This was really good, but make with a different sauce next time. I’m including it only for comparison for new sauce ideas.
Ingredients
Chicken
1 pound chicken fillets (or 1lbs chicken breast cut into long strips)
1 cup panko crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
Sauce (don’t use this, find new sauce)
Juice + zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup honey
Mashed Potatoes
1.5 – 2 pounds red potatoes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup half-and-half (or part heavy cream part milk)
black pepper, as needed for seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped chives if desired
Instructions
Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 425F. Place rack in top third of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or use a good non-stick one).
Boil potatoes. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Cut potatoes into chunks of similar size (quartered or so), rinse, and then add to boiling water. Cook until tender.
Prepare and bake chicken. Prepare two bowls: one with panko crumbs and one with the egg and milk (whisk the egg & milk together). Dip each piece of chicken one by one into the liquid bowl (let excess drip off) and then the panko. Place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they’re cooked through.
Prepare potatoes. Add well-drained potatoes back to the pot and use a potato masher to lightly break them down until smooth. Add butter and gently fold in. Then, microwave half-and-half for 45 seconds until warmed, about 120F. Whisk together half-and-half and ½ teaspoon salt. Gradually fold into potatoes in three additions, until the half-and-half is absorbed. If needed rewarm the potatoes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chives and pepper./
Prepare sauce. Meanwhile, add the lemon juice + zest, vinegar, garlic powder, honey, and salt & pepper to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it bubble away for about 5 minutes, until it thickens and reduces.
Once the chicken tenders are cooked, dip them in the honey lemon glaze (tongs or your fingers will work). Serve immediately with potatoes..
18 ounces boneless pork loin, sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon oil
1 shallot or 1/2 a yellow onion
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
for the pineapple salsa
1 cup chopped pineapple
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped red onion or shallot
a squeeze of lime juice
a pinch of salt
for serving
6 tortillas (or 8 would work as well)
cilantro and lime for serving
for the chili sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
a few squeezes of srichacha
instructions
For the pork: Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and jalapeño – saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat to high and add the pork and the fish sauce – stir fry for a few minutes until the pork is no longer pink. With the heat very high, add the sugar and water and stir once – then let the pork caramelize by not stirring it for about 1 minute. Repeat this process until the pork is nice and golden brown. –
For the salsa: Toss everything together in a medium bowl. –
For the tacos: Warm the tortillas quickly in a skillet with a little bit of oil. Arrange the pork between 6 tortillas and top with the salsa and the chili sauce.
Cut up the cream cheese into cubes and let sit out to warm up a little. –
Boil a salted pot of water for pasta. –
Cut the ends off the asparagus and discard them, and then cut the asparagus up into pieces. –
Add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic in once it’s hot and cook for 30 seconds. –
Add the water/broth, lemon juice + zest, cream cheese, and Italian seasoning to the pan. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce is smooth. –
Add the asparagus and cook until it’s tender-crisp (5-15 min depending on thickness of asparagus) and the sauce has thickened to your liking. If the sauce becomes too thick, and some more chicken broth. Season the sauce with salt & pepper as needed. –
Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and/or parsley if desired.
Add olive oil and sausage to a soup pot over medium-high heat. Brown thee sausage for 8 minutes. If sausages are especially fatty, drain most of the fat. –
Stir in the garlic, dijon mustard, sun-dried tomatoes, and red pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. –
Add in the the broth, half-and-half, cajun seasoning, and penne. Increase the heat to high. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium (or medium low if it continues to bubble a lot). Cook until the pasta is done and the sauce is reduced to your liking (about 20 minutes), stirring often so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. –
Season with salt & pepper and stir in the basil
Notes:
some pastas absorb more liquid than others, so I suggest sticking to penne
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock (chicken stock may be substituted)
2 cups fat-free half-and-half (regular half-and-half may be substituted; whole milk or 2% milk will work but soup won’t be as creamy)
2 to 3 cups broccoli florets, diced into bite-size pieces + 1 cups stems, optional (I used 3 cups florets and 1 cup stems as not to waste them)
2 large carrots, trimmed, peeled, and sliced into very thin rounds, about 1/16th-inch
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika, optional and to taste
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder, optional and to taste
pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste (doesn’t make soup spicy and serves to enhance flavor)
8 ounces grated high quality extra-sharp cheddar cheese, with a small amount reserved for garnishing bowls
Instructions
In a small saucepan, add 1 tablespoon butter, the diced onion, and sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent and barely browned, about 4 minutes. Stir intermittently. –
Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and set pan aside. –
In a large heavy-bottom pot, add 4 tablespoons butter, flour and cook over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until flour is thickened. You are making a roux and it’s very important the mixture is thick or soup will never thicken properly later. –
Slowly add the vegetable stock, whisking constantly. –
Slowly add the half-and-half, whisking constantly. –
Allow mixture to simmer over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened some. Whisk intermittently to re-incorporate the ‘skin’ that inevitably forms, this is normal. –
While mixture is simmering, chop the broccoli and carrots. After simmering 15 to 20 minutes, add the broccoli, carrots, and the onion and garlic you previously set aside. –
Add the salt, pepper, optional paprika, dry mustard powder, and cayenne. If you don’t have these seasonings on hand, it’s okay, but they do add subtle depth of flavor. Stir to combine. –
Allow soup to simmer over low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened some. Whisk intermittently to re-incorporate the ‘skin’ that inevitably forms, this is normal. –
While soup simmers, grate the cheese. After simmering about 20 to 25 minutes, add most of the cheese, reserving a small amount for garnishing bowls. Stir in the cheese until melted and incorporated fully, less than 1 minute. –
Transfer soup to bowls, garnish with reserved cheese, and serve immediately. Soup will keep airtight for 5 to 7 days in the fridge. Reheat gently in the microwave. I find the soup is less likely to ‘break’ or separate when reheated in the micro rather than on the stovetop, but do what you think is best. I don’t recommend freezing the soup because I feel like the cheese and half-and-half will not do well upon thawing and soup could break, but I haven’t actually tried freezing it. –
pinch of cayenne pepper, or a dash of your favorite hot sauce
Instructions
Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add the noodles and salt. Cook until the pasta is al dente, according to package directions. In the meantime, make sure all of your ingredients are measured and ready (I combine the dry spices in a small bowl). –
Drain the pasta and leave it in the colander for now. Return the empty pot to medium heat. Immediately add the cream and let the mixture come to a boil. Once boiling, set a timer for 1 minute. –
Once the minute is up, add all of the cheese and spices. Stir until the cheese has fully melted to produce a creamy sauce. Add the pasta, stir until the pasta is evenly coated in cheese sauce, and remove the pot from the heat. –
Taste and season with salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.
1 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion (a large onion or two medium/small)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 cups veggie broth
4 cups frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots | or sub fresh)
1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (or sub other thickener of choice)
3 bay leaves
4 tbsp corn starch (or so)
pinch each sea salt and black pepper
1.5 batch bisquick biscuits
butter, for melting (to top biscuits)
try adding potatoes!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees –
Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Then add onion and garlic and a pinch of salt – stir. Cook until soft – about 7 minutes. –
Add the flour and stir with a whisk, then slowly whisk in the broth. –
Add milk and bay leaves and stir. Simmer until the mixture is thickened (about 10 minutes). If it still appears too thin, add corn starch until you meet desired thickness. (Be patient with the cornstarch, things can get too sticky fast). –
While the sauce is thickening, prepare biscuits. Cut out, leave unbaked, and set aside in fridge. –
Once the sauce is thickened, add the frozen vegetables and cook for 4-5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed. –
Discard the bay leaves and divide the mixture evenly between 5-6 lightly greased ramekins or a 8×8 baking dish. –
Top with biscuit dough and brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter. Set your 8×8 dish or ramekins on a baking sheet to catch overflow and bake until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbly (about 14-17 minutes). –
1 cup low-fat milk (cow’s milk tastes best but unsweetened plain almond milk works, too)
½ tablespoon butter or 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
breadcrumbs
To make this vegan: replace the cheese and milk with potato soup and a little soy milk.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. –
To cook the quinoa: Bring the vegetable broth or water to boil in a heavy-bottomed, medium-sized pot. Add the quinoa, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 17 to 20 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Cover and set aside to steam for 10 minutes. –
To roast the broccoli: Slice any large broccoli florets in half to make bite-sized pieces. Transfer the broccoli to your prepared baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, until lightly coated on all sides. Sprinkle with salt and arrange in a single layer. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and starting to caramelize on the edges. –
Add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the pot of quinoa, and stir to combine. Set aside ¾ cup of the cheese for later, then add the rest of the cheese to the pot. Pour in the milk and stir until the cheese and milk are evenly incorporated in the quinoa. –
Pour the cheesy quinoa into a 9-inch square baking dish and top with the roasted broccoli. Stir until the broccoli is evenly mixed in with the quinoa. Sprinkle the surface of the casserole with the reserved ¾ cup cheese, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. –
Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes, until the top is golden. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Black Fam Eats 