Chilaquiles

Our Version

I first met chilaquiles at a taco truck at the Highline Park in New York City. It's a mix of chips, chicken, and cheese simmered in a salsa sauce. This version is a spicy, cheesy, one-pot meal. You will want sturdy chips so they don't lose their crunch in the cooking process.

From Rick Bayless

Ingredients:
~3 tbs. vegetable oil
~1 small white onion
~3 16oz. jars of salsa, preferably a tomatillo salsa
~1 32oz box chicken stock
~24 oz. sturdy tortilla chips
~2 cups shredded Chihuahua cheese or Monterey Jack
~2 to 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
~3/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream

The Highline Version

~1/2 cup freshly grated queso Anejo or Parmesan (I know that sounds weird, but you're looking for a slightly salty finish)
~cilantro for garnish

1. In a large (6-quart) Dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring regularly, until browned.
2. Add salsa and broth and bring to a boil. When it is at a rolling boil, turn off heat and stir in chips and shredded cheese. Make sure chips are submerged in liquid.
3. Add chicken to top, cover, and let stand for 3-4 minutes. Gently stir to combine. Serve in shallow bowls and top with crema, queso Anejo and cilantro.

Roasted Blueberry Tart

Creamy, a little tangy, and fresh with the basil on top. The roasted blueberries have an almost pie-filling-like consistency and are so delicious. It's an easy recipe - the hardest part is spreading the cheese mixture onto the pastry because it's so flaky. This would be great as a dessert or even as a brunch item.

From Lemons for Lulu

Ingredients:
~1 puff pastry (they usually come in boxes of 2, so you'll just need one - keep it in the freezer for next time!)
~4 oz. mascarpone cheese, softened
~2 oz. goat cheese, softened
~1 tsp vanilla
~4 tbs sugar
~1 and 1/2 cups blueberries
~1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped for topping

1. Preheat oven to 400. Roll out puff pastry onto floured surface and roll into 11x13 rectangle. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. (It will be VERY fluffy when it comes out of the oven but will deflate as it cools)
2. Raise oven temperature to 450. In a small bowl, combine blueberries, sugar, and vanilla and mix to coat berries. Spread them out on a baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes. It will create a bubbly sauce that surrounds the berries.
3. Combine cheeses in a bowl. Very carefully spread cheese onto puff pastry. I found that the easiest way to do this was to put small dollops of cheese all across the pastry and spread them out with a small spatula. If you dump it all in the middle it will be very hard to spread and the pastry will flake apart.
4. Top with roasted berries.
5. Sprinkle with fresh basil just before serving.

Asparagus, Leek, & Mint Linguine

If you've been waiting for the first taste of spring, try this! Fresh and light - it will make the perfect meal to accompany the warming days.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
~12 oz. linguine (any pasta will do - we had a garlic and parsley linguine in the cupboard that I had been waiting to use the perfect recipe with)
~1 lb. asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
~4 tbs. olive oil
~2/3 cup thinly sliced leek, white and light green parts only
~3 garlic cloves, minced
~3 tbs dry white wine
~2 tbs chopped fresh mint
~salt & pepper
~1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
2. Saute asparagus in 2 tbs oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or pot for 4 minutes (season asparagus with salt and pepper as soon as you add it to the pan). Remove from pan.
3. Add remaining 2 tbs oil and add leeks. Saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds.
4. Add wine and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
5. Add pasta, asparagus, mint, and cheese.
6. Serve in bowls and top with additional grated cheese.

Shrimp Marinara Soup with Feta

This was INCREDIBLY easy as well as delicious. A lot of flavor for such a quick meal. I recommend adding some roasted tomatoes and/or kalamata olives to this for some extra oomph.

From Cooking Light, with additions

Ingredients:
~2 tsp olive oil
~1/2 tsp dried oregano
~3 large garlic cloves, minced
~1/4 cup dry white wine (my go-to cooking white is a pinot grigio)
~2 and 1/2 cups chicken stock
~1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta
~2 cups marinara sauce (we used one with tomato and basil chunks)
~12 oz. large peeled shrimp, peeled and deveined (for an extra time-saver, use pre-cooked shrimp)
~2 tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
~1 oz feta cheese, crumbled
~1 pint grape tomatoes (optional but recommended)
~1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved (optional but recommended)

1. If roasting tomatoes, preheat oven to 400. Toss tomatoes in salt, pepper, and olive oil and spread out on baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes or until tomatoes start to shrivel.
2. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add oil and coat pan. Add oregano and garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add wine and cook 1 minute.
3. Add stock to pot and bring to a boil. Stir in orzo and cook for 6 minutes or until al dente.
4. Stir in marinara and shrimp, cook 4 minutes or until shrimp are pink.
5. Stir in tomatoes and olives.
6. Serve in bowls and top with parsley and feta.

Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Dates and Apples (with a side of crispy roasted fingerling potatoes)

The dates and apples caramelize to make this a very delicious chicken. Make sure to use fresh dates!

Created in our kitchen

Ingredients:
~3.5-4 lb fresh chicken
~1/4 lb fresh dates, pitted (To remove the pit, simply slice into the date with a paring knife. The pit resembles a small almond)
~1 apple, cored and cut into slices
~2 sprigs fresh rosemary (removed from stems and chopped) or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
~4 tbs butter, softened
~1/2 tsp salt
~1/2 tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425. Combine butter, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
2. Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry. Place in dutch oven or roasting pan.
3. Using your fingers, rub 1/2 of butter mixture under the skin around breast and thighs. Rub the rest of the mixture on the outside of the chicken - this will give you that lovely brown skin!
4. Place a few dates and a few apple slices inside the cavity of the chicken. Put the rest around the outside of the chicken in the pan.
5. Roast chicken in oven for about an hour and a half uncovered, or until internal temperature reaches 160.

To make potatoes, you will need two pounds of fingerling potatoes. Slice into rounds and put in a bowl with 2-3 tbs. olive oil (we used a garlic olive oil and it was delicious!) Toss potatoes to coat and arrange on baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast with the chicken for 35-40 minutes.

Orange-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops

I often think pork chops are hard to cook - a lot of times they end up dry and tasteless. This is a recipe that redeemed them for me - and it's easy and looks beautiful!

From Cooking Light

Ingredients:
~1/2 cup fresh orange juice
~2 tbs orange marmalade (we used a blood orange marmalade - yum!!)
~1 tbs whole grain mustard
~4 bone-in pork loin chops (about 1 inch thick)
~1 tbs canola oil
~1/4 tsp salt
~1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
~2 rosemary sprigs
~1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
~2 tbs fresh lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Combine juice, mustard, and marmalade in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes or until syrupy.
3. Heat a large oven-proof skillet (I used my cast-iron dutch oven) over medium-high heat and add oil. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper and add to pan. Cook for about 5 minutes or until browned.
4. Turn chops over and add rosemary and onion to pan. Pour juice mixture over chops and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Remove onion and rosemary and add lime juice. Return to medium-high heat on cooktop and cook for 4 minutes or until liquid is syrupy.
6. Plate chops and drizzle with sauce.

Lamb Burgers with Goat Cheese and Avocado

These are scrumptious! Try them out for a different take on a burger. The goat cheese and avocado make a creamy and tangy topping.

From Fork Knife and Swoon

Ingredients:
~1 lb ground lamb
~4 brioche or fancy buns
~4 tbs goat cheese
~1 tsp curry powder
~1 tsp smoked paprika
~1 tsp salt
~1/tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large bowl, mix together lamb and spices. Form into patties about 3/4 inch thick. Cook over medium high heat on a grill pan until cooked through - about 4 minutes per side. Remove and let rest for a few minutes.
2. Toast buns (I toasted ours on the grill pan after I removed the burgers and let the bread
soak up the juices in the pan). Top burgers with goat cheese while they rest and you toast buns.
3. Mash avocado and spread on bottom bun. Top with goat cheese burger and bun top.
4. You could add any additional toppings you want, but we at them as-is and thought they were delicious.