v. green chicken & rice
hi friends, lovers & people probably related to me —
113 — another year, that i didn’t do a dedicated to thanksgiving newsletter — oh well maybe next year & maybe i’ll bring back girlsgiving, but kelli will have to get another free turkey at work though otherwise no deal. but now that i’m thinking about it the apple donut cake would not be out of place for a pre or post thanksgiving brunch & or a thank you for hosting. but if you need inspo for next thursday either watch alison roman’s thanksgiving home movie or see below:
a small charcuterie board w/ hot soppressata, sharpest cheddar, mustards, tiny pickles, lil toasts + strategically placed bowls of salt & vin chips — for snacks while the cooking is going on
an herby buttery turkey — roasted or grilled to coppery burnished perfection
the best gravy(tm)
garlicky mashed potatoes
leek + shallot + celery sourdough stuffing (soft tender buttery bits but also craggy crunchy ones)
homemade cranberry sauce w/ plenty of orange zest for brightness
roasted carrots with hot honey + flaky salt
a zippy lemony kale salad ( though this year we may go more of a brussel slaw direction, scandalous - i know)
really soft really good rolls (homemade or not)
apple crisp + salted caramel ice cream
lots of chilled fizzy dry pet nats
insert quippy title here
so like everyone else on instagram i saw meredith haydens (hampton chef) “swamp soup” but i wanted something thicker more stick to your ribs & had been messing around with a recipe i called “verdant” for a couple of weeks — which is a stupidly pretentious ap lit type of name for something that is very much just v. green chicken & rice — perfect for the freezer, for lunches, for dinners. a meal all in one bowl & a way to nourish yourself & keep going during the holiday season when you’re running around both emotionally and physically and everything in between
ingredients
chicken thighs
rice
parsley
cilantro
basil
ginger (1 big knob, peeled)
jalapeños
spinach
scallions
random leftover greens (kale, arugula, etc. )
garlic (a shit ton, like 6/8 cloves)
chicken bouillon & water (or chicken broth)
olive oil
lemons
shallots
sour cream
salt & pepper
chili flake
neutral oil (canola, vegetable, whatever)
steps
1st in a large dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot drizzle a generous amount of olive oil and add in your chicken thighs, season with salt & pepper & cook till they have have some burnished spots / leaving pieces stuck to the bottom of the pot. remove and add in some chicken bouillon + water (if using chicken broth you can just leave the chicken in for this part). heat till fragrant and add the chicken back in.
2nd working in batches roughly chop all the greens & herbs & garlic & ginger & jalapenos, then blend together with a lil bit of olive oil, water, & lemon, —adding salt & pepper as you go. this should be very very green and fairly smooth — set aside
3rd while the chicken is cooking in the broth — in a shallow frying pan add some neutral oil. slice your shallots as thin as you want them to be — fry them in the oil stirring them as needed until crispy looking — using a slotted spoon remove from the oil on to a paper towel to drain — season with lots of salt & set aside. you can save the shallot oil for later if you want for salad dressings etc! if the chicken isn’t falling apart remove and shred before returning to the pot. add a cup or two of rice and cook until the rice has absorbed a significant amount of the chicken broth and is v. tender, almost porridge(y)
4th with the heat on low stir in all of the v. green mixture from earlier. turn off the heat and let sit for a few minutes while you tidy up the kitchen. spoon into shallow bowls and top with sour cream, fried shallots, chili flake & generous kisses of lemon. it’ll taste v. vegetal & herbaceous & creamy & tart all at once.
particularly good things i consumed recently
tomato soup & a grilled cheese sandwich on a wfh day — honestly the perfect lunch or dinner when the weather gets a lil crisp & you want something a lil cozy, a lil comforting
west side market — chaotic, delicious, alive & wonderful — why doesn’t chicago have one of these
spinning j — for a breakfast sandwich & a lil walk w/ brendan & friar — the best way to spend a sunny & crisp saturday morning. also why haven’t i been there in so long that i had forgotten that their english muffins are life changing
these chubby lil coupes that are deceptively heavy & that i love more than any other glass right now including giant mason jars & my lil mexican restaurant bubbled marg ones & the vintage tiny goblets which is saying a lot
a cozy girls dinner — for which i made vegan pesto & a cast iron sourdough focaccia (it travels v. easily & was a hit!)
altrio — w/ megan on a monday night ridiculous good & perfect for catching up over — get the salsa trio, the shrimp & chorizo tacos & any / all the margs you want
los milagros — in revival food hall is actually half dos urban (RIP) which was an incredibly delightful surprise so now i no longer have to get sadgreen or rotisserie ema when i’m downtown unless i want to
attagirl on armitage — still working out those new restaurant kinks but their fennel apple salad, the frites & their off the menu dessert are delicious & i already want to go again (the proximity to my home might also have something to do with this haha)
a lil saturday morning breakfast hang w/ kaitlyn @ bang bang — lovely to catch up over rather large & loaded biscuits, chicago style homefries, & a slice of pie
becca’s 30th bowling birthday — complete w/ customized bowling shirts (thank you audrey) surprisingly good pizza, beer towers & rice krispie treats & a couple of strikes
currently consuming
so i have this vintage skirt that was katie’s that i would wear for holidays when i was younger & scared of bread & pasta being together - i want to make it into a little party top, cropped a-line, maybe strapless. does anyone know how to do this? or know a good tailor who would — bc i went down a youtube rabbit hole & am realizing i might need a sewing machine. will pay you in the homemade treat or snack of your choosing.
as always,
mk