Chicken, rice, and celery soup 

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020898-chicken-and-rice-soup 

Bring 8 cups of chicken broth to a boil in a large stock pot or dutch oven.

Rough chop 1 head of Italian parsley. Set half aside for garnish.

To stock pot, add:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3/4 cup jasmine rice
4 stalks of celery, thinly sliced (reserve leaves)
1/2 head of Italian parsley, rough chopped
1 bay leaf

Simmer for 25 minutes. 

While soup is simmering, zest and juice 2 lemons.

To create fresh garnish, combine:
zest of 2 lemons
1/2 head of Italian parsley, chopped finely (reserved)
chopped celery leaves
1 bunch of green onions, thinly sliced

Remove and shred chicken, then return to the pot.

Add to stock pot:
8 oz. of fresh spinach (stir to wilt)
juice of 2 lemons (reserved)
2 tbsp. garlic olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Serve each bowl topped with a generous helping of fresh garnish.

Thai pork salad

From the New York Times.

If you're feeling feisty, chop up the cucumbers a few days in advance and make quick pickles with rice wine vinegar, salt, and sugar.

Thai pork salad

serves 6

Create the marinade and dressing

Combine in a food processor:
5 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. peanut oil
6 tbsp. garlic olive oil
2 tbsp. fish sauce
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. sambal olek
juice of 4 limes (~6 tbsp.)
1 tsp. kosher salt

Add and puree until smooth:
3" fresh ginger, peeled and rough chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and rough chopped
2/3 cup cilantro, packed flat

Place 2 pork tenderloins in a gallon zip-lock bag. Add 1/3 cup of mixture as a marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight (or at room temperature for 2 hours).

Save remaining marinade mixture for dressing the salad.


Cook & assemble salad
Broil pork for 20 minutes, turning the meat after 10 minutes.

Boil rice noodles for 5-7 minutes, until al dente.

Combine and let rest for 10 minutes:
1 head of Napa cabbage, shredded
half the remaining dressing

Add to salad and toss:
5 green onions, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
3 Persian cucumbers, sliced
1.5 cups cilantro leaves
1.5 cups mint leaves
1 cup basil leaves
all the remaining dressing
kosher salt, to taste

To plate, add rice noodles first. Top with dressed salad, then sliced pork.

Shopping list

2 pork tenderloins (1 package)

1 head Napa cabbage (or 8 cups pre-shredded)

green onions

red bell pepper

3 Persian cucumbers

2 jalapenos (or seranos, or Thai bird chilis)

4 limes

3" fresh ginger

2 bunches cilantro

1 bunch mint

1 bunch basil

Check the pantry

soy sauce
sambal olek
peanut oil
garlic olive oil
fish sauce
brown sugar

Chicken soup from leftover roast chicken

Chicken soup from leftover roast chicken
serves 8

Strip remaining meat from chicken carcass and reserve it for the finished soup.

Stock:
Using a cleaver or kitchen scissors, break up the carcass into several smaller pieces so that they will fit in an even layer in the bottom of a large pot or Dutch oven.

Roast in Dutch oven over medium-high for ~8 minutes:
1 tbsp. olive oil
chicken carcass pieces

Turn pieces occasionally, until lightly browned all over.

Add and simmer for 1.5 hours:
12 cups water
1 medium carrot
1 medium celery stalk
1/2 medium yellow onion
2 fresh thyme sprigs, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Soup:
Strain the stock, then bring the clarified stock back to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Add and simmer 20 minutes:
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh thyme
fresh ground black pepper

Meanwhile, cook 1 cup dried egg noodles if desired.

When the vegetables are tender, add reserved shredded chicken and cooked egg noodles. Simmer until the flavors meld, about 5 minutes more. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Roasted chicken over potatoes and kale

This is my first stab at a low FODMAP recipe from The Quiet Gut Cookbook. Savory cooking without garlic or onion is quite tricky, and it's nice to have some base recipes to riff on.

Roasted chicken over potatoes and kale
serves 4-8

Combine in a large stock pot:
3/4 cup Morton's kosher salt (or 1/2 cup table salt)
8 cups cold water
4-8 chicken leg quarters

Brine in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450.

In a large roasting pan, combine:
1.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, sliced with a mandolin to 1/4" thick
1.5 pounds kale, lightly chopped after the central stems are removed

Add and stir to evenly coat the vegetables:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp. salt
fresh ground black pepper

Pull the brined chicken out of the refrigerator.

Combine in a small bowl:
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Rub spice mixture under the skin of brined chicken leg quarters. Then place the leg quarters on top of the bed of potatoes and kale.

Seal the roasting pan with foil, and bake at 450 for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165.

To finish, squeeze the juice of one lemon over the roasting pan.


To buy:
4-8 chicken leg quarters
1.5 lb. Yukon gold potatoes
1.5 lb. kale (~2 bunches)

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

Turmeric Coconut Chicken Curry

Turmeric Coconut Chicken Curry
serves 6

Saute in a large pot for 5 minutes:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
2 inches fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced

Add and bloom for 2 minutes:
1.5 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Add and saute until sealed, 5-7 min:
2 lb. chicken, diced

Add and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes:
1 15-oz. can of tomatoes, drained thoroughly
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt

On the side, combine:
1 13-oz. can coconut milk
1 tbsp. cornstarch

Stir the coconut milk mixture into the curry over medium heat, until the sauce begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle fresh cilantro on top if desired.

Shopping list
1 medium red onion
2 inches fresh ginger
2 lb. chicken
15-oz. can tomatoes
13-oz. can coconut milk

Check the pantry
3 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. olive oil

Improved Chicken & Dumplings

This is a classic Southern recipe. The version I learned from my grandmother in North Carolina was stripped down simple: just a whole chicken, boiled in "stock" made from water and Campbell's condensed chicken broth, and dumplings made from flour and Crisco. It was my go-to comfort food as a child, but these days I find myself wanting more out of this dish. I decided to amp it up by treating the first half of the recipe - boiling the chicken - like making chicken stock, and the second half - boiling the dumplings - like making chicken soup.

First, I picked up the classic chicken soup veggies: onions, celery, and carrots. Then I took the leftover bits from the vegetable mis en place and added them to the boiling stockpot while the chicken cooked - waste not, want not! I also added in the spices typically found in stock recipes: whole black peppercorns, thyme, and a bay leaf. Finally, I switched out Campbell's condensed chicken stock for Better Than Bouillon. For the second half, I updated the dumplings to include leavening and swapped the water for milk, then added the chopped veggies in with the dumplings to cook side by side.

Bring to a boil in a large stock pot:
12 cups of water
4 tbsp. "Better Than Bouillon" chicken base, reduced sodium

Add:
1 bay leaf
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 large spring of fresh thyme, whole
1 whole head of garlic, sliced in half horizontally
celery: about 1 stick worth of tops and bottoms
top and bottom of 1 onion
tops, bottoms, and peels of 4 medium carrots
4-5 lb chicken
* Remove the giblets from the chicken's cavity and toss them in as well.  Include the heart, gizzard, and neck if you have them, but discard the liver - it will add off flavors to the broth.

Boil covered for 45-60 minutes, rotating the chicken once about half way through. When finished, set the whole chicken aside to cool in a large bowl.

Strain the stock to remove solids, then pour it back into the pot and return to a boil. Meanwhile, make the dumplings.

Dumplings
Mix in a food processor:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder

1.5 tsp. salt
0.5 cups cold Crisco solid vegetable shortening

Add and process just to combine:
~1 cup milk (or cold water), as needed (just enough to bring the dough together)

Roll out dumplings about 1/8” thick on a floured counter top. Cut into ~2" squares (a pizza wheel is excellent for this).

Add to boiling stock for 20 min:
dumpling squares

Simmer covered over medium low heat, about 20 minutes until pastry is mostly cooked. Leave the lid slightly ajar to avoid boil over. Stir once or twice to redistribute the dumplings floating on top. 

Add and boil a further 20 min:

1 white onion, diced
4 medium carrots, diced
3 sticks celery, chopped
4 springs of fresh thyme, tied together

To finish, pick all the meat off of the chicken carcass and return it to the pot.  Squeeze one half lemon into the pot. Adjust salt & pepper to taste. 

Shopping list
4-5 lb. whole chicken
fresh thyme
whole head of garlic
1 white onion
4 medium carrots
celery (3 stalks)

lemon

Check the pantry
Better than Bouillon chicken stock base, 4 tbsp.
Crisco vegetable shortening, 1/2 cup
all purpose flour, 3 cups
bay leaves
whole black peppercorns

Chicken sausage with pesto pasta

This is a recipe I found on RealSimple.  It's a great fast weeknight dinner - I love the efficiency of boiling the pasta and the vegetables together in one pot.  Although the original recipe calls for only 8 oz. of sausage, I use an entire 12 oz. package of Aidell's and the ratio of sausage to other ingredients is just fine.

I wanted more pesto flavor, so I amped up the amount from 1/3 to 1/2 cup.  Your mileage may vary here, especially depending on what pesto you use.  If the sauce is lumpy or not coating the pasta properly, thin it out with some water, preferably reserved cooking water from boiling the pasta (since this contains gluten). My preferred brand is the Cucina & Amore "Pesto alla Genovese".

Also, remember that Parmesan cheese can be quite salty - don't add extra salt to your sauce until after the cheese goes in!


Chicken sausage with pesto pasta
serves 6

Brown in olive oil for about 6 minutes:
one 12 oz. package of Italian chicken sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

Boil for 9 minutes:
3/4 pound medium shells pasta

For the last 7 minutes, add to boiling pasta:
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

For the last 3 minutes, add:
1 cup frozen peas

Drain pasta and veggies. Return to the pot.

Toss with:
1/2 cup pesto (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
if needed: add water to loosen the sauce

Once the seasoning level for the pasta and veggies is right, add in the browned sausage rounds.

Fajitas

Another Budget Bytes winner.  I serve these in medium sized flour tortillas, with sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and cubed avocado, tossed in lime juice and salt.  Amazingly, just two tortillas will feed an adult for dinner.  This recipe tends to make about 10 tortillas worth of filling.

Fajitas in the Oven
serves 5

Preheat oven to 400.
 
Combine seasoning mix in a small bowl:
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or just use 1.5 tsp sweet paprika)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp corn starch

Slice and combine in a large 9x13 glass casserole dish:
1 onion, diced
3 bell peppers (pref. a mix of green, red, and yellow)
1 can tomatoes, drained
1 lb. uncooked chicken, cubed
2 tbsp. of vegetable oil

Stir to coat with oil, then sprinkle seasoning mix over casserole dish and mix to coat.

Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes, stirring once half way through.

Finish with 2 tbsp. of lime juice. and 2 tbsp. garlic olive oil.


Shopping list
1 lb. chicken
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion
3 bell peppers
10-pack of medium tortillas
toppings (if desired): salsa, avocado, sour cream/plain Greek yogurt

Check the pantry
corn starch
spices
vegetable oil

Pork Chops with Vinegar & Peppers

This recipe is substantially de-convoluted from the Cook's Illustrated version. The original called for browning the chops on the stove, then finishing the whole dish in the oven.  However, this easily adds 20 minutes to the cooking time.  It's much more practical on a weeknight to pre-cook the chops fully, then bring them back together with the peppers at the end.

Pork Chops with Vinegar & Peppers
serves 6

Cook over medium high heat until done, 4-5 minutes per side:
6 pork chops (pref. bone-in and thick cut)

While chops are cooking, saute for 2 minutes:
1 small white onion, chopped finely

Add, and saute 4 minutes more:
3 large bell peppers red/orange/yellow mix, cut into a large dice
2 anchovy fillets, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary (about 5 inches long)

Add and simmer for 6-8 minutes, until reduced to 1/3 cup liquid:
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 cup water

Discard rosemary sprig. 

Turn off heat and add: 
1 tbsp. garlic olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste

Return pork chops to pan to heat through, then serve.

Shopping list:
6 pork chops
1 large white onion
2 sweet bell peppers, pref. red and yellow
fresh rosemary
anchovy fillets, or anchovy paste (1 tsp = 1 fillet)

Check pantry:
garlic
butter
white wine vinegar

Chicken & Lime Soup

This is a wonderful recipe taken straight from Budget Bytes.  It looks like a typical tomato-based soup, but its flavor profile is completely different.

Chicken & Lime Soup
serves 6

Dice, then saute for 5 minutes:
1 medium yellow onion
1 medium jalapeno (seeds removed)
3 stalks celery
2 tbsp. olive oil

0.5 tsp salt

Add and bloom for about 1 minute:

1 tsp. dried oregano
0.5 tsp. ground cumin

Add and stir in, then saute 1 minute more:
14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
8-oz. can diced mild green chilies, drained

Add and simmer, covered, for 1 hour:

6 cups chicken stock

2 raw chicken breasts, whole
1 tsp. salt (if using low sodium products)

While the soup is cooking, separately cook 1 cup dry pasta (if desired).

After soup has simmered for 1 hour, remove the whole chicken breasts and shred them.

Add to the pot to finish the dish:
shredded chicken breasts

1 tbsp. garlic olive oil
2 tbsp. lime juice (or juice of 1 lime)
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

salt to taste

two cups cooked pasta (if desired)

Garlic Rosemary Chicken

This week, my grocery store had a $0.99/lb sale on whole chickens, so I was determined to put my new roasting pan to the test.  I chose a roast chicken recipe from Cook's Illustrated's The New Best Recipe.  My grocery store stocks larger chickens than this recipe calls for, however, so the cooking time was tweaked according to instructions found in The Joy of Cooking. It came out spot on.

Since I first posted this recipe, I've made some tweaks.  First, I now double the amount of garlic rosemary paste.  Second, I add minced rosemary to the potatoes as well.  Finally, I stole the idea of adding lemon to the potatoes from Ina Garten's Engagement Roast Chicken.

Garlic Rosemary Chicken with Potatoes

serves 4

Break down one whole head of garlic into unpeeled cloves. Reserve 10 cloves for the brine, 4 for the rub, and use the remainder with the potatoes.

Brine
Mix together in a ziplock bag:
1/2 c. table salt (or 3/4 c. Morton's kosher salt)
10 unpeeled garlic cloves
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Beat with a rolling pin to smash the garlic cloves.  Then add to a large stock pot with 2 c. hot water.  Let steep for 10 minutes.

Add 6 cups cold water and a whole chicken (about 4-6 pounds), giblets removed; or 6-8 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs and breasts.  Brine for 1 hour in the refrigerator, turning the bird over at 30 minutes.

Garlic rosemary paste (doubled)
4 tsp. minced fresh rosemary (about 4 stems)
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced (or pressed)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1.5 tbsp. olive oil

Potatoes and garlic mixture
1.5 pounds raw Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
10 unpeeled garlic cloves
1 lemon, cut lengthwise into 4-6 slices
2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary (about 2 stems)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1.5 tbsp. olive oil

Cooking the chicken

If roasting cut up pieces rather than a whole chicken, arrange the potatoes and chicken in a single layer on a high-sided baking sheet.  Rub the garlic rosemary paste under the skin of each chicken piece, then coat the outside with olive oil and season with black pepper.  Roast for 50 minutes at 400.

If roasting a whole bird, place the chicken in a roasting rack coated with non-stick spray.  Rub about 1.5 tsp. of the garlic rosemary paste inside the cavity of the chicken.  Use the rest under the skin of the chicken, concentrating on the breasts and thighs.  Once finished, tie the legs together with cooking twine.  Coat the outside of the chicken with olive oil and season with black pepper.  Then turn the chicken breast side down before placing it in the oven:

• Roast for 15 minutes at 450.
• Add potatoes and garlic to the bottom of the pan.
• Roast for an additional 15 minutes at 450.
• Remove pan from the oven and turn the temperature down to 375.
• While waiting for the oven to adjust, rotate the chicken so it's breast side up and stir the potatoes.
• Roast at 375 until done (breast 160-165 and thigh 170-175).

Total cooking time estimate: 1 hour for the first 4 pounds, then add 8 minutes for each additional pound (e.g. 5.5 pound chicken = 1 hour and 12 minutes roasting time).

Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.  Meanwhile, remove the lemon pieces from the potatos and add about 1 tbsp. of butter.

Shopping list
whole chicken, 4-6 pounds
fresh rosemary
1 whole head of garlic
1.5 lb. Yukon gold potatoes
1 lemon


Recommended products:
In the past, I've had to use an adjustable V-rack and a small baking dish for roasting.  The V-rack is incredibly obnoxious, because even when coated in cooking spray, it tends to stick to the protein and thus come undone whenever you try to turn the meat.  Tonight's infinitely preferable weapon of choice:

Cuisinart stainless steel 16" roasting rack

Risotto

Risotto is a neutral: you can throw pretty much whatever you want into it, depending on your mood and the season.  Here's a very basic recipe, to which other flavors and ingredients can be added at will.  I lean toward adding bright vegetables like peas and asparagus.

Risotto base

serves 6

In a deep pan, saute for about 3 minutes:

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. butter

1 medium white onion, diced finely

Add 1 c. arborio rice and saute it for 2 minutes to toast the grains.

Add 1 cup chicken broth.  Stir until it's absorbed.

Gradually add in 2 more cups of chicken broth about 1/2 cup at a time, adding more as the previous liquid gets absorbed.  Stir constantly.  The rice is done when it starts producing gluten and the mass begins to come together as a big, gooey pile.  If this hasn't happened after 3 cups of broth, add more and keep stirring until it does.

To finish, add 2 tbsp. butter and 1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese. Stir until both have melted into the rice.

Shrimp & Grits

A classic dish of the “low country”, most famously Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA.  Most versions use heavy cream in the grits and bacon fat in the shrimp.  My mother developed this lighter version, which is substantially less likely to give you or your loved ones a heart attack but remains delicious.  Although the recipe looks long, the grits themselves are trivial to prepare and can be done in parallel with the shrimp and pan sauce.

What's a "grit"?

Grits are made by coarsely grinding up corn, and are commonly served as a hot breakfast cereal (think "oatmeal") in the American South.  If you're familiar with Italian cooking, grits are very much like polenta; if that doesn't ring a bell, think of Cream of Wheat made with corn.  Grits can either be paired with sweet toppings like maple syrup or served with savory additions like cheese.  The simplest way to eat them is with salt and butter.

Shrimp and Grits

serves 4

Grits

Bring to a boil (uncovered, or milk will boil over):

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

Whisk in:

1 c. quick cooking grits (NOT instant)

1 c. additional chicken broth or milk

Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring, about 5 minutes until thickened.

Stir in:

1/2 tsp. Tabasco or to taste

1/4 tsp. white or black pepper

a pinch of paprika for color

one of the following cheese blends:

a) 3/4  c. shredded sharp cheddar & 1/4 c. Parmesan

b) 1/2 c. sharp cheddar & 1/2 c. pepper Jack

c) 1 c. smoked cheddar

d) 1 c. smoked Gouda

Set them aside, covered, to keep warm.

Shrimp

Toss in a plastic bag:

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled

1/4 c. flour

1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. Creole seasoning

Saute on medium:

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 tbsp.  butter

coated shrimp

Brown shrimp on both sides, then remove them from the pan and set aside.

Saute for 1 minute in the same pan:

1 c. sliced mushrooms

1/2 c. sliced green onions

1 small tomato, diced

Stir into pan to deglaze and finish cooking the mushrooms:

1/2 c. chicken broth

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. Tabasco

To assemble

Divide cooked grits among 4 large shallow soup bowls.  Arrange shrimp on the grits and spoon the mushroom pan sauce over top.

Recommended products:

Don't already have a box of grits in your pantry?  Go find yourself some Quaker quick grits.  Avoid the similar Quaker product "instant grits," as these have an undesirable texture.  If you can't find Quaker in your store, look for Albers quick grits.  It's an extremely similar product with identical cooking instructions.

Quaker Quick Grits

Albers quick grits

Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

Gumbo can have almost any protein in it, but this is my favorite combination.

Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

serves 4-6

Brown in a skillet on medium heat, then drain and reserve:

1 lb. smoked sausage, in 1/4" slices

Combine in a Dutch oven:

1/4 c. oil (neutrally flavored like canola or peanut)

1/4 c. flour

Stir roux continually over medium heat about 10-15 minutes until it browns; the traditional shade is the color of a copper penny.  Once the color starts to turn, it goes fast.  Be careful: roux is also known as "Cajun napalm", and it can spatter!

Add and simmer on medium low, stirring occasionally, about half an hour:

2 c. chicken broth

1 medium green pepper, diced

1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 bag frozen sliced okra, thawed

1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Tabasco to taste

the reserved sausage

At the end, add 1 lb. small raw shrimp, peeled.  Serve in bowls over scoops of cooked long grain rice.

Recommended product:

Sausage can vary wildly in its fat content, so pay attention to the labels at the store.  The traditional choice is andouille, a Cajun spicy pork sausage.  I use my slightly healthier stand-by, Jennie-O hot Italian turkey sausage.

 

Mrs. Jefferson’s Capitolade of Roast Fowl

Known simply around my house as "Mrs. Jefferson's", this is the best possible thing to do with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and gravy.  It comes from the Monticello Cookbook and was originally served at Thomas Jefferson’s home as a breakfast dish (no, thanks).

Mrs. Jefferson’s Capitolade of Roast Fowl

serves 4

Boil in salted water:

1/2 pkg. egg noodles

While noodles cook, saute briefly in a saute pan or stock pot:

2 c. cooked turkey, in bite sized pieces

2 tbsp. butter

Add and heat through:

1 c. leftover turkey gravy

1 tbsp. white wine or sherry

1/4 tsp. dried thyme or tarragon

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. paprika

Adjust the thickness of the sauce with a bit of broth if needed.  Either serve the turkey over the noodles or stir the noodles into the pot.

Shrimp & Lime Pasta

The first time I made this recipe, I misread "teaspoon" for "tablespoon" and accidentally tripled the amount of lime juice it called for.  Honestly, I think it came out better that way - and so the change has stayed.

Shrimp & Lime Pasta 

serves 4

Saute in olive oil for 5 minutes until soft:

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

Add and saute until shrimp is cooked:
1 lb. shrimp, peeled
2 cloves garlic, minced

Add and heat through:

3 tbsp. lime juice

1 jar chunky salsa

Toss with 3/4 lb. cooked long pasta.

This is very much a "semi-homemade" recipe: store-bought salsa provides the bulk of the sauce, with fresh vegetables added for flavor and crispness.  Everyone say hi to Aunt Sandy!

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

From Cook's Illustrated, another great summer dinner.  If you want to use store-bought pesto, you can saute the chicken and then skip straight to the end.

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

serves 6-8

Boil 3/4 lb. rotini in large pot.  Meanwhile, season and saute 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 minutes per side).

In food processor, blend 10 sec. until smooth:

1/2 c. pine nuts, toasted

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 c. chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp. lemon juice

salt to taste

Slowly drizzle in 2/3 c. olive oil.

Toss together:

pesto

cooked chicken, cut into strips

cooked rotini

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved and lightly salted

1/2 lb. arugula or baby spinach

Chicken & Mexican Green Rice

One of the few recipes I have that calls for chicken thighs, rather than breasts. 

Chicken & Mexican Green Rice 

serves 4-6

Season 1.5 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs with salt and pepper.  Cook in skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes until one side is nicely browned.  Set aside.

Saute in the now-empty skillet for 5 min:

1 white onion, chopped fine

2 poblano peppers (or other mild green peppers), seeded and chopped

Add and bring to a boil:

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

14 oz. can green enchilada sauce

1 c. long-grain white rice, raw

Nestle chicken into rice, browned side up.  Cover and cook on low heat for 20 min., stirring every 5 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 c. chopped cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve at least two thighs per person.

Green enchilada sauce is typically sold in a can, not a jar.  This threw me off the first time I went hunting for it, and I ended up bringing home some sort of salsa verde instead.  (I think it still lurks in the back of my pantry, waiting for a use.)