Shaved Asparagus Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients
1 pound thick Asparagus ($2.63)
1 wedge Pecorino-romano cheese ($4.99/Wedge)
1/2 tsp. Grated lemon peel ($1.25)
2 Tbsp. Lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Grated orange peel ($1.00)
2 Tbsp. Orange juice
1 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
1/4 c. EVOO
Course salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 oz Walnuts or Pecans ($3.99/Bag)

Directions
Do not remove the tough ends from the asparagus spears. Hold the tough end of the spear on a cutting board and draw a vegetable peeler down to create thin ribbons. Place the ribbons in a bowl and throw away the tough ends.

Hold the wedge of cheese and draw the vegetable peeler down the side to create ribbons and add to the bowl. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, whisk together lemon peel and juice, orange peel and juice and vinegar. Whisk in olive oil slowly.

Place asparagus on a platter or bowl, poor dressing over top and garnish with pecans and more cheese.

Moroccan Chickpea Soup (Harira)

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

The recipe yields about 2 quarts of soup. Leftovers keep for a few days in the refrigerator. Or they can be frozen for up to six months. Find the original recipe here: http://www.kitchenriffs.com/2014/01/moroccan-chickpea-soup-harira.html

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a cooked whole chicken) ($5.99)
• 1 medium red onion ($.90)
• 1 rib celery ($1.00/Bunch)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (may substitute butter/Ghee; see Notes)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped ($.89)
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped ($.89)
• 2 cans Organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed ($2.50)
• 3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed ($1.19)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
• Pinch of saffron ($4.99 from World Market)
• 6+ cups water (I used water and Organic Chicken Broth I had leftover)
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes ($.88)
• 1/2 cup small soup pasta (I used Divinci Orzo ($2.19/bag))
• Squirt of Sriracha sauce for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Dice the chicken thighs and onions into 1/2 inch cubes. Wash the celery and peel off the strings, then chop the celery into pieces a bit smaller than 1/2 inch.
2. Heat a 4-quart soup kettle or Dutch oven on medium heat. When hot, add the oil and let it warm about 15 seconds. Add the diced chicken and season with salt. Sauté for a few minutes until it begins to brown.
3. Add the chopped onion and celery. Cook until the onion is soft but not cooked through (about 5 minutes).
4. Wash the parsley and cilantro, and chop the leaves until you have 2 tablespoons of each. Set aside.
5. Drain the chickpeas into a colander and rinse. Set aside.
6. Sort through the lentils, looking for dirt or pebbles. Rinse and set aside.
7. By this point, the onion should be soft. Add the cinnamon, turmeric, dried ginger, and saffron (if using) to the chicken and onion mixture. Stir briefly to incorporate.
8. Add the water and the diced tomatoes. Add the chickpeas and lentils. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then set a timer for 30 minutes.
9. At the 30-minute mark, taste the soup and add salt if necessary. Take a look at the liquid level, and add a bit if necessary. Add the pasta, stir, and simmer for another 15 minutes. Stir from time to time so the pasta doesn’t settle on the bottom and stick.
10. Garnish with chopped parsley and/or cilantro, if desired. Garnish with Sriracha sauce for a bit of heat.

Notes from the website:

• If you were making this soup in Morocco, you’d probably use a fermented butter called smen for browning the meat, onions, and celery in Steps 2 and 3. Smen is somewhat similar to Indian ghee (which you could use as a substitute ingredient). But olive oil is also widely used in Moroccan cooking—and easier for cooks in the West to obtain.
• BTW, smen develops more flavor as it ages (like some wines). If people can afford to, they often allow it to age for years before using it.
• Although there’s meat in this dish, it’s more a seasoning than a significant ingredient. Recipes for Harira most often feature lamb, though chicken and beef are often used too.
• How much water to use in this dish is a bit of a judgment call. It depends in part on how thick you want the soup to be. As written, the recipe produces soup with a fairly thick consistency, so you may want to dilute it. Of course, your yield amount for this recipe will depend on how much liquid you end up using.
• Real saffron is ideal for this dish (though in much of Morocco, people commonly use the artificial stuff). You can leave this ingredient out if you wish, though it does add a nice undertone.
• Traditionally, Harira is thickened with a mixture of flour and water (used instead of, or in addition to, dried pasta). If you’d like to try this, just mix 2 or 3 tablespoons of flour with 3 to 4 tablespoons of water. Then add this mixture to the soup about 5 minutes before serving.
• In parts of Morocco, the flour-and-water thickener is mixed a day ahead of time. This allows the mixture to acquire an interesting flavor that’s almost yeast-like. In fact, I suspect that some wild airborne yeast cells do settle on the mixture and begin fermenting.
• Some cooks like to add an egg or two to Harira shortly before serving it (the eggs cook to the consistency of those found in Hot and Sour Soup or Egg Drop soup).
• Some recipes also call for adding lemon juice right at the end. This provides a nice sharp note, and is worth experimenting with.
• Sriracha sauce would not be used in Morocco. Instead, people would use harissa—a flavorful sauce made from hot chiles. You can buy commercially prepared harissa (or make your own). But since Sriracha is a pretty common pantry staple these days, that’s what I specify for this dish. Its flavor is different from that of harissa, but it works well.
• Although Harira commonly is served as a starter dish, it’s hearty enough for a main course. Just add a salad and/or some bread, and you’re good to go.

Asian Fried Quinoa with Kale

http://crandlecakes.com/2014/01/09/asian-style-fried-quinoa-with-vegetables-gf/

Serves 1

2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
¼ cup onion, diced
1 garlic clove, sliced
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups thinly sliced kale
¼ cup chopped carrots (about 1-cm cubes works well)
¼ cup frozen green peas
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 egg
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (use the gluten-free kind if desired)
1 teaspoon sesame oil for garnish (optional)
Sriracha or sambal oelek

1. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sweat onion for 1-2 minutes, then add garlic, pepper flakes, and ginger. When translucent but not browned, add carrots and peas. When peas are bright green and no longer icy and carrots are beginning to soften (about 4-5 minutes), add kale and wilt slightly, about 3 minutes (for softer kale, cook up to 6 minutes). At this stage, I added about 2 Tablespoons of water because the vegetables were beginning to stick. If you need to add water at this stage, make sure it fully evaporates before moving on.

2. When vegetables are softened, add quinoa, stir, and let sit 1 minute to brown a bit. Stir and let sit again, 1 more minute.

3. When quinoa is warmed through and crisped on some spots, make a well in the middle of the pan and crack the egg into it. Scramble the egg in the well and then mix into the quinoa (about 30 seconds.)

4. Just as egg finishes cooking, stir in soy sauce and remove from heat.

5. Serve immediately with a drizzle of sesame oil and sriracha or sambal oelek.

Easy Thai Coconut Butternut Squash Soup

Makes about 10 cups

Squash roasting time: 45 minutes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Soup cook time: 15+ minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash ($1.75)
• 2 tablespoons of oil, divided (olive, vegetable, or canola)
• 1 onion, diced ($1.50)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 apple, peeled & chopped ($.79)
• 2 teaspoons of ground ginger (or 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger)
• 2 heaping teaspoons of Thai red curry paste (more or less depending on your spice preference) ($3.69/jar)
• 32oz Organic chicken broth ($3.49)
• 1 can (14-ounce) Organic Light coconut milk ($3.39)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Toasted sweetened shredded coconut, for serving – optional (but highly recommended!)

Instructions:

• Roast the Butternut Squash (This can be done days in advance) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Halve squash lengthwise and scrape out all the seeds. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, brush the cut flesh with about 1 tablespoon of oil, and place flesh side down on foil. Roast squash until it is very soft – depending on the size about 45 minutes to an hour.  Allow Squash to cool for about 10 minutes and then scoop flesh out of the peel into a bowl.  Use immediately in soup, or place into a sealed container and refrigerate for about a week or freeze up to 2 months.

• Make the Soup. (While the squash is roasting-if doing this in one day) In a large pot, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onion, garlic and peeled apple and sauté on medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until onions are soft.  Add Thai red curry paste and ginger and stir briskly for about 30 seconds. Next add the broth, coconut milk and the roasted squash and simmer for at least 10 minutes. I simmered mine for 1 hour.  

Purée soup with an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender or food processor) – and serve.

For serving: Optional— Top soup with toasted sweetened shredded coconut. I used cilantro instead. 

3-Meat Game Chili

The best part of this recipe is that it has bacon! It's not over-powering, but you can certainly hint that it is there. Brian purchased fresh, thick cut bacon from the deli rather than using pre-packaged. He also used one can of beer and beef broth instead of one or the other. And we cooked it in the crock pot for a couple hours. We topped with onions and cheese. 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
  1 lb. ground sausage
  6 strips bacon, chopped
  1 yellow onion, chopped
  1 green pepper, chopped
  3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  2 cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
  2 cans chili beans
  1-2 cans beer (any kind will work)
  (OPTIONAL BEER SUBSTITUTE: 2 cans beef broth)
  1 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
  1 tsp. dry mustard
  1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  1 tbsp. Chili powder
  1 tbsp. Hot Sauce (such as Hot Spot or Franks)
  2 bay leaves
  salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• 1
  Set a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped bacon and fry until crispy. Remove from grease to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
• 2
  Add ground beef, ground sausage, chopped onion & garlic to bacon drippings in large pot. Cook, stirring frequently and breaking up meat until the meat is brown and the onions are translucent. Drain grease from meat mixture and return to pot.
• 3
  In a food processor, combine beans and tomatoes. Do not drain. (Depending on how large your processor is, you may have to do 2 cans at a time) Pulse until beans and tomatoes are pureed. Add to meat mixture. Add bacon back into meat mixture.
• 4
  Very slowly, pour 1-1/2 beers into your chili. Stir and set temperature to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Add seasonings, stir to combine.
• 5
  Simmer chili for about 20 minutes on low until some of the beer has cooked off. 

{Slow Cooker} Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs

Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs from Shared Appetite

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

4 carrots, peeled and diced

2 bell peppers, diced

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon fresh ginger (about the same size as 2 cloves of garlic)

1 jalapeno, seeded and halved

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

2 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 tablespoon curry powder

3/4 tablespoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

Cooked white or brown rice

Naan, for garnish

Plain Greek Yogurt, for garnish

Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

1) Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add chicken, carrots, and bell peppers.

2) Combine onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, tomato paste, coconut milk, salt, curry powder, garam masala, and turmeric in a food processor until mostly smooth. Pour sauce mixture over chicken. Cook on low for about 6 hours.

3) Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl until dissolved. Pour mixture into the slow cooker, stir to combine, and cook for one more hour, or until sauce thickens to desired consistency.

4) Serve coconut curry chicken over rice, garnished with plain greek yogurt, naan, and cilantro

Lemon and Garlic Roasted Chicken Thighs

Lemon and Garlic Roasted Chicken Thighs from Simply Sophisticated Cooking

Ingredients
8 chicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage

4 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

Zest from 2 lemons

4 lemons, quartered

1 head of garlic, separated and peeled

1 cup baby carrots

Olive oil to coat

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350° F. Zest 2 of the lemons before you cut them up. Mix the sage, rosemary and lemon zest and set aside until needed.

2) Gently loosen the skin on the chicken thighs, so that you can slide your fingers up under but the skin is still attached to the chicken. Tuck in about 1 tsp of the herb mixture under the skin. Lightly coat the chicken pieces with olive oil and generously salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining herb mix over the bottom of a large baking dish and lay the chicken thighs on top. Squeeze the lemon quarters over the chicken and tuck in around the pan. Finish by tucking garlic cloves and carrots around the chicken. Roast uncovered for about 45 minutes to an hour or until a meat thermometer reads 165° F.

3) Allow chicken to rest about 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Buffalo Pull Apart Bread

• By far, the least healthiest recipe we've made. It was pretty good though for our party and the amount of people. I used half the butter and no blue cheese. Since I don't like it and I made it, I made it how I wanted it :) 
  
  
  
  
  
  1 loaf artisan bread 
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 stick of butter
• 1/2 cup of Buffalo Sauce
• 1 bunch of scallions sliced about an inch into the green
• 1/4 cup of blue cheese, plus more to sprinkle on top.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the loaf of bread length-wise and width-wise.  Don’t cut all the way to the bottom.
3. Stuff the bread with the cheese, doing your best to get some in all of the cracks.  You don’t want to stuff it down too far, because you are going to use it to hold the bread open and get the sauce in.
4. Melt the butter over medium heat.  When it is completely melted, gently whisk in the buffalo sauce until it is full combined.  Add the scallions (and the blue cheese crumbles if you want) and remove from the heat.
5. Using a spoon, add the sauce to the bread, getting some of the sauce into each of the cracks.  Make sure you use all of the sauce.  Top with a little extra blue cheese.
6. Tent with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.