• Vietnamese Vermicelli Bowls – Bun

    September 12, 2024 Author: Rachel
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    Ingredients:

    Chicken Marinade:

    • 1 lb. chicken breast
    • 1 TBSP ginger paste
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 TBSP lime juice
    • 2 TBSP fish sauce
    • 1 TBSP soy sauce
    • 2 TBSP brown sugar
    • 1 TBSP vegetable oil

    Fish Sauce/Nuoc Cham:

    • 4 oz. yellow rock sugar
    • 1 c. water
    • 5 cloves of garlic, smashed
    • 3/4 TBSP chili garlic sauce
    • 1/3 c. fish sauce (3 crabs brand)
    • Juice from 1 1/2 juicy limes and pulp

    Quick Pickled Vegetables:

    • 3/4 c. water
    • 1/2 c. carrots, julienned
    • 1/2 c. daikon radish, julienned
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 1/2 TBSP sugar
    • 1/2 c. rice wine vinegar
    • 1/2 c. white vinegar

    Vermicelli Bowls:

    • Rice noodles, cooked
    • 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
    • 1 bunch of mint, chopped
    • Iceberg lettuce, sliced
    • 2 Persian/small cucumbers, diced
    • Quick pickled vegetables
    • Grilled chicken
    • Roasted peanuts, chopped
    • Jalapenos, sliced
    • Nuoc Cham

    Directions:

    1. Marinate Chicken: In a Ziploc bag and chicken through vegetable oil. Place in refrigerator for 1 – 24 hours. When ready, remove chicken from marinade and grill or cook as desired.
    2. Nuoc Cham: Heat rock sugar and water in a medium to low heat until sugar is melted. In a small blender/food processor, add the lime juice, half of the sugar water, garlic, and chili garlic sauce and blend/blitz until desired texture (longer for smooth, less time for chunky). In a jar with lid, add the sauce along with the remaining sugar water and fish sauce. Set aside.
    3. Quick Pickled Vegetables: Add veggies and both vinegars to a jar with a lid. In a small saucepan add water, salt, and sugar and heat on medium low heat until salt and sugar melts; stir and then add to jar with veggies and let cool.
    4. Vermicelli Bowls Assembly: To your individual serving bowls, add desired rice noodles, cilantro, mint, lettuce, cucumbers, pickled vegetables, grilled chicken, peanuts, jalapeno slices, and nuoc cham.

    Vietnamese Vermicelli Bowls – Bun:

  • Chai Spiced Granola

    September 12, 2024 Author: Rachel
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    Adapted from Minimalist Baker.

    Ingredients:

    • 1/4 c. peanut butter
    • 1/4 c. maple syrup
    • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
    • 5 tsp. ground cinnamon
    • 2-3 tsp. ground ginger
    • 1 tsp. ground cardamom
    • 1 ½ c. rolled oats
    • 1/2 c. pecans, roughly chopped
    • 3/4 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
    • 1/4 c.  pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line a standard-size baking sheet with parchment paper.
    2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom and whisk until smooth. Add the oats, walnuts or pecans, coconut, and pumpkin seeds. Mix well until evenly coated.
    3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, watching carefully toward the end as to not let it burn. You’ll know it’s done when the granola is fragrant and darkened in color.
    4. NOTE: If you don’t toss the granola while baking, it will stay extra chunky, but if you want a more crumbly granola, toss/stir a bit at the halfway point to break up the clumps.
    5. Once the granola is visibly browned, remove from the oven and toss gently to let the heat escape. Cool completely on the baking sheet or in a heat-safe bowl.
    6. Store at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 1 month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    Chai Spiced Granola:

  • Jalapeno Lime Cranberry Sauce

    September 12, 2024 Author: Rachel
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    Ingredients:

    • 12 oz. fresh cranberries
    • 1 c. sugar
    • 1 c. water
    • 2 jalapenos, chopped (seeds optional)
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 2 limes, zested and juiced, to taste

    Directions:

    1. Add cranberries through salt to a saucepan, and bring to a boil; then lower heat to simmer for 10 minutes.
    2. After 10 minutes, remove from heat and stir in desired lime zest and lime juice.
    3. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate.

    Spicy Cranberry Sauce:

  • Ranch Burgers

    September 8, 2024 Author: Rachel
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    Adapted from Plain Chicken

    Ingredients:

    • 1 lb. ground beef
    • 2 TBSP ranch seasoning mix
    • 1 TBSP Worcester sauce
    • 4 tsp. Dale’s steak seasoning
    • 1/2 c. French’s French Fried Onions, crushed
    • Cheese, optional
    • Buns, tomatoes, marinated onions, and mayonnaise or chipotle aioli

    Directions:

    1. Mix beef through crushed onions and form into 4 patties.
    2. Grill or cook in cast iron pan until desired doneness. Add cheese if desired.
    3. Place a burger on a bun, add tomatoes, marinated onions, and mayonnaise.

    Ranch Burgers:

  • Tunacado Sandwich

    September 8, 2024 Author: Rachel
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    Adapted from Diane Morrisey. Chipotle aioli can be stored in refrigerator for quite some time. Great on burgers, turkey sandwiches, and fish tacos.

    Ingredients:

    Tuna Salad:

    • 1 can of Albacore tuna, drained, rinsed and smashed with a fork
    • 1/2 ripe avocado, diced, optional
    • 1-2 TBSP Kewpie mayonnaise or mayo of choice
    • 2 TBSP diced red onion
    • 2 TBSP diced celery
    • 2 TBSP fresh dill, chopped
    • 1 1/2 tsp. chili crisp
    • Juice of 1/2 lemon
    • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • Bread
    • Prepared pesto
    • Sliced tomatoes
    • Sliced avocado
    • Chipotle aioli, below

    Chipotle Aioli (optional halved):

    • 3/4 c. (heaping 1/3 c.) mayonnaise
    • 1/4 c. (2 TBSP) sour cream
    • 1 (1/2) chipotle pepper in adobo
    • 2 TBSP (1 TBSP) chipotle adobo sauce
    • Zest and juice of 1 (1/2) lime
    • 1 TBSP (1 1/2 tsp.) honey
    • Pinch of salt
    • 1/2 (1/4 tsp.) tsp. pepper
    • 1/2 (1/4 tsp.) tsp. smoked paprika
    • 1/2 (1/4 tsp.) tsp. chili powder

    Directions:

    1. Aioli: Put all ingredients in a small blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to use.
    2. Tuna salad: Combine tuna through salt and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.
    3. Tunacado assembly: Toast bread, on both slices of the bread spread a layer of pesto, add tuna salad to one slice of bread and top with tomatoes, avocados, and chipotle aioli.

    Tunacado:



  • Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

    September 6, 2024 Author: Rachel
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    Recipe adapted from Caroline Chambers’ What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking,

    Ingredients:

    • 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
    • 12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
    • 1 c. brown sugar
    • 1/3 c. granulated sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 TBSP vanilla extract
    • 2 c. flour
    • 1 tsp. baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
    • 1 1/2 tsp. flaky salt
    • Vanilla ice cream for serving

    Directions:

    1. Melt butter in a 10-12 inch oven proof skillet over medium low heat, swirling butter often, until the butter foams, then cook until the milk solids drop to the bottom and begin to brown, 5-8 minutes total. If butter starts to bubble and spit, reduce heat. Remove skillet from heat and allow butter to cool for 30 or so minutes.
    2. Once the butter cools, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the skillet and stir to combine. Stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
    3. Pile the flour, baking soda, and salt on top of the butter mixture. Use your fingers to sift the baking soda into the flour, then stir it into the butter mixture (it will seem like too much flour, but keep stirring until combined).
    4. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using your hands, press the dough to the edges of the skillet and smooth out the top. Sprinkle with flaky salt.
    5. Allow dough to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate before baking, if you can.
    6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325F, and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the cookie is light golden but still very soft looking in the center. A 12 inch skillet will need less time while a 10 inch skillet will need more time.
    7. Top with ice cream and eat immediately or let cookie cool for about 20 minutes and scoop into bowls or slice into pieces.

    Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie: