Snowed in

I *attempted* to go to work today, but the snow and mucky roads thwarted my efforts. My car which handled the last snow storm quite well was not a happy camper this morning so for her sake I turned back after a half hour. The fact that it was bagel friday at work (every friday we get fresh bagels and the most amazing cream cheese at work) forced me to weigh my decision carefully, but the flashing warning lights when my tires slipped beat out the yummy bagels... But a coworker tells me that the cream cheese was so frozen that the knives were breaking in it... lol. Sorry guys.

So since I'm cooped up at home (still working mind you) I thought I would share my latest find, the 30-minute cookbook from America's Test Kitchen. Ok, it's really Sameera's find because I borrowed it from her, but in my world I am discovering it :) I am a *very* slow cook, and I realized this when Sameera came over to cook with me and she'd made three dishes before I even managed to open a can of beans. So the quicker the recipe the better for me, since anything takes me forever. Even though the first recipe I tried took longer than 30 min, it was still relatively quick and very easy. I'm sharing it cause I thought it came out rather well (considering the suspect way the chicken was cooked) and my hubby really liked it too. I left out the apricots cause I try not to do cooked fruit for the hubby's sake.

30-minute Chicken Tagine (from The Best 30-Minute Recipe from the Editors of Cook's Illustrated)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and ground pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
2 tsp garam masala
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dried apricots, quartered
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

To make:
1. Microwave chicken: Season chicken with salt and pepper and arrange in single layer in microwave-safe casserole dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on 50% power for 15 minutes.

2. Saute aromatics: While chicken cooks, heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Stir in onion, garam masala, and 1/4 tsp salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Build sauce: Stir in flour and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in tomatoes, apricots, and chickpeas, bring to simmer, and cook until apricots begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

4. Simmer chicken: Reduce heat to low and add microwaved chicken with any accumulated juices. Cover and continue to cook until chicken is tender, about 10 minutes.

5. Finish: Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

This goes really well with either rice or couscous. I made basmati in the rice cooker and added salt, olive oil and panch phoran (5 spice) to give it a nutty flavor. If you want couscous (since this is a moroccan dish), here is a quick recipe.

Simple Couscous (also from The Best 30-Minute Recipe)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups couscous
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups water

To make:
1. Saute couscous: Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add couscous and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Finish: Stir in salt and water and bring to boil. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork before serving.