Week of July 26th

Quinoa Salad with Chicken, Almonds and Avocado

Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups tricolor quinoa (12 ounces), rinsed well and drained
1/4 cup finely diced shallot or onion
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 cups leftover chicken meat, torn from a rotisserie bird
3/4 cup dried cranberries
2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup roasted salted almonds, chopped
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions:
Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to a boil. Add quinoa and boil, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the shallot, vinegar, mustard, oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a very large bowl. When quinoa is done, drain very well, then add to the dressing, along with the chicken, cranberries and parsley. Fold until evenly mixed and cooled, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide the salad among dishes and top with the chopped almonds and avocado.

Make sure to thoroughly rinse the quinoa in a sieve before cooking- this makes it less bitter.

Papadzules (Eggs and Asparagus in Tortillas with Pepita Sauce)

Cook Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
Ice
10 large eggs
1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 corn tortillas, preferably blue corn
1 3/4 cups pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
3 scallions, root ends trimmed, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
2 jalapeños, stemmed and roughly chopped
1/3 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
Kosher salt

Directions:
Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the eggs into the water. Cook, adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle boil, for 6½ minutes for jammy eggs with a soft and runny yolk (or longer for medium- or hard-boiled eggs). Transfer the eggs to the bowl of ice water and chill until just slightly warm, about 2 minutes. (Keep the water boiling.) Gently crack the eggs all over and peel, starting from the wider end, which contains the air pocket. That gap between egg and shell makes peeling easier. Cut the eggs into quarters. Set 8 quarters aside for serving.
Add the asparagus to the same pot of boiling water and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, transfer to a medium bowl and let sit until ready to assemble.
Heat a tortilla in a small skillet over medium heat, turning once, until warm, about 1 minute. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel or foil. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, stacking and wrapping them in the towel.
Reserve ¼ cup pepitas and ¼ cup scallions for garnish. Combine remaining pepitas, remaining scallions, the garlic, jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice, 3 cups water and salt (1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal) in the jar of a blender. Purée until smooth and the consistency of heavy cream. Taste and season with salt and lime juice if necessary. Transfer to a medium bowl.
Working one at a time and using tongs, dip a tortilla into the purée, turning to completely coat in sauce. Transfer to a baking sheet as you go.
Arrange 4 egg quarters and a few pieces of asparagus down the center of each tortilla. Fold one side over, then roll up the tortilla. Place seam-side down on a plate. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, dividing among plates and spooning the remaining pepita purée over. Top with the reserved pepitas, scallions, egg quarters and any remaining asparagus.

I used flour tortillas for this because they have lard or some kind of fat in them that makes them much easier to roll without breaking into pieces.

This recipe also makes a ton of sauce, and to to be honest, adding 3 cups of water makes it a little runny. Start with 2 cups, and see what you think.

Go ahead and cook 12 eggs, too. Thats the right number for this recipe.

Lemon-Miso Tofu with Broccoli

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 cup just-boiled water
2 tablespoons white (shiro) miso paste
1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons roasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1/3 cup cornstarch
Salt and pepper
1 (14- to 16-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into 1-inch cubes
Canola or vegetable oil
1 pound broccoli (about 2 small heads), cut into small florets
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly chopped
Cooked rice, to serve

Directions:
Prepare the lemon-miso sauce: in a medium bowl or jug, add the just-boiled water and the miso paste and stir to dissolve it. Add the lemon juice, maple syrup, cornstarch and salt, and stir to combine. Set aside.
Prepare the tofu: Place the cornstarch on a large plate or tray. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Add the tofu cubes and toss to coat all sides.
Heat a large (12-inch) nonstick or well-seasoned skillet on medium-high for 2 minutes. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons canola oil, swirling it around to coat the base, and add the tofu. Cook until golden and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes per side. If the pan gets dry, add a bit more oil and reduce heat to medium if the pan gets too smoky. Transfer the tofu to a large plate.
If the skillet is dry, drizzle with a bit more oil. With the heat on medium-high, add the broccoli, season with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing often, until tender and charred around the edges, 6 to 7 minutes (reduce heat to medium if it gets too hot and smoky). Transfer the broccoli to the same plate as the tofu.
Finish the lemon-miso sauce: Give the skillet a quick rinse or wipe it out with paper towels to remove any burnt bits and place it back on medium heat for 1 minute. Add the sesame oil, garlic and ginger to the skillet and bloom for 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. Give the lemon cornstarch mixture a stir and then pour it into the skillet. Cook, stirring, until thickened and glossy, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the tofu and broccoli to the lemon-miso sauce and toss to coat. Scatter with the scallions, and serve immediately with rice.

I may have found a new source for Miso

Orzo Salad with Lentils and Zucchini

Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1 cup green or brown lentils
1 cup orzo
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1/4 cup sliced pickled pepperoncini (about 6 to 8 peppers)
Black pepper
1 pound zucchini or summer squash, or a combination, preferably small to medium, trimmed
2/3 cup raw pistachios or walnuts, coarsely chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup firmly packed whole herb leaves, such as basil, mint, dill, parsley, tarragon, oregano or a mix

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lentils and cook for 9 minutes, then add the orzo and cook until the lentils and orzo are cooked through but not mushy, another 10 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the oil, lemon juice and pepperoncini. Season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. If using small or medium zucchini, halve them lengthwise, then slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons. (If using large zucchini, quarter them lengthwise first, then slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick triangles.) Add to the dressing and stir to combine.
Drain the lentils and orzo very well, then add to the zucchini, along with the pistachios and scallions. Stir to combine, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the herbs just before serving. Eat warm or at room temperature. (Salad keeps, refrigerated, for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature and adjust seasonings before eating.)

I use salted pistachios here, and they are a killer combo with the pepperoncini. I have made this maybe 3 or 4 times for different groups and it's always a hit.

Chicken Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4 servings (about 20 meatballs)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground chicken
1 large egg
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves and tender stems
1/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

Directions:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, drizzle with the olive oil and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine chicken, egg, shallot, garlic, parsley, mint, cilantro, paprika, cumin, coriander, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, vigorously stir the mixture until well combined. With a standard soup spoon, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the mixture and scrape it against the palm of your other hand to shape it into a meatball. Drop the meatball onto the prepared baking sheet and repeat to form the remaining meatballs. (You should wind up with about 20 meatballs.)
Bake until the meatballs are cooked through, 14 to 15 minutes.
In a small serving bowl, whisk together the yogurt and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
Serve the meatballs hot, with the yogurt sauce and lemon wedges.

You could easily cut the yogurt sauce volume in half here.

I also match these with yogurt flatbreads-in this case I did half regular flour and half sprouted spelt wheat. Not too shabby.