A Mix of Old and New
In the course of five days we went from semi-normal to very-much-not and here we are, starting multiple weeks of working from home and practicing responsible social distancing.
Things change in the blink of an eye and all I can say is this: let’s be responsible, stay home, and get this thing under control. It will take time. But it will take even longer if we don’t follow the rules/guidelines/recommendations. So since we are all home, why not cook?
Last week we made three dishes, that were repeats, for a reason: they are just so delicious! And sometimes you need those flavors that are familiar and fabulous. We also created a broccoli and chickpea plate that was surprisingly awesome and a pizza that just hit the spot.
So check out this meals of the week and get inspired: cooking is officially cool and the best activity for the next several weeks. Stay calm and cook on.
Pad Grapow Chicken
Recipe from Cravings by Chrissy Teigen
Calling all basil fans! This Thai dish is packed with basil, chicken, and so much deliciousness. It’s the fastest stir-fry and is perfect after a busy day; or a day that leaves you very hungry. Since we were extra-hungry, we made the dish using extra chicken, to ensure leftovers and a heartier portion.
We served it with basic basmati rice, but you could swap it out for brown rice, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice (if you’re aiming for a lower-carb meal). The sauce is splendid, the aroma is awesome, and the dinner itself is a definite win.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Recipe from Cravings by Chrissy Teigen
One more favorite from Teigen’s first cookbook, I crave these lettuce wraps essentially all of the time. Truly. The flavor is outstanding and the meal is just perfect. It’s so good that we decided to double the recipe to guarantee we’d have plenty of leftovers! And that we did.
We easily could have served six people with the volume of food; however, we happily had days’ worth of leftovers instead. Note: have no shame eating the leftovers cold from the fridge. They’re ridiculously yummy. That’s a fact.
While there is a fair amount of prep to get this dish going, the cook time is quick and suddenly you’re inhaling the best at-home chicken lettuce wraps, ever. I’m serious. And I’m craving them again, already.
Chickpea and Harissa Soup
Recipe by Ali Slagle for New York Times Cooking
For our third repeat recipe of the week, we made a recent-favorite: chickpea and harissa soup! It’s naturally gluten free, vegan, and so, so delicious. We didn’t pick it because it was a vegan soup, but it’s good to know that great soups come in all shapes and sizes. This one just happens to be vegan; it also happens to be awesome.
Beyond the ingredients, this soup is excellent for busy workdays because it cooks quickly and suddenly fills your kitchen with an amazing, spicy, and warming aroma. Chickpeas are the main protein, with olives and cilantro garnish being the delicious, final flavors on top.
Harissa provides the spice and I love that you can add extra (or less) pending your spice preference. All in all, this soup is filling and flavorful; and it’s a super dish to try if you’re looking to add more meatless meals to your week.
Big Flavor broccoli and crispy chickpeas
Broccoli Recipe from Bon Appétit, available here.
By Wednesday night we determined it was time to try something new and so we leaned into the veggies with another meatless meal featuring broccoli and chickpeas. Boring, you say? No way. This dinner was a major flavor win.
Our new favorite method for cooking broccoli is to pan-fry it, then roast it, with a lot of purple onion, garlic, and anchovies. Yes, anchovies. Don’t run away! Don’t stop reading. You’d probably not even notice them if I didn’t say they were a key component to the dish. They make it delish.
My goodness; this was the best broccoli I’ve ever had! And I don’t often request this green so believe me: this is one you need to make immediately.
Since we skipped our originally planned protein, we opted for a pantry staple: chickpeas! We crisped them to perfection in a very hot cast-iron skillet then served them with a spicy mayo (mix mayo with sriracha, voiá!) that’s the fastest condiment to create. It’s also my favorite for chickpeas, chicken, veggies; it’s a versatile dipping sauce that works for everything. And it’s better than ketchup. ;)
Pepper and MushrOom Pizza
Gluten free crust by Against the Grain Gourmet. Pizza recipe is our own.
Honestly, we had planned a healthy salad for Thursday night, but tensions were running high and while we grocery shopped with every other anxious person in the area, I knew it had to be a comfort food night. And what better comfort food is there than pizza? Well, I have a long list of comfort foods, but at the time pizza was calling (screaming?) my name. I knew what we had to do.
Classic-style pizza, our way: we made a pepperoni and mushroom pizza with layers of shredded mozzarella, chopped tomatoes in place of sauce, and plenty of pepperoni.
I don’t take toppings lightly. I tend to mound them on the crust which often makes the center of the pie a little soft, but I could care less. I love pizza toppings! My only regret with this one is that we didn’t double the mushrooms which we had sautéed in olive oil before sprinkling on the pizza. They were so good! So while our pizza was heavy on the pepperoni and cheese, it was slightly light on the mushroom. By accident.
We used a pre-made gluten free crust by Against the Grain Gourmet which is one of my favorite crust companies. Also, we used a pizza stone and that is the primary reason for all of our pizza success.
The stone heats in the oven for fifteen minutes at 450 degrees and then the pizza, with toppings, goes on top of the stone (in the oven) for about sixteen minutes (watch it for your preferred level of done-ness). The result is a pizza with perfectly crisp crust and a flavor that’s just sublime. I don’t crave pizza all of the time, but when I do, I want it to be as delicious and perfect as this one. 😏
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Enjoy!
