Lunch

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Pesto Caprese Grilled Cheese

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Pesto Caprese Grilled Cheese

The yummiest twist on the classic grilled cheese - Pesto Caprese Grilled Cheese! Caprese-anything is already delicious and really hard for me to resist, so I put that combo in between two slices of crisp, rustic bread? Perfect for Spring. I have a great toaster oven in my apartment and grilled cheese sandwiches have never been easier :) Hot, crisp edges and gooey cheese in minutes. Add a smear of pesto for an added kick - or make it your own and add sundried tomatoes, some spice, a drizzle of balsamic, or even an egg :) This is an easy one, let's get cookin!

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Poached Salmon with Sesame Ginger Quinoa

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Poached Salmon with Sesame Ginger Quinoa

This combo is so yummy! The tiny quinoa pops in your mouth, and the gentle flavors of sesame and ginger are perfect with the moist, flakey salmon. The sauce brings just enough salt and acid to the protein, and the quinoa soaks it all up. What I love about dishes like these is learning new techniques. Now you can poach other fish, or incorporate quinoa into your meals! :) 

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Shrimp and Grits

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Shrimp and Grits

There are a ton of nights where you simply don't want to leave the house for groceries. It's nice to have some staples on hand for lazy evenings. Frozen shrimp are so versatile and easy to cook with! Shrimp and grits sounds intimidating but is incredibly easy to throw together. You'll be surprised by how little effort it takes to gain so much flavor. You can, of course, use fresh shrimp. The only difference between the two is giving the frozen ones a little rinse in cold water to defrost them. When you're shopping for shrimp (I prefer tail-on, there's so much flavor in the shells!) it is sold by size and the sizes are expressed in counts per pound. For example, jumbo shrimp is expressed as 21/25, meaning that there would be an average of 23 shrimp per pound. Grits is a type of maize, or corn porridge. These two are a traditional pairing that is often eaten during breakfast :) We're adding a little cream and cheese to the grits to make them extra tasty. The creamy grits are a perfect canvas for the saucy shrimp, kielbasa, tomatoes, onions, and peppers! Let's get cookin :) 

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Crispy Prosciutto & Heirloom Tomato Avocado Toast

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Crispy Prosciutto & Heirloom Tomato Avocado Toast

So that got me thinking. Avocado Toast. Is it just a California thing? And if it is, I can't see why...because it's delicious. Simple food that is easily elevated with the addition of one or two more ingredients...like prosciutto. And vibrant heirloom tomatoes; each one with their own vibrant color, flavor, and texture. This recipe isn't hard-fast - more like a simple guide for a visually beautiful, flavorful open-faced sandwich/toast that can inspire you to build your own. Sometimes the best meals come from throwing whatever you have in the fridge together.

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Sambal Minced Beef with Fried Egg and Bok Choy

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Sambal Minced Beef with Fried Egg and Bok Choy

This month's #MISSDISH recipe is the perfect dish for the start of Fall. Savory, comforting, and bursting with flavor. Ground beef becomes the most satisfying dish when it's cooked in an amazing combination of Sambal, soy, a little sugar, and fish sauce. Fish sauce adds tons of umami to this dish. The minced beef is amazing with an egg on top. I personally love a sunny-side-up egg, which is cooked on one side until the white is set, but the yolk is still runny. Mixing the runny yolk with the minced beef is BOMB. Let's get cookin :)

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Grilled Cheese Tacos

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Grilled Cheese Tacos

There's nothing like a classic grilled cheese. And I think we can all agree that we've been waiting on a taco emoji since forever. So what happens when you combine the two? Pure heaven. This week's recipe for Grilled Cheese Tacos is an incredibly easy way to appease your biggest junk food craving in minutes. Toss together some fresh pico de gallo and slice up some creamy avocado to top it all off. These tacos are perfectly warm and gooey, salty and savory; and the pico adds a nice fresh punch. Let's get cookin :) 

Chilled Ginger Sesame Soba Noodles with Grilled Tofu

Chilled Ginger Sesame Soba Noodles with Grilled Tofu

Indian Summer is here and the weather is gorgeous out here in San Francisco. I have been craving a big bowl of cool soba noodles with tons of junk inside! The junk is often the best part of any dish. My favorite thing about this one is how bright and colorful it is. I'll show you how to whip up an absolutely delicious sesame dressing that is savory, with a kick from freshly grated ginger and lemon zest. All the veggies can be substituted with your family's favorites, but edamame, carrots, Shiitakes, and Persian cucumbers are full of nutrients and keep this dish nice and light. I love adding thin strips of fishcake and slivers of green onion to finish it all off. Let's get cookin :) 

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Quinoa Crusted Chicken Nuggets

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Quinoa Crusted Chicken Nuggets

One of my favorite "junk food" indulgences has always been chicken nuggets. The options out there aren't that healthy; most of them are deep-fried, and heavily breaded. Sometimes we don't even know if the nuggets are made of actual chicken! Chicken nuggets are easy to make at home, and with this recipe, I'll show you how you can replace extra breading with yummy quinoa!

Quinoa is actually a seed that is very high in protein, fiber, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, and more. It's also gluten free. Quinoa has a sweet, nutty flavor and is delicate in texture. In recent times, it's been known as a substitute, but quinoa is so versatile, it can easily be a main! 

Making Quinoa Crusted Chicken Nuggets is as easy as a 3 step breading process and throwing them in the oven! They're baked, not fried. I love putting a twist on classic junk food by simplifying the ingredients and making them more straightforward. It's important to know what you're putting in your body. These nuggets get a little superfood boost from quinoa, while tasting just as good as your favorite fast food joint. Let's get cookin :) 

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Perfect Fried Chicken

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Perfect Fried Chicken

Crispy, seasoned skin, and tender, flavorful meat. One of my favorite indulgences is simple fried chicken. However, I find that sometimes fried chicken has really yummy skin, but is dry and flavorless inside. So I set out to come up with the perfect recipe for flawless homemade fried chicken with the following criteria in mind: easy, not too time-consuming, and yielding a great golden crust with well seasoned meat. I’ve been experimenting with different recipes and techniques and have come up with a recipe that I’m really happy with. The steps are simple and there’s little hands-on time in the kitchen. I learned the secret of using Old Bay Seasoning from Melissa Gilbert of what else but Little House On The Prairie, and incorporated a really important step - brining the chicken overnight. 
The other night I used the same recipe on lil nuggets of chicken and tossed them in Chinese white pepper right out of the frying oil. Fantastic. I love a good base recipe that makes it easy to doctor up and experiment with. Read on to find out how to make the best fried chicken you’ll ever make. 

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Classic Pesto Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken

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Classic Pesto Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken

I love experimenting with fun, seasonal ingredients, but sometimes learning to make a classic is just as great. Pesto can be made with tons of different ingredients; it’s a game of mix and match. A great pesto only requires a few fresh ingredients. The most important part is using fresh basil (or your favorite herbs) and good quality extra virgin olive oil. 

This recipe is simple and delicious. Pesto is incredibly versatile - once you have a fresh batch, you can use it on way more than pasta! Make homemade pizza, eat it with eggs, spread it on bread or a sandwich, or use it as a salad dressing. This recipe is for a classic basil pesto. A quick pulse in a food processor and you have a fresh, garlicky sauce that is way better than a jar from the store. Let’s get cookin :)