Brent Schrader

Curried Pork Belly with Vegetables

November 7, 2018December 11, 2018by Brent Schrader1 Comment

This past weekend, we decided to pick up a full pork belly—if you can find it, it’s a great savings, and we hope to make our own bacon on the smoker at some point. We haven’t cracked that code yet, but for this week we made a delicious curry recipe that resulted in super tender, flavorful pork belly with vegetables.

Cooking this dish was a bit of an adventure, as the liquids didn’t reduce as quickly as I expected. Kudos to my good friend and cooking sensei Russ for sous cheffing via iMessage on a Saturday night.

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Creamy Chicken Marsala

October 24, 2018October 23, 2018by Brent SchraderLeave a comment

Chicken Marsala is a recipe that has been known to us by name, but we couldn’t recall having had it in the past nor had we tried to cook it. After a bit of research, in light of Otto’s love of mushrooms and all things umami, we were impressed to give it a try.

This creamy Chicken Marsala recipe was amazingly easy, and flavorful to boot. It is chicken breast heavy, but this has meant lots of leftovers for Heather, Otto, and me. One last note: Technically, Chicken Marsala is made with marsala wine, a fortified wine from Sicily. We were unable to find it easily, and so used a dry red wine instead. According to our research, this is acceptable; and, frankly, we don’t feel like we were missing anything. We know you’ll enjoy it, too!

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Braised Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

October 10, 2018October 9, 2018by Brent Schrader2 Comments

We’re super fortunate to have a little 16-month-old who is obsessed with umami flavors. As a consequence we’re leaning into mushrooms and Brussels sprouts now that the temperature is attempting to change for the fall. This recipe was an easy combination of protein and vegetables (and fungi) that made leftovers for a few days. Otto went crazy for the sprouts and mushrooms, and we’re getting ready to make another large batch to keep him healthy and strong. We know you’re going to like this—enjoy!

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Spicy Chicken Tagine

August 29, 2018by Brent Schrader2 Comments

Several years ago, for Christmas, my parents got us a tagine and a beautiful cast-iron trivet. We’ve long enjoyed cooking from India and the Middle East, and this gift was a great excuse to try more styles of cuisine at home. This recipe is a spicy chicken thigh recipe that is easy and delicious. The covered vessel traps flavors and moisture in the tagine and makes for some ridiculously tender meat—swap out chicken for goat or another tougher meat, and I think you’d still have an amazing entree.

We hope you’ll enjoy this spicy treat. If you’re not a big fan of spice, feel free to cut down on the chili paste by 1/2.

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Olive and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breasts

August 22, 2018August 21, 2018by Brent Schrader1 Comment

This week’s recipe is inspired by something Heather and I had when visiting my parents earlier this year. These chicken breasts were stuffed with a combination of kalamata and Spanish olives, marinated artichoke hearts, and garlic.

We decided to take on the task ourselves at home this weekend, and it did not disappoint. Normally, we’re more likely to prepare an entire chicken and stuff the cavity with aromatics, but this is a great option for batch cooking meals for the week or if you are strictly counting calories and macronutrients for health and performance goals. I’m dialing in my food at the moment to prepare for a couple of races in the fall, so we’ll see how it goes! More on that in a future post, but for now, enjoy the food!

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