Category: Main Dishes

Coconut-Lime Shrimp

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A white bowl on a wooden table, with rice, shrimp, cilantro and a wedge of lime on the side.


This recipe is from Melissa Clark in the New York Times. It’s a really great fresh-tasting meal and we loved it. I think you can really improvise with the veggies and protein and it will still be delish. Everything cooks pretty quickly so it’s best to have everything prepped and ready before you start. You’ll also want to start rice beforehand, too.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 medium shallots, diced
1 medium jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded if you like, minced (use less if you don’t like the heat)
1 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp freshly grated or minced ginger
2 large garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
½ (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk, about 7/8 cup)
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 pound peeled large shrimp
1 Tbsp freshly grated lime zest
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
1 tsp light brown sugar or palm sugar
1 tsp Asian fish sauce, plus more to taste
Cooked rice, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

Step 1
Heat sesame oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots, jalapeño and a pinch of salt, and cook until starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in ginger and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.

Step 2
Stir in coconut milk, ¼ cup chopped cilantro and 1 tsp kosher salt. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 2 minutes to blend the flavors.

Step 3
Stir in shrimp, lime zest, lime juice, sugar and fish sauce. Continue to simmer until shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more lime juice, salt or fish sauce, or all three, if needed.

Step 4
Serve over rice, with remaining cilantro and lime wedges on the side.

Note Melissa uses a full can of coconut milk, but we found it to be very soupy. About half of that can would work better for me.

Cholay – Punjabi Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) Curry

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Garbanzo bean curry with chopped cilantro on top, in a white bowl on a wood table with a floral cloth beside the bowl.


It’s been a while since I posted a truly Pakistani recipe. I tend to make the same dishes over and over again. But I recently found FatimaCooks.net, by a Pakistani woman who lives in London. Her recipes taste right – like good home cooking – and Kumy really likes them too. They’re clear, well written and don’t use as many difficult-to-find ingredients. Though I do recommend getting Kashmiri red chilli powder, which she uses fairly often.

This curry is actually pretty quick and delicious. Cholay is usually pretty spicy, but you can turn down the heat by reducing the Cayenne pepper. It’s great over rice, or served with warm naan.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced finely
2 medium tomatoes diced finely
1 tsp garlic powder, or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 inch ginger, grated
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (chickpeas) or soak your own.
½ cup plain, full-fat yogurt
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cayenne powder
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp turmeric
¾ tsp garam masala*
¼ tsp amchur powder (dried mango powder) or 1 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, for garnishing

Heat oil in a pot and add the chopped onions, garlic and ginger. Cook them over medium heat till they brown lightly, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and a couple of spoonfuls of water. Continue cooking and stirring frequently until the tomatoes break down.

Add all the spices and the chickpeas and cook for 2 more minutes.

*Don’t have garam masala? Try adding the mix below:

Garam Masala rough substitute:
½ tsp cumin powder
scant 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
scant 1/8 tsp ground cloves, ground cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg

Add yogurt and ½ cup of hot water. Turn the heat to low and let the curry simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Uncover – if the curry isn’t as thick as you’d like, let it continue to cook for a few more minutes to thicken up. If it’s too thick, just add a little more water. (If you’re serving with Naan, you’ll want to make it a little dryer. If you’re serving over rice you can leave it a little wetter.)

Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with rice or with Naan.

Roasted Tomato & Cheese Tart

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I took this tart with lots of fresh herbs and cheese last night as an appetizer for a dinner with friends, and it was really delicious. The original recipe is from Molly at Spicesinmydna.com: a beautiful dish with carefully sliced and arranged heirloom tomatoes. I made it once that way, but I think roasting the tomatoes separately added a lot of flavor and was a little easier.

Ingredients

For the tart
3-4 cups cut up tomatoes – can be grape or cherry halved, and/or larger tomatoes cut into chunks with seeds and liquidy stuff removed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp olive oil

For the crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2-4 Tbsp ice water

For the filling
4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated pecorino Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
½ small onion, diced, and microwaved in a small bowl for about 25 seconds
1 tsp garlic powder, or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup basil leaves, chopped (add more if you really like basil)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic chives or regular chives
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Cut up tomatoes. Place on a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Mix it all together by hand and pop it in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes on the top shelf, until tomatoes are collapsing and soft with a few burn marks. If needed, roast another 5-10 minutes. Once the tomatoes are done, remove them and turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, make the crust. Add flour, sugar, and salt to a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the cheese and pulse again until incorporated. Add the butter and pulse until the butter resembles pea-sized pieces. With the food processor running, add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together. (I had to use all 4 Tbsp.)

Press dough into bottom and the sides of a 9 inch quiche pan. It doesn’t need to be rolled out – just drop it in the pan, spread it as evenly as possible and pat it down gently. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden on the edges. Cool for 15-20 minutes before filling.

While crust is baking, make the filling. In a medium bowl, mix softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, Pecorino Romano, warmed onion, garlic, basil, chives, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Once the crust has cooled, spread the filling onto the crust with a rubber spatula. Layer the tomatoes on top of the filling as evenly as possible.

Return tart to oven and bake another 35 minutes. Let cool for 20-30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Tex Mex Black Bean and Tortilla Salad

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This was a “wonder what’s in the fridge?” kind of supper. I had some lovely avocados and fresh corn tortillas and romaine lettuce and I thought – oh, salad!

It was good. Really good. I would happily make this again, and I’ll have to since we ate every bite before I could take a photo. Oh well, next time… (Made this again this weekend and it was just as delicious! I used corn tortilla chips, broken and warmed with the same spices. Good again, and I remembered to take a photo.)

1 head of romaine lettuce, quartered and cut into 1″ sections
½ cup baby tomatoes (mine were yellow – last from the garden)
2 small avocados, cut into roughly ½” chunks
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup sharp grated cheddar cheese
6 corn tortillas, chopped into 1″ sections, tossed with
– ½ tsp ground cumin
– ½ tsp salt
– 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
– 1/4 tsp garlic powder
– 1/4 tsp Tajin seasoning (Can substitute with chili powder and a little lime zest)
– 3 Tbsp olive oil

Mix dressing in a small bowl:
2 Tbsp plain full-fat yoghurt
4 Tbsp Salsa Verde
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Tajin Seasoning
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
Good pinch of ground Cumin

Cut up tortillas on a cutting board and top with the spices listed right below. Hand toss to coat. Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and add tortillas and any spices left on the board. Sauté on medium heat, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Can reduce heat if they are starting to burn a little. Once they’re starting to get a little crispy, turn the heat off and let them cool for a minute or so.

Add lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, black beans and grated cheese into a large mixing bowl and add the warm, spicy corn tortillas. Pour dressing over and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Delish!!

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

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This soup is super fast and very delicious. I started with a recipe from Jamie at drivemehungry.com, but made tweaks based on what I had handy. It was the perfect supper for a cold, wintery day.

I used chicken thighs since I was out of chicken stock, and just added a bouillon cube. If you have chicken stock, you can use that instead and skip the bouillon cube. Jamie mentions that this is a flexible recipe and you could add sautéed veggies, too.

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 cups water and 1 chicken bouillon cube or 4 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
½ inch piece of ginger, smashed in one piece
2 stalks green onions, white parts cut off in 1″ pieces and green parts in 1/4″ rings
½ tsp fish sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp chili crisp (use less if you don’t like it too spicy)
salt to taste
½ package of Pho noodles or any really thin noodles, enough for 4 servings
1 Thai red chile, or a red jalapeno, very thinly sliced (also optional)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

In a stock pot, bring water to a boil and add chicken thighs and bouillon cube. If you really love ginger, you could add the ginger, too. Reduce heat and simmer for around 30 minutes.

Remove chicken to a plate and chop into roughly 1″ pieces. Strain chicken stock from pot into a bowl, discarding the yucky stuff, but saving the ginger for the next step if you used it.

Add olive oil to the pot, and add garlic, ginger and the white parts of the green onion. Sauté for a few minutes until the garlic starts to get brown.

Add chicken stock back in and stir well. Simmer for a few minutes and remove the ginger. (You can leave the onions and the garlic, which gets super sweet.)

Add fish sauce, sesame oil, hot chili oil, chicken and noodles. Cook for just a couple of minutes until the chicken is warmed back up and the noodles are softened. If you’re using a different noodle, follow suggested cooking times. Taste broth and add salt if needed.

Place noodles and soup in a wide bowl and garnish with green onion rings, cilantro and a few thin slices of red chili. Yum!

French Chicken, Leek And Mushroom Pie (Tourte)

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I’m sure this recipe must have come to me from Pinterest, and the original recipe is from Pardonmyfrench.com. The first time I made it I followed Audrey’s recipe exactly. It was good, but I wanted a little more spice. The second time, I had tons of leeks so I made a few tweaks, (added leeks instead of onions and added red pepper flakes). Samir came for a visit this afternoon and tried a bit off the spoon. He asked if it was on the blog, and that’s when I knew it was a keeper. So Samir – here you go!

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1″ pieces
½ tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, divided
2 strips bacon, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
1 lb (450g) Portobello mushrooms, sliced
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 cups leeks, chopped and washed
6 Tbsp (50g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1½ tsp dried thyme
3/4 cup + 1Tbsp (195ml) water
3/4 cup + 1Tbsp (195ml) milk
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 (13-oz [370-g]) packets ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed for a good 40 minutes.
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp (15ml) milk

Directions:

It seems like a lot of steps, but it’s actually pretty simple. For the filling, you’ll cook the meats first, then the veggies. Then you make a white sauce and dump everything back in. So don’t be scared by the directions!

On medium high heat, heat olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a frying pan. Add bacon and cook until fat has rendered – at least a few minutes. Season chicken thigh pieces with salt and pepper and add to frying pan. Cook for several minutes, until chicken is cooked through and starting to brown a bit.

Remove chicken and bacon to a plate, leaving any bacon drippings and other oil. Add mushrooms, and cook for several minutes, until they have released their water and dried up again. Remove to chicken plate. Add a tsp more olive oil if needed and add leeks. Sauté leeks stirring frequently, until they have wilted and reduced a good bit. Remove from pan to chicken plate.

Mix flours and seasonings in a small bowl, and have ready.

Add 3 Tbsp butter to frying pan and melt. Add flour and seasonings and stir quickly for a minute. Add water and milk and stir vigorously until you get a smooth, thick consistency. Cook for several minutes stirring constantly until the roux has thickened up a good bit.

Add Dijon Mustard and stir well. Then add the chicken, leeks and mushrooms back in and and stir. Check seasoning – adding salt and pepper if needed. Take off heat.

Preheat Oven to 410 degrees.

Line a springform pan bottom with parchment paper. You can also line a cast iron skillet. Lay the Puff Pastry into the pan. If you’re picky, you can kind of roll it out first so it covers the bottom and sides. Prick with a fork all over.

Add filling and smooth it so it’s fairly even. Take top piece of puff pastry and lay over the top of the filling. Squeeze the top and bottom pastry edges together gently wherever you can.

Mix egg yolk with 1 Tbsp milk and brush over the top of the pastry. If your pastry is totally sealed (top and bottom) cut a 1″ slit in the top crust to let steam escape.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake another 20 – 25 minutes until the crust is nice and golden brown.

Remove from oven, and use a butter knife around the outside edge of the pan. Release the pan side and cut wedges to serve. So good!

Sausage, Leek & Pea Pasta

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This is a lovely recipe I found on LanasCooking.com. I did make a few tweaks – used a whole red onion instead of a shallot, added more peas and heavy cream. It’s really delicious – with a little sweetness from the leeks, onion and peas that works really well with the sausage. It’s fast and it makes a lot – I think this could easily serve 6 people. (It’s hard to tell but my skillet is huge!!)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb bulk sweet Italian Sausage
2 large leeks, rinsed well and cut into ½” rings
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock
1½ cups frozen peas
3/4 lb pasta (I used Trottole and Penne, but any short pasta would do.)
½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1/3 cup heavy cream

Start a large pot of salted water boiling, and cook pasta al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil and fry sausage until cooked through and lightly browned, 8 – 10 minutes. Add leeks and onion and cook until leeks are softened, and onions are translucent, another 8 – 10 minutes.

Add butter, black pepper, chicken stock and frozen peas, and stir well. Let come to a simmer, then add pasta, cheese and heavy cream and mix well.

Cook for a few minutes until everything is well combined and warmed through. Check seasoning, and top with a grind of black pepper, and a sprinkling of grated Romano cheese. I didn’t add any salt since the pasta was salted and the sausage is pretty salty, too.

Delish!

Spiced Tomato Stew with Cheesy Polenta

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From Sara Bradley, in the Wall Street Journal

We’re kind of swimming in garden tomatoes at the moment, and this recipe is a great way to use them. Sara’s original recipe calls for heirloom tomatoes, smoked cheddar and regular cheddar, but I had Pecorino Romano and Gruyere and garden tomatoes, so I just used those.

It was really delicious and I loved the rustic tomato sauce, which I’ll definitely make again.

Ingredients:

4-5 cups water
½ tsp salt
1 cup polenta
2 oz smoked cheddar (or gruyere), grated
2 oz white cheddar (or pecorino romano), grated
2 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 large shallots, thinly sliced or chopped
1/4 tsp red chile flakes
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch of sugar
4-6 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves, torn

Bring salted water to boil in a medium pot. Add in polenta, reduce heat and cook 20 minutes or so, stirring from time to time and adding a little water if it gets very thick. Once the polenta is creamy, add in the two grated cheeses and the cream cheese. Stir well and set aside.

Meanwhile in a large frying pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil. When hot, add in shallots and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic and stir another couple of minutes. Then add red chile flakes, fennel seeds, salt, black pepper and sugar. Stir for a minute or so, then add all of the tomatoes.

Cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes. Check seasoning.

Scoop polenta into a wide bowl, and top with a nice big spoonful of the tomato stew, and some fresh basil leaves.

Frog & Prince Sheet-Pan Baked Feta With Broccolini, Tomatoes and Lemon

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Note: this was the first time I made this, and hadn’t dipped the feta slices or nestled them down. But I had to share the tray before going into the oven with all these vivid colors!

Based on Yasmin Fahr’s recipe with a few tweaks, it is one of those incredibly beautiful dishes because of the colorful veggies, that also tastes wonderful. It’s also quick and easy.

The funny name came because I try new dishes all the time, and honestly, some are duds. (Those don’t make it on the blog.) Kumy tried this and said, “There are frogs and princes, and this one is definitely a prince.” You can add practically any vegetable, as long as you include sliced lemons, onions and tomatoes, which are the real stars. So good!

Ingredients
1 bunch broccolini, ends trimmed, thick stalks split lengthwise, and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
1 big red onion, peeled, quartered and cut into 1-inch wedges
1 small zucchini, cut into ½” thick rounds (optional)
1 and 1/2 yellow or orange bell peppers, sliced into 1″ strips
1 lemon, 1/2 cut into thin rounds and the remaining 1/2 left intact, for serving
3 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp red-pepper flakes
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 (6- to 8-ounce) block feta, cut into 1-inch slices (can also use Queso Fresco wedges)

Cooked orzo, for serving
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped for garnish

Heat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack set in the lower third. Put all the veggies in a sheet pan.

Mix olive oil and seasonings in a bowl, then carefully dip the feta slices in the oil to coat, set them on a plate and drizzle the oil mixture over the veggies. Toss the veggies with your hands until the veggies are pretty evenly coated. Nestle the feta slices into the veggies.

Roast at least 20 minutes, until the broccolini stems are soft enough to pierce with a fork and the tomatoes blister and collapse a bit. Yasmin tosses the veggies 1/2 way through, but I didn’t want to break up the cheese, and it was fine.

Remove from the oven, squeeze a bit of fresh lemon over it then serve over orzo, and top with a drizzle of olive oil and the basil. Yum!

Lemony Shrimp and Bean Stew

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Another fast and fabulous recipe from Sue Li in the New York Times. I made it with a few tweaks for supper last night. It was just delicious – with a wonderful, creamy texture from the Cannellini beans, rich flavor from the shrimp, onion, shallots, garlic and paprika and a burst of citrus from the zest and lemon juice.

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest and 2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, grated
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed (save peels for stock)
4 Tbsp butter (½ stick)
1 yellow onion, cut into large chunks
2 large shallots, cut into large chunks. (Or 2 large leeks, trimmed, halved and sliced)
1 big handful spinach (2 cups?)
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups shrimp stock, or chicken stock*
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Toasted bread, for serving

PREPARATION

Peel shrimp and remove tails. Add peels to a small saucepan with 2½ cups water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer while you cook. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to get 2 cups shrimp stock.

Combine lemon zest, paprika, garlic, ¾ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. When butter is foaming, add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and starting to curl, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a plate; set aside.

Add onions and shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium until soft and starting to brown on the edges, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and cook for a minute or two until wilted.

Gently stir in beans and hot stock. Bring to a simmer and let cook 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in reserved shrimp and any juices from the plate, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley if using. Serve with toasted bread.

*Can use chicken stock if your shrimp is already peeled. But the shrimp stock is super tasty! You can also use any white bean. I added spinach and used an onion and shallots because I didn’t have any leeks – and we loved it that way.