Happy Monday! Today on the blog, I’m rounding up my sweet Grace’s greatest kitchen hits while she’s been home from school. Grace has taken our family on a culinary adventure around the world, from Asia to Mexico to the Middle East and everywhere in between. In case you’ve missed them, here are a few dinners that scored five stars from her harshest critics (her brothers!). Enjoy!
Each of these recipes serves 4. We often double the quantities for our crew. And, many of Grace’s recipes are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free or can be with a few simple substitutions.
Healthy Cashew Chicken
What You Need
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced into 1 inch cubes
- 2 cups roughly chopped broccoli
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup water chestnuts
- 3/4 cup cashews
For the Sauce:
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (tamari if gluten free)
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1.5 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
- 3/4 cup water
What To Do
- Make sure your chicken and veggies are chopped and ready to be cooked. Set aside.
- Prepare the sauce by whisking together all of the “sauce” ingredients in a small bowl. Set it aside.
- In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil.
- Cook your chicken breasts until almost all the way cooked, about 5 minutes, turning a few times.
- Once mostly cooked, take the chicken out of the pan and set aside.
- Add 1 more tablespoon oil to the pan and throw the bell pepper and broccoli in.
- After sautéing for 3-4 minutes, add in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 more minute.
- Stir in the sauce and let it thicken.
- Once it starts to thicken, stir back in the chicken, and add the cashews and water chestnuts.
- Cook for a few more minutes until thickened.
- Serve over rice or cauliflower rice. Sprinkle with more cashews and sesame seeds.
Crispy Jackfruit Taquitos
What You Need
For the Spice Blend:
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tap cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- a pinch of cinnamon
For the Taquitos:
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for rubbing
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 (14 oz) cans of jackfruit, drained
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- Juice from 1/2 lime
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
- 2–3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- 16-20 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
What to Do
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a small bowl assemble your spice blend: cumin, chili powder, cayenne, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.
- In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add in your onion and cook until the onions start to look translucent (about 5 minutes). Next add in your spice blend and cook for an additional minute.
- Add jackfruit, maple syrup, soy sauce, and lime juice and stir occasionally to break up the jackfruit. Once the jackfruit has darkened and starts to look like shredded meat (about 5 minutes), stir in the enchilada sauce, adobo peppers, and water. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds in the microwave, until pliable (see note). On a large baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil (only rub one side – the side that will be the “outside” of the taquito). Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the jackfruit down the middle of the tortilla. Sprinkle on cheese, then roll up and place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 10 minutes, or until the tortillas are crisp (see note).
- Serve taquitos with guacamole, salsa, or any other desired toppings.
A few notes:
- If you don’t like spicy food then omit the cayenne and either cut back on the adobo peppers or omit them completely.
- If the tortillas become more difficult to work with and start tearing as you’re assembling the taquitos, simply re-heat them to make them more pliable. I ended up heating and then assembling about three at a time.
- Baking time may vary depending on what brand of tortillas you use / how thick they are. Keep an eye on them and flip when they’re starting to look golden. Once flipped, continue cooking until they have reached the desired level of crispness.
- To make vegan, simply omit the cheese or switch it out for your favorite vegan cheese.
Super Easy Shakshuka
What You Need
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper or roasted red bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, reduce or omit if sensitive to spice
- 1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, plus addition cilantro or parsley leaves for garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 5 to 6 large eggs
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- Crusty bread or pita, for serving
What To Do
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Warm the oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (preferably stainless steel) over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the onion, bell pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender and turning translucent, about 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until nice and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes with their juices and add the cilantro. Stir, and let the mixture come to a simmer. Reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook for 5 minutes to give the flavors time to meld.
- Turn off the heat. Taste (careful, it’s hot), and add salt and pepper as necessary. Use the back of a spoon to make a well near the perimeter and crack the egg directly into it. Gently spoon a bit of the tomato mixture over the whites to help contain the egg. Repeat with the remaining 4 to 5 eggs, depending on how many you can fit. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the eggs.
- Carefully transfer the skillet to the oven (it’s heavy) and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, checking often once you reach 8 minutes. They’re done when the egg whites are an opaque white and the yolks have risen a bit but are still soft. They should still jiggle in the centers when you shimmy the pan. (Keep in mind that they’ll continue cooking after you pull the dish out of the oven.)
- Using oven mitts (both hands!), transfer the hot skillet to a heat-safe surface like the stove. Top with the crumbled feta, fresh cilantro leaves, and more red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve in bowls with crusty bread on the side.
Mexican Street Corn With Chili Chicken
What You Need
For the Chicken:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Vegetables:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups of frozen corn
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small red onion finely minced
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- Juice of 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 roma tomatoes seeded and finely diced
- ¼ cup crumbled cojita or feta cheese
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- Lime wedges
What To Do
- Preheat oven to 400. Season chicken with chili, cumin, lime zest, salt, and pepper.
- Add the olive oil to a 10” cast-iron skillet and heat to medium high. Brown both sides for about 5 minutes per side.
- Remove from the pan and add in another tablespoon of oil. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Then add the corn, garlic, lime zest, chili, cumin, cayenne, and a pitch each of salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes, then nestle the chicken breasts back into the corn.
- Transfer to the oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with diced tomatoes, cojita cheese, and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
Please let me know if you give any of these recipes a try. I know Grace has many more where these came from! Happy Monday!
xo,