Ponzu Steak Bowls

Originally found at EveryPlate.com 

1/2 cup white rice

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 in piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 lb steak, diced

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp Ponzu sauce

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp Sriracha

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp brown sugar

Vegetable Oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook rice according to package directions. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pain over high heat. Add steak and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked to desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate. Heat another drizzle of oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in ginger and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, ponzu sauce, water, brown sugar, and sriracha (use less sriracha if desired). Add cornstarch and whisk until well combined. Pour over veggies and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is slightly thickened. Return steak to pan and stir to coat. 

Divide rice between two bowl and top with steak mixture. 

My Notes:

EveryPlate loves bowls. Like whoa. But this one actually enticed me to go out and buy ponzu sauce, so it's got that going for it. Again, nice quick dinner with some Asian inspiration. 

Sweet Chili Chicken

I love Thai dishes, so I was so happy when I stumbled across this simple recipe. It's slightly spicy and sweet and all around yummy. And, guess what? It uses more Tinkerbell peppers. I'm telling you, I'm gonna have to grow them myself next year with how much I'm going to use them.

Sweet Chili Chicken
Originally found at Blue Apron

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
6 ounces Tinkerbell peppers, diced
2 scallions, sliced and separated into white and green parts
2 Tbsp Ponzu sauce
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup jasmine rice, cooked

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in pan over medium-high until hot. Add chicken and cook 4-6 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through. Add garlic, ginger, peppers, and white bottoms of scallions. Cook until vegetables are softened and fragrant. Add sweet chili sauce, ponzu sauce, and water. Cook until liquid is slightly reduced in volume, approximately 1-2 minutes. Serve over rice.

My Notes:
The original recipe called for green beans, but mine went bad before I could use them, so I just left them out. Feel free to add other veggies. Broccoli would work well, as would zucchini, squash, asparagus, etc. Have fun with it!

General Tso's Chicken

Chinese food is one of my go-tos. Along with Mexican. I know it's bastardized by American culture, but it's just such a comfort food for me. I enjoy trying out new dishes at home, and saw this one in my rotation and was intrigued. Ketchup in a Chinese dish? Clearly, not very authentic, but it somehow works. And this is such a simple dish to throw together that it's definitely worth trying again.

General Tso's Chicken
Originally found at Blue Apron

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup cornstarch
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp soy glaze*
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek, to taste
1 Tbsp Sesame oil
1/4 cup ketchup
2 scallions, chopped with green and white ends separated
Oil

Toss the chicken in cornstarch, shaking off excess. In a frying pan or wok, heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate and set aside.

Heats sesame oil over medium high heat in same pan. Add garlic and white bottoms of scallions and cook until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. Add soy glaze, sambal oelek, and ketchup. Stir to combine. Add chicken back to the pan and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over rice and garnish with green tops of scallions.


My Notes:
*Soy glaze is a thicker, sweeter version of soy sauce. You can buy it directly, or make your own.

The original Blue Apron meal came with snow peas, which were much better than I expected them to be. Nice and crisp, and fresh tasting. Simple to make, simply cut off the ends, remove the fibrous strand that runs along the length of the pod, then cook in a small amount of oil until bright green.

See, I'm being good and adding veggies to my diet :)

Trinidadian Chicken Curry

This is a spin on a traditional southern dish of shrimp and grits. If you haven't tried grits before, give it a try with this recipe. They are nice and creamy thanks to the coconut milk, and the seasoning on the chicken is a nice accent to the overall dish.

I've never been a big collards person. I'm not from the south, was not raised eating collards. But, as with sauteed spinach, I really do think it depends on how it is cooked. Most southern collards are drained of most of their color (they take on an ugly grayish green color), texture (they are basically mush)... not to mention they are made with ham hock, which precludes me from eating them anyway. But these still have a bit of a bite, have a beautiful emerald green color, and are simply seasoned with garlic. They serve as a nice accent to the overall dish and get some vegetables into the otherwise grain and protein dish.

The chicken thighs are nice and tender, and are kept tender with the lime juice. I almost wish I had put the lime juice into the dish before I cooked the chicken, as I imagine this would have made the chicken super juicy as well. But it was good enough as is. I can't wait to experiment with this dish a little more (particularly the spices).

Trinidadian Chicken Curry
Originally found at Blue Apron

4 boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 tsp Trinidadian Curry Spice Blend
3/4 cup yellow grits
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk
1 lime, juiced and zested
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp dried coconut flakes
Olive oil
Water
Salt and pepper

Combine chopped chicken and spice blend; set aside. In a medium pot, combine coconut milk and 1 1/2 cups water. Season with salt. Heat to boiling on high, then slowly add the grits. Whisk to break up any clumps. Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened and tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a medium, dry pan on medium high heat. Add coconut flakes and heat until toasted and fragrant. Transfer to plate/bowl and set aside. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in medium pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add half the garlic and the collard greens. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2-4 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and collards have wilted. Transfer to plate and set aside.

Heat 2 tsp of olive oil over medium high heat in pan used to cook collard greens. Add seasoned chicken and remaining garlic and cook 5-7 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Add lime juice and 1 Tbsp water. Stir to combine, scraping up browned bits in the pan.

Serve grits, topped with collard greens, and topped with chicken. Garnish with toasted coconut flakes.

My Notes:
Be sure to avoid the fibrous stems of the collards; they take away from the dish. Chop them however you want; I left them as little ribbons, but chunks would've worked just fine as well.

Be careful with the grits. They can lose moisture and get really thick really quickly. If they are too thick for your taste, slowly work in 1/4 cup of water to your desired consistency.

I decided to give all these recipes at the same time instead of breaking them up as I have in the past because I really don't think these would work very well as individual dishes. There's something about combining all of them.

Steak Tacos with Mole Verde

The one downside I've found to Blue Apron recipes is that they don't include spice ratios. They just mix the spices themselves and say in the recipe 'spice blend' that includes x, y, and z. Which doesn't really help when I'm trying to recreate the dish. But, nevertheless, I try.

This recipe calls for making a mole verde from tomatillos, a tart cousin to the tomato. They come with dry husks, and leave a sticky fruit when the husk is removed. Make sure to rinse them off well after removing the husk. The tacos are topped off with radishes, which is something I would not have tried on my own, but adds a nice crunch to the end of the taco.

Steak Tacos with Mole Verde
Adapted from Blue Apron

1 6-8 ounce steak
2 tsp spice blend*
2 Tbsp pepitas
4 ounces tomatillos, husked and medium diced
1/2 cup water
1 lime, quartered
1 avocado
1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp cumin (more or less as desired)
6 corn tortillas
2 radishes, sliced thinly
Olive oil

Heat one tsp olive oil in a medium pan over medium high heat until hot. Add the pepitas and cook, stirring occasionally, 2-4 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and season with salt. Set aside. Pat the steak dry with paper towels and rub one quarter of the spice blend into each side of the steak. Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in same pan used to toast the pepitas over medium-high heat until hot.

Add seasoned steak to pan and cook 4-5 minutes per side for medium well, or until cooked to your desired doneness. Transfer to a plate and top with the juice of one lime wedge. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain of the meat.

Add tomatillos and remaining spice blend to the pan used to prepare the steak; cook 1-2 minutes, until fragrant, then add water to the pan. Scrape up the brown bits from the steak to incorporate into the sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes, until sauce becomes thickened. Remove from heat and add pepitas, juice from 1-2 of the lime wedges, and 1/2 of the chopped cilantro. Mash the tomatillos with a fork to desired consistency.

Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the fruit into a bowl. Mash to desired consistency and add the juice of the remaining lime wedges. Add 1/2 of the chopped cilantro and the cumin to taste.

To assemble the tacos, warm the tortillas slightly. Spread a thin layer of the guacamole onto the tortilla. Top with a couple strips of steak, then a spoonful of mole verde, and finally the sliced radishes.

My Notes:
Overall, a very flavorful dish, but it is not for everyone. Mole in general (the sauce made from tomatillos) is very strong, and this one is no exception. I happened to enjoy the wonderful kick of it. I will have to play with spices a little next time I make the dish, as I'm not sure I got the proportions correct, but it was my best effort.

The original recipe called for simply slicing the avocado and putting it on top of the tacos, which I suppose is a fine way to use avocados. I find the texture of sliced avocados weird for how it looks, so I prefer to just make a quick guacamole from it (which I expect to be mushy and thus don't have an issue with the texture. I know, I'm weird). I think the simplicity of the guacamole does well in this dish, without my typical additions.

*My best guestimate for the spice blend: 2 parts chile powder (mix different chile powders in equal parts for some added flavor), 1 part ground cumin, 1 part garlic powder, and a dash of oregano).

Chicken Khao Soi Soup

Blue Apron seems to be on a kick with these Asian inspired dishes. Or maybe it's just that those are the ones I'm particularly into right now. After a few duds with my last couple shipments, I have one that I think I can keep.

Chicken Khao Soi Soup
Originally found at Blue Apron

1/4 cup oil
6 Ounces Fresh Wonton Noodles
3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 Bunch Kale, stems discarded and thinly sliced
1 Yellow Onion, minced
1 1-Inch Piece Ginger, minced
2 Tbsp Yellow Curry Paste
1 Tbsp Coconut Palm Sugar
2 Tbsp Golden Mountain Sauce
1 can Light Coconut Milk
1 Lime, zested and quartered
1 Bunch Cilantro, stems removed (optional)

In a large, high sided pan (or pot) heat a thin layer of oil (canola is best) on medium-high until hot. Add 1/4 of the noodles, gently separated, in a single, even layer. Cook 2-4 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned and crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside in warm place.

Discard all but about 2 tsp oil, then add chicken to pan. Cook 4-6 minutes, until browned on both sides. Add the onion and ginger, and season with salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes, until onions are soft and fragrant. Add curry paste (as much as desired, depending on level of spiciness). Cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, until curry paste is toasted and fragrant. Add kale to pan and cover. Allow to steam for 1-2 minutes, until kale is wilted. Add palm sugar, Golden Mountain Sauce, coconut milk, and a small amount of water. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes. Stir in lime zest and juice of 1/2 lime.

While the soup cooks, cook remaining noodles in a pot of boiling salted water. Cook 2-4 minutes, until tender. Drain thoroughly. Divide cooked noodles and finished soup between two bowls. Garnish with cilantro, crispy noodles, and remaining lime wedges.

My Notes:
The original recipe for this dish was wayyy salty. I'm not into the salty thing so much (it should flavor, but not overpower a dish), so I made some slight modifications. I'm not sure if the particular mix of spices they used in my shipment caused them to be super salty, but hopefully the modifications make that better. I will likely adapt this a bit more the next time I make it (fresh wonton noodles are hard to find, so I'll probably stick with rice noodles and chow mein noodles for the crispy topping), but it's still a delicious dish!

Steaks with Romesco Sauce

Not the best of pictures, but at least I grabbed one. This dish surprised me a bit. I'm not big on red meat, in case you hadn't gathered that yet, but I decided to branch out of my comfort zone a bit to try this. The steak preparation itself is pretty simple--you can grill or sear or whatever to however done you like your steaks. The sauce takes a bit more time, primarily because you spend most of it just roasting the vegetables. The sauce was a bit tangier than I expected it to be, but it was a wonderful complement to the steak. Roasted potatoes round out this meal, but feel free to swap them out for something else.

Steaks with Romesco Sauce
Originally found at Blue Apron

2 top Sirloin steaks
3 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 plum tomato, halved lengthwise
2 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp pistachios, roughly chopped
3/4 lb fingerling potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
olive oil

Preheat oven to 475F. Place garlic cloves, bell pepper, and tomato on one half of a sheet pan, and potatoes on the other half. Drizzle all with olive oil and sprinkle with half of the smoked paprika. Arrange bell pepper and tomato skin sides down. Roast 22-24 minutes, until browned and softened. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Season steaks with remaining paprika, and cook over medium-high heat 2-4 minutes per side (for medium-rare) or to desired doneness. Transfer to a plate and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.

Once the roasted vegetables have cooled enough to handle, transfer the garlic, bell pepper, and tomato to a cutting board and finely chop. Transfer to a medium bowl, and add pistachios and vinegar. Stir in a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve steaks topped with as much sauce as you'd like, and potatoes as a side.

My Notes:
I had a bit of trouble keeping everything at a good eating temperature. By the time the veggies cooled enough to handle, my steaks were slightly cool, and then adding the room temp vinegar made my sauce fairly cold as well. Keep this in mind when timing everything; I'd recommend waiting to cook your steaks until your vegetables are out of the oven, and keeping them in an enclosed, warm space until ready to eat. The sauce may require some additional heating as well.

All the same, a very interesting dish. Don't know when I'll get around to trying it again, given my lack of desire for red meat, but it is certainly a good enough dish to share.

Enjoy!

Seared Chicken and Caramelized Fennel

I love when I get the opportunity to explore new vegetables. The fennel was an interesting experience, as I'm pretty sure I've never encountered it before. However, caramelizing it makes it slightly sweet, which is perfect for my ever-craving sweet tooth. This would have been a relatively fast dinner to make had I been a bit more coordinated, but all in all, it only took about 45 minutes to make. And I was very tempted to go back for seconds.

Since this is the second recipe I've tried with sherry vinegar, and I've liked them both, I think that's a staple I'm going to have to add to my pantry. We'll see next time I get around to shopping :)

Seared Chicken and Caramelized Fennel
Originally found at Blue Apron

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup jasmine rice
1 1/4 cup water, divided
3 ounces cherry tomatoes
1 bunch thyme
1 yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
Olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Pat chicken dry and dredge in flour. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan, and cook 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer chicken to plate. Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp oil in a small pot over high, then add rice. Stir to coat the rice with oil, and allow to sit 30 sec to 1 minute, until slightly toasted. Add 1 cup water and heat to boiling, then reduce heat to medium and allow to simmer until rice absorbs all the water. Fluff with fork.

Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise, then place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle half the thyme, with stems intact, amongst the tomatoes. Drizzle with oil, and roast in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, Until tomatoes soft. Remove from oven and discard thyme sprigs.

In the pan used to cook the chicken, heat an additional portion of oil, then add fennel and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium high heat until vegetables browned and softened. Add more oil as necessary to keep from burning. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, cooking 30 seconds until fragrant. Add vinegar, an additional portion of oil, and 1/4 cup water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken back to pan (along with any juices from plate), and half the remaining thyme (leaves only). Cook for 1-2 minutes, until well combined. Add additional water to sauce as necessary.

Divide rice between two plates, top with chicken and fennel. Garnish with roasted tomatoes and remaining thyme leaves.

My Notes:
Lovely sweet and tangy. And a nice portion of vegetables to go with my meat and starch. If I ever get around to finding fennel in the store, this is a dish I would love to make again.

Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken

So, I decided to try Blue Apron, simply because I am currently on a string of nights and didn't want to try to plan my meals. I got three meals in my first shipment, this being one of them. It's in the same theme as many other dishes I've made the past couple weeks. Apparently, the dish gets its name because the original recipe requested a cup each of soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Obviously, those portions have been adjusted significantly in this dish, but it's nice all the same.

Apologies for the horrendous photo. I promise these photos look much better on the screen of my device than they do on the computer screen... :/

Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken
Adapted from Blue Apron
Serves 2

2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 pound choy sum
1/4 cup water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, sliced thinly
1 inch piece ginger, grated
1 bunch Thai basil, stems removed and sliced
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 cup brown rice, cooked

Cut off and discard the ends of the choy sum stems and half lengthwise. Heat 2 tsp oil on medium-high heat until hot. Add choy sum and water. Cook 5-7 minutes until the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender. Set aside.

Heat 2 tsp oil in skillet on medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken and allow to brown on one side. Flip, then add the garlic, ginger, and the white portion of green onions to pan. Add more oil if necessary to lightly coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute, until garlic is fragrant and soft. Add vinegar and soy sauce. He to boiling, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in half of the basil. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with choy sum and rice. Garnish with remaining Thai basil and green onion.

My Notes:
The original recipe asked for only 3 cloves of garlic, but they sent me a whole bulb, so I got a little excited about chopping it all up. Very garlicy in the end, but I quite enjoyed it. I was a little suspicious of the choy sum, just because most greens I've wilted have been rather bland tasting, but it was quite a nice accompaniment to the saltiness of the chicken. All in all, it is a recipe I will definitely try again, and it's nice to have it in portions that are small enough that I don't feel terribly guilty for wasting so much food when just cooking for me.

And yes, I realize I haven't posted a recipe in over a year... I do actually have a couple in the queue that I never got quite around to getting photos for, so I'll back-date those posts some. Also, apologies for the photo, it isn't all that great, but it looks so much better on my iPhone than it does on the computer screen. One of these days I'll get around to updating my phone and getting a slightly better camera in the process.

Sloppy Joes

I'm usually not a fan of sloppy joes, or beef in general, but I was browsing through one of my cookbooks and found a recipe that seemed interesting. So I thought I'd give it a shot. It also happens to be another one that you can freeze without much issue.

Sloppy Joes
Modified from Southern Living 2007 Annual Recipes

1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb turkey sausage
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 cup water
Hamburger buns

Brown beef and sausage with onion and bell pepper. Drain well. Add next 6 ingredients, cover and bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To freeze leftovers, cool and place in freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer. Thaw overnight or defrost in microwave and heat through before serving.

My Notes:
I was skeptical, but this recipe is awesome. The sweetness from the sugar mixed with tartness from the vinegar makes the sauce addicting. My sisters weren't too excited about it initially, but I think I won them over. My older sister likes it more with chips than on a hamburger bun, though I think this might be my mom's influence on her. Overall, definitely a recipe I'll make again.

Salsa Chicken Casserole

Salsa Chicken Casserole
Originally found at Budget Bytes

1 cup uncooked rice
1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa
1 cup chicken broth
½ Tbsp chili powder
½ tsp oregano
1.5 lbs. chicken breasts, cut into serving-size portions (about the size of a deck of cards)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place rice, beans, corn, and salsa into 9x13 baking dish. Stir until evenly combined. Add chicken broth, chili powder, and oregano and mix. Push the chicken pieces into the rice mixture. Cover tightly with foil, and bake for one hour. Check for tenderness of rice, and bake up to another 10-15 minutes.

My Notes:
This is actually pretty flavorful. It took forever for the chicken to cook in the container I used (and I had thawed it all out beforehand), but when it was done, the rice was nice and fluffy and oh so much flavor. Definitely something I'll make again.

Taquitos

Taquitos
Original Recipe

1 lb chicken breasts
2 Tbsp chipotle in adobo
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup chicken broth
1 can black beans
tortillas
olive oil
salsa, for garnish

In a crockpot, combine chicken breasts, chipotle in adobo, garlic, and chicken broth. Cook on low for 5 hours, then shred chicken. Crush black beans and mix with chicken. Spoon into the center of a tortilla, and roll up tightly. Spray or brush with olive oil. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, until brown and crispy. Serve with salsa.

My Notes:
These are best served fresh, crispy and all. They don't work so well heated up later. I cut my tortillas in half and rolled them that way to get them nice and small. The leftover chicken you can use in things like soup as well. Overall, they're not bad. Not quite as good as the taquitos I used to have as a kid, but I think the best I could do without using any cheese.

Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Modified from Bev Cooks

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken
1 can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
1/2 bell pepper, diced
2-3 Tbsp chipotle en adobo** (depending on your desired spice)
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 Tbsp Lime juice
1 Tbsp cumin
1 head Bibb lettuce, rinsed with leaves separated.

Dice chicken into fine pieces. Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet, then add chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook through. Add in corn and bell pepper. Heat through.

In a small bowl, combine the chicken stock, chipotle sauce, lime juice, and cumin. Stir to combine. Pour over chicken mixture. Toss to combine and heat through.

Serve a few tablespoons of the chicken mixture in each lettuce leaf.

My Notes:
**So when I buy a can of chipotles en adobo sauce, I always puree everything, the peppers and sauce, to create a thin paste. I then use this in my recipes. The original recipe calls for 2-3 peppers with a tablespoon of the sauce.

I used a combination of chicken breast and thigh, because I didn't have enough breast to make the recipe. I also used orange and yellow bell peppers, because I happened to have some left over in my freezer from when they were on sale a while back.

Overall, this recipe is a keeper. The sweetness of the corn offsets the spiciness of the dish, and the lettuce offers a fresh bite. It was delicious.

Taco Salad

Pictured: Dairy variety

Taco Salad
From Connie's Kitchen
Serves One

Large handful tortilla chips
2 cups sliced romaine lettuce (about 4 large leaves)
1/2 roma tomato, diced
1/4 medium cucumber, diced
2 Tbsp Miracle Whip
1/2 cup salsa

For Meat variety:
1/4 lb ground meat, browned
taco seasoning, to taste
1/4 cup water

For Dairy variety:
1/2 cup Morning Star Grillers Recipe Crumbles (or other meat substitute)
Taco seasoning, to taste
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup cheese

Place either meat or Grillers recipe crumbles in a frying pan. Combine with water and taco seasoning to taste. Heat to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens.

In a small container, mix Miracle Whip and 2-3 Tbsp salsa until well combined.

To assemble the salad, place chips on plate, followed by lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. Top with meat or meat substitute. Dress with Miracle Whip mixture and remaining salsa. If using meat substitute, top with cheese.

My Notes:
My host made this for me last month, except that I think she had carrots in her variety. I modified the recipe a tad, using less Miracle Whip (and Lite stuff, rather than the full fat variety), and making sure it was Kosher.

I personally really like cheese on my salads, so I looked for a way to get the taco flavor without using ground meat. I found the Morning Star crumbles, which are kosher-dairy, so acceptable to use with this recipe. It's made using TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein), so it does fall apart a bit when it's mixed with water, however formed it looks when it's frozen. Still, it gets the job done.

Arroz Con Pollo

Arroz Con Pollo
Originally found at Simply Recipes

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 to 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs or breasts, bone-in, with skin on, rinsed and patted dry
Freshly ground black pepper
Paprika
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup of medium or long-grain white rice
1/2 cup diced peppers
2 cups chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes, strained and rinsed
1 tsp oregano

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Place the chicken in the oil and season liberally with pepper and paprika. Cook until browned on each side. Remove from pan and set aside. Add rice to the pan and brown (add more olive oil if necessary). Add onion, garlic, and peppers, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions become softened, about 4 minutes.

Place chicken pieces, skin-side up, on top of rice. Top with tomatoes and cover with chicken stock. Add oregano. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cover. Allow to cook for 20-25 minutes, until rice and chicken are done.

My Notes:
Made a couple adjustments to this one. First, I removed the salt, but that's my preference. I never add salt to my cooking. I also removed the dredge on the chicken, because I didn't think it'd make much difference if the chicken was soaking for 20 minutes. Then, I added diced peppers. Specifically, yellow and orange peppers I had diced and popped in the freezer when they were on sale. I think I would've preferred this dish without the chicken skin on, only because if I eat chicken skin, it's gotta be nice and crispy, and soaking the chicken in the stock after frying kinda takes away from that crispiness.

It came out really well. Much more flavorful than I anticipated. This is definitely a keeper. Helps that I can basically make it in one pot. Woot!

Bulgogi

Bulgogi: Essentially, Korean BBQ. There's the traditional way, which takes like 3 days. And then there's the easy way, which takes a couple hours.

Bulgogi
Originally found in Cambridge Lutheran Cookbook

1 lb lean beef (steak quality, not roast quality)
2 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp neutral oil (like vegetable or sesame)
1 tsp sesame seeds
4 Tbsp chopped green onion
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp black pepper

Cut the beef into thin, cross-grain slices. Place in a bowl, and sprinkle 1 Tbsp sugar over, tossing gently. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Add to beef mixture and toss to coat. Place in refrigerator and allow to sit for at least an hour, overnight if possible.

Cook on a grill, broil, or pan fry, discarding excess marinade. Serve over rice.

My Notes:

I first had bulgogi when I was in Colorado. My mom had a friend who was Korean, and made it for some work function they had. I fell in love with the stuff. So when I was flipping through the cookbook my grandma sent me (hence the reason I have a Lutheran cookbook), I found an easy recipe for it. This one is slightly modified based on other web recipes I found.

It's OMG good. Nice and tender and sweet, but also savory. My taste buds are doing a little dance as I consume it. My leftovers probably won't make it past tomorrow. But at least I'm cooking with some meat other than chicken!

And I'm trying to get a picture, promise. I've made it twice and keep forgetting to snag my camera before I chow down.

Artichoke Chicken Hodgepodge

No image.... yet.

Artichoke Chicken Hodgepodge
From Naomi's Kitchen

1 small onion
2-3 garlic cloves
1 lb chicken breast, cut into cubes
1-2 cans artichoke hearts, chopped
1 small can black olives
Several cherry tomatoes, quartered
Olive Oil

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add tomatoes and cook until slightly soft. Add artichoke hearts and olives and heat through.

Serve over rice or noodles.

My Notes:
This is one of those dishes that my friend made by just tossing together a few things that she had in her cabinet. It has since become one of her and her husband's favorite dishes. I've had it twice, and I've liked it both times. And it's my sort of dish... it has all the major food groups and only requires two pans (one for the dish, one for the rice/noodles) and about a half hour of preparation.

I recommend rinsing the artichoke hearts and olives, as both are rather salty, so this dish can get very salty very fast. I'm also the type of person who doesn't add salt to anything, so keep that in mind.

If you want more sauce, add 1/2 cup or a cup of chicken broth. Enjoy :)

Spicy Corn and Chicken Chili

Yes, the picture sucks. Forgive me. I need to get some new bowls.

Spicy Corn and Chicken Chili
Originally found at Whole Foods

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Cayenne powder to taste
1 tsp chipotle chili en adobo
1 pound chicken breast, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup water

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently until onions are translucent. Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add chicken. Cook Stir to break up and brown for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, corn, beans, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often, until flavors have melded and chili is thick.

My Notes:

This actually tastes a fair amount like my black bean chili. Same sort of deep flavor, with the corn and black beans, I guess. I didn't add any cayenne personally, because I was weary with the chipotle, but it certainly could've used it. Maybe a teaspoon or so.

I think I need to play with some flavors a bit more. But this was definitely good. The website says it feeds 4... I can get about 3 servings out of it. So I guess if you have two kids, it'll be fine, but adults will probably want more.

And one of these days I'll get a really good dairy-free cornbread recipe to go with these.

Sausage and Pepper Paella

Sausage and Pepper Paella
Originally found at Epicurious

2 links hot and/or sweet Italian sausage (about 6 ounces total)
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup Arborio or other medium-grain rice or converted rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup drained diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Squeeze sausage meat from casings into a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet and add bell peppers, onion, and oil. Cook mixture over moderately high heat, breaking up sausage with a fork and stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until vegetables begin to brown. Add rice and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and water and bring to a boil, stirring to loosen brown bits. Transfer skillet to oven and bake, uncovered, 25 minutes, or until most liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.

My Notes:
I used turkey sausage. And yes, they do have kosher varieties.

This is an interesting recipe. When it came out of the oven, I wasn't so sure how I was going to feel about it, but it was pretty good. I should mention that I did not use medium grain rice, I used the regular ol' long grain that I get at the store. I also don't have an ovenproof skillet, so I transferred to a square baking dish and it turned out just fine.

Sausage Subs

Sausage Subs
Originalish Recipe

Turkey Sausage Links
1 each red and green bell pepper, sliced
French Bread

Either grill or fry the sausage until almost done. Add sliced peppers and a bit of oil (if necessary) and allow to sit on the heat for a few minutes, until charred. Cut a loaf of french bread in sub-sized sections, then in half. Place sausage in bread, and layer on peppers. Serve hot.

My Notes:
Yeah, it's a really basic recipe, but it's the first I've tried. And it was pretty good, if I do say so myself.