Cinnamon-Spiced Pork Skewers

Camping was a success! There were a few minor hiccups before we got on the road – one of my passengers was late due to a messy dog and then my car battery needed a jump because we waited with the radio on for too long – but everyone made it to the campsite by 8PM on Friday.  With 14 of us at the campsite, we quickly got the tents up, built a fire, and had the grill going for dinner (more on that later).  After dinner, we sat around the campfire, ate s’mores and Firecracker Cookies, and played drinking games.  Thanks to one of the newbies, we learned a new drinking game called Drink While You Think.  Try it – it’s loads of fun! As soon as we put everything away on Friday night and got into our tents, it started to rain.  The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

When we woke up on Saturday morning, the rain had cleared.  It turned into a beautiful day which we spent floating down the river, sometimes in rafts and sometimes just swimming.  We spent Saturday evening in a similar fashion as we did on Friday, and enjoyed a traditional campsite dinner of hot dogs and hamburgers.  We let the morning dew dry and used up the rest of our firewood before packing up camp and returning to civilization (a.k.a. Dunkin' Donuts) on Sunday.  As much as I love camping and spending the weekend outside, I was glad to be at home and in a bed on Sunday night!

Back to Friday’s dinner! After prepping the skewers on Friday morning, I had my first experience cooking on a grill that night! We couldn't find the tongs at first, so I had a little trouble rotating the first batch of skewers, but things got much easier once the tongs were located! It was a gas grill, so the meat didn't finish with a smokey, charcoal taste to it, but I did blacken the skewers more than I do on the grill pan at home... because I'm usually worried about the apartment's smoke detectors going off! Watch the pork carefully because it can get tough and chewy if cooked for too long.  All of the skewers were devoured meaning they were a hit! The Chipotle Chicken Kabobs were slightly more popular than the pork, but I really enjoyed the flavor combination of cinnamon and cayenne pepper.  It reminded me a bit of the Moroccan Chicken Thighs I made at the beach this year.  Real Simple also noted that the spice mixture works equally as well on beef or chicken, so maybe I'll try with poultry next time!

Cinnamon-Spiced Pork Skewers
Adapted from Real Simple
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients
6-8 skewers
1 lb. boneless 1-in. thick pork chops, cut into 1/4-in. cubes
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooking spray

Directions
1.  Soak 6-8 wooden skewers in water for 15-20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toss together pork, olive oil, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.  Let marinate for 5-10 minutes.  Thread pork onto skewers.

3. Heat grill or grillpan to medium-high.  Just before grilling, spray with cooking spray.  Grill skewers 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally until pork is cooked through.

Moroccan Chicken Thighs

With our beach vacation coming to an end, we've just about finished up our supply of groceries, so KK and I biked to Bagels International for breakfast.  They had a decent selection of bagels and cream cheese flavors, but Hoboken (and NYC) definitely has better bagels.  It was a bit chilly out, but my dad and I managed to get a few hours of beach time in on Friday.  KK opted to skip the sun today, and he made progress on our wedding album! One of these days we'll finalize the list of prints we want included... one day.  We had a late lunch at Fins.  The Mexican food hit the spot, and KK got a free cookie for checking in on Foursquare.  I'm currently using blogging as an excuse for not exercising - we'll see if I can muster up enough energy for one last bike ride!

Before completely running out of groceries, I made this Moroccan Chicken on Thursday night.  The spice combination of the Moroccan dish was new and different, and the blend of savory chicken/sauce with sweet fruit reminded me of Savory Peach Chicken.  No wonder there were no leftovers.  Based on commentary from Taste & Tell and Cooking Light, I decided to double the spices (already adjusted in the ingredient list below), and I'm glad I did.  I must say, the blend of cinnamon and cumin was unexpectedly appetizing.  I was a bit concerned when I finished cooking because the sauce seemed too liquidy, but I lived with it - mostly because I didn't have any cornstarch or flour to use as a thickening agent.  Luckily, there was no need to worry because the liquid was absorbed by the rice.  Another successful dinner - there were no leftovers! We paired dinner with a bottle of crisp white wine - a 2007 V. Sattui Sauvignon Blanc.

Moroccan Chicken Thighs
Adapted from Taste & Tell
Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon olive oil 
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 
2 large onions, thinly sliced 
2 tsp ground ginger 
2 tsp ground cumin 
1/2 tsp salt 
1 tsp ground coriander 
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
1/2 tsp black pepper 
5 garlic cloves, minced 
1 1/2 cups chicken broth 
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
2 cups water
15.5 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
7 oz. package dried halved apricots

Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add half of the chicken and cook until all sides are browned, about 2-3 minutes per side.  Remove and repeat with the remaining chicken. 

2.  Add the onion to the Dutch oven and cook until tender, stirring frequently to avoid burning.  Add the ginger, cumin, salt, coriander, cinnamon, pepper and garlic.  Saute for 30 seconds, until fragrant.  Stir in the broth, and return the chicken to the pan.  Bring mixture to a simmer.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, until chicken is tender. 

3. While chicken is cooking, combine rice and water in a medium sauce pan.  Heat for 15 minutes, bringing to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 3o minutes.

4. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove chicken from the pan and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Add chicken, chickpeas and apricots to the Dutch oven.  Cover again and simmer 10-15 minutes.  Serve chicken mixture over rice, using excess liquid as sauce.