Week of May 3rd

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Tomato Soup

Cook Time: 6 hours and 20 minutes | Servings: Yield 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups chicken stock
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, preferably aged
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (from about 3 to 4 sprigs) or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons onion powder
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 ¾ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
5 ounces baby spinach
1 (8- to 10-ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 cup grated Parmesan, for serving
Torn or sliced fresh basil, for serving
Black pepper, for serving

Directions:
In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, whisk together the stock, wine and tomato paste until the paste dissolves. Stir in the tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, oregano, onion powder, red-pepper flakes and salt. (If you are using unsalted stock, add an additional 1/2 teaspoon salt.) Add the chicken and stir to combine. Cook on low until the chicken is very tender and the flavors are blended, 5 to 6 hours.
Increase the heat to high for 10 minutes. Coarsely shred the chicken with two forks, pressing pieces of chicken against the side of the slow cooker to break the thighs apart. Stir in the spinach so that it wilts into the soup.
Stir in the tortellini, cover the slow cooker, and cook until the tortellini are al dente and warmed through, about 3 minutes. Taste the soup and add salt if it tastes flat. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with Parmesan, basil and black pepper.

Remember you can shred chicken in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.

I also use a 18oz "family size" bag of tortellini in this to make it more of a meal. BTW, these are the tortellini you find in the refrigerated dairy aisle next to the cheese and butter.

Salmon with Old Bay Butter and Confetti Grits

Total Time: 35 min | Servings: Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
1½ cups frozen corn kernels
1 red bell peppers, chopped fine
1 shallot, chopped fine
1¾ teaspoons table salt, divided
¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1 cup quick grits
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless salmon fillets, 1 to 1½ inches thick

Directions:
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add corn, bell pepper, shallot, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add milk and water and bring to boil. Slowly whisk in grits. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until grits are thick and creamy, 5 to 7 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.
Meanwhile, combine lemon zest, Old Bay, and 3 tablespoons butter in small bowl. Sprinkle salmon all over with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon and cook until well browned and centers of fillets register 125 degrees (for medium-rare), about 7 minutes per side.
Divide grits among serving bowls. Arrange salmon fillets over grits and immediately dollop with butter mixture. Serve with lemon wedges.

I felt guilty last week about leading you into buying a tin of old bay with nothing to use it with but crab cakes. So here you go.

I use salmon with skin on it because it's easier to find and cheaper. I also cook the salmon in the oven on a foil lined sheet because it's less messy. Bake at around 425 for 7-8 minutes, and then turn on the broiler until done.

I always have a bag of polenta on the shelf, so I use that instead of grits. It's basically the same thing. In general, polenta is a lot more versatile.

Palak Dal (Spinach Dal with Cumin and Mustard Seeds)

Servings: Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups (10½ ounces) dried red lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
6 ounces (6 cups) baby spinach
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
3 tablespoons ghee
1 ½ teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds
1 large onion, chopped
15 curry leaves, roughly torn (optional)
6 garlic cloves, sliced
4 whole dried arbol chiles
1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice, plus extra for seasoning
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
For less heat, remove the ribs and seeds of the serrano. Fresh curry leaves add a wonderful aroma to this dal, but if they're unavailable, you can omit them. Yellow mustard seeds can be substituted for brown. Monitor the spices and aromatics carefully during frying, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent scorching. Serve the dal with naan and basmati or another long-grain white rice.
Bring 4½ cups water, lentils, ginger, and turmeric to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain vigorous simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft and starting to break down, 18 to 20 minutes.
Whisk lentils vigorously until coarsely pureed, about 30 seconds. Continue to cook until lentils have consistency of loose polenta or oatmeal, up to 5 minutes longer. Stir in spinach and salt and continue to cook until spinach is fully wilted, 30 to 60 seconds longer. Cover and set aside off heat.
Melt ghee in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until seeds sizzle and pop, about 30 seconds. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add curry leaves (if using), garlic, arbols, and serrano and cook, stirring frequently, until onion and garlic are golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add lemon juice to lentils and stir to incorporate. (Dal should have consistency of loose polenta. If too thick, loosen with hot water, adding 1 tablespoon at at time.) Season with salt and extra lemon juice to taste. Transfer dal to serving bowl and spoon onion mixture on top. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Ghee is great but expensive. You can also just brown your own butter.

The recipe mentions this, but I use yellow mustard seeds, and good luck finding curry leaves.

Pro tip: when you buy fresh ginger, you can peel the whole root and put it in the freezer. It keeps for a long time, and frozen ginger is super easy to grate.

I like to make rotis with this.

Weeknight Ground Beef and Lentil Tacos

Total Time: 40 min | Servings: Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef
1 (15-ounce) can lentils, rinsed
½ cup canned tomato sauce
½ cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
12 taco shells, warmed
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
2 small tomatoes, cored and chopped

Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1 small finely chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon table salt, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 4 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef and cook, breaking meat up with wooden spoon and scraping pan bottom to prevent scorching, until beef is no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add 1 (15-ounce) can lentils, rinsed; ½ cup canned tomato sauce; ½ cup chicken broth; 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar; and 1 teaspoon cider vinegar and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, stirring frequently and breaking up meat so that no pieces larger than ¼ inch remain, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon filling into center of 12 warmed taco shells and divide 4 ounces cheddar cheese, 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce, 2 small cored and chopped tomatoes, and more toppings evenly over tacos as desired. Serve.

I get either get 4 oz of bulk ground beef from the butcher, or I get a whole pound and make cheese burgers for my kid's lunch the next day.

Chicken and Arugula Salad with Cherries and Feta

Total Time: 45 min | Servings: Serves 4

Ingredients:
¼ teaspoon plus pinch table salt, divided, plus salt for cooking chicken
3 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
3 ounces rustic bread, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1½ cups)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 ounces (5 cups) baby arugula
8 ounces fresh sweet cherries, pitted and quartered
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (½ cup)

Directions:
Bring 2 cups water to boil in 12-inch skillet over high heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons salt. Add chicken; reduce heat to medium-low; cover; and simmer until chicken registers 160 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to plate and let cool. Discard cooking water.
Pulse bread in food processor into large crumbs measuring between ⅛ and ¼ inch, about 10 pulses. Combine crumbs, 2 tablespoons oil, and pinch salt in now-empty skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until crumbs are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to plate.
Shred chicken into bite-size pieces. Whisk vinegar, parsley, shallot, mustard, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Whisking constantly, drizzle in remaining 6 tablespoons oil. Add chicken and arugula and toss to combine. Season with salt to taste. Transfer salad to serving platter and sprinkle with cherries, feta, and crumbs. Serve.

I know, more shredded chicken. Whatever. This salad looked really good. Obviously fresh cherries are great here, but you could sub sliced plums or even blueberries. Or dried cranberries. This is also a recipe that pulls in a couple jah gadgets: an immersion blender (dressing) and a thermopen (chicken) and two items that will be featured in my Jahppliances extra: a stand mixer (shredding) and food processor (bread crumbs). See? It's all coming together.