A Steak You Wanna Make

RECIPE

It’s so easy, and so delicious. Just, do yourself a favor and run out and buy a good digital meat thermometer, it’s a game changer.

[SERVES 2]

Ingredients:

Steak

• 1 - 1 ½ inch thick ribeye steak

• 1 teaspoon of salt

Compound Butter

• 1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon chives, chopped

• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

• 1 small shallot, chopped

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 2-inch piece of horseradish, grated

Directions:

Compound Butter

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the compound butter ingredients until all the green flecks are evenly distributed throughout the butter

2. Lay out a large sheet of saran wrap and scoop all of the butter into the center

3. Cover the butter with plastic wrap and use your hands to roll it out so the butter begins to form a log

4. Refrigerate until it’s time to serve

Steak

1. Dry the steak by letting it sit out on the counter for 20-30 minutes with paper towels both below and on top of the meat

2. Heat up your pan of choice (cast iron if you’ve got it) over a high heat and let it get so hot you can see it smoking

3. Open up all the windows and turn on your ventilation hood

4. Generously sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and place it in the sizzling hot pan

5. Cook on one side until you can see the searing around the edges and it’s easy to lift (about 3 minutes)

6. Do the same on the second side (about 3 minutes)

7. Flip it again and repeat the process

8. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature, you’re looking for 120-125 degrees for a beautiful red center that isn’t still mooing

9. Rest the steak on a plate for 10 minutes with a healthy slab of the compound butter (anywhere between ¼ to a ½ inch slice)

Thai Pumpkin Soup

RECIPE

[SERVES 4]

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

• 3 inches ginger, roughly chopped

• 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

• 3 tablespoons curry paste

• 6 carrots, quartered

• 1 can of pumpkin

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 1 can of coconut milk

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

• 1 lime, sliced into wedges (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Pick your favorite soup pot and heat up the coconut oil over a medium heat

2. Add in the onion and a touch of salt and saute for 5 minutes until translucent and aromatic followed by the garlic and ginger

3. Toss in the curry paste and cook it down with the onions for another few minutes

4. Once it’s all smelling really fragrant add the carrots, pumpkin and vegetable broth with the rest of the salt

5. Simmer for 30 minutes until the carrots are soft

6. Puree the entire soup (either in a blender or with an immersion blender) and add the majority of the can of coconut milk

7. To serve, top each bowl with a little more coconut milk, some cilantro and a big squeeze of lime juice

Foolproof Lemon + Fennel Branzino

RECIPE

I know cooking a whole fish can be intimidating, but it's the cheapest and simplest way to acquire the best fish in town. You can look at a fish and instantly tell how fresh it is when it's whole and the skin and bones will help flavor the fish without having to put in any extra work. Yes, you do have to watch out for bones, but we're all adults here and we can chew our food. But if you are feeling squeemish about deboning, you can click here to watch this quick little video.

[SERVES 2]

Ingredients:

• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1/4th cup olive oil

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 teaspoon honey

• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 tablespoon chives, chopped

• 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds

• 1 handful of parsley

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed with skins removed

• 2 green onions, chopped into 4 equal sized pieces

• 1 - 1 pound branzino, scaled, cleaned and gutted (this is something the fishmonger at your market can do… if they sell whole fish, they have a fishmonger)

Directions:

1. Preheat your broiler, if you don’t have a broiler you can turn the oven on as high as it’ll go

2. Heat a dry small pan over low heat and quickly toast your fennel and cumin seeds

3. Gently move the seeds around the pan until they’re aromatic, but not discolored or darkened (about 3 minutes)

4. Transfer the seeds into a small mixing bowl (or cup) and add the salt, olive oil, lemon zest, honey, red pepper flakes and chives

5. Wash and dry the fish so it’s clean and ready for cooking

6. Rub the oil mixture all over the exterior of the fish and also inside the fish so it’s evenly distributed

7. Slide the lemon rounds, parsley, garlic and green onions into belly of the fish

8. Broil for 5 minutes on one side and flip to broil for 5 minutes on the other

9. If you are concerned that it isn’t cooked through use a meat thermometer and check to make sure it’s 145 degrees. The meat should be opaque, moist and firm. If it looks translucent at all, give it another minute under the broiler.

Millennial Beet Hummus

RECIPE

Once I started making this dish I started noticing all the places that hummus could and should be... on a sandwich, served with sliced veggies, thrown on top of a salad, served beneath roasted white fish,  eaten on a cracker.

Hummus makes almost anything more delicious, especially when it's pink and will make any dish look 1000% more fancy.

My only recommendation here is that you use GOOD tahini. A mediocre - bad tahini will really ruin your hummus. My preferred variety is SOOM, but JOYVA is good too!

[SERVES 8]

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves of garlic

• ½ teaspoon coriander

• ⅓ cup lemon juice

• ⅔ cup tahini

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 8 ounces cooked beets (available pre-cooked in the produce section)

• 2 cans of chickpeas, strained and rinsed

• 3 ice cubes

• ¼ cup olive oil

• Black or white sesame seeds to top

• 1 tablespoon assorted herbs, chopped (I like dill and parsley)

Directions:

1. In a food processor combine the garlic, coriander, lemon juice, tahini and salt

2. Pulse until the garlic is minced in the lemon juice tahini mixture

3. Add in the beets and chickpeas and pulse again into an almost smooth paste

4. Toss in the ice cubes and let the blades run until you’re pretty sure there are no more visible ice chunks

5. Slowly pour in the olive oil with the blades running until the oil is gone and the mixture is finally creamy and smooth

6. Top with black and white sesame seeds and dill and parsley to serve

Roasted Broccolini

RECIPE

If you’re looking for the quickest/easiest way to make a veggie side, roasted broccolini is your best friend. It tastes great a little under cooked, or a tiny bit burned… so you can’t really go wrong. Plus broccolini is naturally a little sweet which makes it inherently more delicious than other vegetables.

[SERVES 4]

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches of broccolini, washed with the tips of the stems removed

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• a big pinch of salt

• 1/4th teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/4th of a lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

2. Throw down your broccolini on a baking sheet covered in tin foil (you know, so you don’t have to clean the pan)

3. Sprinkle salt, red pepper flakes and olive oil over the broccolini and toss to coat

4. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes until the tips are slightly darkened but the stems are still bright green

5. Squeeze lemon over the broccolini just before serving!

Zesty Peachy Shallot-y Summer Salad

RECIPE

If I'm going to be turning on the grill at all (and by "turning on" I mean prepping the charcoal and crossing my fingers that it gets hot) I like to utilize it as much as possible. I learn a lot by just throwing random things on the grill. It's sort of miraculous how much a fruit or vegetable can change simply by being grilled... sometimes for the better, sometimes not so much. The peach is one fruit that really really changes and becomes seductive on a grill. The caramelized sugars mixed with how richly smoky they become, and how the texture becomes almost like butter (even if your peaches are slightly under ripe) is pretty special. This salad is a great way to utilize the peach, get in some greens, and still keep all your friends happy.

[SERVES 4]

ngredients:

• 2 ripe peaches, halved with the pit removed
• 2 large juicy tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 5 ounces fresh arugula (the amount that comes in 1 container)
• 1 large ball of burrata
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 chives, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon thick good quality balsamic vinegar 

Directions:

1. Turn on your grill, or grill pan, and get it as hot as it can get
2. Toss peaches in the canola oil and a pinch of salt
3. Oil your grill if it looks dry (OR ELSE YOUR BEAUTIFUL GRILL MARKS WILL BECOME SUCH GOOD FRIENDS WITH THE GRILL THAT THEY CAN NOT BE SEPARATED) and grill peaches for about 5 minutes until they have good thick char marks
4. Set peaches aside to cool
5. In a small bowl combine the shallot, chives, a big pinch of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil
6. Once the peaches are cool enough to handle slice them into slivers (I like to cut each half into 4 slices, but you can do whatever feels right for you)
7. On a serving platter make a layer of tomatoes, followed by a layer of peaches
8. In a mixing bowl combine the arugula with the rest of the olive oil, all of the balsamic and another big pinch of salt
9. Put the arugula on top of the peaches
10. Carefully rip open and lie the burrata on top of the arugula
11. Finally, spoon a generous portion of the shallot-y olive oil over the burrata
12. Serve with some fresh cracked pepper if you want

Rosemary Smashed Potatoes (SSRI substitute potatoes)

RECIPE

If you love potatoes and you like to smash things this recipe is for you.  

This recipe has only 5 ingredients and is an amazing side dish.  Plus it’s therapeutic to take all of your frustrations out on the potatoes. All you need is your favorite flat kitchen tool to smack. I usually use a fish spatula, but you can use basically anything. Honestly, even though it’s not flat the underside of a ladle works. 

So have fun and you can thank me later.

[SERVES 4]

Ingredients:

• 10 small yukon gold potatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon maldon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• A few sprigs of rosemary

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees 
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment
3. Throw the whole potatoes on there 
4. Use a lil knife to poke some holes into each potato
5. Toss in half of the olive oil and all the salt and pepper
6.  Bake until they’re fork tender, about 40 minutes
7. Smash those potatoes with a flat object
8. Once they’re sufficiently put in their place drizzle with the rest of the olive oil
9. Toss rosemary onto the baking dish 
10. Cook until the edges begin to look crispy, another 15 minutes or so
11. Finish with a little more salt, and perhaps some red pepper flakes

Horseradish and Arugula Salad

RECIPE

I love to serve a great crisp and simple green salad with a zingy dressing to balance the delicious unctuousness (my boyfriend's favorite word) of a dish like short ribs or beef bourguignon.

If you wanna chat about horseradish let me know, I always love to turn new people on to one of my favorite roots!

[SERVES 6]

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup fresh horseradish, zested
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh tangerine juice
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon stone ground mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Salad:

• 3/4 pound baby arugula
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Combine all salad dressing ingredients in lidded jar 
2. Shake well  
3. Taste to make sure you don’t want to add any more salt, sugar or acid
4. Grab your favorite salad bowl 
5. Toss all salad ingredients together before serving (BORING) or slightly salt the arugula, dress the greens, sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and the parsley.

Torn Sweet Potatoes with Chili and Lime

RECIPE

They're great hot, they're good cold. They're sweet, salty, a little spicy and pair like a dream with a grilled skirt steak or a summer BBQed chicken. What more could you want?

[SERVES 4]

Ingredients:

• 3 sweet potatoes
• 1/2 juicy lime
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (or melted butter)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or less if you prefer)
• 1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped (optional)
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
2. Poke a few holes in each potato and roast in the oven until super soft, about an hour
3. Set aside to cool and turn on your broiler
4. Once cool enough to handle, tear each sweet potato into 5 or 6 chunks and put under the broiler until they begin to caramelize and get a little blackened in a few areas
5. Pile them high on a plate and drizzle olive oil (or butter) over the potatoes, give 'em a big squeeze of lime, a generous sprinkling of chili powder and season with salt and pepper to taste. If you want cilantro, you can throw that on as well.

Wine Braised Asparagus

RECIPE

Braising shallots is a great way to add big flavor to simple sautéed veggies. Once you get the technique down you can use it to spice up just about anything you want to cook.

[SERVES 6]

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• 1 shallot (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons white wine (something crisp and not too sweet)
• 1 lemon
• 2 bunches of asparagus (with the ends snapped off)

Directions:

1. Heat a large sauté pan with oil over a medium heat
2. Add shallot, salt and pepper
3. Sweat shallot until translucent and let wine flow in
4. Reduce for 5 minutes over a simmer
5. Add fresh lemon juice, start with ½ the lemon, add more to taste
6. Remove from pan and put aside
7. Add a touch of olive oil to the pan and the asparagus
8. Cook for two minutes, add the shallot mixture back in
9. Let asparagus finish cooking in the sauce until al dente (cook time depends on the thickness of your asparagus)

Spatchcock Chicken with Wine Braised Asparagus

If you’re squeamish you can purchase your chicken spatchcocked, if you’re a freak like me you'll want to do it yourself!!! First, you’re going to want to make sure you have a good pair of kitchen shears, if you don’t have these then the task at hand isn't going to be very pretty.  Place the chicken breast side down on a clean plastic cutting board, then using the shears you’re going to want to cut out the backbone. Cut from the tail to the neck as close to the backbone as possible on one side, and then repeat on the other side. Once the spine is out, twirl it around like a lasso and then keep it for chicken stock.  There is only one step left and it’s the yucky one...press down on each of the wings at the same time pretty firmly to crack the breastbone, allowing the bird to lie flat. You did it!  Now, onto the recipe...

4-6 depending on your hunger and the size of your bird

Ingredients:

Chicken:

• 1 chicken (spatchcocked by your friendly butcher, or yourself if you’re brave)
• 2 tablespoons room temperature butter (grass fed please)
• 1 tablespoon chives (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
• 1 clove of garlic (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
• A big pinch salt
• A few grinds pepper

Asparagus:

• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• 1 shallot (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons white wine (something crisp and not too sweet)
• 1 lemon
• 2 bunches of asparagus (with the ends snapped off)
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Chicken:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees 
2. In a small dish combine the butter, chives, parsley, garlic, lemon zest and a big pinch of salt and pepper
3. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan and pat it dry with a few paper towels
4. Gently slide your hand below the surface of the skin to loosen the area between the skin and the meat, THIS is where you want that delicious butter to live.  
5. Evenly distribute the butter and then sprinkle the bird with a bit more salt and pepper
6. Roast for about 40 minutes until your meat thermometer registers 155 degrees in the thickest part of the breast (careful not to cook it any hotter, or you'll have a dryyyy breast)
7. Rest for 20 minutes before cutting and serving

Asparagus:

1. Heat a large sauté pan with oil over a medium heat
2. Add shallot, salt and pepper
3. Sweat shallot until translucent and let wine flow in
4. Reduce for 5 minutes over a simmer
5. Add fresh lemon juice, start with ½ the lemon, add more to taste
6. Remove from pan and put aside Add a touch of olive oil to the pan and add asparagus
7. Cook for two minutes, add the shallot mixture back in
8. Let asparagus finish cooking in the sauce until al dente
9. Add a small pat of butter or a touch of parmesan, if you like

To serve, cut up the chicken and serve hot with the asparagus and perhaps the chopped salad or some roasted carrots.
 

Cinnamon Sugar Fries

RECIPE

I'm a sweet potato fan. I like them roasted whole with butter and salt. It doesn't take much to please me when it comes to potatoes. However, if I feel like kicking it up a notch this is a side dish that I really like. They work well as an added bonus to an Herby Chopped Salad, a whole roasted chicken, or my personal favorite, with Saturday Night Turkey Burgers.

These are a healthy alternative to fries, so if only ultra crispy, crackly fries will do right now then these are not the ones for you to try today. However, if you're looking for a gooey, sweet and salty, and lightly spicy vehicle to dip into ketchup, you're gonna love these.

[1 POTATO SERVES 2 PEOPLE]

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato (cut in half and then into 1/2 inch-ish matchsticks)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, if your oven runs hot you might want to choose 375
2. Place the sweet potatoes onto a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, salt and chili powder
3. Bake for 20 minutes and then flip the potatoes
4. Bake for another 20 minutes until the potatoes are mostly golden brown
5. If you're willing to risk burnt potatoes and you want them CRISP go ahead and try cooking them for another 10 minutes
6. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix them together with your hands to break up any brown sugar clumps
7. Toss the fries in a bowl with the brown sugar mixture and enjoy hot! 

Honey Jalapeño "Refried" Beans

RECIPE

This is a recipe that I make all the time. My boyfriend and I go through a ridiculous amount of black beans, it's a good alternative protein source. I serve them on brown rice with some roasted vegetables, in a taco, tossed under a salad, or hell, straight out of the pot. The longer you let the beans cook the more they develope  a texture that mimicks refried beans.

[SERVES 6]

Ingredients:

• 3 cans of black beans
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• Juice of one lime
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat
2. Once hot add the onion and a touch of salt
3. Let the onion sweat 
4. Add the garlic and jalapeno  
5. Cook until aromatic and everything is soft
6. Add the honey 
7. Add black beans 
8. Add the rest of the salt, pepper and lime juice 
9. Put lid on pot and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
10. Beans should almost become the texture of refried beans, if this isn’t happening just add a little more olive oil and let them sit a bit longer
11.  Once soft and a mashed consistency add the cilantro
12. Add salt, pepper, and lime to taste
     

Crispy Pan Seared White Fish

RECIPE

This dish is suuuuuper easy. Take all the dry ingredients and put them all in a ziplock bag and give it a shake. Add in the fish and shake it. 

When you cook up your fish make sure to give enough room between the filets so they can properly fry. This is a versatile cooking technique that works for lots of different fish and can lean into different cuisines, depending on the spices you select. The spices outlined below are perfect for serving the fish in a fresh tortilla with a big squeeze of lime.

[SERVES 4]

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sustainably farmed tilapia
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon ground garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground onion
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• Grapeseed oil for pan (or whatever high heat oil you have)

Directions:

1. Place all dry ingredients in ziplock bag
2. Shake ingredients to combine
3. Add fish into ziplock and shake the hell out of it (after you zip the bag)
4. Heat pan over medium-high heat 
5. Cover bottom of pan with oil (approximately 3-4 tablespoons depending on your pan) 
6. Once the pan is sizzlin’ hot add in the fish  
7. Cook until both sides are golden brown (about 3 minutes per side)  

Use this fish for my California Crispy Fish Tacos!

Brown Rice — That Doesn't Suck

RECIPE

So some of us love brown rice and some of us just endure it cause it’s healthy.  I’ll admit that it can be a bland, gummy disaster but by following the recipe below you’ll end up with the perfect rice 98% of the time.

Remember, rice is chill in the fridge for a few days, so make extra and have that fiber hanging out for when you need it. It’s great to throw into a salad, for a quick grain bowl with or even with some over easy eggs.

[SERVES 4]

Ingredients:

• A million herbs equaling approximately one cup (preferably parsley, basil, dill, chives + mint, but you can truly use whatever you’ve got)
• 1 ½ cup short grain brown rice
• 1 yellow onion (diced)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized saucepan heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat
2. Once the oil is hot add the onion and sweat until it’s fragrant and translucent 
3. Add a generous pinch of salt and then toss the onions into your blender
4. Add the garlic, herbs, a little more salt, and the rest of the oil into said blender and blendddddd 
5. Pour mixture back into the pan and simmer for a minute while you prepare rice  
6. Rinse the rice and add it to the simmering onion mixture and while you're at it add another healthy pinch of salt
7. Add the appropriate amount of water per the instructions on your bag of rice 
8. Cook based on time per directions on said bag
9. Remove from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes before taking off the lid
10. Fluff with a fork, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve

Fancy Restaurant Salmon

RECIPE

Salmon is my go-to fish, it’s easy to cook without drying it out, has a delicious fattiness that satisfies serious omnivores and is easy to find at various price points.  It’s also super flavorful, so you don’t have to fuss a lot and can throw a salmon centered meal together quickly. Seriously, this recipe is so simple that it’s almost embarrassing to write it down. 

Remember to take your fish out of the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking, most proteins cook better at room temp.

... and make extra and have some on a salad the next day, or tear it up for salmon cakes. 

OH! Make sure the fan above your stove top is on if you don’t want to have a lingering fish smell to “enjoy”.

[SERVES 4]

Ingredients:

• 1 ⅓ lb salmon (wild if available, if your choice is previously frozen opt for Atlantic cause it’s nice and fatty)
• 2-4 tablespoons safflower oil (or other high heat oil)
• A big pinch of salt
• A big pinch of pepper
• 1 lemon (cut into wedges for serving)

Directions:

1. Take fish out of fridge 20 minutes before cooking
2. Take your largest non-stick saute pan and heat enough oil to cover bottom over a medium high heat
3. While pan is heating up cut the salmon into 4 equal sized pieces and pat down with paper towels 
4. Generously salt and pepper on both sides and place skin side down in the pan 
5. Once you can visibly see the browning of the bottom of the fish (about 4 minutes) flip it over 
6. Cook for another 2-4 minutes depending on how well done you like your fish (I personally like it at around 7 minutes total over the medium high flame) 
7. Carefully remove salmon from the pan and squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the top   

Goes really well with the short grain brown rice from episode one.

Kabocha Squash (the patriarchy) with Sticky Maple Syrup

RECIPE

Squash is one of the best things about fall/winter.  But lots of folks avoid cooking it because, let’s face it, cutting a rock hard squash is a challenge.  So first, get skilled in tackling the winter squash. Cut off the top and bottom of the squash so it’s stable and then slice it right down the middle. Cause trying to hack through an unbalanced squash can result in a trip to the ER, not preferable. If you still have all your fingers then use a spoon to scoop out the seedy, goopy innards. Then slice the squash into relatively thin half moons (does that make sense? I think that makes sense).  

[SERVES 4] 

Ingredients:

• 1 kabocha squash (or delicata if you can’t find kabocha)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• A few sprigs of sage (roughly chopped)
• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• A few pinches of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees 
2. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil or a silpat
3. Place squash on the sheet and coat with olive oil , sprinkle with salt, and drizzle ½ of the maple syrup
4. Roast for 20 minutes until the underside is golden brown and flip em over
5. Add the rest of the syrup and sage
6. Cook until both sides are golden…. now that there is syrup all over that squash careful you don’t burn it!

Serve hot with a touch more sage and salt or chop it up once it’s cold and add it to your fav grain salad.

Serial Kaler Salad

RECIPE

If you’ve enjoyed a kale salad at a restaurant but your homemade salad makes you feel like you’re grazing in a bitter pasture, the secret is the kale massage. Kale only tastes good in a salad if you give it a massage first.  Simply remove those nasty kale ribs, cut up the kale, then take bunches of kale and rub the heck out of them with a bit of dressing.  They should start to look darker and taste less bitter.  

Now that you've thoroughly interacted with your salad, enjoy.

[SERVES 4]

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale

• Juice of ½ of a lemon

• ½ teaspoon honey

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

• A touch of salt

• Some pepper

• 1 pomegranate, seeded

Directions:

1. Remove the ribs and chop up kale into bite sized pieces

2. Place kale in a bowl and add all ingredients except for pom seeds

3. Massage your kale

4. Top with seeds to serve
   

Everyday Roasted Vegetables

RECIPE

So the particular recipe below leans towards some Mexican flavors but you can mix up the vegetables and seasonings in a million ways to create different variations on the theme. You'll find some ideas at the bottom of the post.

OH AND ALSO don’t crowd your veggies in the pan or they won’t be happy and neither will you. Crowded vegetables don't crisp and are so sad and not delicious (if you haven't noticed I mention not crowding vegetables and proteins a lot).

[SERVES 4]

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets 
• 2 bell peppers (chef’s choice of the colors), cut into thin strips
• 1 red onion, cut into thin slivers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon coriander
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
2. Line two baking sheet with tin foil 
3. In a large mixing bowl combine everything and give it a good mix to coat veggies evenly
4. Distribute into both pans, leaving room between all the vegetables
5. Bake for about 30 minutes until the peppers begin to char and the cauliflower is fully cooked

Variations:

• Onions, fennel + carrots with fennel seeds, salt, and pepper
• Mushrooms, turnips + parsnips with rosemary, salt, and pepper
• onions, broccolini + asparagus with lemon zest, salt and red pepper flakes (this combo will take less time to cook)
• potatoes, green beans + leeks with mustard seeds (or whole grain mustard), salt and pepper

Crispy Fish Tacos

RECIPE

This "recipe" requires making a few other recipes of mine, so it's more assembly than anything. But having black beans, roasted veggies and extra pan seared white fish means you can whip up a grain bowl easily, make a fun salad, and most importantly, throw together a quick taco.

[Makes as many tacos as you want]

Ingredients:

• Crispy pan seared white fish
• fresh salsa
• limes
• cilantro (optional)
• radish (optional)
• beans
• veggies
• tortillas (goes without saying)

Directions:

1. If you have a gas cooktop quickly heat the tortillas on both sides 
2. Make sure your black beans and fish are hot (which could either mean you just made them or you’re quickly reheating them)
3. To assemble put some beans on a tortilla, followed by fish, vegetables, and cilantro, radish and/or salsa.
4. Sprinkle with a little more salt 
5.  Finish with a big squeeze of lime