Shroom bowls

In the last few days multiple people have asked me about what good things I've been cooking lately, but instead of wowing the crowd with a description of something delicious I've only been able to respond with a feeling of deep sadness because lately, life has been quite a trip.

I'll save you all the sob story but after wading through a swamp of school work and crawling out from under the ever growing pile of work work only to be sucked into the media swirl of the election all while turning a whole year older, there hasn't been much time (read: energy) to spend in the kitchen.

But instead of spending time longingly dreaming about all of the recipes I wished I had made time to make lately, I dug deep and thought about all the meals I had been making lately - because it's never the complete truth when I say I haven't been up to anything.

So here I share with you the non-cooking list.

If you're also up to your eyes in to-do lists or just have some Post-Trump Depression, take notes and cook what you can:

1.  The best way to non-cook is to make one item that you can use multiple ways.  I'll roast sweet potatoes, fennel, or beets at the beginning of the week then use them to fancify meals throughout the week.  Of course tossing some into a salad is a given, but try roasted fennel on toast with persimmon or lox, or place roasted potatoes on a plate, top with an egg, and microwave for 1-3 minutes to enjoy in the morning.

2.  Easy soups.  You might think all soup is easy to make but that's a lie.  Some soup recipes are a lot of work because they have tons of ingredients with different cook times or require multiple prep methods (puree, roast, etc.) that really just turn out to be a nuisance... the list of traits goes on but I think you know what I mean: grab ingredients for simple lentil soups, chili, or anything made in a slow-cooker so you can enjoy your day and your dinner too!

3.  Lastly, we have the lazy salad in disguise as seen here.

For those of you who don't already know, I like to think of sautes as lazy salads in disguise.

If I took all these ingredients and ate them cold, I would be sad.  By taking all these ingredients and giving them a little saute I not only save myself the effort it takes to make a dijon vinaigrette, but also get to trick my brain into thinking it's eating some sort of masterpiece.

The taste buds ain't mad, so catch the recipe below to get non-cooking!

Mushroom Bowls

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c brown rice
• 1 T mustard seeds
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 T red wine vinegar
• 2 c mushrooms, chopped (I used cremini)
• 1 t red pepper
• 1-2 t thyme or rosemary
• 4 c kale, chopped
• Salt, pepper, and olive oil as needed
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Garnish: Gruyere, grated

Combine:

1. Cook the brown rice according to directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat until the oil shimmers.  Then add in the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and saute for another 2.
4. Add in 1 tablespoon of the vinegar to deglaze the pan, then push the onions to the edges and add the mushrooms.  Continue to cook these until the juices come out and they are starting to brown.  Add in the rest of the vinegar and give the pan a good stir.  Toss in the chickpeas, kale, and rice until well mixed.
5. Top with gruyere and enjoy!

Salt Chicken

While walking home from the train station, hangry bitch face in full effect as I tried to dream up something wonderful to make for dinner, the savior voice of my conscious reminded me of salt chicken.

 

In my post-veg years this is one that has quickly become my go-to dinner, and although some might argue it's not truly a "recipe" since it's never been made the exact same way twice, it has a pretty scientific set of steps to follow:

Start with a foundation of chicken surrounded by garlic, whether it be powdered, minced, a roasted spread, or a little of all three.  Build up the plate with lots of complex greens like kale, full grown spinach, fresh arugula, or rainbow chard to give it some substance.  Then top it off with some flavorful additions that are salty, spicy, or sweet: like olives, artichokes, capers, red pepper flakes, carmelized onions, and red bell peppers.

 

The combination is versatile so it can be tossed with pasta or used to decorate a plate of polenta similar to this dish, but it brings enough flavor to the table to make it a delicious stand alone dish too.

 

Now that you know how to make this super crave worthy dish, the only thing left to question is the super blog worthy name!

 

Garlic Chicken and Kale Saute

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 3 chicken breasts, halved
• 1 T oil
• 1 t salt
• 2 t garlic
• 2 t onion
• 2 t mustard
• 1/2 t red pepper

For the saute:

• 1 sweet onion, sliced
• 3 lg cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 T olives, chopped
• Olive oil, salt, and pepper as needed
• Optional:
• 1/4 c crushed artichokes

Combine

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  When its shimmering, drop the onions into the pan and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, coat the chicken with olive oil, sprinkle liberally with salt, then with the spices.  Scatter on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping the pieces once half way through.
4. When the onions start to get carmely but not browned, add 2 tablespoons of water and cook for 10 more minutes.  Add the garlic and red pepper and saute for another 10 minutes.
5. Toss in the olives and artichokes until well mixed and warmed.
6. Plate a heaping spoonful of the saute, top with chicken, enjoy!

Chile Pepper Fest

The other weekend Brooklyn Botanic Garden hosted a Chile Pepper Festival that was exactly as hot as it sounds!

Between feeling my tongue melting out of my mouth, endlessly searching for tissues, and being blissfully immersed in hot-sauce heaven I managed to pick a few favorite must-haves:

1. Jacky's James and Jellies takes the award for best jelly.  The mild is very mild and has a spice level friendly to most mouths.  The hot was HOT, but still flavorful enough to be tasty, making it great for incorporating in recipes (think cheese platter, baked brie, thumbprint cookies, etc.)


2. The Bronx Hot Sauce is definitely the best green hot sauce that I've had in awhile.  It's deliciously spicy with a hint of lime on the finish and comes with the satisfaction of supporting a community!


3. My Mustard Chicken post may not have fully reflected my love for spicy mustard - I am obsessed and will literally eat it on anything!   Holy Schmitt's Homemade Horseradish makes the best I have ever had in my life, it is an absolute must try!  They also make a beet horseradish that magically manages to capture the sweet beet flavor while still keeping the horseradish burn.


4.  Torchbearer Sauces makes not-hot sauces that are deliciously flavorful, and hot-hot sauces that will make you frantic for a tissue.  Despite the claim that Psycho Curry was their most popular sauce of the day, I have to say the Smokey Horseradish was so good I want to eat it daily.  It has a medium spice to it, is loaded with flavor, and has the perfect consistency that means you literally can use it for anything!
5.  The brownie I waited all week for came from La Newyorkina Mexican Sweets and it did not disappoint.  It's soft, fudgey texture held the perfect balance between cocoa and spice with a little bit of smoke for added depth - the only downside was the seeds!


6.  Little Bird Chocolates: the best spicy chocolate I have ever had.  Ever.


7.  Although the spicy chocolates from Raaka Chocolates were not as impressive, especially in comparison to the Little Bird booth next door, the Coconut Milk Chocolate and the Maple & Nib bars are to die for.  Fun fact: you can tour their factory 4 days a week AND learn how to make chocolate from scratch on the weekends - I cannot wait to go!


8.  Whimsy & Spice: pumpkin ginger sandwich cookies - order yours today because yes, they ship nationwide!

Don't salt, just feta.

Yes, you read that right.

All you crazy people putting salt on your watermelon can stop before you start, all you really need is feta!

It's a classic that not many people know about but now that you're set straight you can move on to eating this ideal end of the summer meal.

The chicken has a mustard-y kick and is a great alternative to the sweet honey-mustard recipes that are too common, the quinoa salad is adjusted from Equinox because watermelon, feta, and basil are the best, and of course no meal would be complete without kale.

Enjoy!

Mustard Chicken with Basil Melon Quinoa + Balsamic Kale

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1 lb chicken, thinly sliced
• Olive oil as needed
• 2 t mustard seeds for sprinkling
• 3 t ground mustard seed
• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper
• 2 t onion, dried
• 2 t garlic, dried
• 1 t oregano or tarragon

For the Quinoa

• 3/4 c quinoa, well washed
• 1 1/2 c water
• 1 T oil
• 2 T basil
• salt
• 2 c watermelon, diced
• 2 T feta
• 1/2 t pepper

For the Kale

• 4 large kale leaves, washed and chopped.
• 1 T oil
• 1-2 T balsamic reduction

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Boil water over high heat, add in the quinoa, oil, basil, and salt, and cook until the water is level with the quinoa.  Reduce to low heat and simmer covered until cooked through.
3. While you wait mix up the spices for the chicken.
4. Trim the chicken and rub it with a little olive oil.
5. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with whole mustard seed, then sprinkle both sides with the spice mix until well covered.  (Use the back of a spoon to press the spices down if needed.)
6. Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
7. While you wait put the watermelon, feta, and pepper into a large mixing bowl and toss.  Fluff the quinoa with a fork, add to the bowl, and toss until combined.
8. Wash and chop your kale, heat the oil over medium-low heat, then add kale and cook until just wilted.  Toss with the balsamic reduction.
9. Enjoy!