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Category: Vegetables

Creamed Corn

Creamed Corn

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: NY Times

This is a sweetly comforting dish, and it’s remarkably simple to make. Fresh corn is best for this, but frozen corn would work as well. If using the latter, add a bit of water when cooking before you add the milk.
Prep: Cook:

  • 6ears fresh corn or one 10 oz bag frozen
  • 2TBS butter
  • sliver of garlic
  • sea salt
  • ¾cup milk
  • ¼cup heavy cream
  • fresh sage leaves or chopped parsley, for garnish

Scrape corn kernels from cobs, running knife edge along cobs to squeeze out juices. (If the corn is not very fresh, then blanch in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes before scraping kernels from cobs.)

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Drop in butter and melt until foamy. Add corn, garlic and juices. Season with salt and cook until kernels become tender. Pour in milk and simmer until milk is almost gone. Pour in cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve.

Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas

Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: The Kitchn

Ok, this sucks. Looking for a replacement.

For marinating the chicken:

  • 3boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced crosswise
  • 2tsp cornstarch
  • 2tsp soy sauce
  • 2tsp vegetable oil

For the rest of the dish:

  • 3TBS vegetable oil
  • 2cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1lb snap peas or sugar snap peas, trimmed and washed
  • 2TBS Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
  • 3TBS soy sauce
  • 2tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1tsp sugar
  • black pepper, to taste

For slurry:

  • ⅔cup chicken stock
  • 2TBS cornstarch
  • Steamed rice, for serving

Toss the chicken with the marinade ingredients and set aside for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Combine the ⅔ cup chicken stock with 2 TBS cornstarch to make a slurry (stir out any lumps) and set aside.

When you’re ready to cook, heat a wok or skillet over high heat almost until smoking. Add 3 TBS oil and sear the chicken just until browned. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.

Add the garlic and snap peas to the wok and stir-fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the chicken back to the wok, along with the Shaoxing rice wine (or sherry), soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and pepper. Then give the cornstarch slurry a stir and add it to the wok. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds, until the sauce has thickened. Serve with rice.

Lemon Roasted Chicken Breasts with Cauliflower & Peppers

Lemon Roasted Chicken Breasts with Cauliflower & Peppers

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: WaPo

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Cauliflower and Peppers. You can use just about any crunchy vegetables in place of the cauliflower and peppers. The simple, aromatic seasonings used on both the vegetables and chicken are what really carry the day and make the dish so adaptable.

Note: The skin comes out flabby, better to use boneless, skinless breasts.
Prep: 20 Cook: 35

  • 1medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch florets (5½ cups)
  • 1red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks similar to the florets
  • 1green bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks similar to the florets
  • 3TBS olive oil, divided
  • ½tsp fine salt, divided
  • ¼tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 4garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
  • 1TBS finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1½tsp finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
  • 4boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 lb total) or bone-in, skin-on
  • 2TBS fresh lemon juice (from the same lemon)
  • 8large pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano, sliced (¼ cup)

Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 425°F.

In a 9-by-13-by-2-inch ovenproof baking dish, toss the cauliflower and bell peppers with 1 TBS of the olive oil, ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp black pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, the remaining 2 TBS of olive oil, the rosemary, lemon zest, and the remaining ¼ tsp of salt and ⅛ tsp of black pepper.

Arrange the chicken in the baking dish, nestling the pieces into the vegetables. It’s okay if the chicken is resting on top of some of the vegetables. Rub the garlic mixture all over each piece of chicken, including under the skin if using bone in, skin on breasts.

Transfer the dish to the oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast away from the bone, and the vegetables are tender.

Drizzle everything with lemon juice and scatter the olives on top. Divide the chicken among plates, then stir the vegetables in the pan with the accumulated juices and divide among the plates. Serve right away, removing the chicken skin, if desired, right before serving.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Yield: 4 to 6 Servings

Adapted from: J. Kenji López-Alt / Serious Eats

The key to roasting Brussels sprouts is to use the full-on, frontal-assault, no-prisoners-taken, blast-the-sh*t-out-of-’em approach, a.k.a. very high heat. This allows the exteriors of the sprouts to caramelize and brown, producing sweet by-products, while at the same time making sure that they don’t have enough time to develop the really sulfurous aromas that slower cooking can yield.
Extremely high heat, plus a preheated roasting pan, gives the Brussels sprouts sweet flavor and a nutty char. Halving the sprouts creates more surface area, allowing them to develop plenty of crispy brown edges.

  • 8-24oz Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Adjust oven rack to upper position, place a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on it, and preheat oven to 500°F.

Note: You can also use lower heat to match whatever else you have in the oven. I often use anything from 375-425°F. You just need to adjust the time some. Toss sprouts with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove baking sheet from oven and add Brussels sprouts, working quickly to turn them all cut side down. Return to oven and roast until tender and deeply browned, about 20 minutes total. Serve immediately.

Super Greens (Panda Express CC)

Super Greens (Panda Express CC)

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: Woks of Life

Panda Express Super Greens (a mix of kale, cabbage, and broccoli) is a beloved side dish from the popular chain. Here’s how to make it!

Note: Original probably doesn’t have oyster sauce, but it was quite good and less salty than original.
Prep: 30 Cook: 10

  • 5cups green cabbage, roughly chopped
  • 4cups curly kale (stems removed, roughly chopped or torn, then kneaded to tenderize)
  • 3cups broccoli florets
  • 3TBS neutral oil
  • 5large cloves garlic, roughly chopped or sliced
  • ½tsp salt
  • ¼-½cup water
  • 1TBS oyster sauce


Prep:
Wash and prepare your cabbage, kale, and broccoli. Soak the vegetables in a large stainless-steel mixing bowl of cold water, changing out the water 1-3x and letting the vegetables drain in a colander while you prepare the other ingredients.

Heat your wok or large/deep skillet over high heat. When it starts to lightly smoke, add the oil, followed by the broccoli. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the garlic, followed by both the cabbage and kale. Stir to combine, and sprinkle with salt. Stir-fry, using your wok spatula to mix the vegetables so they get contact with the hot sides of the wok.

As the liquid starts to dry out, pile the vegetables in the center of the wok, add a ¼-½ cup of water. If your pan has trouble maintaining high heat, stick to the low end of the range. Cover and let steam for 2 minutes.

Add the oyster sauce, if using. Stir to combine and salt to taste once again if needed. If you like your vegetables more well-done, cook for another minute or so.

Transfer to a plate and serve.

Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Vegetables

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General use roast vegetable mix. Adjust or swap vegetables to suite your needs.
Prep: 15 Cook: 20 to 30

  • 4oz fingerling potatoes or baby potatoes
  • 4-6carrots
  • 1head broccoli
  • Ranch spice mix, Optional, see below
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper


Prep:

Adjust rack to top and middle positions and preheat oven to 450°F. Wash and dry produce.

Halve, peel, and cut onions into ½-inch-thick wedges.

Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into ½-inch-thick pieces.

Cut broccoli into bite-size florets if necessary.

Roast veggies:

Toss potatoes on one side of a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, a good sprinkle of Ranch Seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Toss onion, and carrots on the other side of the baking sheet with a large drizzle of olive oil, a good sprinkle of Ranch Seasoning (optional) and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat with oil and spices.

Roast on top rack for ten minutes. Remove and add broccoli to onions and carrots, toss with onions and carrots. Return to the top oven rack and roast until done, 10-20 minutes.

Ranch Spice Mix

2 TBS

  • 1tsp dried parsley
  • ¾tsp dried dill weed
  • 1tsp garlic powder
  • 1tsp onion powder
  • 1tsp dried onion flakes
  • ½tsp ground black pepper
  • ½tsp dried chives
Cauliflower AF

Cauliflower AF

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Yield: 4

Serious Eats

I learned the joys of nutty, rich, roasted cauliflower. Roasting it at a high temperature creates a crisp exterior with a tender—but not mushy—interior. The high heat also ensures that those unpleasant sulfurous compounds don’t form. Today, cauliflower is a staple in my dinner rotation: It’s easy to make, pairs well with just about everything, and can be dressed up with a favorite seasoning blend, fresh herbs, or a simple sauce I already have on hand.

Note: Air fryers are fast? Maybe so, but this is only doing half at a time. So double the time!
Prep: 10 Cook: 20 (really 45)

  • 1large head cauliflower (about 1¾ lb), tough outer leaves and core removed
  • 2TBS neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil
  • 1TBS water
  • ½tsp kosher salt, if using table salt use half as much by volume
  • ½tsp ground black pepper


Prep:

Preheat a 6-quart air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes. Cut cauliflower into 8 wedges, then cut into 2-inch florets (should be about 4 cups total). In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with oil, water, salt, and pepper until well coated, use your hands to make sure all nooks and crannies are coated with oil and seasonings.

Arrange half (about 2 cups) of the florets into the preheated air fryer basket, cook, shaking basket twice during cooking, until tender and well browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm, and repeat cooking with the remaining cauliflower. Combine cauliflower and serve.

Make-Ahead and Storage:

Cauliflower can be chopped into florets and refrigerated in a zip-top bag or airtight container up to 3 days before cooking.

Air-fried cauliflower can be made up to 4 days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. Reheat in a microwave or air fryer preheated to 340ºF until warm.

Variations:

Curry and Cumin: Add 2 tsp Madras-style curry powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp ground cumin with the oil to toss with the raw cauliflower in step 1.

Dill and Lemon: In a large bowl, toss the roasted cauliflower with 2 TBS minced fresh dill, ½ tsp lemon zest, and 1 TBS lemon juice before serving.

Buffalo-Style: In a small bowl, whisk 2 TBS melted butter with 2 TBS Frank’s Red Hot Sauce or other Louisiana-style hot sauce to combine. Once cauliflower is done roasting, transfer to a large bowl and toss with the prepared buffalo sauce before serving.

Egg Roll Skillet

Egg Roll Skillet

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Yield: 4

The Kitchn

A veggie-rich take on the classic Chinese appetizer that you can eat as dinner.
When you need a quick one-pan dinner that has tons of veggies and protein, look no further than this egg roll skillet. Inspired by the tasty filling in Chinese egg rolls, this ground pork skillet requires very little chopping thanks to a bag of coleslaw mix, but it’s full of ginger and garlic and all the hallmark flavors you expect from egg rolls.

Note: Needs a starch or something crunchy.

  • 1TBS olive or vegetable oil
  • 1lb ground pork
  • 1medium yellow onion, diced
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3cloves garlic, minced
  • 1TBS minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1(14-oz) bag coleslaw mix
  • 2TBS soy sauce
  • ¼cup thinly sliced scallions
  • 1tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1tsp rice vinegar

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pork and onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces, until the meat is cooked through, and the onion is tender, about 8 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the coleslaw mix and soy sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat, add the scallions, sesame oil, and vinegar, and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Chicken & Vegetables with White Sauce

Chicken & Vegetables with White Sauce

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Yield: 4 Servings

Adapted from Fortunecooking

A very simple clean tasting stir fry made with vegetables and left-over chicken. Your choice of vegetables. I usually use broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, celery and sometimes water chestnuts.

My white sauce was not as white as the original. It is fixed now. 😊 😊

  • 2cups total:
  • broccoli florets
  • pea pods
  • button mushrooms, sliced or quartered
  • carrots, sliced thin on a diagonal
  • celery, sliced thin on a diagonal
  • sliced water chestnuts
  • chicken, cooked and sliced 
  • 1heaping tsp garlic, minced
  • 1heaping tsp ginger, minced
  • 2cups water or stock
  • salt & pepper
  • 1TBS cornstarch mixed with 1 TBS water for slurry
  • 1sesame oil to taste (optional)


Blanch vegetables:

Bring 2 cups of stock or water to a boil in a wok or pan.

Add the 2 cups vegetables and chicken and cook for about 1½ minutes.

Reserve some of the vegetable cooking water and set aside.

Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

Chicken & sauce:

Add ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. 

Add slurry and stir to thicken.

If desired, add sesame oil to taste.

Serve.

Shrimp Boil

Shrimp Boil

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Sheet Pan Dinners

Yield: 4 Servings

Adapted from: CarlsbadCravings

This sheet pan version of the Shrimp Boil is loaded with succulent shrimp, tender potatoes, sweet corn and smokey sausage all enveloped in Cajun seasonings then baked to perfection then drizzled with Lemon Parsley Butter.

Note: Came out spicier than expected. Might use less Old Bay.

  • 1lb fingerling or baby potatoes
  • 4TBS extra virgin olive oil divided
  • 1TBS + 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning divided
  • 1tsp garlic powder
  • ½tsp ground mustard
  • ½tsp ground coriander
  • ½tsp dried dill
  • ¼tsp pepper
  • ¾tsp salt divided
  • 3ears sweet corn, cut into 4 pieces (12 pieces total) or kernels removed from cob
  • 111-12 oz pkg. smoked Andouille sausage sliced ½-inch thick
  • 1zucchini, sliced ½-inch thick (optional)
  • 1red or yellow onion, cut into ½-inch wedges (optional)

Parsley lemon butter: (optional)

  • 4TBS melted butter
  • 1½TBS finely chopped parsley
  • 1½TBS lemon juice

For serving:

  • chopped parsley
  • lemon slices
  • hot sauce


Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a half-sheet pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray, set aside.

Pre-cook potatoes: Depending on size, chop potatoes in half or thirds. Transfer cut potatoes and onions to a prepared half-sheet pan and spread out into an even layer. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.

Mix: Meanwhile, in a very large bowl, whisk together 3 TBS olive oil, 1 TBS Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, ground mustard, coriander, dill, pepper and ½ tsp salt. Add par cooked potatoes, corn, zucchini, and sausage. Stir until evenly coated.

First Bake: Pour bowl onto prepared half-sheet pan and spread out into an even layer. Reduce heat to 400°F and bake for 15 minutes.

Season Shrimp: Meanwhile, add shrimp to the same bowl (don’t wipe out). Drizzle with 1 TBS olive oil, 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning and ¼ tsp salt. Stir until evenly coated.

After 15 minutes, remove the half-sheet pan from oven and give everything a good stir. Add shrimp and spread everything into a single layer.

Second Bake: Place pan back into oven and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until the shrimp is opaque and cooked through.

Parsley Lemon Butter: Meanwhile, whisk Parsley butter ingredients together, set aside.

Serve: As soon as the shrimp is done, drizzle the entire pan with Parsley Lemon Butter. Serve with additional freshly cracked salt, pepper, lemon wedges, parsley, Old Bay seasoning and hot sauce on the side.