GP's Mr. Chow-Style Minced Chicken with Lettuce Leaves

I'm obsessed with the Mr. Chow-Style Minced Chicken with Lettuce Leaves from Gwyneth's cookbook It's All Good. So flavorful. I love the mix of sweet and spicy with the Hoisin and Sriracha. I used store bought for both to save time. 

I served with Asian sautéed cabbage. I usually do the cabbage with garlic and ginger slices, sriracha, chicken stock and soy sauce/tamari. 

Amy's Chicken Burgers

My friend Amy told me about this chicken burger recipe. It's a good way to sneak some veggies in a burger and so delicious with the kimchi.

Chicken Burgers

Ground chicken

Shallot

Celery

Spinach

Kale

Garlic salt

Onion powder

Salt

Pepper

1 egg

bread crumbs

garlic chili paste (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Pan fry patties in olive oil and butter until brown. Place in oven to cook through for roughly 10 minutes.

Serve with kimchi

Gwyneth Paltrow's Zuni Sheet Pan Chicken

Thanks to my friend Stacy this has become a staple in my house. I make it regularly for a great dinner with lots of leftovers. I also made it for our New Year's Eve dinner party to serve a group. The best part is definitely the torn up baguette after it gets crispy and flavorful in the pan. I usually skip the anchovies but always serve with the arugula, dressing from pan drippings, and lemon wedges. Also great served with GP's polenta with roasted tomatoes and burrata. 

 Zuni Sheet Pan Chicken

from Gwyneth Paltrow's It's All Easy cookbook

Smitten Kitchen - Fast & Delicious Dinner

From now on, every time I make rice, I will make extra so I can make this Smitten Kitchen recipe the next night:

Crispy Rice and Egg Bowl with Ginger-Scallion Vinaigrette

It was such a fast meal and so delicious. I used white rice, skipped the cucumber and did half the dressing since I knew my kids wouldn't eat it. Loved it!

My New Favorite Green Beans - Greek Style

I am obsessed with these green beans. My friend Maria's dad made them for us with green beans from his garden and they were amazing. I've been making them every week with green beans from the farmers market. They are delicious!

Per Maria's suggestion I added some chili flakes. I used only one onion, roughly a pound of beans, and then basically did everything else to the measurements given. I'm a sucker for sauce. I also added some slivered garlic. Next time I want to try adding the Yukon Gold potatoes.

Thank you Maria!!!

Tricolore Salad

I had a tricolore salad at Toscana and have been making it ever since. It's such a no-brainer. It's healthy, delicious, and easy. Perfect side salad when you want to focus more attention on other parts of the meal.

Tricolore

Arugula
Belgian endive - sliced 1" thick
Treviso radicchio - thinkly sliced or cut into small chunks
Shaved  Parmigiano-Reggiano
Olive oil
Balsamic oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Farmers Market Salad

My friend whipped Jen whipped this up with all the stuff I had in the fridge from the farmers market. It was very light, healthy and delicious. 

Salad

Gem lettuces

Cherry tomatoes

Mint

Basil

Ricotta salata

Pea shoots

Dressing (inspired by a Smitten Kitchen salad)

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon coarse Dijon mustard
Just shy of 1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cece's Favorite Steak

Great recipe from our friend Cassie for seared steak.

1-1.5" thick New York steak

olive oil

1t garlic salt

1t Italian seasoning

1t paprika

1. Set the steak at room temp for 10 minutes

2. Rub both sides with olive oil

3. Combine seasoning in a bowl, then rub onto both sides of the steak

4. Heat a small pan on medium high heat

5. Grill on each side for 3-5 minutes

6. Let sit on a plate to rest for 5 minutes

7. Enjoy!

Tomato Red Lentil Soup with Dill

Great recipe for Tomato Red Lentil Soup with Dill. I used half water and half chicken stock. Definitely used more than called for and next time I will use even more. I like it a little more brothy than thick. Loved the flavor of this soup, especially all the dill.

Kale & Quinoa Salad with Ricotta Salata

I have never made this Kale & Quinoa Salad with Ricotta Salata but my friends Marly and Jen have both made it and I can never get enough. It's on my list to make this month. Lots of steps but so worth it in the end and it stays for days. I think Jen subbed feta or goat cheese instead of ricotta salata. I think mizithra would work too. Enjoy!

Northern Spy Kale Salad

The Northern Sky Kale Salad is another great one to have in your files. Great fall or winter salad. It can also be found in the Genius Recipes cookbook which I really enjoy. Lots of good recipes in there. 

Kale Salad with Dates, Parmesan & Almonds

Kale Salad with Dates, Parmesan & Almonds from Epicurious

My friend Molly brought this salad to a baseball potluck and I was instantly obsessed. I've made it countless times since, for myself and for friends on many occasions. It's always a hit. Sometimes I add Dubliner cheddar and/or little chunks of crisp red apple. As with most kale salads you can dress it ahead of time. One of my favorite kale salads of all time!

This dressing is also great leftover and thrown on some baby arugula leaves with shaved parmesan. Been eating that as a side for days.

Baked Garlic & Ginger Chicken Drumsticks

We are all loving this recipe for Baked Garlic & Ginger Chicken Drumsticks. I made it for the first time a few weeks ago and my son, who isn't a big meat eater, took one bite and said, "I think I am going to have to have seconds." It's such a big win when kids and adults all love the same main course. By the end of dinner we were all fighting over who would get the leftovers the next day. It was so good. 

The second time I made it, I timed myself and it took less than 10 minutes to prep. I used a Vitamix blender to prep the sauce, then marinated the chicken for a few hours in a Ziploc. Throw in a baking dish and cook while you prep the rest of dinner. So easy.

Since I took the meat off the bones for my kids, I used the bones for a great chicken stock. Great recipe all around.

New Favorite Snack: Chia Pudding Yogurt Bowl

I am obsessed with this as part of my lunch or as an afternoon snack. It's just a little bit sweet and hits the spot while also being healthy and filling. Chia seeds are so good for you and are said to be higher in antioxidant activity than blueberries. A great snack that is also great for you.

Chia Pudding Yogurt Bowl

Vanilla yogurt 

Chia seeds

Almond milk (I use regular or vanilla rather than unsweetened)

Slivered almonds, toasted

To make the chia pudding, combine chia seeds and almond milk. Stir to combine, then refrigerate to set for a few minutes. Layer yogurt, chia pudding and nuts. Enjoy!

You could also add toasted coconut, berries or cinnamon. 

Garlic Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

I am obsessed with this chicken. I have probably made it more than anything else in the last 2 years. It's fast, easy, delicious and the kids love it as much as me.

When I make this for the kids, I will serve with brown rice and a vegetable. For me, I roast broccoli and make a kale caesar. Great dinner.

Garlic Terikayaki Chicken Thights

boneless skinless chicken thighs
salt & pepper
Coconut Aminos Garlic Sauce
Coconut Aminos Teriyaki Sauce

Sausage Spinach Rice Bowl

I loved this recipe for Sausage Spinach Rice Bowls from Cooking Light. Made with pork sausage instead of turkey sausage for more flavor. Will make again and again. So easy and very good.

Egg & Ricotta Sandwich

Another great recipe from Genius Recipes: 

SHIP'S BISCUIT

Focaccia sandwich with ricotta and soft scrambled eggs

Feta Spinach Turkey Burgers

Got this great recipe from my friend Marion. My son and I gobbled them up. So good!

Feta Spinach Turkey Burgers

1lb ground turkey
4-6oz feta cheese
1/2 cup spinach, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/3 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
1 T garlic, minced
1 t oregano (I used fresh)
1 t basil (I used dried)
salt (little bit since feta is salty)
fresh ground pepper
olive oil

Preheat BBQ on high.

Saute onion in some olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for a few minutes. (Onion and garlic doesn't need to be fully cooked. I just do it out of habit.) Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix with your hands. Form into little patties (4 large or 5 smaller). Brush the burgers with a little olive oil.

Throw on the grill and lower heat to medium-high. Once browned with good grill marks, flip and grill on the other side. Lower temp to medium to make sure they get cooked through but don't burn.

Brush buns with butter and brown to golden on the grill or under a broiler.

Serve and enjoy!

Great Summer Salad

Great summer salad. Served with chicken palliard for a perfect dinner.

Greek Salad

Jen Young

Romaine

Olive oil

Good balsamic vinegar

Salt

Pepper

Dill

Tomatoes

Cucumber

Red onion

Kalamata olives

Feta

Grilled Lamb

Another favorite from summer 2015...

Grilled Lamb

Brodie Young & Kevin Erickson

Lamb chops or lamb loin chops

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Rosemary. minced

Dijon

Garlic, minced

Make a sauce, lather the lamb and let sit for 20 minutes. Pre-heat BBQ to 400 degrees and grill for roughly 4 minutes per side for medium thickness (less for thin ones). Be careful not to overcook.

Favorite Kale Salad of the Year

Kale Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing 

Kale, finely sliced into thin ribbons
Slivered almonds, toasted
Cherry tomatoes

Lemon Tahini Dressing found here from GOOP.

I use veganaise instead of yogurt and always throw in a little extra tahini and garlic.

New Favorite Breakfast - Eggs with Dill & Feta

Vashon Eggs

Jen Young

Scrambled eggs (half regular, half egg whites)

Milk

Salt & pepper

Fresh dill

Feta

Scramble eggs with some milk. Season with salt & pepper. Toss in minced dill and cubed feta at the last minute. Serve with toasted baguette with butter and sliced avocado if you have it.

Summer Favorite - Grilled Green Beans with Garlic

Grilled Green Beans

Brodie Young

Green beans

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

3-6 cloves of garlic, minced

Toss beans with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Marinate for 30 minutes while you pre-heat the grill to 400 degrees. Make a foil bowl and put beans in it. Place on a hot grill, stirring regularly so garlic will brown but not totally burn. Should take 8-12 minutes. Serve hot.

Late Summer Salad with Grilled Hallumi & Stone Fruit

This is inspired by a great salad I had at Tallulah's. 

Salad with Grilled Hallumi & Stone Fruit

Nectarines (ripe or a little before they are ripe) – grilled on the BBQ in a foil bowl

Hallumi – grilled directly on the BBQ 

Arugula tossed with dressing

Vinaigrette dressing for salad:

2T white/golden balsamic vinegar 

2 T olive oil 

1-2 t honey

Salt & pepper