Steelhead Trout with Fiddleheads and Ramps

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You know what I get really geeky excited about? Ingredients that are only available seasonally! 

Living in California, I’m fortunate in that I can eat a lot of fruits and vegetables year-round. My Whole Foods Market in San Francisco probably looks a whole lot different than the NYC Whole Foods in February.

But when it comes to foods that I can only eat once a year for a few months, I’m extremely grateful for that opportunity. Every time.

This week, fiddleheads and ramps are officially in season! Fiddleheads are ferns that grow wild in California. They’re tasty. Some compare them to asparagus, but I wouldn’t really say the texture or flavor are too similar. You’ll just have to try them for yourself to find out! They are definitely their own unique thing. 

Do note that you’re not supposed to eat fiddleheads raw because they can cause some stomach upset. They’re also WILD, so they actually need to be cleaned really well too. 

As for the ramps, a.k.a. wild leeks, they’re very similar to green onions in flavor, but leafier, and a lot more fun to cook with. Yum.

So this week, I've prepared steelhead trout with fiddleheads and ramps. And you want to know what my favorite part about this recipe is, besides it just being extremely healthy? That someone actually went out into the forest to forage all of these wild ingredients for me. I love it! Spring is such a great time of year.

Steelhead Trout with Fiddleheads and Ramps

Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

Trout
8oz fiddlehead ferns, washed thoroughly
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (24 oz) steelhead trout fillet
2 bunches ramps, about ½ lb, trimmed
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp melted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp capers
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
¼ cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon Rice
2 tbsp butter
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups chicken broth
Juice and zest of ½ lemon
Lemon pepper, to taste
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions
Preheat broiler.

Bring a medium pot of boiling salted water to a boil. Add fiddleheads and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and add to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Drain again and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add shallots, and cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add broth, lemon juice, zest, and salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff rice with a fork, stirring in lemon pepper and parsley. Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, season trout with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add steelhead, skin-side down, to the center of a foil-lined baking sheet. On a second foil-lined baking sheet, add ramps and coat with olive oil and salt to taste.

In a small bowl, combine melted butter with garlic, capers, rosemary, lemon juice, zest, and white wine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour half of the lemon mixture over the steelhead.

In another mixing bowl, add blanched fiddleheads. Combine with remaining lemon mixture. Scatter fiddleheads around the fish.

Broil trout in the top third of the oven and the ramps on a lower rack for 5 minutes. Transfer trout to the lower rack and bake at 325F for 10 more minutes, until the fish is cooked through and the ramps are lightly browned and crisp.    

Portion trout into four even fillets and divide between plates with fiddleheads and ramps. Serve with lemon rice. 

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If you like fish as much as I do, you should definitely check out my recipes for Hoisin Glazed Salmon with Shiitake Mushrooms Salmon in Galangal-Tomato Compote, and Salmon with Beurre Blanc and Sautéed Greens!

Mexican Barbecue Pork Tacos

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Is it Taco Tuesday already?! Awesome! I made these Mexican Barbecue Pork Tacos, aka Cochinita Pibil, which are super delicious. The pork, black beans, avocado salsa, cabbage, and pickled onions were all pre-prepared thanks to my Good Eggs’ dinner kit, but that doesn’t mean I can’t provide you with a recipe to replicate this dish! 

Googling around for some of my favorite bloggers’ recipes, I found a great way to make easy-peasy Mexican slow cooker pork as well as pickled red onions. While I haven’t cooked up these exact recipes, I already know they’re great because 1. I trust their cooking skills, and 2. I’ve made very similar dishes before! 

What about the rest of the ingredients? They’re all pretty easy to buy at a conventional grocery store, so if you want to make taco night an easy night, I suggest picking up a can of black beans and avocado salsa! 

If you want to make this recipe even easier, you don't have to fry the tortillas! Good Eggs actually recommended wrapping them in foil and warming them in the oven. But because I enjoy frying my tortillas, I included those instructions in the recipe below. The rest of the recipe is adapted pretty much per Good Eggs' original instructions.

Also, if you do live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I recommend checking Good Eggs out. Their grocery delivery is exceptional and these dinner kits are too darn tasty to pass up! If you don't live in the Bay, sorry for bragging, but at least you have this recipe below!

Mexican Barbecue Pork Tacos

Time: 4 Hours, 15 Minutes
Serves: 12

Ingredients
Mexican slow cooker pork
1.5 cups pickled red onions
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sugar
Kosher salt
4 limes, cut into wedges
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Canola oil, for frying
24 corn tortillas
2 (15 oz) cans refried black beans
2 cups avocado salsa
1/2 bunch cilantro

Directions
Prepare the slow cooker pork and pickled red onions per the recipes linked above.

Add cabbage to a medium bowl. In a small skillet, heat vinegar, sugar, and 1 tsp salt over medium heat until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add to shredded cabbage and toss with the juice of one lime, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. 

Heat enough canola oil to line the bottom of a small skillet and heat over medium heat. Add one tortilla at a time, and fry on each side, flipping with tongs, about 20-30 seconds, until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, separating each tortilla with a paper towel to blot out excess oil. Keep warm.

Reheat the pork and and beans separately in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warm. 

To assemble the tacos, pile the pork onto the tortillas, and top with avocado salsa, pickled red onions, and a couple sprigs of cilantro. Serve with warmed beans and cabbage salad!

One-Pot Citrus Chicken with Farro

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Check out this One-Pot Citrus Chicken with Farro! One-pot meals are my favorite because I’m able to concentrate all of my cooking energy into one cooking vessel at a time. 

What made this recipe even more fabulous is that some of my ingredients were pre-prepped! I ordered a dinner kit from my local grocery delivery company, Good Eggs, which consisted of three super easy to make meals. In this meal, the farro was cooked in advance, which saves time (and one pot!) and other items were portioned out perfectly, like the thyme and zahtar. That means that this meal kit was made in the blink of an eye. Yes! 

Even though I really do enjoy cooking in-depth dinners on a regular basis, it’s nice to have a break sometimes. I love when that break is full of healthy, delicious food and not a lot of clean up in the kitchen.

With that being said, even though this dish is probably not in your local meal kit this week, I wanted to provide you with Good Eggs' recipe below so you can use it for your easy week off too!

One-Pot Citrus Chicken with Farro

Time: 40 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
3 cups cooked farro
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 cara cara orange, thinly sliced
2 lemons, thinly sliced
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced, reserving fronds
1.5 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
6-8 sprigs thyme
5-7 garlic cloves, smashed, skin on
1.5 tbsp zahtar
5 oz spring mix
1/4 cup red wine vinaigrette

Directions
Preheat oven to 475F. Toss farro in 1 tbsp olive oil and allow to come to room temperature. 

Toss chicken thighs fennel, thyme, garlic cloves, zahtar, and citrus with a big pinch of salt and 4 tbsp olive oil in a mixing bowl.

Pour the chicken mixture into an oven-safe deep pan or Dutch oven, nesting thighs skin-side up among the citrus and fennel.

Roast for 35 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oven, and transfer the contents of the pan to a platter. Keep warm.

Heat the same pan on a stovetop over medium-low heat, adding the cooked farro and tossing in the citrusy juices until warm. Top the farro with chicken thighs, citrus, and fennel. Finish with the torn fronds. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss spring mix with vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve chicken on plates with spring mix.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Garden Greens

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Who is craving pasta today?! This Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Garden Greens has everything your taste buds need to get excited! 

One of the first pasta dishes Adrian and I ever made together was a puttanesca recipe from Epicurious. We loved it because it was sooo flavorful and found that the secret ingredient to a lot of great pastas is actually anchovies! If you don't believe me, try it! The pasta won't taste like fish at all, but WILL be packed with heavenly umami flavors. 

With our early discovery, we made the same recipe about 50 times over the last 10 years. It’s now semi-retired, but we still love to cook pasta with hints of puttanesca. This recipe is similar to a degree, but is a whole lot healthier with whole grains and garden greens. 

While we still used canned tomatoes, jarred anchovies, and capers, we used Baia Pasta’s Whole Wheat Lilies instead of spaghetti, we added garden-grown arugula for added nutrition, and we packed a flavorful punch with sun-dried tomatoes and vermouth. No olives required because the sun-dried tomatoes stand in their place! Yum.

In a nutshell, this sun-dried tomato pasta is absolutely delicious! Make it and you will enjoy!

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Garden Greens

Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced
1/4 cup vermouth or dry white wine
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 tbsp capers, drained
16 oz dried campanelle pasta or Baia Pasta’s Lilies
1 cup packed fresh arugula, trimmed
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano + more for serving

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20-30 seconds. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and vermouth and simmer until vermouth evaporates. Add crushed tomatoes, anchovies, red pepper flakes, and capers. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce reduces, about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 7-9 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

Add pasta and reserved liquid to tomato sauce and simmer over medium heat, stirring to combine, about 3 minutes. Stir in arugula until wilted. 

Divide pasta between four bowls and garnish with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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If you liked this pasta recipe, check out a few of my other pasta recipes for Whole Wheat Maccheroni Pasta, Surf & Turf Spaghetti, and Fettuccine with Guanciale!

Spicy Chicken Tacos with MAIO

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[Sponsored]

Happy Taco Tuesday, Everyone!

I’m excited to announce that I’ve partnered with Bolthouse Farms to bring you a GIVEAWAY to make your Taco Tuesday even happier! One lucky winner will receive a free package with three flavors of MAIO’s Yogurt Spread and Dressing! To enter, simply 1. LIKE my taco image on Instagram AND 2. SIGN UP for my mailing list to the right of the blog ---> to get my recipes straight to your inbox! 

These Spicy Chicken MAIO tacos are super, uber good. MAIO’s chipotle spread definitely added that extra touch because it’s so delicious and satisfying.

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But there’s one other thing that I love about it as a dietitian: it has 20 calories per tablespoon vs. mayonnaise’s 57. How is that for awesome! 

MAIO’s product is currently sold in Northern California’s Safeway stores. So if you live in Northern California like I do, you’re one lucky duck! Whether or not you’re in Northern California, be sure to sign up for my mailing list to enter to win this delicious giveaway!

Note: this giveaway IS sponsored (MAIO sent me free product!) and is in no way associated with Instagram or Square Space.

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Spicy Chicken Tacos with MAIO

Time: 35 Minutes
Serves 4 (8-10 Tacos)
Ingredients
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 chipotle chilies from 1 (7 oz can), sauce reserved
2 tbsp MAIO yogurt spread and dressing
1 tsp fresh oregano
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 medium jalapeños, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Canola oil, for frying
8-10 corn tortillas tortillas

To Finish
1 avocado, cut into ½ inch cubes
8 green onions, sliced thin
4 oz queso fresco, crumbled
MAIO yogurt spread and dressing
Fresh cilantro, chopped 1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions
Adjust oven rack to the top position. Preheat broiler. 

In a large mixing bowl, add chicken, minced chipotle chilies, 2 tbsp reserved chipotle sauce, MAIO spread, oregano, 1 tbsp olive oil, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Let marinate for 15-20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare salsa by combining tomatoes, red onions, jalapeños, cilantro, 1 tsp reserved chipotle chili sauce, and lime juice in a bowl. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. 

Add marinated chicken to a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 6 minutes on each side until browned and crisp. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat enough canola oil to line the bottom of a small skillet and heat over medium heat. Add one tortilla at a time, and fry on each side, flipping with tongs, about 20-30 seconds, until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, separating each tortilla with a paper towel to blot out excess oil. Keep warm.

To build the tacos, add the chicken to the center of each tortilla. Top chicken with salsa, avocado, green onions, queso fresco, MAIO dressing, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges on the side. 

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For more tacos, check out my recipes for Chipotle Chicken Tacos, Tacos Tres Amigos, and Chile Verde Tacos.

Ham & Split Pea Soup with Herbed Croutons

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Ladies and gentlemen, consider this post the second and last installment of Easter for Procrastinators Like me!

I'm guessing that the majority of last-minute Easter Dinner planners will be choosing ham as the main protein choice. But what are you going to do with all of that leftover ham? I teamed up with Tinselbox Holidays and Parties to make you this most delicious Ham & Split Pea Soup with Herbed Croutons! What's the secret ingredient? Read more below to find out!

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There's no better time of the year to make Ham & Split Pea Soup! Okay, maybe when it's cold during the winter holidays. But to be straight up with you, this is the perfect comfort food in the San Francisco right now! Last night we had a crazy wind storm with heavy rain and this is the best way to warm up again. Whether or not it's raining where you are, I know you'll have so many leftover prepped vegetables in your kitchen from Easter dinner that your pantry and refrigerator will be begging you to use them up! 

So look no closer than the recipe below! Feel free to play with it as you'd like, but do know that the secret to the amazing flavor is....pig's foot! I bet you wouldn't have guessed! A good ham bone from your baked ham will do the trick as well!

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Ham & Split Pea Soup with Herbed Croutons

Time: 2 Hours
Serves 8
Ingredients
8 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup leeks, chopped, white and light green parts only
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¾ cups celery, chopped
½ cup carrots, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup vermouth or dry white wine
1 lb dried split peas, sorted and rinsed
1 ½ cups Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 ½ cups ham steak, chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
1 pig’s split pig’s foot or 1 ham bone

Herbed Croutons
2 tbsp melted butter
1 petit baguette, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 cup Parmesan-Reggiano, grated
1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Garnish
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup crème fraîche
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Directions
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, add bacon and heat over medium-low heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels. Cool, and break into bacon bits. Set aside.

Pour off all but 2 tbsp bacon drippings and heat pot over medium heat. Add onions, leeks, garlic, celery, carrots, and thyme. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes, until carrots have softened.

Add vermouth to the stockpot and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until vermouth has mostly evaporated, about 4-5 minutes. Add split peas, potatoes, chopped ham, bay leaf, and pig’s foot. Cover entirely with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding more water if too thick, 1.5 hours, until split peas are soft. Discard pig’s foot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, set your oven rack to the top position. Preheat your broiler. Add baguette slices to a baking sheet and brush the top sides with melted butter. Broil for 1-2 minutes, until golden. Flip croutons over and sprinkle with Parmesan, sage, and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return to oven, and broil for 1-2 more minutes, until cheese has melted.

Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle soup with olive oil and garnish with thyme leaves, reserved bacon bits, and crème fraîche. Serve with herbed croutons.

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Like this soup? Check out a couple of my other recipes for comforting soups like Spicy Chicken Posole Soup with Garbanzo Beans, Thai-Infused Chicken Noodle Soup, and Persian Lamb Soup (Abgoosht)!

Rabbit Cacciatore

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Rabbit Cacciatore! With Easter on the way, I know all of you with last minute dinner plans need a recipe fast! And I should know, because I’m one of the most amazing procrastinators out there. 

So today and tomorrow, I’ll be posting Easter-inspired recipes to motivate you to make something great, not only for this holiday meal, but for dinner parties and other holiday meals down the road! 

What’s more perfect for Easter than rabbit? I know ham tends to be served most commonly, but consider adding rabbit to your holiday repertoire! Rabbit is a great protein choice because it’s lower in fat and has less calories than chicken, beef, or pork. And since it’s Spring, and we’re still working on staying in shape this time of year, I think that a lighter Easter dinner is in order.

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I know you may be wondering what rabbit tastes like. Have no fear! Rabbit is even tastier than chicken in my opinion. It’s not gamey at all, the texture has a smoother mouthfeel than chicken, and it’s packed with flavor that I could compare to the yummiest chicken breast I’ve ever eaten, but even yummier. 

Two other great things about rabbit is that it’s inexpensive and is a sustainable protein! I’m guessing there’s a ranch, or a butcher, or farmer’s market vendor out there that sells it near you. And while you will certainly save a few dollars, your impact on the environment will be reduced as well. This is because rabbits produce more meat per pound of feed consumed compared to cows. 1 pound of rabbit meat = 4 pounds of feed, while 1 pound of beef requires 7 pounds of meat. Enough said!

But aside from the seriousness, this recipe for Rabbit Cacciatore is really, really good. Adrian and I haven’t eaten rabbit since we traveled to Greece several years ago, where it is a little more mainstream. We loved it then, especially with a gorgeous view of Aegean sea at the restaurant, and were eager to make it again. 

This was definitely the best dish we could have chosen! What’s great about this recipe is that it’s as delicious as it looks. The tomatoes, bell peppers, and salt-cured olives really came together to make something special. We lightly adapted a Rabbit Cacciatore recipe from Elise Bauer’s post on Simply Recipes. Her first experience with rabbit totally cracked Adrian and I up. You should totally read her post, but in short, her experience was ultimately a good one, but she had to pick out and meet the cute little guys first without knowing what would be on the table later that day. Oh, those kinds of life experiences are always fun!

Do Note: if you buy a bone-in rabbit, be sure to check out some YouTube videos on how to debone it. It’s not hard, but you’re going to want to portion your pieces of rabbit right!

Okiedokie, it’s time to stop gabbing for the procrastinators! Get to the store and start shopping!

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Rabbit Cacciatore

Time: 1 Hour
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 lbs whole rabbit, cut into 6 to 8 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped, divided
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 oz cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded, chopped
3 large vine ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
16 salt-cured olives, black or green, pitted

Directions
On a large plate or platter, season rabbit pieces with salt, pepper, and 4 tsp thyme. Sprinkle flour over rabbit pieces and rub to lightly coat.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add rabbit pieces, and let panfry without moving for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned on one side. Flip rabbit pieces over and cook for another two minutes, until browned. Transfer rabbit to a plate and keep warm.

Add onions and garlic to the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes until onions are translucent. Reduce heat to medium and stir in mushrooms, bell peppers, rosemary, and remaining thyme. Return rabbit to the pan and cover with the tomatoes and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low heat. Let simmer for 35 minutes.

Uncover the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Add olives and cook until the liquids in the pan have reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on plates with warm rolls, or may favorite, epi bread!

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If you loved this recipe, you're also going to love Oven-Roasted Chicken Breast with Romanesco Broccoli, as well as Pan-Fried Salmon over Broccolini, and especially Thanksgiving Leftovers with Roasted Turkey Soup!

Persian Lamb & Celery Stew (Khoresht-e Karafs)

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Khorest-e Karafs, or Karafs for short, is a Lamb & Celery Stew that is ridiculously good. It’s Adrian’s favorite Persian stew hands down and definitely a close contender to my favorite Persian stew, Gormeh Sabzi, with lamb, kidney beans, and fenugreek. 

Adrian and I have been making karafs for 8 years now thanks to his aunt Fatteneh who has taken it upon herself to pass down the Assassi family recipes to future generations. While Fattaneh lives in Australia, we’re fortunately able to connect with her every other year or so when she flies out to Santa Barbara for the holidays. When she does, we love nothing more than catching up with her life in Australia AND soaking up every second that she spends in Adrian’s dad’s kitchen.

Back when we first learned how to make karafs, I followed Fattaneh around like a detective and questioning her almost like she was a criminal. “Fatteneh, what did you just add to the pot?!” super worried I was about to miss something for my handwritten recipe. Then she’d tell me, “it’s just a bit of turmeric, salt, and pepper.” “How much?” I’d ask, always one to quantify things.

Since then, we've mastered how to make Abgoosht, Gourmeh Sabzi, Bademjan, Fesenjoon, and a couple different dips and desserts.  Bademjan and Fesenjoon are definitely next for the blog, but I bet you'd give anything for Fattaneh's incredible eggplant and garlic dip, but you're going to have to be wait!

Below is a picture from our first trial of karafs in 2008. My food photography is a little (A LOT) better now, haha.

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Back in 2008, Fattaneh was a superstar as far as her patience was concerned because I really did ask a lot of questions. I personally know that pesky questions can be more than a little annoying when you’re trying to get dinner on the table, so I'm beyond grateful for sharing her knowledge and talents with us! Fortunately now, we have this recipe down to a T, and I’m so excited to share it with you today!

I've pretty much transcribed everything I wrote down from Fattaneh’s cooking lesson in the recipe below. I’ve gone back every year or so to rewrite it for clarity, and revalidated it when we were cooking with Fattaneh this last Christmas. But if there’s anything that doesn’t make sense, or could be said better, be sure to send me a message! 

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Persian Lamb and Celery Stew (Khorest-e Karafs)

Time: 1 Hour, 20 Minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 cup canola oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, cut into thin wedges
1 ¼ lb boneless lamb shoulder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1 medium bunch celery
1 bunch flat leat parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp dried mint leaves
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp tomato paste

To Serve
Steamed basmati rice
Toasted pita bread or lavash

Sabzi (Persian Salad)
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1” pieces
1 bunch radishes, halved
1 bunch mint leaves
1 bunch tarragon leaves

Directions
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat ¾ cup oil on high heat and add onions, sautéing until golden brown. Add lamb pieces and stir. Add salt, pepper, turmeric and stir until lamb is a pinkish brown. Add water to lamb level and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat ⅓ cup oil in a medium sauté pan over high heat and add celery pieces. Fry until coated generously with oil, about 3-4 minutes, but do not let celery get soft. Add celery to the stew while it continues to simmer and cover. To the same sauté pan, add parsley and more oil if needed, and fry until cooked down, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in mint. Add mixture to stew. Cover and simmer until lamb is tender, about 30 more minutes.

Once lamb is tender, add lemon juice and tomato paste and simmer until the stew has reduced appropriately, about 10-20 more minutes. Season with salt to taste.

Easy Chicken and Blue Cheese Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

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Adrian and I have been craving salad as a main course recently, but we wanted something different from our go-tos, including Greek salad and Nicoise salad. I know, I know, both salads are amazing, but I wanted something so simple that I barely had to think about it. 

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So when I did my usual weekly routine of online grocery shopping at Good Eggs, I quickly selected a couple of my favorite greens, a refreshing cucumber, sous vide chicken, and the tastiest blue cheese ever by Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese. My garden and my pantry supplied the rest: fresh mint leaves, toasted pumpkin seeds, and Primal Kitchen’s Honey Mustard Vinaigrette. Mixing these all together, I found myself an incredible salad! Oh, and a Mission Accomplished!

Online grocery shopping: 2 Minutes.

Gardening: 1 Minute.

Food Prep: 10 Minutes.

Plating: 2 minutes.

Everything done in: you got it! 15 minutes. 

This brings me to a key point in salad making that I would love to share with you! The best way to make an incredible salad on the spot is by pairing different textures with a little bit of meat and cheese! Pairing soft ingredients like lettuce and mint with crunchy ingredients like radicchio, cucumbers, and pumpkin seeds will take your palate to salad heaven. Add a bit of salad dressing - sweet, vinegary - your choice, and you’re golden. 

Try this salad out or try making your own with these simple tips! It’s certainly healthier and even quicker than taking a trip out for fast food.

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Easy Chicken and Blue Cheese Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 heads of butter lettuce leaves, gently torn
1 small head of radicchio leaves, gently torn
1/2 cup packed mint leaves
1 medium seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
1 lb cooked chicken breast, thinly sliced
8 oz blue cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup honey mustard vinaigrette
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Toss the salad greens, herbs, cucumber, chicken, blue cheese, and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Dress with honey  mustard vinaigrette and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Liovi, a Probiotic Drink for a Happy Belly!

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Breakfast, Diet Assassinista-Style! This avocado toast and poached egg + my favorite drinkable probiotic yogurt + fruit = the best breakfast ever! 

I am borderline obsessed with Liovi, an incredibly delicious probiotic that may promote a healthy intestinal balance by neutralizing certain toxins and preventing certain bacteria from sticking to cell walls. In much simpler terms, Liovi promotes a happy belly! Isn’t that something we all want? 

As a dietitian, Liovi is a product that I can put my full support behind after reading the available scientific literature. I recommend that you do some research on the benefits of probiotics for yourself, especially this B-30892 strain, and order a box from their website! Brian, Liovi’s CEO, is such a firm believer in his product that he drove from the opposite end of the Bay Area to drop off several free samples with me with the hope that I would share it with you. 

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Let me tell you, I am so thrilled that Brian reached out to me. It was not only tons of fun to nerd out with him for an afternoon about the potential benefits of probiotics, but I’m so happy to be empowered with more information on this topic than ever. I’m looking forward to sharing Liovi with all of my patients, clients, friends, and family members, an even my cat Zoe, who appears below, because she’s allowed to have a treat every now and then too!

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