A Tale of Two Verdes

I was given Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food for Christmas and have eagerly made my way past the first 50 some pages ...landing on the ever important basics of a few staple sauces.
The one that really caught my eye was the salsa verde because all of its components are things I love. .and love to amplify!  (I say amplify because upon looking at one of her other sauces, the vinaigrette, her ratio of oil to vinegar is something like 1:4  .....and honestly I do it the opposite.  And I use way too much garlic.  I understand this probably specifically makes me an unsavory cook in many eyes but what can I say besides we really like that Oh Fuck Bang! Bite in my house)
...I also may have stated previously that I will, on occasion, just drink the leftover vinegar dressing from the empty salad bowl.
...and even with my verde I did not measure it out the way Alice suggests, but I did keep it in mind.  (Sidenote: Alice, I really think you are amazing. And I've originally heard of you because my father in law used to be in your circle of friends you did group dinner cookings with well before your restaurant days. )

Last night I did roasted chicken thighs on garlic mash with roasted asparagus. ..served with the verde.
Tonight I did steak stir fry strips that were tossed in the verde right before serving with a side of red wine vinegar dressing mixed green salad with red onion, tomato, goat cheese over avocado.
Both yummy.   ...couldn't tell you which I preferred! But my one year old just couldn't get enough of the chicken, mash, and verde altogether.

The verde:
As close to mince as you can parsley (flat leaf preferably) and capers.  ...about a 2:1 ratio.
A clove  (or 2 if you are feeling crazy) minced garlic.
Some olive oil. I only like to put enough in to get everything juicy mixed because I know I'll be adding lemon juice. 
Before you add lemon juice. .let it stand for at least 30min to get the flavors meshed.  Salt pepper to taste.

...I know there is a thing to following recipes, but I think sauces are better felt up as supposed to just blindly executed. 
...then again,  I'm eating it...I might be more frugal if I was being judged outside my inside circle that is my family.

Dressing Up Italian Dressing

I had an image in my mind this afternoon. ..it involved using the last avocado in the fridge and Italian dressing (when on a lazy day I will just cut the avo in half and fill the little crater with dressing and eat with a spoon!) ...but I envisioned the avo sprinkled over a nice dish..something with color. 
I pan seared some boneless skinless chicken thighs in butter. .added carrots a few minutes after flipping the chicken pieces. .to be caramelized essentially.  I added a few drizzles of Italian dressing.
Meanwhile roasting some small white boiling onions in the oven.
A mixed greens salad with a touch of red onion and a tomato I cut in half so we can allocate our own bites with the salad.  And of course an avocado. ..
It came out delicious. ..maybe I was just hungry.  But we ate it all up. .and baby girl had a bit of it all.

Man Made

The hubbub took last week off.  I too got a little off time since he was home.  He spent loads of time with the kiddo and even cooked a couple meals (and cleaned up after!  Amazing)
One day it was awesome burritos with all the fixings.
Another dinner was this fantastic crumbed parmessian chicken with a side of gratin potatoes and a salad that just blew my mind. ..the salad was a mix green,  with avocado and tomato but the dressing was lemon, balsamic vinegar,olive oil, salt pepper.  It had that bite that I love about vinegar dressings but without that heartburn aftermath when you drink the leftover dressing. .. am I alone in drinking balsamic dressing leftovers?

....this week, budgeting. ..did a hearty stew that will take us Monday through to Thursday dinners. Added mushroom this time. .pretty good.

Baby Eats Baby

Our caravan (hubby, baby, two dogs, and myself)have driven down to stay with my mother in law for the week of Thanksgiving.  Tete (Arabic for grandmother) is a small feisty Syrian-Manhattanite. Since first coming into contact with her son, and the whole family my world of food has expanded and evolved so much.  My food world is forever changed...and I am so thankful for it! 
I don't think I even liked mushrooms. ... I also have a strong bond with lemon, a closer relationship to my already brother-from-another-mother, Garlic.    ...spices, I enjoy a range of them now.  I put cinnamon in ground beef.  Lebanese meat pies just melt me. .. 
Don't get me started on the red wine vinegar.  The fatouche salads, the tabuli salads,  salad with lemon.  .... I'm hungry again.  Ok.

First night's meal....
Swordfish dip and bread -shared with baby.  check.
Artichoke with a lemon &olive oil dip.  ..shared with baby.  Enjoyed.
Veal with a mustard sauce and fresh diced plum tomatoes. ..shared with the babe.  Good to go.  She liked it.  (And yes, I did go so far as to comment that a baby was eating a baby. ..then the thought chain continued, internally, to a calf eating a human baby. ..)
Hence the title of this entry.

Night two. ... Lebanese style meat pies, salads with lemon dressings. 

Not a bad start, ey.
Leading up to the feast of my favorite American holiday.  Thanksgiving.  Simply because it is a day of food, conversation, and no fucking gift giving. 
Cheers.

Where Is My Battery Charger?

Let me start with addressing the title of the post.   ....  I'm trying to make the effort of switching from posting on my phone (which really makes This whole thing possible because with life, kid, home, work, and stuff. .it's hard to find the time to take good photos with my awesome camera and lenses, sit down in front of the computer, upload said photos. .and type out a blog. ...what would have to happen within the narrow time of my girl's nap or after she's gone to bed and I have about an hour window to myself and with my hubby).
So I made this effort earlier this week. .. I made The Stew again. ..and this time I visually thought out the steps.  I showed execution with my Canon (instead of my galaxy phone)... I even made a funny note or two on a notepad about things that happen while cooking (like managing to somehow have the luck of being in the "bring to boil" stage when your baby takes a shit.  That few minutes. ..yeah, that's good timing. ...anyway. .. point is,  my battery on my camera is about to die.  And so is the backup battery.  I have two chargers.  I can't find one. 
....and this brings me to tonight.
Rain check on the stew post. ..again. ..

Trying to use up the perishable food as we are staying with my mother in law for a week for the holiday of thanksgiving. 
Chicken strips, seasoned,  pan fried and then the last few minutes I tossed in two diced tomatoes and scallions (later to drizzle lemon)
With a side of blanched then sautéed green beans with garlic.  I NEED TO SAY IN CAPS THAT COOKING GARLIC IS ONE OF THE BEST FUCKING SMELLS IN MY WORLD. (And some rice.)
Baby girl loves tomato. ..basically ate a whole one....despite the picture that shows her so irritated as I tried to figure out when would be best to add the lemon (I went with post cooking)

...cheers.  I need gin and lemon soda.

App A Teasing

Sometimes a weekend lunch is all about appetizers! ...I really enjoy putting a bunch of cheeses, crackers,  meats,  maybe some pickles...olives. .. all on a great wood cutting board. 

...have I mentioned my. .now one year old, loves garlic stuffed olives! !?

Shep' Pie

Is it raining outside? And are you looking to make something that's easy that will carry you over for a few meals? 
Then shepherd's pie is the way to go!  (Rain or shine. ..just happens to fit today's rainy day nicely)

There are tons of recipes out there,  and mine is a very. .relaxed, use-what-you-have kind of thing:

Start with getting your mashed potatoes going, they will eventually go on top of the whole mix like frosting to a cake. ( I like to add garlic and cheese when I can. ) - about 3 big russet potatoes.
Meanwhile take around a half stick of butter and sauté one diced onion,  add about a lb of ground beef (traditionally lamb is used. ..you could also do ground turkey)...cook through. . .season with things in your spice cupboard and a few good dashes of worchchester sauce.  Add veggies based on how much they need to be cooked.  (I admit I use canned veg here a lot) tonight I used carrots, peas, corn, and green beans.  Add in 1/2 cup beef broth. ..bring to boil then simmer for about 10min, stirring regularly.
Pour this mix into baking dish, top with the mash and put in the oven at 400 for half an hour or until potatoes crisp and brown on top.
...sacrilegious I'm sure. .but it is nice with ketchup! 
...now I don't have to cook tomorrow!

Bunny For Baby

A few things going on that I intended to post on and, well,  none of them panned out in a way I thought was noteworthy. ..but now it's been a week or so, so I feel like I should say something here.
I've been trying to get my shit together so I can make fresh cheese. .but one thing or another gets in the way.  Still to do.
Went to the "chocolate festival" in my town this last weekend, Red Hook,  NY.  Got my chocolate fix. ..but then the happy townie gathering got bombarded by some protest regarding teachers at the nearby private college wanting better health insurance. ...... eye roll here.
My godfather was in town and we went to my favorite restaurant. ..I had my usual but...had the cheese platter too which was fucking amazing. ...I meant to take better photos. .and one of the chalk board which listed the cheeses but forgot, so I'm waiting until later in the day and am going to call and get that list! 
...most important!  Our daughter (almost one year old) tried rabbit for the first time, loved it of course,  but the fact that she tried rabbit before her mother and father. .!!! Haha...

...off topics post, I know.

......cheers. 

Riccota, Riccota, Let Down Your Hair!

I know riccota isn't really a stretch when it comes to going outside the norm of cheeses. .. but that's what I brought home today!
...when I think of this cheese I go immediately go to a pizza I had half a year ago in NYC. I was in little Italy with my friend who was visiting the city for the first time. ..we stopped to split a pizza and pitcher.  Trying to be easy and unlike what i would normally order (something with extra garlic) I let him pick the pizza...I don't know quite what it was. ..it had arugula, riccota, mushroom, maybe a meat? ..and sauce. .maybe sauce. It was brilliant!  ..it only made reference to what you would think a pizza to be. ..yum.
...the other use for ricotta my mind goes to is lasagna, of course. 

So I did an arugula salad with red onions, tomato, Riccota chunks,  with a honey balsamic vinegar dressing.  ....it was ok...but I won't be writing home to mom about it. 
Boring! !
I want to do something awesome with the rest of this block. ..but what? !
.....
Until next time. .. Good evening.

Goat Cheese, Please!

Trying to widen my palette on cheeses.
If you knew me you would know I could eat cheese for every meal.  It also goes well with everything I drink from coffee in the morning to spirits at night.
..but I've always stuck to the basics. .the typical sandwich type of cheeses,  and goudas, havartis, blah blah.. but the last year I've been taking chances... I linger at the giant cheese bar at Adams Farm...poking. ..looking at price stickers (I may be open to new tastes but I am on a budget)...
Anyway. ...I'm also going through the Cheese section in my Cordon Bleu book.  ...and I'm getting ready to start doing my own fresh cheeses. 
Again. ..I'm rambling. .point being I need to make sure I'm into goat cheese before I commit to making it.
Tonight I made a fabulous salad...yes,  with goat cheese. 

Diced lettuce mix
Diced tomato
Diced red onion
Goat cheese crumbles
Red wine vinegar & olive oil,  salt,pepper dressing
Plated to accompany an avocado.

The rest of dinner was some nice pan seared  boneless skinless chicken breast, and small red potato (I do these potatoes now just for the hubs because he isn't a fan of sweet potato. .but I think he is coming around), and sweet potato.

...baby liked it too! She's got quite the palette already. ..loves the balsamic.

Carcass Caress

Finally felt comfortable using the oven for an extended amount of time as we were just able to afford, in theory, to get our propane filled.
I purchased a nice 'organic' whole chicken at Adam's Farm and waited for Sunday when I knew I'd have time to not only do a chicken feast but also try my luck at boiling the carcass and making my own broth (to freeze for use at a later time).

I used to use an oil and herb rub but have switched to BUTTER.  Butter is just better... in every circumstance.  It also makes the skin nice and browned, crispy.
Melt a half stick of butter and mix in lots of garlic, fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, and any range of additional herbs in your cupboard or in your garden.. thyme, oregano. .. i also throw in a little cayenne. 
I prefer baking at 425 for about 1.5hours... i cover with foil for the first 1/3 of cook time so as to not get the skin overly crisp.

This time I surrounded the chick with onions, tomato, sweet potato, carrot, and rosemary. (roughly mixed with a little olive oil and spices first)

....yum. Hubbo said it was my best chicken yet.

After an early dinner I stripped that sucker down to the bones and blanched the carcass in 2qts of water...adding in giblets, the neck, etc.. also coarsely chopped celery, onion, and some stuff I had left on my cutting board... half a lemon and a tomato. (I'm not sure the Cordon Bleu would approve of the last bit additions but it had a nice aroma so I don't think I could have screwed it up much.) ...after blanching for a few minutes.. i brought it down to a simmer for two hours, stirring occasionally.  I then used a sieve to separate it down to just the broth and refrigerated overnight.
...now you are supposed to get the fat out then.. but I didn't until the next day (today) and it was so easy.. because it was chilled I was left with separated fat pieces on top so I only had to grab a spatula and carefully remove. Easy.
Now this is where I would then (after cooling) pour into ice trays and freeze for 4 hours before transferring to ziplocks for storage but as I perused my Cordon Bleu book I decided I would try consommé ... which is basically a soup based off of broth...
so because fresh broth is good in the fridge for three days... I think I will do leftover Chick tonight and tomorrow make soup! Which I will note in this blog in a few days once the deed is done.

Plating Rice

Last night I made my usual baked chicken but with a few side dish changes. ..
An avocado salad (mixed greens, tomato, scallions, avocado with a lemon and olive oil dressing)....mmm...avocado and lemon!  ...and baby girl loves anything with lemon. ..she's quite the palette for an 11 month old.
But the real new addition tonight was using my new stainless steel serving rings to help plate my rice. They work great!  (Thanks mom, for the awesome birthday present! )

...speaking of avocados. .when I was a kid my mom used to cut them in half and pour Italian dressing into the hole the pit left and we'd eat it just like that.  This is something I still so to this day.  Yummy.

No Recipe Today Stew

Made my first batch of stew for the season last night.
I originally found the recipe on Epicurious a couple years ago under the search "Irish beef stew" (search it now if you're looking for a cohesive recipe for stew).

...it's one of those days where nothing feels right.  And I've tried to write out my adjusted recipe a few times and I just can't. .

The stew was good.  Baby liked it too.

I'll just post a picture for now. ...add the recipe in later.

Hope you, whoever is reading this. .is having a better day than i.

Veggie Stir Fry (super baby friendly)

Didn't feel like doing a meat dinner tonight. ..
And baby is eating much more solids now so I try to present something that she can eat with us.  (She does like meat but I want to really have her eating and loving fresh veggies and fruits.) Additionally, I make extra so it can be a second meal for lunch the next day.  (trying to think of baby meals multiple times a day can get daunting and this arrangement really helps me out. )

My veggie stir fry. .
Sliced baby red potatoes (this takes the longest to cook,  so I do this first while I blanch green beans)
...I use a little butter and olive oil to ready the pan.
Cook for about 7min or until one side of the slices look nice and toasted.
Add in broccoli,  red onion, carrots (cook about 5min...and then add. .
Blanched green beans (added last during the last 5 min of cook. ..with minced garlic ...mmm)
(Seasoning with whatever you fancy all the while )

You can really put anything in this that you have lying around that you want to use.

If you want to tone down the healthy aspect of this dish. ..serve with a beer! 

Falling

Fall has definitely hit us here in Red Hook, NY. There's something magical about fall on the east coast. Maybe it's because I grew up in Los Angeles, California. ..but this time of the year reminds me of movies i grew up with,  only knowing "fall" indirectly . .. I think of Hocus Pocus (you're either thinking that is a terrible example or you know exactly the feeling as a kid watching that movie), and countless films that take you through upstate New York, Vermont and Connecticut in October. ..the crisp country roads being rained on by leaves of oranges and reds... it's a beautiful time of year.
We have two large maple trees on our property  (possibly more but these two are on the "lawn" areas) which mean we need to rake. And boy will we we need to do that soon....I guess you could say that and all the snow (and maintenance that goes with it) are the draw backs to having seasons...but I think it's worth it.
So. Food.
It's almost stew time.  I love stew. There's nothing better then making a slow batch of stew which lasts for 3 days worth of meals.  The trees bare outside, the snow piling on the windows and my jumbo ironclad pot hosting a melody of flavors that pair with fresh bread perfectly.  I usually have a glass of wine or something in my hand while I cook.  Helps keep you warm!
...soon. ....and I will share my recipe when I make the first batch of the season.

Haven't cooked anything spectacular lately.  Mostly dishes that end up all in one pot.

The Eggah and A Vent

I'd like to preface my post tonight as the vibe in my house is tense.  I am on my last job in the film world, as an editor. ..and it couldn't come soon enough.  My last gig has made me want to run for the hills. .the farms. ..any where but where the bastard wannabe producers rest their thick empty little heads. 
Listen up. ..I have one thought to pass along to anyone who freelances, or works in any capacity of project to project.  Make a clear fucking contract. I mean, go above and beyond to clarify for the dumb dumbs what you will and won't do, how you will provide it, how many times, dates, first born sacrifices if necessary, etc...etc...
I was just threatened with arbitration after doing more work then I ever should have for two extra months.  Fuck being nice. ..
In the words of Will Ferrell in The Other Guys "Gator don't take no shit" ..this is my new alter ego.  Ands I'm pushing back on this last project. I'm sick of bullies. Of nice people being taken advantage of.  I don't even like film anymore. 
Vent over.  ...
Segway..you know what I do like,love, and am passionate about. ..food!
So. .
The eggah. Is a Persian dish. It's basically an omelette that has been baked. I don't take it for as much as a breakfast thing though.
You can add spices, spinach, onions, garlic. .anything really.  To me, I think to do it as a lunch or dinner side. 
I didn't have a lot to work with tonight, it was cold out. ...so I thought ..Soup! ..and I had a little lettuce to use up before it turned.

My eggah
6 eggs, blended by fork
Half onion, diced small
3 garlic cloves
Spices. ..some salt, pepper, cayenne,oregano,..whatever you fancy.

Oil up a baking dish and pour. I think it works best to keep it shallow.
325 degrees for around 20min or until egg is set. 
..mine came out Ok. I think one could have fun really playing around with additions.
BABY actually ate some and she has an unusual distaste for eggs normally.

Ok.  Thanks for the vent outlet.  Also.  Thanks to my husband who has my back and has been dealing with my gig problem and the legality issues at hand since dinner. ...like 3 hours. 

Cream Puffs!

I've been down for the count since Thursday night.  Almost recovered and then we did a family dinner at my favorite restaurant,  Flat Iron,  and I think I took two steps backwards from recovering from my cold. .

Hubbub made cream puffs for dessert. ..so good.  Very aiding on my throat too!

Porketta and The Tea Remedy

I write this functioning at about 60%.
My body and mind aren't all together on the same page right now.
Yesterday I woke up with a tickle in my throat. ..and by the time my porketta was ready that evening I knew the night would not end well.
...I like to butterfly the pork,  center cut piece is what I buy.  And stuff it with fresh basil leaves from outside, loads of garlic, and herbs. 
325 for 40 min per pound.  I surround the pork with sweet potato, carrots, onions, tomato. .all coarsely cut and fairly thick (pending cook time)
...there's something about a simple white wine vinegar dressing salad to accompany the pork that just can't be matched (so far).
...God damn it's good.

So anyway. .I'm feeling terrible and my mother is still in town and so she offered to make me the famous home remedy tea.  I love this stuff, swear by it, and always try to drink it when I'm ill  (but when someone else makes it for you, and you can just take it in without the hassle on top of feeling awful it really makes a difference. ..
The cure :
Slices of ginger,garlic,  lemon,  honey, and hot water.
Recently I've started throwing in a chamomile bag as well. 
. ...I feel like I'm leaving something out. .but I can't think straight.

Fortunately leftovers are for dinner tonight.

Oil Burns.

I've come to odds with oil twice in the last few days... and I need a break from her. 
First,  I'm trying to make a nice meal for my mother, husband, and his friend...I decided to do my baked chicken with a colorful arrangement on the plate. .and I accidently make my marinade with olive oil instead of butter. .how stupid.   Chicken doesn't  really brown right or get crispy when I bake it with oil (at least not this method of 500 degrees for 20min) ...just totally fell short of what I was going for. 
Butter for the win. ..always. 
when in doubt - butter. 
Next. .
Tried my hand at kefta, a middle eastern ground beef dish that I never get right compared to my in laws who have it in their blood.  I used veg. Oil, like they do,  to basically drown/cook the patties in..and oil splattered all over the kitchen,..the stove, the counters, my shirt, etc. I'm dodging the little boiling balls with the pan lid up between me and the source,  spatula up like a sword.   And again. ..the dish just didn't do it,  my fault.  Lacking some of the spice.
Saving grace for that dish was the leftovers. .. a tabuli kefta sandwich with cheese. 

Meanwhile. ..I am in the process of bringing back to life a veg garden that has been dormant for years.  ...trying to find the time to clear it and get it ready before winter so next spring I can actually use it.  Wish me luck.

Sometimes. .

Sometimes home is where your mom is, even when you're a mom.
As ahah a moment as it was, we're a funny bunch and so today seeing my mother feed me (indirectly, of course, ) lunch, while I fed my own babe. ..
Such a crazy thing. 
Food helps the soul connect with the moments in life that you will reflect on later. 

I Ate My Baby!

Not really. 
My baby's middle name is Roux and tonight my mother and I made a lovely white Roux (sauce) to go on top of a spinach ricotta ravioli. 
(As I mentioned in my previous post my mother is in town and I plan to cook up a storm! ) but no,  I did not make the ravioli tonight, they were bought from my favorite local farm stand. 
I served the ravioli on top of a thin bed of carrots and zucchini that I had used a peeler to try to get a spaghetti look. And some diced tomato on top of it all as a garnish.
It was lovely. 
And Roux enjoyed the roux....

White Roux:
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp four
1 1/4 milk

Melt butter and add flour...stirring a minute or so until you cook it. Be careful not to brown.
Add hot milk slowly,  stirring profusely as to work out lumps..bring to boil, then simmer (keep stirring for the length of this entire cook)
...now, my Cordon Bleu book does not appear to suggest seasoning (but I did jump ahead to be able to use the recipe floor tonight's meal) but it was needed so I added some salt, pepper,and parmessian.

Night One

My mother just came to visit; got in late last night..so tonight was our first dinner together since my. ...found appreciation and desire for food and cooking has really gone full throttle.

I was nervous to cook. Almost set myself up to have nothing cohesive in the house. ... after all, I was cooking for the woman who cooked for me my whole childhood and early adulthood.  My early memories are of her food. ..
..it's a lot to live up to.  And the fact that when I was young I apparently told her "I'll never learn to cook, I'll hire someone to cook for me! " - god knows where I got that sense of worth as I've never even witnessed such a thing.

We went out thrift store shopping earlier in the day and I actually found an amazing set of dishes. .grand total 10 dollars (marked down from 20 sure to stupidity I wouldn't dare argue)...I got three different sized plates sets and a couple cups.
And my god, do these plates make a difference.

I'll call this Chicken Stewla Sur la Riz.

Simple Risotto

All I wanted was to smell that initial transition when you add white wine to a hot pan of miscellaneous ingredient. ...
So we just had your basic risotto last night.  Onions.  Parm.
Garnished with a parsley sprig.
And a salad with a balsamic -mustard dressing.

Risotto is so filling. .it is easily a main course in my home.

Le Hubbub

Saturday night. The eve of another, yet definitely superior meal by my beloved.

Vichyssoise.. in a bread bowl
Perfect veg. .. and breaded chicken.

Absolutely fantastic.
But....way too much food. We both agreed.

If the potato & leek soup had been served in a little cup. .as an appetizer. .then onto a refined serving of the chicken and veg. ..mucho better.

I put some vichy in a jar for baby and she loved it.  Two birds one stone!

...I would go on to use the leftover chicken into Sunday night's meal which was yummy. I sautéed thinly cut carrots, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and the leftover chicken. ..and served it on top of a radish scallion salad with a lemon dressing.  It was light and summery. .and it will happen again!

First Hour

This Saturday morning is special. ..
My 10 month old daughter finally slept through the night, which means, for the first time in well over a year I slept well.  So today, I woke with gusto! ....and dog pee in the hallway.  (They got let outside a little late because I slept in till 7!)

I cleaned up the kitchen from last night's "it's not delivery, it's. .." that kind of Friday night.
Put the water on to boil and chopped up a local apple and pear, to simmer in water, and then puree for baby.  
Put my new book on the table to read. ..
My husband is encouraging me to follow this passion to cook and learn the fundamentals.  I can't go take classes for monetary and situational reasons but I think I can get around it.  So he had been surprising me, books have been getting delivered. .the latest and best one, my new bible. ..Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques !!!
Sat down with my coffee, plate of cheese (Doux  De Montagne) and bread... baby and hubbub come down the stairs and we all sit down with our respective items. .
Mug of oj... jar of puree. .and me & mine.

So lovely. ..
Enjoy your weekend and every moment.

Boneless Skinless

I decided to wing it last night while trying to use up the last of my fresh veggies before they got a little long in the tooth. .

The cilantro had gone bad which is really the only thing I would have added to this dish, otherwise it was fantastic. .very tasty and easy to recreate.

First boil an ear off corn and let cool so you can shill it and add to the mix later. ..
Take 4 pieces of organic boneless skinless chicken thighs. Season. ..I do a generous amount of red pepper and spices, knowing it will spread on to the rest of the mix.
Heat a big pan with oil...a high to medium high heat and add chicken,  to brown more so than cook through. ..I did around 2-3 minutes on each side. ..then add fresh chopped carrots, yellow onion,  and I added a can (because I was out of tomatoes) of diced tomatoes with green pepper,  the corn from earlier,  and garlic if you like!
...leave covered to simmer for about 15min. Taste and apply more seasoning. .

Juicy ass chicken thighs to follow.
I served it over rice with a side of simple greens with lemon dressing.

Even baby M enjoyed some of the corn and chicken.