All Posts By: NANCY DeLUCIA REAL

This chicken recipe is from Mexico. It seems impossible to find this dish in a local Mexican (Los Angeles). My friend, Lina, introduced the recipe to my husband, Victor. Yes – you guessed it – he’s the one who makes this dish and I get to sit and enjoy it.

And so, I decided to try my hand at this recipe and it turned out delicious. You should try it, too!

Prep time: 35 to 45 minutes (includes 15-minutes for tomatillos to cool)
Serves: 4 to 6

For the Tomatillo Sauce:

2 pounds tomatillos (12 to 14 count), husks discarded
1 jalapeño or red chili pepper, stem and seeds discarded
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Wash the tomatillos and place them in a 4-quart sauce pot.

2. Bring the tomatillos and the jalapeño or red chili to a boil.

3. Boil the tomatillos and chili for 5 to 8 minutes or until they are soft.

4. Carefully drain the tomatillos, taking care not to let them burst; set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

5. After 15 minutes, transfer the cooked tomatillos to a blender.

6. Remove stem from chili and add the flesh to the tomatillos in blender.

7. Add the garlic and salt to tomatillo-chili mixture in blender; puree the mixture until it is smooth.

8. Taste the tomatillo sauce and adjust salt level; set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the chicken:

For the Chicken:

1/4 cup vegetable oil (safflower or sunflower oil preferred)
2/3 cup chopped white or brown onion
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), cut into 2 to 3-inch chunks
Salt, to taste

Directions:
1. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil.

2. When oil is hot but smokeless, add the chicken chunks; stir fry on medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until the chicken turns white.

3. Stir in the onion and sauté for 2 minutes or until it becomes translucent.

4. When onion is translucent, pour the reserved tomatillo sauce over the chicken mixture in skillet.

5. Simmer the chicken on medium-low heat for about 25 to 30 minutes or until it is cooked through.

6. Taste and add, if needed, add salt.

7. Serve Chicken in Tomatillo Sauce immediately with steamed white or brown rice.
Text and Photograph ©2015 Nancy DeLucia Real

Need to kick up organic spinach so that it tastes awesome?

First, add some “heat” to onions by sautéing them with fresh chiles in extra virgin olive oil. Next, toss in the spinach. In minutes, you’ve created a hot and spicy side dish for meat, poultry or fish. Alternatively, enjoy Organic Spinach with Onion Heat atop some toasted Italian bread.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 brown or white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 fresh, red or green hot chile, sliced
12 ounces organic, baby spinach leaves, washed and spun-dry
salt, to taste

Directions:
1. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil on medium-high setting.

2. When oil is hot, add the onion and chile; stir-fry until onion is translucent and light golden.

3. Toss in the spinach leaves.

4. Using tongs, gently mix to bring the onion slices to the surface of the spinach.

5. Stir-fry, constantly mixing with tongs, on medium-high heat just until the spinach has wilted and barely looks cooked.

6. Add salt, to taste. Serve immediately.
Text and Photograph ©2015 Nancy DeLucia Real

When I created this recipe I was in the mood to fine-tune brown rice into something exciting. I combined organic brown rice, colorful bell peppers, onions, carrots, lime juice, olive oil and white Balsamic vinegar. It’s vegan, too!

This “speckled” brown rice salad makes for a perfect side dish at our upcoming barbecue on Labor Day weekend. Have fun!

Cook time (rice): 25 to 35 minutes
Prep time (chopping ingredients): 10 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6 (as a side dish)

Ingredients:
1 cup raw, organic, long grain rice
1-3/4 cups water
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper or Pasilla pepper
3 green onions, cut into thin circles (including light green stems)
1 tablespoon white Balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a 12-inch, nonstick skillet, combine the rice and water. Cover and bring rice to a boil.

2. When rice comes to a boil, lower heat to simmer and stir the rice once.

3. Cover the rice and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes or until rice is al dente or crunchy-tender.

4. When rice is cooked it will be puffy and dry. Immediately transfer it to a glass or porcelain bowl.

5. Gently stir 1 tablespoon olive oil into the rice.

6. Set rice aside to cool for 10 minutes.

7. After 10 minutes, gently stir remaining ingredients into the rice. Taste and, if needed, adjust seasonings.
Text and Photograph ©2015 Nancy DeLucia Real

I can’t help thinking that fruit is the sweetest gift that Nature has given us. While I enjoy all types of fruit in its natural state, I also like to be creative with it.

This salsa is made with strawberries, nectarines (or peaches), green onions, Serrano chiles, lime juice, agave nectar and olive oil. It pairs well with meat, fish and poultry. Serve this strawberry-nectarine salsa at your next cookout!

Prep time: 20 to 25 minutes
Makes: 3-1/2 cups

Ingredients:
16 ounces fresh strawberries, rinsed, dried and hulled
2 to 3 fresh nectarines, peeled (peaches can be substituted for the nectarines)
4 green onions, roots and dark tips cut and discarded
1 Serrano chile, finely chopped (if chile too hot, then only use half)
Juice from 1 lime
2 to 3 tablespoons agave nectar (this can be substituted with granulated sugar)
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Working on a chopping board, cut each strawberry in half, vertically.

2. Chop the strawberry halves into 1/4-inch pieces and set aside in a 2 to 3-quart mixing bowl.

3. Cut the nectarines into 1/2-inch thick slices.

4. Cut each slice into 1/4-inch pieces and add these to the strawberries in bowl; set aside.

5. Cut the onions into thin circles (about 1/8-inch thick) and add them to the chopped fruit in bowl.

6. Add the chopped Serrano chiles and lime juice to the fruit mixture in bowl.

7. Gently stir in the agave nectar, olive oil and salt.

8. Stir the salsa thoroughly and taste it. Adjust seasonings, if necessary.

9. Serve salsa immediately or refrigerate it up to 3 hours ahead.

NOTE: This salsa will last until the next day. Howevever, the fruit’s texture will change.
Text and Photograph ©2015 Nancy DeLucia Real

Ever wonder where our rustic breads made with oat and spelt flour originated? The ancient Greeks and Romans made a variety of breads with white and dark flours. However, ancient Gaul (modern-day France) is the rock star for delicious recipes made with grains. Spelt was high on their foods’ list. Here’s a recipe for oat-spelt bread from my July 23 & 24 historic culinary course, Feasts & Opulence in Roman Gaul, at the Getty Villa, Los Angeles. Check out my KCET interview for this course here-

http://www.kcet.org/living/food/the-public-kitchen/recipe-homemade-cheese-ancient-rome.html

Due to organic spelt and oat flours, this bread is not only healthy but also light in texture. Once you taste this grainy, honey-sweetened bread, you won’t want the ready-made stuff anymore.

Active prep time: 30 minutes (mixing and assembling dough)
Inactive prep time: 60 minutes (two 30-minute dough risings)
Bake time: 25 to 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon (1 envelope) Rapid Rise Yeast®, dissolved in 3/4 cup warm water and set aside to rise for 10 minutes
1 cup organic oat flour
2 cups organic sprouted spelt flour
1-1/2 to 2 cups organic, all-purpose, unbleached white flour 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 to 2 cups warm water
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup raw oatmeal (for garnish)

Directions for Preparing the Dough:

1. Combine the oat, spelt and all-purpose flour in a large, shallow mixing bowl.

2. Stir in the salt

3. Make a well in center of dry ingredients.

4. Pour in the risen yeast-water mixture, 1 more cup of water, honey and olive oil into the well.

5. Using a fork, mix the wet ingredients until combined.

6. Gently mix in, a little at a time, flour from the inner sides of the well.

7. Each time you mix in some flour, make sure to blend it well into the wet ingredients.

8. Gather flour from sides of well in small amounts until a soft dough has formed. If dough is too
dry, add water in 1/4 cup increments until it amalgamates and becomes soft.

9. If dough is too wet and sticky, add flour in small amounts until the dough is uniform and you
can gather it. The dough should be soft and smooth.

10. With lightly-floured hands, gently knead the dough inside bowl, adding small amounts of
flour, until it is smooth and elastic.

11. Set dough aside on a floured surface while you oil the bowl.

12. Return dough to the oiled bowl and cover it with aluminum foil or a clean kitchen towel.

13. Set the dough aside for 30 minutes to rise.

Directions for Shaping & Baking the Bread:

1. After 30 minutes, punch down the dough in center.

2. Lift dough out of bowl and place dough on a parchment-lined 18 X 12-inch baking sheet.

3. Gently flatten and stretch out the dough to a 10-inch circle.

4. Cover the dough again and let it rise for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.

5. After 20 to 30 minutes, preheat oven to 400°F.

6. Meanwhile, oil a sharp knife and score the dough into eight wedges.

7. Sprinkle the bread dough with the raw oatmeal.

8. When oven is preheated, place baking sheet with bread dough on rack positioned in center of oven.

9. Bake the bread for 25 minutes (ovens vary in baking time).

10. After 25 minutes, test doneness of bread by lifting the bottom with a spatula. It should look golden brown. If bottom of bread is not golden brown, bake it for 5 more minutes.
Text and Photograph ©2015 Nancy DeLucia Real