karaage everything

I've used this for both chicken and eggplant and both were delicious.

4-6 skinless or skin-on boneless chicken thighs
2 garlic cloves minced or grated
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar or Japanese sake
1 tsp kosher salt more to taste
1 cup potato starch or cornstarch
¼ - ½ cup canola oil more depending on size of skillet
lemon wedges

Cut chicken thighs into 3-4 bite size pieces.

In a bowl, add in the chicken thighs, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and kosher salt. Mix until well combined and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat with canola oil. Use enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.

While oil is heating up, add potato starch to a shallow bowl. Lightly coat each piece of chicken thigh in potato starch making sure to shake off any excess.

Add chicken to the skillet (making sure not to overcrowd, cook in batches if you need to) and cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.

Place fried chicken on a paper towel lined plate and season with kosher salt to taste.

Serve karaage with lemon wedges. Be sure to squeeze lemon over chicken before eating!

Adapted from A Dash of Dolly

shrimp burgers and slaw

Just a fantastic meal. Make in order below. The burgers come together quickly so you want to have everything else ready to go.

Mango Slaw:

2 cups of cabbage, thinly sliced
1 mango, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup honey
salt & pepper

Combine everything and mix by hand. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Herb Aioli:

1 cup of mayo
1 garlic clove
half a lemon
assorted herbs (chive, basil, oregano and sage work well)
salt & pepper

Microplane the garlic into individual blender cup, squeeze lemon into cup and let rest for 5 minutes. Add herbs and 1/4 cup of mayo and pulse until well incorporated. Add to the remaining mayo with salt and pepper to taste and mix well.

Shrimp Burger:

1 pound of raw shrimp
1 tbsp ginger
1 tbsp garlic
1 tsp Hatch chili powder
1 shallot
3 fresh chives
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup gluten free panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
oil
3 gluten free buns

Throw everything except the breadcrumbs and egg into a food processer and pulse until a paste forms with some chunks of shrimp. Remove to another bowl and add the breadcrumbs and egg and mix until combined. Shape into 3 patties on a plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes for the patties to set.

Add oil to a nonstick pan on medium high heat and sear shrimp burgers on each side for 1 minute and browned. Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover to steam the burgers for 2 minutes. Flip and re-cover for 2 more minutes. 

Wipe out pan and toast gluten free buns and then cover to steam.

To plate: Smear each side of the buns with the aioli, add the burger and then a pile of the slaw. Serve with additional slaw on the side. 

the only good chickpeas (besides hummus)

This softens the chickpeas in just the right way.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, or a tablespoon of jarred garlic
1 tablespoon grated or finely chopped fresh ginger, or 2 tabs of frozen ginger
1½ teaspoons curry powder
1 large bunch (about 8 ounces) greens, such as Swiss chard, kale, or collard greens, stems removed and leaves torn into medium-size pieces, washed, and shaken dry (there should be a little water still clinging to the leaves) or half a bag of frozen spinach
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
1 cup of water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 Roasted Sweet Potato halves, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus additional wedges for serving
1 teaspoon of fish sauce, for serving
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more for serving (optional)

Directions

Roast sweet potatoes. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut sweet potatoes in half, cover in olive oil and roast cut side down for 35 minutes.

Warm a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened a little, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, ginger, and curry powder and cook, stirring frequently, until it all gets really fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes more.

If using, add fresh greens to the pot and stir them into the onion mixture with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pot while you do so. (If there are a lot of brown bits and they’re sticking, add a teaspoon or two of water.) Add the chickpeas, coconut milk, 1 cup water, and the kosher salt. If using frozen greens, add now. Let the whole thing simmer, partially covered, for about 20 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and cook for a minute or two—just enough to warm them through. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro if using and taste for seasoning; add more salt or lime juice if necessary.

Serve the braised chickpeas in shallow bowls over rice, topped with a splash of fish sauce and a squeeze of lime.

Adapted from Epicurious.com

the best chinese recipe ever

Hands down a Hall of Fame recipe. 

8 ounces chicken breast (thinly sliced)
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 Japanese eggplants (cut on an angle into 1 1/2-inch wedges)
3 cloves garlic (sliced thinly)
3 scallions (sliced 1½ inches long on an angle, separated into white and green parts)
5 baby bok choy sliced
1 king oyster mushroom (cut into sticks)
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons fish sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
ground white pepper
¼ cup chicken stock (hot)

Velvet chicken according to Kenji's Wok book. 

Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to your wok and heat until just smoking. Add the marinated chicken, and spread it around the wok. Let it sear for 30 to 60 seconds (depending upon your burner capacity) on each side. Remove from the wok and set aside.

Heat your wok over medium-high heat and coat it with 2 tablespoons of oil. Spread the eggplant out evenly in the wok, and let sear with the cover on the wok for 2 minutes. Remove the cover, turn the eggplant pieces over, and pour another tablespoon of oil around the perimeter. Cover the wok, and turn heat to medium-low for another 2 minutes until the eggplant is just tender. Next, raise the heat to high to cook the eggplant to a golden brown color–another 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add more oil and heat until near smoking. Cook mushrooms and bok choy until softened. Transfer to a plate. 

With the wok over high heat, add another tablespoon of oil, the garlic, the white parts of the scallions. Stir fry for 30 seconds, and add the veggies and chicken.

Next, add the Shaoxing wine, and stir everything together. Add the fish sauce, sugar, soy sauces, sesame oil, and white pepper, and stir until everything is combined–about a minute. Next, add the green portion of the scallions.

Pour the chicken stock around the perimeter of the wok to deglaze it. Stir fry until everything is well-combined, and most of the liquid has been absorbed by other ingredients. Serve with steamed jasmine rice!

coconut curry base

amaranth and/or mustard leaves or spinach leaves
1 can of coconut milk
1 large onion, diced

3 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
15-20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt

fish sauce 

Bring water and salt to the boil in a large pot. Add washed leaves and boil for 10 minutes or until tender.

In a separate pan, heat the oil and cook the chopped onion until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and heat until fragrant. Add the curry powder and cook until fragrant.

Add the well drained leaves and tomatoes and stir to combine.

Add the coconut milk and continue cooking for about 10 minutes.

Add fish sauce and salt to taste.

roberto!

This is the best soup! Helen Rosner is a soup queen! Go read her original recipe. The condensed version here is to make shopping easier for me.

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 big onion
2-4 cloves garlic
Salt
1 pound hot or sweet italian sausage

1 28oz can tomatoes, diced or crushed or whole (crushed)
1 14oz can of beans of any type
4 cups of broth (chicken, beef, veggie, or honestly just a mix of water and wine is great)
1 bunch of kale
Pepper
1 lemon

Put the olive oil and onions in a soup pot over medium heat, with a pinch of salt (a pinch is about a quarter teaspoon) and stir them all together. Slowly cook them all until the onions are soft and translucent, about 4 minutes, but sometimes as many as 7. Add the garlic and wooden-spoon it around in the onion until you get hit with that nostalgic garlic-and-onion smell, about 1 minute. 

Raise the heat to medium-high and add the sausage squeezed out of its casing. Stir it into the onion and garlic, breaking it up in the pot into small pieces that could comfortably fit on a spoon. It's better to overcook than undercook the sausage: For the best flavor, you want the pieces to start to brown on the outside. It should look speckled with dark spots.

When the sausage is starting to brown dump in the tomatoes (including all the liquid), the beans (it's okay if there's a little liquid left in the can, add that too), and 4 cups of the broth/whatever and bring the whole thing to a simmer. If you'd used canned whole tomatoes, use your wooden spoon to break them up against the side of the pot.

Once it's at a simmer, add the kale. Get the greens in there and put the lid on and turn the heat down back to medium and let the whole thing simmer for about 5 minutes more, or even longer if you want to. Taste the soup (use the wooden spoon, you're less likely to burn your mouth) and decide how much salt and black pepper you think it needs. Then add half as much salt as you want to, and twice as much pepper. Add a little more pepper. 

Serve the soup, which is very hot, in bowls and squeeze a wedge of lemon juice into each bowl. Add parsley if you want.

now for umami fish

Another killer fridge clean out dish.

1 pound of white fish
4 yellow potatoes
1 package of chard
7-10 campari tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup pickled banana peppers, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
3 tbsp pickled banana pepper liquid
splash of Cynar
ground mustard
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Quarter potatoes, coat in oil, sprinkle with salt and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

Coat fish in ground mustard, salt, pepper and olive oil. Add a pat of butter and a tbsp of olive oil to a stainless steel pan over high heat. When butter is bubbling, add fish and cook on each side for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Remove from the pan to a plate.

Add sliced garlic to the hot pan. Cook for a couple minutes until browned but not burned, add a splash of Cynar and then add the tomatoes and banana peppers and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the chard (chopped if large pieces) and combine. Cover and let chard wilt for a couple minutes and then stir again. Add the fish to the top of the vegetables, cover, and put back in the oven for 8-9 minutes.

Plate the fish with the vegetables on top and spoon sauce over the top.

little chefs calamari

The best calamari recipe I've ever had.

Calamari Marinade

1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1.5 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
zest of one lemon
3 smashed and chopped garlic cloves
1 handful chopped basil
1 handful chopped parsley
1 handful chopped Cuban oregano
1/4 cup olive oil (enough to have a wet marinade)
squid tubes and tentacles

Calamari Dressing

5 olives
1 handful parsley
juice of 1-2 lemons
zest of half a lemon
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons crisp white wine

Combine all ingredients in the marinade and then marinate the squid for 20 minutes. Add as much olive oil as necessary to make it saucy.

Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add more wine if needed to loosen the dressing.

Grill calamari until cooked and plate with arugula and dress both the calamari and the arugula with the dressing.

pork loin non-roast

 Couldn't be easier to make - my instant pot is currently my favorite tool in the kitchen.

2 to 2-1/2 pound boneless pork loin roast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (dried also ok)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves (dried also ok)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chicken broth (or wine, beer, or water)

Take pork loin out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.

In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon zest, parsley, and thyme.

Season pork loin with salt and pepper; then, brush the butter mixture all around the meat. Set aside.

Press the Sauté function on the Instant Pot and heat up the olive oil. When oil is hot, sear the pork loin on all sides until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove pork from IP and set aside.

Add broth to the Instant Pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.

Cancel the Sauté function and place a trivet in the IP and set the pork on top of the trivet. Lock the lid and pressure cook at HIGH PRESSURE for 15 minutes. Then, let pressure come down naturally for 15 minutes, and quick release any remaining pressure. Open the lid and check internal temperature with an instant read meat thermometer; it should read 145˚F. If it’s less than this, you can place the lid back on the pot to let the carryover heat cook the pork to doneness. Shouldn’t take more than 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer pork loin to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes before cutting. This will help seal in the juices.

In the meantime, prepare the pan-sauce: Select the Sauté function on the IP and bring liquid to a boil. Continue to cook at a slow boil for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. (If not thick enough, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup of water and stir constantly.

Slice the pork and serve with the pan juices.

Adapted from Diethood

umami chicken goodness

 Maybe the best chicken dish I've ever made?

1.5 lb. skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces (such as thighs and drumsticks)
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 1/2" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. mustard powder
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
1/2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
2 plum or other medium tomatoes, chopped or half a can of diced tomatoes
1/2 to 1 pint cherry or Sun Gold tomatoes|
Thinly sliced scallions and/or cilantro leaves with tender stems and steamed rice

Trim any excess skin and fat from skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces and place in a baking dish.

Whisk garlic cloves, ginger, soy sauce, mustard powder, butter, and unseasoned rice vinegar in a small bowl to combine. Pour marinade over chicken pieces and use your hands to work marinade into every nook and cranny, including underneath the skin. Turn chicken pieces skin side down and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°. Turn chicken pieces skin side up and tuck plum or canned diced tomatoes and cherry tomatoes between and under chicken pieces with a few on top as well. Roast chicken until skin is golden brown and meat is tender and tomatoes are soft and juicy with some bursting open, 35–40 minutes.

Transfer chicken and tomatoes to a platter and spoon some juices over. Top with thinly sliced scallions and/or cilantro leaves with tender stems. Serve with steamed rice.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

homemade refried beans

These super easy refried beans are delicious! It's plenty even if you make just half a recipe.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped yellow or white onion
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked pinto beans
½ cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice (about ½ medium lime), to taste

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onions and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and are turning translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the garlic, chili powder and cumin. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the drained beans and water. Stir, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and remove the lid. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to mash up about at least half of the beans, until you reach your desired consistency. Continue to cook the beans, uncovered, stirring often, for 3 more minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste, and add more salt and lime juice if necessary. If the beans seem dry, add a very small splash of water and stir to combine. Cover until you’re ready to serve.

From Cookie + Kate

chicken rice congee-style soup

Fast, easy and delicious!

¾ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts
⅓ cup jasmine rice, rinsed
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 2" piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 1-2 eggs

Bring chicken, rice, garlic, ginger, and 5 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add a big pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally for 25 minutes, until soup is thickened and rice is tender. Continue cooking rice while transferring chicken to a bowl to shred with 2 forks, then return to pot. Stir in lemon juice and soy sauce; taste soup and season with salt if needed.

Scramble eggs and  drizzle into soup and cook 2-3 minutes longer.

Divide soup among bowls. Top with cilantro and lots of black pepper.

Do Ahead: Soup (without cilantro) can be made 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill. Reheat over medium-low, adding water to thin as needed.

the green kind of steak sauce

A chimichurri-style sauce has a brightness that makes any steak taste even better.

• 4-6 large garlic cloves, minced
• a handful of coarsely chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons basil
• Maldon salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• splash of red wine vinegar

Finely chop the garlic, parsley and basil. Add to a bowl and add enough olive oil to cover. Add salt to taste and a splash or two of red wine vinegar and mix well.

Spoon over steak and enjoy.

lamb chop saucy

Tasty without any of the flavors overpowering anything else.

4 lamb loin chops
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup cognac
salt and pepper to taste

Remove loin chops from the fridge 20-30 minutes before cooking. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

In a cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil on high until hot. Place the loin chops in the skillet and cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.

Add the butter, cognac, garlic, and fresh herbs to the skillet and swirl/stir until fully melted. Simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes, turn the chops in order to soak up cognac butter sauce. For medium rare, the lamb is done.

Remove from heat, place on plate and drizzle with Cognac butter sauce. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired and serve.

Adapted from Kitchen Swagger

lamb shoulder braise two-ways

Lamb shoulder is a tough cut – and it keeps showing up in my farm share. Fortunately a low and slow cook does wonders.

Red Wine Braised Lamb

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds lamb shoulder chops, or more to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 small yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
half a bag of baby carrots
2 medium potatoes
2 sprigs of oregano
1.5 cups beef broth
1.5 cups red wine
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a dutch over over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper lamb chops. Sear lamb in hot oil until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove chops to a plate to drain, reserving drippings in the skillet.

Saute onion and garlic in reserved drippings until tender, about 4 minutes. Add carrots and potatoes and saute another few minutes.

Add lamb chops and drippings to the dutch oven. Add oregano sprigs on top of lamb. Pour beef broth and red wine over the lamb. Cover dish.

Bake for 3 hours.

Remove lamb to a serving platter.

Did not have enough liquid the first time to do this part: Carefully drain liquid from baking dish into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Beat cornstarch and water together in a bowl using a whisk to assure no lumps remain; stir into the liquid in the saucepan. Add Worcestershire sauce and cook until the liquid thickens into a gravy, about 5 minutes.

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Saba Braised Lamb

4 lamb shanks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 large onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup saba
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place lamb shanks into a large bowl; drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and rosemary. Toss the lamb shanks to spread oil and seasonings over the meat.

Spread onion slices and garlic cloves into the bottom of a heavy 9x12-inch baking dish. Lay lamb shanks over onions and garlic.

Bake lamb in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees.

Combine chicken broth and saba in a bowl. Pour mixture over the lamb shanks. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and place baking dish on a baking sheet.

Bake lamb in the oven until a knife pierces the meat easily, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat will be tender but not falling off the bone. Use tongs to turn the shanks over in the pan sauce. Increase temperature to 350 degrees.

Return shanks to oven and bake, uncovered, until meat is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn shanks over in the sauce after 10 minutes and check for tenderness; if still not tender enough, return to oven for 10 to 15 more minutes and test again.

Transfer lamb shanks to a bowl and keep warm. Strain pan juices into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Skim any excess grease from top of sauce. Taste and season with salt; stir in fresh rosemary. Serve sauce drizzled over lamb shanks.

From AllRecipes.com

rainbow lentils

This had both the taste and color of the rainbow: beautiful oranges, greens and yellows and tasted like the Caribbean, India, Africa, and Asia all rolled into one. We get a ton of mustard greens from our CSA every week, so this is a great way to use a bunch up.

1 bunch mustard greens
1 cup red lentils
1 large sweet potato
4 cups water, vegetable or chicken stock
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp dried ginger
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Jamaican curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
salt and white pepper to taste
1 squeeze fresh lime juice

Wash greens and remove stems. Chop onion and mince garlic and ginger. Chop sweet potato into 1 inch pieces.

Heat olive oil over medium low heat. Saute onions, garlic, and ginger until onion is softened and translucent. Add dry spices, mix, then add water or stock, stirring to get any bits off the bottom of the pan. Add lentils and sweet potatoes, bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Stir in greens, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lime juice.

Adapted from Early Morning Farm

veggie bouillon

I had an abundant parsley harvest this year, and just about everything else needed for this and it has so far been a nice addition to have on hand to spice up plainer dishes.

2-3 leeks, white and light green parts, chopped and washed
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
2-3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup fresh parsley leaves, and thin stems
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1⁄2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Process everything, except tomato paste and soy sauce, in food processor, scraping down sides of bowl frequently, until paste is as fine as possible, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add tomato paste and process for one minute, scraping down sides of bowl every 20 seconds.

Add soy sauce and continue to process one minute longer.

Transfer mixture to airtight container and tap firmly on counter to remove any air bubbles. Press small piece of parchment paper against surface of mixture and cover.

Freeze up to 6 months.

Use 1 tbsp to one cup boiling water to make broth.

Adapted from Food.com

pasta sauce, hold the pasta

Sometimes the things we make come about because of what we happen to have in the house. This came together because we had tomatoes and arugula and shrimp on hand and they were calling out to be combined. I originally made this as a pasta sauce, but by doubling or tripling the shrimp you could could have a quick and tasty shrimp dish.

1 medium tomato
3 slices of roasted tomato
A handful or two of arugula leaves, torn in half
8-10 large cooked shrimp, halved or quartered
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons of butter
salt and pepper
pasta (optional)

If using, cook the pasta.

Chop everything in advance as it all comes together quickly. Melt butter in a skillet. Add garlic and cook for one minute over medium heat. Don't let it brown. Add chopped tomatoes, chopped roasted tomatoes and arugula. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat until the tomatoes begin to release their juices. Turn off stove and add cooked shrimp. Toss so the shrimp gets heated and serve, either over pasta or on its own.

chile rellenos lasagna style

I love chile rellenos. Literally one of my favorite foods. Unfortunately my gluten allergy makes eating them at a restaurant a rarity. This recipe may not taste like original chile rellenos but it is incredibly delicious. Instead of stuffing these I made a casserole/lasagna kind of thing with ground pork. The chiles totally fell apart while I was seeding them so I just used them like they were lasagna noodles. So easy and tasted delicious. I also made my own mexican crema.

Mexican Crema

1 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set it out at room temperature for 3 hours.

From Epicurious

Chile Relleno Lasagna

6 poblano chiles
1 pound ground pork
3 ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
Black pepper
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, or other Mexican melting cheese
½ cup Mexican crema

Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and preheat oven to 375°.

Meanwhile, if you have a gas stove, turn heat to high on one of the burners, and set as many of the poblanos as will fit on the grate. Cook, flipping and moving the chiles often with a pair of tongs, until blackened on all sides. Cook, flipping occasionally with a pair of tongs, until blacked on all sides.

When chiles are blackened, transfer to a plastic bag and seal. Let them steam for at least five minutes. When done, peel off the blackened skins. Cut a slit down the side of each, and remove the stem and the seeds.

Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the corn cobs. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add the onion and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent, about two minutes. Add the ground pork and brown. Add the corn, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until corn turns golden brown, about five minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

Oil a casserole dish. Lay down chiles to cover the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of the sauteed corn and pork mixture, a layer of the shredded cheese, and few dollops of the crema. Should make about 3 layers. Finally, add a layer of cheese on top.

Transfer baking dish to the upper middle rack in the oven and cook for ten minutes. Turn on the broiler to high, and cook until the cheese is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

creamy chicken and mushrooms

Quick and easy chicken dinners are harder to come by than I would like so finding this recipe, and adjusting it to be even faster, was great.

1 lb chicken thighs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 sweet onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 tablespoons gluten-free flour
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Pinch of hungarian hot paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes and season with salt and pepper.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned, about 5-6 minutes. Push vegetables over to the side of the pan and add another tablespoon of butter the empty side. Add chicken and brown on all sides.

Sprinkle everything with flour and mix until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

Gradually stir in half and half, thyme, basil and paprika; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.    

Adapted from Damn Delicious