Garlic Butter Shrimp with Quinoa, Green Beans and Pine Nuts

I did not eat shrimp much as a kid. I don't recall it ever being served at home. My guess is that was due to cost or maybe because one of my parents didn't care for it much. I've never really asked them. The only time I remember shrimp being served was during the Holidays with the Wilson side. 

My dad was one of 6 kids, raised in a devote Catholic family. Each of his siblings married and reproduced a few times over, providing me with a myriad of cousins and creating a heck of a fun (and huge!) family gathering whenever we got together. I have so many fond memories of massive family sleepovers. I loved how our gatherings were always a three to four day event. The size of the host's house did not matter. Whether it meant bedding 4 girl cousins in a closet in the basement (true story - I was one of them!), setting up a water bed in the garage, or pitching tents out front, we made space where there was none so that everyone could spend the night. There would be humans on every couch and in every corner and I can't imagine the adults ever slept a wink but these were some of my best childhood memories.

These massive gatherings usually took place around Thanksgiving or Christmas and, as creatures of habit, there grew to be a long listed of foods that were expected, all in the name of tradition. There were my grandma's cinnamon rolls, my mom's homemade Frango mints and Aunt Sundee's bean dip. And then there was the infamous "shrimp soup." I really don't know the history behind that recipe (I'm sure I will though after this post!) but it was definitely one dish the kids were glad to take a pass on. The adults, however, were a different story. Somewhere deep into an afternoon of festivities, someone would start squawking for "shrimp soup" and out from the fridge would come a giant, 2-gallon clear glass jar of cold, red liquid. In it swirled bits of celery and tiny cocktail shrimp and who knows what else. I never hung around long enough to find out because you better believe there was no way I was going to be forced to partake. One of the adults would grab a stack of cocktail cups, plunge a ladle down deep into the jar, and scoop out portions of the tomatoey "shrimp soup." Then my aunts and uncles would stand around and talk and laugh and play Pinochle all while drinking their cupfuls of cold soup. The whole ordeal terrified me. Soup was supposed to be hot. And eaten with a spoon. And what the heck were those little pinkish creatures floating around in there?!

Now as a (slightly more) mature adult, I think I would be willing to give the soup a go. In my old age, I've learned that Pinochle actually is really a fun card game and so wisdom would tell me the soup might be quite tasty as well. My aunts and uncles always seemed to really, legitimately enjoy it and now I'm all about adventurous eating. I also recognize that it is actually "a thing" to eat ones soup cold. So to my extended Wilson family, I think this means a gathering is in order. I'm officially ready to try "shrimp soup." But only if grandma's cinnamon rolls and my mom's Frango mints are also on the menu. ;) 

All this to say, shrimp wasn't a part of my regular childhood repertoire but my kids will tell a different story. I don't recall how it happened but somewhere in my adulthood I realized I actually really do love shrimp, maybe not so much the cocktail variety, but the big and juicy kind. I also discovered that it is one form of protein that all three of my kids like as well (a miracle!!) and so I try to work it into our budget to serve it at least a couple times a month. Shrimp cooks fast so it's a great option for rushed weeknights when we have multiple things on the calendar. We have no problem consuming 2 pounds of it between the 5 of us in one sitting...

This dish is so simple and SO YUMMY. As per usual, I'm always hesitant when I see such a short list of ingredients. But when two of them are butter and garlic? You just can't go wrong. The original recipe I extrapolated this from called for asparagus but I'm a big fan of green beans. Feel free to trade them out for each other according to your taste. Also, if you're really thinking, make extra quinoa to set aside so you can use the extra to whip up a batch of Almond Quinoa Breakfast Cookies.

Garlic Butter Shrimp with Quinoa Green Beans and Pine Nuts

1 cup quinoa, dry
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 lbs large shrimp, raw & deveined
3 tbsp butter, divided
1 tsp Kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Prepare quinoa according to package directions and set aside. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat in a large, nonstick skillet with lid or a wok. Add half of the garlic and saute until fragrant (about 10 seconds). Add green beans and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup hot water and cover and cook until green beans are crisp-tender (about 5-7 minutes), adjusting temperature as needed to keep contents from burning. Transfer to a large bowl and add prepared quinoa. Return skillet to burner and melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and saute until pink on all sides. Remove from heat and add to green beans and quinoa along with remaining raw garlic. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

Serves 4-6

Gnocchi Gratin

We invited a friend over to play with my seven-year-old last week after school. She's the kind of friend every parent dreams of for their kid - sweet, well-mannered, genuine and mature. Man, is she ever mature. 

The first time she came to our house, we were discussing a classmate who wasn't always behaving in the kindest of ways. She shared with me all the offenses that had hurt her feelings but then went on to explain that she was trying not to be too upset about it. She told me that we don't always know everything that is going on behind-the-scenes that might explain a person's behavior. She concluded with a humbling "So it really isn't my place to judge." 

In that moment, I did my very best to keep my mom-cool, though inwardly, of course, I was freaking out over the wisdom pouring from this seven year old seated in front of me. "There is hope for the world!", my thoughts shrieked. I grabbed my phone and sent off a text her mom saying "I don't know what you are doing with this kid but whatever it is, it's amazing. Well done." 

I wish I could recall all the flooringly-mature comments I've overhead come out of this girl. I'll just siffuce it to say that I'm doing everything in my power to foster this friendship between my eldest and her. We (meaning the kids AND I) can certainly use mature little non-judgmental tidbits of wisdom in our lives more regularly. It doesn't harm matters either that this kid makes great company. I love how she will sit with me at the kitchen table, enjoying her after school snack and spilling all the details and latest happenings at school. I can get more information from her in the span of two minutes than I can from my all of my kids combined over the course of 2 months. Gleaning information from them is about as successful as milking a grasshopper. Pretty much impossible. But this kid, she just opens up.

She's a youngest child so I think she's just like that - used to hanging around with people older than her. Even after the rest of the kids have excused themselves to play, she'll sometimes hang back with me and chat. She's told me before how she thinks I'm really nice and she likes coming over. Go right ahead and butter me up! I'll take it, girl. I've never met a 7 year old soul quite like her and I truly adore her. My kids of course love her too. She is a peacemaker, she's complimentary, and she's a great example. We always welcome her in our home.   

She was on her usual best behavior when she came over here last week, except this time, she had a chance to charm my husband's socks off too. Graham arrived home from work earlier than usual and I was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner. The kids were playing well in the other room and so he seized the opportunity to unwind on the couch, guitar in hand. As he sat there plucking out some tunes, apparently our guest was listening. About 10 minutes into his playing, she approached him from the next room over. 

"I didn't know you played guitar! It sounds beautiful and I'm really enjoying it."

WHAT KID SAYS THIS SORT OF THING? Needless to say, the comment caught him completely off guard.

For those of you who know my husband, you know he is a quiet guy. He speaks somewhat rarely and only when he feels he has something important to say. We always joke that he was born with a set limit of words that he can use each day, and once he reaches that number, he quite literally can speak no more. Given that he is a medical provider who sees and talks to patients all day long, it is no surprise that on most days, by the time he arrives home from work, he has well surpassed his daily word limit. I've learned to compensate and do my do diligence by taking the "evening shift" and filling the silence by doing most of the talking. ;)

So in this moment, this moment where Graham was face to face with a seven year old complimenting him on his guitar playing skills, I think he was literally, totally speechless. Not just in an I'm-out-of-words-for-the-day sort of way but in a wow-this-has-never-really-happened-before sort of way. It was certainly a first. (I must confess his mad musical expertise goes pretty much unnoticed in our house. We are spoiled and I'm sure my kids think it's entirely normal for a dad to pop on any old musical instrument and whip out each and every song request on the spot...) 

But this kid, our guest, recognized talent and then took the time to approach him and tell him he was doing a good job. How humbling. Although I haven't officially asked him, I'm pretty sure he would say this friend is welcome over at our place any time. Even grown men need to be buttered up on occasion. ;)

I'd been keeping myself busy in the kitchen, all the while taking in the scene playing out before me. We hadn't set a firm end time to our play date so I invited our guest to stay for dinner. The kids were having a blast and I knew they would be thrilled to get to eat together too. I was making gnocchi, or, more accurately, preparing the creamy sauce in which to nestle store-bought gnocchi, the end result being a delicious Gnocchi Gratin. 

I told our guest what was on the menu and she eagerly exclaimed "I think I've had that before! My godmother is from Italy and I think she served it to me once and it was delicious!"

"Oh gosh," I thought. "This kid has an Italian godmother. Maybe inviting her to stay was a mistake. Certainly this will be where the compliments come to a screeching halt." 

I was sure she had had the REAL thing, authentic Italian gnocchi, and that my version would pale in comparison. You can imagine my relief when she asked first for seconds and then later thirds of the dish. Not surprisingly, she outlasted all of the other kids (who also had multiple helpings) at the table. 

"I don't mean to be impolite and eat so much," she told me. "It's just that it is SO good."

Eat away, my friend. My cooking ego and I both welcome you at our table anytime. As if we didn't already love this girl enough in our family, her cooking compliments officially SEALED THE DEAL. 

As for the recipe itself, it has been a family favorite of ours for years now, the ultimate cold-weather comfort food. I never did order any gnocchi when I was in Italy (a royal shame!) so I'm really not sure how exactly it compares to what one might find "When in Rome..." but, in the opinion of a seven-year-old with and Italian godmother, you can be assured that this is where it's at!

When explaining the dish to others, I often liken it to homemade macaroni and cheese though I'm not entirely sure that's the best description. It's as comforting as macaroni, definitely, but in a more fulfilling, more sophisticated way. It's a dish that is homey enough for the every day but feels fancy enough to serve to guests as well.

To prepare the sauce, start by cooking up a few slices of chopped bacon until they are browned and crispy. Remove the bacon and use the drippings as the beginnings of your sauce. Supplement it with a little butter, then flour and seasonings and whisk until toasty. Next comes milk and chicken broth, boiled until creamy and smooth. The sauce is finished with cheese, bacon and chives - yum, yum and yum! Pour over the cooked gnocchi, sprinkle with parmesan and bake until browned. It's certainly comfort food to the N-th degree. 

Gnocchi Gratin

2 pounds packaged gnocchi

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups milk

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 1/4 cups grated Gruyère cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1/3 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and return to large stockpot.

In medium saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon until browned and crisp. Remove bacon pieces with and slotted spoon and set aside, reserving bacon drippings in saucepan. Add butter to drippings and melt. Sprinkle butter, salt and pepper over drippings and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk for one minute to brown. Add milk and broth slowly, whisking to eliminate lumps. Bring mixture to a boil and then turn down to a low-bubbling simmer until thick, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Gruyere cheese. bacon and chives. Pour sauce over gnocchi and stir gently so as not to damage gnocchi.  

Prepare a baking dish (2 quart Le Creuset or a basic glass 9 x 13 inch pan will do) with cooking spray. Transfer gnocchi and sauce to prepared baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan.* Bake in 400° oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve immediately with a glass of chilled chardonnay. 

Serves 6-8

* Recipe can be made ahead up until this point and refrigerated and then baked just prior to serving.

Vietnamese Pork Salad

A colleague at work asked me on Monday if I was still posting recipes on my blog. I stumbled over my words a bit before I finally blurted out the honest truth:

"Not really."

"Why?"

I had to think about it for awhile to determine the reason behind my lack of food-related posts, my silence on the blog in general, really.

"Well," I started. "I've been writing about other topics lately and it seems I have a greater readership when I'm NOT writing about food. And to be quite honest," I continued, "I haven't really cooked anything good and worthy of sharing all summer."

Yikes. It's true but I didn't really like the sound of it as it rolled off my tongue. What have I been feeling my family? A lot of mediocre, apparently.

In my defense, we traveled a whole heck of a lot over the summer so many of my meals were at the mercy of the camp stove. But as I thought further about my lack of cooking creativity lately, I realized just how claustrophobic I have felt all summer long. When we weren't traveling (or packing for the next trip!), I was either working or clawing desperately for a minute to myself. I felt very much at the mercy of everyone else but me. In case you are in need of a visual, a friend shared a with me a little video clip that very much depicts with striking similarity what my summer hours at home looked like, me and my desperate pursuit for alone time:

Needless to say, it is VERY hard to do anything, creative or not, with littles underfoot. I'm still looking for my groove, searching for how to be a mom of school-aged kids (and maybe more importantly, how to survive the summers when they aren't in school!!!) But now that school is back in session, I'm very hopeful my kitchen will be pumping out delicacies again in the weeks and months to come. Thankfully, my youngest is pretty keen with the whisk so I'm sure he and I will spend a lot of our waking hours cooking while the big girls are in school. Hopefully we will have some successes that we can share in this space!

I did make one hit dish this summer that I'm excited to post. My garden, much like my kitchen, wasn't quite as happy this year as last, but I did manage to have great success in the herb and summer squash department, which is how I landed on this recipe. It is super fresh, herbaceous, and the kids were happy because it featured "pasta" (i.e. rice noodles). My husband took his first couple bites and exclaimed "You should definitely add this one to your rotation!"

Good man.

Nevermind that I made the very same dish the following week and his reaction was "Is this a new recipe?" Some memories, even good ones, can sometimes be short-lived. ;)

I tweaked the original recipe to feature a full pound of meat to make it a bit more filling (and so that you'll use up an entire package of ground pork rather than being left bewildered with a couple ounces in hand). If you are cooking for kiddos, I'd recommend holding the sriracha sauce in the dressing and serving it on the side instead for the spice-lovers. Feel free to play around with your ratios of lettuce and veggies and even get creative and substitute snap peas or blanched green beans when they are in season. Also, get generous with the fresh mint and cilantro and load up on the peanuts too. Serve the salad with a slice of fresh lime for squeezing and juicy watermelon wedges. Of note, the recipe can be gluten-free if prepared with gluten-free fish sauce for those of you who can't have gluten. Happy cooking and eating and I hope to be back with another yummy kitchen success sooner rather than later!

Vietnamese Pork Salad
(adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

8 ounces uncooked rice vermicelli noodles
1 pound ground pork
12 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 tablespoons fish sauce, divided
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 tablespoons chopped unsalted peanuts
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
2 teaspoons Sriracha
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup diagonally cut seeded cucumber
1 cup diagonally cut or julienned carrot
1/2 cup diagonally cut yellow squash
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Cook rice vermicelli according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Drain.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 8 minutes, stirring to crumble. Combine 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and oil in a bowl; add to pan. Cook 1 minute; remove from heat.

Combine remaining 10 tablespoons juice, remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce, peanuts, green onions, and Sriracha in a bowl. Arrange lettuce, cucumber, carrot, and squash on a large platter. Top with noodles, pork mixture, cilantro, and mint. Drizzle juice mixture over top.

Serves 6

Pasta Bolognese

My constituents asked me to make Pasta Bolognese this week. It is one of our very, VERY favorites and has been for years. It always feels like somewhat of a special occasion when it's the meal on deck. I can send my husband a picture of the sauce simmering on stove and it has the same effect as if I would have texted him the words "I love you."

This week, I went to my blog to look up the recipe to make sure I had all the ingredients I needed to throw it together and was horrified to realize I HAVE NEVER POSTED IT ON MY BLOG. How could this be? This, one of our top pastas! I'm so sorry to have held out on you.

I think it's fair to claim that, at this point, we are Bolognese connoisseurs. I made this dish for the first time pre-kids, when our addiction was just in it's beginnings. My husband and I went though a phase where we ordered Pasta Bolognese every time it was on the menu. You may think I'm kidding but we were mildly obsessed. We loved my version but somehow got the crazy idea in our heads that it was our mission to find the absolute BEST version out there. Over the course of 5 years, I'll bet we ordered the dish at restaurants upwards of 30 times. Each time we'd raise our glasses in cheers and take a bite. And then we would agree that the pasta was good but it wasn't quite a knock out. Nothing in the restaurant world quite suited our fancy but it took years before my husband finally spoke these long sought after words:

"Honey, I think your version is the best."

Hallelujah! If that's the only time he ever says that, I can die happy.

I really can't take too much credit myself. Most of it goes to the former Gourmet Magazine and their ingenuity. I have played with their version some, easing the chopping process, altering the meat mixture, and at times adding more vegetables when I'm channeling my inner dietitian.

This recipe is an excellent make-ahead option for nights when dinner needs to happen in a hurry. Take yesterday, for instance. It was the last day in March and us sun-starved Pacific Northwest folk looked at our weather apps in disbelief as temperatures were supposed to push mid-70s. I knew it would be in my best interest to spend the afternoon out in the sunshine, thawing off winter. But my fans had been begging for pasta Bolognese which can take nearly 2 hours in total with its 1 1/4 hours of simmer time. It dawned on me that I could do both. I just needed to start early.

I started at lunch time, first sautéing the veggies and then adding the milk. The recipe follows a stepwise pattern where you add one liquid at a time and then wait until it evaporates to add the next. My older two were at school and the youngest was miraculously napping and so I decided to indulge myself with some sunshine ahead of schedule and ducked out onto my front porch with a book. Between chapters, I popped back indoors to give the sauce and stir and add the next ingredient. By the time preschool pick up rolled around, the sauce was finished and I threw it in the fridge until dinnertime when it would be ready to go with a quick reheat.

This recipe is another great one to bring to others. I'm in that phase of life where babies are dropping like hotcakes and my peers are in need of great dishes to deliver to the new parents. This is probably one of the top 5 questions I get asked: "What is your favorite recipe to bring to others?"

If you decide to make this one, let me be the first to caution you - if you make a double batch (so you can have some for dinner too!) USE TWO SEPARATE POTS. I tried making a double batch in one big kettle before and it didn't turn out well. There were too many ingredient and too little cooking surface area for it to work properly. The liquid ingredients also took FOREVER to evaporate. So, just make it easy on yourself and cook your double batch in two pots side by side. Enjoy!

Pasta Bolognese
(adapted from Gourmet Cookbook)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic
1 onion
4 carrots
4 celery ribs
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup dry white wine
28 ounce can whole tomatoes including juice
1 ½ - 2 pounds dried rigatoni
Shaved parmesan cheese

Dividing into two batches as needed, pulse garlic, onion, carrots and celery in a food processor until finely chopped. Set food processor aside. In large saucepan or dutch oven, heat oil and butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add chopped garlic, onion, carrots, and celery, and saute until just beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Toss in beef and pork and cook, stirring and breaking meat apart, for about 4 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink. Add milk and salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until most of the milk is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Coarsely chop canned tomatoes and their juices in the set aside food processor (no need to clean it!) Stir tomatoes into the sauce and cook at a bare simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 1 hour and 15 minutes (sauce will be thickened). Season sauce with additional with salt and pepper to taste. Sauce may be made ahead and chilled for 2 days or frozen for 1 month.

When ready to serve, bring 7 quarts of water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente (about 11-12 minutes) and drain in a colander. Toss pasta with sauce (reheated if necessary) and sprinkle with shaved parmesan.

Serves 6-8 (fewer if you are Croziers - we LOVE pasta!)

Chicken Marbella

 

I guess I partially owe my son Jack the credit for this family-favorite chicken recipe. It joined our family about the same time that he did. Just a few short weeks after, actually, during those heavenly post-delivery days when we stumbled about bleary-eyed (ok so that part wasn't heavenly) while those around us took care of dinner (HEAVEN!!) I've said it before and I'll say it again: I LOVE RECEIVING MEALS. Sometimes I consider adding members to our family simply to get another round of meals going. Food is my love language - both the giving and receiving of it and a yummy warm meal speaks measures to me.

 

The real credit for this one goes to my friend Katie who introduced us to Chicken Marbella in the form of a meal delivery for the very first time. She and I met at our church's Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group and I always looked up to her. We had an awesome table of ladies that year and we all spent a lot of time laughing but I felt especially drawn to Katie. She was vulnerable and shared the challenges of life and mothering in a way that really drew me in. I'm sure she will laugh when she reads this because I'm sure she, like the rest of us, will say she wasn't feeling her very best in the early throes of motherhood. But her honesty and transparency was something I greatly admired and I wanted to be just like her.

 

I was still struggling immensely with insecurity in friendships at this point in my life and had become quite the expert at keeping others at an arm's length. I never felt good enough or cool enough or stylish enough to be friends with awesome people like Katie. (Katie, I can hear you laughing). So you can imagine my delight when, at the end of that MOPS year, Katie invited me to her 30th birthday party. At HER HOUSE! And let me tell you, her list of invitees was straight up cool kids - no question about it. I wasn't sure why I was on that list but you'd better believe I went, feeling totally unworthy and shaking in my boots. But heck yes, I showed up. I had been invited in and it felt amazing.

 

I looked up to Katie for a lot of practical reasons too. She had two older boys, each just a few months senior to my girls. She had knowledge and experience and I felt a lot of "yeah me toos" when we talked together. And then she welcomed a third baby, a girl, into her family. She was my first friend to have three kids. And she survived. It gave me hope that I could have three children and survive somehow too.

 

We couldn't have lived farther than each other - at the time, Katie lived all the way in Ballard and I was nearly an hour's drive away in my condo in Kirkland. Seeing each other did not happen without some intentional effort but we made it happen on occasion even after MOPS came to an end. When Jack joined our family in the Fall, Katie immediately signed up to bring us a meal and her delivery touched me more than most, partly due to the distance I knew she had to drive to make it happen. And then, not only did she arrive with dinner, but she also brought me lunch to eat right then and there AND two huge tubs of boy clothes for Jack to wear as he grew.

 

Katie, I don't know if I ever sent you a thank you note. Forgive me. I remember very little of those days and weeks following Jack's birth. But I DO remember your meal and I DO remember your visit. So...better late than never, THANK YOU for your delivery that day. It touched me in more ways that you can imagine. :)

 

When I told my husband what I was writing about today, he exclaimed "That's my favorite chicken recipe!" and it's probably the favorite of everyone else in this house as well. It always smells so amazing and the finished product is company-worthy. My picture doesn't do it justice - there are tons of colorful prunes and olives in there (I increased their amounts because I like it that way). Don't let the prunes scare you if you aren't typically a big fan. They really do make the dish - so tender and sweet next to the savory briny punch of the olives. In addition to being a great option for bringing to others, this meal is an excellent make-ahead option. Prepare the chicken in the marinate and leave it overnight to absorb all the flavors. An hour before you are ready to eat, pop it in the oven and it's as easy as that. 

 

Chicken Marbella

(adapted from simplyrecipes.com, thanks to my friend Katie)

 

5 pounds of skin-on chicken thighs and drums

8 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons dried oregano

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup pitted prunes

16 large pitted Spanish olives, halved

1/4 cup capers plus 2 Tablespoons caper juice

3 bay leaves

Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

 

In a large bowl or gallon-sized zip-lock bag, combine garlic, oregano, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Add chicken and salt and pepper to taste and let marinate in the refrigerator several hours or overnight.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour chicken and marinade into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish along with white wine. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

 

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting occasionally with juices from pan until chicken is cooked through (165 degrees F). Remove from oven and serve.

 

Serves 6



Cuban Mojo Marinated Pork

I'm going to be completely honest with you right from the starting gate: I make this recipe mostly for the leftovers. The day one dish is delicious too, company-worthy even, particularly if hunks of flavorful, marinated meat are your thing. I love meat as much as the rest of 'em, but I came to the realization recently that I especially love it when my meat is married to a slice of ooey gooey cheese and sandwiched between two layers of buttered bread and then grilled. Meet the Cubano sandwich, the sequel recipe to this roast.

But first things first: your meal for night one. Awhile back, some foodie friends of ours invited us over for Croque-Monsieurs. I said my usual "Yum!" (because everything they make is delicious) and accepted the invitation, naively thinking I knew what it was we would be eating. I was envisioning meat and cheese layered inside bread and subsequently dipped in egg and fried, creating a sandwich-meets-french-toast delicacy. Not quite. At least I got the meat and cheese part right! Anyway, sandwiches aren't typically the go-to kind of meal you invite company over for. Unless they are really, really good. Which of course these ones were. I ate one and then splurged on half of another because, well, I just couldn't help it.

These friends who made us the sandwiches are the kind of people who can cook without a recipe and the results are epic, even on the first go. They use yummy ingredients (which they often try and credit) but it's undeniable that, added to that, is a whole lot of natural skill. When you ask them how they made something, they'll easily recite off the list of ingredients but Lord knows, your feeble attempt at re-creating the dish will pale in comparison. I am one who needs a recipe. WRITTEN DOWN. That you actually adhered to. Otherwise I'm screwed (though arguably I'm getting better!)

After our delicious exposure to company-worthy sandwiches, I began my own personal quest for a version of my own to add to our repertoire. Which is how I ended up with our new family favorite: the Cubano. But first, the means to this end: Cuban Mojo Marinated Pork. I've never been to Cuba but I'm pretty positive I'd love it there. Marinated meat, rice and beans, plantains and mojitos? How could one go wrong?

This recipe is what I picture Cuba would taste like. Fresh citrus juices and zest combine with herbs and cumin to create a delicious marinade for pork shoulder. The longer the pork marinates, the better so plan ahead for this one. After marinating overnight, the pork is roasted in the oven and the fruit juices that have soaked into the meat begin to caramelize, creating a flavorful, crispy crust. The meat is allowed to rest and then sliced into large chunks. It is best served with black beans and rice, sauteed plantains (maduros - recipe to come soon!) and of course a mojito in hand.

Therefore I present to you, what began as "a means to an end" recipe that, as it turns out, makes a mighty fine meal for company just as it is!

Cuban Mojo Marinated Pork

(adapted from people.com)

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves, finely chopped

8 garlic cloves, smashed

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried oregano)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Kosher salt and pepper

4 and 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder*

In a food processor, pulse orange juice, cilantro, mint leaves, and smashed garlic cloves until everything is finely chopped. Add this mixture to a gallon-size ziplock bag, along with the oil, orange zest, lime juice, oregano, cumin and 1 tsp each Kosher salt and pepper, and shake to mix. Then add the pork shoulder.

Marinate pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or, even better, overnight.  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place the pork on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet discard the marinade. Salt and pepper the pork well. Roast the pork for 30 minutes until lightly browned.

Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Roast for another 1 hour and 20-30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degree F. Transfer to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil and let rest at least 20 minutes.

Carve against the grain and serve.

Yield: 6 servings + extras for Cubanos on day 2

*I've used a bone-in pork shoulder too and it works just fine! The bone just makes it a bit trickier to slice and serve.

Thai Coconut Shrimp Cakes

There are very, very few foods that everyone in my family, including all 3 of my kids, like. This is the reality of being a family of five or four or three or even two. Quite frankly, anytime there is more than one member in a household, there is bound to be some food disagreement. And this is one of the many reasons why we have an ever-rotating repertoire of recipes around here - to keep the variety alive AND to stay in hot pursuit of something that everyone will eat. On the rare occasion that everyone is pleased by what I put on the table, I stash the recipe like it's lined in gold and bring it back to the menu almost immediately. Inevitably, someone will decide on the second time around that they "forgot" that they are no longer keen on the dish. Sigh. We can only do our best.

This recipe is one that ALL FIVE family members said they liked. TWICE! Of course it would be a shrimp recipe (which is so totally not affordable enough for me to serve regularly) but I try to splurge every once in a while because the mealtime peace is so worth it. I think the recipe was initially intended to be an appetizer. Alas, I didn't read it closely enough the first time I prepared it and sort of laugh-cried when I saw the pitiful 4 little shrimp cakes that I ended up plopping on the table before my family. Eat up everyone - "dinner" is served. We loved every last crumb that took us all of 3 seconds to devour. Oops, Next time I will pay closer attention to the serving size. I don't remember for sure but I hope I served it with rice that night. Either that or we went to bed hungry.

Don't you worry, I have adjusted the recipe to spare you all the disappointment of getting a whiff of something amazing only to realize you can't have more (like happened to us that fateful first night). I doubled the recipe once but would strongly urge you to double it again if you want any chance of having leftovers. If you've never made a crab cake or a shrimp cake or any sort of savory cake really, don't be alarmed! There couldn't be an easier recipe to break you in. You essentially just toss the ingredients together, form them in balls and press them into a mixture of bread crumbs and coconut. They are not deep-fried and they don't easily fall part. You won't hardly believe the flavor you get for such a simple process. We love coconut over here and, since I don't really know what one pairs with shrimp cakes when serving them as a main dish, I usually opt for coconut rice. Prepare rice the way you usually do but replace a portion of the water with a can of coconut milk. Once the rice is done, toss in a handful of shredded coconut and maybe some chopped cilantro for good measure. Be sure to squeeze your lime wedge on both the shrimp cakes and the rice. Slice up some fresh bell peppers to serve on the side and call it dinner. Done!

Thai Coconut Shrimp Cakes
(adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

1 1/3 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), divided
1/2 cup minced unsweetened dried coconut, divided
¼ cup minced green onions
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 teaspoons fish sauce
4 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
1 Tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound (16 oz) peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 limes, quartered

Combine 2/3 cup panko, ¼ cup coconut, and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Add shrimp; stir just until combined. Using wet hands, shape mixture into 8 equal balls. Combine remaining panko and coconut in a shallow dish. Coat balls in panko mixture; press to form 4 (4-inch) patties.

To prepare in batches, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Add 4 patties; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Repeat with remaining 4 patties. Alternatively, heat electric griddle and drizzle with olive oil. Cook patties, 4 minutes per side. Serve with lime.

Serves 4 (2 shrimp cakes each)

Pork Carnitas

I am never doubting a 5 ingredient recipe again. I have always run like the plague from any dish toting to be "super delicious" and yet be composed of essentially nothing. THANKFULLY, one friend first told me of the amazingness of this recipe and then another went one step further and brought them to me on the stressful day my 3 year old daughter had surgery this past fall. We were still living with my in-laws during our crazy house selling and buying and remodeling adventure and all seven mouths present that night devoured this puppies. I mean DE-voured them. I immediately asked for the recipe and was so surprised to learn the dish consisted only of five ingredients. Ok, six if you count the salt. Which none of those "5 ingredient cookbooks" ever do. How could something so simple taste so incredibly good? Holy smokes! A little fresh orange juice, a squeeze or two of lime juice, garlic and cumin - these four things are heavenly in combination with a hunk of pork shoulder. But let's be real. This recipe technically contains 7 ingredients because, where would it be without with the pork fat. That succulent, meat-crisping pork fat that takes this dish from delicious to unbelievable. But we don't have to count it as an ingredient because it comes already attached to the meat. Like getting two for the price of one.

It is rare that the entirety of my clan is pleased by what I put on the table. In fact, the other night there was so much complaining that, in a moment of total awesomeness on my part, I threatened to quit cooking for them all together. My six year old nearly lost her marbles and began wailing in her seat, right then and there. I took it as a compliment. Was it my finest moment? Not exactly. But at least somewhere down there I was affirmed that she values my contributions to the table, even if the words coming out of her mouth certainly aren't saying it. Anyway, let me assure you that I am still cooking for my children, even though it sometimes means approaching the table with an imaginary shield to deflect their "opinions" about what I've prepared. We have rules about what they are permitted to say at the table but anyone who has ever been around children knows that having rules and following them are two separate issues. :) 

But I digress....what I'm trying to say here is actually that this carnitas dish is one that we all LOVE. I most recently made it for my middle child's "Night Before School" special celebratory dinner. In theory, the idea behind these dinners is that the child gets to select their own menu. That didn't exactly happen (it was more of a "Crap, I guess tonight is the night before school and all I have left to make in the fridge is tacos" sort of thing) but I talked it up enough that I got her excited. It was so nice to sit back and eat an entire meal without complaints from the peanut gallery! Or maybe it was just the margarita that was nice. Tough call!  

This recipe is great for those days when you're stuck at home for a few hours, maybe during nap time or when you're waiting to change over the laundry. It can easily be prepared ahead of time, the day before or the morning of and I have even frozen any extra leftover meat (when there is any!) to reheat at a later date or to put atop nachos. It essentially takes no special cooking skills beyond squeezing citrus and turning on a burner. Whatever you do, be sure you don't skip the final step where you ramp up the heat, allowing the cubes of pork to sizzle in the rendered pork fat. This is certainly what makes the dish! 

Pork Carnitas

(from Smitten Kitchen)

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice (from about 2 to 3 limes)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste

Corn or flour tortillas, for serving
Avocado slices, chopped cilantro, feta or grated cheddar and fixings of your choice

Place the pork cubes in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot. Add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt and enough water to just barely cover the meat. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for two hours. Don’t touch the meat.

After two hours, increase the heat to medium-high and while occasionally stirring and turning the pieces, continue to cook for about 45 minutes, or until all of the liquid has evaporated, leaving only the rendered pork fat. Let it sizzle in this fat long enough to brown at the edges, turning pieces gently (they’ll be eager to fall apart), only as needed.

When pork has browned on both sides, it’s ready. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve on warmed tortillas with fixings.

Serves 6-8

Chili-Garlic Shrimp with Coconut Rice and Snap Peas

I am here this morning to tell you about one thing: SHRIMP! A couple weeks back, I tore out a few pages from the “Superfast Recipes” section of my Cooking Light Magazine and crossed my fingers, hoping the recipes they contained would pass what I will now refer to as The Cooking Light Husband Test. This has been the summer of swimming lessons over here because I'm bound and determined to GET MY KIDS TO SWIM even if it kills me (which it is). This means 45 minutes at the pool nearly every weekday which is awesome but also has forced me to be quicker on my toes when it comes to dinner. This is so not my gifting. When I look out my window, I see my neighbors out playing with their kids until 5:30 PM without batting an eyelash. I can't help but wonder, who is roasting their pork shoulder? Who is rolling out their fresh pasta dough? Who is flash-cooking their tomatoes so they can whip up a batch of Panzanella Tomato Bread Salad? I mean, how do they possibly eat dinner if THEY AREN'T INSIDE COOKING?!

Doesn't every good meal take at least 90 minutes to complete? You see, I have this strange ability to take simple things and make them incredibly intricate and complicated. Like the time I planned a "quick hamburger dinner" and ended up making my own ketchup from scratch and caramelizing my onions for nearly an hour. Yeah. I guess this little "skill" of mine is what makes me a bit dubious when it comes to recipes toted to take "only 20 minutes." The idea of making a meal that fast sounds amazing but I don’t know a lot of diners that pursue their next meal based on how little time it took the chef to prepare it. It took 5 minutes to make? Wow, sounds DELICIOUS! Dish me up a plate.

So this summer has been a bit of my test for me and I've tried really hard to branch out and simplify a bit. And you know what, I've found a couple of recipes that are fast AND hit it out of the park. The week I made all the Superfast Recipes from Cooking Light, my husband complimented me every meal about how good the food had been that week (you know, because the food I usually cook is CRAP). ;) I know I'm not the only one and that there are others of you who are slaving in your kitchens so you can "eat well," wishing you could be outside playing with everyone else. Or maybe just wishing you could find the time to cook something yummy with all the craziness of life, Well then, this post (and the next one) is for you.

One of the great things about this recipe is that you make a big batch of shrimp on one day, reserve half of it and then make a totally different dish with the reserved shrimp the next day. Two super fast meals, two nights in a row with two wildly varying flavors. I'm a little ashamed to admit that prior to this recipe, I don't think I'd ever fed my family snap peas. I "never like them" and so it didn't occur to me to offer them to anyone else. Well, it was through this dish that we learned that THREE members of our tribe actually like snap peas (myself included!!!) I know 3 out of 5 is a failing grade if we're talking a pop quiz or something but when it comes to feeding a young family, a score of 60% is considered a major success. I've now added them as a staple to my weekly shopping list.

We are all also in love with the coconut rice in this recipe and I've prepared it probably 5 times already since discovering it. It's so easy but takes plain rice to the next level. Of course, I like to substitute short grain brown rice sometimes too and just use the entire can of coconut milk (minus the 3 Tablespoons needed for the sauce at the end) and a little extra water. The last thing I'll say about this recipe is that it's gluten-free! Eat up. 

Chili-Garlic Shrimp with Coconut Rice and Snap Peas

(from Cooking Light Magazine)

2 1/2 teaspoons canola oil, divided

1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 cup uncooked jasmine rice

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons light coconut milk, divided

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 70)

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)

1 tablespoon grated lime rind

12 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed

Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon canola oil; swirl to coat. Add minced ginger; sauté 30 seconds. Add rice and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute, stirring to coat. Add 1 cup coconut milk and 1/4 cup water to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in chopped cilantro.

Combine 3/8 teaspoon salt, shrimp, garlic, brown sugar, olive oil, and sambal oelek in a large bowl, stirring well to coat shrimp. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of shrimp to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until just cooked through. Place cooked shrimp in a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining shrimp. Return cooked shrimp to pan. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons coconut milk and lime rind, and cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Reserve 1/2 of the shrimp mixture.

Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Add sugar snap peas; cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Combine snap peas, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; toss to coat. Serve snap peas with rice and remaining 2 cups shrimp mixture.

   

Serves 4

Roast Chicken with Pistachio Salsa, Peppers and Corn

This recipe would probably be more aptly named Our Way to Jazz Up Roast Chicken, but I must give credit where credit is due and at least bid homage to the recipe title in it's entirety. Back in November, I gave y'all a recipe for Perfect Roast Chicken and so I see no need to reinvent the wheel and bore you with yet another way to cook a bird. Especially since I already shared with you a perfect one. Actually, I'm going to go so far as to tell you NOT to roast your own chicken. This recipe (for us) is a means to take a delicious and cheap $4.99 Costco rotisserie chicken and dress it up with fixings that make it both interesting and delicious AND doable on a busy weeknight. You can certainly go the extra mile and cook the chicken yourself but in the summertime I say why bother?

I used to have a really negative relationship with pistachios. They were one of those foods that I couldn't even look at without a wave of nausea and a sudden urge to run to the restroom, lips tightly sealed to prevent the inevitable. I blame Christmas for these intense bodily responses. I was one of four Wilson siblings and my parents did a really good job of making sure healthy foods were served in our home. We weren't deprived of sweets and goodies by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe one could argue that we weren't exposed to them often enough to learn self moderation or maybe we were just kids and it was just a part of the process of growing up, but every time we went to a party or extended family gathering, we would go HOG. WILD. Sweets abounded. There were M&Ms in bowls in our reach. There were cookies and candy and chips and dessert everywhere. And we didn't hold back. We would run around free range, eating and stuffing our faces silly. When the gathering would conclude, late into the evening, my parents would pry us away from our cousins and load us into the car to make the 90 minute drive home. We would usually drive a couple miles, sometimes even a few cities down the freeway before it happened.

"Mom, I think I'm going to throw up."

A little voice broke the silence from the back seat. My dad would swerve off the road and tear open the door to the mini van, knowing he had about a 4 seconds between little voice and event. It was like clock work and it happened every time. Usually it was the older of my younger brothers. He became such a regular at post-party-upchucking that my parents quit getting out the of car to open the door for him. They would veer to the shoulder and he would open the door himself and just lean out. I guess you could say it became holiday tradition.

I remember one such Christmas gathering, the one where I first discovered pistachios. They were salted and in the shell, piled in a bowl right next to the M&Ms on the jigsaw puzzle card table. I was always a party-puzzle-doer and spent a lot of my holiday hours at these tables, mindlessly filling my belly with whatever snacks were in front of me. I'd never had a pistachio before. They seemed foreign in their clam-like shells. And who in their right mind chooses to eat a nut when chocolate is the other option? It was probably peer pressure that led me to give them a try and I quickly found myself hooked. But my new-found pistachio affection was brief. A series of unfortunate events succeeded that first taste, the details of which I no longer recall but I think it's safe to say a lot of chocolate was involved. Let's just say it was my voice pleading for my parents to pull the car over on our drive home that night.

Sorry. I know you weren't expecting to read about puke on a food blog. You are probably all thinking Does she think we are going to WANT to make this recipe after reading all that? Why yes, yes, I do. Now that I've totally grossed you out, let me, like the expert writer that I am, abruptly change the subject and give you the recipe.  I'll suffice it to say that for 20 years, I couldn't even look at a pistachio without growing green in the face. It was really, really tragic, the poor nut left overlooked for so many years. But they say some things get better with age. Nevermind, I don't think that analogy works here. ANYWAY, somehow, for some reason, I decided to give pistachios another chance and this recipe was 50% of the reason why. If that doesn't sell you on it, I don't know will. (But marketing has never really been my thing...)

I should tell you right off the bat that the Pistachio Salsa is not a salsa in the double-as-a-dip-for-your-chip sense. It takes on more of the Spanish definition of the word "salsa" as in a sauce or chutney. It is very forgiving and the pistachios can be evenly chopped or barely even chopped at all and it's still delicious. I will say that it is worth it to find shelled pistachios (Trader Joe's sells these) to save you the laborious process of tearing apart those clam-like nuts that seem to bite you back with each pull. It's hard to believe a 5 ingredient "salsa" could add this much flavor and dimension to a dish but it does, contributing crunch and interest to what ordinarily might just "taste like chicken." I'm sure it would be a delicious accompaniment to other meats in addition to chicken too. Or if pulsed in a food processor, the ingredients would make an instant vegetarian pesto.

I prepare this recipe year round but most often in the summer months when fresh corn and bell peppers are at their finest. The vegetable portion requires a little chopping but I love the combination of sweet corn, crunchy peppers and spicy jalapenos. I scaled back the red pepper flakes and jalapenos called for significantly as my troops are resistant to spice. Feel free to up the quantity if you really want a dish with some kick. The capers also add an element of flavor complexity to the dish that I just love.

So, the next time you pass one of those insanely affordable rotisserie chickens at Costco, throw one in the cart and jazz it up and make this. It's fit for company. I promise.

Roast Chicken with Pistachio Salsa, Peppers and Corn
(adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine)

CHICKEN
1 rotisserie chicken

PEPPERS AND CORN:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons minced capers plus 1 teaspoon caper brine
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
5 cups thinly sliced yellow, orange, and red bell peppers (about 3 large peppers)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, thinly sliced
3 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 3 ears)
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

PISTACHIO SALSA
1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

MAKE THE PEPPERS AND CORN Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, capers, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and jalapenos; season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 10–12 minutes. Stir in caper brine, corn, parsley, and vinegar just before serving.

MAKE THE PISTACHIO SALSA Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Stir in oil. Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Let come to room temperature before serving. Serve with chicken, peppers and corn.

Serves 4-6

Fish Tacos with Tomatillo-Jalapeño Salsa

Summer break has officially commenced in our household! I excitedly greeted my now-first grader yesterday morning "Happy first day of summer!!" She looked at me like I was the dumbest human to ever walk the planet and said retorted "Mom. It's not summer yet." And so I stood corrected.

Regardless of what the calendar says exactly, the weather here has be oh-so-summer like and I have been planning my weekly menus accordingly. We are in full-blown fast, fresh and grilled mode and I am loving it. I have been making it a point to incorporate seafood more often, primarily because I sort of accidentally discovered that seafood is one item that all my kids love.

Typically when I think of fish tacos, my mouth goes dry as I think about trying to swallow a mouthful of corn tortilla filled with overcooked sea life. I was determined to counter this mental presumption and make something moist and mouth-watering. Then I stumbled upon this recipe which seemed easy enough. I immediately changed the corn tortillas called for to my new-found favorite tortilla from Trader Joe's that includes a marriage of corn and wheat together in the same delectable tortilla. I knew this change would result in a moister taco right off the bat but of course, if you need the recipe to be gluten free, stick with the plain corn tortillas and you'll be good to go (the salsa provides a good amount of moisture).

I have always been a little curious about (or maybe terrified by?) tomatillos, never having cooked with them myself. Basically a green tomato wrapped in a husky, sticky skin, it seemed this recipe would break me in easy and help me conquer my hesitation. And it did! All I had to do was peel them and put them in a blender? Not too intimidating. My belated 30th birthday gift to myself had been a refurbished Vitamix blender which had spent the entirety of it's life with me up until that point in storage as we had purchased and were remodeling our new-to-us home. Tomatillo salsa seemed like the perfect maiden voyage for my beloved Vitamix. Call me naive but I really didn't know one could make salsa in a blender. Now I'm a believer and I'll preach it from the hill tops because it is SO EASY, not to mention awesome to spend so much less of ones life with knife in hand chopping. Even if you don't have a Vitamix, use whatever blender you have for this salsa. Simply pulse together your ingredients, being sure to avoid over-blending it into a puree. Voila! Fresh, easy salsa.

Once you have your salsa completed, the hard part is over (and really all you had to do was press the "pulse" button repeatedly). Now, simply toss together the lemon juice, olive oil, cilantro and garlic with the fish and season with salt. This recipe calls for halibut (which I've used) but more budget-friendly alternatives include cod, tilapia or even sole (pictured above). The fish is cooked quickly on a grill pan over moderately high heat and then flaked into bite-sized pieces for the tacos. I believe the taco fixins are just about as important as the taco itself and some of my favorites for this one include, avocado, sliced red onion and crumbled feta. An easy and frequent taco accompaniment at our house is cabbage slaw which can be served on the side or even used as a filling for the tacos. Combine shredded cabbage, carrot, chopped green onion and cilantro in a large bowl and then dress simply with olive oil, fresh-squeezed lime juice and salt and pepper. So fast, so yummy.

Ok readers, I am told that technically, for the type A personalities among us, summer is actually two days away. But I give you permission to cook like it's already here. Happy almost summer, People!

Fish Tacos with Tomatillo-Jalapeño Salsa
(enhanced from Food and Wine Magazine)

SALSA
4 medium tomatillos—husked, rinsed and quartered
1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro
2 small jalapeños, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Kosher salt

TACOS
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 pound skinless halibut fillet (or other white fish such as cod or tilapia), about 3/4 inch thick
Kosher salt

FOR SERVING
Warm corn and wheat tortillas
Chopped avocado
Sliced red onion
Crumbed feta

MAKE THE SALSA In a blender, combine all of the ingredients except the salt and puree until nearly smooth. Season with salt and transfer to a small bowl.

MAKE THE TACOS Heat a grill pan. In a large baking dish, whisk the lemon juice with the olive oil, cilantro and garlic. Add the fish and turn to coat. Season the fish all over with salt and grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until white throughout, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the fish to a platter and flake into large pieces with a fork. Serve in warm corn tortillas with the salsa, avocado, red onion and cucumber.

MAKE AHEAD

The salsa can be refrigerated for 3 days.

Serves 4

Oven-Fried Chicken

My husband and I have this little ongoing argument. There was a point in time where our very existence could be credited to the recipes in Cooking Light Magazine. My cooking repertoire consisted solely and exclusively of their recipes. They were my go-to and I was their most faithful subscriber. My obsession started early, so early that when I turned 18 and went off to college, my closet was brimming with piles of their magazines that stood nearly 3 feet tall. These sorts of things happen when you begin subscribing to cooking magazines IN HIGH SCHOOL.

Anyhow, the magazine and I were tight and, though admittedly I cooked a number of flops, their recipes more or less kept us fed and happy. Until my husband discovered The Other Guys, that is. Somehow he got his hands on an issue of Bon Appetit and then none of my "light" goodness was ever good enough. He would argue that butter is better (I agree, mostly) while I stated a firm caveat that a recipe does NOT always have to contain an entire stick to be good. Before I knew it, he was unabashedly judging a book by it's cover, looking down skeptically at any meal known to come from my "health food source."

It was at this point when I took my Cooking Light recipes "under cover." I was bound and determined to prove my right-ness: food could be both good and "light." I would cook up something amazing and delicious from my Secret Source and then sit expectantly awaiting his words of praise. Sometimes if the gushing was not immediate (ok, it rarely was), I would slyly guide the conversation in my detective-like fashion until he professed his love for the meal. Only then would I stab him with the truth: "Ha! It was a Cooking Light recipe!" His face would fall in utter dismay and I would do a not-so-subtle victory dance, like every other humble wife I know. Foiled again!

Where am I going with all this? Well, I bet you can guess. This COOKING LIGHT fried chicken recipe has been a favorite of mine since 2002 when it was first published. Ya'll (I have to say that because for one, the fried chicken is a southern food and for two, I lived in Texas), the recipe dates back to my senior year in high school and it is a keeper for sure! (Who's making fried chicken in high school??!! Me, that's who). My husband could hardly believe it when I revealed to him the source. I adapted the recipe and left the skin on the meat which I know makes it less healthy but it's fried chicken for goodness sake and it must be delicious. The chicken pieces are then breaded in a seasoned flour mixture and then baked at high temperatures in the oven. This results in an end product that is both very good and also not so heavy that you never want to eat ever again.

Read the recipe closely. The chicken-coating process can get messy. I recommend making two bags of seasoned flour to coat the chicken, because inevitably, you will run out of coating right at that critical moment when your hands are covered in sticky chicken goo. Save yourself the trouble and have a second bag at the ready. You may have extra in the end but you'll be glad not to have to stop and make more mid-process.

Without further adieu, wife-tested, husband approved:  

Oven-Fried Chicken
(Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk

8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 pounds)

4 chicken thighs (about 1 pound)

1 cup all-purpose flour, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper, divided

1/2 teaspoon white pepper, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, divided

Cooking spray

In a gallon-sized zip lock bag, combine buttermilk and chicken; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 450°. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

In an additional 2 gallon-sized zip lock bags, combine half of the flour, salt, peppers, and cumin (each bag should contain ½ cup flour, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ tsp each of ground red pepper, white pepper and cumin). Remove chicken from first bag, discarding marinade. Add chicken, one piece at a time, to one of the bags of flour mixture, shaking bag to coat chicken. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess flour; lightly coat each chicken piece with cooking spray. Return chicken, one piece at a time, to flour mixture, transitioning to second bag of flour when the first is too moist to coat the chicken (this will happen due to residual buttermilk on the chicken pieces). Shake bag to coat chicken. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess flour.

Place chicken on the prepared baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Turn chicken pieces and then return to oven for an addition 15 minutes or until done. 

Serves 6

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw

I got to run away for the weekend. It was rough. And by rough I mean I got to stay in a 4 story beach front home WITH an elevator with four amazing girlfriends (and two adorable babies). We spent nearly the entire weekend talking. You'd think us women would eventually run out of things to say but you're wrong. I've been alive over thirty and a half years now and that still hasn't happened. There is just so much to talk about and so little time! Though we didn't manage to cover every topic on the planet, we did talk about the inevitable: meal planning and food budgets (boy, "girl talk" sure looks different for me these days!) The topic came up because we'd all left our husbands and most of our offspring at home and we knew we'd be returning to some degree of chaos which more than likely included an empty fridge. Or negative empty. If there is such a thing. 

People sometimes think that since I love food, that I must love all things food-related. That I frolic cheerfully through the grocery store pushing a cart containing three perfectly-behaved children who never whine or grab things off the shelves. It's true. Our life is just like that. My kids have never licked the floor or begun to eat something before we've paid, and no, that certainly wasn't my child that you saw just yesterday, twirling in the aisle with a mop as cleaning products spewed in every direction. Yeah, I love food so that sort of thing doesn't happen to me. NOT. 

Meal planning is the same story. I have the traditional late Sunday afternoon moment of petrified Darn-We-Are-Out-Of-Food-And-I-Need-To-Plan-A-Menu-For-The-Week-Like-NOW panic attack just like the rest of you. Unfortunately, even the lovely beach front setting I found myself in that past weekend, couldn't keep the attack at bay and I was racking my brain for inspiration so I could make an emergency grocery list as we packed up and prepared for our return trip. I was reminded of my desire to incorporate more vegetarian entrees into our diet, primarily for cost-saving measures (this of course was prompted by another riveting "girl talk" conversation in which we discussed the ghastly prices of meat - seriously, who have we become!?) Anyway, I realized that setting a specific goal of say serving one vegetarian meal a week could simplify my menu planning and make it less daunting. When I have a blank slate in front and all food's fair game, I have a hard time making a decision and picking recipes I'd like to make in the coming week. But when given a category to work with, it narrows the playing field and I do much better.

We have a few skeptics in my household so I am working to identify some vegetarian favorites that appease even the meat lovers. I stumbled upon this recipe a few years back because it received such rave reviews online. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was simple and easy AND delicious. The tacos are just as you would expect, given their name: crispy. The recipe calls for black beans that are partially mashed and seasoned with cumin. You could get fancy and add some other seasonings but it's really quite good as is. The key here, I think, is the fresh lime juice in the slaw. Shredded cabbage is tossed with a few green onions and cilantro and then dressed simply with lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. The cabbage absorbs the flavor of the lime, providing a nice tangy pop when stuffed inside the tacos to accompany with the black beans. The tacos are finished with a crumble of feta and hot sauce for us spice addicts - yum! So simple and fresh and cheap! Happy non-meat eating to us all.

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw

(adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine)

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained

1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 cups shredded cabbage or undressed coleslaw mix
4 green onions, chopped
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
8 (6 inch) wheat and corn tortillas (Trader Joe's sells these)
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Bottled hot sauce (I like Sriracha)

Place beans and cumin in small bowl; partially mash. Mix 1 tablespoon olive oil and lime juice in medium bowl; add coleslaw, green onions, and cilantro and toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of tortillas to the skillet in single layer (parts of them will hang over edge of pan) . Spoon 1/8 of bean mixture onto half of each tortilla; cook 1 minute. Fold tacos in half and flip, cooking until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, tortillas and bean mixture. Fill tacos with feta and slaw and serve with hot sauce alongside.

Serves 4-6