Lemongrass Chicken and Ramen Noodles by Heather

I am so excited to share this recipe because it uses fresh ramen noodles I got from a friend whose grandma owns and runs a Chinese market in the Chinatown in Oakland.  They make their own noodles, and these are honestly the best ramen noodles I've ever had!  I also went to a ramen making class this past weekend, so I feel like I have a new appreciation for how complex the process is.

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup coconut milk (full fat)
1 stalk lemongrass, with core sliced finely
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbs. ginger, roughly chopped
1 shallot roughly chopped
5 green onions, finely sliced
2 handfulls fresh ramen noodles
1/4 oyster sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. soy sauce (or more to taste based on your preference)
Sriracha (add based on your preference)

Salmon, Kale, and Mascarpone Spaghetti by Heather

I haven't gone grocery shopping yet this week, so this dish came together by combining whatever I had left in the fridge.  Yesterday, I had a delicious salmon and creme fraiche tartine at Tartinery, which just opened up inside Hudson Eats.  I love the combination of anything creamy with salmon, and I had just picked up from Gravlax from my neighborhood bagel shop.  I also happened to have some mascarpone in the fridge- so an idea popped into my head to make a pasta dish inspired by that tartine!  I apologize that I didn't take any pictures of this dish while I was making it, but it comes together so quickly and easily, I don't think you'll need the pics!

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup white wine vinegar (white wine is preferable if you have it)

zest and juice of 2 lemons

4 or 5 basil leaves, roughly torn

1/2 package spaghetti or linguine

3/4 cup mascarpone cheese

3/4 cup Greek yogurt

2-3 slices Gravlax (smoked salmon)

1 cup of pasta water (reserve after the pasta is cooked and add to the pasta at the end if you need more moisture in the sauce)

4-5 tbs. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos by Heather

I've been obsessed with tacos lately.  Maybe it's because it's finally starting to get warmer outside, and nothing sounds better than sitting outside with a margarita and some tacos.  Sadly, today it rained again and it's dipping into the 30's, but one can hope!  These tacos are really colorful and they pack a lot of punch from the chipotle peppers.

This recipe was adapted from this one at Tartine and Apron Strings, and this comes together so quickly, I didn't take a ton of photos, but it's super easy to make.

Ingredients:

For the shrimp and tequila lime marinade:
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tbs. honey
juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup tequila
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chipotle powder

For the slaw dressing:
1/2 head red cabbage, finely sliced
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup neutral oil like canola
salt and pepper to taste

For the chipotle crema:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1-2 chipotles in adobo sauce

Additional ingredients:
corn tortillas
1 lime, quartered
1 avocado, diced
hot sauce (optional)

Special Ingredient: Sweet Pea and Roasted Garlic Dip by Rachel

I'm so behind!

I've been doing a lot of cooking, but I've been bad about sharing them with you.  Sorry!

So I had some friends over for dinner this weekend and in thinking about what to make with the bag of peas that I had, I thought to make a dip.  It was a hit!

Ingredients:
10oz of good, frozen peas
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
salt, to taste

Shiitake and Pea Shoot Salmon En Papillote by Heather

"En Papillote" is just a fancy French way to say that something was cooked within parchment paper.  The parchment paper is shaped into a little sealed bag to hold the salmon, which essentially steams it in the oven, so the end result is a flavored, juicy piece of salmon!  I served this dish with Rachel's bok choy recipe, which you can access here.



Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 6-8 oz. salmon filets
carton of fresh pea shoots (you only need about 8 shoots per fish)
1/2 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
1 tbs. grated ginger
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. honey
2 dashes red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
parchment paper

Pork Loin Cutlets with Sage and Lemon Breadcrumbs by Heather

This is a really easy weeknight dish.  All things said and done, you can have this ready in about 25-30 minutes.  I serve this dish with a side of broccolini, which I've cut into 1 inch size pieces, and steamed in a bowl with a lid in the microwave for two minutes.  It doesn't get any easier than this.



Ingredients:

6 thin cut pork loin cutlets, trimmed of any fat around the edges
3 tbs. sage, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
3 tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 14 oz. jar tomato sauce (I like using Muir Glen)

Chocobites by Rachel

I've developed this terrible habit of really wanting to have something sweet after every meal so, naturally, I needed to find something healthier to have for dessert rather than cookies and cakes all the time.  Well, I think I've found just the thing!

Dark chocolate has just enough sweetness and fruit and nuts have just the right texture.  Combining the two make a delicious dessert!

Ingredients
100 grams of dark chocolate (1 bar of Lindt)
1/4 cup of raisins
1/4 cup of golden raisins
1/4 cup of almonds
1/4 cup crushed walnuts
1/4 cup halved peanuts
1/4 cup dried apricots, diced

Quinoa with Pomegranate and Spinach by Heather

Yesterday, I posted a recipe for a very decadent Thanksgiving side.  Today, I'm offering up a lighter side that's easy to prepare and very festive.  I also turn to this dish when I need an easy weeknight side that can be served along something like  miso-soy glazed salmon.

Ingredients:
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
1 box frozen spinach
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (make it easy on yourself and just get a carton of the seeds so that you don't have to de-seed a pomegranate yourself)
1 Tbs. basil infused olive oil (if you don't have this, regular olive oil and a few basil leaves will work)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer, cooking for about 15-20 minutes, covered, until quinoa is fluffy.

While the quinoa cooks, defrost the spinach and add to a bowl.  Combine rest of ingredients in bowl, then add cooked quinoa.  Easy as that!

Summer Rolls by Rachel

Summer's come and gone and so have my summer rolls!  Bad pun, I know, but that doesn't make my summer rolls any less tasty and the recipe is extremely easy.  You can really put whatever you want into a summer roll, but here's the recipe that I go back to time and time again.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb of beef or pork (totally up to you)
1/2 cup cilantro, torn or chopped coarsely
1/4 scallions, diced
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of soaked cellophane noodles
1/4 cup of toasted rice powder
1 package of Vietnamese rice paper

Chili Roasted Tofu with Minted Quinoa Relish by Heather

I wanted to share this easy weeknight dinner.  It's light and healthy, and only takes about 45 minutes from start to finish to make.  This recipe is from Sprouted Kitchen (one of my go to recipe sources) and this was actually the first time I've made this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 14 oz. pack extra firm tofu, drained and pressed in paper towel
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 tsp. chili powder
pinch smoked paprika or chipotle
2 tsp. maple syrup or honey
1 tbs. orange juice
1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

1 pomegranate (just buy the arils)
1 shallot, finely minced
zest of 1 orange
2 tbs. chopped mint leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado, diced
Sriracha to taste

Wrap tofu in paper towel and place between two plates.  Rest a couple heavy objects on the top plate to help remove any excess liquid from the tofu.  Keep the tofu pressed for at least 10 minutes.

Cook the quinoa according to package directions.  Typically, the instructions call for 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water.  Bring the quinoa to a boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until quinoa is fluffy and all water is absorbed.

While the quinoa cooks, make the chili marinade.  Combine the chili powder, paprika or chipotle powder, maple syrup, orange juice, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl and whisk until combined.

Green Tea Poached Salmon with Soba by Heather

On days when I want to eat healthy, but want to feel indulgent, I turn to this recipe.  I make salmon at least once a week and I love its versatility.  Don't be worried about poaching the salmon here.  It's actually quite easy.

This recipe was adapted from Sprouted Kitchen, and I've made only minor tweaks to the recipe.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:
2 tbs. sesame oil
2 tbs. tahini
2 tbs. honey
Juice and zest of 1 lime
3 tbs. soy sauce
1 inch piece of ginger, grated

For the salmon:
3 bags green tea
1 tbs. whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 8 oz. salmon filet

1 package soba noodles
1 bunch broccolini or broccoli, chopped
2 tbs. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced

Garnish:
2 green onions, cut on the diagonal
black or white sesame seeds
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk sauce ingredients into a bowl and set aside.

Combine broccolini, garlic, and olive oil on baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  If you are in a hurry and need to save time, you can also microwave the broccoli in a microwave safe bowl with lid for 2 minutes.

In a medium sized sauce pan, bring 1 cup of water to a simmer.  Turn heat down to low and add tea bags and peppercorns, steep for 3 minutes, then remove and discard tea bags.  Add rice vinegar to the poaching liquid, then slide in the salmon, skin-side down.  Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, until salmon is just barely cooked in the middle.  Remove the salmon and set on a plate, and flake it into pieces with a fork.

Meanwhile, cook the soba according to package instructions.  Once the soba has been drained, divide the soba into individual bowls.  Top with sauce, broccolini, and salmon, then garnish.

Homemade Teriyaki Tilapia by Rachel

Working in and around Times Square, sometimes it's hard to find a place to have a good, well-balanced lunch.  Some of my favorite lunches in the area tend to be bento boxes from little Japanese delis.  If you aren't familiar with a bento box, it's basically a mix of things that you can eat with rice.  Usually it comes with a protein and a few vegetables or a salad.

My favorite bento boxes have a teriyaki glazed fish as the protein and last night I had a serious craving for it.  Luckily for me, homemade teriyaki sauce is super easy to make and you can make it sweeter or saltier depending on what you like.  I prefer mine a little saltier, but if you like yours little sweeter, just add a little more mirin and a little more agave.

Ingredients
1lb of fish separated into two filets- I used tilapia, but this type of sauce is popular on salmon as well
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp good soy sauce
4 tbsp Agave
2 tbsp water


- Mix the mirin, soy sauce and agave together in a dish that will be big enough to place your fish flat into the plate.  Make sure that the agave is well mixed into the soy sauce and mirin.

Yummy sauces all mixed together!