Chickpea Tabouli

This recipe is full of summer, with fresh tomatoes, lemon, mint and parsley. It's a great one-pot-meal or it is excellent served with pita bread and hummus. 

What is it like?

- Tangy

- Refreshing

- Summery

Recipe

1 cup millet OR quinoa, follow package directions for cooking and chill in fridge
1 14 oz can chickpeas
2/3 cup mint, sliced small
1 /1/3 cup parsley, sliced small
1 lb tomatoes, sliced bite sized
2 lemons (or more to taste), juice + 1 tsp zest
salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil, or to taste

optional addition: sliced cucumber

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Leftovers can be enjoyed with an extra squeeze of lemon or apple cider vinegar and fresh tomatoes.

Note: This recipes is very flexible. Add more or less herbs, chickpeas or tomatoes. If you would like more protein, you can add cubed cooked chicken (or tofu for vegan), or substitute quinoa for millet.

Sweet Potato and Sausage Crumble

Someone, who shall remain nameless, tasted this dish and said it reminded them of "peasant" food. Then, she/he proceed to have another large helping. My response was that Beef Bourguignon is also country food, like so many other foods that have found their way into fancy restaurants. In a way, it's true, eating this meal feels like an experience from All Creatures Great and Small. You can envision the rolling hills, and the solitude of eating a warm meal by the fire while the 10-degree-wind is ripping across Darrowby, and wolves are waiting to pounce on sheep. It's a good time to be thankful for anything that comes in peace, especially a warm meal, "peasant" food or not.  
 

What are its flavors? 

Sweet Potato & Maple Sausage

Caramelized Onions

Nutty and Crisp

Recipe

Crumble

1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup oats
1 tsp thyme
1/4 chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut oil, room temperature
1 tbsp cold water, or more until it holds together when pressed between your fingers
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Filling

6 oz chicken maple sausage, cooked and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces OR 8 oz preferred mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp coconut oil (or grape seed oil)
1 or 2 sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp fresh oregano, 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes (optional), Salt to taste
1/4 cup white wine, optional
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp broth

Optional addition: 1 bell pepper, diced and sauteed (recommended for vegan option)

Directions:

1. To make the crumble, whisk together the first six ingredients. Then add the coconut oil and then the water and stir just until combined. Stir in the almonds and place in the fridge. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Sauté the onion with a dash of salt over medium heat with oil for about 5 minutes. Then add garlic, sweet potato, pepper flakes, and oregano and sauté for about 3 minutes.

3. Add the wine and broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the sausage and then pour the ingredients into an 8 x 8 baking dish. Then sprinkle with the cold topping and bake for about 35 minutes or just until topping is just starting to turn golden and ingredients are cooked.

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

What are its flavors?

- Coconut

- Lime

- Chicken 

- Lemon grass

This recipe was inspired by a soup that I had in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Colorado. It was located in a strip mall, next to places advertising fast cash and tattoos. It is almost worth making a special trip just to try some other items on the menu. 

Recipe

Note that I chose to use jalapenos instead of Thai peppers. More common ingredients can be substituted for other items as well, as listed in the recipe. 

1 onion, sliced thinly lengthwise (or 3 shallots to be more aligned with authentic Thai flavors)
1 tbsp canola oil
2 jalapenos, diced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
3 14 ounce cans coconut milk
6 cups chicken broth OR vegetable broth for vegan
salt, to taste
2 inch galangal, sliced into thin discs (or ginger if it is not available, see notes)
10 kaffir lime leaves, whole OR two tsp lime zest
3 stalks lemongrass, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste OR gluten free soy sauce for vegan/eco-friendly option
1.5 lbs chicken, cut into bite sized pieces OR russet potatoes for vegan
8 oz mushrooms (such as oyster, or preferred variety), sliced   
4 roma tomatoes, seeds removed, diced (remove the skin if you wish)
2 limes, zest and juice
2 large green onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, diced

Directions: 
Sauté onions and chilies over medium heat with 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Then add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add broth and coconut milk, along with salt, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and fish sauce. Simmer very low for 10 minutes. 

Add the chicken (or potatoes for vegan option). Maintain a low simmer for 8 minutes. Then add mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. 

Add tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Salt to taste, add lime, and serve.  

Note: Since the large pieces of ginger/galangal are not edible, they will need to be removed when eating. Alternately, the ginger can be grated.

New Mexican Pozole Soup

 

Pozole is a traditional New Mexican soup. I still remember having it for the first time in a restaurant at the top of the Sandia Mountains, near Albuquerque, New Mexico. The restaurant was not fancy, but their food was absolutely delicious, and the view was--I don’t want to say to-die-for because people have actually fallen off this mountain--but it was nothing less than enchanting, the kind forested and rocky peaks below that you only expect from CGI. In the recipe, I have included some international flavors, while still maintaining the essence of the dish.

What is it like?

- Hearty & Spicy

Recipe

2 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
canola oil or grape seed oil, as needed
1 onion, slice thinly lengthwise
1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
1/4 tsp of each: grated ginger, curry powder, dried tarragon, red pepper
1/2 tsp of each: dried oregano, cumin powder, black pepper
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup white wine, optional
2 jalapeños, sliced into thin rings
1/2 ham hock, optional but highly recommended
8 cups chicken stock
1 29 ounce can hominy

1. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tsp oil. Slice the pork, salt it, and brown the pieces in three batches, or more if necessary to avoid overcrowding. (You want the pieces to have space between them so that they brown rather than steam.) Once nicely browned, set the pork aside in a bowl. Slice the onion in half, then slice each half into thin strips lengthwise and slice the jalapenos. Sauté the onion and half of jalapeno slices over medium heat for about 7 minutes, until translucent. Then add all of the spices, and the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute.

2. Add the pork back into the pan and turn the heat up to medium-high for about 30 seconds. Then pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, this releases the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Next, add the rest of the ingredients except for the hominy and reserved jalapeno. Simmer (do not boil) for about 1 1/2 hours until the pork is almost tender. Then add the hominy and reserved jalapeno, and cook for about 15 minutes, or just until pork is very tender and moist, and the hominy is also tender. Taste for saltiness and adjust if necessary, then serve.

Notes
Generally, I do not use curry powder because I prefer to add the spices individually, but it worked well for this recipe. 

The ham hock adds tremendous flavor and richness to this dish. Call around to grocery stores or a local butcher to try to find a good source. 

Lemon Tarragon Chicken

This recipe is delicious and very quick to make. It is my go-to when I have had a long day and just need a dinner that is refreshing and healthy (lemon and extra virgin olive oil are both known for their health benefits). Leftovers are great on their own or in chicken sandwiches.

* Images may differ slightly from recipe

Recipe

1.5 lbs boneless and skinless chicken, breast or thighs
1 lemon, juice (zest, optional)
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the chicken and remove large pieces of fat. Place pieces in a single layer in an 8 x 8 glass baking dish (or larger if needed). Squeeze lemon over chicken and drizzle olive oil over the top. Then sprinkle the tarragon, salt and black pepper over the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes or until done.