Recipes

Sardine Salad

Ingredients

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• ¹⁄₄ cup fresh parsley, minced
• ¹⁄₄ cup plain Greek yogurt (whole milk preferred)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 4.25 ounces sardines in olive oil, drained
• ¹⁄₄ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 6 ounces capers, drained and rinsed
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in medium bowl, stirring to break sardines into pieces.  Season to taste and chill before serving.  

Comments

This recipe is from Run Fast Eat Slow.  I made it for my weekday lunches and haven’t actually tried it yet, but I’ll update the comments once I try it out.

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 6 ounces baby spinach
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup soft goat cheese
• 4-8 slices thick bacon

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400*F.
2. Butterfly chicken by slicing through the middle to open them into two halves, being careful not to cut all the way through the breast.  
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Saute onion and salt.  Cook until soft, but not brown, about 5 minutes.  Add spinach, oregano, and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted.  Transfer to medium bowl, add goat cheese, and stir until incorporated.  
4. Divide spinach mixture between chicken breasts and fold over to enclose filling.  Wrap each chicken breast with 1 or 2 strips of bacon and secure with toothpicks.  
5. Heat remaining oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute chicken breasts until lightly browned on each side, about 6 minutes.  
6. Transfer chicken to oven safe disk and bake until thermometer reads 165*F, about 30 to 40 minutes.  

Comments

This recipe is from Run Fast. Eat Slow. We all thought it was tasty.  I actually used 5 chicken breasts because that’s how many were in the pack.  I think there probably would have been enough filling for 6 breasts.

Rosemary Garlic Hasselback Zucchini with Bacon

Ingredients

• 4-5 small zucchinis, washed
• 5 ounces thin pancetta slices, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
• 4 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400*F.  
2. In small bowl combine garlic, rosemary, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons olive oil.  
3. Place each zucchini between 2 chopsticks and slice into thin slices, using the chopsticks to keep from cutting completely through the zucchini.  You want to leave the bottoms of the zucchini intact.  
4. Carefully distribute the pancetta between the cuts in the zucchini.  Place zucchini in baking dish then brush with garlic mixture.  Season with pepper and bake, 40-50 minutes, or until crispy on the top.  

Comments

This recipe is from Paleo Grubs and it was a great way to use zucchini.  The pancetta turned out nice and crispy, and the butter mixture had a ton of extra flavor.  This would be really great with parmesan cheese as well.

New French Onion Soup

Ingredients

For the broth

• As many beef bones as will fit in your pressure cooker
• ¹⁄₄ cup apple cider vinegar

For the onions

• As many sliced onions as will fit in your pressure cooker
• 8 tablespoons butter
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking soda

For the soup

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¹⁄₂ cup all purpose flour
• ¹⁄₂ cup red wine
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• Garlic croutons
• 1 pound gruyere cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. To make broth: Load pressure cooker with beef bones.  Add cider vinegar and water to reach max fill line.  Cook under pressure for 2-4 hours and release naturally.  Remove bones and strain broth through fine mesh strainer or clean dish cloth.  Transfer to refrigerator and chill until fat can be easily removed.  Remove fat and discard or save for another use.  (You can use this fat in place of butter to make the onions.)  
2. To make onions:  Melt butter (or beef fat) in pressure cooker over medium heat.  Load pressure cooker with onions and toss with baking soda.  Cook, stirring, until onions have softened slightly and started to release liquid, about 3 minutes.  Seal and cook under pressure for 20 minutes.  Quick release pressure then remove lid.  
3. Continue cooking with lid off, stirring constantly, until liquid has completely reduced and onions are deep brown, about 5 minutes.  Add tomato paste and sauté until paste begins to darken.  Add flour and stir until well coated.  
4. Add wine and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits.  Cook until alcohol is mostly evaporated, about 3 minutes.  Add stock, plus enough water to reach 2 quarts, thyme, and bay leaf.  Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.  Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.  
5. Add fish sauce, cider vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.  Discard thyme and bay leaves.  
6. Serve soup topped with croutons and cheese.   

Comments

This recipe is a mash-up of a number of other recipes and methods.  I think this might be The One.

Loaded Naan Nachos with Ground Lamb and Crispy Chickpeas

Ingredients

• ³⁄₄ packed cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 packed cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons cumin, ground
• 2 tablespoons juice (about 2 limes)
• Kosher salt
• 4 garlic, or regular, naan breads
• Neutral oil such as peanut, canola, or vegetable
• 1 (15 ounces) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried
• 1 ²⁄₃ teaspoons garam masala
• ¹⁄₃ teaspoon plus ¹⁄₂ teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed, groun
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ¹⁄₂ cup greek yogurt

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400*F.  Combine ¹⁄₂ cup cilantro, 1 cup mint, 1 jalapeno pepper, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon cumin, ¹⁄₂ of the chopped onion, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in food processor and process until smooth.  Thin with water until thick but pourable.  Season with salt to taste and set aside.  
2. Cut the naan into triangular pieces and place on baking sheet.  Brush both sides with oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake until golden, about 8 minutes, flipping once halfway through.  Remove naan chips from oven.  
3. Toss chickpeas with ²⁄₃ teaspoon garam masala, ¹⁄₃ teaspoon paprika, ¹⁄₃ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil.  Spread chickpeas on baking sheet and bake until crispy, about 35 minutes, tossing once.  
4. In a small bowl, combine the remaining jalapeno, chopped onion, 2 tablespoons of ginger, and garlic,   
5. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add half of jalapeno mixture and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add ground lamb, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, remaining ¹⁄₂ teaspoon paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, stirring, until cooked through.  
6. Mix remaining jalapeno mixture with remaining ¹⁄₄ cup cilantro, remaining tablespoon lime juice, and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar.  
7. Layer the naan chips with ground lamb, roasted chickpeas, cilantro-mint sauce, jalapeno salsa, and greek yogurt.  

Comments

This recipe is from Serious Eats and, even though I made it quite some time ago, I still remember that it was delicious.  The original recipe called for mango, which I omitted.  I sort of wished that I’d added cucumber or corn, but then they’d be similar to other things that I make, so probably best this way.  We all enjoyed this.

Leek, Ham, and Cheese Egg Bake

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter, plus extra for greasing baking dish
• 6 large leeks, cut into thin half-moons and washed thoroughly
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 eggs
• 3 ¹⁄₃ milk, preferably whole
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ³⁄₄ pound grated cheese such as gruyere and parmesan
• 10 ounces cooked ham, diced fine

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350*F and butter 9 by 12-inch baking dish.  
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add leeks and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper.  Saute, stirring, until tender and starting to brown, 10-15 minutes.  
3. Beat eggs with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper.  Whisk in milk.  
4. In baking dish, layer ¹⁄₃ grated cheese, ¹⁄₂ leeks, ¹⁄₂ ham, ¹⁄₃ cheese, remaining leeks, and remaining ham.  Pour egg mixture into baking dish then top with remaining cheese.  
5. Bake until just set in the middle, about 55-65 minutes.  Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.  

Comments

This one is from Smitten Kitchen and, sadly I don’t remember it at all.  It’s similar to a frittata but with more milk than my usual ratio.

Mediterranean Barley Salad with Spiced Chickpeas

Ingredients

For the dressing

• ¹⁄₃ cup tahini
• ¹⁄₃ cup water
• ¹⁄₄ cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon cumin
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt

For the spiced chickpeas

• 1 (15 ounces) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the salad

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 3 cups cooked barley (or other similar grain)
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 bunch parsley, minced

Instructions

1. Combine all dressing ingredients in blender or in blender cup for immersion blender.  Blend until smooth then refrigerate until ready to use.  
2. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat and cook lamb until done.  Remove lamb from skillet with slotted spoon, leaving fat in pan.  Add chickpeas to skillet and sprinkle with paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.  Saute the chickpeas for about 5 minutes, stirring to coat with spices, until chickpeas are slightly browned and blistered.  Season with salt to taste and remove to plate.  
3. Toss barley, lamb, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley in large bowl, the top with dressing and serve.  

Comments

This recipe is from Budget Bytes.  The original used farro and was meatless, but I had barley on hand and wanted to add some meat.  It was tasty and made for great cold lunches in the following days.

The Browniest Cookies

Ingredients

• 4 ounces unsalted butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate chips
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking soda
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon table salt
• ¹⁄₂ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Place butter and unsweetened chocolate chips in small bowl.  Microwave until melted, stirring every 30 seconds.
2. Using a stand mixer, whisk together sugar, melted chocolate mixture.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.  Then add vanilla, baking soda, and salt.  Mix in cocoa powder and flour until just combined.  Stir in semisweet chocolate chips.  
3. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.  
4. Heat oven to 350*F.  
5. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, allowing room for the cookies to spread a little.  Bake 11-15 minutes or until cookies look almost finished but still a little undercooked.  Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to rack to cool.  

Comments

This recipe is from Smitten Kitchen.  I made it for a class party and they were extremely appreciated by my classmates.  And by me and my family as well!  Scrumptious.  Like a soft, rich, brownie-cookie hybrid.  Fantastically chocolaty.  These go well with a nice, cold glass of milk.

Chicken and Bacon Pot Pie with Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients

For the pot pie

• 6 slices bacon, diced
• 3 handfuls of baby carrots, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ¹⁄₃ cup heavy cream
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used leftover slow cooker chicken.)

For the biscuit topping

• 3 slices bacon, diced
• ¹¹⁄₂ cups all purpose flour
• ¹¹⁄₂ teaspoons baking powder
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• ³⁄₄ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ³⁄₄ cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400*F.  
2. Heat large skillet over medium heat.  Add bacon and cook until crisp.   (I recommend doing the bacon for the topping at the same time.)  Remove with slotted spoon to paper towel lined plate and drain.  
3. Remove all except 1 tablespoon bacon fat from skillet.  Return to heat and add carrots, onion, and celery.  Saute until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds.  Stir in peas and cook an additional minute.  Season with salt and pepper then pour mixture into 9 by 12-inch baking dish.  
4. Return skillet to heat and add butter.  Once butter is melted, add flour and stir until combined.  Slowly pour in chicken broth and continue to cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and starts to bubble.  Add in heavy cream and continue stirring for one minute.  Add in bacon and chicken.  Pour mixture over vegetables and cover with foil.  
5. If you haven’t cooked the rest of the bacon, do so at this point and drain.  
6. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl.  Add butter and cut butter into flour mixture using a fork, pastry blender, or your fingers.  Stir in cheese and bacon.  Add cream and stir until combined.  
7. Uncover baking dish.  Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop balls of biscuit dough on to the top of the pot pie mixture.  Bake until pot pie is bubbly and biscuits have started to brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.  Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.  

Comments

I made this in two 9 by 9-inch baking dishes and froze one for later use.  It was quite tasty and a nice variation on my standard pot pies.  The recipe is from Taste and Tell.

Pan Fried Sesame Tofu with Broccoli

Ingredients

For the sauce

• ¹⁄₄ cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the stir fry

• 14 ounces extra firm tofu
• salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil such as peanut, vegetable, or canola
• ¹⁄₂ pound frozen broccoli florets
• 3-4 green onions, sliced

Instructions

1. Place 4-5 layers of paper towels or a clean, lint-free dish cloth on a large plate.  Place tofu on towels.  Place more towels on top of tofu and top with another plate.  Add weight to the top plate in order to press the tofu.  (I used a case of water.  Canned goods or a pot of water would work well too.)  
2. Mix all sauce ingredients and stir until brown sugar and cornstarch are dissolved.  
3. Cut the tofu in half horizontally so that you have two thin rectangles.  Season with salt and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cornstarch.  Spread cornstarch to coat with fingers.  Flip tofu and repeat with remaining tablespoon cornstarch.  
4. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Place tofu in skillet and cook until golden brown on one side, about 10 minutes.  Carefully flip and cook another 10 minutes on the second side.  Remove to plate with new paper towels to drain, then cut into small cubes.  
5. Place frozen broccoli in hot skillet and stir fry until starting to brown.  Lower heat to medium-low, stir sauce, then add sauce to skillet with broccoli.  Stir until sauce thickens then remove from heat.  Add tofu and green onions, then stir for serving with rice if desired.  

Comments

Lance declared this the best tofu he’s ever eaten.  It was delicious.  The tofu was super crispy and wonderful.  I had a piece before adding it to the stir fry and it was delicious even then.  I actually forgot to add the soy sauce, oops, and it still rocked.  This recipe is from Budget Bytes.