Recipe Review from 5/10/2021

More great recipes! 

San Antonio Riverwalk, 2016

The Meal Plan: Sat (L) Tofu Tacos (S) Mom's day grill-out
Sun (L) leftover tacos (S) Shepherd's pie
Mom (yoga) leftovers
Tues - Chicken and halloumi rice bowls
Wed (PM Zoom mtg) leftovers
Thurs - leftovers
Fri - take-n-bake pizza

Lunches - hummus sandwiches, fruit, nut cups


Chipolte Tofu Tacos (Eating Well, May 2021) vegetarian/vegan
This was really good and even better the next day. Leftovers re-heated beautifully in the oven, I think I did 400* and just long enough to warm the nuggets up, maybe 15 minutes? To drain my tofu, I place it on several paper towels on a cutting board or plate, place more paper towels on top, then another cutting board weighted down with something heavy. Ideally, I'll let stand at least 30 minutes. I didn't find this overly spicy - use more or less chipolte in adobo to suit your tastes.

This was just...good. I made two meals out of this - they were BIG tacos. Three meals (or serves 6) would probably be better, especially if serving with any sides. Very filling. HIGHLY recommended!

Serves 6

5 tablespoons lime juice, divided
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons canola or avocado oil
1 ½ tablespoons adobo sauce (from canned chipotles in adobo), divided
4 cloves garlic, grated, divided
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 (14 ounce) packages extra-firm tofu, drained and torn into 1-inch pieces
½ cup sour cream
3 cups shredded cabbage
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
12 corn tortillas, warmed (I used flour tortillas)


Recipe note: Here, we tear the tofu instead of cutting it. That might sound odd, but it’s the best way to get crisp, crumbly edges reminiscent of fish tacos. Coating with a flavorful cornstarch mixture helps maximize the crunch.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Whisk 2 tablespoons lime juice, cornstarch, oil, 1 tablespoon adobo, 3/4 of the garlic, cumin and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Pat tofu dry, add to the bowl and toss to coat. Spread the tofu on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake, stirring halfway through, until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix sour cream and 1 tablespoon lime juice with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon adobo sauce, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Toss cabbage, cilantro and the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice in a medium bowl.

Serve the tofu in tortillas with the slaw and sour cream mixture.


Shepherd's Pie (modified from The Irish Pub Cookbook)
This was easy enough, except I thought the directions were a bit out of order and I noted that below. You need to start the potatoes cooking while chopping and assembling the meat mixture.   If you have an instant pot, use that to save some time cooking the potatoes. 

This is pure comfort food. It's also versatile, for example I added celery, but you could easily use a frozen pea and carrot mix. Swap out the cheddar for your favorite cheese. Make your mashed potatoes with buttermilk. Tailor this to fit your tastes.

This did make a 9x13 pyrex pan and I believe we got about three meals (might have been four?) or six servings out of this. Recipe stated serves four, but at two lbs of meat with potatoes and veggies? Yeah, serves closer to six maybe even eight.

FILLING
3 tbsp canola oil
2 lbs lamb (or meatloaf blend)
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 celery stalks, diced (my addition)
1 tbsp tomato paste (my addition)
3 cups beef stock

TOPPING
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (I used Yukon Golds)
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter
3 tbsp Cheddar cheese (preferably Irish)

4. To Make the Topping: In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash. Add the milk and butter and stir until smooth. Cover and set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 425*

1. Start the filling: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tbsp of the oil. Add the lamb (or meat of choice) and cook until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and with a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a large bowl.

2. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of the oil to the pan. Stir in the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the onion is soft but not browned. Add the carrots, [celery,] parsley, and thyme and cook, stirring once or twice, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are coated with oil. [Add the tomato paste, stirring until fragrant and coats the vegetables.] Stir in the flour, cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the stock or broth. Bring to a boil, scrapping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the meat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the meat is tender and the sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer the stew to a large casserole dish (I used a 9x13" pyrex pan) or 4 individual oven proof casserole dishes. Spread mashed potatoes over the top of the meat mixture and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until mixture is hot and bubbling. Sprinkle potatoes with the grated cheese and heat until melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.


Chicken and Halloumi Bowls (Eating Well, May 2021) gluten free, vegetarian option
One significant modification - I used regular brown rice, cooked according to package directions.

The rest is your choice for a "rice" bowl with haloumi cheese and chicken as the proteins. Riff on the greens and veggies any way you like - it's all good. And it was good! I would absolutely make this again, and probably will do so later this summer when it's too hot to cook inside and I'll toss everything on the grill outside. Recommended!

Serves 4-6, depending on how much rice and veggies you add.

1 cup chickpea rice (I used brown rice)
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast (skip or use tempeh or tofu)
4 ounces halloumi cheese
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
⅛ teaspoon salt plus 1/4 teaspoon, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 clove garlic, grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups baby greens, such as arugula, kale and/or spinach
4 cups cut-up fresh vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, radishes

Preheat broiler to high.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add chickpea rice and cook [rice] according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, pound chicken to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. Slice halloumi 1/2 inch thick. Place the chicken on one side of a rimmed baking sheet and the halloumi in a single layer on the other side. Brush both sides of the chicken and halloumi with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Broil, flipping once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the chicken registers 165°F and the halloumi is golden brown, about 7 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board; let rest for 5 minutes, then slice.

Combine basil, oregano, garlic, lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each pepper and salt in a small bowl. While whisking, slowly add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Toss the cooked chickpea rice with half of the dressing and reserve the rest for topping.

Serve the chickpea rice with greens, vegetables, the chicken, the halloumi and the remaining dressing.