetti: Strawberry Hibiscus Iced Tea Recipe

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far: 

A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs

B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly

C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw

D: Cajun Chicken Eggpland Dressing

E: Everything Pizza Tartin

F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs

G: Grape Juice Jigglers

H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts

I: Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream - today's post! 

Pin this Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream! 

.

Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts

Marinated chicken hearts are tender, meaty morsels but added bacon kicks them up a notch to make crispy bacon-wrapped chicken hearts! These are so good. 

At least a couple of times a year, we celebrate what we call Brazil Night, usually for our daughters’ birthdays. The meal starts with caipirinhas to drink and includes grilled chicken hearts and picanha (the cap of the rump, a popular cut in Brazil that has finally made its way stateside, much to our delight), black beans, rice, farofa (toasted manioc flour) and molha, which is very similar to pico de gallo. 

While I wouldn’t mess with the simple marinated chicken hearts we grill on skewers for a Brazil Night, I’ve long wanted to try wrapping them in bacon, similar to one of our favorite Christmas Eve appetizers: Angels on horseback aka smoked oysters wrapped in bacon. 

I am here to report that they were wonderful! Tender inside with crispy bacon on the outside. Definitely going on the “would make again” list!

Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts

This makes a bunch of chicken hearts, about 50. My husband and I munched on these for a couple of days since we weren’t throwing a party needing appetizers and it’s just the two of us at home. Still, no regrets. They are that tasty.

Ingredients

1.15 lb or 500g chicken hearts

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb or 450g thin cut smoked bacon

Method

Use a sharp knife to trim the fatty ends off of the hearts. This first step is optional and I totally skip it for the skewered chicken hearts we will grill over hot coals because the fatty ends get crispy. 

However, when wrapped with bacon and roasted in the oven, those fatty ends can’t crisp up as much, so I did trim mine somewhat. You don't have to get every last piece of fat off, just the majority, if you choose to trim. 

In a mixing bowl, stir the hearts in the lime juice, olive oil, salt with a few generous grinds of black pepper. 

Cover and refrigerate for one hour. When the hour is up, preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C. 

Cut the bacon slices in three and wrap one piece around each chicken heart, securing it with a toothpick. A little tip: If one end of the bacon piece is fattier than the other, roll up from the meatier side so the fat is on the outside and can crispy up more. 

Place them on a large lined baking pan. I hate cleaning baked on grease so I line mine first with foil, then a silicone liner. 

Bake in your preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and golden.

Drain on paper towels.

Transfer the hearts to a plate to serve. A glass of chilled rosé goes beautifully with them.

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 9th edition of our 2024 Alphabet Challenge being brought to you by the letter H. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the H sponsored recipes below:

• Sneha’s Recipe: Homemade Hollandaise Sauce
• Culinary Cam: Halva with Fiori di Sicilia
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Panna Cotta With Hibiscus Berry Sauce
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Corned Beef and Cabbage Hash 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Spicy Hashbrown Waffles 
• Blogghetti: Grilled Hawaiian Ham Skewers 
• Palatable Pastime: Batter Fried Halloumi Cheese 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Harissa Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner 
• Food Lust People Love: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts 
• Magical Ingredients: Hummus Herb Paratha
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Sweet Honey Deviled Eggs with Fennel Fronds

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far: 

A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs

B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly

C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw

D: Cajun Chicken Eggpland Dressing

E: Everything Pizza Tartin

F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs

G: Grape Juice Jigglers

H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts - today's post!

Pin these Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts!

 .

Grape Juice Jigglers

Grape juice jigglers are a healthy treat your children will love, made with vegetarian gelatin and naturally sweet grape juice. Maybe make some for Easter? 

When my girls were growing up, I was a bake-from-scratch-type mom, but the two exceptions to that were boxed chewy brownie mix and Jello®. I guess I have to include Jello® pudding in that category as well. I had to help with brownies and Jello® because of the hot oven and the boiling water but instant pudding was sooo easy that my girls could make it by themselves from when they were very little. Cold milk, whisk in the powder. Done! How did it thicken? It was like a creamy sweet miracle. 

I don’t know who the genius behind jigglers was but I put him or her right up there with the marketing person who first thought of “lather, rinse, repeat” on shampoo bottle labels. After all, jigglers get you to use two boxes of that powdered, sweetened gelatin to make the same size pan and it’s probably eaten just as quickly. Or maybe even more quickly since jigglers of all flavors are kid favorites. A cold jiggly treat you can eat with your hands? Yes, please! 

A little research reveals that jigglers were first touted in a cookbook given away by the makers of Jello® in the 1930s. The recipe was rediscovered in the ’70s when, as sales declined, the company looked for ways to reinvigorate the market for their jiggly product, thumbing through their old cookbooks for inspiration. And another generation of jiggler lovers was born. Count me and my girls in that number.

I know a lot of moms try to limit their children’s intake of sugar with no nutritional value and I did too. So drinks and sugar-full Jell-O® were a special treat on weekends. I was not a fan of sugar-free versions because sugar seemed less harmful than the chemicals that made up the unnatural sweeteners. And what about all the coloring additives? Let’s not even go there. So what’s a mom to do?

 

Make grape juice jigglers from pure, naturally colored, naturally sweetened grape juice! Or frankly, any juice of your choice, as long as it is not very acidic, which inhibits the gelatin from firming up.

 

Grape Juice Jigglers

Most gelatin powders are still made from animal products, but vegan/vegetarian friendly gelatin is now widely available as well. Just read the labels if that is a concern for you. I will tell you that if you use the non-animal gelatin, you need just a bit more than usual to get your juice to set. 

Ingredients

4 1/4 cups cups or 1 liter no-sugar added grape juice

4 1/2 teaspoons unflavored vegetarian gelatin powder 

Method

Sprinkle the vegetarian gelatin powder over the grape juice in medium-sized pot.  Stir thoroughly until the powder is completely dissolved and the liquid appears to thicken just a little.

 

Put the pot on the stove and, over a medium flame, heat till just boiling. (About 200°F or 93°C by my candy thermometer.) Tiny bubbles will start appearing. 

Pour the hot liquid into a heatproof rectangular casserole dish about 9x13 in or 23x33cm. 

Leave to cool, then cover with cling film and chill for at least 2 hours or until firm. 

Cut into squares to serve.

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 8th edition of our 2024 Alphabet Challenge being brought to you by the letter G. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the G sponsored recipes below:

• Sneha’s Recipe: Gavar Sabji 
• Culinary Cam: Aïgo Bouido (Provençal Garlic Soup) 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Shrimp and Grits 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Guacamole Salad 
• Food Lust People Love: Grape Juice Jigglers 
• Palatable Pastime: Grilled Vegetables with Hot Bacon Dressing 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Gyoza Wrapper Pizza Bites 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Garlic Butter Gnocchi with Green Beans 
• Blogghetti: Easy Baked Garlic and Brown Sugar Chicken 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Creamy Simple Stovetop Gouda Mac & Cheese 
• Magical Ingredients: Green and Red Salsa Paratha

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far: 

A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs

B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly

C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw

D: Cajun Chicken Eggpland Dressing

E: Everything Pizza Tartin

F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs

G: Grape Juice Jigglers - today's post!

Pin these Grape Juice Jigglers!

 .

Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs

Tasty and delicious, these baked chicken and feta meatballs are made with fresh cilantro and chili peppers and are finished with a squeeze of lemon juice, more feta and cilantro.

If you are looking for a great meatball recipe bursting with flavor that works equally as well as an appetizer or stirred into a fresh tomato sauce, this is it! 

Our star ingredient, the feta, adds salt, sure, but also creaminess and a little tang, along with the yogurt. For a while there, these meatballs were on regular rotation at our house. It’s been a while though so I’ll be making them again soon. We love them!

Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs

This recipe makes about 45 bite-size meatballs. I use a small 2 tablespoon scoop which makes them so easy to portion and roll. This recipe is adapted from one on New York Times Cooking. 

Ingredients

7 oz or 200g feta

Small bunch fresh cilantro (mine weighed about 3 1/2 oz or 100g)

¼ cup or 50g old-fashioned rolled oats

1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt

2 small hot chili peppers

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 pound ground chicken (or sub ground turkey or pork)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon

Method

Wash the cilantro thoroughly and spin dry. Pinch off the hard stems and discard. Set aside 1/2 for sprinkling on when serving.

Chop your chili peppers and garlic and put them in a food processor with the other half of the cilantro. Process until finely chopped. 

Crumble your feta and set aside about 1/4 to sprinkle on for serving. Put the rest in a large mixing bowl and stir in the chopped cilantro mixture.

Mix in the oats along with the yogurt and salt.

Add the ground chicken, gently combining until you have a homogenous mixture.

Preheat your oven to 425°F or 218°C and prepare a baking pan by greasing it with the olive oil. For easy clean up, I like to line my pan first with heavy duty foil.

Use a scoop or a tablespoon to separate the chicken mixture in bite-sized pieces and place them on the prepared baking pan. Use damp (or oiled) hands to roll them into little balls. 

Bake the meatballs in your preheated oven until the bottoms are browned and the centers are no longer pink, 15 to 18 minutes.

Squeeze one half of the lemon over the pan, then use a wooden spoon to move the meatballs around, turning the browned side up, and scraping up any browned bits on the pan. 

Transfer to a serving plate and top with the reserved feta and cilantro. Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges and serve at the table for squeezing on top.

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the sixth installment of our Alphabet Challenge for 2024. Today’s recipes are brought to you by the letter F. Many thanks to our challenge creator, Wendy of A Day in the Life on a Farm. 

Check out all the recipes brought to you by the letter F:

• Sneha’s Recipe: French Beans Fry - Andhra Style 
• Culinary Cam: Fennel, Potato, and Petrale Sole Gratin
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Chicken Fajita Bowl
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Fruity Baked Oatmeal
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Turkish Fig Pudding
• Blogghetti: Homemade Fajita Seasoning
• Palatable Pastime: Fake Fatty Pastrami
• Food Lust People Love: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs
• Magical Ingredients: Fava Fennel Paratha
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Butternut Squash Soup with French Herbes

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far: 

A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs

B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly

C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw

D: Cajun Chicken Eggpland Dressing

E: Everything Pizza Tartin

F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs - Today's post!

Pin these Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs!

 .

Everything Pizza Tartin

This Everything Pizza Tartin aka Upside Down Pizza is baked with the crust on top, so you can load up on "toppings" like Italian sausage, onion, artichokes, jalapeños and olives and still have a crunchy crust. 

Back when I had an oven heated by bottled gas, I struggled to get it hot enough to bake a loaded pizza crust crunchy on the bottom. Putting too many toppings – a particular problem I have – meant my crust was often soggy. Sure, I could put fewer toppings but no one wants a skimpily topped pizza, do they? 

Then suddenly a solution occurred to me. Everything Pizza Tartin is baked upside down, French apple pie style, with ALL of my favorite ingredients, so the thick crust is still extra crunchy. Just flip to serve!

 

Here it is, straight out of the oven, before flipping. 

I use this particular pan because it can go from stovetop to oven. I brown the Italian sausage, then I take it off the heat to layer on the rest of the ingredients, finally tucking the dough in on top.

But you can cook the sausage then bake your everything pizza tartin in a large pie plate or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. You do not want a pan that sticks. And don’t forget to cut some slits in your crust to let the steam escape. No soggy tops, or rather, bottoms!

I cannot tell you how pleased with myself I was when I figured this out!

Everything Pizza Tartin – Upside Down Everything Pizza 

You do have to be careful to cook it just long enough so the crust is golden brown but the bottom doesn’t burn. When it’s starting to get just a little bit dark in places, it’s absolutely perfect. I figure about 25-30 minutes, depending on how many toppings you’ve added.

Ingredients


For the 10in or 26cm round thick crust:

2 1⁄4 cups or 280g flour


1 rounded teaspoon active yeast – about 4g 

3⁄4 cup or 180ml warm water


1⁄2 teaspoon salt


1 teaspoon olive oil 

For the topping: 

2 links Italian sausage, approximate weight 4 3⁄4 oz or 135g 

Olive oil


Generous handful sliced pepperoni – say 10 or 12 slices


1 cup or 110g grated mozzarella cheese 

1⁄2 cup or 120ml pizza sauce


Other possible toppings:


Small artichoke hearts, well drained and halved


Sliced jalapeños, pickled or fresh


Finely sliced onion


Black olives


Your favorite pizza topping -­ no need to limit your toppings! 

Recommended: Fresh basil leaves for serving 

Method

To make the crust, mix 1 cup or 125g flour with the yeast and add in the warm water. Leave to prove for about 5 minutes. You should see some bubbling. 


Add the salt then the rest of the flour, a little at a time, mixing continuously until you have a soft dough. You might not use quite all of the flour. Knead for about five minutes or until the ball of dough is smooth and elastic. 


Leave to prove in a warm place, covered with cling film or a damp towel, for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Pizza dough can be prepared one day ahead. Leave to rise, covered, in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before rolling out and baking. You can also substitute store-­bought pizza dough.)

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C when the dough has about 15 minutes rising time left. 


Meanwhile, prepare your toppings. In the bottom of your ovenproof skillet, brown the sausage in small balls, adding a drizzle of olive oil. 


Remove from the heat once browned and spoon off some of the excess fat cooking the sausages might have created. 


Sprinkle in the finely sliced onion, the artichokes, jalapeños, olives and other toppings, distributing them evenly. Top these with the pepperoni slices. 


Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese. Spoon on the pizza sauce, spreading it around gently with the back of the spoon.

 


Roll or press your crust out so that it’s just a bit larger than the
diameter of your fillings in the pan. Cut three slits to allow steam to escape while it’s baking. 


Fit the crust over the fillings and tuck it in all around the sides. Use a pastry brush to brush olive oil over the top of the crust and down the tucked sides. 




Bake the pizza tartin in your preheated oven for about 25­-30 minutes or until the crust is a lovely golden color and quite crisp on the outside. When you tap it, it should sound hollow. 


Leave the pizza tartin to cool for about 5­-7 minutes then invert it carefully onto a serving plate. 


If any of the bits do stick, just scoop them off the pan and replace on the pizza tartin. 


Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and cut in wedges and serve hot. 


Enjoy!

Welcome to the fifth installment of our Alphabet Challenge for 2024. Today’s recipes are brought to you by the letter E. Many thanks to our challenge creator, Wendy of A Day in the Life on a Farm. 

Check out all the recipes brought to you by the letter E. 

• Sneha’s Recipe : Egg Roast 
• Culinary Cam: Elderflower & Roasted Strawberry Layer Cake 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Tomato and Eggs 
• Palatable Pastime: Easy Homestyle Chicken Enchiladas 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: English Muffin Bread 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Egg Pulao 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Egg Bread Hoagie Rolls 
• Blogghetti: Bacon Cheddar Egg Salad 
• Magical Ingredients: Edamame Paratha 
• Food Lust People Love: Everything Pizza Tartin
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Buttery Everything Bagel Seasoning Biscuits

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far: 

A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs

B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly

C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw

D: Cajun Chicken Eggpland Dressing

E: today's post! Everything Pizza Tartin

Pin this Everything Pizza Tartin! 

.

Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing

Spicy and delicious, this Cajun chicken eggplant dressing can be a side dish or dinner! Either way, if you like eggplant, you are going to love it. 

This was one of my mom’s favorite dishes and one I absolutely detested growing up. For too many years she’d make me put some on my plate, just to try it, until she suddenly said, “Hey, the more for me!” and quit forcing me. Hallelujah! 

When I finally learned to love eggplant through the Italian gateway dish/drug of eggplant parmigiana,  I started cooking Mom’s old eggplant-based favorites and, sur-PRISE, sur-PRISE, sur-PRISE, as Gomer Pyle used say, I loved them all!

Side note to my overseas/younger readers: Gomer Pyle was a character in a terribly hokey 1960s tv show I watched as reruns when I was a kid in the '70s. One of his standard lines "Sur-PRISE, sur-PRISE, sur-PRISE" - emphasis on the last syllable - was always uttered with a big wide eyes, possibly followed by another of his favorite interjections: SHAZAM! He was innocent, easily amazed and we loved him. In case you want to look it up, he was on The Andy Griffith Show.

If you love eggplant like I love eggplant, you might like to try my Cheesy Eggplant Pork Roast Rolls, my Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant or Mom’s other huge favorite, Cajun Shrimp Eggplant Casserole. All delicious but the Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant is especially lovely if you need a pretty main dish for the vegetarians in your life. 

Isn't it amazing how our taste buds and aversions to texture can change as we grow up? 

Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing

You can make this dressing with your preferred chicken parts but know that chicken with skin on and bones helps make the dish more flavorful. If you choose bigger pieces, like thighs, just make sure you cook them till they are tender. On the cooked rice, I like long-grained basmati rice but my Cajun grandmother would have used short grained, grown locally in southern Louisiana. You do you. 

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs or 1134g chicken wing parts (use the tips to make stock!) 

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

ground cayenne

1/4 cup or 60ml canola oil

1 medium onion, peeled and finely minced

1 medium bell pepper, de-seeded, stem removed, finely minced

2 stalks celery, finely minced

2 medium eggplants (about 2 lbs or 900g in weight)

3 cups or 400g cooked rice

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon cayenne (use less if you don’t like things spicy), plus more to taste 

Freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Optional: chopped parsley for garnish

Method

Season the chicken with salt, black pepper and a good sprinkle of cayenne then pan-fry in the canola oil, uncovered, in your Dutch oven until golden brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and set aside. 

Add the onion, bell pepper and celery to the pot and sauté over a low heat until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent. I find putting the lid on helps this go faster but don’t forget to stir frequently. 

Peel the eggplant in strips, leaving some peeling on for color, then cut them into cubes. You can leave all the peels on but the color of the dish will be markedly darker. My mom used to say that when her grandmother made it, the eggplant turned even the chicken kind of black. I cannot verify this as I always peel mine thusly. 

Once the onion mixture has softened, return the golden chicken pieces to the pot. (For the eagle-eyed, I just removed the pot from the stove for photos. My stovetop doesn't have great lighting.)

Pile the eggplant cubes on top and season with the salt, cayenne and a few generous grinds of black pepper. 

Add a half cup or 120ml water to the pot and put the lid to your Dutch oven on snugly. Cook over a high heat for a few minutes, until you start to see a little steam trying to escape, then turn the heat down to simmer. 

Cook for about an hour, checking periodically to see if you need to add a little water, if it looks dry. With a proper tight-fitting lid, the eggplant releases enough liquid that this shouldn’t be necessary but best to check. 

This is after about half an hour. 

This is after a full hour. You will notice that I did not stir so the chicken remains submerged. 

Take the lid off the pot and add in the cooked rice. Now you should mix well. 

Cook, covered, for about five minutes or until the rice is heated through. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t start to stick to the pot. 

Taste the dressing and add more salt, cayenne and black pepper if needed. Mine is usually good for salt but we like more pepper. Again, you do you. 

Pile the dressing in a serving bowl and garnish with a little chopped parsley for color. My grandmother would never have missed this step! Every savory dish she cooked was finished with a little parsley. 

Enjoy!

Welcome to the fourth installment of our Alphabet Challenge for 2024. Today’s recipes are brought to you by the letter D. Many thanks to our challenge creator Wendy of A Day in the Life on a Farm. 

• Sneha’s Recipe: Dill With Chana Dal & Potato 
• Culinary Cam: Dark Chocolate-Juniper Panna Cotta 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Dark Chocolate Mousse 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Durum Wheat Sesame Bread 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Devil’s Food Cake Mix Cookies 
• Blogghetti: Deviled Egg Crostini 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Dangella | Tawa Handvo 
• Magical Ingredients: Dates Walnut Paratha 
• Food Lust People Love: Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Italian Deviled Eggs with Heart-Shaped Tomatoes
• Palatable Pastime: Durkee’s Famous Sauce

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