Learning Hospitality: Week 1 – The Community Table (+Chicken Gold Recipe!)
A Weekly Challenge
Last week, I launched a weekly blog challenge for both myself and any readers who wanted to grow and play alongside me.
Each week I’ll be making a small investment in learning the art of hospitality, with the end goal of nurturing the people that gather in the space I call home. Those who post today will join me in the first round by testing out one new recipe (any recipe!) per week for the next four weeks.
Can I Still Participate?
If you’d like to participate, you can join in any time. Just add your recipe (and, if you want, tell us about your experience) in the “Leave a Reply” box below this post. Then, if you have a photo of your meal, post it to your social networks and make sure to include #learninghospitality among the words so others can find it.
The Food I Dabble In
Like a lot of you, as life progresses, I’ve gradually added new meals to my repertoire.
Early on, I found some go to meals–creamy alfredo, manicotti, enchiladas, unhealthily delicious homemade mac and cheese.
And here and there, I’ve found occasional reason to experiment beyond my comfort zone. Holiday parties, meals to moms of newborns, having guests over. And sometimes–though admittedly not very often–just because.
But somewhere in the last three years, and definitely in the last twelve months, cooking moved from dutiful act with end goal of eating to something different: nurturing act with goal of savoring.
Maybe it’s the fact that I can set a whole table with my husband and two kids now. Or maybe it’s because I’ve been working from home which means many times a day, I walk through the space where our family will gather later that night. Or maybe it’s because something inside of me … clicked.
In any case, I started noticing the elements of good meals.
At the Ted conference in Detroit where I served as a photographer, I found myself taking photos of the boxed lunches just for me. I zoomed in on the ingredients to the most delicious chicken salad sandwich I’d ever eaten, wanting to preserve the information–the apple and grapes and dried cherries–more than the aesthetics.
Then it was the cajun salmon at a little beachy lakeside restaurant called Coconuts. It was a rich dish with a flavorful kick that took me by surprise. And you better believe the next time salmon went on sale, I had the paprika and cayenne pepper handy.
Then there was the long series of weeks perfecting the Sunday roast. I had a friend as a child whose family often sat down to roasts on weekend afternoons and I loved the aroma that filled their house, almost blending the ritual of eating this specific meal into the church services earlier that day. I learned that a slow-eight-hour-cook and a–yikes–can of coke produced fall apart meat every time.
(Oh and if you haven’t figured it out by now, after being raised in farmland surrounded by hunters, I–unlike a lot of my other healthiful friends–emerged a meat eater. While we do buy amish-raised chicken and skip the factory farm brands, we still eat meat a couple days a week. Apologies to my exclusively-veggie-loving people.)
This admission leads me to the next meal I determined I would master for outdoor barbecues and grilling by the side of the 1992 pontoon boat: spare ribs. And pretty quickly I arrived at a mouth-watering recipe that I like to make purely because I like to eat them. Really. If you like ribs, you’ll like these.
(Please excuse my perhaps strangely angled snapshots. Newbie at food photography.)
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Chicken Gold
For the first week, then, I decided to return to chicken, which had almost become a boring filler in my mind. Something you put in tacos or fajitas or on top of salads, but rarely took center stage. So without further delay, here is my twist on a recipe for cheese stuffed chicken that worked like a charm. And because the chef gets to call it whatever he or she wants, I’m officially christening it chicken gold.
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Prepare your cutting surface.
Slice the chicken breast width-wise (you should create two thinner cuts of meat the same length as the original).
Lay out the newly sliced cuts of chicken.
Roll them as flat as you can.
Cut your green pepper (or jalapeno into strips) and mix warmed cream cheese and colby in separate bowl.
Drop three or four pepper sticks and a spoonful of cheese mixture on top.
Fold the chicken over and wrap with 2 strips of bacon each to hold in place. Brush on BBQ sauce. Cook at 375 for 30 minutes and then broil for 3 minutes to make bacon crisp.
Enjoy! (We’re adding Chicken Gold as a regular menu item at our house.)
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[line]So What Did You Make This Week?
Really. I want to know (especially if it was a family hit) or, like Chicken Gold, can easily be modified to feed a crowd.
Scroll down below this post and you’ll see a white “Leave a Reply” box. Type your recipe in there. And then, if you have photos (or even if you don’t but just want to), post the dish on your social network and add the hashtag #learninghospitality to it so I and others can find it.
Bonus (other than good food): We’ll be giving away a couple custom made aprons, some great books and a $70+ flower arrangement to those who participate throughout the series. I’ll draw at least one name (sometimes more) each week.
Also, do not be afraid to tell me all about your experience (or cooking history). Did you grow up cooking? Did you just start today? Did you love the challenge? Hate it? Was it fun? Stressful? Did you invent something award-winning? Burn something beyond recognition? You can spill the whole thing.
After all, if Shauna Niequist (author of the book that will be randomly given away to a few winners) sometimes needs more than one attempt to get a recipe right, we can too. You did read Shauna’s interview posted just for us earlier today, didn’t you?
Angela H April 18, 2013 (12:42 pm)
Hey Sarah! So I was waiting for someone else to drop in a recipe so mine wouldn’t be first, but then I wondered if that’s what everyone was doing.
Sometimes I worry that all the cooking just means more eating for me. And unlike you who seem to have a crazy metabolism (and I know–to be fair–you run and stuff), so I’m looking for some healthy new snack options.
For that reason (and because I was intimidated by laying out a spread) I went simple. And I’m naming mine “Never Fail Granola”. Nice ring huh?
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups unsweetened coconut
2 cups slivered almonds
1 cup cashews
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups of your favorite dried fruit, such as dates and dried cherries, chopped
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine the oats, coconut, almonds, cashews, oil, honey, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl, and toss together to coat. Spread evenly on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 30 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet. Add the dried fruit and serve. If not using right away, store in an airtight container, adding the dried fruit to order.
It’s good stuff.
Erika Swisher April 18, 2013 (12:50 pm)
Okay…well…unlike Angie, my big drive is not health. Booo for me. I am thinking my main gig is QUICK.
This soup is both quick (15 minutes!) and great for midwest weather. Why is it so rainy lately? Pray something better into the air already, girl.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup crushed tortilla chips, plus more for serving (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
Directions
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Cook garlic and chili powder until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with juice), beans, broth, corn, and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper.
Bring soup to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add tortilla chips; cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve soup with lime wedges and, if desired, more chips.
Here’s where I got the recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/315478/tortilla-soup-with-black-beans?center=276948&gallery=297026&slide=262924
Sarah Cunningham April 18, 2013 (12:53 pm)
@Ang Looking good. My husband of all people (read: not known for healthy eating habits) has a killer granola recipe from some Indiana friends (shout out to the Buchers!). I’ll post it eventually.
@Erika I make tortilla soup too. And white chicken chili. Those are my rainy/snowy day go tos. And believe me if I had the prayer to modify this alleged “spring” weather, I would be on it. Storms this afternoon it looks like.
Thank you both for participating!
Brianna Sell April 18, 2013 (1:56 pm)
I am a vegetarian but am not a seasoned vegetarian cook so I took this as a chance to try some new stuff.
I chose from the 41 “Easy” (yes EASY) vegetairan recipes at Real Simple. Was not successful. Woe is me. ):
I was successful at making orangey slop or maybbbbbbe organic baby food. Any vegetarians have a tip for me?
I’ll try again tonight and see if I can redeem myself. If so I’ll leave a comment tomorrow. If I give up on cooking veg-dishes, I’ll starve. (: So not giving up.
Ingredients
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 yellow onion, quartered
5 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
1/2 baguette, cut into 16 thin slices
Directions
Heat oven to 400° F.
In a large roasting pan, combine the carrots, parsnips, onion, 3 tablespoons of the oil, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread the vegetables in an even layer and roast, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush with the remaining oil. During the last 10 minutes of roasting time, toast the slices until crisp.
Transfer the vegetables to a blender and purée with 3 cups water, adding more water if necessary, ¼ cup at a time, until smooth. Rewarm in a pot over medium-low heat, if necessary. Divide among individual bowls and serve with the olive oil toast.
Sarah Cunningham April 18, 2013 (1:58 pm)
You guys, @brianna was having trouble posting. Still working out some Firefox kinks on the comment box and light gray type in Explorer. Yuck. Anyways I helped her. If you need help just drop me an email at sarahraymondcunningham (at) gmail (dot) com.
And Brianna, thanks for representing my vegetarian friends.
Dawn Thomas April 18, 2013 (4:47 pm)
Vegan/Gluten Free French Onion Soup
6-8 Whole onions cut into slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
1-2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
6 cubes Knorr Vegetable bouillon
10 cups hot water
1 teaspoon Cumin
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Garlic salt
(Optional-Gluten Free bread and dairy free cheese for topping the soup when done)
Peel onion and then cut into slices. Place oil in large skillet and turn heat to medium high. Add onions and pepper to skillet and sauté for about 10 minutes until onions are still crisp tender. Add paprika to onions and stir well. Add bouillon cubes to a large crock pot then pour in hot water and stir well with a wire whisk. Add onions to bouillon mixture and then add cumin, bay leaves, worcestershire sauce and garlic salt. Cook on high in crock pot for 4-6 hours. Pour soup into ramekins and top with bread and cheese and put in oven at 400 degrees until cheese is melted.
I made this today for my family. My daughter is a Vegan who is also Gluten Free so I try to make some things she can eat. This recipe turned out really well! I worked at a place today where I had an hour long break so I came home and sauteed the onions and added them to the crock pot and set it on high while I was at work. I chose to use french bread and shredded mozzarella cheese on mine (which is pictured here). My daughter used her Light Tapioca Bread and her dairy free cheese on hers.
Dawn Thomas April 18, 2013 (4:53 pm)
FYI, there is a picture on my blog of this. And I am gonna be honest…this was not from this week. however it was a recipe I came up with on my own. (This is from September of last year) This is what we call “Hell Week” at the High School because the play opens tonight and all week the kids have gone to school all day and then stayed at the school until 11 pm or later running through the dress rehearsals etc. I am part of the Drama Boosters so we feed the kids each night. And right now I am frantically typing this before I jet out the door to grab my 16 year old from where she helps out after school so we can come back home and probably both get showers and get ready to be back up at the school in an hour. I did work on some other new things today but they did not turn out exactly like I hoped so I will so some more tweeking on Saturday when I have more time. I am working tomorrow (I am a substitute teacher) so I won’t have time tomorrow. Whew…gotta run now…lol
Kara April 18, 2013 (4:50 pm)
Cabbage rolls!
12 cabbage leaves
1 cup cooked rice….can use white, but we use wheat
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup milk( 1 percent is best)
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1 pound of extra lean ground meat( I have used beef abd deer, Just remember game meat takes a little longer to cook)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce( Can use chopped canned tomatoes, or stewed with seasonings, like Italian or Mexican, if u want a different flavor) I actually used tomato soup, it just gave it a sweeter flavor.
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
In a large pot boil about 8 cups of water, drop cabbage leaves in a few at a time….boil leaves for 2 minutes. remove, drain and set aside In a large bowl, combine rice, egg, milk, onion, ground meat, and seasonings. Using a small ice cream scoop( u can use a spoon, an ice cream scoop jsut makes it easier!) Place about a 1/4 cup of the mixture onto the cabbage leaves, roll up, tucking in the ends. Repeat until all the leaves are used.Turn crock pot on low. Place cabbage rolls into the crock pot.
In a small bowl mix together tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over rolls. Cook on HIGH for an hour then turn down to low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve with a scoop of the sauce and a dollop of sour cream!
Delicious!
Sarah April 18, 2013 (4:52 pm)
@Dawn, you’ve taught me something already. Had no idea vegetable bouillon existed. :)
@Kara, I need to try this one. Love lettuce wraps in general, but I’ve never tried something like this. Thanks for posting!
Dawn Thomas April 18, 2013 (5:28 pm)
Knorr makes it…it is a “block” that is used for 2 cups of water…and it is my daughters BEST FRIEND…being vegan/GF!! I always keep a ton in the cabinet.
Sarah April 18, 2013 (7:15 pm)
Knowing is half the battle. :)
Jessica April 18, 2013 (5:12 pm)
This past Sunday was my turn to take the “snack” to Church. I needed a recipe that was a breakfast meal & that would make enough to feed a crowd on a budget. I found a recipe in my Taste of Home Cake Mix Creations Cookbook that fit both my needs.
After making the recipe by following the directions it was REALLY YUMMY!! I got a lot of compliments from fellow Church goers as well as from my family who were treated to the leftovers however there were a few adjustments I would make for the next time.
Here is the updated recipe I am now calling Blueberry Crumble Cake:
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold salted butter, cubed
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 package white cake mix (regular size)
1-1/2 cups frozen blueberries (do not thaw)
Directions
In a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter; pulse until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle half of the mixture into a greased 11-in. x 15-in. baking dish.
Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions, fold in the blueberries; pour over pecan mixture. Top with remaining pecan mixture; swirl with a knife.
Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Sarah April 18, 2013 (7:15 pm)
@Jessica, I’m really glad you posted this because I have some frozen blueberries I’ve been pondering. Now I know what to do with them. Nice add! :)
Christine April 18, 2013 (9:47 pm)
I’m starting back into the who hospitality thing slowly with coffee and Banana Buttermilk Muffins with a friend. Next week I’ll try to remember to take photos.
Banana Buttermilk Muffins
from Williams Sonoma, Essentials of Healthful Cooking
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 cup well-mashed ripe banana
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line two muffin tins with paper liners.
In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, banana, oil, egg and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Sprinkle the tops evenly with the walnuts.
Bake the muffins until they are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn out onto the rack and let cool completely. The muffins will keep in a plastic bag at room temperature for 2 or 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Makes 16 muffins.
Sarah April 19, 2013 (12:38 am)
@Christine, hmmm. I know nothing of this buttermilk in banana muffins. Sounds like a good thing.
Joanna April 20, 2013 (6:13 am)
I got a bit confused and thought we were starting this coming week, so my cooking from the past week was rather uncreative..
Hilary April 20, 2013 (9:30 am)
I was traveling last week and didn’t cook. While eating out a lot can be fun (and expensive in a city like Chicago where I was), I was glad to get back to the comfort of my own kitchen. However – I am going to try your Chicken Gold recipe this week! Also planning some kind of panini and soup combo, Garlic-Parmesan Chicken and Noodles casserole, and Chicken Marsala over mashed potatoes. These are all new recipes for me and I’m excited to try them out!
Sarah April 23, 2013 (5:15 pm)
Awesome, Hilary! So glad you’re participating here. :) You’ve had great comments all around. Wish you lived closer!
Carrie April 20, 2013 (12:10 pm)
Okay so upfront confession: I am Southern Girl who loves to cook and chow. I am not overly healthy in my fave dishes, so there’s your warning.
My feminist side rages against the name of this dish, but I grew up eating it and have made it for years. In college it was a HUGE hit among all friends and not surprising my hubby loves it. So here it is.
“Husband’s Delight”
1 1/2 lbs groound beef (or chuck or ground turkey; not particular)
1 chopped onion (I usually by frozen and just throw some in)
2 small cans tomato sauce
Dash of salt
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 package wide egg noodles
8oz package cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 1/2 – 2 cups shreddedcheddar cheese
Brown onions and ground beef. Drain and return to pan
Add tomato sauce, salt, and Worcestershire sauce to beef.
Boil the noodles and drain.
Combine the cream cheese and sour cream.
In a casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray layer the noodles, beef, and cream cheese mix until you end up with nothing left. Cream cheese mix should be the top layer.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese
Bake in 350 degrees until cheese melts and mixture is bubbly.
Serve with a tossed salad and some warm bread. This reheats well too.
Hope you love it!
Sarah April 21, 2013 (7:54 pm)
Carrie, so glad you added! =)
Dawn Thomas April 21, 2013 (9:34 pm)
YUMMY! Sounds good!
Christy Foster April 23, 2013 (12:18 pm)
Because of food intolerances, I have to be grain-free. Before I discovered that, I was already vegetarian. So, you would think a grain-free vegetarian never eats! Or, cooking must be a nightmare! Wrong! I LOVE food & I have to keep it simple! In fact, I really don’t ever use recipes, just whatever sounds good. Here’s my favorite dish:
Chopped Cucumber Tomato Salad with Creamy Avocado dressing:
Chop romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato & red onion
Take 1 avocado, half a lemon, 1 tsp or so garlic powder, lemon pepper & salt, put it in the blender = dressing.
Roasted Veggies & Pesto
Turn your oven to 400 degrees
In a roasting pan put any veggie that sounds good. I like broccoli, carrots, green beans & fingerling potatoes.
Drizzle with olive oil
Roast about 25 minutes or until they are the desired tenderness
(I am a health coach, but sometimes you gotta keep it simple. I like Buitoni’s pesto. You can make your own if you want)
Toss the veggies in the pesto, add some shaved parmesan & your DONE.
9 veggies in ONE meal!
If you like, you could add grilled chicken.
Sarah April 23, 2013 (5:09 pm)
@Christy, you are great. Love what you’ve said about food here. And love the optimism of enjoying food even when needing to choose from a more limited menu of options. You should blog. Oh wait you do! I’ll mention that in the next post. Thanks for participating!
Caitlin April 26, 2013 (1:18 pm)
Here was my week 1 recipe…
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 – 1/2 cup brown sugar (I like it sweet so I usually do closer to 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use low-sodium)
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced (see note)
1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (to desired spiciness)
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions, diced (don’t skip this!)
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown hamburger with garlic in the sesame oil. Drain most of the fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions.
Caitlin April 26, 2013 (1:20 pm)
Whoops. I copied my recipe without changing it from the website that I got it from. I actually used honey instead of the sugar and I didn’t have enough Sesame Oil, so I substituted in Coconut Oil and it still tasted great! I made a double batch and took some to my sister-in-law (frozen) since she just had a baby!
Kara April 26, 2013 (2:19 pm)
Skillet gnocci with shrimp and asparagus.
1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
1 package(s) (16-ounce) shelf-stable gnocchi
0.5 cup(s) sliced shallots
1 bunch(es) (about 1 pound) asparagus , trimmed and cut into thirds
0.75 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 pound(s) (26 to 30 per pound) raw shrimp , peeled and deveined, tails left on if desired
0.25 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
1 pinch(s) salt
2 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
0.333 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and golden in spots, 6 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and shallots to the pan; cook over medium heat, stirring, until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in asparagus and broth. Cover and cook until the asparagus is barely tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add shrimp, pepper, and salt; cover and simmer until the shrimp is pink and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more.
3. Return the gnocchi to the skillet along with lemon juice and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with cheese, cover, and let stand until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.