Olive Oil Herb Dip for the Bread

Love dipping bread into olive oil? Here’s my latest obsession with dipping sauce. Inspired by my friends Leena and Spas’ chili pepper marinade and motivated by the urge to use up all of my planted herbs and peppers, I have made this condiment a must-have at home.

Back in August, at the dune house we rented for a weekend, the couple made this wonderful chili peppers marinade. They grilled a few Serrano peppers, wrapped them in an aluminum foil (so that the charred skin can be easily removed), and then mixed the peppers with chopped garlic, lots of fresh dill, extra virgin olive oil, and white wine vinegar. An overnight marinating process brought out and blended all flavors very well.

Since I wanted to use up the herbs that I had, I came up with a slightly different version of the dip. My mix contained: fresh thyme, fresh mint, chopped garlic, grilled (or roasted) cayenne peppers, extra virgin olive oil, apple vinegar, salt, and black pepper. So fragrant and inviting. The cayenne peppers really gave a nice punch! Great with warm baguette or pita bread.

(Note: Fresh chives, mint, and garlic combination make a fantastic olive oil herb too.)

Hope you like it!

Harini RianaLeave a comment

Easy Dry-Rub Roasted Chicken

Inspired by the delicious main course at Chicken Hut in Chicago, I went on a quest to make my own flavorful and juicy chicken. Since I don’t have the proper grill that produces great char-broiled chicken like the hut does, I settle with oven roasting.

On this quest, I am also learning, from this one easy recipe, that a good dry-rub made of spices and herb make a big difference in the flavor of roasted chicken. Generosity in seasoning matters too.

So here’s one result from the quest. This time, I went with herb-based dry rub for the chicken and a parsley salsa for dipping. The chicken came out of the oven with this beautiful golden color, crispy exterior, tender and juicy meat, and a wonderful fragrant.

For the roasted chicken, we will need:

  • A whole cut up chicken (that I cut up more into a total of 12 smaller pieces).
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 2 teaspoon of chili pepper powder
  • 2  teaspoon of ginger powder
  • 2  teaspoon of coriander powder
  • Lemon zest from 1 lemon
  • Olive oil
  • A pinch of dried rosemary (optional)
  • 1 thyme sprigs

For the salsa (dipping sauce):

  • 2 medium tomatoes (diced)
  • 2 Thai or cayenne peppers (chopped)
  • A handful of chopped parsley
  • Lemon juice from 1 lemon
  • ½ chopped sweet onion

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Place the 12 pieces of chicken on a large oven tray.
  • Drizzle olive oil (lightly) on the chicken and then coat them evenly.
  • Season generously with salt, pepper, chili pepper powder, ginger, coriander, and lemon zest.
  • Sprinkle a pinch of dried rosemary and place the thyme sprigs on the chicken.
  • Make sure that both sides of the chicken are well coated with the seasonings.
  • Arrange so that the skin side faces up.
  • Roast for 40-45 minutes (until the chicken temperature reaches 162 degrees F).
  • Dump the juice, remove the sprigs, and let the chicken cool down for 5 minutes before serving.

Note: Next time I’ll try seasoning the chicken a day before I cook them (and leave them wrapped in the fridge).

For the salsa:

  • While the chicken is roasting, heat up a small pot over medium heat.
  • Place the tomatoes and let them cook for a few minutes until they become soft and juicy.
  • Add the lemon juice.
  • Mix the onions, peppers, and parsley.
  • Turn off the heat and serve on a bowl.

Serve with these red potatoes and baguettes:

(Click on the image for recipe)

Harini Riana2 Comments