Kombucha Chicken with Brew Dr.

Did the title of this recipe cause some furrowed eyebrows? Chicken and kombucha may seem like an odd combo—it’s certainly off the beaten path. I had the same furrowed eyebrow reaction when I first heard of using kombucha in savory meals. But kombucha, a bit acidic and a little bit sweet, has all the makings of a great marinade. The same way you might use lemon juice or orange juice in a sauce, you use kombucha here.

Always game to try new things, odd-ball recipes spark my imagination. I wanted to try my hand at a 'bucha flavored marinade. What ultimately pushed me over the edge was talking to the good people over at Brew Dr. They also asked if I would make a recipe, which was the perfect opportunity to get creative.

This recipe uses Brew Dr.’s new orange-hibiscus kombucha (named Power Flower). It is a limited edition flavor. If you’re unable to find it at your local grocery store, try their Ginger Turmeric or Lemon Ginger Cayenne... All of their brews are organic!) If you get into a rut with chicken (like I do!), give this a whirl. The orange salsa on top brightens the whole dish, like summer has already arrived!

This is a sponsored post: Foraged Dish partnered with Brew Dr. for this recipe. Writing, recipe, and photography is all my own. Working with brands to develop wholesome recipes is one way I keep Foraged Dish going!

I tried this recipe stove-top and grilled. While it works both ways, I strongly recommend grilling. The hot flames sears in flavor.

Kombucha Chicken with Brew Dr.

Published April 30, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 inch piece ginger, minced or finely grated

1/2 cup orange kombucha (Brew Dr. Power Flower)

1 lb chicken breast cutlets

For the orange salsa:

1 orange (try cara cara, navel, or valencia)

1/4 cup minced cilantro

2 tablespoons minced red onion

1 small jalapeño, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. In a large Tupperware, combine Sriracha, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and kombucha. Stir to combine.
2. Place chicken in Tupperware, covering it in the marinade. Cover and place in fridge for 4-12 hours.
3. Make salsa (this can be done ahead): place orange on a cutting board, and slice off peel. Then, cut segments from orange (here is a good video on how to do this). Discard veins and peel. Dice segments, and place in a small bowl with minced cilantro, red onion, and jalapeño. Drizzle with olive oil and stir.
4. Light grill to medium-high. When grill is hot, use tongs to place chicken cutlets on grill. Allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Use tongs to turn chicken to other side, and brush with extra marinade. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until chicken is cooked through (165°F internal temperature with an instant read thermometer). Remove from heat.
5. Spoon orange salsa over chicken and serve hot.

Pineapple Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowls

Do you ever take a spring break, even though it’s not really built in to work-life? This last weekend we went climbing in New Mexico. I’ve been looking forward to the trip for weeks. Time in the desert is just the right kind of unplugging: no screens, no desk chairs. Just dust, dirt and the moon.

Last month, I started a Best Self Journal. Have you heard of it? It was recommended to me by co-workers as a journal that gets you into a journalling habit and also tracks you towards goals. The journal is a 13-week track, and one of my goals was to send three V6s outside. This trip was one of our first climbing trips this season, so was also a time for me to really dig my heels and focus. In the end, I did one V6 and even one V7 — exceeding my own expectations for the weekend! Maybe I needed a more aggressive goal since there are still 10 weeks left in my journal. Mostly, I think I just needed to believe I could do it.

This is where my mind has been: journalling, planning, climbing. Admittedly I’ve put less energy to cooking as of late, but that’s how life goes, ebbing and flowing. Between everything else going on, this chicken was a standout meal. The combination of pineapple and chipotle is sweet and spicy and grilling season is just starting to call (well-grilled chicken is SO juicy and satisfying).

Pineapple Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowls

Published March 26, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 50 minutes

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Ingredients:

For marinade:

4 tablespoons adobo sauce from a from a can of chipotles in adobo 

2 tablespoons maple

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1teaspoon dried oregano 

2 tablespoons lime juice 

To serve: 

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

2 bell peppers, cut into strips 

3-4 slices of fresh pineapple

1 cup black beans (cooked)

1 cup corn (cooked)

1-2 cups rice (cooked)

Garnish: cilantro, sliced avocado, sliced jalapeño

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken: combine all ingredients for marinade in an air-tight container large enough to fit the chicken. Place chicken in marinade and turn to coat. Then, close container and marinate in refrigerator for 4-12 hours.
2. When ready to cook: light a grill with a medium-high flame, and allow grill to heat to 450-500°F. Place chicken on grill and cook, with grill lid closed, for 5 minutes without moving. Then, using tongs and/or a metal spatula, flip chicken. Brush chicken with remaining marinade. Cook on second side for 5 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Move chicken to a clean plate, and set aside.
3. Place pineapple and bell peppers on grill, turning after 3-4 minutes. Cook for 3-4 more minutes, and then remove from heat. Turn off grill.
4. In serving bowls, divide rice, corn, and beans. Add bell peppers and pineapple. Slice chicken and divide among bowls.
5. Garnish with cilantro, avocado, and sliced jalapeño to taste.

Instant Pot Moroccan Stew with Chicken, Quinoa, Chickpeas & Sweet Potato

An unopened bottle of orange blossom water had been occupying precious real estate in our fridge for months as I debated the best thing to do with it. Finally I opened the bottle, just to smell. One whiff is all it took, and my thoughts were drifting away on a cloud of delicate blooms — soft and white, immensely fragrant. From that cloud, I landed in a darkly lit room, sitting at a large round table surrounded by smiling faces. My tenth birthday party.

We perch on round, gilded pillows at a low table. Silky fabrics hang from the ceiling, lining the walls and giving the room a sense of mystery. Someone has given me a warm, floral-scented cloth for cleaning my hands. A waiter is sprinkling us ceremoniously with orange blossom water, and the droplets land on my shoulders like the sweetest rain that ever rained. Talk about feeling like Queen for the day.

There are candles artfully lighting the space, but the most notable ones are balancing on a women’s body. A belly dancer. She gracefully juggles fire from her head to her elbows and back again, never missing a beat. We eat couscous, chicken with almonds, and b’stella pastry (a dish my dad would later take to making at home).

When it is time for tea, it is time for the greatest show of all. The waiter stacks drinking flutes in a pyramid. He makes a show of pouring the mint concoction from an ornate tea pot, starting with the top glass, and pouring until it pools over, filling the next two. The cascade continues, until each glass is full. (In my mind, the memory is almost a dream-state. I can’t quite figure out the physics of these glasses. How is it that they only spill in two directions? Did they have little spouts? Did he actually pour into glasses individually, and it is my memory that falters?)

We each take a glass and sip. It is, to this day, glorified as the best cup of mint tea I’ve ever had.

To say the least, I’ve been on a Moroccan food kick since I stole a breath of that orange blossom water in the fridge. I bought The Food of Morocco (affiliate link) and searched for something reminiscent of that day. I bought harissa paste and slivered almonds and actually started to use the orange blossom water.

The flavors of Moroccan food are so different from what you find in other cuisines. Flowers take on a large role. Both roses and orange blossoms. Herbs are used fresh. Citrus is a star of the show. Lamb, goat, cumin, paprika; Roses, pomegranate, dried fruits.

But, this stew is not traditional. It was never supposed to be. Rather, it’s approachable. It’s a one-pot wonder that has been Americanized, Instant Pot-ized, and everyday dinner-ized. It doesn’t ask you to buy a bottle of orange blossom water, which you would surely have to get at a specialty store (or on Amazon (affiliate link), like me). It also calls for quinoa in place of couscous (Couscous is a hand rolled pasta, so not GF, despite it’s millet-y looking appearance). The recipe calls for ingredients you know, but combines them with Moroccan flare in mind. Cumin — lots of cumin. Paprika. Turmeric. And cinnamon, a small amount, something we rarely add to savory dishes here in the US.

For the curious: The restaurant I had my tenth birthday at, Boulder’s Mataam Fez, has since closed. There is a Mataam Fez in Denver that provides a similar (but IMO, not quite as magical) experience. Plan to make an evening of it.

Instant Pot Moroccan Stew with Chicken, Quinoa, Chickpeas & Sweet Potato

Published March 5, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 45 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 sweet potato, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cubed

1 16-ounce can chickpeas, strained

1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

3 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup currants

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For serving: minced parsley or cilantro

Directions:

1. In the bottom of an Instant Pot, heat coconut oil using the Sauté setting. When oil glistens, add onion, garlic, ginger and celery and sauté until onion is transparent.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.
3. Secure lid on Instant Pot and press the “Manual” button. Set to “high pressure” (labeled “more” on some models) and set timer for 1 minute with vent in the sealed position.
4. When the timer goes off, turn off the Instant Pot and allow it to set for 10 minutes with out releasing the steam. This will ensure the quinoa is cooked through.
5. After 10 minutes, release any remaining pressure. Stir, and ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro.