Category Archives: Cooking

Cooking, salad

The Best Chicken Salad

Leave a comment

Chicken salad has always been “meh” to me. I don’t mind the flavors, but I’m not a fan of big chunks of cold chicken. It turns out it is mostly a texture thing for me. The other day, the Instagram algorithm suggested a reel from Rachel Halldorson that I had to try. She uses a leftover rotisserie chicken in a creative way and puts the chicken in a food processor. Having a consistent texture in my chicken salad is what does it for me apparently!

I highly recommend her method of making crispy chicken skin to top off a chicken salad sandwich, but I wanted to jot down my version of her chicken salad recipe here so I don’t forget it.

The Best Chicken Salad

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

  • 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 of a medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 pound leftover rotisserie chicken meat, chopped into chunks
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Toss the celery and onion into a food processor and pulse till it’s coarsely chopped. Add the chicken and pulse until chicken is finely chopped, but not too fine as to create a paste. Place mixture in a mixing bowl and stir in the mustard, mayonnaise, vinegar, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. It should have the consistency of tuna salad.

Serve on toasted, buttered bread, havarti cheese, and finely chopped romaine lettuce.

Cooking, Pasta, recipes

Homemade Russian Pelmeni – Updated

Leave a comment

Back in 2011 I posted a recipe for one of my favorite dumpling recipes – pelmeni. This was back before I had all the recipe-writing knowledge I have today, so I wanted to update this recipe for anyone wanting to make these delicious dumplings at home.

It’s super helpful to have a pelmeni mold, but you can always make them using a small glass as a dough cutter and folding them into half moon shapes.

Russian Pelmeni

Makes about 60 dumplings

Ingredients for the dough:
1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs
About 260-270 grams AP or 00 flour, plus more for dusting

Ingredients for the meat filling:
1/2 medium onion, chopped very finely (I recommend using a small food processor)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper, to taste

For the topping:
Butter
Rice vinegar
Curry powder
Sriracha
Fresh cilantro
Sour cream

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Incorporate flour till you have a soft, stretchy dough that isn’t sticky to the touch. Knead on a floured surface for five minutes, incorporating flour if it’s still too sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a pan with the oil over medium-high. Add the onions and sauté until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium, add the curry powder and garlic, and cook for 1 more minute. Let this cool off the stove while you combine the beef, pork, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Once onions are mostly cooled, add to the meat and combine well. Cook a small sample in your frying pan to sample, if you like, then adjust for salt. Once the meat mixture is seasoned to your liking, place it in a gallon sized zip top bag and cut a small hole in one of the bottom corners.

If you have a pelmeni mold, use 1/4 of the dough and roll out a large, thin, round sheet of dough, incorporating flour if needed so it doesn’t stick. Sprinkle flour over the mold and drape the dough on top. If you don’t have a mold, use a biscuit cutter or the edge of a glass and cut circles out of the dough.

Using your makeshift piping bag, add about a teaspoon of filling to each divot in the pelmeni mold. If the dough seems too dry, you may want to lightly spritz the whole sheet with a water sprayer because you want the other sheet of dough to stick. Roll out another 1/4 of the dough into a large, round sheet and place it on top of the filled mold. Using your rolling pin, gently roll back and forth along the dough side of the mold until the mold starts to pierce through the edges of each pelmeni. Lightly dust a counter with flour and turn the mold upside down to shake/poke the pelmeni out of the mold.

Repeat with the remaining dough to make one more set of pelmeni with the mold.

If not using a mold, add about 1 teaspoon of filling to each cut circle. Crimp closed with your fingers. The dough should be sticky enough to stay closed on its own without additional moisture.

Set each finished pelmeni on a flour-lined baking sheet.

From here you could either boil the dumplings right away or place them in the freezer for later. If you freeze them, make sure to freeze them on the baking sheet before putting them in a zip top bag or container, otherwise they will stick together.

To prepare, bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dumplings and return to a boil. Cook until dumplings float — about 5 minutes (7 minutes if frozen).

Use a slotted spoon to remove dumplings and place them in bowls. Top with butter, vinegar, curry powder, Sriracha, cilantro and sour cream.

Cooking, recipes

Legit Falafel Mix

Leave a comment

I’m usually not one to write more than a few sentences before a recipe, but this one warrants a little explanation.

I am not too familiar with making my own falafel patties. I’ve used a box mix before but that wasn’t worth writing about. The other day my sister told me she had the most delicious falafel at work and asked her coworker for the recipe. My sis came over last week with the recipe and ingredients, but we realized parts of the recipe were unclear so we had to make some guesses.

One thing was clear: you have to make falafel from dried chickpeas and not canned chickpeas. I didn’t know this having not grown up eating falafel. But soaking the chickpeas for 12-18 hours is the base ingredient for crispy, flavorful falafel that hold together perfectly. You don’t cook the chickpeas first. Frying the falafel cooks the chickpeas. If you use canned they will not hold together well and will be mushy.

Note: we soaked enough chickpeas for two batches of falafel. You can freeze the remaining soaked chickpeas for another time – it still comes out great!

Ok, four paragraphs wasn’t so bad! Here’s how we made the falafel. I included a recipe for a tomato cucumber salad as well.

Delicious Falafel Mix

1 batch makes about 25 falafel patties

Ingredients for the chickpeas (enough for 2 batches of falafel):

  • 2 quarts water
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pound dry chickpeas

Ingredients for the falafel:

  • ¼ of a leek, roughly chopped
  • 1 pound of soaked chickpeas (NOT CANNED OR COOKED), fully drained
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon
  • 1.5-2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • A pinch of ground allspice
  • 2-3 tablespoons chickpea flour
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
  • Cooking oil, for frying

Directions:

The day before you want to make falafel, you’ll need to start soaking the chickpeas. Fill a pot with the water and add the baking soda. Add the chickpeas, cover, and soak them 12-18 hours. Drain and store in the fridge or freezer until ready to make your falafel.

On falafel day:

Soak the leek pieces in water to remove any grit. Put the leeks and chickpeas in a salad spinner and spin to remove as much water as possible.

Place the leeks, chickpeas, cilantro, parsley, celery, onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse it until it is paste-like, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula often.

Place mixture in a bowl and add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, allspice, chickpea flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well and form into falafel patties. If mixture is too moist, add a little more chickpea flour. If too dry, add a little more lemon juice. The falafel should be sort of wet but should hold together without bits falling off. 

Heat a half inch of oil in a cast iron skillet till about 350F. Fry 6-8 falafel at a time so as not to bring down the heat of the oil. Fry till crispy and dark brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Place on a paper towel-lined sheet pan. Serve with all the falafel fixins.

Tomato and cucumber salad

Ingredients:

  • 2 roma tomatoes or 15 cherry tomatoes, diced
  • Half an English cucumber, diced
  • ¼ cups minced red onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon garlic infused olive oil (or plain olive oil)
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients and place in fridge until ready to serve.

baking, Cooking, dessert

Guest Post: Jack’s Lemon Cherry Bread

Leave a comment

My son is becoming quite the cook. Over the winter break he did some baking, so I asked him to write down the recipe for his most recent quick bread, inspired by a different Natasha cook of Natasha’s Kitchen.

This simple bread has a lovely hint of lemon flavor that pairs perfectly with the dried tart Montmorency cherries we always buy from Costco.

Lemon Cherry Quick Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • Zest of 1 large lemon
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 1/2 cups + 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup dried cherries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a glass loaf pan then dust with flour, tapping out the excess flour.

In a measuring cup, combine 1 teaspoon sugar, honey, milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium/high speed, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, mixing until well incorporated.

Add flour mixture in 2 parts, alternating with the milk mixture and mixing on medium/low speed just until incorporated with each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.

    Coat the dried cherries in the 1/2 tablespoon of flour and add to the batter just until incorporated. Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes then transfer loaf to a cooling rack.

    Cooking, Italian

    Lasagna Beans!

    Leave a comment

    Once again it was 5 p.m. and I was faced with the dilemma of what to make for dinner in a hurry that isn’t pasta. Yesterday on Facebook I was recommended this New York Times recipe, but due to a paywall I wasn’t able to view it so I decided to see what I could come up with.

    Using items commonly found in my pantry, I whipped together a one-pan dish that has all the notes I crave from lasagna but without the labor and carbs. This is a flexible recipe. If you wanna add some crumbled Italian sausage, go for it. If you want some spice, add dried chili flakes. But no matter what, this dish is sure to be a family favorite.

    Lasagna Beans – a super quick recipe to satisfy that pasta craving

    Prep/cook time: 20 minutes
    Serves: 4

    Ingredients:

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 3/4 cup marinara sauce
    • 2 packed cups of fresh baby spinach
    • 2 cans white beans, drained
    • 1/4 cup pre-made pesto sauce
    • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella
    • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
    • Fresh basil, for serving
    • Crusty bread, for serving

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 450F. While the oven is heating, place a medium cast iron pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Toss in the garlic, turn heat to medium-low, and cook until garlic is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the marinara and baby spinach, turn to medium-high, cover, and cook until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beans, pesto, and salt and pepper. Cook until it starts to bubble. Evenly sprinkle on the cheeses.

    Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes, or until bubbling. Turn on the broiler and let broil until the cheese starts to brown, just 1-2 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with torn pieces of fresh basil. Serve with slices of toasted crusty bread.

    appetizers, asian, Cooking, recipes

    Marinated Ramen Eggs

    3 Comments

    I am high-key obsessed with the jammy eggs that come in ramen. So much so, that I started making them on the regular and not even putting them in ramen. I’m just snacking on them. The simple marinade penetrates the white of the egg and infuses the whole egg with umami flavor.

    Thanks to Uncle Roger for the tip on how to keep the floating egg parts submerged! You know when your eggs are properly marinated when they are brown all over and when you cut them open you can see the marinade has gotten inside the eggs.

    Marinated Jammy Eggs for ramen or for snacking

    Makes 4 eggs

    Ingredients:

    • 4 eggs
    • 1/4 cup soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
    • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon sake
    • 1 tablespoon mirin
    • 1 teaspoon Knorr chicken bouillon (optional, but this is the MSG part of the recipe)
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
    • 2 teaspoons miso paste

    Directions:

    Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Gently lower in the eggs so they don’t crack and turn down the heat slightly so it’s not an aggressive boil. Boil for 6 minutes 45 seconds. This is my magic number to achieve not too runny and not too cooked eggs. If you like yours cooked more, boil them longer.

    Drain and place eggs in an ice bath till cool. In the meantime, combine all the marinade ingredients in a mason jar and whisk well so the miso paste breaks up.

    Peel the eggs and gently place them in the jar. Take a paper towel and place it on top of the eggs so it becomes saturated with the marinade. This will ensure that any parts of the egg that are floating will get marinated.

    Place in the fridge overnight. Enjoy your eggs the next day or the day after. I don’t usually let them sit longer than two days (but they also don’t last that long).

    Cooking, Italian, Pasta

    Colcannon Ravioli

    Leave a comment

    It’s St. Patrick’s Day and although I don’t really have much of a connection to this day, I thought it would be fun to serve something festive for dinner.

    I’ve made colcannon in the past, which is a traditional Irish potato dish with cabbage, and as I was leafing through an Alice Waters cookbook I saw a recipe for potato and spinach ravioli and I thought it would be the perfect dish for St. Patrick’s Day. I didn’t follow her recipe, but made up my own and after boiling the ravioli I sautéd them like pierogis.

    Spinach and Potato ravioli in a garlicky cream sauce

    Serves 4

    Ingredients

    For the pasta dough:

    • 225 grams 00 flour
    • 75 grams fine semolina flour
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil

    For the filling:

    • 1 pound potatoes, any variety (I used a combination of russet, new potatoes and fingerling)
    • 8 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
    • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1/4 cup cream, divided
    • salt and pepper, to taste

    For the sauce:

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1/4 cup cream
    • salt and pepper, to taste
    • zest of 1 lemon

    Special supplies:

    • Small food processor or immersion blender
    • Potato ricer (you could use a potato masher but it won’t be as smooth)
    • KitchenAid pasta roller adapter (or a hand cranked version would work too)
    • Ravioli cutter (or a pizza cutter would work)
    • Shot glass
    • Large spider strainer (a slotted spoon would work)

    Directions:

    1. In a large bowl or on a clean, dry countertop, combine the flours. Make a well in the center and add the eggs and olive oil. Whisk the eggs and oil till scrambled, slowly incorporating the flour. Mix into a rough ball and knead for 10 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

    2. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into roughly the same sized pieces. Boil in salted water until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Place the squeezed spinach and 2 tablespoons of cream in a food processor and run it till the spinach is puréed. You may need to add a little more cream to get it going. When the potatoes are done, drain them and press through a potato ricer into a medium mixing bowl. Add the spinach, Parmesan, butter, remaining cream and salt and pepper. This should be a relatively homogenous consistency. Add more cream if necessary to make it smooth. Place mixture in a gallon zip top bag and refrigerate until cool.

    3. Time to assemble the ravioli. Tear a small handful of dough away from your pasta ball and flatten it with your hand. Set the pasta roller on the largest setting and run the dough through. It’s ok if it tears apart a little. Roughly fold the dough into thirds and run it through again on the same setting. Repeat this three or four times until your dough is smooth.

    4. Adjust the roller to the next thinnest setting and run the dough through once. Repeat this step making the roller thinner each time until you’ve run it through the thinnest setting.

    5. Place the sheet of dough on a clean counter top. With a ravioli or pizza cutter, cut the sheet in half, across the width, not the length.

    6. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag containing the filling and place about 1 teaspoon of filling on one half of the pasta sheet. Repeat so you have them evenly spaced on the dough, about 6-8 on the sheet. Place the other half of the dough on top and gently press the air out between the sheets without smashing down the filling. Use a shot glass to center the filling and lightly press down (don’t cut through the dough with the shot glass). This makes the ravioli look more uniform.

    7. Use your ravioli cutter to cut out 6-8 ravioli. Pick up each ravioli and make sure the edges are sealed. Pinch any areas that look separated. Place on a semolina lined tray. Cover with foil.

    8. Repeat steps 3-7 with the remaining dough and filling.

    9. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Just before the water is boiling, place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and butter. Add the garlic and cook till fragrant, turning down the heat to prevent the garlic from burning, about 1 minute. Add the cream, stir, and turn off the heat while you cook the ravioli.

    10. Add the ravioli to the boiling water, gently stirring with a spider strainer. Boil the ravioli for 3-5 minutes, until al dente. Remove one ravioli and cut off a corner to see if the dough is cooked to your liking.

    11. Heat the sauté pan again over medium-low heat. Remove the ravioli from the water using the spider strainer, give it a good shake to remove excess water, and place into the sauté pan. Gently toss the ravioli till they are all coated with the sauce. Add salt, pepper and lemon zest to taste. You could either serve right away or continue cooking the ravioli until they ever so lightly brown, like pierogis.

    12. Serve the ravioli with a drizzle of cream and a grind of pepper.

    Cooking, Italian, Pasta

    Quick Weeknight Pasta with Broccoli and Buttered Bread Crumbs

    Leave a comment

    Sometimes I want pasta and I don’t have a lot of energy to cook. Last night I threw together a simple pasta dish with broccoli bits and buttered fresh bread crumbs. It came together in about 15 minutes and was everything I wanted. I happened to have a bag of brown rice macaroni, which ended up being really delicious. You could use any kind of small pasta shape.

    Quick Weeknight Pasta with Broccoli and Buttered Bread Crumbs

    Serves 2-3
    Cook time: 15 minutes

    Ingredients:

    • 1-2 slices good quality white sandwich bread (to make about 1/2 cup of bread crumbs)
    • 5 ounces small pasta (about 1 1/4 cup)
    • 3 ounces fresh broccoli, chopped into small bits (about 1 cup)
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 teaspoon sun dried tomato oil
    • 1 teaspoon good quality olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon sun dried tomatoes, minced
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
    • Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

    Instructions:

    Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, tear up your bread into chunks and place in a food processor. Process until they are crumbs, but not too fine. Set aside.

    When water is boiling, add your pasta and stir occasionally. Set a timer and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, heat butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add bread crumbs, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Turn down heat a little and stir frequently until crumbs are golden brown. Set this mixture aside.

    When there are 4 minutes left on your timer, add the broccoli bits to the pasta. When pasta is cooked to your preference, drain.

    Wipe out the sauté pan with a paper towel and add the sun dried tomato and olive oils. Heat over medium and add the garlic and sun dried tomatoes. Cook for about a minute, stirring, until garlic is fragrant. Add the drained pasta and broccoli and the parsley. Stir until everything is combined. Adjust for salt.

    Plate the pasta and sprinkle each serving with grated parmesan cheese and the toasted breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.

    breakfast, Cooking, recipes

    Broccoli and Cheese Bread Pudding

    Leave a comment

    This Thanksgiving we were left with way too many dinner rolls. I wanted to make something savory with them so I put together a bread pudding that was perfect for dinner and even tastier the next morning for breakfast!

    Broccoli and Cheese Bread Pudding
    A great use of leftover dinner rolls

    Serves 4-6

    Ingredients:

    • 5-7 leftover dinner rolls, cut into cubes
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 1/2 onion, chopped finely
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
    • 1 small head of broccoli, stems and crown chopped into small bits
    • 1/2 cup cream
    • 2/3 cup whole milk
    • 2 eggs
    • salt and lots of pepper
    • pinch of ground nutmeg
    • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
    • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 375F. Coat a small casserole dish liberally with butter and place bread cubes in it. There should be enough bread cubes to cover the bottom of the dish. Set aside. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Turn down heat, add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

    Meanwhile, boil a small pot of salted water and add the broccoli; cook for 3 minutes and drain well. Add the broccoli to the onion mixture and combine well. Spread this mixture evenly on the bread cubes.

    In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Evenly pour this mixture over the broccoli and bread cubes.

    Sprinkle on the cheeses, then lightly press down on the mixture to help the bread absorb some of the liquid.

    Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. Save leftovers overnight and eat for breakfast the next day for an even tastier dish!

    Cooking, Italian, recipes, soup

    White Bean + Tomato Stew

    Leave a comment

    I pretty much want pasta all the time. It’s my Achilles heel, so to speak. But my body probably shouldn’t have pasta all the time. So here’s a recipe I tossed together that gives off perfect pasta vibes but uses canned white beans instead. It’s not a stew, exactly, but I didn’t know what else to call it.

    White Bean + Tomato Stew: a quick meal to satisfy that pasta craving

    Serves 4
    Cook time: 20 minutes or so

    Ingredients:

    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1/2 onion, chopped
    • 6 ounces crimini mushrooms, roughly chopped
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
    • 3 tablespoons white wine or sake
    • 1 teaspoon dried basil
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    • pinch of dried red pepper flakes
    • 1 cup marinara sauce
    • 1/4 cup cream
    • 1 can white beans, drained
    • 2 handfuls fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
    • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
    • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
    • 1/4 cup chopped pistachios

    Directions:

    Melt butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms. Cook until onions are soft and mushrooms have released their liquid, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

    Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it bubble for 1 minute. Add the dried basil, dried oregano and dried red pepper flakes. Pour in the marinara and cream, bring to a simmer and turn heat to low.

    Add the beans and baby spinach; cook until spinach is wilted, just a few minutes. If stew is too thick, add in a little more cream. Stir in the parmesan cheese and add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle on the parsley and pistachios; serve immediately with a drizzle of good olive oil.