Grilled Chicken with Smoky Scallion Oil Over Yogurt with Cucumber Avocado Salad

& finishing the first draft of my novel!!

Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes, musings, and faves in your inbox every Wednesday! Paid subscribers get even more! Learn more about my paid membership here. You can also try a week for free!

CATCH UP!

This week, I’ve been extremely focused on completing the first draft of my novel! It’s hard to believe I’ve been working on this for over 2 years and the story is finally coming to a close. I keep thinking about how strange it’s going to be for this universe to come to an end. It makes it even stranger that no one else is aware of this world and these characters except for me, and it’s something I have to go through alone. I hope one day that changes!

This is the first novel I’ve written (if you don’t count my 50-page attempt when I was 13years-old; we can talk about that later), so it has been interesting trying to figure out how good the work actually is. It’s a bit hard to step back and take a look at your own story when you know what’s going to happen after each sentence. I also decided to look back and reread some of the first chapters I wrote, and I already know those are going to have to be reworked the most, as to be expected. My writing has evolved and matured during this process. One thing I feel really good about is the storyline itself, but again, it’s so hard to be objective when it comes to your own writing! I’ll let others ultimately be the judge of that.

Regardless of the outcome, whether I successfully get it published or not, I am proud of myself for sticking with the project. It was also soooo much fun. Writing will always be my first love, and if anything, this has taught me that I am capable of writing in long-form, and it reminded me how much joy it brings me to express myself and conjure up stories.

I’ll keep everyone posted on my journey! Right now, my plan is to finish the book this week, and then I’m going to edit, edit, edit, which I’m sure will also take me some time! Then I’d love to shop it around to some literary agents to see if any publishing houses wants to print it! I know that’s a big dream, so I’m just taking it one step at a time.

THINGS I’M LOVING!

If you’ve been following me for a few years, you’ve likely heard me preach the good word of sumo citruses, and they’re in season right now! Sumos are a type of mandarin known for sweetness and easiness to peel. You can identify them by their cute little top knot. They’re only in season January to April, which makes now the prime time to try them! I know you can definitely find sumos at Trader Joes and Whole Foods, and I’m sure they’re in other places as well, so keep your eye out. if you haven’t done it yet, you must try Olivia Noceda’s Chocolate Dipped Sumo Recipe. This dessert singlehandedly got Grant and I through the Covid lockdown.

Over the weekend, my siblings and I tried out Saltie Girl, a seafood-focused restaurant that started in Boston and just opened up in LA. They’re known for their tinned fish, and they have an extensive — and I mean EXTENSIVE — selection. We ended up ordering the Heather & Chamomile Sardines, and we LOVEEEED them. We immediately searched to see if they were available online, and lo and behold, they were! Halleluljah.

Even with all the recipes available online, I still love keeping cookbooks around for inspiration. There’s something satisfying about flipping through the pages and always having somewhere to reference. We ate at Bavel last year for my birthday and loved it, and I’ve also really been enjoying the Bavel Cookbook for inspiration. It’s all modern recipes inspired by the Middle East/Mediterranean, and it’s a beautiful book.

RECIPE!

Chicken is not usually my favorite protein, but lately, I’ve been making this one dinner on repeat that involves cooking chicken on the grill pan and serving it over yogurt with some variation of a sauce.

“Grilling” the chicken on my Staub cast iron grill pan has become my favorite way to prepare it. I like to take things up a notch and add a little smoked salt to get that grilled flavor. Of course, if you have a real grill, please, by all means, do it that way, but if you don’t, a grill pan is fun!

For this version, I made a scallion oil and gave it a smoky flavor with some smoked paprika and smoked red chili flakes. Scallion oil is a staple in Chinese cuisine, and I used it as obvious inspiration for this sauce. I love the way the oil flows over the chicken into the yogurt and mixes together.

Whenever I make chicken like this, I always pair it with a veggie, whether it’s something roasted or a side salad. This time, I made a super simple lemony cucumber avocado salad, which can be enjoyed on the side or mixed in with the dish! The flavors intentionally go together.

Grilled Chicken with Smoky Scallion Oil Over Yogurt with Cucumber Avocado Salad

Ingredients (serves 2)

Grilled Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts (1-1.5 lbs)

• Oil spray

• Salt & pepper

• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt

Smoky Scallion Oil

• 3 scallion stalks, thinly sliced

• 2 large cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 tsp smoked red pepper flakes (can also use regular crushed red pepper)

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

Cucumber Avocado Salad

• 2 Persian cucumbers, diced

• 1 avocado, diced

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Pinch of salt

1. Start by preparing the smoky scallion oil. Add scallions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and paprika to a small bowl. In a small saucepan, heat up the olive oil and medium heat until it just starts to smoke. Remove from heat immediately and pour over the ingredients in the bowl. Add the rice vinegar, mix together, and set aside.

2. Prepare the cucumber avocado salad by mixing together ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Heat up your grill pan on medium-high heat, and let the pan get hot. Spray on your oil, and add your chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 6-7 minutes on each side, seasoning the other side when you flip. I like to cover at the end for a minute or two to make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through.

4. Spread the Greek yogurt on the bottom of two shallow bowls. Place the chicken on top along with the cucumber and avocado salad. Spoon the scallion sauce over the chicken, and serve!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, I made a recipe exclusive for paid subscribers. What started off as a sandwich ended up as a tartine, but truly, either works! I roasted up some jalapeño and quick pickled some onion, and then I mixed it in with some mashed chickpeas for a sandwich inspired by a dish I ate at Hatchet Hall. Get the recipe/subscribe below!

Jalapeño Chickpea Tartine (or sandwich!!)