Chicken & mushroom coconut curry

Active: 50 minutes; Total: 1 hour; Yield: 4 servings 

Coconut oil, unrefined	2 tablespoons
Chicken legs, skin on, bone-in; pat dry	4
Salt, kosher	1 ½ teaspoons
Mushrooms, cremini; quartered	1 cup
Shallot; finely chopped	1 large
Garlic; finely chopped	3 large cloves
Curry powder	1 tablespoon
Turmeric, ground	1 teaspoon
Coconut milk; well shaken and stirred	13.5 ounces
Water	1/3 cup
Fish sauce	1 tablespoon
Coconut milk, evaporated	½ cup
Cilantro, freshly chopped	Garnish
Chile oil	Garnish

1. Heat the coconut oil in a high-sided medium skillet over medium-high heat. 
2. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. 
3. Place the chicken in the skillet skin side down; cook, undisturbed, until the skin is golden brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. 
4. Transfer to a plate, reserving the rendered fat in the skillet; set aside. 
5. Add the mushroom to the skillet; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. 
6. Add the shallots; cook stirring often, until softened, abut 3 minutes. 
7. Add the garlic, curry powder, and turmeric; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds. 
8. Stir in the coconut milk, water, and fish sauce until combined. 
9. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up. 
10. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. 
11. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, uncovered, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the chicken registers 165°F, 20 to 25 minutes. 
12. Transfer the chicken to a shallow serving bowl. 
13. Add the evaporated coconut milk to the skillet, and stir to combine; pour the curry evenly over the chicken. 
14. Garnish with cilantro and chile oil, and serve with rice. 

Recipe from Food & Wine Annual 2025.

Pork chops with sherry pan sauce

Active: 30 minutes; Total: 1 hour; Serves: 2

Pork chop, center-cut, bone-in, about 1 ¼-inch thick	2
Salt	1 ¾ teaspoons +
Pepper, freshly ground	1 teaspoon +
Oil, grapeseed	1 tablespoon
Shallot, finely chopped	¼ cup
Ras el hanout	1 ½ teaspoons
Sherry, dry	1/3 cup
Orange zest	1 teaspoon
Orange juice	2 cups
Figs, dried, chopped	3 tablespoons
Parsley, chopped	1 tablespoon

1. Season the pork with salt and pepper. 
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
3. Add the pork chops; cook, flipping often, until well browned and a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of meat near the bone registers 130°F, about 15 minutes. 
4. Transfer the chops to a plate, and pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings, taking care to preserve the browned bits in the skillet. 
5. Add the shallot over medium-high heat; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 1 minute. 
6. Add the ras el hanout; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. 
7. Add the sherry; simmer, stirring to loosen the browned bits, until the liquid has reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. 
8. Add the orange zest and juice and the figs; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened slightly and reduced to about 1 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. 
9. Remove from heat, and stir in the parsley; season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Recipe from Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2023.

Gnocchi with shrimp & asparagus

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 30 minutes; Serves: 4

Olive oil, extra virgin	1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons
Gnocchi	16 ounces
Shallots, sliced	½ cup
Asparagus, trimmed and cut into thirds	1`bunch
Chicken broth, low-sodium	¾ cup
Shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined, tail left on if desired	1 pound
Pepper, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon
Salt, sea	Pinch
Lemon juice	2 tablespoons
Parmesan, grated	½ cup

1. Heat the 1-tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. 
2. Add the gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and golden in spots, about 6 to 10 minutes; transfer to a bowl. 
3. Add the remaining 2-teaspoons oil and shallots to the pan; cook over medium heat, stirring, until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. 
4. Stir in the asparagus and broth. 
5. Cover and cook until the asparagus is barely tender, 3 to 4 minutes. 
6. Add the shrimp, pepper, and salt; cover and simmer until the shrimp is pink and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. 
7. Return the gnocchi to the skillet along with the juice, and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. 
8. Remove from heat, sprinkle with cheese, cover and let stand until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. 

Recipe from EatingWell.com.

Thai salmon bake

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 45 minutes; Serves: 4

Garlic, crushed	2 cloves
Ginger, peeled, finely chopped	¾-inch piece
Coconut milk,	14 ounces
Sugar, coconut	1 tablespoon
Thai 7 Spice seasoning	1 ½ teaspoon
Fish sauce	2 tablespoons
Lime juice, freshly squeezed	1 tablespoon
Shallots, finely chopped	3 large
Cilantro, finely chopped	2 tablespoons
Salmon fillets, skin on	20 ounces
Asparagus, cut into ¾-inch piece	9 ounces
Rice, basmati, cooked

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. 
2. Place the garlic, ginger, coconut milk, sugar, seasoning, fish sauce, and lime juice in a medium-sized bowl, and mix together; then add the shallots and cilantro. 
3. Place the salmon, skin side down, and the asparagus on a sheet pan; pour the sauce over the top. 
4. Cover with foil, and bake for 35 minutes; serve with rice. 

Recipe from Sheet Pan Dinners by Jenny Tschiesche & Liz Franklin.

Cauliflower piccata

Active: 15 minutes; Total 30 minutes; Serves: 4

Cauliflower, cut into 2-inch florets	1 head
Oil, extra-virgin olive
Salt, kosher
Pepper, freshly ground
Chickpeas, drained	15 ounces
Shallot, finely chopped	1
Garlic, finely chopped	3 cloves
Stock, vegetable	1 cup
Butter, unsalted	4 tablespoons
Capers, drained	2 tablespoons
Lemon, zested and juiced	1
Parsley, chopped	Garnish

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F. 
2. Place the cauliflower florets onto a sheet pan, and drizzle with 2 to 3-tablespoons of oil. 
3. Season with salt and pepper, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is golden and tender. 
4. Remove from the oven, add the chickpeas, and toss to combine. 
5. Heat a medium skillet to medium high; add 1-tablespoon oil and the shallots, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. 
6. Add the garlic, and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly to keep from scorching. 
7. Pour the stock into the pan and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. 
8. Reduce heat to low, then stir in the butter, capers, lemon zest and juice. 
9. Season with ½-teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper. 
10. To serve, place the cauliflower and chickpeas on serving plates, top with the lemon caper sauce, and garnish with parsley before serving. 

Recipe from NYT Cooking.

Grilled duck breast salad with fried curds & strawberries

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 40 minutes; Serves: 4

Duck breast, skin on; pat dry with paper towels; score the fat layer 1-inch apart in a crosshatch pattern	2
Salt, coarse	½ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon +
Pepper, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon +
Breadcrumbs, panko	¼ cup
Breadcrumbs, plain	¼ cup
Flour, all-purpose	¼ cup
Egg, lightly beaten	1 large
Cheese curds, fresh as possible; freeze 30 minutes before frying	6 ounces
Oil, extra-virgin olive	3 tablespoons + ½ cup
Baby arugula	5 ounces
Strawberries, sliced or quartered	1 cup
Vinegar, white balsamic	3 tablespoons
Shallots, chopped	2 teaspoons
Dijon mustard	½ teaspoon

1. Heat your panini press to medium-low. 
2. Season the duck with salt and pepper. 
3. Open the press lid, and lay one or both duck breasts on the grill, skin side down. 
4. Leaving the lid open, grill the duck until much of the fat has rendered and the skin is brown and crispy, 9 to 11 minutes. 
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallot, mustard, ½-teaspoon salt, and ½-teaspoon pepper; while whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil; set aside. 
6. Using tongs, flip the breasts over, and close the lid; grill until the meat is cooked to an internal temperature of 150°F, another 3 to 4 minutes. 
7. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing across the grain. 
8. Combine the panko, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. 
9. Place the flour and egg in separate shallow dishes. 
10. In a medium-size skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. 
11. Dredge each curd first into flour, then in egg (chef note: coat throughly or the cheese will ooze out during frying), and lastly in the breadcrumbs. 
12. Carefully lower the curds into the hot oil, ensuring not to overcrowd. 
13. Brown the curds, 1 to 2 minutes; drain on paper towels. 
14. Place the arugula and strawberries in a large bowl; pour the vinaigrette over the salad, and toss with tongs. 
15. To serve, divide the salad among four plates, and top each with some fried curds and sliced duck breast. 

Recipe from The Ultimate Panini Press Cookbook by Kathy Strahs.

Sous vide bison roast with mushroom sauce

Active: 30 minutes; Cooktop: 15 minutes; Sous vide: 24 hours; Serves: 8 to 10

Bison roast, pat dry with paper towels	3 ½ to 4 pounds
Steak Seasoning Packet (or a mixture of 2 parts pepper to 1 part salt)	8 tablespoons
Sugar	3 teaspoons
Butter, unsalted, melted (or other oil)	5 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon
Wine, red	½ cup
Broth, beef	up to 2 cups
Pepper, freshly ground	Generous pinch
Shallots, finely chopped	2
Mushrooms, roughly chopped	1 cup
Flour, all purpose	2 tablespoons
Jalapeño cheese grits
Zucchini fritters
Poached eggs
Parsley	Garnish

1. Preheat your sous vide water bath to 138°F, and cover to prevent evaporation. 
2. In a small bowl, mix the seasoning packet (one came with our meat shipment) or pepper and salt with the sugar. 
3. Sprinkle the spices over the roast, and press into the meat to form a crust. 
4. Cut a bag large enough to hold your roast, and seal one edge, and place the roast into the bag. 
5. Pour the butter over the roast, and vacuum seal the bag. 
6. When the water bath is ready, submerge the vacuum-sealed roast, and cook for 24 hours. 
7. Carefully remove the bag from the water bath, and allow to rest for a few minutes. 
8. Snip off a corner of the bag, and pour the juice into a large measuring cup. (You’ll need 2 cups to make the mushroom sauce. If you run short, use beef broth.) 
9. In a small saucepan, add the reserved juices, wine, and pepper; reduce to one-third. 
10. In another pan, add 3-tablespoons oil, shallots, and mushrooms; cook until they start to get some color. 
11. Stir in the the flour, reduce the heat, and keep stirring until the flour starts to brown. 
12. Strain in the reduced liquid to the roux, adjust the consistency of the sauce with broth; taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed; keep warm until needed. 
13. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat; pour a little oil to coat the bottom of pan. 
14. Sear the roast in the hot pan, about 45 seconds to a minute per side, until the surface is caramelized. 
15. Slice the roast as desired. 
16. Serve your roast lovingly smothered with mushroom sauce over jalapeño cheese grits along side zucchini fritters with poached eggs on top. 
17. Sprinkle with a garnish of parsley, if you wish.

Pumpkin alfredo with ricotta-stuffed manicotti

Pasta, manicotti	7 ounces
Oil, olive	1 teaspoon
Ricotta	1 cup
Mozzarella, shredded	¼ cup
Egg, lightly beaten	1 large
Basil, minced	3 leaves
Sage, minced	3 leaves + 3 leaves
Garlic, minced	1 clove + 2 cloves
Salt	¼ teaspoon +
Pepper, red, crushed	Pinch
Butter, unsalted	2 tablespoons
Shallot, minced	1
Pumpkin puree	¾ cup
Crème fraîche	2 tablespoons
Parmesan	¼ cup +
Nutmeg, freshly ground	Pinch
Pepper, freshly ground

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
3. Add the pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. 
4. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water; set aside. 
5. Drain the pasta, and toss with oil; set aside. 
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the ricotta, mozzarella, egg, basil, 3 sage leaves, garlic, salt, and red pepper. 
7. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring constantly, until it begins to foam and brown speckles begin to appear. 
8. Keep stirring until the foam subsides, and the color turns to a medium brown. 
9. Add the shallots and 2 garlic cloves, and turn down the heat to medium-low. 
10. Cook until the shallots have softened, about 1 minute. 
11. Stir in the pumpkin, 3 sage leaves, crème fraîche, parmesan, and ½-to-¾ cup of the reserved pasta water. 
12. Stuff each manicotti with spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture, and arrange in a 13-inch-by-9-inch casserole dish. 
13. Pour the sauce around and over the pasta, and cover with a sheet of foil. 
14. Bake for 15, remove the foil and sprinkle with more parmesan, then bake for 5 minutes more.