1 large jicama, peeled and
cut into matchstick size pieces
1 medium cucumber peeled,
seeded and cut into cubes
1 red bell pepper cut into
matchstick size pieces
1 small seedless watermelon
cut into matchstick size pieces
sprinkling of salt to taste
VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS:
¼ C fresh lime juice
1 t sugar
2 T rice wine vinegar
2 t minced jalapeño
pepper (or to taste)
3 T olive oil
mint leaves torn into bite-size
pieces to taste
METHOD:
Combine all salad
ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk
together the orange juice, sugar, rice wine vinegar, and jalapeño. While
whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the vinaigrette is
well emulsified. Stir in the mint leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss the vinaigrette with
the salad ingredients and serve well chilled.
Optional garnish: pickled vegetable slaw of thinly shaved carrots, green onions, julienned red peppers mixed with ¼ C rice wine vinegar and 2 t sugar. Fresh cilantro and shredded purple cabbage
METHOD:
Sprinkle cabbage with salt and let stand for 15 minutes. Squeeze cabbage tightly in your fist to remove all excess liquid. Combine soy sauce with cornstarch and then gently fold through ground meat. Add salted cabbage and remaining filling ingredients and combine thoroughly. Refrigerate while you prepare the dipping sauces. (recipes below)
Spoon the meat filling onto flour tortillas and press it into a thin, even layer. Heat a skillet over medium high heat with just enough canola oil to lightly coat the surface. Place the tortillas in the skillet, meat side down, and press firmly with a spatula to ensure good contact. Cook until the meat develops a deep brown crust, about 2 to 4 minutes, then carefully flip and cook for about 1 minute more to crisp the tortilla.
Remove from the skillet and fold into a taco shape with tortilla on the outside. Garnish with pickled vegetable slaw, cilantro and shredded cabbage. Serve with dipping sauce alongside.
Creamy Hot Chili Sauce: combine ½ C plain Greek yogurt, ½ C mayonnaise, 1T soy sauce, 2 T chili garlic sauce 2 T minced scallions, whisk until combined and set aside.
Soy Sesame Dipping Sauce: heat ¼ C soy sauce 2 T rice vinegar, 2 T water. 1 ½ t sugar, ¼ t sesame oil in a small skillet over low heat to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and garnish with 1 T thinly sliced scallions
INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons oil 4 boneless skinless chicken breast 2 tablespoons butter 1 shallot, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/2 C white vermouth 1 C half and half 1/3 C chicken stock 1 cup seedless grapes, sliced (red or green) Squeeze of lemon juice Leaves from 4 sprigs of tarragon, chopped, plus extra whole leaves for garnish
METHOD: Place a large frying pan over high heat. Add a little oil, then place the chicken breasts in the pan. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, until golden and crisp. Flip the breast over and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, shallot, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until everything is coated in butter and just beginning to soften. To keep the sauce bright and fresh, don’t let the shallots and garlic brown too much. Add the vermouth and let it reduce for about a minute. Stir in the half and half and stock, then return the chicken to the pan, presentation side up, so it stays above the sauce. (That will keep the golden brown delicious exterior nice and crispy) Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the grapes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in the chopped tarragon. Taste and adjust with salt pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Garnish with whole tarragon leaves and serve.
METHOD: Whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette and set aside. Cook the quinoa as you would pasta, taking care not to overcook. When tender, drain well and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Cool completely. Combine all other salad ingredients. Add with vinaigrette and adjust salt and pepper.
½ cup cooked fresh green peas or thawed frozen peas
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 500°F.
Make the Green Goddess dressing: stir together mayo, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy and crushed red pepper in a medium bowl. Add in chopped basil, parsley, and tarragon. Blend well with immersion blended. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Shape the dough into a 10–12 inch circle and place it on pizza sheet lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Dock the dough all over with a fork.
Crumble the goat cheese over the dough. Scatter asparagus and green onions on top. Season lightly with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake 10–15 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the crust is golden.
Scatter the peas over the pizza and bake 1 minute more.
Drizzle with the dressing just before serving.
*Any extra dressing keeps, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.
1 lb. ground chicken (dark meat or a blend of light and dark work best here) ½ can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained ½ red onion, chopped 2 Tbsp each parsley, mint, and cilantro, chopped 2 cloves garlic ½ jalapeño, seeds removed 1½ tsp each ground cumin, coriander, smoked paprika Salt and freshly ground black pepper
YOGURT DIP ¼ cup Greek yogurt ¼ cup feta 2 tsp fresh lemon juice 1 Tbsp fresh dill or 2 tsp dried 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Chopped romaine, tomatoes, and hummus for serving, if desired
METHOD:
Make the yogurt dip: Combine feta, yogurt, lemon juice, and dill in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the cucumber and pulse once or twice to achieve a pleasant, slightly chunky texture. Refrigerate while you prepare the skewers.
Make the skewers. Combine the ground chicken, garbanzo beans, garlic, onion, herbs, jalapeño, and spices in the food processor. Pulse, scraping down as needed, until crumbly. Do not puree! You’re after a slightly textured but cohesive mix.
Lay a tortilla flat and spread the mixture evenly almost to the edges. Top with another tortilla, pressing lightly so the filling is sandwiched between. Repeat with the remaining mixture and tortillas, finishing with a tortilla on top. Trim the rounded edges to form a square, then cut into 16 equal cubes. Thread two cubes onto each skewer to secure the layers. Brush lightly with olive oil
Heat 2 t oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the skewers, ensuring good contact with the pan. An outdoor grill, broiler or oven work too. Sear 2–3 minutes until the meat begins to caramelize, then turn and cook the remaining sides 2–3 minutes each, until cooked through.
Serve over store bought or homemade hummus if you like, topped with yogurt sauce and chopped lettuce and tomatoes
2 # boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in half horizontally
1 onion, slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T oregano
1 T cumin
3-4 chipotle en adobo, minced (or to taste)
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 C chicken stock
¼ C orange marmalade
Juice of 1 orange
¼ c fresh cilantro, chopped
18 corn tortillas, warmed
Limes, sliced radish, pickled red onion, cilantro for serving
METHOD:
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until lightly browned and fragrant. Add garlic, oregano, cumin and minced chipotle and sauté briefly.
Add chicken breast, canned tomatoes and 1 C chicken stock to saucepan. Stir well and bring mixture up to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover pot with a tight fitting lid. Simmer for 10-12 minutes or until chicken registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Transfer chicken to a large plate and allow to cool slightly. Using two forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
Stir marmalade into cooking liquid and allow to thicken until reduced by 1/3. Once reduced, add shredded chicken back to sauce and stir to coat evenly. Turn off heat and stir in juice of 1 orange and chopped cilantro. Adjust salt and pepper.
Place all taco bar elements on table so everyone can customize their own taco creations.
INGREDIENTS 1 lb dried bucatini 6 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided4 garlic cloves3 Tbsp capers, roughly chopped1 C dry white wine20 shrimp, peeled and deveined (16–20 IQF work best)8 g olive oil1 large lemon, zest and juice¼ C fresh parsley, choppedS&P and a pinch of crushed red pepper (optional) METHOD Zest and juice the lemon. Roughly chop the capers and garlic. Chop parsley leaves and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the bucatini, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. In a large skillet, melt 2 Tbsp of the butter over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sauté until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the white wine, capers, and several cracks of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until the wine is reduced by half, 2–3 minutes. Once the wine is reduced, add the shrimp in an even layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until just opaque, 2–3 minutes. While the mixture is still simmering, slowly whisk in the olive oil and remaining butter until emulsified. Add the lemon juice and zest. Add cooked bucatini to the pan and toss lightly. Add ½ cup of pasta water and toss with tongs until the pasta is well-coated and the sauce is emulsified, adding more pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste and finish with chopped parsley. Serves 4
Saffron
adds depth to this soup. But if you don’t have any on hand, it’s OK to omit it.
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb.
peeled, cubed butternut squash (2-3 cups)
1 T. chopped
fresh ginger
2 garlic
cloves
1/4 tsp.
ground cinnamon
2 t curry
2 t crushed
red chili sauce
Pinch of
saffron threads, optional
2 T. olive
oil
2.5 C
vegetable stock or water
1 ½ C fresh
tangerine juice or orange juice
2 Tbsp.
honey
FOR THE
GREMOLATA: 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, 2 Tbsp. chopped
pistachios, 1 Tbsp. minced tangerine or orange zest
METHOD:
Sauté
squash, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, and saffron for the soup in oil in a large
pot over medium high heat. Cook until squash browns, about 5 minutes, stirring
often. Add vegetable stock, tangerine juice and honey. Bring to a boil, reduce
heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, until squash is tender, about 40
minutes.
Let soup
stand off heat for 10 minutes, then puree in a blender in batches until
smooth. Return soup to pot and heat until warmed through adding water or
stock to reach the proper consistency.
Toss
parsley, pistachios, and zest for gremolata together in a bowl and sprinkle on
top of soup before serving.
This recipe is the ultimate post-holiday reset meal. I’ve
used leftover turkey, carrots, celery, and sweet potatoes, but almost any extra
vegetables from your Thanksgiving feast will fit right in. The flavorful
filling, lightly scented with thyme and brightened by a pop of frozen peas, is
tucked beneath a crisp, buttery pie crust – ideally, it’s one left over from
your Thanksgiving pie-making marathon – making this a comforting dinner that
comes together in a snap.
INGREDIENTS:
2 T olive
oil
1 leek,
white part only, chopped
1 onion,
chopped
1 garlic
clove, minced
3 oz mushrooms,
chopped
½ C white
wine (or equivalent amount of chicken stock)
2 C low-sodium
chicken stock
1 ea carrots,
peeled and diced
2 ea celery
ribs, diced
1 ea sweet
potato, peeled and diced
1 T fresh
thyme, minced (or 1t dried)
1 C frozen
peas
3 C cooked
turkey shredded into bite size pieces
¼ C fresh
parsley, chopped
3 T butter
3 T flour
¾ C half
and half
1 ea
single crust pie dough recipe
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 T water
METHOD:
Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over
medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened but not browned. Stir in
garlic and cook until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook until lightly browned. Pour
in wine (if using) and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the carrot,
celery, and sweet potato. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables
are tender. Stir in thyme, peas, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
In a separate saucepan, melt 3 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and
cook, whisking constantly, for about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the half and
half until smooth and slightly thickened. Gently stir this sauce into the
vegetable mixture. Add the shredded turkey and parsley; stir to combine and set
aside to cool while you roll out the pie shell.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out pie dough to fit the skillet. Carefully
place over the filling and crimp the edges decoratively. Brush with egg wash.
Bake for 20–30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is
bubbling.
