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Roasted Broccoli & Fregola Sarda

Ingredients

  • 1 lb broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp Za’atar seasoning
  • 2 eggs
  • ⅔ cup fregola sarda pasta
  • 2 Tbsps tahini
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 oz. pecorino romano cheese
  • 3 Tbsps roasted almonds, roughly chopped
  • 1 bunch mint

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 450°. Spread onions and broccoli on sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and za’atar seasoning. Toss to coat and spread in an even layer. Roast 20-22 minutes or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork.
  2. Heat a small pot of water to boiling on high for boiling the eggs. Heat another medium pot of salted water to boiling on high for the pasta. Add pasta to medium pot and cook 14-16 minutes, or until tender. Turn off heat, drain thoroughly, and return to pot.
  3. Add eggs to small pot of boiling water and cook 9-10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water for a minute. When cool enough to handle, carefully peel the cooked eggs. Thinly slice into rounds and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Combine lemon juice, tahini, 2 Tbsps water, 2 Tbsps olive oil and minced garlic in a bowl for the dressing. Whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. To the pot of cooked pasta, add the roasted vegetables, chopped almonds, crumbled cheese, dressing, and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Serve topped with egg and another drizzle of olive oil. garnish with mint.

Serves 2

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Vegetable Grain Bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved
  • 12 oz. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (~3 cups)
  • 2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
  • 1 Tbsp. curry powder
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ tsp. black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups uncooked pearled farro, rinsed
  • ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup toasted pecan halves

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 425°. Combine Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, shallots, butter, curry powder, garlic, pepper, and ½ tsp. salt in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 20-25 minutes.
  2. Bring 4 cups water and ½ tsp. salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high. Add farro, and cook according to package directions; drain.
  3. Mix yogurt, lemon juice and 1 Tbsp. water in a bowl for topping. Split farro into 4 bowls, and divvy up vegetables evenly on top. Add pecans and yogurt sauce.

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Chocolate Toffee Cookies

Ingredients

  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 lb. bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • ½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter
  • 1 ¾ cups brown sugar (packed)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 7 ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (like Heath), coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
  • Sea salt (optional)

Preparation

  1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water and cool mixture to lukewarm.
  2. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla.
  3. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes or overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper.

    Regular method:
    Drop batter by spoonfuls onto sheets, spacing two inches apart.

    Slice and Bake option:
    This dough is not the easiest to scoop into the right shape, so an alternative is to roll the dough into a log about 1.5 inches thick and chill or freeze. If you’re freezing overnight or just storing (good for up to a month), wrap the log in waxed paper and then two layers of plastic wrap. When ready to bake, just cut off ½ inch slices.

    Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt (optional). Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 12 to 15 minutes. If baking dough straight from the freezer, you might need an added minute or two. Cool on sheets.

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Crawfish Boil

Here’s the back of the napkin scribblings from the last boil:

  1. Add water to pot, turn on burner
  2. as water comes to boil, add powder, salt and splashes of liquid crab boil
  3. add bay leaf, whole red potatoes, halved onions, halved lemons, garlic
  4. test potatoes for doneness, once done…
  5. add crawfish and cook 5-8 minutes
  6. cut off heat and soak 30 minutes
  7. add sausage, mushrooms, corn and whatever else while soaking
  8. check saltiness and add more if necessary
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Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters with Lime Dressing

Ingredients

  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
  • 2 tsp. plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 4 (10-ounce) chicken leg quarters, trimmed
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano

Preparation

  1. Combine garlic, salt, sugar, lime zest, 2 tsps. oil, cumin, pepper, and cayenne in bowl and mix to form paste. Reserve 2 tsps. garlic paste for dressing.
  2. Position chicken skin side up on cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Leaving drumsticks and thighs attached, make 4 parallel diagonal slashes in chicken: 1 across drumsticks, 1 across leg joints; and 2 across thighs (each slash should reach bone). Flip chicken over and make 1 more diagonal slash across back of drumsticks. Rub remaining garlic paste all over chicken and into slashes. Refrigerate chicken for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
  3. For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour two thirds evenly over half of grill, then pour remaining coals over other half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
  4. For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn primary burner to medium and turn other burner(s) to low. (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature of 400° to 425°.)
  5. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken on cooler side of grill, skin side up. Cover and cook until underside of chicken is lightly browned, 9 to 12 minutes. Flip chicken, cover, and cook until leg joint registers 165°, 7 to 10 minutes.
  6. Transfer chicken to hotter side of grill, skin side down, and cook (covered if using gas) until skin is well browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook until leg joint registers 175°, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, whisk remaining ¼ cup oil, lime juice, cilantro, oregano, and reserved garlic paste together in bowl. Spoon half of dressing over chicken and serve, passing remaining dressing separately.

Serves 4

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Green Man

Ingredients

  • 2 cups spinach
  • 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk or your favorite nondairy milk
  • 1 orange, peeled
  • 1 cup cooked sweet potato, chilled
  • 1 cup frozen pineapple
  • 1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled
  • Juice of 1⁄2 lime
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp flax or some other hippy seeds or protein powders

Preparation

  1. Blend the spinach and coconut milk until smooth.
  2. Add the orange, sweet potato, pineapple, ginger, lime juice, and protein. Blend again.

Makes 2 good sized smoothies. Adapted (..ahem) from thugkitchen.com

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Pozole #2

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 lbs boneless Boston butt pork roast (or tenderloin)
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 (14-ounce) can low-salt beef broth
  • 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
  • 2 (15.5-ounce) cans golden hominy, drained
  • 1 1/4 cups shredded Boston lettuce
  • 2/3 cup unsalted baked tortilla chips
  • 2/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
  • 2/3 cup thinly sliced radishes

Preparation

  1. Combine 1 tsp salt, paprika, and pepper. Trim fat from pork. Cut pork into 2-inch pieces; trim any additional fat. Combine pork and paprika mixture, tossing well to coat.
  2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove pork from pan. Add onion, carrot, bell pepper and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Return pork to pan; stir in water and next 7 ingredients (water through tomatoes).
  3. Remove 2 large chile and 2 1/2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can; reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use. Remove seeds from chile; finely chop. Stir chile and adobo sauce into pork mixture. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours or until pork is tender. Remove pork from pan using a slotted spoon; place pork in a large bowl. Shred pork using 2 forks. Add tomato mixture to pork in bowl. Let cool to room temperature; cover and chill overnight.
  4. Skim solidified fat from surface of stew. Combine the stew, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and hominy in a large Dutch oven, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes.
  5. Ladle stew into bowls. Top each with lettuce, chips, cilantro, and radishes.

From Chris and Britta and adapted from myrecipes.com/recipe/posole-0

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Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. (¼ stick) butter
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 lb. cauliflower florets (about 5 cups)
  • 2 14 ½-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
  • 1 tsp. white truffle oil or extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. thinly sliced chives

Preparation

  1. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add cauliflower and sauté 2 minutes. Add broth. Cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 25 minutes.
  2. Working in batches, transfer soup to blender and purée until smooth. Return soup to pot. (Soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate.) Bring soup to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle truffle oil over. Garnish with chives.
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Lemon Fennel Salad

fennel and lemon

Meyer lemon dressing

  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 Tbsp. White balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp. Meyer lemon juice
  • Grated zest of 1 Meyer lemon
  • 3/4 cup rice bran oil or canola oil

Salad

  • 1/2 fennel bulb
  • 2 heads butter lettuce
  • 1/4 cup Fresh tarragon leaves
  • 2 Tbsp. Minced shallots
  • 2 Tbsp. Minced chives
  • 2 Tbsp. Minced flat parsley
  • 1/2 c. Meyer lemon dressing
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • 2 oz. Pecorino, thinly shaved, about 1/2 cup
  • 12 to 16 pieces candied Meyer lemon zest

Preparation

Dressing

  1. Pour orange juice into small saucepan and reduce over med-high heat until syrupy, 5 to 7 mins. You should be left with about 1 Tbsp.
  2. Combine all ingredients except oil in blender. With blender running, slowly add oil in slow steady stream until emulsified. Makes 1 cup.

Salad

  1. Using mandolin, carefully slice the fennel into paper thin shavings.
  2. Tear butter lettuce into pieces, place in large bowl. Add all herbs & seasonings, toss with dressing to coat.
  3. Top with shaved Pecorino and candied zest.
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Hummus

Ingredients

  • 1 can chickpeas (16 oz)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced (3 Tbsp.)
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • parsley, chopped

Preparation

  1. Toast pine nuts in a pan until brown. Remove from pan, drizzle w/ some olive oil and set aside.
  2. Blend all ingredients, except pine nuts, in blender until smooth.
  3. Place in bowl, add pine nuts to center, and top with pinch of paprika and parsley