Easy One-Pot Taco Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 lb extra-lean ground beef 
• 32 oz beef broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz) fire roasted crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 package (1 oz) taco seasoning mix
• 12 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken in half 
• 1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz)

Directions

1. In 5-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink.
2.  Stir in broth, tomatoes, chiles, water and taco seasoning mix.
3. Add spaghetti; heat to boiling. 
4. Reduce heat to simmering; cook uncovered 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender. 
5. Top with cheese.

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Original recipe: Pillsbury

Posted by Jasmine

Happy Salad

Ingredients

• A bunch of spinach
• A handful of blueberries
• A handful of walnuts
• 1 of those little packets of salmon, sold by the cans of tuna
• I like to put feta on it
• Some vinaigrette (for example, see below)

Directions

1. It's salad, I'm sure you'll figure it out

Rosemary Red Onion Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp minced red onion
• 2 teaspoon mustard
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 large garlic clove, chopped
• 2 heaping tablespoon of minced fresh rosemary + sprigs
• 1 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Put the minced onion, mustard, salt, vinegar, garlic and rosemary into a blender and purée it for a bit. 
2. Pour the olive oil in slowly and then blend that for a bit.

*So the ingredients in this salad are supposed to be good for your brain and help with depression, if you eat them regularly.  Not like one salad and you're off meds forever or anything, just that these things are good for your brain.

**The vinaigrette was originally for a fish recipe, but there was a ton leftover and it turned out to be good on this salad as well, when I had some the next day.

Old-World Jewish Penicillin

Ingredients *

• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground paprika
• 1 5 lb whole chicken** (or maybe 3 Lbs bl/sl meat, cubed)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 carrot sticks, diced
• 1 parsnip, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• water (or 6 cups stock, if using bl/sl meat)
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 10 large allspice berries
• Noodles (optional)
• Italian parsley for garnish

Directions

Cook it like soup vis:

1. With whole chicken (long cook, big flavor): 
1. Leave the skin on the chicken, but trim away any large pieces of fat from around the neck or cavity of the chicken. Rub the ground spices under the skin of the chicken.  Place the whole chicken and allspice berries in a soup pot and cover with water by about an inch. ***
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Keep your eye on the pot as it comes to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pot as soon as the water is boiling.  Lower the heat and keep the soup at a steady simmer with the pot partially covered for 1-3 hours (until the meat is falling off the bone, us 1.5 hours, up to 3 for more flavor). ****
3. Half an hour before you're done cooking, add the vegetables, garlic, and bay leaves.
4. When done, use tongs to pull the chicken out of the liquid and transfer to a cutting board and discard the bay leaf.  When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the chicken bones, discarding the skin and bones. Shred or chop the meat into bite-sized pieces, then return them to the pot and either serve immediately or (if using) pop the noodles in and get them cooked through.
2. With bl/sl chicken (short cook, fine):
1. Bring a splash of olive oil to a shimmer on medium heat.  Add your onion and carrots, cook until the onion is translucent.
2. Add your garlic, celery, and ground spices and cook until fragrant, about 30 sec to 1 min.
3. Add everything else to the pot, bring to a boil, turn it down, and simmer maybe 20 to 30 min (If you want noodles, add them in the last 10 min or so of cooking, whatever it says on the package)

* Depending how you cook this, the ingredients are added in a different order, so this list is not in order

** The og recipe says to remove the giblets, but I find they make the stock more flavorful without being too organ-y.  Waste not, waste not, as they say. YMMV.  If you don't want to risk actually biting into a chicken heart bc you accidentally left it in the soup, tuck them into a cheesecloth you can just pluck out.

***Traditional versions of this soup call for simmering the vegetables right along with the chicken so they can flavor the broth, and then eating them as part of the finished soup. Super-soft vegetables are definitely a hallmark of chicken soup, but I like to have a little chew in my soup, I don't want mush.  If you want to cook like I have written, good.  For more flavorful broth, cut the vegetables in large chunks, which still give flavor to the broth, but cook more slowly. When finishing the soup, just chop the large chunks into bite-sized pieces and return them to the soup.

****You should see slow but steady bubbles and wisps of steam coming from the pot. Add more water as needed to keep the chicken covered, or if it floats, to allow it to bob in the liquid.  For the first half hour or so, you'll see foam and scum collecting on the surface of the liquid. As it clumps together, skim it off with a spoon and discard.

*****This is my favorite chicken soup recipe, for that spice mix.  Don't stress about the cooking time.  You don't have to stare at the chicken the whole time it simmers.  Just put it on and watch a movie and check on it every 45 min or so.  Many old-timey whole-chicken soup recipes call for you to leave it on a very low heat overnight, but I am not brave enough to just leave my stove going while I'm asleep.

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Original recipe: My Jewish Learning (recipe is for Instant Pot)

Posted by Jasmine

Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Creamy Lemon Garlic Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 Breasts Chicken sliced in half

• 6 Tablespoons butter divided

• 1/2 cup Italian Bread Crumbs

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

• 1/4 cup flour

Creamy Lemon Garlic Pasta:

• 8 ounce pasta of choice (I used thin spaghetti)

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

• juice of one lemon

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish if desired

Instructions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat melt 2 Tablespoons butter. To make the chicken: Melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and flour. Dip the chicken in the butter and then coat in the bread crumb mixture and place in skillet.

2. Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes until the outside is crispy and the chicken is cooked throughout. (It shouldn't take too long because the chicken should be thin).

3. Meanwhile cook the pasta according to package directions and drain. In a medium sized skillet add the heavy whipping cream, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk together and cook over medium high heat until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and add the pasta to coat in the sauce.

Serve the chicken with the pasta and garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Greek-Style Baked Cod with Lemon and Garlic

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb Cod fillet pieces (4–6 pieces)
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Lemon Juice Mixture 

• 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp melted butter

For Coating

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground coriander 
• 3/4 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, and melted butter in a shallow bowl. Set aside
3. In another shallow bowl, mix all-purpose flour, spices, salt and pepper. Set next to the lemon juice mixture.
4. Pat fish fillet dry. Dip fish in the lemon juice mixture then dip in the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour.
5. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (watch the oil to be sure it is sizzling but not smoking). Add fish and sear on each side to give it some color, but do not fully cook (about a couple minutes on each side) Remove pan from heat.
6. To the remaining lemon juice mixture, add the minced garlic and mix. Drizzle all over the fish fillets.
7. Bake in the heated oven for until it begins to flake easily with a fork (10 minutes should do it, but begin checking earlier). Remove from heat and sprinkle chopped parsley.

Serving suggestions: Serve immediately with rice-a-roni and Mediterranean chickpea salad or traditional Greek salad.

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Original recipe: The Mediterranean Dish

Posted by Jasmine

Quinoa and Pepper Pilaf

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups Vegetable Broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper
• (make it a meal by adding lightly seasoned chicken breast chunks)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
2. Add the peppers and quinoa and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in the broth and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed. 
4. Stir in the parsley. Season, with salt and pepper.

*I made this for a friend who was recovering from surgery bc the internet said "whole grains, colorful veggies, protein," and this has all of that

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Original recipe: All Recipes

Posted by Jasmine

5-min Lemon Caper Shrimp With White Beans and Couscous (or Polenta)

*If you make this recipe with couscous, it comes together in less than 10 min.  Boil your water while you chop/mix salsa and 5 min later, it's done (with polenta, it's like 20 min)

Ingredients

• 2 14-ounce box couscous (or 3/4 cup cornmeal)
• 2-3 cups low-sodium veg broth
• 1 TBS butter or olive oil

• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 TBS minced fresh oregano (or more parsley)
• 1 TBS capers in brine, drained
• 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 2 TBS olive oil

• 3 TBS olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 scallions, chopped
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed**
• 2 cup (4 ounces) baby spinach leaves or other chopped, dark leafy greens

• Fresh parmesan, to serve

Directions

1. In a saucepan, cook couscous in broth according to directions 
1. (or Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. 
2. Add the cornmeal gradually, whisking constantly, to form a thickened and smooth mixture. 
3. Reduce the heat to low. Cook over low heat, slowly bubbling, for 20 minutes: The mixture will resemble a thick, yellow paste. 
4. Turn off the heat and stir in 1 TBS butter until it has melted)
2. Meanwhile, Stir together the parsley, oregano, capers, 2 TBS oil and lemon juice in a medium bowl to make "Italian salsa verde"
3. Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add the garlic, scallions, rep pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until they begin to turn pink, about 3 minutes.
5. Stir in the beans, greens, remaining 2 TBS oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
6. Cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. 

To serve: spoon the warm couscous (or polenta) into bowls. Top with the shrimp, drizzle salsa verde and sprinkle parmesan. Serve warm.

**Maybe double this, up to you

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Original recipe: Combination of 2 recipes, one from the WaPo Voraciously plant-powered newsletter

Posted by Jasmine

Jeweled Potato & Green Bean Salad with Sunflower Seed Dressing

This is one of the salads we had made for our wedding.  Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe.  I also used to make this for picnics when we went to the Renaissance Faire.

Since this isn’t a mayo or ranch-dressed potato salad, those of you who have egg or dairy allergies will be happy to note that you can still partake of a creamy, dairy-free dressing.

Ingredients

• 6 medium new (yellow) potatoes
• 6 medium red potatoes
• 6 medium blue potatoes
• 1 c French-cut green beans, cut in half
• 1/2 medium red onion
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/4 t thyme
• 1/4 t tarragon
• 1/8 t rosemary
• 1/8 t dried basil
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 1/2 fresh ground pepper
• For the dressing
• 1/2 c light olive oil
• 1/2 c hulled sunflower seeds
• 1/3 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 T white wine vinegar
• 2 T honey
• 3-4 T water (for thinning)
• 1/2 t sea salt

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 425°. 
2. Rinse the potatoes well and pat dry. Cut the potatoes into quarters or eighths (chunks should be about 1-1 1/2″ in size) and place in a bowl. Add the 2 T olive oil and toss together, followed by the herbs, sea salt, and ground pepper. Mix together well so that all of the potato chunks are evenly coated with the oil & herbs. 
3. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Place in the oven and roast for about 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven & allow to cool.
4. In the meantime, quickly blanch the green beans by putting them in a pot of rapidly boiling water for about 30 seconds and immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Drain & set aside. 
5. Thinly slice the red onion and add to the green beans. 
6. Prepare the dressing by combining all remaining ingredients except for the water and puree well until you have a thick, creamy base. The dressing will be very thick & almost pasty at first; don’t worry! Simply add the water one tablespoon at a time until the dressing is about the same consistency as ranch or bleu cheese.
7. When potatoes have cooled, place in a bowl and add the green beans & onions. Toss together gently. Spoon onto a plate or bowl and drizzle generously with the dressing. If you prefer your salad to have the dressing already mixed in, add about 2-3 tablespoons of the dressing to the potatoes & veggies and fold into the salad until everything is completely coated. 
8. Serve as a side or an entree, and enjoy!

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Original recipe: Poor Girl Eats Well

Posted by Jasmine

Honey Oat Bread Part II: Rustic Wheat

Best for sandwiches (when cooled) or eating warm with spreads on top

Rise time: 1 hour, 30 min (divided)

Bake time: 40 min

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water (105-110°F)
• 2¼ tsp (one packet) active dry yeast
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 tso salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-2½ cups whole wheat flour

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix water, yeast, and honey. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until bubbly.
2. Mix in olive oil, oats, and salt.
3. Mix in all-purpose flour.
4. Mix in whole wheat flour ½ cup at a time. You might not need all of it, and I find this works better if you use your hands instead of a spoon. Dough should be tacky, but not overly sticky.
5. Knead dough for 5-10 minutes.
6. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let sit for at least one hour until doubled.
7. Gently deflate dough by pressing your fist into the center of the dough. 
8. Divide dough in two and shape into two loaves. Place loaves into greased bread pans. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for 30 minutes. [1]
9. Place in an oven preheated to 375°F and bake for 40 minutes. [2]
10. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove and place on a baking rack until completely cooled.

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Posted by Piera

Original recipe: Beyond the Chicken Coop

[1] You could also put this in the fridge overnight (covered) and bake in the morning. Because yum.

[2] If you'd like, just before baking you can brush loaves with water (or egg white mixed with 1 tbsp of water) and sprinkle with oats.

Honey Oat Bread Part I: Hearty White

Best for sandwiches

Rise time: 1 hour, 20 min (divided)

Bake time: 40 min

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups warm water (105°F to 110°F)
• 1 tbsp dry yeast
• ¾ cup quick-cooking oats
• ⅓ cup honey
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2½ tsp salt
• 4-5 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Stir ¼ cup warm water and yeast in large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Stir in remaining 1½ cups water, oats, honey, olive oil, and salt. Stir in 3 cups of flour (1 cup at a time). Turn rough dough on to a floured surface and gradually add final cup-ish of flour, kneading as you go. Your dough will be ready when it has a smooth skin and doesn't leave sticky residue. (It will still be a bit sticky though.)
2. Coat another large bowl with oil. Transfer dough to oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
3. Oil two loaf pans. Punch down dough and shape into 2 loaves, placing one in each pan. Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes. [1]
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. [2] Bake until brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool completely. Or until your patience gives out (it's just a bit harder to slice when it's warm).

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Posted by Piera

Original recipe: Epicurious

[1] OR you can put this in the fridge overnight (covered!) and bake it in the morning. It's a delightful way to wake up.

[2] If you want, you can whisk an egg and brush it over the top of the loaves and then sprinkle them with additional oats.