salsa verde

Use just half a jalapeno for a less spicy version. Can be made in the blender smoothie cup as well.

4 tomatillos, husked, washed, and halved
1/2 white onion, quartered
1 jalapeño, seeded and sliced in half
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 handful cilantro leaves and stems
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Tortilla chips, for serving

Preheat oven to 450°. Toss tomatillos, white onion, and jalapeños with vegetable oil on a sheet tray, and season with salt and pepper. 

Roast until softened and charred in spots, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Transfer roasted vegetables, cilantro, and lime juice to a blender and blend. Add olive oil and blend again until mostly smooth. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

jazzfest shrimp coctel

Ana Castro of Acamaya in New Orleans did a demonstration of her shrimp coctel at Jazzfest 2025 and it was amazing.

This isn't exactly her recipe but it's as close as I can recall.

Ingredients

For the Shrimp

2 pounds medium size shrimp (Approx 31-35 per pound) deveined, tail shells removed. (Thawed if frozen)
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar

For the Coctel Mixture

2 cup chilled V8
1 cup chilled Clamato juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Crystal's Hot Sauce
2 cups English cucumber- seeded, 1/8-1/4 inch dice
4 tbsp jalapeños – seeded and finely diced
1 cup red onion – finely diced
4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Fill large bowl halfway with ice and water. Set aside.

In a medium pot, combine the salt, sugar, and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add the shrimp to the boiling water mixture and poach for about 2 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and opaque. (Note: The water will not fully return to a boil once you add the shrimp.) If you are nervous about the shrimp not being cooked, pull one and slice to make sure they are cooked through.

Transfer shrimp to ice bath and let cool for 3 to 5 minutes. Once cool, pay dry and cut each shrimp into 2-3 bite size pieces per shrimp, depending on size.

In a large mixing bowl, combine tomato juice, clamato juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Mix well. Add the cooked, chopped shrimp, cucumber, jalapeño & red onion and gently stir until evenly coated.

Cover and chill in the fridge for at least one hour and up to 24 hours. Taste for seasoning once all the flavors have married. Add salt, pepper hot sauce, and/or lime juice to taste.

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

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.

greatest rice ever

This is the best rice I've ever had. I call it the good good rice.

4 cups water
2 tbsp chicken or beef Better than Bouillon 
1 packet of Sazon con Culantro y Achiote
1 small onion whole
2 cups long grain rice uncooked
4 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon salt

Add 1 small onion to the center of the Instant Pot. 

Add 4 cups of warm water to the Instant pot, add in chicken bouillon and Sazon packet and mix well.

Add 2 cups of rice to the IP.

Seal and use the Rice function to cook for 15 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 9 minutes then release the remaining pressure.

Remove the onion.

Stir in 4 Tbsp. butter until completely melted.

Taste your rice to see if it needs any salt. 

Adapted from Sunday Supper

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.

new shiny veggies

 Super tasty, super easy sauce.

1 onion
1 red pepper
kale
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon base 
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Chop onion, red pepper and kale into equal size pieces. Heat a pan, add a glug of olive oil, and add the onions and red peppers. Cook until browned. Add the kale and heat until wilted. 

In a cup combine the red wine vinegar, chicken bouillon, cornstarch and water. Add to the pan and stir until thickened and shiny.

actually good short ribs

I don't even really like short ribs but this is one the best instant pot dishes I've made. Goes great with mashed potatoes. I will also try these flavors with another type of stew meat or roast.

1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon onion salt
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon dried sage
2 lbs. beef short rib
2 tablespoons high temperature oil
1 onion, sliced
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 ½ cups water or broth
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
6 cloves garlic, whole or minced
1 tablespoon cornstarch & 1/4 cup water

Mix the first five ingredients (the spices) and rub on the outside of the beef short rib; set aside.

Set your instant pot to sauté and drizzle oil into instant pot. Using tongs, lower short ribs into Instant Pot and sear on all sides, about 8 minutes. Sear in batches if needed so that pieces aren't crowded.

Remove short ribs; set aside. Add sliced onion to the instant pot and sauté for a couple minutes using the heat left in the pan. 

Add tomato paste, water, balsamic, Dijon mustard, cocoa, and garlic to the Instant Pot and mix with a spoon until combined, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add short ribs. Place lid on Instant Pot and lock into place. Make sure your steam vent is turned to closed.

Turn the settings to "Pressure Cook High", and set the timer for 43 minutes. Once the 43 minutes are up, let the Instant Pot sit for 10 minutes. Carefully press the pressure release valve. Once all the pressure is released, unlock the lid.

Remove meat from Instant Pot. Combine cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and stir into sauce in Instant Pot until gravy is thickened.

Spoon sauce over each piece of beef short rib and serve warm.

Adapted from Gluten Free Palate

any sausage kale soup

This works with literally any sausage but the smokier it is the better it turns out. Homemade chicken broth also does wonders.

1 tablespoon olive oil 

4-5 sausage links

1 sweet onion

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3-4 sweet potatoes

4 cups chicken broth

1 glug of red wine

1 bunch of kale

Heat oil in Dutch oven. Slice sausage into bite sized pieces and add to oil in the pan (or crumble sausage into oil if uncooked). Cook until browned.

Chop onions and add to the sausage. Cook until softened. Add tomato paste and cook until color deepens about 1 to 2 minutes.

Chop sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces. Add to the pan and cook for a minute or 2.

Add chicken broth and red wine and bring to a boil.

Add kale, cover pan and turn heat to low.

Once kale has wilted, stir into broth, cover and cook over medium-low heat until sweet potato has softened.

Let cool and serve.

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

fall chorizo stuffed squash

I ended up combining two recipes inadvertently and came up with something delicious.

1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeds scooped out
1 tbsp olive oil
6 oz chorizo, finely chopped
1/2 half a sweet onion
1 medium apple cut into small dice
2 tsp paprika
2 small pats of butter

Preheat oven to 450F.

Lightly oil the inside of the acorn squash.

Roast squash cut side down for 20-30 minutes, or until soft. This will vary depending on the size.

While the squash is roasting, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the chorizo and cook, stirring frequently until starting to brown, 5-10 minutes.

Add apple and onion and sauté for 5 minutes more and then remove from heat. Stir in the paprika.

When the squash are done, turn them over on the baking sheet.

Add one pat of butter to each squash half.

Divide the chorizo stuffing mixture among the squash halves, mounding it up in each.

Return the squash to the oven and roast for for 5 minutes more.

lebanese shrimp with garlic and cilantro

Turns out that putting cinnamon in savory dishes is maybe the best thing ever (see also the Armenian dish in the next post below).

1 pound of medium-sized shrimp

1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

8 cloves of garlic

1 bunch of cilantro or parsley

1 small red onion

2 teaspoon of ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric or jamaican curry

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne or hot paprika (optional)

Salt, to taste

1 lemon, quartered

Peel the shrimp and lay out on a plate. Slice the onions and put in a bowl.

Mash the garlic in a mortar with a pinch of salt until pasty. Set aside.

Wash and dry the cilantro or parsley and chop finely the cilantro leaves, discarding the stems.

Mix all the spices in a small bowl and sprinkle them on the shrimp and onions.

Heat the olive oil for 3 minutes and place the shrimp and onions in the skillet, stir-frying them for a couple of minutes.

Remove the shrimp and onions from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Add a couple more tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet if necessary and place the mashed garlic and cilantro in the skillet, stirring for one minute until they are mixed and fragrant.

Place the shrimp and onions in the skillet and stir-fry for a minute or so until everything is coated evenly with the garlic and cilantro paste.

Serve with lemon quarters on the side.

Adapted from Taste of Beirut

armenian baked semi-stuffed eggplant

The flavors in this are incredible!

Ingredients:
2 large eggplants (4 smaller eggplants can be substituted), cut in half lengthwise, stem trimmed
Olive oil

Meat Stuffing Ingredients:
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. paprika (or for a spicy version Hungarian Hot Paprika)
1 tbsp. whole coriander
1 large sweet onion, chopped finely
1 lb. ground lamb or beef
1 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce:
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: chopped Italian parsley, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Baked eggplant
Place eggplant halves, skin-side down in a baking pan so they fit snuggly. Brush only cut-sides of eggplant with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until soft and golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Prepare the meat filling while eggplant is baking:

Saute onions with spices
In a mortal & pestle, grind the coriander, then stir in the cinnomon, nutmeg, cloves and paprika. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and half of the spice mix. Cook over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, stirring often.

Meat filling
Add the ground lamb (or beef), and cook until meat is crumbled and no longer pink; drain any excess grease. Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Cook another minute or two. Remove from heat.

For the sauce, place the remaining spice blend in a mixing bowl with the diced tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, lemon juice, sugar, and salt to taste. Mix well.

Baked lamb-stuffed eggplant
Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Pour the sauce mixture into the baking pan to surround the eggplants. Spoon the lamb mixture to cover the top of each eggplant. Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Carefully lift foil and baste the eggplants halfway through baking.
Garnish with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.

Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Adapted from The Armenian Kitchen

russian vinagret salad

A friend made this and I loved it!

1 beet
2 carrots
1-2 potatoes
1 medium red onion
10oz of pickles
1 can (about 15 oz) boiled beans of your choice
Salt to taste

Prepare ingredients: dice vegetables to the same size. Boil carrots, potato and separately beets, then let them cool down to room temperature and peel.

Dice beet, add to a deep bowl, add diced pickles, diced potatoes and and carrots.

Add boiled beans (if you use canned ones – rinse them and then drain liquid out before adding beans to the bowl).

Salt to taste, mix well.

pho-king great

This makes amazing bone marrow on top of a delicious soup.

2 beef cross cut shins
1/2 of a medium-large apple
1 large yellow onion
2 ounces fresh ginger
2 ½ pieces star anise
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
2 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 ½ to 2 tablespoons fish sauce
Sugar, if desired
12 ounces dried narrow rice sticks or pad Thai-style noodles
1 green onions
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
Black pepper
Thai basil
lime wedges

Rinse the bones and boneless beef. Peel and cut apple into chunks. Halve the large onion and cut into thick slices. Peel ginger, halve it lengthwise, cut into chunks, then smash each piece with the side of a knife.

Put the star anise, cinnamon and cloves in the Instant Pot. Using the sauté function, toast for several minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Add the onion and ginger. Stir and cook for a minute or two. A little browning is O.K. Add 8 cups water.

Add the bones, beef, apple and salt. Lock the lid. Set timer for 30 minutes. After cooking, allow pressure to decrease naturally, about 15 to 20 minutes. When that is done, finish venting and carefully remove lid.

Strain the broth into a pot through a mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or muslin. Discard the remaining solids. (At this point, the broth and beef can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days.) Skim all but about 3 tablespoons of fat from the broth.

Add fish sauce and more salt, if needed. Add a few pinches of sugar and more fish sauce so the broth has a rounded, intense finish that is slightly salty and slightly sweet.

Freeze the raw beef, if using, for 15 to 20 minutes, then slice very thinly across the grain. Cut cooked beef across the grain into very thin slices. Set aside.

Cover the dried noodles in hot tap water and soak for 15 to 20 minutes, or until pliable and opaque. Drain, then rinse to remove starch.

Thinly slice the small onion and soak in water 10 minutes. Slice green onions into thin rings and set aside with chopped cilantro. Arrange any optional add-ins on a plate.

Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat. At the same time, fill a pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Dunk the noodles into the boiling water, using a noodle strainer or a mesh sieve, for about 15 to 20 seconds. Remove from water and divide noodles among 4 bowls.

Top each bowl of noodles with cooked and raw beef, arranging the slices flat. Place a mound of onion in the center, then shower with green onion and cilantro. Finish with a sprinkle of black pepper. Give the boiling broth a final taste for seasoning. Ladle about 2 cups broth into each bowl, distributing the hot liquid evenly to warm all the ingredients.

Original recipe from the NY Times

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

the very best stuffing

No one makes Thanksgiving stuffing like mom. I always make it using an entire loaf of bread and love it when no one else eats any: more for me! Easy to make the day before and toss in the over right before the meal.

1 loaf gluten free bread (I use Canyon Bread), cut into cubes
3 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, cut into small dice
4 large stalks celery, cut into small dice
2 tablespoons of Bell's Seasoning
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups homemade chicken stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Make the stock if there isn't any on hand.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spread the bread cubes on a large baking sheet in an even layer and bake until quite crisp, about 60 minutes.

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or the vegetables are very soft. Add the Bell's Seasoning and cook for 2 more minutes.

In a large bowl, fold together the toasted bread cubes with the cooked onions and celery.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl with the broth, salt, and a generous quantity of fresh black pepper. Pour in the bowl and stir into the bread.

Grease baking dish with butter or olive oil. Spread bread mixture in the baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool the dressing for 10 minutes before serving.

– Adapted from The Kitchn and my mom

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

red risotto

I helped a friend make this and while the constant stirring has kept me from making my own risotto, this recipe totally changed my mind. So good and so worth the time it takes. Especially good with roasted asparagus,

Red Wine Risotto

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry red wine, cabernet or barolo
6 cups chicken/turkey/vegetable stock, preferably homemade
3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, more for serving.

In a wide, deep skillet, heat oil until very hot but not smoking. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes but not browned. Reduce heat as needed. Add rice and stir with a wooden spoon until opaque and slightly toasted.

Meanwhile, heat the stock in a saucepan and keep it just below a simmer. Add wine and a ladleful of hot stock and cook, stirring often, until liquid is absorbed. Continue stirring and adding hot stock a ladleful at a time, always waiting until liquid is almost completely absorbed before adding more. Cook until rice is tender and creamy but not mushy, about 20 minutes (or more). Toward the end of cooking time, rice will quickly soften, so stir constantly and taste often. Turn off heat and stir in butter. Stir in cheese and serve with additional Parmesan.

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