Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
• 1 large white onion, peeled and diced
• 1 chayote, skin and core removed, then sliced into matchsticks
• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 5-6 cups cooked pork carnitas
• 1-3 roasted serrano peppers (add to taste, instructions below)
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups potato-masa dumplings (below)
• 2 avocados, diced
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 6-8 cups fresh baby arugula
• lime wedges for garnish

for dumplings:

• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup masa harina
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Preparation (Dumplings)

Combine last 4 ingredients in a bowl and stir together until blended. Use your hands to knead the mixture a few times until smooth. Then pinch off about 1/4 cup of the mixture and roll it into a long tube about 1/2-inch wide in diameter. Use a knife to slice the tube into small coins, about 1/8-inch wide. Repeat with remaining dough to make dumplings. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preparation (Soup)

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add the white onion and chayote, and saute for 5 minutes until cooked and the onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, carnitas, and serrano peppers (add one at a time to test out the level of heat) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Season generously with salt and pepper. Then ladle the soup into serving bowls, filling them about half full. Then add in a small handful of potato dumplings, avocados and fresh cilantro to each bowl. Then top each with a large handful of baby arugula. Serve with lime wedges for garnish.

Recipe from Gimme Some Oven, after XOCO

Ingredients

• 4 artichokes
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped

Preparation

Wash your artichokes and cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, carve out the hairy “choke” in the center along with the tiny, pointy leaves. Place them in lemon water as you go to prevent oxidation. Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour (depending on size of artichoke, large ones could be longer) at 375 degrees (F) or until the heart is fork tender.

Meanwhile, gently melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the lemon juice and cook for one minute. Remove from the heat and add the chopped tarragon. To serve, ladle a few teaspoons of the lemon butter over each artichoke. Use the center “cup” of the artichoke for dipping.

I Breathe… I’m Hungry…

Ingredients

• 4 pounds bone-in pork shoulder roast, cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch slabs
• Salt

Preparation

1. Moist cooking. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut each slab of pork in half and lay the pieces in a baking dish (they should fit into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish without being crowded). Liberally sprinkle with salt (about 1 teaspoon) on all sides. Pour 1/3 cup water around the meat, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 1 hour.

2. Dry cooking. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Uncover the meat and cook until the liquid has completely reduced and only the rendered fat remains, about 30 minutes. Now, roast, carefully turning the meat every 7 or 8 minutes, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes longer. Break the meat into large pieces and serve on a warm platter, sprinkled with salt.

Rick Bayless

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, more as needed
• 1/2 pound shell-on, large or extra-large shrimp
• 210 grams all-purpose flour (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 small garlic cloves (or 1 fat clove), minced
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons good, preferably homemade mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce, or more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon Korean chile powder, smoked hot paprika or a pinch cayenne
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Olive oil, for frying

Preparation

Fill a bowl with ice water. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring 4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a simmer. Drop in shrimp and poach gently until opaque, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer shrimp to ice water to stop the cooking; reserve 2 1/2 cups poaching liquid.

Peel shrimp and finely chop tails; discard rest of shells. Coarsely chop shrimp and season lightly with salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of the poaching liquid. Whisk in the onion and half the garlic, along with the parsley, shrimp and chopped shrimp tails. Add more poaching liquid as needed; you want the consistency of a very thin pancake batter.

In a small bowl, combine remaining garlic, the mayonnaise, the sriracha, the smoked paprika and the lemon juice. Set aside.

In a medium, nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm 1/2 inch oil until a drop of water flicked into the pan sizzles (about 300 degrees). Ladle in 1/4 cup of the batter. Using a spatula, quickly spread the batter out in the pan so that it is very thin, making small holes in the pancake to help it cook evenly. You want to err on the side of too thin rather than too thick. The final pancake should have a crisp, lacy appearance and be riddled with holes. Shake pan slightly toward you, creating waves of oil over the top of the pancake. Cook until underside is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Gently flip and cook other side until golden, about 2 minutes more. Adjust heat as needed to maintain an even temperature for uniform browning. [From Mom: This frying step will take at least an hour; be prepared.]

Transfer pancake to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with coarse kosher salt immediately after frying. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with the spicy mayonnaise.

Makes 8 fritters.

Melissa Clark, The New York Times

Ingredients

• 2 oz. gin
• 1/2 tbsp. simple syrup
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• champagne

Preparation

Mix the first three ingredients (or shake with ice), pour into champagne flute. Top with champagne.

Esquire

Ingredients

• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 1-inch thick-cut bone-in pork chops (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• Lime halves (for serving)

Preparation

Whisk shallot, brown sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a shallow dish. Using a fork, pierce pork chops all over (to allow marinade to penetrate faster) and add to marinade in dish. Turn to coat. Cover and let pork chops marinate at room temperature, turning occasionally, 20 minutes (or in refrigerator overnight).

Remove pork chops from marinade, scraping off excess (reserve marinade for sauce). Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly season pork chops with salt. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Let pork chops rest 10 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 4 minutes.

Serve pork chops with reduced marinade and lime halves.

Bon Appetit, June, 2013

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup white-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled
• 1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 pound medium pasta shells
• 1/2 pound shelled fresh or frozen peas (about 1 1/2 cups), boiled until tender and drained
• 2 pints red or yellow pear tomatoes or cherry tomatoes or a combination, halved
• 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves

Preparation

In a large bowl whisk together the vinegar, the water, the salt, the sugar, the tarragon, the garlic paste, and pepper to taste, add the oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the dressing until it is emulsified. In a kettle of salted boiling water cook the pasta until it is tender, in a colander rinse it well, and drain it. In the bowl toss the pasta with the dressing, add the peas, the tomatoes, and the basil, and toss the salad well.

Gourmet, June 1993

Ingredients

• 6 medium potatoes
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1 large yellow onions or 2 medium
• Olive Oil
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3-4 threads Spanish saffron
• 2 Tbsp. flour for sauce
• 2/3 cup flour (approximately) to coat potatoes
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Finely chop the onions and garlic. Pour olive oil to cover entire bottom of a large frying pan. Place pan on medium heat. When oil is hot, add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent and soft. Add about 2 Tbsp. flour and stir.

Add chicken broth and simmer for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes of simmering, remove broth from heat and set pan with sauce aside for later. While broth simmers, peel and cut potatoes. Slice potatoes – 1/3 to 1/2-inch thick.

Spread flour onto a large dinner plate. Dredge the potatoes slices in the flour and coat both sides thoroughly. Remove the potatoes when coated and set aside.

Pour olive oil approximately 1 inch deep in a large frying pan. Place pan on medium to medium-high heat.

Beat 2 eggs in a small mixing bowl. Dip each piece of potato into the egg to coat and remove quickly, allowing excess egg to run back into the bowl. Then, place in the hot oil. Carefully monitor the heat so that the oil does not burn.

As the potatoes cook and turn a golden color on one side, turn them over and brown the other side. Remove the pieces as they brown and allow to drain on a paper towel.

When most potatoes are fried, place them in a single layer in the frying pan with the onion-garlic sauce. Place pan back on stove. Cover and gently simmer on low until potatoes are cooked. Potatoes should be soft, but not mushy. If the broth evaporates and potatoes are not completely covered, add more broth or water. Salt to taste.

Serves 4

Lisa and Tony Sierra, About.com

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. unsalted butter
• 1/3 c. lightly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1 c. rolled oats
• 1/4 c. sliced almonds
• 4 c. fresh strawberries
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. ground almonds
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 375ºF.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the flour and incorporate well. Then throw in your oats and your almonds, scrunch with your hands until evenly distributed.

In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and ground almonds. Toss this in a medium bowl with the strawberries and vanilla.

Dump the fruit mixture into an eight or nine inch baking dish, then evenly distribute the topping over it. Pop it in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until you can see juice bubbling up around the sides. It’s pretty juicy and it isn’t very sweet, so it would be lovely with some vanilla ice cream.

[Note: This is our pick for best base cobbler/crisp recipe. You can also easily swap around the fruits/nuts for others.]

unhip squirrel

Ingredients

• 3 vidalia onions, thinly sliced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 c. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• pinch paprika
• 1 tbsp. hot sauce
• 9" pie shell, baked
• 1/4 c. grated Parmsean for topping

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a medium skillet, cook onions in butter for about 10 minutes, or until clear and soft; stir often. Reserve juices.

In a large bowl, mix onions with eggs and sour cream. Stir in onion juices, butter and cheese. Add salt and pepper and hot sauce to taste. Make sure all ingredients are well blended and then pour into the pie shell.

Sprinkle grated cheese and paprika on top of pie. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Let cool for a few minutes to settle before slicing.

Serves 8, one 9" pie

Allrecipes.com