Whether you’re craving something comforting for a quiet weeknight dinner or an indulgent yet light showstopper you can whip up with just a few simple ingredients, the iconic shrimp scampi is the way to go. Its luxurious butter sauce infused with garlic and a splash of vermouth (we like its depth over the classic white wine), and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice is a velvety symphony of flavors enveloping the plump, juicy shrimp and bed of al dente pasta. A sprinkling of fresh herbs lends a visual, textural and gustatory counterpoint…in other words, all kinds of “YUM.”
Ingredients
2 lb raw shrimp – rinsed, peeled, deveined and patted dry with paper towels – 16/20 size or similar
8 Tbsp unsalted butter
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white vermouth
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp lemon zest
1 lb linguine
Salt/Pepper to taste
For serving: lemon wedges and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Cook linguine to al dente, according to package directions. Set aside.
Arrange shrimp on a paper plate or disposable pie pan so they’re evenly spaced and lay flat. Season with salt and pepper.
Add butter to a large sauté pan over medium heat, allowing butter to melt and foam. Once foaming subsides, raise heat to high and invert plate of shrimp over the pan so they all go in at once.
Cook shrimp one minute without moving them. Add garlic and cook one minute more. Flip shrimp over and cook two more minutes. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
Return pan to heat and add vermouth and lemon juice to deglaze, allowing liquid to boil slightly and reduce/thicken without breaking. Scrape pan with a wooden spatula or spoon to get any browned bits from the pan. Stir in lemon zest and half the parsley.
Add cooked linguine to the pan and toss to combine. Add shrimp and sprinkle in remaining parsley. Gently toss again, adjust salt/pepper and serve immediately with lemon wedges and a drizzle of olive oil.
Among the many squash varieties, kabocha probably tastes the sweetest. Its flavor and dense, velvety texture are like a sweet potato and a pumpkin combined.
The skin may look deceptively hard, but it’s edible and actually quite enjoyable. Some folks eat it, and some folks don’t, but it’s thin and when you cook the squash right the skin can be a nice part of the kabocha experience.
Ingredients
3–4-pound kabocha squash, seeds removed, cut into 1-inch wedges
2 leeks, white and tender light green part up until where leaves split, cut into ½-inch rounds
2-3 sprigs rosemary
¼ cup olive oil, divided
2 Fresno, Jimmy Nardello, or other mild chiles – thinly sliced
¾ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup honey
2 Tbsp golden raisins, chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed with a garlic press
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp onion powder
Kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper
Fresh herbs for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Place kabocha and leeks on separate large, rimmed sheet pans. Add rosemary sprigs to the kabocha sheet pan. Drizzle with oil (3 Tbsp); season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 30-35 minutes. Remove squash to a large plate and leeks to a small bowl.
Meanwhile, bring chiles, vinegar, honey, raisins, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer until syrupy, 8–10 minutes.
Brush half of warm agrodolce over warm squash.
Add yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, onion powder and 1 Tbsp olive oil to a small bowl and stir until fully combined. Add salt to taste.
When ready to serve, warm the remaining agrodolce with a little water to loosen if needed. Spoon yogurt sauce onto plates and swirl outwards to create a nice landing spot for squash and leeks. Divide kabocha into four equal portions and gently lay atop yogurt sauce.
Spoon warm agrodolce over kabocha. Add leeks around the squash, Garnish with fresh herbs as desired and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a few grinds of fresh pepper.
Here’s a delicious recipe to get your casserole skills dialed in. It’s comfort food with all the rich flavors of tamales and none of the time-intensive assembly which some folks find to be a pain in the culo.
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for greasing baking dish
1 small white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 ½ cups corn kernels
1 4-oz can diced mild green chilies
1 cup tomato sauce
1 ½ Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp garlic granules
½ tsp onion granules
½ tsp dried Mexican oregano
½ tsp smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder – depending on how much spice you want
1 ½ cups shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided (about 6 oz)
Heat 2 cups water until warm to the touch. Stir in Better Than Bouillon until dissolved. In a large mixing bowl, combine with masa harina and stir until thoroughly incorporated.
In a stand mixer or using a spatula and another mixing bowl, add vegetable shortening, salt and baking powder. Beat until lightly whipped.
Add ¼ of the rehydrated masa at a time to the vegetable shortening, beating/stirring between additions until fully incorporated. Add ¾ cup cheese and combine thoroughly. The masa should be soft and spreadable. Cover masa with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
While masa rests, in a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and let warm to shimmering. Crumble beef into oil, stirring occasionally and breaking up beef as you go. Cook until browned and cooked through. Drain fat from beef, reserving 1 Tbsp fat. Transfer drained beef to a bowl and set aside.
Return saucepan with 1 Tbsp fat to heat, add onion and sauté about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Reduce heat slightly and stir in cooked ground beef, tomato paste and sauce, corn kernels, diced green chilis, chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic and onion granules, Mexican oregano and smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder. Stir well and let simmer gently about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in ¾ cup cheese.
Remove masa from refrigerator and put back in mixing bowl. Re-whip masa and add a little more water until soft, like thick hummus that you can spread with a spatula.
With oven rack in center position, heat oven to 375° and grease a 2 ½-quart baking dish (about 10 ½ x 7 ½ inches).
Spread beef mixture in baking dish in an even layer. Dollop masa mixture over beef and spread to the edges so filling is completely covered.
Bake 35-45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center of masa layer comes out clean.
Roasted Root Vegetables with Pomegranate and Chevre
6 servings
Knobby, gnarly, bulbous and shaggy – root veggies may not be the beauty queens of the produce section, but they sure do reign supreme in the kitchen. Cozy up to root vegetables when you want to prepare soulful, succulent and sustaining meals for our friends and families.
Here’s a recipe that’s sure to get some attention for its vibrant colors and delicious combination of flavors and textures. Sherry vinaigrette is what the “best dressed” root veggies are all wearing this season!
Ingredients
2 tsp minced shallots
¼ – ½ tsp kosher salt
¼ – ½ tsp black pepper
Pinch of sugar
¼ cup sherry vinegar
¼ tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb carrots, trimmed and cut in half/quarters lengthwise
1 lb parsnips, peeled/trimmed and cut in half/quarters lengthwise
1 lb sweet potatoes, trimmed/peeled and cut into lengthwise sticks similar to the same size as carrots/parsnips
½ cup pomegranate arils
½ cup arugula leaves, chopped
3 oz chevre
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
Optional: flaky sea salt and a few dried cranberries, for serving
Directions
Add shallots, smaller amounts of kosher salt and pepper, thyme and Dijon to a blender. Pulse and scrape down blender jar as needed to get mixture as smooth as possible. Then, with the blender running, add olive oil in a slow stream through the hole in the blender lid until emulsified and smooth. Adjust salt/pepper as needed.
Preheat oven to 425°. Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Use two sheet pans if necessary to not overcrowd the veggies.
Place carrots/parsnips/sweet potatoes in a bowl and pour a little dressing over them. Use hands to all is fully coated but not drenched. Put on prepared sheet pan(s) with space between the pieces.
Roast for 20 minutes, without stirring. Remove pan(s) from oven and turn vegetables using a spatula. Place pans back in the oven, rotating front to back and switching racks if using two pans.
Roast 15 minutes or more – until knife inserted in the thickest parts comes out easily. Remove from oven.
Line up veggies on a serving platter. Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing. You may not use all of it up and can use the extra for other dishes.
Scatter on toasted pine nuts, blobs of chevre, pomegranate arils and arugula ribbons evenly. Also add a few dried cranberries and flaky sea salt (if using). Serve warm.
You’ll be feeling “in the pink” when you enjoy this one. Beets aren’t shy when it comes to sharing their colorful vibes with whatever else is going on in a dish, and their soft, earthy sweetness pairs beautifully with the saltiness of cheese and crunch of toasted nuts.
¼ cup shredded Parmesan, Pecorino Romano or Asiago
Pinch of smoked paprika
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Place beets in a baking dish and toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and pepper and cover with foil. Bake 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in a piece comes out easily. Remove from oven/baking dish and allow to cool.
Cook pasta according to package directions in a pot of salted water. Drain pasta, reserving a little pasta water to use in loosening up the sauce as needed.
Once beets are cooled, add to a blender with goat cheese, garlic, 1 Tbsp olive oil, pinches of salt and smoked paprika and 1-2 Tbsp pasta water. Blend until smooth.
Toss pasta with the sauce, adding more pasta water as needed. Adjust salt/pepper to taste. Serve topped with shredded cheese and toasted nuts.
An elegant dish that comes together quickly and easily, it’s usually served as a meze (appetizer, like tapas).
The name comes from the pan it’s cooking in – a ‘sagani’ is a type of two-handled frying pan used in Greece. Ouzo is often used, but you can opt for dry white wine if you don’t have any or aren’t into the anise flavor. Serve with crusty bread, rice, potatoes or salad. Opa!
Ingredients
25 medium prawns, peeled/deveined
1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup ouzo or dry white wine
1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp dried oregano
6 oz feta cheese, cubed (1 cup)
¼ cup olive oil, divided
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
Optional: Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Directions
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, oregano, and half the amount of dill and parsley. Add tomatoes with liquid and simmer until sauce thickens, about 6-8 minutes.
Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add 3 Tbsp olive oil to a large sauté pan. Once oil is hot, add the shrimp. Sauté 1-2 minutes and deglaze with ouzo/dry white wine.
Stir the sauce into the pan along with shrimps. Top with feta cheese and place a lid on the pan. Cook a few more minutes until feta melts slightly.
