Appetizers/Snacks, Dinner, Lunch

Oven Baked Taco’s with Cilantro Ranch

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A home baked version of crispy beef taco’s with a cilantro greek yogurt ranch sauce on the side – a healthy and super versatile make-ahead meal.

Tonight is game 6 of the Bruins vs. Islanders in the Stanley Cup playoffs (GO B’s!!).  It’s also baseball playoffs for one of our kids, among other sports practices.  This means it’s a make ahead night.  Enter, another recipe inspired by Half Baked Harvest – she made a baked taco with ground chicken, and I updated it here with ground beef and pretty much doubled the recipe.  These have become a favorite in our house as they are super easy, make-ahead, and keep great for leftovers, though there usually aren’t any.  You can use any meat or even chopped vegetables.  I have done this with black beans and oven roasted sweet potatoes and it was delicious!  If you have varying preferences in your home, make 1/2 with chicken and 1/2 with beef, etc.  Since the filling is pre-cooked, everything can be assembled and baked as desired.  The best accompaniment is the cilantro greek yogurt ranch.  Another genius Tieghan move – taco’s with ranch.  THE BEST.  

This is a dip to make time and time again – I posted a very similar version of Chive Ranch with the BBQ chicken recently, and this one has the cilantro twist.  Other than that, it’s the same easy recipe.   Make extra – you will be glad you did.  

The taco’s are formed on a sheet pan using soft corn tortillas that are filled with the beef and cheese, coated in olive oil, folded and baked.  If you have a hard time keeping them folded before baking, compress them with a wire cooling rack while cooking – I have to do this with mine.  

The crispy baked taco’s are great on their own, but served with the ranch and a few drops of taco sauce are even better.  These are great warm, cold – however you find them.  They make a great lunch for packing up the next day!

Oven Baked Taco's with Cilantro Ranch

Print Recipe
A ground beef taco with soft corn tortilla's, baked crispy in the oven, served with a side of greek yogurt cilantro ranch sauce.
Course dinner, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword beef taco, tortillas, ground beef, tacos
Servings 6

Equipment

  • baking sheet with a wire rack

Ingredients

For the Taco's

  • 2 lbs ground beef, turkey, chicken, or even beans and veggies
  • 1 small white onion, chopped
  • 4-6 tsp Taco Seasoning - recipe below
  • 8 oz grated sharp cheddar or pepperjack
  • EVOO for the pan and taco assembly
  • 12 soft corn or flour tortilla's - 6 or 8 inch size

Taco Seasoning

  • 4 tsp chili powder
  • 4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 tsp kosher salt

Cilantro Ranch Sauce

  • 1 cup greek yogurt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1 Tbsp chopped chives
  • 2 tsp dried parsley flakes
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Taco Meat (or veggies)

  • Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and saute the chopped onion until just soft. Add the ground beef, chicken, turkey, or veggies, and saute until cooked through. Add a few teaspons of the taco seasoning to a small bowl with some hot water and mix until no dry powder exists. Stir the seasoning into the beef or veggies, and taste to make sure you have enough spice. Add more as needed. This taco seasoning will keep well in a sealed jar for weeks.

Make the Taco's

  • Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. Use two sheet pans and cover both with olive oil in a thin coat on the pan. Lay the soft corn tortilla's open faced (6 on each 1/2 sheet pan) slightly overlapping. Add a touch more olive oil on this side of the tortilla's. They will be overlapping, but spread some of the grated cheese on each tortilla, then spoon a few tablespoons of the meat or veggies, a touch more cheese and then fold in half. If your taco's won't stay folded down, you can use a wire baking rack (for cooling cookies) to hold them into their folded position.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the outsides of the tortilla's are somewhat crisp. Set aside to eat at room temperature or fresh off the pan. Serve with the Cilantro Ranch Sauce.

Cilantro Ranch Sauce

  • Stir all ingredients together, and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, or more lime juice as needed. Keep cool for up to a week - we use this on everything, but mostly it's a great dip for taco's, and veggies!

Notes

This recipe is very versatile.  For a veggie taco base, I suggest doing black beans and chopped cut sweet potato (you can roast the sweet potato in the oven for 10-12 minutes at the 425 temp used for the taco's.  It's great with chicken and turkey too!
This is a Tieghan Girard recipe (not exactly) - both the taco and cilantro yogurt dip come from her incredible food blog, Half'Baked Harvest!
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Sweet

Summer Lemon Tart

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Creamy Lemon Tart with a Salted Pretzel and Graham Cracker Crust – light and refreshing at the same time!

Summer dessert perfection is here.  Simple ingredients come together to make a creamy cool tart that tastes like a lemon bar but so much better!  The best part is the salted pretzel graham cracker crust, which balances out the deliciously decadent filling.  This versatile recipe comes from the imitable Tieghan Girard of Half Baked Harvest (halfbakedharvest.com). My version is slightly bigger (my tarte pan is 10 in. vs. 8/9 in) and I increased a tiny amount of salt in the crust.  The flavors are perfect, and this is a gem of a recipe.  It will seem like you spent hours on it – trust me, you won’t.  All you need is time to chill before serving, so plan ahead and make this the morning of, or even the day before.

With minimal ingredients, you need to source the best for this one.  The saltiest pretzels, freshly squeezed lemon juice, cold cream, and fresh local summer berries to top it off.  Note that this recipe makes extra filling, which you could fill into juice glasses and eat like a pudding for breakfast!

One of my favorite friends celebrated her birthday this past weekend, and this was what I made for her – I think she liked it…

Summer Lemon Tart

Print Recipe
Light and creamy Lemon Tart with a salted pretzel graham cracker crust.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Lemon Tart, graham cracker crust, lemon pie
Servings 8

Equipment

  • Tarte Pan (mine is 10 inches, but you can scale back for 8 or 9 inch)

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 12 graham cracker sheets about 1.5 packages
  • 1.5 cups salted pretzel twists
  • 1 stick melted butter
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

For the filling

  • 4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • NOTE: My tarte pan is 10 inches, but many are smaller, so you can adjust the recipe and scale back a bit as needed.

To Make the Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 350, and set a rack in the middle of the oven.
  • Combine the graham crackers, pretzel twists, and salt, in a food processer and blend together until you have fine crumbs. Stir the honey into the melted butter, and slowly pour the mixture into the crumbs while running the food processer until you have a pasty consistency.
  • Dump the crumb mixture into the tarte pan, pressing to form a molded shell base for the lemon cream filling. Push the crumbs up the sides of the pan as well. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and fairly set. Set aside to cool.

To Make the Filling, and finish the Tart

  • In a large saucepan, combine the heavy cream, zest, and honey, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for at least 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla. Cool the mixture for at least 20 minutes out of the pot.
  • When ready to assemble, fill the tarte pan with the prepared lemon cream, until you reach the top. YOU WILL HAVE EXTRA! Don't overfill. When done, chill in the refrigerator for several hours, up to overnight. Serve with fresh berries on top.

Notes

This recipe is adapted slightly from Tieghan Girard's "No Fuss Lemon Tart" on Half Baked Harvest.  My version is a larger volume and has a touch more salt in the crust.  
This recipe could work well for muffin tins to make individual tarts too!
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Uncategorized

Summer Nicoise Salad

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Grilled Tuna and Shrimp with loads of roasted summer produce and herbs, tossed with a tangy vinaigrette and soft boiled eggs; a non-traditional spin on a French classic.

Nicoise Salad is a classic meal that is incredibly flexible to work with your own taste – it typically includes tuna, olives, green beans, potatoes, boiled eggs, etc… and an anchovy based vinaigrette.  My crew isn’t in love with that version, so I put my own spin on this.  You could make a vegetarian version as well – the vinaigrette is legit delicious and EVERYTHING can be made ahead.  Magical for entertaining – make it at 8 am and serve at 7 pm – it doesn’t matter!  It honestly tastes better after sitting.  

I chose a mix of shrimp and tuna, which originally I planned on grilling, but it was pouring rain.  I ended up buying the shrimp pre-cooked, and seared the tuna in a cast iron skillet.  I roasted the veggies in the oven, but normally would have grilled them all as well – both cooking methods are in the recipe so do whatever works best.  

Summer Nicoise Salad with Grilled Tuna and Shrimp

Print Recipe
Classic Nicoise updated with roasted summer vegetables, grilled tuna steak and shrimp.
Course dinner, Lunch
Cuisine French
Keyword nicoise, salad, grilled tuna, tuna, shrimp, vegetables, summer
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch asparagus woody ends trimmed
  • 1 cluster small vine tomatoes (5 or 6)
  • 3 ears corn
  • 1 lb fingerling potatoes, or other small roasting potatoes
  • 4 oz fresh arugula or watercress
  • 6 eggs
  • 1.25 lb tuna steak
  • 1 lb shrimp, raw or cooked I like 16-20 count or larger
  • 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, halved or quartered
  • 1 jar mixed olives
  • 1 bunch mixed herbs - chives, basil, thyme
  • 1 lemon

Vinaigrette

  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp finely chopppd shallot
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

  • This is a dish of many components that are all prepped in advance. It's worth the effort!

For the Vinaigrette

  • Combine the vinegars, shallots, dijon, along with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Shake in a mason jar with a lid, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Leave at room temp if using within a few hours, otherwise, keep in the fridge but give time to loosen up on the counter before serving - about 30 mins.

For the Tuna

  • Coat the tuna steak in a thin layer of olive oil, then season liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If cooking on a grill, bring to a medium high heat, and sear on each side about 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak. You will know to flip when the sides start to turn in color from red to a light grey. If using a skillet (I prefer cast iron for this due to its high heating consistency) preheat the pan to medium high and sear on both sides - same time as if grilling, about 3-4 minutes.
    You may need to tent the tuna with tinfoil while cooking to prevent smoke and help heat through evenly. I like tuna seared fairly rare - add time to the cooking as needed to reach your desired temperature.
  • When done cooking, set to the side and let cool to room temp, or if using later, keep in fridge until ready to serve. Don't slice until ready to serve. I like thick slices against the grain.

For the shrimp - if not cooked...

  • My favorite way to cook shrimp is to grill it quickly over relatively high heat, after coating with olive oil, salt and pepper. You need larger sized shrimp (16-20 count or bigger) to make sure they don't fall between the grates. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on them after cooking - they take literally 2-3 minutes total!

For the Hard Boiled Eggs

  • Bring a medium saucepan filled with water to a full boil, then add the eggs carefully, cooking for 8 minutes. Immediately add to an ice bath and fully cool before peeling. Leave them in the shell until ready to serve to keep fresh.

The Vegetables (Grill or Roast)

  • Trim the woody ends off the asparagus. Slice any large fingerling potatoes in half, leaving them about 1 inch in size each. Strip the corn cobs of their husks and trim the ends. Throw the potatoes and corn on a 1/2 sheet pan - coat everything with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place the asparagus on another sheet pan, or reserve for use after cooking the potatoes and corn, also coating with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  • If Roasting, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Keep the potatoes and corn on the sheet pan, roast, turning half way through, for about 22-25 mintues until cooked through and slightly carmelized. Remove from the pan, and roast the asparagus for about 5-7 minutes until tender but still somewhat crisp.
    If grilling, preheat the grill to a medium high heat. Prepare the vegetables as mentioned above and cook everything until tender crisp, as you would with roasting.
  • Set aside until ready to serve

Salad assembly and serving

  • Slice the tuna steak into strips. Cut the corn off the cob, and slice the tomatoes into bite size chunks, seasoning with salt and pepper. Toss the salad greens with some of the dressing in a medium sized bowl. Peel the eggs, and slice into halves.
  • On a large platter or cutting board, start to arrange all the ingredients in clusters, allowing people to choose what they want in sections. Group the potatoes, tomatoes, corn, tuna slices, shrimp, greens, drained artichoke and olives, as well as the hard boiled eggs. Chop the basil, chives and thyme, and coat the salad liberally with the dressing, topping with the herbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy at your leisure - this one sits well!

Notes

One issue with adding cool eggs to boiling water is the tendancy for cracks with the temp shift - I usually add some extra eggs to cover the mistakes.  
Honestly, grilling and roasting both lead to great results as long as you start with quality ingredients.  Both options make things easy to prepare in advance with incredible flavor - just make sure to not overcook the vegetables, especially the asparagus.  
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Appetizers/Snacks

Herb Marinated Goat Cheese

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Herby goat cheese packed with olive oil and red pepper flakes – perfect make ahead appetizer for all ages.

As simple as it gets, this classic combination of goat cheese with fresh herbs and olive oil is the ultimate make ahead appetizer to serve in the summer.  This recipe gets better as it sits, and can be served cold or at room temperature with veggies, crostini, crackers or pretzels.  Also makes a great topping for bagels in the morning.  A nod to Ina Garten, once again, for nailing it!

I use a lidded canning jar, but any bowl or jar will work and you can close it with plastic wrap if you don’t have a lid.  It gets better as it sits, but even an hour makes it great.  I like it more the next day!

Herb Marinated Goat Cheese

Print Recipe
Sliced goat cheese, marinated in olive oil, fresh herbs, and red pepper flakes.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword marinated goat cheese, appetizer
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 11-12 oz goat cheese
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp chopped or torn fresh basil
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • good bread or crackers for serving

Instructions

  • Slice the log(s) of goat cheese into 1 ounce disks. Stack the goat cheese in one layer on the bottom of a large jar (usually fits about 2 1/2 slices, drizzle with some olive oil, sprinkle some of the herbs, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Repeat the process until you have all the goat cheese stacked in about 3-4 layers total.
  • Seal the jar with a lid or plastic wrap. and leave on the counter for 1 hour, or up to 24 hours in the fridge. Enjoy cold or at room temperature, with whatever you want on the side - veggies, crackers, bread, or pretzels.

Notes

A weck canning jar works well for this recipe.  
This also makes a delicious substitute for cream cheese on a toasted everything bagel!
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Dinner, Lunch

Beer BBQ Chicken with Chive Ranch Dip

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June 1st calls for some BBQ!  A gem here with homemade sauce, a Chive Ranch dip, and everything can be made in advance with little effort on the back end.  Food like this serves us well all summer for outings at the beach, camping, etc.  It travels well, and despite being a little messy, it’s a crowd pleaser for kids and grandparents, and everyone in between.  Cornbread recipe will come later too!

The sauce recipe is from Half Baked Harvest, a goldmine of incredible recipes and food inspiration.  My friend Liz introduced me to this site, and I cannot thank her enough!  Anyway – it’s legit.  Beer in the sauce.  BBQ perfection.  

Beer BBQ Chicken with Chive Ranch Dip

Print Recipe
Homemade Beer spiked BBQ sauce, slathered on grilled chicken strips, served with a cool chive ranch dip on the side.
Course dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword barbecue, bbq, chicken, bbq chicken, ranch, grilled chicken
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs chicken breast, sliced into strips for grilling

Beer BBQ Sauce

  • 3/4 cup beer - whatever you like to drink
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 3/4 cup runny honey
  • 3 tsp dijon mustard
  • 3 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tsp chili powder
  • 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Chive Ranch Dip

  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
  • 1 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Make the BBQ Sauce

  • Combine all ingredients in a small to medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Continue simmer over low heat for at least 15 -20 minutes until slightly thickened. I usually do this a day in advance.

Make the Chive Ranch Dip

  • Stir all ingredients together and keep refridgerated until ready for use.

Grilled BBQ Chicken

  • Slice the chicken breasts into strips and rub with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Set aside
  • Slather a thin coat of the BBQ sauce on the chicken - you want to go light so it doesn't cause a flare up on the grill. I baste the back side of the chicken as I turn it, to boost the flavor without feeding the flames. You can use a grilling or pastry brush to do this. Add one final coat of the sauce when finished cooking - the chicken will absorb a lot of it and concentrate the flavor. Serve the chicken warm or make ahead to eat later - dip with extra BBQ sauce and the ranch on the side.

Notes

This recipe is adapted slightly from Half Baked Harvest - www.halfbakedharvest.com.  Tieghan Girard is a huge source of recipe inspiration for me, and I often find myself going back to her recipes time and time again!
Also - the Chive ranch is a big batch recipe because my family devours this - we use it with veggies, tacos, and even put it on sandwiches.  If you aren't as insanely addicted to ranch, you will likely be fine with a 1/2 portion of the recipe...
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Beverages

Aperol Spritz

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The Iconic Italian aperitif – summer in a glass!

This drink signals summer to me.  Despite the pouring rain and temps in the 40’s here for our Memorial Day weekend, I’m going for this cocktail in celebration of summer, coming, soon… Three ingredients, over ice, tastes like sunshine.  Here’s to making your own!

Aperol Spritz

Print Recipe
The iconic Italian aperitif; prosecco, aperol, and spash of club soda makes the perfect summer cocktail combination.
Course Drinks
Cuisine Italian
Keyword aperol, spritz, cocktail
Servings 2 cocktails

Ingredients

  • 4 oz Aperol
  • 6-8 oz prosecco
  • 2 oz club soda (I prefer pellegrino)
  • 1 orange, sliced for garnish

Instructions

  • Fill two glasses 2/3 full of ice cubes. Into each glass, start with the aperol (2 oz), top with prosecco (3-4 oz), and finish with a splash of pellegrino. Garnish with orange slices. I don't stir the cocktail, leaving the bubbles to do the work!
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Sweet

Dark Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

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These are just really good.  It’s that boring and simple.  I was originally going to crust the ice cream sides with toppings like heath bar and mini chocolate chips and sprinkles, but, it wasn’t necessary.  They are great as they are.  This is because the brownies that encase these magical bites are so flavorful and balanced that anything else would be too much.  Better to have something be simply good on its own, and not need embellishment.  All of this with due credit to Deb Perlman (Smittenkitchen.com) who perfected the brownie recipe – I have tested many and she wins, for two reasons; one, the batter is not too sweet and has a salty edge, and two, it doesn’t turn rock hard when frozen.

Dark Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Print Recipe
Homemade dark chocolate fudge brownies, baked thin and chewy, layered thick with ice cream between. Recipe from Smitten Kitchen.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword chocolate, dark chocolate, brownie, ice cream, ice cream sandwich
Servings 16 sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 3 oz Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup AP flour
  • 2-3 cups softened ice cream, for filling

Instructions

  • To make the brownie layers, line two greased 8x8 baking pans with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large glass bowl, combine the butter and chopped chocolate, and heat for 1 minute on high heat in the microwave. Stir the chocolate into the melted butter to dissolve any solid pieces, and reheat at 15 second intervals as needed to finish melting. Add the sugar while the chocolate butter mixture is hot to dissolve the granules.
  • When the mixture has cooled a bit, add the two eggs, vanilla, salt, and finally the flour. The mixture will be thick and rich, but don't overmix.
  • Divide the batter between the two pans evenly. Bake on a middle rack for exactly 12 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Cool the brownie layers in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
  • When the brownies have cooled, scoop the softened ice cream (I used oreo cookie, and Just Sprinkles) on top of what will be the bottom layer, to your desired thickness. Top with the other brownie layer, compacting gently with the empty brownie pan on top to make sure pressure is even. I continue to use the parchment paper beneath and on top to ensure things aren't sticking. Chill for 30 minutes.
  • Transfer the massive layered brownie sandwich to a cutting board, and cut into four slices each way, resulting in a total of 16 delicious nuggets! Top with melted hot fudge sauce (to come later), roll in sprinkles or mini chocolate chips - whatever you like. They are also insanely good as is...
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Dinner, Lunch

Nancy’s Chopped Salad

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The Iconic Nancy Silverton Chopped Salad; simple ingredients exceeding all expectations for salad, as a meal and the star of any table.

Nancy’s Chopped Salad stands alone in fame above all salads, in my opinion.  Lauded by superior food critics and chefs all around, this recipe has been a favorite for a full decade; accolades including The Washington Post, Food and Wine, Sweet Greens (that carried the salad on its menu coast to coast), and countless sites that credit this salad for breaking the mold.  Truth.  

More truth?  My kids didn’t love the original – despite several attempts, I had to adapt it to make it work for all of us.  The tomatoes – they go on at the end after a couple have eaten already.  The chickpeas – gone.  The lettuce – I split the difference by reducing the radicchio and upgrading the iceberg to romaine to make up for all of those other losses.  In the end, it’s a great salad that mimics the great vibe of Nancy’s “famous” chopped – I hope you love it!

Nancy's Chopped Salad

Print Recipe
Nancy Silverton's iconic chopped salad - tastes like an old school italian sub, but better. This salad is rejoiced from coast to coast, for good reason.
Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword nancy silverton, salad, italian sub, chopped salad

Ingredients

Oregano Dressing

  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1-2 Tbsp Oregano I use 1.5 Tbsp, the original recipe calls for 2
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Salad and Assembly

  • 1 head organic romaine lettuce, shredded into thin ribbons
  • 1/2 head radicchio, cored and thinly shredded
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced paper thin
  • 1/4 lb provolone cheese, thick cut from deli (1/2 inch)
  • 1/4 lb hard salami, thick cut from the deli (1/2 inch)
  • 1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini
  • dried oregano & kosher salt for garnish

Instructions

Oregano Dressing

  • Chop the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and smash into a rough paste with the back of a chef's knife to make ingredients blend into the liquid more smoothly. Put the paste into a jelly jar, and add the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil, and shake to combine. Let the ingredients marinate for at least 30 minutes on the counter at room temp.

Salad and Assembly

  • Finely chop the Romaine lettuce into fine ribbons, along with the radicchio and set aside.
  • Separate the red onion layers, and smash to flatten so you can chop into fine slices to match the other ingredients. Throw the red onion into a bowl and cover with cold water for at least 10 minutes; this will soften the bite of the onion.
  • Finely chop the provolone and salami into thin matchsticks. Toss all the lettuce, radicchio, provolone, salami, and drained red onion into a large salad bowl. Add the pepperoncini and dress to your liking. Note - you will have a good amount leftover dressing, which will keep for a week in the fridge.
  • Finish the salad with extra dried oregano, salt and ground pepper to taste.
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Dinner, Lunch

Southern Fried Chicken Thighs with Hot Honey and Siracha Mayo

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Shake Shack style fried boneless chicken thighs with two simple sauces to make it better than ever!

This recipe is all over the internet – it first came to my attention via Ina, of course, in Cook Like a Pro, where she credits the Shake Shack for their amazing Fried Chicken recipe. I tweaked this one a bit by increasing some spice, and chose chicken thighs over breast meat.  Some inspiration also came from Shubie’s in Marblehead, MA, where they always have delicious fried chicken thighs in the prepared food case.  Thanks Shubie’s!

The original recipe calls for splitting small chicken breasts in half, so the size of chicken thighs is perfect – no cutting required.  Per usual, I made a huge batch of this, because fried chicken is the best leftover food in the fridge.  My family prefers this made into sandwiches with a brioche bun, but I like it as is – with the hot honey drizzle and sriracha mayo to dip. 

The chicken needs to marinate in a buttermilk dressing for several hours, which later becomes part of the batter.  I added onion powder to the spice blend with the flour, and upped the level of spice all around.  

Southern Fried Chicken Thighs with Hot Honey and Siracha Mayo

Print Recipe
Tender, juicy, perfectly crisp chicken thighs with the tastiest sauce for a spicy kick!
Course dinner, Lunch, sandwich
Cuisine American
Keyword fried chicken, chicken thighs
Prep Time 6 hours
Servings 10 people

Ingredients

Chicken for Marinating

  • 3 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
  • 4 cups buttermilk
  • 1 jalepeno, split in half lengthwise
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp ground black pepper

Breading Mixture

  • 5 cups AP flour
  • 6 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1.5 Tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 1.5 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp cayenne powder
  • 2 tsp celery salt
  • 1 Tbsp onion powder
  • 2 quarts canola oil, for frying

Hot Honey

  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tsp siracha sauce
  • 2 tsp tabasco sauce
  • 1/2 tsp paprika

Siracha Mayo

  • 1/2 cup good quality mayo
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp siracha

Instructions

  • Trim the chicken thighs of any excess skin or fat, and place in a large dish for marinating (I use a 9 x 12 baking dish).
  • Stir together the buttermilk, split jalepeno, sliced shallot, smashed garlic, salt and pepper, and pour over the chicken and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but up to overnight.
  • When ready to cook, heat the canola oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat to a temperature of 350 degrees, using a cooking themometer that is accurate. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees, and ready a sheet pan with a wire rack set inside.
  • In a large shallow dish, combine all of the dry ingredients (flour through onion powder) for the batter, using a wire whisk to stir. Lift the chicken pieces out of the marinade, dredge through the flour mixture, then repeat with another dip into the buttermilk marinade, and the flour again - this double dip is what gives the flaky crust such an incredible texture. Carefully lower no more than three pieces of chicken into the hot oil at a time, cooking for five minutes total, flipping once through. When done, place on the sheet pan and sprinkle with kosher salt.. Keep warm in the oven while you finish the rest of the chicken and make the sauces (below).
  • To serve, enjoy the chicken warm, room temerature, or even cold, drizzled with the hot honey and dipped into the siracha mayo. This also clearly makes a fabulous sandwhich!

Hot Honey Sauce

  • Stir the honey, siracha, tabasco, and paprika together in a small jar.

Siracha Mayo

  • Combine the mayo, honey, siracha, and fresh lemon juice in a small bowl.

Notes

I find it's easier to double dip back into the buttermilk if I remove all of the chicken to another bowl before dredging, leaving the marinade for double dipping on its own.  
Also, because the chicken cooks so quickly, I try to use my timer on my iPhone so I can see when I hit the half way point for flipping, and make sure I don't over cook it!
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Dinner, Lunch

Feeding Teams!

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Finding our way back to team dinners and gatherings with friends – this recipe is foolproof (from Ina herself), economical, fits most dietary needs, and makes teenagers happy! Baked Potatoes with Chive Yogurt Sauce – classic and timeless. Welcome back to the spotlight!

Our kids enjoy playing sports, and it’s been a while since we have seen everyone gather together for a team dinner.  We knew exactly what to make when this crew joined us – classic baked potatoes for a crowd.  A Barefoot Contessa recipe that is on repeat in our home, served up with yogurt chive sauce, a big Caesar salad and homemade ice cream sandwiches (recipes coming soon!).  The best part is, if you have a large cooler, you have a warming oven to make this ahead!

The chive yogurt sauce is key here – a slightly healthier take on sour cream that brings a thick consistency with the tang of greek yogurt.  Plenty of salt and pepper and fresh chives round it out – this makes a great dip for cut veggies and pita chips as a snack or appetizer too.

I find this recipe is perfect for crowds with differing dietary needs – it’s vegetarian, gluten free, and if you expand your toppings you can satisfy meat eaters with chopped bacon,  sautéed ground beef, or even buffalo chicken and cheese.  It fills everyone up, and is a nice change from the typical pasta and pizza dinners we often use for crowds of athletes.  I think baked potatoes deserve to be back in the spotlight – 80’s style.

Note that the recipe below is meant to feed 20 hungry teenagers – you should scale back for a family dinner – or not?  They make great leftovers!

Baked Potatoes with Chive Yogurt Sauce

Print Recipe
Old school baked russets with a sour cream and yogurt topping, flecked with chives, salt and pepper - a classic that deserves to be back in the spotlight!
Course Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword baked potato, potato, sour cream, chives
Servings 20 people

Ingredients

  • 15 lbs Russet Potatoes
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 24 oz Sour Cream
  • 24 oz Plain greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 Tbsp cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees, placing two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the space.
  • Scrub the potatoes clean and allow to dry fully. Pierce each potato several times with a fork to prevent explosions, and help with even heating. Place the potatoes on two 1/2 sheet baking pans, allowing for a little space between the potatoes. Drizzle the olive oil between the two pans, rubbing to coat the poatatoes evenly all around. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt. This seems like a lot, and while it doesn't permeate the potatoes, it creates a flavorful crust on the skins.
  • Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the potatoes register 210 degrees. Let them rest, covered loosely with foil until ready to use. (See note about keeping warm for longer periods of time below!)
  • While the potatoes are cooking, combine the yogurt, sour cream, salt, pepper, and chives - chill until ready to eat.
  • Dollop each potato generously with the chive sauce - enjoy!

Notes

This is an incredibly easy recipe to multiply or scale back - the cooking times are all the same.  If you need to cook the potatoes well in advance, you can use a large cooler (hard pack not a soft cooler) to keep them warm.  This works for all kinds of foods - consider for Thanksgiving with side dishes!  Simply fill the lower third of the cooler with hot water for 15 minutes, empty the cooler and dry fully, then load the potatoes and close the lid.  Instant warming oven!  Will keep for an hour or two as needed.  
Recipe credit - This is a classic Barefoot Contessa Recipe - CGBC (Cooking Goddess, Barefoot Contessa).  It has become our go-to team dinners for the kids sports gatherings. Thanks INA!
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