French Onion Chicken Thighs

This smelled so good I forgot to snap a picture! This is stup? It’s more than chicken and not quite a soup. The carmalized onions really take the flavor deep! Serves 4.

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 of chicken thughs
• 3 large yellow onions, sliced thin
• 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• 1 1/2 c beef or chicken broth
• 2 tsp thyme
• 1 c grated Gruyere

In a slow cooker on sauté mode, heat the butter, then add the chicken and brown on each side. Remove to a plate.

Add onions, salt and pepper and cook continue to sauté until carmelized, stirring frequently. About 20 min.

Add remaining ingredients except cheese and cook on high for 2 hour or low for 4 hours.

When it’s done, shred chicken and serve topped with cheese.

Advertisement

Cucumber and Basil Salad

This is a refreshing and easy summer salad. Patricia Wells never disappoints. Use a mandoline to make quick work of the slicing.

• 1/2 sweet onion, sliced thin
• 2 cucumbers, sliced paper thin
• 1 c fresh basil leaves

Dressing

• 1/4 c basil oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Combine the oil and lemon juice in a small jar.

Toss the remaining ingredients in a bowl, then toss with a little dressing, adding a little more to ensure everything is coated. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

Pepper, Mushroom and Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner

Mushrooms, bell peppers, onions and sausage – with a little sprinkle of cheese so good and so easy.

• 3 bell peppers, sliced thin
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 16 oz mushrooms, sliced
• Olive oil spray
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 2 – 4 pork sausages
• Shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

Spray a sheet pan with olive oil. Spread veggies over the pan, spray with olive oil. Cook for 20 minutes. Stir, make room for the sausages – cook for 10 minutes. Turn the sausages over and stir the veggies and bake 10 minutes longer.

Divide among plates and sprinkle with a little cheese.

Serves 2 – 4.

Roasted Sausage with Apples and Onions

I love this amazing french sausage from the local fancy market. Use a mild sausage for this recipe.

• 1 1/2 lb thin merguez sausage coil or links
• 3 Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples, cut into 1 1/2-inch wedges
• 2 sweet onions, cut into 3/4-inch wedges
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 4 medium garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 425°F. Insert 2 skewers into sausage coil in an “X” shape. Place sausage coil in middle of a large rimmed baking sheet. (If using links, arrange in a single layer on baking sheet.)

Toss together apples, onions, thyme, olive oil, garlic, and lemon zest in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Scatter apple mixture around sausage on baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven until sausage is cooked through and apples are tender but not falling apart, about 25 minutes. Remove skewers, and cut sausage into large pieces. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Serves 4.

Philly Cheesesteak Tacos

What?!? Yes! Philly Cheesesteak in a taco. You are welcome!

• 1 lb thinly sliced beef
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 8 oz sliced crimini mushrooms
• 1 onion sliced thin
• 2 bell peppers sliced thin
• 8 slices provolone
• 12 crunchy taco shells

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat, add meat and toss with Worcestershire sauce, then season with salt and pepper. Cook until 1/2 cooked. Add mushrooms, peppers and onions and cook until all are soft and meat is cooked through.

Spoon mixture into shells and top with provolone.

Serves 4.

Zuk and Basil Soup

This soup is so easy to make and the basil really makes it special. I love it chilled but you can also eat hot.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, sliced thin
• Salt
• 2 lb of zuks, rinsed, cut into small pieces
• 1 qt chicken stock
• 1/2 c firmly packed Basil

Combine oil, onions and salt in a stock pot and cook over medium low heat until translucent, 5 – 8 min. Add zuks and stock and simmer for 15 min until tender.

Remove from heat and purée until smooth in a blender or with a stick blender. Add basil purée till smooth and serve or chill.

Serves 8.

Split Pea Slow Cooker Soup

This soup is so easy – dump everything in the slow cooker and you are done in 8 hours! I topped with some coconut bacon.

• 1 lb dried green sloppy peas
• 2 carrots, minced
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp better than bouillon
• 1 bay leaf

Combine all ingredients with 6 c of water in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove the bay leaf and run an immersion blender in the pot to purée it a bit.

Serves 8.

Peppers and Vegan Sausage

This dish is perfect for a quick weeknight meal! If your not vegan use an Italian sausage.

• 2 vegan sausages, sliced into chunks
• 4 peppers, sliced thin
• 1 onion sliced thin
• Olive oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, add peppers and onions and sauté until soft. Sly and pepper to taste and stir in parsley.

Serves 2 – 4.

Persian Split Pea and Rice Soup with Meatballs

This one comes from Food and Wine Magazine. If you are vegan leave out the meatballs. Also note, the split peas need to soak over night.

SOUP

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 3/4 c short-grain white rice
• 3/4 c dried green split peas, soaked overnight and drained
• 2 c finely chopped parsley leaves and tender stems
• 2 c finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1/2 c finely chopped mint leaves
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses, plus more as needed
• Salt

MEATBALLS

• 1 small yellow onion, grated
• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp dried mint

TOPPINGS

• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• Olive oil spray

Make the soup In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, cinnamon and turmeric and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is beginning to soften, 5 minutes. Add the rice, split peas and 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice and peas are tender and the soup is quite thick, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add the scallions, parsley, cilantro and mint and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the pomegranate molasses and season with salt.

Make the meatballs In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoons of the ground lamb into balls. Add the meatballs to the soup and simmer until cooked through, 10 minutes. If the soup is getting too thick, add water.

Preheat oven or air fryer to 350. Make the onions. In a bowl spray onions and toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet or place in air frye and cook 15 minutes or until crispy, tossing several times.

Fill bowl with soup, top with onions and drizzle with Pom molasses.

Serves 6 – 8.

Veggie Tacos

This is from Nopalito – it is amazing! Going to put these into regular rotation for taco Tuesday! You can pretty much use any hearty veggies. You’ll have leftover oil, it will keep in the fridge for several weeks.

• 3 c diced broccoli
• 2 c carrots diced
• 2 c white onions, sliced
• 2 c butternut squash, cubed
• 3 c potatoes, cubed
• 6 tbsp cascabel oil

Cascabel Oil

• 6 Cascabel chiles, stemmed
• 2 guajillo chiles, stemmed
• 1 c grape seed oil
• 1 clove garlic

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.

Preheat oven to 400. Toss veggies with oil and roast, stirring several times, for 15 – 20 minutes until veggies start to char.

Serve with warmed tortillas and cheese.