(serves 10-12)

I made this as a big batch and I was certainly glad I did.  It is an AMAZING snack throughout the day filled with fresh ingredients and hitting on so many cravings at once– while still being incredibly healthy.  It is another one of my go-to lunch options that I make on Sunday and eat throughout the week.

2 cups couscous (cooked according to package instructions–I love using the boxes from Near East– in which case use 2 for this recipe)

1 yellow pepper, finely diced

1 bunch scallions, sliced thin

1 cup mixed pitted olives, roughly chopped

1 cup pepperoncini, thinly sliced

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup roasted and pumpkin seeds

1 cup chopped dill

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.  Stir.  Yes, it is that simple! And couscous is one of my favorite grains because it cooks so fast.  If you chop fast, this is literally a 10 minute recipe.  Enjoy warm or as a chilled couscous salad.

sylists: Laurie Knoop, Aurora Nessly, & Gina Mungiovi

(Serves 4 portions)

I find it so helpful to cook on Sundays for the rest of the week.  That way I set myself up for delicious home cooking that I can just grab and go or heat on the fly.  It works out so well not only for my budget but for my time and health as well.  It is much easier to make good choices when you set yourself up to do so.

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 cups sliced white onion

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons balsamic, divided

1 package baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

1 (1 13 ounce) can chickpeas

3 cloves garlic, pressed

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add two tablespoons of olive oil.  Add in onions and season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with sugar and add in 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar. Cook for 4-6 minutes, turning several times, until onions have begun to turn translucent and are beginning to caramelize.  Then add in the mushrooms and the remaining olive oil.  Cook another 4-6 minutes until mushrooms begin to tenderize.  Then add in the chickpeas and the crushed garlic.  Finish with remaining balsamic and cook until balsamic has reduced into dish (about 3-4 minutes).  Stir frequently.  Season to taste and serve warm or store for later.  This dish is fine served cold too– it makes a wonderful snack.  Enjoy!

(Serves 1 hearty meal)

Sometimes something as simple as a sandwich can offer the most succulent sustenance. 

Okay, so I’ve been enjoying a little more life lately and find myself lost to hours upon hours of wedding searching—seriously losing track of time and reality.  As a result, I have been regrettably amiss in my kitchen experiments.  However, in the midst of my fantasyland of white, I have discovered some absolute gems as far as quick fixes.  This is by far one of the most scrumptious.

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 small zucchini, sliced thinly lengthwise

Salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ cup sliced yellow onion

½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon horseradish

2 slices good bread (I love large loafs with thick crunchy crusts—this was a basic country bread but sourdough is exceptional as well)

3 slices roast beef (the redder the better)

2 slices pepper jack cheese

½ roasted red pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bring to medium-high heat.  Add in thinly sliced zucchini and season with salt and pepper.  Cook about 2-3 minutes per side until browned and tender.  Remove from heat.  Add remaining olive oil to pan and toss in sliced onion.  Add balsamic vinegar and stir.  Cook on medium till onions begin to caramelize (about 3-4 minutes).  Remove from heat.

Next, in a small bowl combine mayonnaise and horseradish.  Stir till thoroughly mixed.  Then begin assembling sandwich on a baking sheet.  Start by spreading bread with horseradish mayo and then top with roast beef and pepper jack cheese.  Toast in oven until cheese is melted (about 4-6 minutes).  You could also grill in a panini machine, should you so desire.  Once cheese has melted, top sandwich with roasted red pepper, zucchini, and onions.  Eat while still toasty warm.  Enjoy- and oh you will!

(serves 2 for dinner with leftovers for 2 for lunch)

The new year for me is all about simply delicious.  Foods that are naturally well paired, succulent, and enticing not just for their taste but for the ease with which the dishes come together.  Less effort and better results…at least that’s the goal

Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350.  Trim the asparagus so that only the tender stalk is left (I like to snap off the grisly end- that way I don’t just cut to make even stalks– I find I get more tender pieces this way).  Next, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Rinse asparagus then shake dry and spread along baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Shake it all up a bit- coating all sides and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.  Turn asparagus and continue baking for 8-10 minutes until slightly charred and cooked through.  Immediately cover with grated parmesan and lemon zest. Taste a piece and season to taste with additional salt and pepper.  Serve warm.

Lemon & Caper Chicken

2 chicken breasts

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 lemons juiced

1/2 stick butter

1 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon arrow root powder

3 cloves garlic, pressed

2 tablespoons capers

salt and freshly ground pepper

Begin by cutting each chicken breast in half length-wise.  Then place chicken filets between two sheets of saran wrap and pound with a mallet until they are about 1/4 inch thick.

Next, dredge chicken in flour and pat excess off.  In a large saute pan, add olive oil and bring to medium-high heat.  Cook chicken in batches, two filets at a time, 2-3 minutes per side till just cooked.

In the mean time, take a medium sauce pan and fill with lemon juice, butter, and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil.  Cook for 4-6 minutes at a boil.  In a small bowl, combine arrow root powder with equal parts water and mix thoroughly.  Add arrow root slurry to the lemon sauce and mix until sauce begins to thicken.

Lower to a simmer and stir in garlic and capers.  Continue cooking 4-6 minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Return 2 chicken filets to the saute pan and cover with 1/2 of the sauce.  Simmer 2-3 minutes till chicken is coated on both sides.  Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus.  (the rest, pack up for lunch).  Eat your dinner and savor.  Enjoy!

(serves 6-8)

I had some wonderful leftover turkey from my father and was feeling like kicking off 2012 to a healthful and hearty start.  This soup is a great way to utilize those pieces of turkey that are too small for layering into sandwiches and works with either light or dark meat.  So here’s to a fresh start on the year.  Eat up!

(okay, yes, my recipe had lentils in it–a mistake purchase at the grocery store–still good but better with only black eyed peas)

2 tablespoons butter

1 large red onion, diced (about 2 cups)

salt and white pepper

5 cups chopped fresh kale, spines removed

4 cups diced leftover turkey meat (skin removed)

6 cups chicken broth

6 garlic cloves, pressed

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves

2 (15.5 ounce) cans black eyed peas

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add butter and onions and saute until translucent (3-4 minutes) stirring once or twice as you cook.  Season with salt and a light dusting of white pepper.  Then add in the kale and saute till reduced in size by half (2-3 minutes).  Add turkey, stir and then season once more with a pinch of salt and shake of white pepper.  Cover with chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add in rosemary and oregano. Reduce to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.  Add in black eyed peas and cook an additional 10 minutes.  Season to taste and serve warm.  Enjoy!

I fell in love with this sauce the first time I had it.  It is incredibly bright, well spiced, vibrant, and pairs fantastically with grilled red meat.  I wanted to serve patatas bravas with my brunch this morning and thought- why not serve it with an Argentinian rendition of the classic steak and eggs. Thus was concocted the decadent Spanish feast perfect for a snowy weekend in OCTOBER!

4 cloves garlic

1 poblano pepper (seeds included)

1/4 cup Italian parsley

1/2 cup cilantro

1/2 cup mint

1/2 cup basil

5 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 large jalapenos (seeds included)

1 lime, juiced

dash cumin

dash garlic powder

(salt to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Season to taste with salt.  Serve room temperature, drizzled on steak.  Enjoy!

(serves 3-4)

One of my favorite tapas is patatas bravas.  They are like spicy, delicious Spanish french fries.  They serve as a perfect late night bite, side dish, or even as a breakfast.  And they combine so many things I love all in one dish: spice,  fried potatoes, and scallions–not to mention the mayo.  How can you resist?

salt

6 medium Idaho potatoes

canola oil for frying

1/4 cup Tapatio

1/3 cup tomato sauce

1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1 Italian pepper, minced with seeds included

mayonnaise

3 scallions

Fill a medium sized stock pot 3/4 full with salted cold water.  Next, peel and dice your potatoes.  Immediately throwing them into the salted water.  Once all potatoes are cut, turn the heat to high and cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes until the pot is just starting to boil.  Strain immediately and allow to steam dry.

Next, fill a frying pan 1 inch high with canola oil and bring to high heat so that as potatoes are added they will instantly start frying.  (I like to test with one potato slice first–if the oil starts to bubble around it as you throw it into the pan you have reached the correct temperature– but make sure the pan doesn’t start to smoke).

Fry the potatoes in batches, to avoid overcrowding.  Cook each batch about 8-10 minutes- turning from time to time until an medium-brown crust has formed.  Once potatoes are fully fried, remove them to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.

As you finish frying, start making the sauce.  In a large bowl, combine Tapatio, tomato sauce, paprika, garlic, and minced pepper.  Mix thoroughly with a fork.  Once all potatoes are cooked and seasoned, toss them in the bowl with the sauce and immediately plate.  Drizzle with mayonnaise (I used a pastry bag to create a latticed look) and top with scallions.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

(serves 2-3 side dish)

Mashed potatoes are very simple but their are several tricks to make them super creamy and just a little special.  One- I always love to flavor the potatoes with a strong ingredient: wasabi mashed, cheddar mashed, garlic mashed, or horseradish mashed (which pairs very well with beef).  The next trick is to get a little decadent– butter and cream I’m talking.  You don’t want to do diet mashed when the cold weather hits. You want to make it a little more hearty and a whole lot tastier.

3 cups peeled, diced Idaho potatoes

5 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup half and half

3 tablespoons horseradish

salt and freshly ground pepper

Fill a medium stock pot 1/4 full with cold water.  Salt the water heavily and as you are peeling potatoes, immediately add them to the water (step 1: keeping your mashed spuds perfectly white).  Once all your potatoes are added, fill with additional water until potatoes are completely covered. Bring stock pot to high heat and cook for 15-18 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small stock pot add butter, milk, and half and half.  Bring to medium heat but simmer before mixture has a chance to boil. (warming your milk makes it a lot easier to incorporate it quickly into your potatoes and also keeps it at the perfect serving temp.)

Test potatoes with a fork. Once they are tender and mash easily, drain them and allow them to steam dry for 2 minutes.   (remove all water so that the potatoes absorb the cream and butter in its place) After they have steamed, return them to the medium stockpot and work over with a potato masher until potatoes begin to cream.  Add in butter/milk and whip with an electric blender.  Add in horseradish and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve warm.  Enjoy- and oh, you will.

(Serves 3-4)

A good friend of mine, Rachel, taught me the trick to matzo ball soup– extra onion and DILL.  A rich, heartwarming soup was amplified immensely.  Now I have my killer chicken stock, delicious matzo balls, and bright accented aromatics.  Winning!

1 (3 pound) whole chicken (neck included, discard bag of additional organs)

3 bay leaves

2 cups diced onion

1 cup diced carrot

1 cup diced celery

1 head garlic, excess skin and top sliced off

1/2 cup packed fresh parsley (stems included)

1 package Streit’s Matzo Ball Mix

1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons minced dill

1/4 cup minced onion plus 3 tablespoons minced onion

1/2 cup peeled, sliced carrot (each slice about 1/4 inch thick)

In a large stock pot, add chicken and cover with water till water rises 2 inches above top of chicken.  Add in bay leaves, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and parsley. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix Streit’s matzo ball mix as directed and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Strain stock into another large stock pot.  Discard onion, carrot, bay leaves, celery, garlic, and chicken carcass.  (save chicken meat for chicken salad sandwiches).  Then add extra chicken broth to homemade stock and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Once matzo ball mix has rested, add in 3 tablespoons dill and 3 tablespoons minced onion.  Mix well then divide into 8 portions and roll into balls.  Bring another stock pot of water to a boil.  Add in matzo balls and reduce to a simmer.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes (thanks Streit’s that was the perfect time).

To finish: bring chicken stock to a boil and add in remaining carrots and onion.  Cook till carrots are al dente then reduce to a simmer and add in remaining dill. (To test carrots, use a fork– just remember they will continue to cook so you want them just under where you like them).  Take a slotted spoon and add in matzo balls to chicken broth.  Serve warm with challah.  Enjoy!

Matzo Ball Soup

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