Lohikeitto (Finnish Salmon Soup)

Servings: 6 Ingredients Butter (1/4 cup) Leek (1) Potatoes (1 lb) Carrot (1 large) Fish or vegetable broth (5 cups) Salmon (1 lb) Heavy cream (1 cup) Fresh dill (1 cup) Lemon juice (1 lemon) Salt (to taste) Pepper (to taste) Directions Prep Discard dark green section of leek, then cut in half lengthwise and slice each half. Slice carrot and chop potatoes. Remove skin and bones from salmon, then cut into bite-size chunks. Finely chop dill. Cook Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Saute leek until translucent, ~7 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes, and broth to pot. Bring to a boil, then boil uncovered for 10 minutes. Add salmon and cream to pot and cook for 6 more minutes. Remove from heat and add dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

Mac & Cheese

Servings: 5 Ingredients Rotini (1 lb) Unsalted butter (1/4 cup) All-purpose flour (1/4 cup) Whole milk (2 cups) Shredded cheddar cheese (2 cups) Directions Cook rotini according to package directions. In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat. When butter is melted, add flour. Stir until mixture is smooth and golden. Add milk and stir until mixture is smooth and bubbling. Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir rotini into mixture until evenly coated. Notes This recipe is very flexible. Here are some modifications I’ve had success with. They can be used on their own or mixed and matched: ...

Mango Ice Cream

Yield: ~6 cups Ingredients Mangoes (4) Lemon juice (2 tbsp) Sugar (1/4 cup + 1/2 cup) Heavy cream (1 cup) Whole milk (3/4 cup) Directions Freeze freezer bowl for at least 24 hours. Puree mangoes, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of sugar until smooth. In a large bowl, combine cream, milk, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Gently stir mango puree into cream mixture. Chill mixture in fridge for at least 1 hour. Churn in ice cream maker for 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm.

Maple Bacon Fudge

Yield: 64 square inches Ingredients Bacon (4 slices) Maple syrup (2-1/4 cups) Heavy cream (1 cup) Butter (3 tbsp) Directions In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. Set bacon aside on a plate covered with paper towels to absorb grease. Line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper. Boil syrup in a saucepan over medium heat, then simmer for 5 minutes. Pour in heavy cream. Do not stir. Bring back to boil, then simmer until temperature reaches 236°F. Immediately remove from heat. Add butter. Do not stir. Let cool for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, crumble bacon. Add bacon and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until mixture becomes lighter in color and is no longer shiny. Pour into 8x8" pan and spread evenly. Cool in fridge for 3 hours. Cut into squares of desired size. Notes This recipe also works without bacon. Fudge can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for several weeks.

Marry-Me Chicken Pasta

Ingredients Sauce Ingredients 1½ cups heavy cream 1¼ cup chicken broth ½ chicken bouillon cube 2 teaspoons honey 1 teaspoon hot sauce 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ¾ teaspoons onion powder ¾ teaspoons dried parsley ¾ teaspoons dried oregano ¾ teaspoons dried basil Other Ingredients 1 pound ziti 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast Salt and pepper, to taste ½ cup dry white wine 3 tablespoons butter 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons flour ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped, reserving oil ¾ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated ¼ cup cream cheese, softened 2 cups packed spinach Instructions Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Pat chicken dry. Cut into bite-size pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat reserved oil from sundried tomatoes (1-2 tbsp) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sauté until golden on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and set aside. Set salted water to boil for pasta. Reduce heat to medium. Add the wine and use a spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the butter and the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and the flour and stir for 2 minutes. Add the sauce mixture (from step 2) in small splashes, stirring continuously. Stir in the sundried tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Stir in the cream cheese and let it heat through and melt. Simmer sauce partially covered while cooking pasta al dente according to package instructions. Drain once cooked. Gradually sprinkle the Parmesan cheese into the sauce. Add the spinach and allow it to heat through for 1 minute. Add the chicken along with any juices from the plate. Taste sauce, then add salt and pepper as needed. Gradually mix the pasta into the sauce. ...

Mashed Potato Soup

Servings: 6 Ingredients Russet potatoes (~2 lbs) Bacon (4 slices) Unsalted butter (4 tbsp) All-purpose flour (1/3 cup) Whole milk (4 cups) Shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz) Sour cream (4 oz) Chopped chives or scallions (2 tbsp) Salt (1/2 tsp or to taste) Black pepper (1/2 tsp or to taste) Directions Prick potatoes all over with a fork. Microwave potatoes on high until cooked through, turning once, 12 to 15 minutes total. Let potatoes cool slightly, then scoop out flesh and discard skins. Mash potatoes. Sauté bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth and light golden. Slowly whisk in milk and continue whisking until thickened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add cheese, potatoes, salt, and pepper, then stir until cheese melts in. Whisk in sour cream. Serve garnished with crumbled bacon and chives or scallions. Notes Leftovers from this recipe turn into (non-soup) mashed potatoes in the fridge.

Meatloaf

Yield: 6-8 servings Ingredients Carrots (1 lb) White onion (1) Russet potatoes (2) Parsnip (1) Ground meat (2 lbs) Eggs (3) Breadcrumbs (2/3 cup) Yellow mustard (2 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce (1 tbsp) Ketchup Salt Black pepper Directions Peel and coarsely dice carrots, onion, potatoes, and parsnip. Add carrots, onion, potatoes, and parsnip to slow cooker and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, squish together meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Form mixture into a loaf and tap to remove air bubbles. Place loaf in slow cooker and spread ketchup over top. Cook on low for 6 hours. Notes Ideas to try: Top with BBQ sauce instead of ketchup Add cheese inside and/or on top

Meatsauce

Yield: 12 servings (with 2 lbs pasta) Ingredients Olive oil (1 tbsp) Ground beef and/or pork (2 lbs) Yellow onions (2) Diced tomatoes (56 oz) Tomato paste (12 oz) Tomato sauce (16 oz) Bay leaves (2) Garlic (5 cloves) Dried oregano (1 tbsp) Salt (1-1/2 tsp) Dried basil (1 tbsp) Brown sugar (3 tbsp) Dried thyme (1 tsp) Parmesan rinds (2 1" pieces, optional) Red wine (1/2 cup, optional) Directions Finely chop onions. Mince garlic. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté ground beef/pork and onion until meat is brown, then drain. Transfer to slow cooker and stir in remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours. Discard bay leaves. Notes Best served over rigatoni and topped with grated parmesan. To try: add carrots.

Misir Wat (Ethiopian Red Lentils)

Servings: 4 Ingredients Niter kibbeh (4 tbsp) Yellow onion (1 large) Garlic (3 cloves) Roma tomato (1) Tomato paste (3 tbsp) Berbere (2 tbsp) Red lentils (1 cup) Chicken or vegetable broth (2-1/2 cups) Salt (1 tsp) Directions Melt 3 tablespoons of the niter kibbeh in a medium stock pot. Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of the berbere and cook for 5-7 minutes. Reduce the heat if needed to prevent burning. Add the lentils, broth and salt, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer the lentils, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes (adding more broth if needed) or until the lentils are soft. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of niter kibbeh and berbere. Simmer for a couple more minutes. Add salt to taste. Serve with injera.

Mole

Ingredients Mole paste (2 tbsp) Hot water (5-6 tbsp)