Black Bean Turkey Chili

• Olive oil
• 2 yellow onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pound ground turkey
• 4 15-oz cans black beans, undrained
• 2 15-oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
• ¼ cup tomato paste 2 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon salt

1. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Sautee the onions and garlic until softened.
2. Add the turkey and sautee until cooked through, crumbling as you cook.
3. Add the beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, spices, and salt. Return to a boil, turn down to medium-low, and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Serve with whatever toppings you like (we like grated cheddar cheese and diced red onions OR pickles for some reason)

Spagetti and Meatballs

• 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup milk or water
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon onion powder or 2 teaspoons minced dried onions
• 2 large eggs
• 2 garlic cloves, minced, plus 2 more for the sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Red pepper flakes
• 2 28-ounce cans of tomatoes
• 1 pound spaghetti or pasta of your choice

Ingredients
1. Place meat, crumbs, milk or water, parsley, cheese, salt, pepper, onion powder, eggs, and minced garlic in a large bowl. Mix it all together with a fork or potato masher
2. Form mixture into 1 ½ to 2-inch meatballs and arrange on a plate. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to help them keep their shape
3. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and some pepper flakes and let sizzle until garlic is golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add tomatoes (beware the slatter!) and season with remaining salt. Let mixture simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
4. With stove on low heat, add meatballs to sauce one by one, and cover with a lid. Let simmer for 25 minutes. Check periodically (like every 5 minutes) to make sure the sauce is still bubbling. If not, turn it up to medium low
5. While the meatballs are cooking, cook and drain the pasta.
6. To serve, place some pasta in a bowl and spoon some sauce and meatballs over. Top with parmesan if you want

Chana Masala

• Olive oil
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
• 2 15-ounce cans red kidney beans OR garbanzo beans, undrained
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat a drizzle of oil in a deep sauce pan over medium heat for one minute. Add ginger, garlic, onion, green chili, and let sizzle for one minute
2. Add the tomato sauce, salt and remaining spices and cook for an additional five minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add beans plus one additional cup of water, and tomatoes. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until a bit thickened and generally delicious. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro
4. Serve over basmati rice

Fettucine

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk, or more, as needed
• 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes
2. Stir in chicken broth, milk and fettuccine; season with salt and pepper, to taste
3. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through, about 18-20 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk
as needed until desired consistency is reached.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired

Salmon

• 3 TBL vegetable oil or olive oil
• 3 TBL soy sauce
• 1 ½ TBL pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 TBL minced fresh ginger
• 1 TBL minced garlic (3 cloves)
• ¼ tsp hot red pepper flakes
• 4 skinless salmon filets (2-2 ½ pounds total)
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• Rice

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange two racks evenly spaced in the oven
2. In a small saucepan, combine the vegetable oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and hot red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside off the heat
3. Arrange the salmon filets rounded sides up, in a baking dish just large enough to hold them with a little space in between the filets. Sprinkle the salmon with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and spoon the soy sauce mixture evenly over the filets. Roast the salmon for about 12 minutes for rare and 15 minutes for medium, depending on the thickness of the filets

Lemon Rice

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion (chopped, red onion will also work)
• 1 cup basmati rice (soaked and drained or thoroughly washed)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tsp organic lemon zest
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian/vegan version)
• 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbsp fresh dill (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 pinch turmeric (optional but required if you want the bright yellow color in the picture)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, for serving)
• Extra lemon juice (optional, for serving)

1. Saute the onions and garlic. To a large saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and saute until soft and fragrant (4-5 minutes)
2. Add the rice. Add the washed rice and lemon zest, saute until slightly toasted (about 1 minute) stirring frequently to keep the rice from sticking to the pan
3. Add the liquids and herbs. Pour in the broth, lemon juice, dill, parsley, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt, and turmeric (optional). Mix and allow to come to a boil uncovered, then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the liquids have evaporated and the rice is tender but not sticky (time may vary depending on the rice you’re using). Stir, then taste and adjust seasonings, if desired
4. Let sit. Remove the rice from heat and allow to sit covered for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff up2 tbsp olive oil
5. Add the rice. Add the washed rice and lemon zest, saute until slightly toasted

Notes

Note: If the liquids evaporate before the rice is done (this may happen depending on the rice you're using), feel free to add extra water. Do not overcook your rice as it will continue to cook after you turn off the heat

Storing Instructions: store any leftovers in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days. Do not allow the cooked lemon rice to seat at room temperature for too long (longer than an hour) for safety reasons

Reheating Instructions: reheat on the stovetop until hot adding a splash of water or broth or in the microwave (60-90 seconds). Always make sure the rice is steaming hot before serving. Do not reheat more than once for safety reasons

Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper, if using
3. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together buttermilk and butter. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist. Gently fold in cheese
4. Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Cut out 10-12 rounds using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter
5. Place into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown

Okonomiyaki

Pancakes

• 1/2 small head cabbage, very thinly sliced (1 pound or 5 to 6 cups shreds) which will be easiest on a mandoline if you have one
• 4 medium carrots, peeled into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
• 5 lacinato kale leaves, ribs removed, leaves cut into thin ribbons
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Canola, safflower or peanut oil for frying

Tangy Sauce

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (note: this is not vegetarian)
• 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon rice cooking wine or sake
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey (use 2 if you like a sweeter sauce)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Toss cabbage, carrot, kale, scallions and salt together in a large bowl. Toss mixture with flour so it coats all of the vegetables. Stir in the eggs. Heat a large heavy skillet on medium-high heat. Coat the bottom with oil and heat that too
2. To make a large pancake, add 1/4 of the vegetable mixture to the skillet, pressing it out into a 1/2- to 3/4-inch pancake. Gently press the pancake down flat. Cook until the edges beging to brown, about 3 minutes. 30 seconds to 1 minute later, flip the pancake with a large spatula. (If this is terrifying, you can first slide the pancake onto a plate, and, using potholders, reverse it back into the hot skillet.) Cook on the other side until the edges brown, and then again up to a minute more (you can peek to make sure the color is right underneath)
3. To make small pancakes, you can use tongs but I seriously find using my fingers and grabbing little piles, letting a little batter drip back into the bowl, and depositing them in piles on the skillet easier, to form 3 to 4 pancakes. Press down gently with a spatula to they flatten slightly, but no need to spread them much. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the edges brown. Flip the pancakes and cook them again until brown underneath

Chicken Piccata

• 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate
3. Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley

Baked Feta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas

• 8-ounce (225-gram) block feta
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
• 1 1/2 to 2 pints (3 to 4 cups) cherry or grape tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 a red chili pepper, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs (parsley, cilantro, mint, dill, basil, or rosemary, or a mix)
• Flatbread or toasted pita wedges (gluten-free, if needed), for serving

1. Heat oven to 400°F
2. Place feta in the middle of a 9×13-inch or other 3-quart baking dish. Pour olive oil over it and around the pan. Add tomatoes to the olive oil. Sprinkle tomatoes with garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper and toss to coat with oil. Scatter chili pepper over feta
3. Roast for 15 minutes, until tomatoes begin to release some juices. Add chickpeas to tomatoes around the feta, plus more salt and pepper, stirring to coat them with the oil. Return pan to the oven and roast for another 10 minutes or until tomatoes are as juicy as you’d like them to be
4. Transfer the dish to the broiler part of your oven, or crank the oven heat as high as it goes. Broil for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the tomatoes and feta take on a little color
5. To serve/eat, you can stir the softened feta into the tomato-chickpea mixture or you can do as I did, and leave it intact in the center, spooning some with each serving of the chickpeas and tomatoes. Scatter with herbs

Eggs in Purgatory

• A glug (1 to 2 tablespoons) olive oil, plus extra to finish
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus extra for garnish
• 2 tablespoons pitted black olives
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained, rinsed
• 1 anchovy filet, minced, or more to taste, if you prefer a heap of them
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or double that of fresh
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced or crushed tomatoes
• Salt, to taste
• 1 to 4 large eggs (shown with 1)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, plus extra to finish
• A slice of bread of your choice, per egg

1. On a cutting board, pile garlic, 1/4 cup parsley, olives, capers, anchovies (if using), oregano and pepper and run a knife through them again and again until they’re chopped into a tiny rubble. Heat a small-medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot, swirl in a glug of olive oil and let it warm. Add garlic-parsley heap to pan and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes carefully because they’re going to splatter like crazy, nd stir to combine. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer sauce for 5 minutes. Taste and add salt or more pepper flakes if needed
2. Make a small indentation in the sauce for each egg you’re using, and crack them in. Sprinkle the eggs and sauce with parmesan and cover pan pan partially with a lid. [This is when you should toast your bread; I like to brush mine with olive oil and run it under the broiler.] Let the eggs cook for 5 minutes, after which the whites are usually set and the yolks still loose, but when I use more than 1 to 2 eggs in the pan, this can take longer. Cook another minute or two if needed, but keep a close watch so you don’t accidentally hard cook them
3. Drizzle pan with a little extra olive oil, then finish with more pepper, cheese and parsley. Eat with toasted bread

Tomato and Fried Provolone Sandwich

• 4 1/2-inch thick slices your favorite sturdy bread
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, or more to taste
• 2 medium-sized perfectly ripe tomatoes, sliced
• Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 to 2 slices of provolone, pre-sliced is fine, per piece of bread (see Note at end)

1. Toast your bread, if you wish. (See Note at end.) Spread each slice of bread with mayonnaise. Arrange tomato slices on a cutting board and season with flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper
2. Heat a skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat and coat with a very thin layer of olive oil. Add first 1 to 2 slices of provolone to the skillet and cook until crusty and gently browned underneath. If you are like me, you might panic when the cheese turns into a puddle that spills towards the edges of the pan, but trust the process: it will begin to brown underneath. Once crispy and golden underneath, use a thin spatula (this is my go-to; everyone needs one) to flip each slice of cheese and cook on the second side for another 10 to 20 seconds
3. [Another tip: Sometimes I use two spatulas to flip the cheese. The first one, something like a small offset spatula, just to lift the edge. Then, once lifted, I find it easier to slide the second spatula underneath and flip with ease.]
4. Transfer these discs of crispy cheese heaven out of the pan and onto your prepared bread. Repeat with remaining cheese, covering each slice of bread
5. Shingle slices of tomatoes, halving if needed so they fit better, over the fried provolone. Sprinkle the tomatoes with extra salt and pepper if they seem like they need it, and eat with one hand, making a drippy mess of yourself, while calming an irate newborn with the other (if you’re me) or with two hands, from a plate, sitting down with a napkin on your lap, you civilized thing (could never be me, clearly)

Notes

• I rarely find decent provolone that’s not pre-sliced, i.e. inexpensive and packaged for sandwiches, so I was determined to make it work with what I could get and am delighted to tell you when refreshing this recipe in the year 2024 and not concurrently taking care of a 15-day old infant (unlike when I first shared this in 2015) it totally does. So, go ahead and use the cheap stuff
• No need to toast your bread for this, but if you’re going to, I vote for doing so by frying it in olive oil in the same pan. Want to go one step extra? Once toasted and still hot, rub lightly with a clove of garlic

Sesame Peanut Noodles

Ingredients

Noodles and Vegetables

• 3/4 pound dried buckwheat soba noodles or another noodle of your choice
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
• 1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
• Half a large or two small seedless cucumbers, cut into matchsticks
• 1 cup firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into thicker matchsticks
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (white, black, or a mix thereof)

Sauce

• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced or finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes or a hot sauce or chili paste of your choice, to taste
• 1/3 cup warm water

1. Make the sauce: Either with a whisk or a blender, combine sauce ingredients except the warm water until completely smooth, then add the water a tablespoon or two at a time until you get the consistency you like. Set aside until needed
2. Make the noodles: Boil in salted water as directed on the package then drain and rinse under cold water until fully cool
3. Assemble: Place noodles and vegetables in a large bowl and toss with sauce to evenly coat. Transfer to serving bowl, if you’re fancy, and scatter with tofu, drizzling a little extra sauce over it. Garnish with sesame seeds and eat immediately

Notes

Note: I usually keep the noodles in one container, the vegetables and tofu in another, and the sauce in a jar and assemble it one bowl at a time. The sauce keeps for two weeks in the fridge.

Shawarma

• 1kg Chicken Breast
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 2 Tbsp Shawarma Spice

Shawarma Spice

• 4 Tsp Salt
• 2 Tsp Ground Cumin
• 2 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 Tsp Boharat or 7 Spice
• 2 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tsp Chilli Flakes
• 1 Tsp Ground Coriander
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 Tsp Turmeric
• 1 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Ground Ginger
• 1 Tsp Ground Cloves
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Cardamom
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Bay Leaves

Boursin Zucchini Pasta

• 2 Boursin cheese blocks(shallots & chives)
• 1 Zucchini
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 1 package cherry tomatoes
• 1 jar sundried tomatoes
• 2 heads garlic
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 tbl garlic powder
• 1 tbl onion powder
• 1 tbl salt
• 1 tbl pepper
• 1 tbl italian spices

1. Chop zucchini
2. Place all ingredients in 9x13 pan
3. Pour olive oil on top
4. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Notes

Try using less olive oil and drain sun-dried tomatoes

Try roasting garlic separately or sauteeing beforehand

No Knead Bread