Sesame Peanut Noodles

This is a super quick and easy recipe that I make as a side dish or as a simple lunch. It's delicious both hot and cold, and I usually have all the ingredients in my fridge and pantry. I like to make this when I get home late from work, have some warm for a late dinner, then refrigerate the rest and eat it cold for lunch the next day.


The Ingredients:

1/3 – ½ lb linguine (I used whole wheat. Any long noodle you have on hand will be fine)
3 Tbsp Peanut Butter
zest of ½ lime
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
½ tsp chili garlic sauce (I found this on the international aisle of my grocery store. If you don’t have it, or can’t find it, substitute 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes)
1 carrot, sliced into matchstick sized pieces
3 Tbsp starchy pasta water
1 tsp sesame oil
juice of 1 lime
2 scallions, sliced on the bias

The Directions:

1. Follow package directions to cook pasta.
2. Once you drop the pasta into the boiling water, combine peanut butter, lime zest, soy sauce, brown sugar and chili garlic sauce in small saucepan.
3. About 3 minutes before pasta is finished cooking, heat saucepan with peanut butter mixture over low heat, to combine. The mixture will thicken up and become clumpy.
4. About 2 minutes before pasta is done, add sliced carrots to the cooking water. Then add the 3 Tbsp of pasta water to the peanut mixture to thin out to a saucy consistency. The mixture should be thick, but smooth and easy to stir. Take sauce off the heat, add sesame oil and lime juice, and stir well to combine.
5. When pasta is done, drain well, and combine with sauce. Top with scallions.

I usually add snow peas, cut on the bias, if I can find them. I couldn't find them on my way home today, so left them out. When I had a microwave, I would make the sauce right in the serving bowl in the microwave - just cook the peanut butter on high 1-2 minutes, until it's loose and stirs easily, then add all the other ingredients (omitting the pasta water) and stir it all together. Add the pasta water when you add the pasta, as needed. But now that I don't have a microwave, I find the stovetop method is still pretty quick! The peanut sauce is also a great marinade for chicken breasts - let the chicken sit in the sauce for an hour or so, then grill or bake.

Roasted Asparagus

This is a really simple side dish, that takes advantage of fresh, seasonal vegetables. I made this recipe tonight with asparagus, as a side for spaghetti and meatballs, but I'll follow the basic method and recipe with a number of veggies.



The Ingredients:

1 bundle asparagus
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic
1 -2 tsp balsamic vinegar (This is also great with lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, sherry vinegar, or another acid. If you're using lemon, lime or orange juice, add a bit of the zest, too!)
Salt and Pepper to taste



The Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim asparagus spears, removing tough ends.
2. Cover sheet tray with aluminum foil. Place asparagus spears on sheet tray. Drizzle liberally with olive oil. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, and grate 1 clove of garlic over spears. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Toss all ingredients together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Roast at 400°F for 10 – 15 minutes, until ends start to darken, and spears are tender.
4. These are great served warm, or chilled. Save leftovers and dress with simple vinaigrette for a great salad.
This is so simple to prepare - just toss the veggies with the oil, vinegar and seasoning, and cook until done. Since it's roasting in the oven, it's hands free once you assemble, and it doesn't use up a burner on the stove. The clean up is simple, too, since you've lined the sheet tray with foil, so nothing sticks to the sheet tray. And this method and recipe is great with tons of seasonal veggies - I'll make this with broccoli, broccolini, green beans, broccoli raab, cauliflower, carrots, fennel, zucchini, and probably others I can't think of right now! You could also do this with a mix of veggies. And it's a side dish that's great warm or cold. I'm saving the leftovers for a salad - just toss with some red onion and cherry tomatoes.

Garlic and Thyme Roasted Chicken with Crispy Dripping Croutons

3 days ago, one of my colleagues came to work raving about the chicken she made for dinner the night before. And she's continued to mention the chicken at least 2 or 3 times a day since. It sounded so wonderful, and I've heard so much about it, that I finally asked for the recipe. She told me that she got the recipe from the New York Times , and when I found the recipe and connected article, I was even more convinced that this was the roast chicken for me.

I've never successfully made a roast chicken. Last year on Valentines Day, I tried to make one for a special dinner. I made a delicious compound butter with garlic and herbs that I rubbed under the skin. I stuffed it with lemons, garlic and herbs. And I roasted it for almost 2 hours. It was still very under cooked. Another hour, and it was STILL under cooked. Finally we gave up on a raw roast chicken dinner and got takeout.

This one sounds perfect: no basting, no changing oven temperature during cooking, very easy prep. Plus, it cooks on bread, which absorbs all the drippings and juices and will end up like one giant, stuffing flavored crouton.

The Ingredients:

Sturdy bread (preferably stale) sliced ½ inch thick (I used multi grain bread)
1 tbsp olive oil, more as needed
2 tsp kosher slat, more as needed
½ tsp freshly ground pepper, more as needed
1 4-5 lb chicken, patted dry
1 garlic head, sliced in half horizontally, through the cloves
1 bay leaf
½ bunch thyme sprigs
½ lemon

The Directions:

-Preheat oven to 425°F. Lay bread slices in a metal roasting pan, in one layer. (I don't have a metal roasting pan, so I used my big Pyrex pan.) Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
-Rub 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper inside cavity of chicken. Stuff cavity with garlic, lemon, bay and thyme. Rub outside of chicken with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle all over with remaining salt and pepper. Place breast side up on bread.
-Roast chicken until deeply browned and juices run clear, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with bread from pan.

This was truly amazing. It was so easy, and came out perfectly! The skin was crispy and flavorful, the meat was juicy and lightly flavored by the thyme, lemon, and garlic. And the bread was amazing! Crispy, but moist, full of the flavors of chicken, olive oil, lemon, garlic and thyme. I served the chicken with glazed carrots and creamed spinach for dinner. And the next day, I made a salad with veggies, pieces of chicken pulled off the bones, and croutons of the yummy crisp bread. I think this is going to become a new household favorite - the hands on time of making this is so quick, maybe 10 minutes of prep, and it can be incorporated into many meals and leftovers!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today is Boyfriend's birthday, so I'm making his favorite treat: chocolate chip cookies! I've played around with whole wheat flour in this recipe, and have found that we really like the texture of the cookies when I replaced just under half of the AP flour with whole wheat. And I feel like it's a bit more healthy that way.






The Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
¾ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 ¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 bag chocolate chips
splash of milk

The Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Cream butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
2. While butter and sugars are creaming, combine whole wheat flour, AP flour, baking soda and salt.
3. Add vanilla and eggs to butter and mix to combine.
4. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in thirds. Mix just until combined. Add a splash of milk to make the dough a bit more moist. Stir in bag of chocolate chips.
5. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Drop cookie dough by heaping teaspoon-full onto lined cookie sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes. Let cool on a baking rack.

This will make just over 3 dozen cookies. Which will last about a week in our house, if I'm lucky. Not only are they a great treat, but they make the house smell fantastic!

Pasta Carbonara

I know this isn't a true carbonara recipe, but it's my version, based on what I keep on hand. I think it's super tasty, and more importantly, super easy. So on nights that I just don't feel like cooking, this is quick and requires little effort. I serve it with a simple salad, or roasted veggies.




The Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-5 slices turkey bacon, medium diced
1 shallot, medium dice (or an onion, or some garlic - whatever you have on hand)
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 - 1/3 cup white wine, if you have it (I didn't tonight, but use it in this recipe when I have it)
1 1/2 cups stock (vegetable stock, chicken stock - whatever you have)
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
salt and pepper to taste
enough pasta to feed everyone you're cooking for (any shape will do, and the sauce really will stretch so this can serve anywhere from 2-8 people!)

The Directions:

1. Boil water for pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente.
2. While water is boiling, heat saute pan with olive oil over medium heat. Add bacon to pan, and saute until it starts to crisp. Reduce heat to low, add shallots and red pepper flakes, and sweat shallots until soft. Deglaze pan with wine if you have it, and reduce. Add stock to pan, bring to boil, and let reduce, stirring occasionally.
3. In small bowl, combine egg yolks and parmigiano-reggiano. (I whisk the mixture.) When pasta is almost done, temper yolk mixture by stirring in a bit of the pasta water.
4. Drain pasta, and add to saute pan. (At this point, the stock should have reduced to a thicker glaze that just coats the pasta.) Reduce heat to very low, add egg mixture, and toss pasta over low heat for a minute or two until sauce thickens and pasta is well coated with sauce. Season with salt and pepper if needed (remember the cheese and bacon will be salty, so use salt sparingly) If you have some fresh herbs, like parsley or chives, you can garnish with that.

We have this every few weeks in our house. Not the healthiest meal, but quick, cheap, filling, and easy to make with pantry ingredients. And VERY yummy!

What's in your pantry and fridge?

I'm fascinated by what people keep on hand so they can cook without having to run to the grocery store before making dinner. I live in a one bedroom apartment in New York City, so space is seriously limited. While our kitchen is pretty large by NYC standards, it's still tiny, so I try not to keep stuff on hand that I won't use.

Here's what I try to keep in my kitchen. I'm sure I've forgotten a few staples.

Spice Rack:
Kosher salt
coarse black peppercorns to grind
chili powder
ground cumin
grill seasoning
Hungarian sweet paprika
smoked sweet paprika
whole nutmeg
curry paste and/or powder
ground coriander
turmeric
garlic powder
dried minced onion
bay leaves
red pepper flakes
ground cinnamon
ground cloves
a couple of salt-free seasoning blends (I love a number of the Penzey’s blends)

Fridge/Freezer:
milk
unsalted butter
eggs
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Turkey bacon
Sharp cheddar cheese
Dijon mustard
flat-leaf parsley
fresh thyme
celery
carrots
frozen peas
frozen corn
frozen veggie medley
frozen artichoke hearts
turkey or chicken sausages (I try to buy organic, and I get a variety of flavors)
ginger, peeled, cut into 1-2” pieces, and frozen
plain bread crumbs (I buy a bag from my local bakery, but you could make your own from stale bread. Either way, I keep the bread crumbs in my freezer and they last for months.)
Spanish or yellow onions
shallots
garlic

Pantry:
Low sodium, organic vegetable stock (if I haven’t made veg. stock from scratch)
canned diced fire-roasted tomatoes
carton of crushed tomatoes
tomato paste (I prefer tomato paste in a tube, and keep it in the fridge once opened)
black beans
cannellini beans
variety of long- and short-cut pastas, plain, flavored, and whole wheat
whole wheat couscous
quick cooking brown rice
quinoa
all-purpose flour
whole wheat flour
granulated sugar
brown sugar
baking powder
baking soda
pure vanilla extract
neutral vegetable oil, such as canola oil
extra virgin olive oil
sesame oil
soy sauce
hoisin sauce
chili garlic sauce
balsamic vinegar
red wine vinegar
honey
Calvados
Marsala
A white wine that I would drink as well as cook with

Also, lots of pots and pans, a food processor, a stand mixer, and a few other kitchen gadgets and toys...

Is there anything you can't live without that I don't have on the list? I worry that there are things I am missing out on because I haven't tried or thought to keep around.

Chicken Meatball Noodle Soup

Boyfriend has a bad cold. He's been sick for a few days now, with a very sore throat, and a bad cough. He hasn't felt like eating much, so I thought chicken soup would be just the ticket to a speedy recovery. Yesterday, all he ate was canned chicken noodle soup, so today I tried to make something slightly different. This is a great comfort soup, and is a great way to use up stuff you have around the house.



The Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, large dice
1 medium bulb fennel, medium dice
1 medium onion, medium dice
2 stalks celery, medium dice
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 quart chicken stock (I had some homemade stock frozen, but a low sodium store bought stock would be fine, too)
1 package noodles (I found some spinach chive linguini at Trader Joes that I though might be tasty in the soup. But egg noodles, pastini, rotini, or whatever pasta you like would be fine. This would also be a great way to use up ends of boxes of pasta, if you're like me and have multiple boxes of pasta with one serving or less remaining.)
dark leafy greens, if you have them (I had some kale in the fridge, so threw it in)

Meatballs:
1 lb ground chicken
½ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated parmigiano reggiano
1 egg
1 sprig thyme, minced
1 pinch dried minced onion
1 pinch garlic powder
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 tsp grill seasoning
1 shallot, grated

The Directions:
1. Heat dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat through. Add carrots, fennel, onion, and celery, and sauté 5 minutes, until they start to become tender. Add 2 sprigs thyme, bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté 1 or 2 minutes more. Add stock, and bring to boil.
2. While stock is coming to boil, make meatballs. Combine all meatball ingredients and combine well with hands. Do not over mix. Form golf ball sized meatballs, and drop into soup. (I ended up using about 2/3 of the meatball mix before deciding that was enough for 2 of us. So I'm saving the rest and will bake off meatballs tomorrow for lunch. 350° for about 15 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through) Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook 45 minutes or so. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors will combine.
3. Before serving, bring back to boil and add noodles to soup. Cook until noodles are al dente. If you like, add a few handfuls of dark, leafy greens, chopped to bite sized pieces when you add the noodles.

This was SO good. It had tons of flavor, and the whole apartment smelled yummy. I loved having meatballs, rather than shredded chicken, since I think it gave an additional depth of flavor. The kale was a great twist, too. I wanted to boost the healthy factor, so Boyfriend will feel better as soon as possible, and thought that the vitamins in the kale would be a good way to start. And it's such a hearty green, that it doesn't get too soggy or soft. We have enough left over for a couple of lunches, and I think we'll both be sad when it's gone. I may have to make another pot!