Catfish with farro and kale salad

A Blue Apron recipe. The original calls for another element - a grape relish - but the combination of grapes, almonds, and fried rosemary just ended up producing a "peanut butter and jelly" like topping that didn't harmonize with the rest of the dish.

Catfish with farro and kale salad
serves 2

Add 1/2 cup semi-pearled farro to a pot of boiling salted water.  Cook uncovered 16-18 minutes, until tender. Drain and return to the pot.

Season 2 catfish fillets with salt and pepper, then coat in flour. In a non-stick skillet, pan fry in 2 tbsp. butter, 5-6 minutes on the first side, 1-2 minutes on the second.

In a second pan, saute for 2-3 minutes:
2 tsp. olive oil
1 bunch kale, destemmed and rough chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Add and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally:
1/2 c. water

Stir to combine:
cooked faro
cooked kale mixture
2 tsp. lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Five-spice chicken over noodles

Via Blue Apron. The original recipe calls for the chicken to be cooked first, then the same pan used to create the sauce. This makes a tedious sauce prep even longer, so here I've swapped that for cooking the collard greens in chicken stock. I also excised the mushrooms that were to be cooked along side the collard greens, but feel free to toss 3 oz. back in.

Five-spice chicken over noodles
serves 2

In a saute pan, cook for 8-10 minutes:
1/2 bunch collard greens, destemmed and sliced into ribbons
3/4 c. chicken stock

Add and cook 2-4 minutes more until softened: 
4 cloves garlic, minced
1" fresh ginger, minced
1 green onion, sliced
1 baby fennel bulb, diced small (discard stems and root end)

Add and cook 6-8 minutes, until liquid volume has reduced by half:
1.5 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1.5 cups water

Meanwhile, prepare chicken and noodles.

Season two chicken breasts with 1 tsp. five spice powder each, plus salt and pepper. Cook ~4-6 minutes per side.

Boil 4 oz. linguine until al dente. After draining, toss with 1 tbsp. sesame oil.

Serve in bowls, with linguine on the bottom. Divide vegetables and broth between the bowls. Top with a sliced chicken breast.

Shopping list
collard greens, 1 bunch
fresh ginger, 1"
green onions
baby fennel bulb

Check the pantry
five spice powder
linguine
garlic
hoisin sauce
soy sauce
chicken broth

Salmon with Three-Lemon Creme Fraiche

This recipe takes a lot less time and effort than its fancy name implies. Impress your guests! It comes courtesy of Serious Eats, with the "quick" preserved lemon cheat recipe from Mark Bittman.

Creme fraiche can be easily swapped with Mexican crema or in a pinch with sour cream, although you might want to water down sour cream to loosen it up a bit.

Salmon with Three-Lemon Creme Fraiche
Serves 6

Create preserved lemon in an acid-proof vessel and let rest at least 30 minutes:
1 whole lemon, diced small
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

To create sauce, stir together:
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tbsp. preserved lemon
1/2 cup crème fraîche
salt and pepper to taste

Place on a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil:
1 bunch fresh thyme leaves
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1 whole salmon filet, covered in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper

Roast at 350 until the internal temperature registers 130, about 15-25 minutes.

Shrimp in Green Sauce

Shrimp in Green Sauce
serves 6

Boil in salted water:
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini (e.g. Buitoni)

Meanwhile, combine in the food processor:
1 bunch of green onions, tops only
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, rough chopped
1 bunch cilantro, rough chopped
3 tbsp. garlic olive oil
1/8 c. lemon juice
1/8 c. white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. red chilli flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Add to pan and saute for ~5 minutes, until shrimp are just cooked:
the pureed green sauce
1/4 c. white wine
1 pound of shrimp, peeled