Falling Leaves bring me Inspiration....

Oh the joys of Fall. I was sitting outside of my downtown home here in Columbus and noticed that there were leaves flying past me into my yard. I walked around the corner and there stood this beautiful oak tree whose leaves last week were as green as an emerald. Today however they were a bright yellow and fluttering to the ground. How beautiful the sight, it gave me an idea for a wonderful dinner.....

I ran into my kitchen and scanned my freezer for the split chicken breasts that I had purchased last week. These chicken breasts are perfect for a day like today. Its a bit rainy and feels like a fall day. Hmmm...my mind wandered into thinking what I should try and pair with this chicken. On a good week, I normally have just about anything stocked in my fridge and pantry. This is not one of those weeks, however I do have some things that will make this a great dinner and light and innovative.

So I began thinking about flavors with chicken. My favorite combination is Rosemary of course. Everyone who knows me knows I love rosemary and lemon chicken. Its a signature. And it so happens I have fresh rosemary in the fridge! Yes! Ok, so in the summer I would definitely pair this with some lemon and call it a day. Since its the fall, lemons really arent in season, so I am going to just focus on Rosemary and Garlic and salt and pepper, and probably some butter in place of Olive Oil. I'll mix all of these ingredients together and make a "butter" that I will rub on the inside of the skin an on the bone side. This way the skin wont burn before the chicken is perfectly cooked, instead it will be a wonderful flavor and a perfect crisp.

Now since I am using butter I dont want a side dish that is too heavy. But I want something different....Pasta? No. Potatoes? I dont have any! Couscous? Yes, but what can we do to jazz up some boring plain couscous? Hmmm...I have some stuff to make salad, and I have some ingredients to make a yummy winter salad. Here's my plan... Im going to take the couscous and cook 1 cup plain couscous to directions. To that I will add a few tbls of a Raspberry Pomegranate Vinagrette that I have, dice up some red onion, and chop up some spinach and butter lettuce. Add in some chopped walnuts and gargonzola cheese, and presto, you have a great Winter Couscous Salad that is a great compliment to the perfect chicken.

Now I must go cook and get this recipe written....Ciao!

Recipe for Rainy Day Sunday Dinner

Oh the smells of a wonderful pot of black eyed peas are filling up my house as we speak. There is a light rain falling down, creating a gentle breeze throughout. Today is the perfect day for a good Hoppin' John and braised pork dish. So that's exactly what I decided to make for dinner today!

I must admit, a lot of the recipes I am writing, I am doing for the first time. Take the Hoppin Johns Recipe for example. I have never made them before today. I have though made countless other types of bean recipes, and have tasted Hoppin' Johns before, so I have a fairly good idea how I want them to taste. To me cooking is about having some knowledge, quite a bit of creativity, and great senses. I was gifted in being born with all of these, and I have heightened senses which causes me to smell things most others dont, and I can taste and recognize flavors most people cant. This is why I am an aspiring chef.

So todays recipe for me is a combination of knowing what flavors work. For example, most Hoppin' Johns recipes I came across used ham hocks, I didnt have this, however I understand why we are using the ham hocks, we are using it for the smoky flavor. I did have bacon and so I am substituting bacon for the ham hock. I added some fresh thyme garlic and bay leaves and seasoned water to the presoaked peas ad am boiling them gently on the stove. I like my peas a little softer than most, so I think I will cook them until I think they are to taste. Most recipes call for about 2 1/2 hours. I never think that is enough. So I will "wing it" and keep tasting the peas til they suit my taste buds.

As for the braised ribs that I am doing in the oven. I havent exactly thought out how I am going to do them, but I have a good idea. I know I wanted some type of BBQ ribs todayhowever I never like to use pre-made BBQ sauce. Im also not a big fan of ketchup. So I have this Raspberry Pomegranate Vinegrette salad dressing that I am going to mix with some honey, salt and pepper and probably some balsamic. I may add some other ingredients, but I wont know for sure till I start in my kitchen. Add a bay leaf and a sprig of rosemary and thyme and braise slowly for a few hours until tender and the house smells like you could eat the air.

Ill let you all know how this turns out..... And I will write the actual recipe!

Enjoy