Bon Appetit Recipe Test: Chicken, Asparagus, and Wild Mushroom Stir Fry

In the latest edition of recipe tire kicking, here's another from Bon Appetit's "27 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Recipes That Are NOT Boring."

The original recipe can be found here: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chicken-asparagus-and-wild-mushroom-stir-fry#recipe-ingredients

This one is great--the only clean up is the sautee pan, a plate, and a few utensils--and it goes from ingredients to table in less than 30 minutes.  It's a fantastic weeknight meal full of fresh veggies, and when made without the heavy cream, it's light.

The main change I made to this recipe was substituting chicken broth for the heavy cream.  I'm lactose intolerant and I don't carry my Lactaid around often.  I'm looking for ways to keep my cooking fresh and light.  Heavy cream doesn't fit the bill, especially when it's 90 degrees outside.  I also didn't have Piment d'Espelette.  Frankly, I had to Google what it is--a smoky, mild pepper grown in southwest France.  I learned this from The Perfect Pantry--you can check it out here.  To substitute, I mixed some paprika and cayenne pepper from my spice rack.

You'll need:
olive oil
1lb. boneless chicken breast
1 lb. thin asparagus
1 package shiitake mushrooms (2 if you like mushrooms!)
minced garlic
shallot or onion
white wine
chicken broth
Piment d'Espelette (or cayenne pepper and paprika)
water
salt and pepper
optional--a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness

Here's how I made the magic happen:

Wash all produce.  Trim ends from asparagus.

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in large sautee pan.  Once pan is hot, add asparagus, salt, and pepper.  Sautee for one minute, then add a splash of water and put lid on sautee pan, allow to cook 3-4 more minutes.  I like my asparagus crisp, so I cooked it a total of four minutes.  Remove asparagus.  Leave the remaining liquid in pan.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil, add the shiitake mushrooms and a pinch of salt.  Sautee 8 minutes, remove and add to plate of asparagus.

Add last tablespoon of olive oil, sautee a tablespoon of minced garlic and, either 1/3 cup minced shallot or I added what I had on hand--1/2 cup of minced red onion for two minutes.  Then add the chicken, Piment d'Espelette (or the cayenne and paprika).  Instead of measuring the cayenne and paprika, I just added a pinch of cayenne and dusted the contents of the pan with the paprika.  After chicken was beginning to turn white on outside (about 5 minutes), I added 1/3 cup white wine and half a can of chicken broth.  In the Bon Appetit recipe, this would've been when the heavy cream was added.

Starting to cook the chicken while the sauteed asparagus and shiitake mushrooms wait to return to the pan.

Bring contents to a boil.  At this time, I removed the chicken so it wouldn't get overcooked, then let the contents boil in the pan until they reduced to a sauce that would coat the back of a spoon.  Taste sauce, adjust salt and pepper as needed.  I also added a little more cayenne pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a hint of brightness.

The broth-based sauce reduced enough to coat a spoon.  The paprika darkened the color--it isn't burnt.

Turn off stove, add the asparagus, chicken, and mushrooms back to pan to coat in the sauce, then serve.

The well-liked final product.

My husband ate his plate of food before I was halfway done, then returned to the kitchen and ate the contents of the container I prepared for him to take as lunch the next day.  Curiously, he asked what the seasoning was, which makes me think that if I'd used real Piment d'Espelette, it may have been even more intriguing.  I can't say I used the paprika in my pantry often--mainly just for deviled eggs!

The only change we would make next time is to toss in two containers of shiitake mushrooms.  We both enjoy mushrooms, and the container we used was only 3.5 or 4 ounces worth.  If you're going to be missing a starchy element, some grilled or crusty bread will make this dish more satisfying.  I didn't miss the starch--I actually enjoyed having something light.

As an aside, this recipe seems like it would be more aptly named "Chicken, Asparagus, and Wild Mushroom Sautee."  Nevertheless, this recipe (with the broth substituted for cream) was another hit at my house.  Enjoy!

Talent on Display at Restaurant Tallent

Once per year, my husband and I gather up friends and make a pilgrimage down to what he believes is the promised land...Bloomington, Indiana. Evidently his most formative and positive memories were formed at Indiana University. So I oblige and try not to hashtag anything #bbn for a few days straight. The trips have varied from tailgating food to Little Zagreb's. This year, we're getting older, wiser, and perhaps more demanding in what we seek out for dinner. We've steadily risen from pizza to elevated "Indiana cuisine." Restaurant Tallent prides itself on offering "what is available in the Southern Indiana region during that season."

Our first trip to Restaurant Tallent didn't disappoint. I only wish I'd taken more photos to share, but since we were in the company of friends in a cozy, dark space, I didn't want to be the tourist diner. There were a few other tables dining on Friday night. The restaurant was somewhere near half full. Half our dinner party had already arrived, so we joined them and promptly ordered wine. I wish I could remember what I ordered since I enjoyed it. I was debating between these three selections from the moderately sized (about nine whites to choose from by the glass) but thoughtfully composed wine list:

Santa Magdalena Pinot Grigio 2009 (Alto Aldige, Italy) $32/ $8.25
Ponzi Pinot Gris 2013 (Willamette Valley, Oregon) $36/ $9.25
Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc 2013 (South Africa) $36/ $9.25

Mostly, I was happy to see selections that aren't what everyone is serving...no overplayed Santa Margherita and Menage a Trois.   Someone had clearly curated the wine offerings lovingly, not based on what their distributor told them sells big.  This little detail set a distinctive tone for me--it represented the thought the owners put into making their restaurant special.

The amuse bouche arrived--tiny specks of fried okra that looked like black eyed peas. They were crunchy and fun.  Perhaps a little awkward to share among a table since it's like putting your fingers in communal bar nuts, but since we were all good friends, it wasn't too weird.  Over a work dinner, those probably wouldn't have been eaten.

We accepted our server's offer to bring bread given that we anticipated that, like any good trip to Bloomington, the night would end with at least one AMF or Hairy Bear. The butter was one of the many memorable parts of the meal. It was satisfyingly salty and at room temperature so it was easy to spread. It drives me crazy when restaurants bring you a frozen brick of butter.

I skipped the appetizer since I'd already indulged in two pre-dinner cocktails at the hotel. I'd checked the menu ahead of time, and the menu online didn't exactly match the selections at the restaurant. My husband chose the heirloom tomato soup and grilled cheese, which are not listed online. The soup was stellar...the most delightful rendition of tomato soup I've ever tasted. The color represented the heirloom tomatoes uniquely--it was red with a tie-dye purple cast. The soup was not the creamy bisque-like presentation you're used to, but instead, more gazpacho-like with the tomato's texture evident and lots of bright acidity. The sandwich was buttery and melty. If I didn't have a full-time job and they served lunch, I'd have to resist the urge to make a midday drive to Bloomington and eat this for lunch. Every day.

Our dinner companions ordered the heirloom tomato soup and the fish crudo as appetizers. The fish crudo was artfully prepared with tiny pearls of melon to resemble caviar.

I selected the scallops as my entree. Again, the preparation offered Friday was not identical to the online menu but it was similar. The three scallops were accompanied by fried green tomato and succotash. Each scallop was pleasantly browned on the outside and buttery inside. The succotash was heavy on the sweet corn, but that was fine by me. Nothing says summer like sweet corn. The wafer of fried green tomato on top was crispy without the grittiness of some fried green tomato preparations. For a particularly hungry adult or a man, the entree may have been a bit small, but it was perfectly sized for my appetite and recent attempts at having more restraint in portion size.

Scallops with succotash and fried green tomato at Restaurant Tallent.

My husband ordered the fried chicken.  It was not traditional buttermilk chicken, as described on the online menu.  Instead, it was a hot Asian interpretation.  It was presented like wings--very small pieces spread across the plate.  The heat wasn't overpowering.  He ended up regretting ordering something fried since he felt uncomfortably full afterwards--with a heavy belly not conducive for drinking like he was still in college.  This one might be a better choice for cold weather or a night when you can go home and curl up with a glass of port and fall asleep.  I think he had scallop envy.  Hot weather plus fried chicken equals sleepy time.

Overall, I could deal with watching IU football more often if each trip involved a visit to Restaurant Tallent.  Although I think eating there just made it impossible to go back to Bloomington and be satisfied eating pizza somewhere like Nick's.  And get the heirloom tomato soup if you go.  I'm hoping I'll be back again soon.

Teriyaki Tilapia with Grapefruit and Fennel

While waiting for my hair color to process at Todd Shrider's Broad Ripple salon, He Does Hair, I picked up the January 13, 2014 copy of People magazine and flipped through.  It was obviously New Year-oriented, with success stories about weight loss and a 200-calorie fish recipe from celebrity chef Rocco Dispirito.

The January 13, 2014 issue of People magazine was all about weight loss.  At the back, look for the Salmon Teriyaki with Grapefruit and Fennel recipe.

I love light, fresh fish recipes, so this one looked perfect for a road test.  Since it was snowing outside, it made for an excuse to create a make-believe summer oasis indoors.  It was also time for a reunion with fennel.  I've avoided fennel since about six years ago.  I was on a weekend date to St. Louis that included dinner at Top of the Riverfront, the city's only revolving restaurant that's been around since 1969.  I had never been to a revolving restaurant, and it was not a pleasant experience.  I ordered a fish dish that included broth that was heavy-handed with the fennel.  Not only did I dislike all the fennel, either the movement of the restaurant, the food, or the combination of the two left me dizzy, nauseous, and sick in the restaurant's washroom.  No fun, no romance that night!

After reading the recipe, and thinking about fennel (an anise-flavored plant that looks like an onion with dill sprouting out the top), I thought it best to swap the salmon for a firm, flaky white fish.  Fresh Market had tilapia for $10.99 per pound, cheaper than salmon and much more affordable than the pretty but pricey grouper for $21.99 per pound.  Since this was going to be dinner, I also purchased radishes to add to the fennel and grapefruit salad so it would be slightly more filling and colorful.  I wanted to use jicama, but the four jicama left at the Broad Ripple Fresh Market were all moldy.  Rick Bayless' Mexican Kitchen cookbook says that's okay, just cut it off, but I can't justify paying the Fresh Market price for something that's already molding.

I prepped the salad according to the recipe's proportions (combine 2c grapefruit segments and juices, 3c fennel bulb, 1 teaspoon dry wasabi mix), except for the addition of seven thinly sliced radishes.  I didn't have a full 3c of fennel, so I scaled down accordingly.  I prepped the fish according to the recipe (season fish with salt and pepper, cook about one minute each side in hot pan with olive oil spray, finish with teriyaki sauce), except I added a teaspoonful of butter to the hot pan to get a nice crust on the fish.  I also segmented a fresh grapefruit instead of purchasing canned, prepped grapefruit.  The overall result was a refreshing, light dinner with all organic fruits and vegetables.  If I could have changed any of the preparation, I would have used slightly less dry wasabi.  If you don't love wasabi, it's too much.

Sliced fennel, radishes, grapefruit, and dry wasabi in a mixing bowl, waiting to be combined.  

As for my relationship with fennel...we're doing better.  With the grapefruit and wasabi, it was a subtle flavor and nice crunch.  While I was chopping, I ate a slice and was a little unsure.  It's a pronounced taste, and given my dislike of licorice, not my favorite flavor.  Without the grapefruit and wasabi, I may not have enjoyed the dish.

The finished teriyaki tilapia with grapefruit and fennel (plus radish) salad.  This was a dish I enjoyed preparing because it took less than twenty minutes, and enjoyed eating because it was refreshing and light.

I served the entree with a glass of Espiral Vinho Verde, an almost semi-sparkling budget-friendly wine from Trader Joe's, retailing for just $4.49.  The effervesce comes in just under one bar of pressure, so technically this wine can't be classified as semi-sparkling.  This wine comes from the Minho region of northwest Portugal.  The "verde" in the name means green, but not like "green bottle"; it means "young."  The wine is on the shelf when it is less than one year old, and it is meant to be consumed immediately.  This isn't one to put in your closet for a few years to make it vintage.  The first sip is yeasty, but if you stick with it, it'll give way to tart apple, subtle pear, heavy-handed acid, and a hint of citrus.  The citrus develops with the first taste of the grapefruit fennel radish salad, creating a pleasant pairing with this dish.

Espiral Vinho Verde, $4.49 at Trader Joe's.

This isn't a wine where you'll be observing any perlage.  You'll see big bubbles, but they aren't rising.  They'll cling to the glass until you drink about half, and then some will release.  But c'mon, it's $4 and it's not champagne.  It's an acceptable accompaniment that brings freshness and citrus that blossoms with this particular dish.  If you're a wine snob who can't handle the simplicity and that it's from Trader Joe's, that's okay.  I've found considerable happiness in my life enjoying both the expensive and indulgent, and the everyday unexpected small treasures!

Bubbles clinging to the side of this glass of Espiral Vinho Verde.

The cost of the radishes, 1.06 lbs. (three filets) of tilapia, fennel, grapefruit, wasabi powder, and teriyaki sauce at Fresh Market was about $28, dividing out to $9.33 per serving.  However, by pairing it with a budget-friendly wine, dinner for two comes to a much more sensible $11.58 each, with a serving remaining for lunch the next day.

Overall, I recommend this recipe with the addition of radish or jicama and substitution of white fish.  It is refreshing, full of satisfying crunch, and low calorie.

Insider tip: buy fresh tilapia filets at Kroger for about $5 per pound or your local ethnic market for as little as $2 per pound (ask the butcher to slice the filet off the fish for you--this price will probably be whole fish).  Fresh Market is close to my work, and during the subzero windchill and snow, I was happy to make only one driving stop between the office and home.  If the weather had been better, I'd have driven farther to find a better price.