chicken-patty pita pockets... 25 minutes

it's just fun to say!


the goods:

1 pound ground dark-meat chicken
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces plain yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
pita pockets, for serving
lettuce, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, for serving



Heat broiler, with rack in highest position. In a large bowl, combine chicken, egg whites, breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, and spices and mix until well blended. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Shape chicken into 8 small patties and place on baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over patties.



Broil until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes more.



Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together yogurt, mint, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.



Fill each pita with lettuce, patties, cucumber and tomato.



Drizzle with yogurt sauce.

mahi mahi with mango relish... 25 minutes

the goods:

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced medium
1 small cucumber (or half of a large one), peeled, and diced medium
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
juice from 1 lime
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 mahi mahi fillets, skin off
1 tablespoon vegetable oil



In a medium bowl, toss together mango, cucumber, basil, lime juice, and olive oil. Season relish with salt and pepper.



Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pa over medium-high. Using a paper towel, blot fish dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper.



When pan is hot, add vegetable oil, then gently add fish, working in batches if necessary.



Cook fish, undisturbed, until fillets release easily from pan, about 6 minutes, Flip and cook until opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve fish with relish.

sticky pork ribs... 2 hours

the goods:

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-inch piece fresh ginger, smashed and peeled
1 serrano or jalapeno chile, halved lengthwise
2 pounds pork spare ribs, separated

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, whisk together brown sugar, fish sauce, lemon juice, and soy sauce until sugar dissolves, 2 minutes. Add ginger, chile, and pork ribs; toss to coat. Arrange ribs in a single layer.



(Helpful tip: wipe down inside walls of baking dish prior to baking to save some hard scrubbing later.)

Cover with foil and bake ribs 1 hour.



Remove foil, increase heat to 450 degrees and bake until sauce is reduced and ribs are glazed, 40 to 45 minutes more, turning ribs occasionally.

new orleans-style shrimp... 30 minutes

the goods:

1 and 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large celery stalk, diced small
1 small bunch scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 large lemon, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 and 1/2 pounds shell-on extra-large shrimp, deveined



In a medium saucepan, bring 2 and 1/4 cups salted water to a boil. Add rice, stir, and return to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.



Meanwhile, in a large heavy pot, melt butter over medium-high. Add celery, scallion whites, and garlic and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add Creole seasoning and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.



Add Worcestershire, lemon, and shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and coated with sauce, about 4 minutes.



Add scallion greens and cook 1 minute more.



Serve shrimp over rice.

sticky chicken wings... 1 hour and 45 minutes

the goods:

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-inch piece fresh ginger, smashed and peeled
1 serrano or jalapeno chile, halved lengthwise
2 pounds chicken wings, cut in half at joint (wing tips removed)



Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, whisk together brown sugar, fish sauce, lemon juice, and soy sauce until sugar dissolves, 2 minutes. Add ginger, chile, and chicken wings; toss to coat. Arrange wings in a single layer.



(Helpful tip: wipe down inside walls of baking dish prior to baking to save some hard scrubbing later.)



Bake wings 1 hour.



Increase heat to 450 degrees and bake until sauce is reduced and wings are glazed, 30 to 35 minutes more, turning wings occasionally.

drunken chicken... 20 minutes, plus marinating

the goods:

4 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Combine 2 tablespoons utter, wine, garlic, and thyme in a gallon freezer bag. Seal and mix to combine. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper. Seal and mix to coat chicken. Refrigerate overnight.



Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Gently shake chicken to remove excess liquid and season with salt. In two batches, heat 1 and 1/2 teaspoons butter and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high; add half the chicken to pan and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve with desired sides.

beef bourguignon... 3 hours and 30 minutes

the goods:

3 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounce button mushrooms (trimmed), halved or quartered if large
3 pounds boneless beef rump roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups dry red wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
10 ounces frozen pearl onions
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.



Season beef generously with salt and pepper and add 1 tablespoon oil to pot. In batches (careful to not overcrowd the pan or the beef will steam instead of brown), brown beef, 2 to 3 minutes per batch (adding more oil as needed); transfer to a plate.



Add bacon and cook over medium until brown, 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.



Return beef to pot; add wine, broth, bay leaf, and garlic. Bring to a boil. cover, and transfer pot to oven; cook 1 and 1/2 hours.



Add carrots and onions and cook until meat is very tender, 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours more, adding mushrooms 15 minutes before end of cooking.



Stir in butter.



Serve topped with parsley.

breaded pork chops with roasted carrots... 35 minutes

the goods:

4 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons packed finely chopped fresh sage
8 bone-in pork chops
2 cups plain dried breadcrumbs
1 bag baby carrots
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil



In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, mustard, and sage and let stand 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, pound each pork chop (avoiding bone) between two pieces plastic wrap to a 1/4 inch thickness.



Heat broiler. On a rimmed baking sheet toss baby carrots with oil and season with salt and pepper. Move carrots to one side of the pan (making sure oil has coated the pan).



Spread breadcrumbs on a plate and season with salt and pepper. In batches, season pork chops with salt and pepper and coat in egg mixture. Gently shake to remove excess, then dredge in breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere.



Place pork chops on baking sheet next to carrots. Broil until both sides are deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.


(You can freeze extra un-cooked, already breaded pork chops by layering them between sheets of wax paper and placing in a freezer bag. Cook straight from frozen by brushing on both sides with melted butter and broiling as instructed.)

orecchiette with bacon and tomato sauce... 30 minutes

the goods:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
1 pound orecchiette or other short pasta
grated Parmesan, for serving
chopped fresh parsley, for serving



In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add bacon and cook until browned and almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Ad onion and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes and stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Add tomatoes, breaking them up as you go (I use kitchen shears and cut them), season with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, 15 minutes.



Meanwhile, in a large pot of slated water, cook pasta 1 minute less than package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.



Add sauce and pasta water to pasta and toss to combine; cook oer medium-high until sauce thickens and coats pasta, about 2 minutes.



Serve pasta topped with Parmesan and parsley.