Ramen with Rainbow Chard in a Rich Slow-Cooker Bone Broth

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Ramen, it’s what’s for dinner! This ramen has a very rich bone broth made with my very own Numo Chicken Broth Kit and is infused with a lot of yummy asian flavors, as well as rainbow chard and hard boiled eggs. It’s absolutely delightful!

This ramen is so easy to make that this could be your dinner as well! No, you don’t have to have one ounce of jealousy, whether you’re a newbie to making bone broth, or you’re watching what you eat. This is because you get to see the very real ingredients going in at every easy step! And much of this is due to the fact that I made the dish with Numo's Chicken Bone Broth!

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Numo’s Chicken Bone Broth was breeze to make in my slow-cooker and had almost zero hands-on time. I simply popped the pouch of ingredients in a slow cooker for 12-15 hours and I had a seriously delicious broth on my hands. But this broth is not only delicious. It's ingredients are super transparent! Just seven simple and organic ingredients: pre-baked chicken bones, carrots, onions, medjool dates, cardamom, ginger, and bay leaf. Kind of amazing stuff, isn’t it?

This broth is so delicious, in fact, that when I made my first kit overnight, it woke me from a deep slumber. I was literally dreaming about leaning over a pot of boiling broth in my dreams and smelling some incredible aromas. But then my brain woke me up at 4 am to tell me “LOOK! This tantalizing broth is actually real!” So, I listened to what my brain had to tell me and I walked to the kitchen to taste it. Even before it was done cooking, it was incredibly rich and lovely, and I knew I would be in for a treat with this ramen.

Ramen can get a bad rap sometimes, but you can definitely make a healthy ramen if you make it at home and see every ingredient going into it. I purchased fresh ramen noodles with less than four ingredients, as well as organic soy sauce, and a bunch of other fresh organic ingredients like chard, garlic, ginger, and garden-grown chives. It’s so transparent and so delicious that you will love every bite, guilt-free!

Ramen with Rainbow Chard in a Rich Slow-Cooker Bone Broth

Total Time: 12 Hours, 25 Minutes
Hands-On Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 Numo Chicken Bone Broth Kits (about 12 cups prepared)
4 large eggs
1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
3 whole star anise
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
1 small bunch rainbow chard, leaves cut into 1/2-inch strips, stems chopped
4 sheets nori, thinly sliced
20 oz fresh ramen noodles
1 small bunch chives, chopped
Togarashi pepper, to taste

Directions
Prepare 2 kits of Numo Chicken Bone broth per package instructions. Cool.

Heat 12 cups of water to 180F or a very low simmer. Add eggs and maintain temperature at 180F for 6 minutes. Cool in an ice water bath. Peel eggs when cool. Cut in half if desired and set aside.

Heat sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat, until shimmering. Add the garlic, ginger, and star anise, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until softened. Add the soy sauce and mirin and stir to combine. Continue stirring for another minute. Add the prepared Numo Chicken Broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chard and nori and cook for another minute, until tender. Add ramen and simmer per package instructions, about 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the noodles and broth into large bowls. Top with chives and soft boiled egg halves. Serve immediately with sprinkles of togarashi pepper.

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If you're looking for more recipes like this one, you're also going to love Thai-Infused Chicken Noodle Soup, Korean Beef & Daikon Radish Soup, and Thai Stir-Fried Noodles with Kale and Chicken: Pad See Ew!

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Do note that this post was sponsored by Numo Broth!

Crispy Pork Cutlet and Fried Egg Sandwich

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It’s officially hump day and I think we all need a pick-me-up to get through the week! This pork cutlet sandwich is gooey and crispy at the same time and is bound to delight all of your senses. 

To pull off this fine sandwich on a weeknight, I suggest getting home a little earlier from work since this recipe will take you a little longer than an ideal weeknight meal. But on the upside, wouldn’t you rather spend a few extra minutes in your kitchen than in your office? I thought so! 

If you think your boss will be upset that you left early, you’re sure be in the clear when you bring leftover cutlets to the employee break room. In fact, your boss will be so pleased that you might even be encouraged to leave early more often!

This sandwich is great because the ingredients listed below don’t have to be rigid, which leaves you a lot of room for creativity. Adrian and I recently pickled some kale and knew it would pair perfectly with this sandwich, but if you don’t happen to have something similar in your pantry, feel free to use your favorite minced pickle or relish. We also played around with different spread variations and garden-grown greens. Every variation was exceptional.

I decided on the ingredients below to ease your mind if you’re not feeling super creative mid-week. But if your brain is still high-functioning, feel free to add whatever you wish!

Now what are you waiting for? Get shopping and start cooking!

Crispy Pork Cutlet and Fried Egg Sandwich

Time: 1 Hour
Serves 8

Ingredients
1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.25 lb pork tenderloins, sliced crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick medallions
1/2 cup all purpose flour
12 large eggs
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 oz baby arugula
1/2 cup garlic yogurt spread or Greek yogurt with 1 garlic clove, minced
1 large ciabatta roll, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 tbsp capers, drained
1/2 cup pickled kale or other pickled green, finely chopped
Tabasco sauce

Directions
Combine sage and thyme in a small bowl with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper.

On a large cutting board, pound the pork medallions with a mallet into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Rub pork pieces on all sides with the herb mixture.  

Add flour to a large plate or shallow bowl. Whisk 3 eggs in a mixing bowl. Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan on another plate or small shallow bowl.

Coat each cutlet by first dredging lightly in flour, then dipping into the egg mixture, then fully coating with the breadcrumb  mixture.

In a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven, add 3/4 cups olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add pork pieces in batches, and cook until golden on each side, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.

In a medium bowl, combine arugula with 1 tsp olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In another small bowl, add yogurt spread and mustard and stir to combine.

In a small shallow skillet, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add remaining eggs, one at a time, spooning over olive oil, until the whites have set, but the yolk is still runny. Transfer to a plate, season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Baste ciabatta slices with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toast or broil slices until golden on each side. Top each ciabatta slice with yogurt-mustard spread, 1 tsp capers, and 1 tbsp kale pickles. Then top with the pork cutlet, fried egg, and garnish with arugula. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a few dashes of Tabasco if you so choose!
 

Goraasa be Dama: Sudanese Beef Stew over Easy Flatbread

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A little over a month ago, I received an e-mail in my Diet Assassinista inbox asking me to make Sudanese food from a very nice Instagrammer named Moyassar. Now, I am quite familiar with food from Ethiopia and Eritrea, which are nearby, but never even thought to cook food from Sudan. There’s a first time for everything, I guess!

With Moyassar’s suggestion, I knew I would be in for a treat, but didn’t even know where to look for Sudanese recipes. So I asked him what I should make and he knew right away: Goraasa be Dama! Goraasa is a quick flatbread and dama is a beef stew. 

Moyassar sent me a link to a couple Lazeez Haalis recipes, which I adapted them after researching several other methods. Then, I decided to make it all. And you know what? The meal was fantastic!

The stew itself is not unlike beef stew that we’re used to in the West, but it does take a lot less time to cook. Plus, the spices and peppers make it more interesting than beef stew. Instead of serving the stew as a soup, this stew is served a little thicker, like a curry, over amazing bread! 

And that flatbread. Wow. Goraasa is so easy to make! I’ve made several quick flatbreads and this is my far the easiest flatbread recipe I’ve ever made. Even if you’re making Indian food and you forget to pick up some naan at the store, I suggest making Goraasa in its place because it’s likely you’ll have all the ingredient in a well-stocked pantry.

So if you’re craving cuisine you haven’t tried before, this meal is definitely a great one  to make. Many thanks to Moyassar for pointing me in a fun and tasty direction!

Goraasa be Dama: Sudanese Beef Stew over Easy Flatbread

Time: 35 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
3 large yellow onions, chopped
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb flat iron steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups water
5 small vine ripe tomatoes, chipped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3 serrano peppers, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon

Goraasa
500g whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 cups water
1 tsp Kosher salt

Directions
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and fry until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, steak, bell pepper, serranos, cardamom, and cinnamon. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, adding additional water if the sauce is too thick, and simmer for another 10 minutes, until the steak is cooked through and the peppers are tender. Keep warm.

To prepare the goraasa, sift whole wheat flour into a large mixing bowl. Add baking powder, salt, and stir in water to form a thick batter. 

Brush a medium cast-iron skillet or mitad with very thin layer of olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Pour in a ladle-full of batter and work quickly to flatten out with a spatula, shaping the bread into round. Flip when golden, and cook until golden on the opposite side. Repeat with remaining batter to make additional rounds.

Serve dama over goraasa and enjoy!

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If you liked this recipe, you might like my Ethopian recipes too! Check out Gomen Besiga: Ethiopian Collard Greens with Lamb, Ethiopian Yellow Split Peas with Kale & Spicy Red Lentils, and Doro Wot, an Ethiopian Chicken Stew, with Gomen

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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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!