Kale Salad & Chicken Cacciatore

Menu:
Chicken Cacciatore || Martha Stewart (cannot find the original recipe online)
Creamy Polenta
Kale Salad || Smitten Kitchen

Believe it or not, even though I rarely update this site anymore, I do refer back to it quick often for meal ideas. And I couldn't forget to post a dish the entire family can't get enough of. The Chicken Cacciatore was delicious. But, what I need to tell you about is this salad! I've been making at least once a week for awhile now. I've brought it over to friend's houses and they've loved it. It is, quite simply, amazing. Seriously. Try it!

Thai Red Curry and Beef Soup with Cucumber Salad

Menu:
Thai Red Curry and Beef Soup || Real Simple
Asian Cucumber Salad

Thai Red Curry and Beef Soup
Ingredients ////
8 ounces rice noodles
1 pound sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
2 tablespoons red curry paste
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
fresh basil leaves
1 chili, sliced

Directions////
Cook the noodles according to the package directions.
Meanwhile, brown the steak and sweet potato with the onion in the canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, red curry paste, and Asian fish sauce; simmer until the potato is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the noodles and lime juice. Top with the basil and chili.

Sweet Potato Tortilla Soup

Menu:
Sweet Potato Tortilla Soup || Camille Styles

Ingredients ////
3 whole allspice
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 chipotle chile in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce
1 quart high-quality low sodium chicken broth (mine ended up more like a stew than a soup -- still delicious, but I'd maybe double this)
kosher salt
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 corn tortillas
extra-virgin olive oil
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
2 ripe avocados, peeled, deseeded and cut into 1/2″ dice
2 limes, cut into wedges
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Instructions ////

In a small, dry skillet (not nonstick), toast allspice, cumin and peppercorns over medium heat, shaking occasionally, until fragrant (mine took about 3 minutes.)

Add the toasted spices to a blender with onion, garlic, chipotles, adobo, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 cup chicken broth. Blend on high power until completely smooth.

In a large pot, combine the purée, the rest of the broth and the diced sweet potato. Bring to a simmer, then cover and let simmer for 45 minutes until the sweet potato is tender.

Preheat the oven to 400. Slice the tortillas into strips, then spread out on a foil-lined baking sheet. Toss with the tiniest bit of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of salt. Bake for 15 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.

Add chicken, black beans and corn to the pot, and let simmer for a couple minutes just to heat through. Check for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.

Divide soup among bowls, and top with sliced avocado, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, diced avocado, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar and tortilla strips.

Pappa al Pomodoro

Menu:
Pappa al Pomodoro || Tales of Me and the Husband via Ina Garten
Super Greens Salad with Pomegranate

Ingredients ////
1/2 cup good olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
1 cup medium-diced carrots, unpeeled (3 carrots)
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium-diced (1 1/2 cups)
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes, crusts removed
2 (28-ounce) cans good Italian plum tomatoes (whoops, I only used 1 -- it was still great)
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

For the croutons:
3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes
2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, chopped (I used 4 oz.-- why not?)
24 to 30 whole fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper

Directions ///
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes. Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process just until coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. For the topping, place the ciabatta cubes, pancetta, and basil on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the ingredients are crisp. The basil leaves will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine. Reheat the soup, if necessary, beat with a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. Stir in the Parmesan and taste for seasoning. Serve hot sprinkled with the topping and drizzled with additional olive oil.

Perfect Roasted Chicken

Menu:
Ida Garden's Perfect Roasted Chicken || Food Network
Brussels Sprouts
Apple Crisp || Wednesday Chef

NOTE: My friend Ali posted this recipe, and I pretty much trust anything she recommends. This chicken was the best roasted chicken I've ever made.

Perfect Roasted Chicken
Ingredients:
1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Roasted Delicata Squash with Rosemary

Menu:
Chicken Andouille Sausage with Red Beans and Rice
Roasted Delicata Squash || White on Rice Couple

Carrot Soup

Menu:
Carrot Soup || Bleubird Vintage
Salad with Golden Beets & Goat Cheese

NOTE: This soup is amazing. I cannot wait to make it again. For my paleo friends, just substitute full-fat coconut milk for the cream. I bet it's just as good.

Lyonnaise Salad

Menu:
Salmon
Lyonnaise Salad || Yum Sugar

Lyonnaise Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients ||
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar, or more to taste
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt, to taste
2 large eggs
1/4 pound (1 small head) frisée, rinsed thoroughly and torn into bite-size pieces
Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions ||

Add the oil and bacon to a large nonreactive skillet and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon has rendered its fat, taken on some color, and is just starting to crisp. Remove the lardons to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving behind as much bacon fat as possible.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add about 1 tablespoon white vinegar to the simmering water. Add the minced shallots to the bacon fat and cook, stirring occasionally until softened; remove from the heat. Pour in the Champagne vinegar and mustard; whisk to emulsify. Season to taste with salt.

Poach the eggs in the acidulated water. Carefully set the poached eggs aside on a small plate. Reheat the dressing if necessary (it should be warm, but not hot), add the frisée and lardons, and toss with your hands until everything is evenly coated in the dressing.

Divide the greens and lardons between two plates and top each plate with a poached egg. Season with a few cracks of black pepper and more salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.

Chevaps

Menu:
Chevaps || The Clothes Make the Girl
Green Beans

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Menu:
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken || Just a Taste
Shredded Brussels Sprouts

Lentil Soup

Menu:
Lentil Soup || Jamie Oliver

14th Anniversary Menu

Menu:
Ribeye Steaks
Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo || Saveur
Creamed Spinach

Broccolini Salad

Menu:
Broccolini Salad || 101 Cookbooks
Chicken Italian Sausage

Lobster Ravioli & Fig Salad

Menu:
Lobster Ravioli from Trader Joe's with Pinenuts and Butter Sauce
Fig, Prosciutto and Arugula Salad

Notes:
Our friends Chris & Penny were in Italy this summer, and brought back this lovely balsamic vinegar straight from the source -- Modena, that is. It was absolutely delicious drizzled over this salad.

By the way, holy hiatus! To say I have been uninspired in the kitchen is quite the understatement. I don't think we ate one meal before 8:30 pm during the Spring thanks to a busy soccer and baseball schedule. Quick and easy was the name of the game. And this Summer has been incredible! Our house has been filled with guests, fun and of course food. Not enough time to think about documenting it, clearly, but too much food! After losing 15 pounds over the winter, I've gained 10 back over the past couple months -- I need to get back on track. Such a bummer. Honestly, I don't really worry about the numbers, but there comes a point when enough is enough. Bottom line though, it's not easy. This meal certainly didn't help the issue, but it sure was delicious.