Shredded Braised Chicken & Figs with Marcona Almonds & Thyme Serves 6 Adapted from Food & Wine Ingredients: 2 teaspoons canola oil – stock 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can also use skin-on/bone-in, just discard bones & skin after cooking/before shredding) – $5.00 Salt & pepper – stock 1 large carrot, chopped –[…]
Hot Crab Dip with Old Bay Seasoning
Hot Crab Dip with Old Bay Seasoning Serves 10 Ingredients: 8 oz. whipped cream cheese, softened – $2.19 3 scallions (about ¼ cup), chopped fine – $0.99 ½ of a red bell pepper (2/3 cup) , chopped – $1.07 a heaping ½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese – $1.09 ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese –[…]
Black Rice Salad with Roasted Beets, Montrachet & Pistachios
Black Rice Salad with Roasted Beets and Montrachet/Chevre Cheese Serves 4 Note: I wrote this recipe as though the reader plans to enjoy the salad over the course of several days. Obviously, if you are planning on dining with friends and family, all of the assembly is done at once, separating any leftovers as directed…if[…]
One-Pot Chili Mac & Cheese
One-Pot Chili Mac & Cheese Serves 6 Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon of olive oil – stock 1 spanish or yellow onion, chopped finely – $1.19 2 cloves of garlic, minced – stock ½-lb lean ground beef – $5.49 12-oz bottle of beer (I used a wheat beer, Blue Moon) – stock 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth[…]
Sesame-Miso Noodles with Green Onions & Edamame
Sesame-Miso Noodles with Green Onions & Edamame Serves 3 Ingredients for the Dressing: ¼ of a ripe avocado 1 Tablespoon white miso paste (I get it at Whole Foods) – $4.23 1 small garlic clove – stock 2 teaspoons lemon juice – stock ½ teaspoon sesame oil – stock ¼ kosher salt – stock 1/3[…]
Cheesy Zucchini Pie with Prosciutto and Sweet Onions ala Alyssa
Zucchini Pie ala Alyssa Serves 12 Ingredients: ½ lb. zucchini, scrubbed and chopped diced – $1.75 2 Tablespoons olive oil – stock 1 medium-large Vidalia onion, diced – $1.16 3 cloves garlic, minced – stock 3 oz. Prosciutto – $3.99 ½ cup shredded Fontina cheese – $2.99 ½ cup diced fresh mozzarella – $2.69 ½[…]
Blueberry Kale Muffins
Blueberry Kale Muffins Makes 12 Ingredients: 1½ cups whole wheat flour – stock 1 teaspoon baking soda – stock 1 teaspoon baking powder – stock ½ teaspoon salt – stock 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – stock 1⁄3 cup maple syrup – stock 1 tspn vanilla extract – stock 1 egg, lightly beaten – stock 1⁄3[…]
Orange-Juice-Glazed Acorn Squash with Cinnamon & Sea Salt
Orange-Juice Glazed Acorn Squash with Cinnamon & Sea Salt Serves 4 Ingredients: 2 acorn squash, halved and seeded – $3.87 1 cup orange juice – stock ¼-cup Demerara or Turbinado sugar (a large-crystal raw sugar, worth having a bag for dusting the top of baked goods with a crunchy caramel flavor) – $3.49 ½-teaspoon ground[…]
Pear, Pancetta & Gorgonzola Quiche with Toasted Walnuts
Pear & Gorgonzola Quiche with Toasted Walnuts Serves 8-10 Ingredients: 4 oz. diced pancetta (or bacon) – $3.69 1 extra-large shallot, diced – $0.79 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter – stock 1 Tablespoon brown sugar – stock 2 large ripe pears; 1 pear cut into chunks, 1 sliced thinly – $1.99 4 eggs, lightly beaten –[…]
Salted Dark Chocolate Pretzel Turtles
Salted Dark Chocolate Pretzel Turtles Makes about 10-12 Turtles Ingredients: 6-oz dark chocolate chunks or morsels (semi-sweet also works): $3.19 30 mini pretzels, crumbled – $1.79 Handful of dried cherries, currants or cranberries – $3.19 Sea salt crystals – stock Grand total assuming well-stocked kitchen: $8.17 Directions: 1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper[…]
Warm Super Greens Salad with Pistachios & Sweet Peaches
Warm Super Greens Salad with Sweet Peaches Serves 6 Ingredients: 2 cups baby heirloom or grape tomatoes – $2.29 3 ripe peaches cut into 1/8ths – $1.60 18 cups of “super” greens – $5.99 6 Tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese – $3.99 (for the block) 6 Tablespoons of chopped nuts (I use pistachios) – stock[…]
Pulled Pork Pasta Salad
Pulled Pork Pasta Salad Serves 12 as a side dish Note: This salad was intended as a straight-up side dish to enjoy pretty much any season. As I wasn’t entertaining a large group of guests, I found myself scarfing up just about all of the leftovers after our first round of photos and tastings. At[…]
Roasted Tomato and Kalamata Olive Pasta Sauce
Roasted Tomato and Kalamata Olive Pasta Sauce Serves 4 Inspired by a recipe in Real Simple Ingredients: 2 pounds tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks – $6.50 1 teaspoon sugar – stock Salt & pepper – stock ¼-cup olive oil, plus some for drizzling on the tomatoes – stock 4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (you want[…]
Summer Panzanella Salad with Sweet Peaches, Watermelon and Fresh Mozzarella
Summer Panzanella Salad Serves 4 Note: Unlike many of our recipes that get better with time, this one is best served and eaten immediately after preparing. Ingredients: 1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes – $2.39 3 cups cubed French bread or boule (1-inch cubes) – $2.49 Pinch of salt – stock 2 Tablespoons[…]
Chicken Marsala with Prosciutto
Chicken Marsala with Prosciutto Serves 10 Ingredients: 3 lbs. boneless chicken breasts – $7.10 Flour seasoned with salt and pepper, for dredging – stock 1/3-cup olive oil – stock 4 Tablespoons sweet butter, divided – stock 1 large Vidalia onion, diced – $ 1.74 3 cloves minced garlic – stock 1½ lbs. assorted mushrooms, sliced[…]
Cheesy Eggplant Lasagna with Prosciutto
Eggplant Lasagna Serves 10 Ingredients: 1 large eggplant cut and sliced into ¼” rounds – $2.79 5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided – stock 1- 8 oz. package no-boil (oven-ready) lasagna – $1.99 1 small Vidalia onion, diced – $1.11 3 oz. prosciutto, chopped – $3.29 3 cloves garlic – stock 2 (15 ½ oz. each)[…]
Sweet & Savory Asian-style Pulled Pork
Sweet & Savory Asian-Style Pulled Pork Serves 8 Inspired by Dessert Before Dinner Dry Rub Ingredients: ½-Tablespoon Chinese Five Spice – $2.26 Generous amount of freshly ground black pepper – stock ½-Tablespoon kosher salt – stock ½-Tablespoon packed brown sugar – stock 1 teaspoon ground ginger – stock 5lb bone-in pork shoulder – $10.51 Ingredients[…]
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal with Cream Cheese Drizzle
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal with Cream Cheese Drizzle Serves 6-8 Adapted from Cooking Done Light Ingredients for Baked Oatmeal: 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats, uncooked – stock ¼-cup flax seeds – $2.69 ½-teaspoon baking powder – stock 1 cup chopped pineapple – $2.99 1 cup grated carrots – $1.50 ¼-cup chopped walnuts – stock[…]
Sweet Potato-Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheese
Sweet Potato-Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheese Serves 8 Tip: My local grocery store sells Butternut squash already peeled and chopped. This makes the vegetable just so much more “user-friendly” as I simply had to cook it in a pot of boiling water along with the peeled and chopped sweet potato. I didn’t need all of[…]
Oatmeal Applesauce Banana Bread
Oatmeal Applesauce Banana Bread Makes 1 loaf Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen Ingredients: 1½ cups whole wheat flour – stock 1 cup rolled oats – stock 1½ teaspoons baking powder – stock ¾-teaspoon baking soda – stock 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – stock ¾-teaspoon salt – stock 1 heaping cup of mashed bananas (about 3 medium[…]