Creamy Avocado Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 Avocado
• 1 clove Garlic peeled
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup low-fat sour-cream or greek yogurt, optional additional spoonful of mayo
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice or white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• Water

Instructions

1. Place all the ingredients In a food processor or blender.
2. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides a few times. Thin the salad dressing out with about 1/3 cup water (give or take) until it reaches a desired consistency.
3. Keep in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.

Chicken Tenders

FOR THE DIP:
1 ½ cups full-fat Greek yogurt, labneh or sour cream
¼ cup finely chopped chives
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, finely grated or chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 

FOR THE CHICKEN:
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
2 cups bread crumbs (preferably panko or other coarse bread crumbs)
3 tablespoons olive oil

PREPARATION

• Make the dip: Mix yogurt, chives, parsley, dill, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl; season with salt and plenty of pepper. Set aside.
• Prepare the chicken: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut chicken breasts lengthwise into about 1 1/4-inch-wide strips. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Mix together flour and paprika in a medium bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Place eggs in a large bowl and whisk with 1 teaspoon water. Season with salt and pepper. Put bread crumbs in a large bowl or shallow baking dish, and season with salt and pepper.
• Working with few pieces at a time, toss the chicken in the flour mixture, making sure it’s evenly coated. Shake off excess flour, and dip into egg wash. Shake off any excess.
• Dip chicken into bread crumb mixture a few pieces at a time, pressing to adhere as many bread crumbs as possible. Shake off any excess, and set chicken aside on a large plate.
• Place breaded chicken strips on a foil- or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and bake until one side is beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Using tongs or a spatula, flip chicken and continue to cook until the other side is golden brown and crisp, another 6 to 8 minutes. Serve with herbed yogurt dip.

NYT

Red Lentil Soup

NYTimes

INGREDIENTS
· 3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
· 1 large onion, chopped
· 2 garlic cloves, minced
· 1 tablespoon tomato paste
· 1 teaspoon ground cumin
· ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
· ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
· Pinch of ground chile powder or cayenne, more to taste
· 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
· 2 cups water
· 1 cup red lentils
· 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
· Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
· 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro


DIRECTIONS:

1. Chop onion

2. Peel carrot, chop

3. Crush 2 cloves of garlic in garlic press

4. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.

5. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.

6. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.

7. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.

8. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.

Spiced Chickpea Stew With Coconut and Turmeric

recipe from NYT

only serves 4-6 so double for leftovers!

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, finely chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
3 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 (15-ounce) cans coconut milk: 1 full fat, 1 light
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 bunch Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup mint leaves, for serving
Yogurt, for serving (optional)
Cucumber, coriander, cumin for raita
Toasted pita, lavash or other flatbread, for serving (optional)

Double shopping list:
8 garlic cloves
2 large yellow onions
1 piece ginger
6 cans chickpeas
4 cans coconut milk *make 2 of these light coconut milk
1 box chicken stock
2 bunches chard
2 cups mint leaves
Big yogurt
Cucumber
Whole wheat pita

PREPARATION

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent and starts to brown a little around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add turmeric, red-pepper flakes and chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, so the chickpeas sizzle and fry a bit in the spices and oil, until they’ve started to break down and get a little browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. 
• Using a wooden spoon or spatula, further crush the chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides (this will help thicken the stew). Add coconut milk and stock to the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened and flavors have started to come together, 30 to 35 minutes. (Taste a chickpea or two, not just the liquid, to make sure they have simmered long enough to taste as delicious as possible.) If after 30 to 35 minutes you want the stew a bit thicker, keep simmering until you've reached your desired consistency. Determining perfect stew thickness is a personal journey! 
• Add greens and stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook a few minutes so they wilt and soften, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. (Swiss chard and spinach will wilt and soften much faster than kale or collard greens.) Season again with salt and pepper.
• Divide among bowls and top with mint, a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve alongside yogurt and toasted pita if using; dust the yogurt with turmeric if you'd like.

Pork Meatballs

Buy: tomato sauce

2 lb. ground pork
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, use your clean hands to mix together all the ingredients. Shape into 32 meatballs, each weighing about 1 oz (30 grams).
• Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

https://healthyrecipesblogs.com/pork-meatballs/

Balsamic Glazed Chicken

Sheet Pan Balsamic Glazed Chicken and Potatoes

https://www.thekitchn.com/balsamic-chicken-260358

1 bag of small potatoes
1 small red onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic, peeled
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3-4 packages of chicken (breasts or thighs)

Bonus: marinate chicken in advance with some balsamic, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F.

Toss potatoes, onion, and brussel sprouts with olive oil, salt and spread onto baking sheet

Bake for about 15 minutes while making glaze:

- combine vinegar, honey, 1 garlic clove, 1 sprig rosemary in small saucepan - bring to boil over medium-high for 7 minutes until syrupy (then discard rosemary and garlic)

Remove baking sheet from oven, toss veggies, clear space in center for chicken - season with salt

Bake until instant read thermometer says 155 (about 12 minutes)

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn the oven to broil. 

Brush the reduced marinade onto each chicken breast, then drizzle the rest over the vegetables. 

Broil until the chicken darkens slightly in color, is cooked, registering 165°F on an instant read thermometer, and appears glazed, about 3 minutes. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

(optional: 3/4 tsp chai spice mix: mostly cardamom with some cinnamon, cloves, and ginger)

Instructions

• Cream cream cheese with an electric mixer.
• Add in butter and cream together with cream cheese until light and fluffy.
• Add confectioner's sugar, 1/2 a cup at a time. After each cup has been incorporated, turn the mixer onto the highest speed setting and for about 10 seconds to lighten the frosting.
• Add in vanilla and salt and beat on high until well-blended, light and fluffy.

Chocolate Satin Mousse

8 servings

10 ounces (300 g) 70% bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
3 large egg whites at room temperature
1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted


• Place the chocolate in the metal bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and vanilla extract. 
• In the saucepan, bring the cream just to a simmer over medium heat. Pour the hot cream into the bowl with the chocolate and, working rapidly, mix with a wooden spoon to melt the chocolate until you have a smooth and glossy texture, about 2 minutes. Let cool. 
• In the bowl of the mixer, whisk the egg whites at the highest speed until frothy, about 10 seconds. Continue whisking until soft peaks form, about 1 minute more. Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and whisk at the highest speed until satiny and stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes more. The mixture should be airy, glossy, and stiff like a meringue. 
• Add about one-quarter of the egg white mixture to the cooled chocolate mixture to lighten it. Whisk gently until no streaks of white remain. Spoon the rest of the whipped egg white on top of the mixture in the bowl. Fold in the whipped egg white by hand: Using the edge of the spatula or a large metal spoon, cut through the two mixtures until you reach the bottom, then draw the spoon along the bottom of the bowl. Turn your wrist to bring the spoon up the side of the bowl, lightly bringing the chocolate mixture from the bottom to the top. As you do so, turn the bowl about 45 degrees, lightly overturning the spoon to fold the chocolate on top of the egg whites. Turning the bowl as you fold will incorporate the mixtures more efficiently. Continue cutting into the mixture and folding until just incorporated. 
• Pour the mixture into the serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 1 week. The dessert will be firmer than a mousse but not as firm as a cake or brownie. Scoop into ice cream bowls with an ice cream scoop or large, rounded spoon. Serve chilled. 

Shared by Kat from Patricia Wells