Wordless Wednesday 6-13-12

My daughter likes to read!

Dajaj Ablama (Syrian Chicken Stew)

This chicken stew is ready in under an hour, but tastes like it stewed all day.  Sooo good!

Dajaj Ablama

(Syrian Chicken Stew)

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ cup flour

¼ cup butter

1 large onion, chopped

5 tbsp pine nuts

4 ½ cups chicken stock

Pinch of salt

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp lemon juice

Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish

Seen here served with brown basmati rice.

Directions:

Trim chicken breasts of any fat, rinse and pat dry. Cut each breast into 3 pieces and dip them in the flour. Melt butter in a frying pan and brown chicken over moderate heat. Remove chicken from the pan.

Fry the onion in the same pan until golden brown. Remove and fry the pine nuts in the same pan until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add the chicken stock, salt, pepper and cinnamon to the pan, stirring continuously for 2 minutes.

Transfer the chicken and onions to a large saucepan. Add the stock and cook over moderate heat for about 40 minutes, until tender. Add the lemon juice and cook further for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the fried pine nuts and cilantro.

Life-us Interrupt-us

 Life has been crazy for the last while.  It has been a roller coaster of stress, fun, change, fear, relief, happiness and pretty much every emotion possible.  It has also totally gotten in the way of blogging, crafting and experimenting in the kitchen.  Without recounting every detail of the last couple of months, I will just say, I am grateful to on this side of them, am totally blessed and ready to reacquaint myself with my blog! 

Truffles and Teachers

V and I found a good use for all the paper boxes that we had hanging around.  We put homemade chocolate truffles in them and took them to school for V's teachers as it was Teacher Appreciation Week.    

I love Victoria's school.  I have never met such an amazing collection of truly passionate and caring teachers and support staff.   We are blessed. 

It was so much fun delivering them to her various teachers.   There was Mrs Johnson, her regular teacher; Mr. Woodworth, her music teacher; her P.E. teacher, her computer teacher, the principal, the librarian, the school counselor and one of the para-educators whom Vicki has a bond with.

 I am kicking myself for not taking the camera with me!  

The really cool part was that Victoria would tell her teachers that they were homemade truffles in a homemade box.  I'm not sure which part they were more impressed with.  And when she told them that, yes, she helped make the truffles and yes, she made some of the boxes, she beamed with pride.

Now I suppose I should share my truffle recipe.   Well alright then.  Bend my rubber arm.

Chocolate Truffles

3  cups semi-sweet chocolate chips  

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a heat safe bowl, melt chocolate chips over hot but not boiling water, stirring constantly.   Remove from heat as soon as melted and smooth.  Stir in the vanilla and sweetened condensed milk.  Chill for 2 hours or until mixture is easy to handle.  Shape into 1-inch balls.  

Roll in coconut, sprinkles, cocoa or crushed nuts.

The pictured truffles were made with 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2 cups dark chocolate chips and rolled in a cocoa and powdered sugar mixture.