Pistachio Pesto

Pesto is a thing of magic.

From the Italian “pestare”, or to crush, pesto starts out as 6 simple ingredients and turns into a bright, rich, savory sauce that can serve you on your culinary adventures in myriad ways.  Pesto can be used, of course, on pasta, but also as a marinade for meat, in dressings, as the base for a delicious pizza, spread on to your favorite sandwich, on top of homemade hummus, or, as I love to do when I make my Pesto Meatballs, folded into ground beef. 

Much like other sauces with minimal ingredients (Carbonara and Cacio e Pepe come to mind), the quality of each ingredient is of the utmost importance.  For this reason, pesto is best when made from fresh basil (keep an eye out at your local farmer’s market).  In North America, unfortunately this limits our pesto season to the warmer months, but making extra at the end of the summer and freezing it for year round enjoyment is always a great idea.  If you grow it yourself or have access to fresh basil year round, even better.  Just know that your pesto will taste best when the basil is at peak freshness and flavor.  And let’s not forget that the quality of your olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano are equally as important.  Don't skimp!  These two ingredients give the pesto it’s richness; the olive oil being the glue that carries it all, and the cheese what gives pesto it’s deep umami flavor.  Getting real-deal Parmigiano-Reggiano is a non-negotiable here.

Here’s where this recipe goes against the grain: instead of pine nuts, pistachios are used.  Not only are pine nuts wildly expensive, I've found that they are just not the end all be all when it comes to making pesto.  In the kitchen I always say, why not experiment?  I once used pistachios when making my Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pesto, simply because I didn't have pine nuts on hand, and the result was fantastic.  Pistachios are rich and flavorful, and nothing makes them less capable of making an incredible pesto.  In fact, they make a wonderful nutty alternative, and bring a whole new dynamic to this classic sauce.  Once you have all your ingredients, it only takes 10 minutes or less to go to pesto heaven, so what are you waiting for?

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Pistachio Pesto

Renders roughly 1 cup concentrated pesto

• 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil

• 1/4 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large clove fresh garlic, pressed or finely diced

• 1/4 tsp sea salt (can add salt after if need be)

• 1/2 cup shelled raw pistachios (unsalted)

• 1/4 cup loosely diced pieces of pargmigiano-reggiano

• Optional: Juice of half a lemon

Unless pre-washed, wash basil and remove leaves from the large stems.  If not using a garlic press for the garlic, you can finely dice your garlic or mash it up a bit in a mortar and pestle.  Shave off chunks of parmigiano-reggiano from your larger block, loosely filling 1/4 cup.  Then combine all ingredients except sea salt in a food processor (or blender) and blend, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. 

Once the pesto is mostly smooth, but still retains some texture, add salt to taste.  Depending how salty your parmigiano is, you may need either more or less than 1/4 tsp of sea salt.  If you find you need more olive oil, add a little more olive oil and blend again.  Love garlic? Add a second clove.  Lemon is optional but adds a nice subtle tartness.  When it's all done, go have fun and get creative!  Your pesto will last in the fridge for at least a week, or you can freeze it for enjoyment later.  To defrost, just let pesto sit at room temperature.

Low & Slow Goat Cheese Eggs

I’m not sure what’s worse than dry scrambled eggs.

I make very few exceptions in regards to my distaste for scrambled eggs and largely because they are often overcooked, becoming rubbery chunks I simply do not find appealing. Two notable exceptions however are 1) Australian Folded Eggs, gifted to my consciousness via The Kitchn and 2) Bobby Flay’s eggs at his now closed New York restaurant, Gato. Although these two dishes are made using differing techniques, what they share is the resulting soft, custardy deliciousness that can be scrambled eggs, when cooked the right way.

Borrowing from Gato’s addition of creme fraiche, goat cheese is mixed into these eggs before they’ve started to cook, and going slow allows you to make sure the eggs come off the heat just when they’ve transformed from raw to deliciously custardy.

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Low & Slow Goat Cheese Eggs

• 4 eggs

• 1.5- 2 Tbsps Soft Goat Cheese, preferably from a log and not precrumbled

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Butter or Extra virgin olive oil

• Sea Salt

• OPTIONAL: sprinkle eggs with your favorite finishers, I like chives and aleppo pepper

Take goat cheese out to bring to room temp.

Whisk 4 eggs together with a few cranks of freshly ground pepper and about ¼ tsp of sea salt.

Over low heat - start a non stick pan with a little pat of butter, or olive oil.

Once butter has melted or oil is warm, add eggs. The pan shouldn’t be so hot that the eggs start cooking when they hit the pan. Add about 1.5-2 Tsps softened, crumbled goat cheese.

With a spatula, start gently mixing the eggs in the pan. The idea is to create folds of softly cooked egg. Continue folding in a circular manner until the eggs are gently cooked with creamy layers in between. Put into a bowl and top with fresh chives and any of your other favorite toppings.

Homemade Roasted Red Peppers

Chef Tom Colicchio in his cookbook, Think Like a Chef, writes about the importance of making ingredients.

When I came to this chapter in the cookbook I was struck by the equal simplicity and importance of this idea. When you prepare a food, through roasting, seasoning, blistering, smoking, etc, before using it in your cooking or in a final dish, you find an opportunity to build flavor in a way that you can’t when you start with all fresh or raw ingredients. As a lover of condiments, which build flavor in a dish after it’s been cooked, I equally appreciate the making of ingredients. Roasting peppers under a broiler brings out their inherent sweetness and smokiness, and there must be a million and one great things that can be done with roasted red peppers. Once you make them from scratch, you’ll probably never go back to the store bought kind, unless in a pinch of course. So go ahead and roast up a whole batch of peppers to keep on hand. Put them on sandwiches, in salads, on homemade pizza and most definitely to make my Roasted Red Pepper Pesto and Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.

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Homemade Roasted Red Peppers

• Red Bell Peppers

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

When it comes to roasted red peppers, surely you could use the store bought kind, but roasting your own is even more delicious and doesn't take long at all. Thoroughly wash and take off any store stickers from your peppers. I like to use Red Hollands, if you can find them. These are a beautiful bright red variety of red bell pepper, but regular works just great too. Turn your oven on to the high broil setting and let it heat up.

Cut the stem off the top of your pepper and remove the inner core along with all seeds. Place peppers on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Once oven is hot, put peppers in. You'll need to babysit them a little bit from here on out: every 5-10 minutes, poke your head in the oven and check that the skin of the pepper has bubbled and gotten slightly charred on the side facing up. Once it has, use tongs or a clean oven mitt to rotate the pepper, allowing it to char on the next side. Continue to rotate and turn both peppers until they have bubbled and slightly charred all around.  Keep in mind - this does not mean burnt! You just want spots of charred skin - not a completely burnt pepper!

Once the peppers are done roasting, take them out of the oven and immediately move the peppers to a tupperware with a lid just slightly ajar, allowing steam to accumulate inside. This allows for the pepper to cool down enough to handle, and for the skin to become more easy to peel away from the rest of the pepper. Once cooled, take the peppers out of the tupperware and remove the skin. Cut into slices and your peppers are ready. Use immediately, or cool thoroughly and place in an airtight container in the fridge.

Herb Salsa

As a chef in 2020 it’s hard not to be inspired by Samin Nosrat. Her cookbook turned Netflix Special Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is a game changer when it comes to thinking about cooking. Her food is a celebration of the very basic concept that great food can be made using intentional combinations of simple, high quality ingredients. She wrote a recipe for Basic Herb Salsa for NYT Cooking and I was very much inspired by that, as I stared at the heap of fresh herbs I’d been ignoring in the bottom drawer of my refrigerator. I made this version with the addition of scallion, less garlic and vinegar optional. It’s tangy, vibrant and of course herbaceous. I like to think this herb salsa is the thing you can pull out of the fridge to make just about anything look impressive: spread on sandwiches, over eggs, grains or chickpeas, or serve it with warm crispy bread.

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Herb Salsa

• ¾ cup Extra virgin olive oil

• 1 bunch scallions

• 1 bunch cilantro

• 1 bunch parsley

• Lemon zest of 1 small lemon

• 1 small clove garlic, or ½ med/large clove

• Salt

• OPTIONAL: Vinegar of your choice

Finely dice 1 bunch of scallions and put in a bowl.

Finely chiffonade, or slice, cilantro and parsley and add to the same bowl.

Using a microplane or extra fine cheese grater, over the bowl zest 1 small lemon and grate fresh garlic. When you zest your lemon, make sure to only zest the yellow part of the fruit and not the white, bitter pith which is just underneath.

Pour in oil and gently fold all ingredients together. Salt to taste.

Add vinegar if you want the extra acidity, but note that vinegar will dull the color of your greens over time. Refrigerate and use within a few days over eggs, added to salad dressings, or with these Charred Sweet Potato Wedges.

Harissa Tamari Roasted Chicken w. Crispy Potatoes & Cumin Yogurt

Food is emotional.

The success of a dish is as much about the way it tastes as the way it makes you feel. Like snuggling up under a warm blanket at the end of an extremity-numbing winter day, this Harissa Tamari roasted chicken is cozy and comforting. Umami tamari and savory harissa hug the edges of moist chicken, served with crispy shallot potatoes and finished with a tangy cumin kefir yogurt. This dish is perfectly timed for what can be a difficult time of the year: days are shorter and darker, and with the holiday season behind us, we begin the count down to the arrival of Spring here in the North East. It’s the time of the year when most of us cling to the hopes of a snow day, so we can stay under the covers just a little bit longer. Whether you’re someone who revels in the frosty temperatures of late January, or someone who despises it, this dish is guaranteed to warm you on even the coldest days.

Salt your chicken and soak your potatoes while you cuddle up (under those aforementioned blankets). This dish is incredibly versatile: play with plating and you can make it work for the most casual or most impressive dinner party. For the former, serve everything on parchment paper: cut the meat off the bones and place on top of the roasted potatoes. Put out with tongs, extra yogurt sauce, good olive oil, fresh arugula, lemon wedges and flaky salt, and your guests can make themselves a plate. For the latter, allow the stunning red harissa to make a statement on white serveware: drizzle with yogurt and serve similarly with a simple side salad. P.S. it’s also totally cool if you plan to eat this all by yourself! The luscious crispy potatoes in this recipe have been amended from my original writing, and are now credited to this original recipe from Christine Gallary, but with a slight change and the addition of shallots.

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Harissa Tamari Roasted Chicken with Crispy Potatoes and Cumin Yogurt

Serves 2

• 2 chicken legs, bone-in (you can also use either bone-in thigh or drumstick)

• 3/4 lb red potatoes

• 2 Tbsps New York Shuk Preserved Lemon Harissa (available for purchase in NY here and online here)

• 1 Tbsp Tamari

• 2 lemons

• 2 large shallots

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/4 tsp cumin powder

• 1/4 goat milk Kefir (I use Redwood Hill Farm available here, and you can always sub plain greek yogurt)

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Neutral oil, like avocado, canola, sunflower, safflower, etc

• Kosher salt

• Maldon salt, if available

• Cast iron or stainless steel oven-friendly pan, 8-10 inches

• Cast iron or stainless steel pan, 10-12 inches

Preheat your oven to 375F.

In a mixing bowl combine1/2 tbsp salt, 2 Tbsps New York Shuk Preserved Lemon Harissa, 1 Tbsp tamari, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, and just shy of 1/4 tsp both smoked paprika and cumin. Mix well. Then add chicken to the bowl and rub sauce into the meat, making sure to get it under the skin. Leave chicken in the marinade up to 1 hour but at least 15 minutes, either in your fridge if your kitchen is hot, or out in a cool place like near the window.

Clean and cut potatoes in half, cut across if the potato is more oblong, vs cutting from top to bottom. This is to keep pieces as evenly sized as possible. Place potatoes in a bowl with cold water while your chicken marinates. Red potatoes are a less starchy variety to begin with, but soaking will remove some of what starch there is, so they stay more firm.

In the meantime, cut 2 shallots across into rounds, making sure not to cut them too thin. You can save the ends and skin to use in stock! Set aside.

When you’re ready to cook, we’ll start by searing the chicken skin: heat 1-2 Tbsps neutral oil in your stainless steel pan over medium high heat (enough to cover the bottom of the pan). Please note that you must use an oven-safe stainless steel pan or other high-temp, oven safe pan like cast iron because we will finish cooking the chicken in the oven.

When oil is shimmering, let excess marinade drip off chicken and place skin side down in the pan. It should sizzle upon contact. If it doesn’t, remove chicken and wait another minute or so. If the oil spits back at you, lower the heat a bit. Cook until the skin is golden and releases easily from the bottom of the pan - 5 minutes but not much longer so as to avoid burning spices and marinade. Move chicken out of the hot pan and carefully pour out the hot oil. Let the pan cool a minute before rinsing clean and drying. To the clean pan add a splash of neutral oil, just enough to cover the bottom, and place chicken back in, skin side up this time.

Place the pan in the preheated oven to finish cooking.  Depending on the size of the chicken leg (or thigh/drumstick), it will cook for roughly another 15-25 minutes total in the oven. You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165F internal temperature. You can check internal temperature for doneness after 15 minutes, as well as baste the chicken. Set a timer to remind yourself to do this.

While your chicken is getting started in the oven, make the crispy potatoes, credited to this original recipe from Christine Gallary but with the addition of shallots.

Remove potatoes from the water, dry and cut into similar sized quarters (or leave as halves for smaller potatoes). In another stainless or cast iron wide pan (10-12 inches to accommodate all of the potatoes), heat 2 Tbsps neutral oil over medium heat until shimmering. Place potatoes cut side down to the pan in a single layer and sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt. Cover the pan and cook 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and golden brown on the bottom. In her recipe, Christine talks about why a tight-fitting lid is so important here: to allow steam inside the pan to soften the potatoes.

When the timer goes off to check your chicken, wearing an oven mitt or using a well folded, dry kitchen towel to grab the pan, spoon any rendered fat or juices from the bottom over the chicken. Check internal temperature to assess doneness (165F is cooked).

If the chicken is finished, remove from the hot pan and set aside to rest, and place the pan with rendered juices to the side to use for serving later on. If your chicken needs more time, continue cooking another 5-10 minutes, making sure to then rest and set aside pan with juices.

After 15 minutes, potatoes should be golden on the first side. Open the pan lid away from you to avoid any steam droplets interacting with the hot oil and popping back at you. Flip the potatoes to the other uncooked, cut side and sprinkle with a bit more kosher salt. Continue to cook the potatoes on this second side over medium heat uncovered. After about 5 minutes, when potatoes are becoming golden on this side, add shallots to the pan. Cook potatoes and shallots together, stirring frequently until the shallots are also nice and golden. If your shallots look like they’re darkening too quickly, turn the heat down.

Whip up cumin yogurt with about 1/4 cup cold goat milk kefir. In a hot dry pan toast 1/2 tsp cumin seeds - about 1 min or until fragrant. Immediately mix into yogurt. Before serving add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. You can also prepare your yogurt sauce before you start cooking and leave in the fridge until the rest of the dish is ready.

Before serving reheat the rendered schmaltz from the chicken over low heat on your stove top if it’s cooled, scraping all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Spoon over chicken and potatoes. Drizzle with yogurt. Finish with a pinch of Maldon salt and serve.

Grounding Lentil and Grain Salad

Is it a salad? A grain bowl? A soup?

It’s all three. Before I make a big batch of something, I try to ask myself: am I going to still want to eat this tomorrow, and the day after, and then maybe even the day after that? I find the best way to confront that is to start with a base that can be made into multiple unique dishes. Have this the first day as a warm grain bowl, all on it’s own. The next day, make it into a lunch bowl, topped with roasted chicken and/or tons of roasted vegetables, drizzled with your favorite dressing or a nice scoop of Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. Then, just when you’re getting sick of it, submerge in a bowl of warm hearty broth with a tick of fresh squeezed lemon, turmeric and extra black pepper.

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Grounding Lentil and Grain Salad

• 1 cup Israeli cous cous, cooked in 1 ½ cups water - or grain of your choice

• 1 cup red lentils, cooked in 3 cups water - or lentils of your choice

• 7-8 mushrooms (use any variety from white to bella to shiitake)

• Finely chopped parsley

• 2 garlic cloves

• Sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Turmeric

• Garlic powder

• Extra virgin olive oil

• OPTIONAL: fresh rosemary, labne or plain thick yogurt, lemon juice

For this recipe, you can make do with whatever kinds of lentil and grains that you prefer, or have on hand in your pantry.  The key is flexibility. If that’s the case, start by cooking whichever of the two that takes longer to cook, and cook according to package directions.

If you’re using red lentils and Israeli cous cous, start with the red lentils:

Rinse in a fine mesh strainer and then put in a pot with the water, a sprinkle of sea salt, 2 whole peeled garlic cloves and roughly ½ teaspoon turmeric.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until tender and liquid is cooked off, 15-20 minutes.  Red lentils can get mushy, so make sure to monitor them and when they are tender, take off the heat. If your lentils are finished and there is still excess water in the pot, strain.  Make sure to remove whole garlic cloves.

In the meantime, cook your cous cous.  Bring water to a boil. Then add couscous and a pinch of salt.  When the water starts boiling again, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Strain out any remaining liquid.

While your lentils and grains cook, cut mushrooms into thin slices.  Heat cooking fat in a small pan. Add mushrooms and season to taste with salt, black pepper, a little garlic powder, and a sprig of fresh rosemary if you have on hand.  Cook over medium heat until mushrooms are soft and flavorful. Remove the whole rosemary.

When your lentils and grains are finished, turn heat off and combine in one pan.  Gently fold in the mushrooms and adjust seasoning to taste. You can also opt to keep all of your ingredients separate - lentils, grains and mushrooms, and combine when serving to the ratio you prefer.

Serve warm and top with fresh parsley, a squeeze of lemon and plain yogurt.  After a few days, you can submerge all ingredients in broth for a fantastic soup.

Gochujang Caesar Salad

This twist on a classic is bright and unique…

Don’t let the word “salad” or the sight of something green scare you away. Although quarantine has defined 2020 as the year of the carb (#Sourdough), in 2020 we also refuse to eat boring salads. In this riff on a Caesar, petals of crunchy romaine heart are the perfect vehicle for a rich dressing flecked with heat from the addition of Korean Gochujang paste. In place of parmesan and croutons, there is a warm, umami breadcrumb that comes to life with layers of flavor: rich miso, ginger, tamari, floral grapefruit zest and yes - butter. Let’s just say this is Caesar salad with a major glow up. If you’re feeling up for it, go for the full plating — it will feel like you’re taking yourself (and whoever is stuck at home with you!) out to a fancy dinner.

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Gochujang Caesar Salad

Serves 4

• 2 romaine hearts

• 1 whole very ripe grapefruit

GOCHUJANG CAESAR DRESSING:

• 2 room temperature egg yolks

• 2 tsps lemon juice

• ¾ cup of neutral oil, or until mayonnaise is semi-stuff

• Kosher salt

• 1 clove garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife

• 1 anchovy fillet, cut in half (2 if you like)

• ½ tsp fresh squeezed grapefruit juice

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 1 ½ tsp gochujang (korean chili paste)

• ¾ tsp rice vinegar

BREADCRUMBS:

• 1 Tbsp of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature or melted slightly in a microwave

• 1 tsp grated ginger

• 1 medium clove garlic, finely minced

• 2 Tbsp white miso

• ¼ teaspoon hot sesame oil

• ¼ teaspoon Tamari

• ½ cup of panko bread crumbs

• Grapefruit zest. added at the end, while warm

First, take your whole grapefruit and rinse it, since we will use some of the outside for zest. The more ripe the grapefruit, the better as it will lend a sweeter flavor. Cut the grapefruit in half, across instead of top to bottom. Juice one half into a bowl and strain to remove seeds and solids.

Set the other half aside, as you may want to use some for plating.

Start by making a stiff unsalted mayonnaise. For such a small amount, the best way to do this is in a medium mixing bowl with a large, balloon whisk. Prepare for a very gratifying arm workout! (If you have a hand mixer, you can use that instead!)

If you are making your mayo by hand, stabilize your bowl by laying down a slightly damp kitchen towel on your counter. Place an empty pot on top, with a second damp kitchen towel draped over it. Secure the bowl inside the pot. Now it will not move while you whisk like a maniac!

To the bowl, add two room temperature egg yolks and 2 tsps of lemon juice. You can always bring egg yolks to room temperature by placing whole eggs right out of the fridge in hot water for a minute or two. One drop at a time, start to whisk in your neutral oil with the egg yolks and lemon juice. You really have to do this one drop at a time initially, or the oil will separate instead of emulsify. Once about half of your oil is added and emulsified, you can start to add the oil a little more quickly. When you’ve incorporated all of your oil, or your mayonnaise has reached a fairly stiff texture, it’s ready. (Did your emulsification break? No stress! Here’s a great video for fixing it.)

Once your mayonnaise is made, mix in your seasoning elements:

In a mortar and pestle, or on a cutting board, make a paste of 1 garlic clove, 1-2 anchovy fillets and a heaping ¼ tsp of salt. It may take a minute or two to get a paste. Whisk into mayonnaise. Then add juice of ½ lemon, ½ tsp of grapefruit juice (making sure neither have seeds or solids), and ¾ tsp rice vinegar. Mix well.

Next, add 1 ½  tsp of gochujang, making sure to incorporate it in evenly. Taste for salt and heat -- add a little more gochujang if you like. Once finished, cover and set aside. You can also make this dressing in advance, and keep refrigerated up to 5 days.

Gently rinse your romaine hearts, being careful to maintain the layers, and set aside on top of a kitchen towel or paper towel to dry.

In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of softened unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon peeled, finely grated ginger, finely minced garlic clove, 2 tablespoons of white miso, ¼ teaspoon of both tamari and hot sesame oil. Mix well and then gently fold in ½ cup of panko bread crumbs. 

In a small, nonstick pan, brown bread crumbs over medium low heat, agitating constantly making sure not to burn them. If you have only a stainless pan, add canola oil to the pan before cooking and scrape bottom of the pan often. When a majority of the bread crumbs have turned a darker shade of brown, take off the heat and move to a small bowl to cool.

To serve, gently toss romaine with dressing, top with warm breadcrumbs and finish with grapefruit zest.

Or, if you’re feeling fancy, plate it up properly: using a large, preferably flat dinner plate, add 2 Tbsps of dressing to the middle of the plate. Using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, spread the dressing into a thin, even layer.

Add grapefruit zest to warm bread crumbs. Mix and then add some to the plate.

Cut your romaine hearts across into 1 inch rounds, holding all the layers together with your fingers. Carefully place 2-3 around the plate, lightly pressing them down into the layer of dressing and breadcrumbs on the plate to secure them.

Finish with very thinly cut pieces of ripe grapefruit.

Goat Cheese & Honey Breakfast Toast

One of my all time favorite breakfasts.

If you follow me over on my Instagram, you see me eat this constantly, in a million different ways. The ingredients you can’t do without out? The goat cheese & the honey.

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Goat Cheese & Honey Breakfast Toast

• 2 whole eggs

• 2 slices of good bread, I like a great sourdough

• 1 - 1.5 Tbsps Goat cheese

• 1 ripe avocado

• Maldon salt or kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Aleppo pepper or red chili flakes

• Extra virgin olive oil

Take out your goat cheese to give it time to soften at room temperature. Toast the bread in a toaster or in a hot pan with a little bit of cooking fat, flipping after the first side is golden. In a non-stick pan, add olive oil and allow to get hot, waiting until it shimmers.

In the meantime, crack eggs carefully into a bowl, making sure no pieces of shell have fallen in. When your pan is hot add the eggs, being careful not to break the yolks. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and black pepper.

Spread your goat cheese on the warm toast and then place half of a sliced avocado down on each piece of bread.

When the white of your eggs has cooked through almost completely and isn’t looking wobbly, flip the eggs carefully, allowing it cook for just a moment more, and then immediately remove from the heat and place on your toast. If you like a more well done yolk, give it an extra minute over the heat.

Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with my favorite, aleppo pepper, or red chili flakes, and a bit of Maldon salt (kosher salt works here too). Eat promptly while warm and delicious.

Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Simple ingredients make beautiful food.

Sauces and condiments allow us to play with our food, and there's nothing I love more than a good sauce.  I grew up in a house where sauce was always made from scratch, and you licked the spoon (a lot) while cooking.  While I would not recommend doing that while cooking for others, I do still love licking the spoon and making sauce from scratch.  Packaged, pre-made ones are filled with added sweeteners, low quality oils, shelf-stabilizers and generally unnecessary additives. 

When you realize just how easy it is to make your own, and how much better it tastes, trust me - you'll be on board too.  This gem of a recipe came to me one afternoon while dreaming up ideas in the kitchen.  It's fast, uncomplicated, and you can literally put it on anything.  Use it as a base for a salad dressing, spread it on toast, have it with eggs, toss it with your favorite pasta, dollop it on a pizza along wiht fresh ricotta.  As they say, the world is your oyster.

Unlike most traditional pesto recipes, this one uses no cheese, so instead I blend in both pistachios and cashews to add complexity and creaminess.  Pesto also typically calls for pine nuts, but changing that up here brings a whole new dimension to the sauce, and despite being dairy free, once you taste it you will be surprised at how rich and creamy it is.  

The real beauty in this recipe, however, lies in the homemade roasted red peppers -- an ingredient which, once again, is all too easy to purchase in a jar, but not much more difficult to make yourself at home.  There is something so special about making certain pantry staples - ones we so often purchase in a jar, but can easily duplicate for half the price at home (i.e., homemade nut butters and nut milks!). Also, the depth and sweetness of homemade roasted peppers definitely surpasses that of the store bought kind.

Adding a food processor to your kitchen expands the possibility and potential for making these homemade staples, like nut butters, salsas and sauces.  Not only can you control exactly what goes into your food, you can make as much or as little as you want.  Because how many times have you purchased an entire jar of a specialty condiment or sauce only to use it once and let the rest go bad at the back of your fridge?  Make just 1 cup of this pesto and you'll be surprised that a little goes a long way, so no need to waste.  And when you get towards the end of a batch, add a little extra virgin olive oil and toss it on warm, al dente spaghetti.

Lastly, you will notice that in my recipe below I call for "a handful" of nuts and "large pinches" of salt.  This is because  my intention is to share my recipes with you in exactly the same way that I cook them, which is by feeling my way through.  While baking is a science, I do not believe that cooking always has to be.  Start with just a little salt, or a little garlic, or a little heat, and you can always add more!  Dive into this pesto with an adventurous spirit.  Cooking is about having fun after all, and reaping the benefits of a home cooked meal afterwards.

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Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Renders 1 cup concentrated pesto

• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large garlic clove, cut in half

• 2 large pinches sea salt (salt to taste)

• Handful shelled pistachios

• Handful raw cashews

• 2 Red Holland Bell peppers

• 1 cup loosely packed & washed fresh basil leaves

The first and most important step of this recipe is roasting your peppers! Surely you could use the store bought kind, but roasting your own is even more delicious -- and doesn't take long! Wash and take off any store stickers from your Red Hollands -- these are a beautiful bright red variety of red bell pepper, but regular bells will work too if you can't find them. Turn your oven on to the high broil setting and let it heat up. Once hot, place your peppers inside the oven on a baking sheet. You'll need to babysit them a little bit from here on out: every 5-10 minutes, poke your head in the oven and check that the skin of the pepper has bubbled and gotten slightly charred on the side facing up. Once it has, use tongs or a clean oven mitt to rotate the pepper, allowing it to blacken on the next side. Continue to rotate and turn both peppers until they have bubbled and slightly charred all around. Keep in mind - this does not mean burnt! You just want spots of charred skin - not a completely charred pepper!

Once the peppers are done roasting, take them out of the oven and immediately place them in a Ziploc bag and leave sealed for about 20-30 minutes (you can also use a closed tupperware here). This allows for the pepper to cool down enough to handle, and for the skin to become more easy to peel away from the rest of the pepper. 

Once cooled, take the peppers out of the bag or tupperware. They will be very soft. You should be able to easily pull the stems out from the peppers, and make sure to remove all seeds that don't come out along with the stem. Next peel the skin off the outside of the peppers. Discard the stems, seeds and peels. Cut your cleaned up peppers into large/medium slices and place to the side. If you have not purchased pre-washed basil, wash approximately 1 cup of loosely packed basil leaves. The leaves do not need to be perfectly trimmed from the stems, as it will all be puréed. Lastly, grab your large clove of garlic, remove the skin, and cut in half.

Now we can start to throw our ingredients into the food processor. Add your 1 handful of pistachios. 1 handful of raw cashews, 2 large pinches of sea salt, garlic clove, roasted red pepper, clean basil and olive oil - and purée away!!! This recipe can be adjusted as you go, so if you prefer more olive oil, add more olive oil. If it's not salty enough, add another pinch of salt. Really love garlic? Throw in another clove! And when it's all done, go have fun and get creative with this sauce! 

Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

If you know me, you know I’m a salsa addict.

Then it should come as no surprise that when I wrote the recipe for my Crispy Pork Tostadas I needed to dream up the perfect salsa to go with it. While this tangy tomatillo salsa goes excellently with savory pork, like any great accessory, it goes well with many things — from eggs, to roasted veg or garlic chicken.

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Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

Renders roughly 16 oz.

• 5 tomatillos, halved and grilled

• Approx ½ - ¾ grilled jalapeño, without seeds for less heat

• 1 ½ tbsp lime juice

• Yellow onion, rounds grilled then diced, approx 1 cup

• Large handful of clean cilantro leaves

• Pinch of coarse kosher salt, adjust to taste

First prep all your ingredients. Clean your tomatillos and jalapeño. Halve tomatillos. Cut 3 or 4 onion rounds, approx 1/2 inch thick. Remove the top of the jalapeño, and cut in half lengthwise, removing seeds if you prefer your salsa less spicy.

On a grill or on my favorite Lodge cast iron grill pan, grill tomatillos, onion and jalapeño, doing this in rounds if the grill gets too crowded. Once everything is finished grilling, place it aside to cool while you rinse your cilantro in cold water. If you don’t have access to a grill or cast iron grill, you can use a regular cast iron pan or use a baking sheet with a wire rack and place in the oven under the hi broil setting, blistering the ingredients evenly all over.

Once cool enough to handle, dice grilled onion.

In a food processor or blender, add a large handful of clean cilantro leaves. Add grilled tomatillos, 1 cup of diced grilled onion, 1/2 of your grilled jalapeño (start with less at first if you need to be gentle with heat, and then add more to taste). Add lime juice and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lime, cilantro, jalapeño or salt as you see fit.

Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Grilled Peach Pico

Pico de gallo gets a summery makeover.

Swap tomato for peach and you get a sweet and savory accent that goes great with these Crispy Pork Tostadas, or any other savory taco you feel like whipping up.

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Grilled Peach Pico

Renders 4-5 servings

• 1 whole grilled yellow peach, approx 1/2 cup diced (2-3 large rounds of fresh pineapple or mango also works, depending on season and availability)

• 2-3 large rounds yellow or spanish onion, grilled then diced, approx 1/4 cup

• Pinch of coarse kosher salt, adjust to taste

This take on pico de gallo could not be simpler. Make extra if you want and keep in the fridge, up to 3 days.

Rinse 1 yellow peach and cut down the middle, removing the pit. If you can’t find peaches in season, use 2-3 large pieces of fresh mango or pineapple.

From your onion, cut 1-2 large rounds, choosing larger middle pieces.

For both onion and fruit, you want large flat rounds that will allow the greatest possible surface area in contact with the grill surface.

On a grill or on my favorite Lodge cast iron grill pan, place peach cut-side down and onion rounds, allowing them to char well and then turning over to char on the other side. If you don’t have access to a grill or cast iron grill, you can use a regular cast iron pan or use a baking sheet with a wire rack and place in the oven under the hi broil setting, blistering the ingredients evenly all over.

Once everything is finished grilling, place aside until cool enough to handle.

Dice peach and onion and mix in a bowl, with a pinch of coarse kosher sea salt.

Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a celebration of summer. 

If you're not yet familiar with the dish, here it is in a nut shell: gazpacho is a cold soup that originated in the Andalucía region of Spain, and is typically made by blending fresh, raw vegetables and stale bread.

While this version foregoes the bread, it retains all the incredible flavor, combining the freshest produce with garlic, heat, acidity and lots of good olive oil.  What you get is a dish that satisfies on the hottest of days when the thought of turning on your stove is out of the question.

From July until the time fresh tomatoes disappear from the farmer's market, I keep a batch of this soup in my fridge at all times.  Why?  Because it's creamy, tangy, requires 8 simple ingredients, takes 30 minutes or less to make, keeps in the fridge and travels well.  What more could you ask for out of one simple dish?

Serve gazpacho as a perfect summer appetizer, or make it a meal, topped with avocado, diced cherry tomatoes, scallions, and a dollop of crème fraîche, paired with warm, crispy bread.  This dish is proof that food does not require complexity to be great - it’s simply the sum of it's parts, so do not skimp on getting the best ingredients and I promise, you will not be disappointed.

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Gazpacho

• 4 large in-season tomatoes (this dish is really best in season)

• 1 extra large cucumber, or 2 small

• 1 large sweet red or orange pepper

• 1 large jalapeño

• 2 large fresh garlic cloves

• 2 tbsp's of red wine vinegar

• 1 tsp sea salt, then add salt to taste

• 3 generous tbsp's of good quality E.V.O.O.

• Optional: top with a dollop of sour cream, creme fraiche, or avocado

Start a pot on high heat and bring it up to boil. In the meantime, rinse your tomatoes. Using the tip of a knife, lightly cut an X into the flesh on the bottom of each tomato. Add tomatoes to the boiling water for 2-5 minutes, or just until the skin is peeling back. You don’t want to overcook them. Remove from the heat, drain and throw into an ice bath or simply run under very cold water.  When cool enough to touch, starting from the bottom where you cut the X, peel the skin off each tomato and then drop into the bowl of your blender. Next, peel the skin off of the cucumber. Then cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds using a small spoon. Cut the cucumber into half rounds and add to the blender.

Next, you can use one of two methods to prepare your garlic: remove the garlic cloves from the skin and crush using a garlic press, or SAFELY lay your chef’s knife flat on top of the garlic clove and hit it with the heel of your hand until the skin comes loose and the garlic clove is slightly smashed. Add to the blender. 

Next cut your sweet pepper and jalapeño loosely into medium size pieces, removing the seeds from both. Add to the blender, and finally, add your salt and red wine vinegar. With all these ingredients added, start the blender and as they start to come together into a puree, begin pouring in your olive oil. Adding the olive oil while the blender is running lends to a more full, creamy soup. Once all the olive oil is added and the soup is a smooth consistency, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.  I personally like a bit more salt, so add, blend and taste until it's where you want it. You can also add more vinegar for extra acidity and more olive oil for extra body. If you want to serve immediately you can blend in a few ice cubes to chill your soup.  Otherwise, chill for an hour and then serve, or put in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

When serving, this soup comes alive with the texture of toppings. Crispy croutons, creamy additions, little sweet cherry tomatoes, a scoop of fresh guacamole. Or do it my way - with sliced avocado, chopped chives or scallions, freshly ground pepper, sea salt and another drizzle of that extra good olive oil.

Fried Eggplant Parmesan Stacks (GF)

If you think eggplant parmesan is a difficult dish to make…

you’re wrong. The simplicity of this dish is, in my opinion, what makes it so great. Eggplant rounds are shallow fried, which brings out that luscious texture that a well-cooked eggplant unlocks. This recipe does not use bread crumbs, which makes it less involved than some other recipes (and gluten free if you’re into that sort of thing). Once fried, the eggplant is stacked (as the name precludes) with layers of mozzarella, placed under the broiler and left to get super melty. Finish with my Simplest Sauce Ever, which is the perfect red-sauce compliment to this rich dish. Serve it all with some perfectly cooked al dente pasta and you’re good to go. Now just imagine you’re dining al fresco nella piazze di Roma.

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Fried Eggplant Parmesan Stacks (GF)

Serves 2

• 1 med eggplant, 8+ inches in diameter, ¾ lb of rounds ¼ in thick (approx 12 rounds, 6 per serving)

• ½ cup neutral oil

• 4oz salted mozzarella, cut into thin rounds (not fresh that comes in water but this kind

• Coarse kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• ½ cup Simplest Sauce Ever, more if you’re serving with pasta

• Freshly grated parmigiano reggiano

• OPTIONAL: Fresh basil, any variety al dente pasta

Start making your Simplest Sauce Ever if you haven’t prepared it already. Once that’s on the stove and simmering, rinse your eggplant and cut into rounds, skin on. Lay the rounds out into a single layer on a paper towel or kitchen towel. Sprinkle one side with salt to pull out some of the bitterness and excess moisture. After 10-15 minutes, press down on the eggplant with a clean towel to thoroughly remove all the excess moisture. 

Cut your rounds of salted mozzarella and set aside on top of a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. We want to remove a bit of the excess moisture from the mozzarella. Place in a cool part of your kitchen, or back in the fridge.

To shallow fry the eggplant, start by heating ⅛ cup of neutral oil in a cast iron or stainless pan over med-high heat. When you see the oil shimmering, make sure your eggplant is thoroughly dry before adding to the pan. Shallow fry in batches, 2-3 pieces at a time making sure not to overcrowd the pan, until crispy and golden on both sides. Too much eggplant in the pan at once will cause the temperature of your oil to drop, and lead to soggy, oily eggplant, rather than crispy.

As you remove the fried pieces of eggplant from the pan, lay them on a paper towel to drain excess oil and sprinkle immediately with a little coarse salt while hot. If you want to serve this with pasta, start boiling some water and salt it generously.

When all the eggplant has been fried, turn your oven on to the low broil setting and grab your mozzarella slices.

In a baking dish with sides, stack 5-6 pieces of eggplant, largest pieces towards the bottom, alternating with rounds of mozzarella in between. For the higher tiers of eggplant, if whole rounds of mozzarella are too large, tear the mozzarella into smaller pieces and add just enough to cover the eggplant, letting the cheese stick out a bit at the sides to achieve that melt-down-the-sides greatness. Once you’ve used all your eggplant, cover the baking dish with a piece of foil, making sure to tent it up a bit so it doesn’t stick to the top layer of cheese, and put in the oven for 10 minutes.

At this point, add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Start to warm your simple sauce on the stove top over a low-medium heat.

After 10 minutes, the mozzarella should have started to visibly melt. At that point, remove the tin foil, turn the oven on to high broil, and put back for another 3-5 minutes, or until the top layer of mozzarella is golden brown and other layers of mozzarella are super melty.

Carefully remove from oven and transfer to a plate. Top with a few spoonfuls of your simple sauce and finish with a grind of black pepper, freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and fresh basil, if you have! Serve alongside your al dente pasta tossed in simple sauce.

End of Summer Nachos

Crispy, creamy, and spicy...

What’s not to love about eating nachos?  By their very nature they allow for a layering of intense flavor that excites the palette, and this version does not disappoint.  Each bite combines sharp, gooey jack and cheddar cheeses, pico de gallo made with stunning heirloom tomatoes, the sweetest grilled summer corn, spicy chicken, pickled onions and creamy avocado poblano salsa.  And the best part about making your nachos at home is that you can be sure to layer the chips and toppings evenly to avoid the dreaded empty-chip bottom.  In my opinion there is no better way to celebrate the end of summer than outside with friends, sharing a plate of nachos and perhaps toasting with a watermelon margarita.

While the below recipe does outline a bit of advance prep work, you can also choose to skip those additional steps and save time by buying pre-made ingredients instead (no shame in that game!).  I opted to make my own chips (which are surprisingly easy), pico de gallo, crema, and pickled onions, all of which are outlined in the recipe below.  This dish can either be a fun afternoon of cooking and D.I.Y-ing it all, or more of a quick throw-together.  Choose your own adventure!

Making these nachos before the summer tomatoes and corn are gone from the farmer’s market makes this dish extra special, but of course they can be modified for any time of the year.  Off-season tomatoes aren’t the same but they’ll do, and good quality frozen corn charred in a cast iron pan is fine.  And for my fellow New Yorkers who do not have the luxury of a backyard or a grill, use a Lodge Cast Iron grill pan to make the best grilled food year round.

The other thing I love about nachos is that they are fully customizable: is your vegetarian cousin coming to the party?  Make grilled portobellos in place of chicken.  Want to make sure your vegan friend can partake?  Sub in your favorite dairy-free cheese alternatives and swap sour cream for a dollop of Kite Hill spread. 

And speaking of dairy free, the avocado poblano salsa these nachos are served with is vegan friendly and worth the extra 10 minutes it takes to whip up.  Even if you opt for store-bought chips, pico and sour cream, this salsa is not to be missed.  Put a scoop on top and serve the extra on the side for dipping.  It's seriously addictive. I won't tell if you eat the whole bowl yourself, I promise.

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End of Summer Nachos

• 18 small corn tortillas (or 1 large bag of corn tortilla chips if you aren't making chips - I like Xochitl brand)

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, or 2/3 large portobello mushrooms for vegetarian/vegan

• 1 block sharp yellow cheddar cheese (for vegan, replace with Daiya or Siete Foods)

• 1 block pepper jack cheese (for vegan, see above)

• 2 fresh corn cobs (ideally when in season)

• 2 jalapeños (or 1 jalapeño if you aren't making pico de gallo or pickled onions)

• 2 medium heirloom tomatoes to make your own pico de gallo (or 1 container pre-made pico de gallo)

• 6 limes (or 4 limes if you aren't making pico de gallo and chips)

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro

• 1 poblano pepper

• 1 long red pepper

• 1 ripe avocado

• 1 medium red onion (2 if you are making pickled onions)

• 8 oz. container Sour Cream (for vegan, use Kite Hill spread)

• 1 can black beans (I prefer Brad's Organic but any will do)

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Sea Salt

• Cayenne powder

• Garlic powder

• Smoked Paprika

• Adobo Seasoning

• Chili Powder

• OPTIONAL: Cotija or queso fresco for shaving on finished nachos, red radishes, and any other nacho toppings you love

** If you are feeling ambitious, make the home-made versions of the chips, crema, pickled onions and heirloom pico de gallo in advance.  Recipes for all four are at the bottom of the page, and should be prepared in advance of the following steps.  If you are short on time, buy them pre-made and start here: 

First thing to do is make the poblano salsa.  If you are grilling, you can put your poblano on the grill and allow the pepper to blister evenly all over.  If not, use your oven and put it on a high broil setting.  Place the clean poblano pepper on a baking sheet on the top shelf.  You will need to monitor the pepper, leaving it up to 8 minutes or until it starts to blister and the skin starts to char.  Then turn to the other side, and again watch for blistering, 5-8 minutes.  Once the pepper is blistered evenly on all sides, remove from the oven. 

Do not touch the pepper as there will be very hot steam underneath the blistered skin, so remove carefully.  Set aside and let cool to room temperature.  Once cool to the touch, cut off the top, cut down one side lengthwise and remove the seeds inside.  Place the entire pepper into the bowl of your food processor.  Then add juice of 1 whole lime, 1 avocado, ¼ tsp salt, ½ jalapeno, and 3 tbsps olive oil and run the food processor until all ingredients are broken down and the consistency is creamy.  Adjust salt to taste.  Put in a small jar with a tight top and put in the fridge.

Next shred roughly 1 cup of cheddar and 1 cup of pepper jack cheese and combine in one bowl.  Stick in the fridge to use later.  If you like your nachos extra cheesy, you should shred extra.  To make these nachos vegan, you can add your favorite melty vegan cheese alternative (I personally prefer Daiya, but Whole Foods carries other alternatives like Chao, or "queso" sauce alternatives like Heidi Ho and Siete Foods).  Dollop Kite Hill's vegan chive spread on top when serving. 

Next let's grill our chicken and corn.  Remove husks from corn and rinse.  In a small dish, pour out a little olive oil and using a pastry brush, brush olive oil all over the corn.  If you don't have a pastry brush, you can use your hands.  Squeeze juice of 1/2 a lime over the corn and sprinkle with sea salt.  Put on the grill, turning until slightly charred on all sides.  Then set aside.  If you do not have access to a grill, use my favorite Lodge Cast Iron grill.

Marinate your chicken breasts in a large bowl with 2 tbsps EVOO, juice of ½ lime, ⅛ tsp cayenne, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp adobo seasoning, ¾ tsp chili powder, and ½ tsp sea salt.  Mix until breasts are covered equally all over with the spice mix.  Let marinade for 30 minutes if you have the time, or throw right on the grill, cooking approximately 8 minutes on the first side, then flipping and allowing the chicken to cook another 8 minutes, or until chicken is completely cooked through and no longer pink inside.  If you have a meat thermometer, chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees fahrenheit.  Once chicken is done, set aside to rest. 

Want to make this dish vegetarian?  Try marinating and grilling portobello mushrooms the same way, letting them marinate a bit longer to soak up all the flavor. 

Next add a can of black beans to a pan along with some of the juice from the can so that the beans stay moist.  Add sea salt to taste, a sprinkle of garlic powder and juice of half a lime.  Let the beans cook on medium-low heat, using the back side of a large spoon to crush the beans a little bit.  Once the flavors have all combined, about 8-10 minutes, turn the heat off and set aside.

Let's cut our corn off the cob.  Stand one of your grilled cobs upright in a bowl and carefully use a sharp knife to cut down the cob lengthwise, shaving the kernels off.  Do this to both cobs and set aside.

Now it's time to put everything together! 

Before you start building the nachos, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

If you made the homemade chips in advance (recipe below), grab those now.  If you opted for store bought, no worries.  Lay your chips out in a single layer in a medium pyrex dish (2.2 qt or 3 qt will do).  You can also use a baking dish but preferably something with sides so you can get layers going.  

Evenly sprinkle some of your mix of shredded cheeses, then some of the grilled corn and cooked down beans.  Then you'll lay down a second layer of chips, and do the same.  Finally, add a third layer of chips, cheese, beans, and corn as well as your grilled chicken (or portobellos for vegetarian).  Add a little more cheese on top of everything.

Stick in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes.  Nachos should be crispy and golden brown on top. 

Once done, carefully pull out of the oven and get to topping!

Drizzle citrus crema (recipe below), or top with sour cream for a shortcut.  Sprinkle with pickled onions and peppers (recipe below).  Finally, finish with a nice big scoop of pico de gallo (recipe below) and that incredible avocado poblano salsa.  Add some more fresh cilantro, and sliced radish if you like it.  Serve with all the extra toppings on the side so people can dip as they please, and most of all, enjoy every last crunchy bite!

HOMEMADE BAKED TORTILLA CHIPS

There’s nothing like homemade, crunchy baked tortilla chips.  It's actually insanely simple, and in my opinion, worth the end result.

Preheat your oven to 350.  Remove 18 corn tortillas from the bag, and 6 at a time, cut them down the middle into two halves, and then again into quarters.  Set all your quarters aside.

In a small dish, combine about 6 tbsps olive oil and juice of a small lime.  

Lay out 6 tortillas, or 24 quarters, onto a baking sheet in a single layer.  Depending on the size of your oven, lay 6 more tortillas out on a second and third baking sheet, or do this in batches.

Using a pastry brush, brush a little of the olive oil mixture onto each of the tortilla pieces.  Then flip and do the same on the other side of each piece.  Sprinkle the entire tray with sea salt.

Put the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 8-10 mins on the first side, checking along the way as all ovens are different, that the bottom side is golden brown.  Then flip and do another 5-10 mins on the second side until golden and crunchy.

If you are doing this in batches, repeat until all tortillas are done.  Combine in one bowl and toss with a little more sea salt if they need it.  I recommend making these the day of.

HEIRLOOM PICO DE GALLO

To prep the pico de gallo, using a serrated knife, dice half of a medium sized green heirloom tomato and half of a medium red heirloom tomato and add to a mixing bowl.  Cut off 3 rounds of red onion, dice into small pieces and combine in the bowl with the tomato.  Dice half a jalapeño into small pieces and fold in with the other ingredients (without seeds if you want less heat).  Add lime juice and sea salt to taste.  Cut off some clean cilantro leaves from the bunch and finely chop.  Add to the salsa, mix and adjust seasoning as needed. This should render about 1 cup of pico de gallo but use the entire tomatoes to make more, adding more of the other ingredients as well.  This is all to taste, so add more of anything you like. Trust your culinary intuition! Keeps in the fridge 2-3 days.

PICKLED ONIONS

To pickle the onions, cut one whole red onion into thin rounds and then chop rounds into halves.  Use the other half of the jalapeño and cut into rounds (without seeds for less heat). Add jalapeño and onions to a clean 8 oz jar. In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and mix until the salt and sugar have dissolved.  Then pour the mixture into the jar so that they fully submerge the onion and jalapeño. Cover and let sit at room temperature for up to an hour.  Then store in the fridge.  You can make this up to 1 week in advance. 

CITRUS CREMA

To make your own citrus crema, to a bowl add 5 Tbsps of sour cream, juice of ½ a lime and a sprinkle of sea salt and whisk.  Keep in the fridge until ready to use.  Make this the day of.

Crunchy Radish Salad w. Yogurt & Toasted Coconut

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a complicated relationship with radishes.

Superficially, I’ve always been drawn to them for their gorgeous color, and in practice, because of their peppery potential. Yet, something always happens once they land in my fridge: they go soft in the bottom drawer. Anyone else? So I decided 2020 would be the year to shift my relationship with radishes once and for all.

The first step is knowing how to store them in case you don’t use them right away. The second is, obviously, knowing what to do with them, and this dish, for me, is a simple solution. Sour lemon and tangy plain yogurt cut the heat of the raw radish, while sesame seeds and hot sesame oil add a little earthiness and heat. Finish with toasted coconut for a hint of sweetness, and you’ve got layers of crunchy, creamy goodness.

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Crunchy Radish Salad with Yogurt & Toasted Coconut

Serves 1

• 2 oz thinly sliced radish rounds

• ¾ tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

• ¼ tsp sesame seeds

• ¼ tsp cilantro stems, finely cut

• 1 ½ tsp diced scallion, green top

• ⅛ tsp urfa biber

• 1-1½ Tbsp plain yogurt

• ½ Tbsp toasted coconut flakes

• Pinch of coarse sea salt

• Hot or plain sesame oil

First, thinly slice your radishes into rounds. You can store them this way, submerged in cold water in your fridge to use for this or other dishes throughout the week. If you have a mandoline, this is my favorite way to cut lots of radishes thinly and quickly.

In a mixing bowl, combine cut radishes with sesame seeds, cilantro stem, scallions, urfa biber and sea salt. Toss to combine. In a serving bowl, add your layer of plain yogurt. Add lemon juice to your radishes and toss again. Add to your bowl on top of yogurt. Drizzle with a little hot or plain sesame oil. Finish with toasted coconut flakes and serve immediately.

Crispy Roasted Garlic & Za’atar Fries w. Black Peppercorn Honey

The holy grail of fry texture is…

Icrispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Usually acquired through frying (specifically double frying), but achieved here by cranking your oven to 425º. Use neutral oil that can withstand high heat and you’re good to go. It’s also a perfect chance to put your knife skills to the test - the more uniformly you cut your potatoes, the more uniformly your fries will cook. If you have a mandolin, use that to help you along. Most importantly though, have fun and go heavy on the seasoning: salty, sweet, garlicky & herbaceous.

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Crispy Roasted Garlic & Za’atar Fries with Black Pepper Honey

• 2 Idaho or russet potatoes, cut into ¼ inch matchsticks, approx 1.5 - 2 lbs

• 2 Tbsp neutral oil

• 1.5 tsp salt

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• ⅛-¼  tsp garlic powder, to taste

• ⅛-¼ tsp smoked paprika, to taste

• ½ tsp za’atar, or to taste

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 10 black peppercorns

Preheat the oven to 425.

Thoroughly scrub your potatoes. Fill a large bowl with cold water and juice of ½ a lemon if you have it on hand. This will help to stop the potatoes from oxidizing (getting brown). Cut your potatoes lengthwise instead of across, into ¼ in thick ovals, adding to the cold water as you go. Next, cut your ovals down into matchsticks, also ¼ in thick. Be as precise as you can here, as the fries will cook more evenly the more uniformly they’re cut. (QUICK TIP: I actually used a ruler to measure out one fry: I made sure it was ¼ in thick all the way around, and then I used that as the reference point for all the others. Having a visual will help you me maintain better uniformity while cutting the rest.)

Get out 2 half baking sheets, roughly 11”x16”, and line with parchment. These are my fav.

Once potatoes are all cut, take the matchsticks out of the water and place in a kitchen towel or paper towel. Dry them off as thoroughly as you can, and also dry the bowl that they were in. Place dry potatoes back into the dry bowl and toss with a neutral oil that has a high smoke point (best for high heat baking vs olive oil which will burn). Next add salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper and toss again.

Right away after seasoning lay the potatoes out on the baking sheets (the longer they sit, the salt will start to pull liquid from the potatoes and you want them as dry as possible for the crisp exterior). Lay the potatoes out in a single layer and don’t crowd the baking sheets. Drizzle with a little more neutral oil (just a little, no need to go crazy) and place in the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until one side is crispy and golden. Then flip the fries and place back in the oven for another 15 minutes, or until all fries are crispy on the outside but soft in the middle. Depending on how hot your oven gets, you may not need to roast a full 30 minutes.

While the fries are in the oven, in a small ramekin add your honey and crushed whole black peppercorns. You can crush the peppercorns using the flat side of a chefs knife or a mortar and pestle. You can also turn your pepper grinder to coarse and add pepper that way: in that case, add just shy of ½ tsp coarse pepper. Mix to incorporate evenly.

When fries are finished cooking, carefully add them to a large bowl and while still hot toss with garlic powder, smoked paprika and one last pinch of coarse salt. Drizzle with black pepper honey and finally, finish with herbaceous za’atar! Enjoy immediately while warm!

Crispy Chicken Thighs w. Black Peppercorn Mayo

Crispy chicken, savory garlic and the heat of peppercorn mayo.

Growing up, my dad would make us a simple snack that delighted me to no end: sliced deli meat streaked with a thin layer of creamy mayonnaise, rolled up and consumed in two quick bites. As an adult, I have continued to revisit this snack during late evening, post-gym fridge raids, adding a little dijon mustard to the mix. Lazy eating at it’s finest. At some point, though, my taste for fine dining kicked in and I decided it was time to elevate the ingredients and morph this delicious tidbit from my past into a full blown meal. I traded plain old deli meat for crispy roasted chicken and flecked the mayonnaise with whole black peppercorns, coarsely ground. When serving I still like to follow in the footsteps of tradition, using the back of a spoon to spread a dollop of peppercorn mayonnaise into a thin flourish on the plate, followed by the chicken and rendered, garlicky juices. Serve next to Warm Israeli Couscous Salad and roasted vegetables adorned with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.

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Crispy Chicken Thighs w. Black Peppercorn Mayo

Serves 2

• 4 chicken thighs

• 8-9 cloves garlic

• Sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Whole black peppercorns

• Mayonnaise

• 1 lemon

• Neutral oil, like canola or safflower

• Cast iron or stainless steel pan

Preheat oven to 400.

Coat chicken thighs evenly all over with sea salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Let sit anywhere from 15 minutes at room temperature to 3 hours, refrigerated. Bring chicken to room temp before cooking.

Smash 7-8 large garlic cloves with the flat side of a sturdy knife, like a chefs knife, remove skin and place smashed garlic to the side.

Heat neutral oil in a large, high temperature, oven-safe pan (like a cast iron or stainless All-Clad) over med high heat.  When oil is shimmering and hot, add chicken to the pan skin side down. It should sizzle. If it doesn’t, take the chicken out and let it get sufficiently hot. Allow skin to brown about 5-8 minutes, adding a little more freshly ground black pepper about halfway through.

When skin is generously browned and separates easily from the bottom of the pan, turn the heat off. Using tongs, gently flip thighs skin side up. Add smashed garlic cloves to the pan and transfer to the oven. Cook another 15-20 mins or until your chicken is cooked through but still moist and juicy (the proper internal temperature of cooked chicken is 165). When your chicken is done, carefully remove your pan from the oven and move the chicken out of the pan to rest. Be sure to place a dry, well folded kitchen towel or oven mitt over the handle once you remove it from the oven as a “flag”, as the handle will be very hot & you don’t want to accidentally grab it.

When the chicken comes out, tilting the pan away from you, use a big spoon to baste the chicken with the rendered fat and garlic.

While the chicken rests, add a few tablespoons of mayonnaise to a ramekin or small bowl. Again, using the flat side of a sturdy knife, or a mortar and pestle, crush 10-12 whole black peppercorns. Add to mayo along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Mix well. You can also make mayonnaise up to a day in advance.

When ready to serve, warm your remaining cooking fat with crispy garlic and spoon over chicken. Serve with peppercorn mayo on the side.

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

One of my favorite culinary transformations is that which happens when you put raw bell peppers under a broiler: they come out charred and soft, their sweetness accented. Because of that, Homemade Roasted Red Peppers are an essential ingredient for me when it comes to developing flavor in sauces (don’t miss my Roasted Red Pepper Pesto). This creamy celebration of roasted red peppers is perfect to use on roasted proteins or vegetables, salads or sandwiches.

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Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Renders roughly 1 cup sauce

• 2 Homemade Roasted Red Peppers

• 2.5 oz plain cream cheese

• 1/2 jalapeno

• 1 small shallot

• 1/4 tsp paprika

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Sea salt

• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The first step is making your roasted red peppers, recipe here. Take your cream cheese out and bring to room temperature.

Cut your jalapeno in half. From the half you’re using, remove white core and all seeds. Loosely chop into medium sized pieces. Cut 1 small shallot into similarly sized pieces. In the bowl of your blender, add all ingredients and blend until completely smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately or keep in an airtight jar in the fridge. This sauce goes great over roasted vegetables, grains, and proteins.

Baked Rigatoni Vodka

Brisk late-August evenings have my heart and belly at odds…

Every year I fear the feeling of that first fall chill. I impulsively frown at the thought of jackets and snow. While friends are celebrating the return of their favorite cozy sweaters and pumpkiny-things, I’ll be crying tears of winter contempt into this baked rigatoni vodka. Savory pancetta, a luscious vodka sauce and the addition of three cheeses create are one fierce emotional support meal, though. As long as I can bring it everywhere with me I might be okay.

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Baked Rigatoni Vodka

Serves up to 6

• ¾ cup pancetta, or 2-3 pcs of bacon with excess fat removed (simply omit if you are vegetarian)

• 1 medium white onion, 1 ¼ cup diced

• 7 baby bella mushrooms, stems removed, cleaned and thinly sliced, 1 heaping cup 

• 4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced, 1 ½ Tbsp

• ½ tsp Kosher salt

• ½ tsp Red chili flakes

• 4 Tbsps tomato paste

• 1 whole 14.5 oz can tomato puree or crushed tomatoes

• 4 oz vodka

• ⅛ cup fresh ricotta

• ¼ cup creme fraiche

• ¼ cup fresh grated Parmigiano

• ½ cup heavy cream

• Freshly grated black pepper

• 1 box rigatoni (sub GF pasta if necessary)

• Fresh mozzarella, 6-7 thin slices

• OPTIONAL PARMESAN GARLIC CRUST: 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmigiano, 3 garlic cloves minced, red chili flakes, freshly grated black pepper

First, finely mince 1 ½ Tbsp of raw garlic (4-5 cloves). Dice 1 heaping cup of white onions. Clean and remove the stems from 6-7 mushrooms and cut into thin slices.

Heat a large saucepan with high sides over medium heat. When pan is hot, add pancetta. If you don’t have pancetta, use bacon with some of the excess fat removed. Cook until a majority of the pancetta is golden and crispy, being sure not to burn it.

Turn the heat off and with a slotted spoon, remove pancetta from the pan, letting any fat drip through before putting in a small bowl. Set aside. If you are using bacon, remove from the pan and set aside on a paper towel to drain the excess fat.

Pour out most of the fat that reminds in the pan, leaving just enough to coat the bottom. Place the pan back over a medium heat and once hot, add diced onions. When they start to sweat, scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and soften, 3-4 minutes, turning the heat down if the onions start to get too much color or if the pan is looking dry.

Then add sliced mushrooms to the pan along with ½ teaspoon of coarse kosher salt. Mix and cook another 2 mins. Next, add minced garlic to the pan along with ½ teaspoon red chili flakes, stirring occasionally to make sure garlic doesn’t burn. After another 2 mins, when garlic is fragrant, add tomato paste. After a minute or two, over a low heat, deglaze the pan with 4 oz vodka. Let the alcohol cook off, 5 or so minutes.

Start your water for pasta. Once the water has reached a simmer, salt to taste like the sea. 

Add your canned tomato puree or crushed tomatoes to the pan. You can also use whole peeled tomatoes and simply crush by hand, or if you prefer a smoother sauce, puree in a blender/food processor. Bring the sauce to a rapid simmer, and then turn down the heat letting it cook down to bring the flavors together, 10-15 minutes.

Once your pasta water is boiling, add the pasta and cook exactly to al dente. The pasta cooks a few minutes in the oven at the end, so if it gets overcooked here, it will be mushy when you serve it.

In the meantime, in a small bowl, combine 1/8 cup ricotta, 1/4 cup creme fraiche and 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano. Add a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper and mix. This will be coating your noodles before you add the vodka sauce.

Next, go ahead and add your cooked pancetta back to the sauce. If you used bacon, dice it and add.

Then add heavy cream and mix, until you reach desired level of creaminess, up to ½ cup. If you prefer a less creamy sauce, start with 1/4 cup. Mix to incorporate. Let cook together another 5 mins over medium low heat.

Then do a final seasoning check - add freshly ground black pepper, and more salt and chili pepper if you like. I usually add more of both here. When pasta is just al dente, strain, reserving a little of the starchy pasta liquid. 

Put pasta into a baking dish, like a 9x13 with at least 2 ½ inches of depth. If your baking dish smaller, you may want to mix your pasta with the sauces in the pot you boiled it in. To the pasta, add the three cheese mixture, and gently stir in order to evenly coat. 

Turn your oven onto the high broil setting.

Spoon the vodka sauce over the pasta and gently fold together again, being careful not to break pasta. If you prefer your food very hot when you eat, you may want to bring your vodka sauce to a simmer before spooning it over the pasta.

Once pasta has been evenly coated in vodka sauce, add a few splashes of pasta water to loosen. It should create a little creamy liquid in the bottom of the baking dish.

Cut mozzarella into 6 or 7 thin slices, and then tear apart and put on top of pasta.

Place baking dish in the oven just until the mozzarella is golden brown and melted, 3-5 minutes. Keep an eye and don’t walk away because some broilers are very hot, and you don’t want to burn the cheese. I usually check after 3 minutes, and add another 2 minutes if it’s not browned yet.

When the mozzarella is ready, remove baking dish from oven and set aside to let cool for a minute or two.

OPTIONAL - FRIED GARLIC & PARMESAN CRUST: For a final touch, while your pasta cools, finely mince 3 cloves of garlic. In a non stick pan with oil, gently fry the garlic over low heat, mixing constantly until a light golden color. Then remove from the heat and add to a small bowl to cool. In another bowl, grate 1/2 cup of fresh Parmigiano. Once the garlic is cool, mix with grated parmesan, a little red chili flake for some heat and a crank of black pepper. Sprinkle over pasta just before digging in.

Charred Sweet Potato Wedges w. Herb Salsa

Admittedly, I’m a sweet potato nerd.

I like sweet potato fries, sweet potato chips, sweet potato wedges, and charring them here and dressing them up with herb salsa is certainly not a bad way to eat your vegetables.

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Charred Sweet Potato Wedges with Herb Salsa

• 1 large sweet potato, cut into wedges

• Adobo seasoning (or garlic powder)

• Smoked paprika (or paprika)

• Cayenne powder

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Sea Salt

• Herb Salsa

• OPTIONAL: Thick yogurt for serving

Some people like their sweet potatoes with no skin on, but the skin packs tons of nutrients so I choose to keep mine on. If you do too, just make sure to wash and scrub them thoroughly first. Cut your sweet potatoes lengthwise in half and then into 3 or 4 long wedges depending on the size of your sweet potatoes. If the wedges are very long, cut them in half.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. If you have parchment paper, line a baking sheet with it. In a bowl, coat wedges generously with olive oil, salt, adobo seasoning, cayenne and smoked paprika. Your wedges should be coated with enough oil so they’re a little bit shiny and the seasoning sticks, but not so they’re drenched in a pool of oil, so you can add a little at a time, tossing as you go. Use whichever of the spices you have: garlic seasoning works great in place of adobo seasoning, and any type of paprika will be just fine. If you don’t have paprika, use a little chili powder. Taste a little bit of the oil with seasoning to check if it’s to your liking. Salt to taste, as always.

Place the seasoned wedges on the baking sheet in a single layer and put in the oven. Keep the bowl you used to toss the sweet potato so you can brush any remaining seasoned oil on the warm wedges right before serving. After about 10-12 minutes, check to see if the side facing the pan is golden and crispy. If it is, flip all your pieces and roast another 10-12 minutes. You can continue doing this until you get the crispness you want on both sides. All ovens are a bit different so just keep an eye on them.

When they’re done, brush with the remaining seasoned oil and serve with plain thick yogurt, if you like, and top with this bright, Herb Salsa.