Rick Bayless’ Mango Guacamole.

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I love Rick Bayless‘ style. Anyone who’s eaten at one of his restaurants or watched his show, Mexico: One Plate at a Time, can tell he knows his stuff when it comes to Mexican flavors and ingredients. So whenever I’m in the mood for Mexican, I look to him for ideas; that’s where this yummy twist on standard guac came from. The mango really brightens the dish, and the serrano chile adds a layer of flavor that goes so well with avocado. Definitely a go-to for guacamole lovers. Buen provecho!

INGREDIENTS

2 ripe avocados
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
1 tbsp lime juice
1 small ripe mango, diced
salt, pepper, diced red onion, cilantro to taste

DIRECTIONS

Cut avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop the avocado flesh into a mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper and mash with a fork or potato masher.

Add mango, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and serrano chile. Stir to combine. Garnish with more mango and cilantro and serve with tortilla chips.

Homemade Chicken Stock.

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I spent the last few weeks saving and freezing all our leftover chicken bones, carrot peelings, celery leaves and bottoms, and any carrots, onions, or celery that were close to spoiling. I make a lot of dishes that require stock, so it made sense to figure out how to make my own–it’s so much cheaper than buying it pre-made, and it’s a great way to use up the odds and ends you’d otherwise throw away.
Note: the difference between “stock” and “broth” is that stock is made with bones, and broth is made with meat. Stock tends to have a more robust flavor, but as ingredients in recipes, they’re pretty interchangeable.

INGREDIENTS

bones and leftover pieces of 2 chickens
1 1/2 cups carrot, washed and cut into thirds
1 1/2 cups celery stalks, washed and cut into thirds
1 onion, skin-on, washed and halved
4 cloves garlic, skin on
any saved carrot peelings, celery leaves and bottoms, and onion skins or root ends
salt, peppercorns, thyme, and parsley to taste (I use about a palmful of each)
cold water

DIRECTIONS

Place chicken, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and seasonings in a large pot.

Fill pot with water and bring to a boil. Then immediately reduce to a simmer.

Simmer uncovered for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more water throughout the process, keeping the veggies and chicken bones submerged at all times.

After 4 hours, remove from heat and strain out the pieces. Chill overnight and remove any fat that collects at the top.

If you plan to use the stock right away, keep it refrigerated. To use at a later date, freeze the stock in ice cube trays and then transfer the frozen cubes to a bag, to use whenever you need it! Stock should last in the freezer for 3-4 months.

Czech Goulash (Old recipe).

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For the updated Czech Goulash recipe, click here.

This is my original recipe for goulash. I’ve since updated it, and I really like the new version much better – it’s more potently paprika-ed and also more authentic, in that it’s less like a chunky vegetable stew and more like the slow-cooked, warming, fortifying dish I ate in Prague. I recommend checking out the updated recipe instead, but in case this one tickles your fancy a little more, I didn’t want to delete it!

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp olive oil
3 medium onions, chopped
2 lb stew beef, cubed
3 cloves garlic
4-6 celery stalks, chopped
4-6 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp caraway seed
3-5 tbsp flour, depending on desired thickness (I use all-purpose, but potato flour works just as well, for those with gluten allergies)
8 oz canned crushed tomato
3-5 cups cold water or stock
salt, pepper to taste
marjoram or parsley, sour cream for garnish
2 medium potatoes, boiled and cubed (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil over medium in Dutch oven or other large soup pot. Add onions and cook until transparent. Then add the beef and cook until browned.

Add garlic, paprika, caraway seed, salt, pepper, and flour, if you’re using it. Stir and cook about 2 minutes, careful not to let the seasonings burn. Then toss in the carrots and celery and cook another two or three minutes, until the seasonings coat the veggies and they start to soften.

Add tomatoes and some of the cold water or stock, adding more as needed throughout the process (goulash can be stew-ier or soup-ier, however you like it).

Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. I go for 3 hours whenever I can, and it’s worth it!

Serve with sour cream and parsley or marjoram for garnish. If you’re using potatoes (which we keep separate to avoid making the soup too starchy) add them to your bowl just before serving.

Hasselback Potatoes.

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Named after the Swedish restaurant Hasselbacken where they were first served in the 1970s, Hasselback potatoes are making a comeback  on tables across the world right now. They’re a lot more fun than a standard baked potato and they look so pretty when they come out all toasty and browned! You can play around with the seasoning or keep it very simple, but this recipe is for my personal favorite flavor combo.

INGREDIENTS
3 medium potatoes, skin-on and scrubbed
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
2 tbsp grated Parmesan (optional)
1 tsp parsley
pinch of hot paprika
salt, pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Prepare the potatoes. Partially-cut each potato into thin slices, careful not to cut all the way through, so that the potato stays whole. This will create a fan effect when baked.

Combine all remaining ingredients. Using a butter knife, spread the mixture in between each slit. Rub the remaining mixture on the skin of the potato.

Place on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and fanned open, about  an hour. Serve right out of the oven with sour cream.

UPDATE: Tonight I tried this exact same recipe, but with a sweet potato, and it was fabulous. I don’t know about you, but sweet potatoes are already sweet enough for me, so I never add sweeteners when I prepare them. If you feel the same way, then try using a sweet potato instead for a healthier version of this tasty dish.

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup.

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As I mentioned in my post on Irish Brown Bread, Irish cooking isn’t the most sophisticated of world cuisines. Their bread is one exception, and their soups are another. This five-step root vegetable puree is perfect for chilly weather and involves more waiting than actual preparation/tending — very low maintenance. It’s a yummy, healthy soup that will warm you from the inside out!

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INGREDIENTS

4 parsnips, peeled and sliced

4-6 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 sweet potato, cubed

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried thyme

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

2 large leeks, thoroughly washed and sliced (just the white and light green parts)

1 bay leaf

5-8 cups vegetable broth

salt and pepper

Just the Recipe link: Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, combine parsnips, carrots, onion, sweet potato, garlic, ginger, cumin, thyme, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Toss to coat. Spread a single layer onto foil-lined pans and roast until starting to caramelize.

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Heat the last tbsp of oil on medium low in a Dutch oven or other large pot and add leeks and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft.

Add the roasted veggies and broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender.

Remove bay leaf, puree in batches, and enjoy. “Enjoy” is best done with lots of buttered Irish Brown Bread!

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese.

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A friend had an idea for this fabulous sandwich, and it’s so easy, it’s barely a “recipe” at all! This simple sandwich is a tasty, spicy take on a classic comfort food, and it goes well with bleu cheese dressing and baked sweet potato fries. And it’s a great way to quiet a craving for buffalo wings without eating anything fried.

INGREDIENTS (makes 2 sandwiches)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
Hot sauce (I like Tabasco or Frank’s)
Mayo
2 green onions, chopped
pepper
cheddar or swiss cheese
soft bread
butter

DIRECTIONS

Combine chicken, hot sauce, mayo, green onion, and pepper to taste.

Lightly butter  2 pieces of bread. The buttered sides will be the outer sides of the sandwich, the ones that touch the pan. Assemble each sandwich with 1 cup of buffalo chicken and 1 slice of cheese.

Transfer to heated pan and cover. Cook until browned on the bottom and flip. When both sides are browned, remove from heat. Serve with bleu cheese dressing on the side.