Honey Yogurt Squash Puree

On its own, this butternut squash puree is pretty awesome! But combining it with something spicy sent it into another orbit! The something spicy I used this time around were sauteed onions with picante smoked paprika…served them with a couple of lamb chops squeezed in the middle.

But let’s talk about the puree. Peel, deseed, and cut a butternut squash into one-inch chunks, toss with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400 until very tender. You could boil it, but roasting really brings out the flavor of the squash.

Once it’s cool enough, mash or throw it into the food processor with a couple of tablespoons of honey. The amount of yogurt depends on how thick both your puree and yogurt are, but I would say you should add at least a few tablespoons. Once you’ve got your desired consistency, salt and pepper to taste and reheat in a Teflon pan when you’re ready to serve.

Salsa Verde Smothered Pork Chops

I love my condiments, especially when you want dinner on the table in fifteen minutes...but you want it to taste like you spent an hour.

Salt and pepper the pork chops and place in a hot pan with just a dab of oil to help kickstart the browning. Give them less than a minute on each side then turn down the heat to low. Add a cup of salsa verde, flip the chops a couple of times to coat with the salsa, then cover the pan and let simmer.

Depending on the thickness, they’ll be done in anywhere from two to five minutes. Serve with the salsa verde spooned over the top.

Honey Lime Red Cabbage Salad

This honey lime dressing made for a tangy cabbage salad, but it would work just as well on spinach, kale, or roast veggies.

In a jar with a lid, combine the juice from two limes, two tablespoons of honey, a third to a half a cup of extra virgin olive oil, a teaspoon of Dijon, a half a teaspoon of kosher salt, and a quarter teaspoon each of black pepper and cumin.  It’s the cumin that really takes it over the top.

Shake vigorously, taste for salt, then toss with the red cabbage. I didn’t have any on hand, but some chopped scallion or cilantro would have been great.

Taiwanese Chicken

This dish is a winner!  Unbelievably delicious…so much bang for the buck. Can’t wait to make it again.

With just a small splash of vegetable oil, lightly brown two pounds of bone in chicken thighs or legs in a large heavy pot and set aside. Add a third of a cup of sesame oil, six to eight peeled whole garlic cloves, five scallions cut into one-inch pieces, a 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into 1/8” slices, and three halved small Thai red chiles…one if you’re not a fan of spicy. Leave on medium heat for three to four minutes.

Return the chicken to the pot along with any juices that accumulated, a cup of sake or dry white wine, half a cup of soy sauce, and two tablespoons of sugar. Bring to a boil then quickly reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for approximately 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. 

Set the chicken aside and lightly boil the sauce until it’s a syrupy consistency, shouldn’t take long. Turn off the heat, stir in a few forkfuls of jarred Thai basil leaves, return the chicken to the pot for a few minutes and serve with some rice.