The best recipes are ones that are really, really hard to screw up. The following is exactly that; a perfect entree for when you are timid about serving something new to friends. The flavors are quite rich, and there's very little that can go wrong with peanut butter.
1. Saute 1 chopped red onion, 2 chopped jalapenos, and 1/2 inch chopped ginger in 1 tbsp olive or peanut oil for 2 minutes.
2. Add 1 tbsp chile powder for one minute, then add 1 cup chicken stock, 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and bring to boil.
3. After the mix comes to a boil, let simmer and add 3 cups roughly chopped cooked chicken and simmer for 15 minutes with limited stirring.
4. Serve with chopped green onion and grilled flatbread!
I bought a rotisesrie chicken and ripped up the meat, which then allowed me to use the bones for broth. It was the best. broth. ever. Saute a chopped onion until golden and then add chicken bones and enough water to cover. 30 minutes to simmer should be enough!
I also served the chicken with the following apple celery salad. The light tanginess of this dish really complements the thick texture of the peanut butter chicken!
1. Chop 1 gala or fuji apple and 3 stalks celery.
2. Mix with 1 tbsp agave nectar, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Serve as side!
I came upon a recipe for a salmon, leek, and baked eggs that looked beautiful, but I really didn't care for baked eggs. It's quite difficult to cook the yolks to that perfect level of gooeyness, and the mountains of tasteless, dry whites in between really kills the mood. I decided to modify the recipe for a light quiche-filling. This is easy to prepare and bake!
1. Saute 1 chopped leek in 1 tbsp butter for approximately 10 minutes. Mix with baby arugula at the end and spread onto a baking dish.
2. Cover the sauteed leeks with a layer of smoked salmon.
3. Whisk 6 eggs with 1 cup milk until frothy. Pour over the leeks and salmon.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. Serve with mint tea!
Baking can be difficult sometimes without an electric blender. And even more difficult if you're over a friend's house without a whisk. Here is a recipe for orange cakes that I made in a muffin pan. Since I did not have an orange, I ended up using clementines, which I found to be juicier and more adorable. And it worked just fine with a fork!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
4 clementines (or 1 orange)
1 tablespoon baking powder
Mix the butter with sugar until creamy and then add eggs. Afterwards, combine with flour and baking powder, and finally the zest and juice of the clementines. Baking at 400 degrees for 10 minutes (if in a muffin pan, longer depending on pan shape). Enjoy with ice cream!
Have a special occasion with not much time to prepare? Roasted salmon marinated in a brown sugar glaze is an easy and delicious entree.
1. Purchase half pound fillets of salmon
2. Marinate salmon in a 2:1 ratio of soy sauce to brown sugar for one hour before roasting. If desired, mince garlic and add to marinade.
3. Roast for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
4. After taking the salmon out, sear it on a pan to add crispiness to the skin. Enjoy!
Pancakes of the world! I've been making crepes and dutch babies lately but have ignored the very American banana pancake. There is an inimitable tanginess that bananas impart to pancakes, and with the additional kick of yogurt, these pancakes come together quite well. And flax seed is a wonderful addition to add nuttiness and omega-3's to your morning!
1. Beat 1 egg and whisk with 1 tbsp of granulated sugar
2. Whisk in 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and 1 cup milk
3. Add 1 1/2 cups flour (in any combination of buckwheat, all purpose, and whole wheat) with 3 tsp baking powder
4. Add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5. Butter griddle and pour approximately 1/2 cup portions of batter.
6. Top with sliced bananas and agave nectar. Enjoy!
Williams Sonoma is a liar. The seemingly reasonably priced Dutch Baby mix turns out to be nothing more than flour, a dash of cinnamon and a tough of nutmeg. Damn my attraction to package design! Dutch Babies are incredibly easy to make, and provide something a little different in the mornings!
1. Preheat a skillet pan in the oven at 400 degrees.
2. Whisk 2 eggs until frothy, and add 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.
3. Take out the skillet and coat generously with butter. Many recipes give measurements, but you can just hold a stick of butter and grease the skillet.
4. Bake at 425 degrees for approximately 10 minutes, or until puffed. It will de-puff shortly after removal from the oven.
5. Top with fruit or sugar mixed with lemon zest.
There is very little that can go wrong with olive oil, salt, and rosemary. Here is a quick and simple and potato recipe to use for breakfast or sides!
1. Wash and slice red potatoes.
2. Toss with olive oil, salt, and chopped rosemary
3. Roast for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.
