Ingredients

• 1 cup roasted, unsalted pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup white sesame seeds
• 1 pound tomatillos (about 9 medium), husked and washed
• 3 medium green bell peppers, halved and destemmed
• 1 sweet onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 jalapeño, split lengthwise
• 6½ cups chicken broth
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt
• 3 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 1 large bunch cilantro (leaves and tender stems), roughly chopped
• 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into ⅓-inch cubes
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced into ⅓-inch cubes
• Cooked white rice, for serving

Preparation

Toast the pumpkin and sesame seeds in a medium pan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the sesame seeds start to turn light golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a blender and pulse until sandy, scraping the sides and stirring as needed. Set aside ground seed mixture.

Set the broiler to high. In a large sheet pan, arrange the whole tomatillos, halved peppers, quartered onion and halved jalapeño, cut sides down, in an even layer. Broil until the skin of the vegetables is soft and blistered, rotating the pan as needed, 6 to 8 minutes.

To a large pot, add the chicken broth, chicken thighs and the blistered jalapeño, bell peppers, onion and tomatillos; bring the mixture to a boil over high. Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer it, stirring occasionally, for 35 minutes.

While the soup cooks, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add the minced garlic and 2 teaspoons salt and fry just until golden, swirling the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside in a medium bowl. Add the scallions and cilantro to the broth. Purée the broth in a blender, or directly in the pot using an immersion blender.

Add the garlic mixture to the large pot with the soup, along with the potatoes, carrots and the ground seed mixture. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are fork-tender and the soup thickens.

Using two forks, pull the chicken into small chunks or bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken back into the soup to warm it, and add more salt to taste.

To serve, scoop cooked rice into a small cup and invert it into a bowl; surround with soup. The soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

NYT

Ingredients

for the sauce:

• 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons cognac

for the dish:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces lobster meat, diced
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
• White pepper
• 4 prepared vol au vent shells
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Preparation

1. For the Orange Cognac Sauce: In a medium saucepan over high heat combine the orange juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat until nearly evaporated. Add the stock, heavy cream, and cognac. Boil for minute, remove from the heat, and set aside.

2. For the Lobster Vol au Vent: Preheat a saucepan over high heat until very hot. Add the olive oil, then the lobster meat, mushrooms, shallots, tarragon, and white pepper, to taste, while stirring to combine ingredients. Add 1/2 cup of the Orange Cognac Sauce and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce to a simmer.

3. Spoon reduced mixture into prepared shells, drizzle with remaining orange cognac sauce, and garnish with parsley leaves.

Food Network

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• One large (2 1/2- to 3-pound) head cauliflower
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preparation

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, thyme, sage, garlic powder, salt and pepper to combine. Trim all the leaves from the base of the cauliflower. Trim the thick part of the stalk as much as needed so the cauliflower can sit flat.

2. Place the cauliflower bottom side up in a medium cast-iron skillet, Dutch oven or other similarly sized dish. Brush the bottom with some of the olive oil mixture. Flip the cauliflower right side up and brush with the remaining olive oil mixture until the cauliflower is evenly coated.

3. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or a lid and roast for 30 minutes. Uncover, baste with the oil from the pan, and continue roasting for 1 hour more, basting every 20 to 30 minutes, if desired, until a knife can be inserted into the cauliflower with little to no resistance and the cauliflower is nicely browned. Transfer to a platter for serving.

4. Place a medium, preferably stainless steel (so you can easily see the color of the butter) skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and cook, stirring and swirling the skillet regularly, until the butter turns a light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add the almonds, reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook, stirring and swirling the skillet regularly, until the almonds are toasted and the butter is nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes more. Pour the almond brown butter over the cauliflower, then carve it into thick wedges or slices, and serve warm.

WaPo

Ingredients

• 6 roma tomatoes
• 2 habañero chiles (optional)
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 500 g meat (beef, chicken, or lamb)
• 4 large onions, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1.5 l of water or appropriate stock
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 800 g long grain rice
• 2 carrots, steamed, chopped in large pieces

Preparation

Put tomatoes and chiles (if using) into the blender and blend until smooth.

Brown your meat, which should be already cooked (best seems to be leftover stew meat) in the oil, and set aside.

Add onions to the oil, and fry until soft, then add garlic and fry briefly. Add the tomato mixture, the stock, the tomato paste, and 1 tsp. each of salt and pepper. The seasoning should be strong, since the rice will cook in this. Continue simmering the liquid for around 10 minutes on medium heat. If it’s still under-seasoned, you can add some more of a stock cube.

Rinse the rice and add it to the pot, stir, cover, and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. It shouldn’t be entirely dried out yet. Add the meat and carrots and mix well. Add 1 c. more of water, and continue to cook on low heat until the rice is cooked.

My African Food Map, adapted

Ingredients

• two boxes (or equivalent) of macaroni and cheese mix
• pint box of mushrooms, sliced
• ground beef
• onions, chopped
• grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 c. sour cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F.

Make the macaroni and cheese according to the package directions.

Sautée the sliced mushrooms, onion, and hamburger together until fully cooked. Stir into the macaroni and cheese, along with some cheddar cheese and the sour cream.

Put into a 13"x9" baking dish, and bake for around 30 minutes or so, until warm through. Add extra grated cheddar on top, and bake until melted.

Ingredients

• one whole chicken
• 2 c. rice
• 3/8 c. (0.9 oz) dried dill
• 8 oz. container sour cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F.

Boil the chicken in salted water, to which you’ve added around 1/4 c. of dried dill. When done, remove the chicken, bone it, shred the meat, and reserve.

Cook the rice in 3 c. of the broth that remains, remembering to stir in all of the dill and chicken bits that sank to the bottom. (Reserve the remaining broth.) Put the rice in a buttered 13"x9" casserole dish. Add the chicken in a single layer.

Take the sour cream and thin it with a bit of the broth. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. of dried dill. Cover the chicken with the sour cream mixture

Bake until the top layer starts to get a few golden-brown spots.

Ingredients

• 5 cuisses de poulet
• 200 gr de haricots verts (surgelés)
• 3 carottes
• 1 poivron rouge
• 1 poivron vert
• 3 piments doux verts
• 2 oignons
• 10 gousses d’ail
• 2 boites de pulpes de tomates (400gr chacune)
• 2 feuilles de laurier
• 1 c. à café bombé de gingembre
• 1 c. à café de piment de cayenne
• 2 bouillons cubes de volaille
• Huile
• Sel et poivre

Pour les plantains:

• 2 bananes plantain
• Huile pour friture

Preparation

Couper les cuisses de poulet en deux. Eplucher et couper en rondelles les carottes. Laver les poivrons et les piments, les épépiner et couper en gros morceaux les 2 poivrons. Les piments, les laisser entier ou coupé en deux.

Eplucher l’ail et l’oignon. Emincer les oignons. Ecraser sous la paume de la main 5 gousses d’ail et couper les autres en deux, les presser à l’aide d’un appareil pour en faire de la pulpe.

Dans une grande marmite mettre un peu d’huile et faire revenir les morceaux de poulet.

Quand ils sont bien dorés sur les deux faces, les retirer de la marmite et les réserver.

Mettre dans la marmite les oignons et les gousses d’ail entières. Faire revenir à feu doux.

Bien mélanger et mettre les boites de pulpes de tomates. Mélanger et laisser mijoter 5 mn.

Ajouter les légumes (haricots verts, carottes, piments et poivrons) et l’ail pressé. Saupoudrer le tout avec le gingembre, le piment de cayenne. Emietter les bouillons cube et bien mélanger. Mettre les feuilles de laurier, saler et poivrer.

Ajouter enfin le poulet et 30 cl d’eau chaude. Bien mélanger, couvrir et laisser mijoter pendant 30 mn en remuant de temps en temps.

Si la sauce est trop épaisse, rajouter un peu d’eau.

Pour les plantains: (ou allez les acheter au marché)

Pendant ce temps, éplucher les bananes plantain et les couper en rondelles.

Faire chauffer un bain de friture et mettre les bananes à frire. Les retirer quand elles sont dorées.

A 5 mn de la fin de la cuisson du poulet, les glisser dans la marmite, mélanger.

Servir bien chaud accompagné de riz nature.

Voozenoo

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (½ stick)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup of chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups seafood or chicken stock/broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 pound of crawfish tails
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion, plus extra for garnish
• rice for serving

Preparation

Chop the trinity (onion, green bell pepper and celery); parsley and green onions; then mince garlic and set aside.

Make a roux by melting butter in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the flour; cook and stir constantly (this is important otherwise your flour might burn) for about 4 minutes or until caramel colored.

Add the onion, bell pepper and celery; cook another 3-4 minutes or until tender, add the garlic and cook another minute.

Slowly stir in the stock or broth until fully incorporated. Add salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning.

Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to a medium low simmer, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the crawfish tails, cook and stir until crawfish is heated through; stir in the parsley and green onion, reserving a bit for garnish.

Louisiana Travel

Ingredients

• 100 g pasta (like tagliatelle), fresh or dried
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 50 g spinach
• 75 g cream cheese
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• 75 g smoked salmon, sliced
• small handful fresh basil, finely chopped

Preparation

Cook the pasta as per directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the garlic until softened. Add the spinach and continue to cook until just wilted. Add the cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, and black pepper.

Drain the pasta, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking water. Add the salmon, basil, pasta, and reserved pasta water to the sauce. Toss and season.

BBC Good Food

Ingredients

• 3-4 lb. beef roast, cut into large pieces
• 2 c. (or more) barbecue sauce
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 c. beef broth

Preparation

Season the roast pieces with salt and pepper. Put into the instant pot with the onions. Add the broth and 1/2 c. of barbecue sauce.

Seal Instant Pot and cook for 60 minutes on high pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release manually.

Remove meat to a cutting board and shred. Strain the liquid, preserving the onions, and return them to the pot with the beef and the remaining barbecue sauce.

The Typical Mom