Thai Peanut Chicken

Forget take-out Thai, this recipe was quick, easy, and healthy!  Expanding the ethnic repertoire beyond Italian and Mexican, gotta start with something simple.

Thai Peanut Chicken

Serves 4
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
1 bag frozen stir-fry vegetables
8 oz pad thai brown rice noodles
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

Directions:

1.  In a large skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon neutral oil over medium heat.  Cook the chicken until no longer pink, 7-10 minutes.  Add in the stir-fry vegetables and continue to cook until heated through.  Turn heat to low.

2. Bring large pot of well-salted water to boil.  Add noodles and cook for 5-6 minutes, according to the package instructions.  Drain and add to the chicken-vegetable mixture.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice.  Pour over the chicken, veggies, and noodles, mixing until everything is evenly coated in sauce.  Serve immediately!

Thai Peanut sauce courtesy of Mark Bittman, NYT

Sage Pesto

Sage is in abundance right now, which means I needed to come up with ways to use it.  Sage makes a bold pesto that's perfect on pretty much anything.

If you haven't figured it out yet from here and here, pesto is literally the easiest thing to make.  Herbs (take your pick), garlic, pine nuts or walnuts, olive oil, and a hard cheese into a food processor.  It is that simple.  And delicious.

Skillet pizza with pesto

Spaghetti squash with pesto, roasted tomatoes, and scallops

Sage Pesto

Yield: about 8 oz
Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh sage leaves, loosely packed
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup grating cheese, such as parmesan or Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Combine sage, garlic, cheese, and nut in food processor or blender.  Pulse several times until coarsely chopped.  With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil.  Scrape down the sides, add the salt and pepper to taste, and pulse once more to combine.

Storage:

Keeps in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Can be frozen for 3 months.



Adapted from The Suburban Soapbox

Greek Salad with Vinaigrette

I'm back with a classic Greek salad that pairs perfectly with your own homemade pita.  Add grilled chicken, salmon, chickpeas, or tofu as you wish.  This vinaigrette is just like what you'd get at a restaurant and is so delicious!

Greek Salad

Serves 6
Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

For the salad,

2 heads of romaine lettuce, washed and torn into 2" pieces
1 cucumber, cut into 1" cubes
2 bell peppers, stem and seeds removed, large-diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 red onion, sliced into half-rounds
1/2 lb feta cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes or crumbled
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

For the Greek vinaigrette, 

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil

Dressing alternative,

Drizzle good extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare salad dressing at least 30 minutes before meal.  Add ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until combined.

2. Combine salad ingredients.  Add protein if using.  Top with dressing as desired.  Enjoy!

Storage:

Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Dressing in an airtight container or bottle and keep at room temperature.  Shake before using.


Adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa

Basil Pesto

Pesto is such a versatile sauce that it's worth learning to make it.  I use it on pizza, pasta, sandwiches, bread...the list goes on.  This recipe is a classic basil pesto; I've posted a spinach pesto before, but it's really the same process.

Basil Pesto

Makes about 1 cup
Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

3 oz basil leaves
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-4 garlic cloves, depending on your preference
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Combine the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.


Keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.  Freeze for up to 2 months.

Pizza Sauce

Expanding my homemade pizza repertoire, I made my own marinara sauce for the first time yesterday.  It was quick, easy, and delicious - three of my favorite things when it comes to cooking!  It makes a lot, so you can easily freeze it and use on future pizzas.

Pizza Sauce

Makes 5 cups (sauce for 4-5 large pizzas)
Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the oil and garlic, and sauté for about a minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.  Add the remaining ingredients and raise the heat to bring it to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Use about 1 cup of sauce per pizza.
Keeps in the refrigerator for one week, frozen for three months.  You may want to freeze it in smaller containers in order to defrost sauce for 1-2 pizzas at a time.

Fast Tomato Sauce

This week I'll be posting some pasta recipes because who doesn't love pasta?  Carbs, cheese, and a perfect excuse to drink wine - if that isn't livin' the dream, then you need a new dream like, yesterday.    

Perfect pasta begins with a perfect sauce.  What you didn't know until this moment (maybe) is that homemade tomato sauce is easy and effortless and costs the same as the jar that you could have bought but didn't because you're classier than that, damn it.  It also tastes approximately 1000 times better, if you need that extra incentive.

Fast Tomato Sauce

Makes 5 cups (enough for 4-6 servings of pasta, depending on how generous of a saucer you are)
Time: 20 minutes (aka equal to the time it takes to make pasta)

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the oil and garlic, and sauté for about a minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.  Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and raise the heat to bring it to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over your favorite noodles and enjoy!


Keeps in the refrigerator for one week, frozen for three months.

Creamy Pumpkin Sage Pasta Sauce

Pumpkin should not be relegated to baked goods only.  It makes an excellent addition to savory dishes like pasta and chili. This sauce is a great alternative to Alfredo but comes together just as quickly.  You can cook the sauce while the water is boiling, then just keep it warm over low heat until your pasta is al dente.  Dinner ready in under 30 minutes - what are you waiting for?

Creamy Pumpkin Sage Pasta Sauce

Serves 4-6
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 TBS tomato paste
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne red pepper
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
1 TBS fresh sage, minced

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan or pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning the garlic.  Add in the cream cheese and pumpkin and whisk until smooth.  Add the tomato paste, cider vinegar, cinnamon, and cayenne red pepper and stir.

2. Slowly add the milk while whisking quickly to incorporate.  Stir in the parmesan cheese,  salt, and pepper.  Cook over medium heat, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency, about 5 minutes  Add the sage and cook for 3 minutes.  Serve over your favorite pasta!

Toasted Corn Salsa

As requested by a very loyal reader, here is a fresh corn salsa recipe!  Super easy to put on just about anything.  I'm eating mine on baked cheesy egg tortillas (here) this week for breakfast.

Toasted Corn Salsa

Makes about 2 cups

Do not substitute frozen or canned corn here.  Fresh corn is going to give this salsa an awesome taste.  If you want a spicier version, leave in the jalapeño seeds.  If you aren't the biggest fan of lime juice, you can cut it back to 1 tablespoon and add 1/2 tablespoon more of olive oil.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 ears corn, kernels removed (use a knife or corn zipper)
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
1/2 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 scallion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Transfer the corn to a large bowl and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, bell pepper, jalapeño, scallion, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.  Cover and refrigerate until the flavors blend, about 1 hour.  Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.



Recipe from The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Spinach Pesto

I am a big fan of pesto; its rich flavor is far more enticing to me than alfredo or tomato sauce.  This recipe uses some of my CSA vegetables, but you can easily substitute the spinach for the more classic basil.

Spinach Pesto

3 oz spinach, destemmed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 garlic scapes, chopped, or garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Process all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pesto can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Uses: pizza, pasta, sandwiches, steamed vegetables, grilled fish or chicken