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)

Orzo Stuffed Peppers by Heather

I've been making a lot of stuffed veggie recipes this fall.  Most stuffed veggie recipes are warm and hearty, and even if they are covered in cheese, well, you're still eating your vegetables!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mint, chiffonade
1/2 cup shredded Pecorino Romano, plus 1/4 cup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large zucchini (or two medium) grated with a box grater
1/4 cup olive oil
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup basil, chiffonade
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo
6 bell peppers (choose a few colors like red, orange, and yellow)

Ottolenghi's Fried Eggplant, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad by Heather

I love the August issue of Bon Appetit.  There are so many great summer recipes in this edition, and it's really inspired me!  There was an article on Ottolenghi, along with some of his recipes.  If you don't know who Ottolenghi is, he's an Israeli-born chef and owns some really great restaurants in London.  Most of his ingredients center around vegetables, and his recipes are basically magic.  I don't normally follow recipes down to every detail, with but his, I do.  He knows how to bring out the best in any vegetable- especially eggplant.  That being said, I haven't altered this recipe in any way.  It's great as-is, and I encourage you to try it!

Ingredients:
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems
 ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves with tender stems 
1 clove garlic, chopped 
2 small green chiles, such as Thai, seeds removed, chopped, divided 
½ cup olive oil, divided 
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more 
¾ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
2 medium eggplants (about 1½ pounds), cut into 1½” pieces
Vegetable oil (for frying; about 2 cups) (I ended up using about 4 cups because I used a large oval Dutch oven)
1 pound small tomatoes (about 8), cut into wedges 
½ pound Persian cucumbers (about 3), sliced thinly

Corn, Zucchini, and Feta Salad by Heather

I have so much zucchini and corn this week, I'm going to be serving them in everything this week!  This salad is super easy to put together and it makes a great side dish for the Mediterranean turkey burgers. This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit- their recipe calls for basil and zucchini blossoms, which I couldn't find at the grocery store this week, but they'd make a lovely addition to this salad if you can find them!

Ingredients:
2 ears corn, shucked, kernels removed
2 zucchini, sliced into very thin medalions
1/4 block feta
1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley
2 tbs. chopped chives
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 dashes red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the zucchini, working in batches on a grill pan with a drizzle of olive oil, cooking for just two minutes on medium low heat.  No need to flip them, you just want them to become a little softer.

Combine the white wine vinegar, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper into a small bowl, whisking to combine.

Add the corn, zucchini, feta, parsley, and chives into a medium bowl, then add in the dressing, a little at a time.  Toss to combine.

Mediterranean Burgers with Tzatziki by Heather

I wanted to take advantage of all the great produce that's in season this month- especially zucchini and corn.  These burgers are so light and satisfying, especially topped with this tzatziki sauce.

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients for the burger:
1 lb. ground turkey (light and dark meat)
3 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, chopped (light and dark green parts)
2 tsp. oregano (preferably fresh)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for Tzatziki sauce:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 large cucumber, grated and squeezed of excess liquid
2 scallions, white and light green parts only
2 tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
2 tbs. chopped fresh mint
zest of 1 lemon
juice of half lemon
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Garnish suggestions:
Grilled bread (I used a sourdough rosemary loaf from Whole Foods, but grilled pita would be good, too)
heirloom tomato, sliced
microgreens

Combine all ingredients for the burger in a large bowl and combine with your hands until just combined.  Form into 4 patties and set aside on a plate.

Combine all ingredients for tzatziki in small bowl and set aside.



If using grilled bread, grill the bread before the turkey burgers.  Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the bread and grill on medium high heat, about 4 minutes per side, or until you see golden grill marks form.



Heat 1 tbs. olive oil in a grill pan, and on medium high heat, cook the burgers for about 6 minutes on the first side, or until almost half of the burger looks cooked.  Take care to make sure the heat on the stove isn't too high so you aren't blackening the burgers.  Flip and cook for about 4.5 minutes longer, turning down the heat a little if necessary.

Serve with Garnishes and enjoy!

Ratatouille by Heather

The past few days have been filled with pasta, burgers, and a day of wine tasting in Sonoma (poor me, I know).  Since it's Sunday, and we usually make a heartier meal, I wanted to make something that was roasted and warm, but still healthy, so that's where the ratatouille comes in! I had an amazing ratatouille at The Little Prince in SoHo- it came with a poached egg on top, and it added a great richness to the dish.  I'm making mine a little more rich by adding some goat cheese, too.

Of course I couldn't make ratatouille without watching Ratatouille, and I suggest you do the same!

Ingredients:

1/2 large eggplant (I used a Chinese eggplant since it's similar in circumference to the zucchini)
3-4 Roma (plum) tomatoes
1-2 zucchini
1-2 yellow squash
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small can tomato paste or 8 oz. tomato sauce
2 sprigs rosemary
couple sprigs of thyme
2 eggs, poached (or 1 egg for each person)
goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbs. white vinegar

To make this dish even more substantial you could serve the ratatouille over couscous or some rustic toasted bread.



Directions:

Saute onions in large Dutch oven until nearly translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic cloves and saute two minutes more.  Add in tomato paste, incorporating ingredients; smooth out the sauce into a thin layer, covering the bottom of the pan.



Slice veggies on a mandolin about 1/16 inches thick.  I found it hard to slice the eggplant on the mandolin, so I ended up slicing it by hand.  Start by laying a piece of eggplant on the outer perimeter of the pan, then lay down a piece of yellow squash, zucchini, then tomato.  Make sure you have about a 1/4 inch gap between each slice, but no more.  Repeat this pattern, making a concentric circle towards the center of the dish.  Season with salt and pepper, and some thyme leaves.

Place the Dutch oven on a piece of parchment paper, tracing the perimeter so that you have a piece that will fit perfectly on top of the ratatouille.  If the ends of the parchment paper roll up once you've placed the parchment paper on top, crinkle the paper into a ball and then unfold once again.



Bake the ratatouille in the oven for about 45-55 minutes, or until the slices are cooked, but not falling apart.



In the last 10 minutes or so, poach the eggs.  Bring about 2 cups of water to a gentle boil, along with 2 tbs. of white vinegar (it helps the eggs stay together).  It also helps to use really fresh eggs.  Crack each egg into a ramekin first, then slide each egg in the water one at a time, swirling the water to encourage the eggs to stay together.





Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and set aside for 5 minutes.  Remove each egg with a slotted spoon, and lay over an individual serving of the ratatouille.  Add some crumbles of goat cheese, and serve!

Californian Turkey Chili by Heather

Brandon and I made this chili over the weekend, and it was awesome.  Brandon recently moved to San Francisco, and I was in town visiting for the weekend.  We've started a tradition, where very time I visit, we cook a Sunday meal together.  It's normally a bigger meal, so that he can enjoy the leftovers during the week.  We hadn't made chili in a while, and we wanted to incorporate some fresh veggies and flavors from California to make this version extra special.  The spice mixtures below are based on our preference- if you like things more or less spicy, play around with the measurements to suit your taste buds!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey (light and dark meat)
12 oz. can unsalted crushed tomatoes
12 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 ear corn, kernels removed
2 onions, diced (set aside 1/4 for garnish)
3 green onions, white and green parts diced
1/4 jalapeño, diced (you could also add a roasted poblano if you can find them)
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
6 good shakes of Cholula or your hot sauce of choice

Spices:
4 tbs. cumin
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
at least 4 tbs.  chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:
shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
dollop of Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream)
1/4 cup diced cilantro
diced raw onion
hot sauce (we prefer Cholula)
avocado

Whole Wheat Linguine with Kale, Yellow Tomatoes, and Ricotta by Heather

I just got the Meatless Cookbook by Martha Stewart, and had to make a version of their linguine with kale and tomatoes- the picture was so pretty!  Normally I find Martha Stewart recipes to be a little lacking in flavor, so I amped up with recipe with lemon juice, white wine and added some Greek yogurt to the ricotta mixture.  This recipe comes together in less than 20 minutes, so it's a great weeknight dinner option.



Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh, whole wheat linguine
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 pint yellow tomatoes (also known as zima tomatoes)
3-4 large lancinato kale leaves, roughly chopped
4-5 stalks broccolini (you can add more if you like), roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup white wine
2 tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup ricotta (I used goat ricotta)
pinch of red pepper flakes

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: Marinated Lamb with Mint Pesto and Pea and Feta Salad by Heather

To celebrate the coming of spring, peas are the secret ingredient for March!  This dish is light enough to really bring out the flavors of the peas and mint, and I think these ingredients really complement the lamb.

Ingredients:

For the pea and feta salad:
8 oz. fresh English peas
1 cup parsley, chopped
about 5 oz. feta, diced
juice of half lemon
zest of 1 lemon

For the mint pesto:
1/2 cup fresh mint, leaves removed from stalks
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup olive oil- add this in increments until the pesto is runny
2 tbs. water or more depending on thickness
juice of 1 lemon

For the lamb + marinade:
1 lb. lamb, cubed (you could use lamb chops if you wanted)
2 tbs. cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbs. red wine vinegar
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. parsley, chopped
2 tbs. fresh oregano, chopped

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

Special Ingredient: Citrus Tapenade with Chilean Sea Bass by Heather

This month, Rachel and I decided on citrus as the special ingredient since they're in season and help brighten a cold winter night.  This recipe combines lemons, limes and oranges.  You could put this tapenade on chicken or any other white fish, but I chose to use Chilean Sea Bass since it's a nice sturdy white fish.



Ingredients:

Citrus Tapenade:
2/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
2 tbs. capers, drained
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 anchovy, chopped (optional)
2 tbs. orange juice
juice of 1/2 a lemon
juice of 1 lime
2 tbs. zest of an orange
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lime
segments of 1 orange, chopped (I used a Cara Cara orange but you could use any kind)
2 tbs. olive oil
sprinkle of red pepper flakes

2 6-8 oz. filets of chilean sea bass (or your protein of choice)
1 cup uncooked quinoa

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)

Hot and Sour Soup by Heather

I went to a really great yoga class tonight, and was craving a warm, healthy soup afterwards, and this soup did the trick.



Ingredients:
1 carton low sodium organic vegetable broth
4 cups water
3.5 oz (1 carton) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3.5 oz. beech or enoki mushrooms
white parts of 3 green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs. ginger, grated
2 heads baby bok choy, stalks diced
1/2 package firm tofu, diced
1 cup chinese cooking wine
3/4 cup to 1 cup rice vinegar (depends on your preference; I added 1 cup)
2-3 tbs. hot chili sauce
4-5 tbs. soy sauce (taste as you go and add more as needed)

Garnish:
1/2 carrot, julienne
leaves of the baby bok choy
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
green parts of the green onions, sliced
lime wedges
sriracha

Shrimp Pad Thai by Heather

Here's a healthy and quick version of one of my favorite takeout dishes, Pad Thai.  Admittedly, when I was making this dish, I didn't take a ton of pictures, but the recipe is easy to follow.  I used linguine instead of rice noodles, mostly because I don't like the texture of rice noodles, but you could use either.

Ingredients:
1 lb. shrimp
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
4 green onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
bean sprouts (if you can find them; I never can!)
3/4 cup chopped peanuts
6 oz. linguine or rice noodles
lime wedges
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 block of firm tofu, diced (you can skip this if you want to just stick with shrimp)
2 tbs. canola oil

sauce:
3 tbs. soy sauce
3 tbs. tomato paste
1 tbs. honey
juice of one lime
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 tbs. almond or peanut butter

Sicilian Shrimp Pasta by Heather

I'm trying to channel the warm, sunny weather of Sicily with dish.  It was another cold, snowy day in New York and I'm definitely looking forward to spring!  This dish is light and spicy, and comes together in about 20 minutes.



Ingredients:
1 lb. shrimp, deveined, and peeled
3 garlic cloves
1 shallot
1/2 cup wine
6 tbs. toasted almond slivers
7-8 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 box whole wheat rigatoni
3/4 cup parsley, chopped

Smokey Beet Burgers by Heather

I made these last weekend and they were a huge hit with Brandon.  The combination of walnuts, lentils, and beets give this a nice meaty texture.



Ingredients:
1 cup cooked beets, grated
1 cup cooked green lentils
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
2 eggs
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chipotle powder
1 cup walnuts, toasted
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs. olive oil

For the feta spread:
8 oz. feta, crumbled into cubes
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Garnishes:
arugula micro greens
mesquite BBQ or sriracha
avocado, sliced

Indian Spiced Swiss Chard Wraps by Heather

It's still very cold in NYC, so I wanted something warm and hearty for dinner.  These Swiss chard wraps deliver just that with a nice amount of spice.



Ingredients:
1 cup cooked green lentils
1 carrot, finely diced
1 package shiitake mushrooms, diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 package of extra firm tofu, cut into small cubes
1 in. piece ginger, skinned and grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bundles Swiss chard (I used rainbow chard)
28 oz. carton diced tomatoes
1/2 can coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Shiitake and Lentil Tacos by Heather

I love this recipe.  It's packed with flavor and comes together quickly. This recipe is from Sprouted Kitchen, and I don't change a thing because it's perfect the way it is.  You'll have leftover sauce and you can use it on a quinoa bowl with a fried egg in the morning or as a salad dressing.  This is a vegetarian recipe, but you could easily add chicken or salmon instead of the lentils if you wanted to add meat.

Ingredients:

Green sauce:
3 garlic cloves
2 Tbs. white miso
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. soy sauce
pinch of red pepper flakes
3 Tbs. OJ
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 packed cups basil leaves
1 packed cup cilantro
3 Tbs. sesame oil

1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
half yellow onion, diced
6 oz. (2 cartons) shiitake mushrooms
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
salt to taste

avocado, diced
1/2 carrot, shredded
micro greens or sprouts
corn tortillas or cabbage leaves
1 lime, quartered
Sriracha

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding by Heather

If you want a quick and easy but healthy chocolate-y dessert, look no farther!  This dish takes just about 5 minutes to make, and you probably already have most of these ingredients in your pantry.  If you've never had chia seed pudding before, it's kind of like eating tapioca pudding, but crunchier.

Ingredients for 1 Ramekin:
2 Tbs. chia seeds (or enough to generously cover the bottom of the ramekin)
3 Tbs. almond milk (you can use any other type of milk you have on hand)
1 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
dash cinnamon
small dash cardamom
1/2 tsp. honey, plus more for drizzling
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 almonds
a couple of frozen berries of your choice
sprig of mint for garnish