Kale and Green Bell Pepper Pasta with Goat Cheese and Parmesan

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It's the middle of December, but my California garden is still going strong with kale and green bell peppers. I'm not a big fan of stuffed bell peppers, so I have to get creative in my kitchen every week or two in an attempt to use up every last one!

While we usually opt for red bell peppers in pasta, this recipe was a great way to use up our cute little green ones instead. They're still sweet and provide a nice texture that pairs well with kale and corkscrew pasta. 

Ready in 30 minutes or less, you'll also love this whole grain pasta between the tanginess of the goat cheese and lemon zest, which are balanced with a little umami from the parmesan cheese. It's bright, healthy, and just as important, finger-lickin' delicious! 

Kale and Green Pepper Pasta

Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 large bunch kale, about ¾ lb, stemmed, and roughly chopped
¾ pound kamut khorasan corkscrew pasta
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 medium green bell peppers, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp capers, drained
½ tsp red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup white wine (optional)
¾ cup goat cheese, crumbled
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Lemon wedges to serve

Directions
Bring a large pot salted of water to a boil. Add kale and boil until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer the kale to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside. 

Return the water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water, and set aside.

While the pasta boils, heat olive oil in a large medium skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and peppers and sauté for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic, capers, and red pepper flakes, and season with salt to taste. Add the lemon juice, zest, and white wine, and simmer until the wine is nearly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Return the kale and pasta to the pan and stir until combined (add reserved pasta water if the pasta is dry). 

Stir in goat cheese and parmesan until the pasta is well coated and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls, squeezing over lemon wedges if desired.

Rotisserie Chicken with Braised Root Vegetables

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There is nothing like root vegetables in fall and winter! One of my favorites is daikon radish, which I tend to purchase for Korean and Japanese recipes.

While most European radishes are pretty small, daikon radishes are ...well, ginormous! Not a problem for me, though - the radishes seem to last at least a couple weeks in the refrigerator, so I can make radish recipe after radish recipe, yum!

Wanting to make something beyond my go-to recipes for daikon this time around, I scoured a few of my favorite online recipe websites for radishes and found a recipe by Food and Wine for Braised Root Vegetables and Cabbage with Fall Fruit. Can you pack more fruit and vegetables into one recipe than this one? I'd gander that would be really hard to do. Incredible.

The recipe reminded me a lot of one that Adrian and I have cooked for years, which refer to as "German Chicken." We usually make it with chicken thighs, sauerkraut, carrots, and a 12-oz bottle of German beer, and simmer over the stovetop for about 45 minutes.  We decided that we could perfectly combine these two recipes and make something even more special. And that we did!

Bursting with so much flavor from the sweet apples, pears, and carrots, and daikon with some tang from the sauerkraut, I guarantee you will love this dish. Plus there's no better way to use leftover daikon if you have a lot in your refrigerator, like I always seem to have!

Rotisserie Chicken with Braised Root Vegetables

Time: 1 Hour
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
4 carrots, sliced 1/3-inch thick
1 1/2 cups daikon radish, peeled, cut into 1-inch pices
¾ lb green cabbage, cored, and coarsely chopped
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pices
1 tbsp garlic, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup sauerkraut
1 rotisserie chicken, carved into about 8 pieces
1 Bosc pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pices

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large, deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, daikon, cabbage, apple, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring, until the vegetables are lightly browned in spots, 6 minutes. Add the broth and sauerkraut and bring to a boil. Cover and braise in the oven for 10 Minutes. Add rotisserie chicken, cover, and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the oven.

Stir in the pear pieces and cook over high heat until the liquid is evaporated and the pear is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plates and serve immediately.

Chicken Tikka Masala Enchiladas

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These chicken tikka masala enchiladas are outrageously delicious! I bet you can almost taste them from where you’re sitting.

I’ve been such a big fan of Maya Kaimal Foods since I was a youngster in college, so when they reached out to me for a recipe post, I was over the moon! Maya Kaimal’s simmer sauces are to die for and are truly incredible because you can make the tastiest Indian dishes in minutes. 

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My college recipe list with Maya Kaimal simply consisted of a protein (usually chicken), a few hot peppers to simmer with the sauce, plus some cilantro and lime wedges to top it all off. Simple, right? 

Now that I have some more cooking skills under my belt and basically work part-time in my kitchen (!), I decided to come up with a dish that is still simple and easy enough for a novice chef, but just complicated enough in flavor for those of us who love to cook! 

The flavors of Maya Kaimal’s simmer sauce truly came out beautifully with this enchilada concept and so wonderfully paired with the cilantro chutney. Fusion at its best. I dare you to give it a go!

Chicken Tikka Masala Enchiladas

Time: 50 Minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 medium jalapenos, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5 lb chicken thighs, chopped into ½-inch pieces
2 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
1 (12 oz) jar Maya Kaimal Tiikka Masala Sauce
¼ cup heavy cream
Juice of ½ lime
16 (6-inch) tortillas
3/4 cup cotija cheese, divided
1 small white onion, sliced into rings

Chutney
3/4 cup green onions, roughly chopped
2 serrano peppers, roughly chopped
2 tbsp ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 small bunch cilantro leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

To Finish
Cilantro
Lime wedges

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapenos and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion and chilies have softened, about 4 minutes. Add chicken, and brown for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes longer. Stir in 3 tbsp Tikka Masala sauce, heavy cream, and lime juice. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes, until thickened.

Line the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish with 1/3 cup tikka masala sauce. 

Heat tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds each. Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken mixture and sprinkle with a little cheese. Roll up the tortillas and place seam side down in the baking dish. Top with remaining tikka masala sauce, remaining cheese, and white onions. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted slightly.

Meanwhile, add all of the chutney ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Serve enchiladas on plates garnished with cilantro. Spoon over chutney and squeeze over lime wedges.

Roasted Salmon without a Recipe

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I made this roasted salmon a couple weeks ago and misplaced the recipe I wrote down. While I was a little bummed a few minutes ago, I realized that I'd just have to turn this blog post into a salmon recipe....without a recipe!

The perfect thing about this blog post's spin is that when I chose my protein for the night, the ingredients weren't pre-planned. We had some leftover spring onions and lemons in the fridge, garlic in the pantry, and tarragon growing like a bush in our Fall garden. The cooking method came to me quickly and easily when I opened up the refrigerator and started fishing for ingredients. Maybe losing my chicken-scratch recipe was meant to be so I could share some quick and easy no-recipe strategies with you.

So what's my first tip for salmon without a recipe? Make it on a Friday when you have some leftover produce in your fridge and pantry! It's a delicious protein that pairs with just about any flavors - sweet, savory, acidic, spicy, or even salty. I especially love salmon with leftover greens. 

Second tip: Pre-heat your oven to 450F and lightly brush a foil-lined baking sheet with olive oil (I tried not rhyming here, but it was difficult!). Meanwhile, locate your produce and cut into any size you desire. If you think your ingredients will take a little longer than 10 minutes in the oven, you might want to sauté them first in a little bit of oil until tender.

Third tip: Brush your salmon and produce with olive oil and/or a condiment (or two) of choice like mustard, honey, BBQ sauce, or an Asian sauce like Hoisin or Oyster Sauce. Season your produce to taste and scatter over the salmon.

Final tips: Cook the salmon until your vegetables are tender and the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 145F, about 10-15 minutes.

Easy enough? Yep, think I might make this again tonight after a long week!

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If you liked these blog tips, you will love my recipes for Oven-Baked Barbecue Salmon with Mashed Cauliflower, Roasted Salmon with Corn and Salt for Life Herbed Butter, and Salmon with Beurre Blanc and Sautéed Greens

Indonesian-Flavored Pork Lettuce Cups

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When I look at my garden for recipe ideas, my thoughts often gravitate toward Southeast Asian food. We grow so many different aromatics, herbs, chilies, and even spices (Yup! We collect our own coriander seeds), that it makes it so easy to make our favorite stir-fry recipes almost on the spot. To make these dishes even easier to make, we always keep Southeast Asian ingredients in our pantry as well - like candlenuts, tamarind paste, and coconut milk. 

Thankfully, even though it's the end of October, we still have a handful of birdseye chilis growing on our 4-year-old chili tree, habaneros and jalapeños growing like weeds, and basil plants that continue to thrive.  With this abundance, great weather, and cloudless skies, I couldn't love October more in Coastal California. My only regret is not growing pumpkins this year. Then we could have made some pumpkin curry on the spot!

Whether or not you grow these aromatics in your garden or your local market carries them, know that they can all easily be ordered online, and you have no excuse not to make it! This is especially true because this Indonesian stir-fry recipe is ready in 20 minutes or less, and is insanely delicious. The spicy pork melts in your mouth with the sweetness of the tamarind and the creaminess of the coconut milk, and the romaine lettuce cups provide a wonderful crunch! Are you drooling yet? I am and I just had some.

Indonesian-Flavored Pork Lettuce Cups

Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 lb ground pork
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 candlenuts, grated
6 birdseye chilies, seeded, finely chopped
1 large jalapeño and/or 1 small habanero, seeded (can substitute with bell pepper for mild flavor)
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp galangal
1 tsp lemongrass
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup coconut milk
4 tsp tamarind concentrate
1 Indonesian bay leaf (optional)
1 small bunch lemon basil (optional)

To Serve
1 head romaine lettuce cleaves

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine pork with onion, candlenuts, chilies, garlic, cumin, coriander, galangal, lemongrass, and salt. 

Heat canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add pork mixture, breaking up with a spoon, and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in tamarind juice, coconut milk, and Indonesian bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the coconut milk is mostly absorbed into the pork, about 5 more minutes. Add in the basil leaves and do a few quick stirs until the basil leaves are wilted. Adjust seasonings if desired and remove from heat.

Divide pork, arranging over romaine lettuce leaves, and serve immediately!

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If you enjoyed this recipe, you will also enjoy my recipes for Thai Basil Pork, Pork Belly Stir-Fry with Snow Peas and Mixed Mushrooms, and Szechuan Beef Lettuce Wraps

Thai Red Curry with Salmon

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Thai curry is my comfort food! It's healthy, full of flavor, and I can make it in 30 minutes or less with a jar of red curry paste! Plus, I often have my of the ingredients growing in my garden, like birdseye chilies, cilantro, and bell peppers. It's also a great dish to throw in other vegetables left over from the week. In my case: carrots!

You can make this curry with light or whole coconut milk, but I like to keep it light to cut out unnecessary calories. It's still just as yummy! 

Speaking of yummy, did you know that Thai food is meant to be balanced with sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter flavors? I think that's what makes Thai food one of my top favorite cuisines in the world. It truly never lets me down! 

Thai Red Curry with Salmon

Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tbsp canola oil, divided
2 medium spring onions, white bulb and green stalks, finely sliced, or 1 medium onion + 4 green onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 (15 oz) can light coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
6 fresh birdseye chilies, sliced
1 tbsp light brown sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp fish sauce
1 cup loosely packed Thai basil
1 lb skinless salmon fillet, pins removed

To Serve
Steamed rice
Cilantro leaves, to garnish
Thai Basil leaves, to garnish
Steamed rice, to serve

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. 

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp canola oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste, coconut milk, chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add bell peppers, carrots, birdseye chilies, sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in Thai basil. Adjust seasonings if desired.

Meanwhile, in a large oven-proof skillet, heat 1 tbsp canola oil over medium-high heat. Cook salmon for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 6 minutes, until internal temperatures reaches 145F. Remove salmon from heat and divide into four pieces.

Transfer salmon pieces to curry mixture and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes to allow flavors to combine.

Serve salmon on plates over steamed rice and season to taste with additional squeezes of lime and fish sauce. 

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If you liked this recipe, you will love my recipes for Indonesian-Style Shrimp Curry, Thai Green Curry with Chicken, Carrots, and Potatoes, and Trader Joe’s Thai Chicken Curry

Indian-Spiced Meatball Curry...got milk?

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...got milk?

There's nothing like an Indian meatball curry with a spicy kick! I'm always craving spicy food, but to balance it out, I love pairing these meals with milk.

Scared of spice? Fear not with a glass of milk! While hot peppers contain capsaicin oil, which delivers the spicy punch to your taste buds, milk battles the oil with casein, which binds to the oil and magically lifts it away from your tongue! You can certainly breathe a sigh of relief if you get a little too pepper happy with your curry. Phew!

This recipe is written to be moderately spicy (medium-hot)! But if you really want to crank up the heat, add some extra Kashmiri chili powder and jalapeno peppers, like I love to do, and chug a glass of milk while you're at it!  

Indian-Spiced Meatball Curry

Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients

Meatballs
1 lb ground lamb
1 small onion, finely chopped (squeeze out excess water with a paper towel)
2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1 medium jalapeno, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 large egg, beaten
Extra virgin olive oil

Curry Sauce
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 medium jalapenos, chopped
2 tbsp Indian curry paste or hot madras curry powder
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, or more to taste
½ tsp salt
1 (15 oz can) crushed tomatoes
½ tsp garam masala
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Chive Chutney
¾ cup chives, roughly chopped
2 jalapeños, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

To Serve
½ cup kefir or runny yogurt
Freshly chopped cilantro
Steamed jasmine rice
Naan
Milk, to pair with the heat!

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, knead the meatball ingredients with 2 tsp olive oil. Roll the mixture between your palms to form about 20 1-inch balls. 

In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil to medium-high heat. Add meatballs and brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes. Set the meatballs aside and keep warm. 

To the same skillet, prepare the curry sauce by sautéing the onion over medium heat for 4-6 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, jalapeños, curry paste, kashmiri chili powder, and salt, and continue sautéing until the jalapeños are soft, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with 1.5 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Return meatballs to the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Adjust seasonings to taste, including Kashmiri chili powder for more of a burn and to deepen the red color of the curry!

While the meatballs simmer, prepare the chutney by adding all of the chutney ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth.

When the meatballs have finished simmering, stir in garam masala and cilantro. Serve the curry over steamed jasmine rice and garnish with additional chopped cilantro, yogurt, and chive chutney if desired. Serve with naan on the side.

Pair your meal with a healthful glass of milk help you handle the delicious heat of the curry!

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If you loved this recipe, you will love my recipes for A Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala, Indian-Spiced Vegetable Soup, and Slow Cooker Indian-Style Black Eyed Peas!

Chipotle-Spiced Bean Tacos

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I don't always make tacos for Taco Tuesday, but when I do, I make sure they're absolutely this tasty!

I came up with this recipe about a year ago when I was nearly starving and thought I was out of food in the kitchen. Luckily I was able to appease my hunger after finding a couple tortillas, eggs, and a wedge of queso fresco in the refrigerator as well as some beans and canned chipotle chilies in the pantry. The result was fantastic.

I've since revised the recipe to be even more pleasing to the palate! Before I microwaved the filling in a bowl and then fried the eggs to make for a quick 7-minute meal. That recipe was awesome - and you could easily do the same with these ingredients with a terrific result. But if you want to spruce things up a little more, just spend just a few more minutes building flavors over the stove and fry your tortillas instead. Soooo good!

The recipe is still as quick as ever! In fact, it's so easy, it makes for a perfect outdoor recipe as well! Check out the step-by-step pictures that I took of the Chipotle Tacos on my outdoor excursion for Alite's Outdoor 101. 

Chipotle-Spiced Vegetarian Tacos

Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
Extra Virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans
2 whole canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, minced, reserving 1 tbsp adobo sauce
1/3 cup queso fresco, crumbled
1/3 cup cilantro, stemmed, roughly chopped
2 tsp Chipotle Tabasco
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 corn tortillas
8 large eggs
1 spring onion, whites and greens finely chopped
1 lime cut into wedges

Directions
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kidney beans, chipotles chilies, reserved adobo sauce, and stir occasionally until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in queso fresco, 1/3 cup cilantro, and Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper to taste and keep warm.

In a medium skillet, add enough olive oil to liberally coat the bottom of the pan. Heat oil to medium-high heat and add tortillas, one at a time, cooking for 30-60 seconds on each side until crisp. Blot tortillas on paper towels and keep warm.

To the same skillet or a small egg pan, crack 1-2 eggs into the pan at a time, spooning oil over the whites. Fry until the whites are firm, but the yolks are still runny. Transfer eggs to a large plate and keep warm.

Serve tortillas on plates, topping with kidney bean mixture followed by spring onions and additional cilantro and queso fresco if desired. Squeeze over with lime wedges and top each taco with a fried egg!

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If you loved this recipe, you will also love my recipes for Mushroom Tacos with Fried Eggs, Chipotle Chicken Tacos, and Chili Verde Tacos with Homemade Black Cornmeal Tortillas

Roasted Salmon with Corn and Salt for Life Herbed Butter

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This Roasted Salmon with Corn and Salt for Life Herbed butter is so good it’s ridiculous! 
 
I made the tastiest herbed butter with Salt for Life’s Sea Salt and Potassium Salt Blend and I was so impressed with its ability to enhance flavors in cooking. You have to pick some of this stuff up and try out this recipe. Your health will thank you!
 
Salt for life is a unique salt alternative because it’s actually made of salt. It just has 75% less sodium vs. regular salt and replaces the sodium with potassium, which can reduce your risk for heart disease! This makes it taste and look just like regular salt, but it’s a whole lot healthier for you. 
 
If you think you don’t need less salt in your diet, think again! 90% of Americans consume more salt than recommended, which increases your risk for cardiovascular disease. That’s why I have a solution for you - Nutek’s Practice Safe Salt campaign! 
 
Check out their interactive website, Practice Safe Salt, which offers fun quizzes and videos aiming to increase your knowledge about the health effects of sodium and how to eat less of it in your diet! Then make this recipe and get ready to be wowed! 

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Roasted Salmon with Corn and Salt for Life Herbed Butter

Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped, such as chives, thyme, sage, rosemary, and fresh fennel pollen
2.5 tsp Salt for Life
4 ears medium ears corn, husked
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 meyer lemon, sliced
2 large spring onions, quartered
4 (8 oz) salmon fillets
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 450F.

In a food processor, add butter, cumin, ground red pepper, garlic, herbs, and Salt for Life. Pulse until blended. 

Lay out corn, zucchini, lemon slices, and spring onions on a foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Brush vegetables lightly with compound butter. 

Add salmon fillets to a separate foil-lined baking sheet and brush with compound butter to lightly coat. Season salmon and vegetables to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

Transfer vegetables to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Add salmon to the oven and roast until the internal temperature reaches 145F, about 12-15 minutes.  Remove salmon from heat and keep warm. 

Broil the vegetables for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, until browned and lightly crisp around the edges.

Serve salmon on plates topped with a dollop of compound butter. Garnish with roasted vegetables. Enjoy!

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If you loved this recipe, you will love my recipes for Oven-Baked Barbecue Salmon with Mashed Cauliflower, Pan-Fried Salmon over Broccolini and Farro, and Steelhead Trout with Fiddleheads and Ramps

Creamy Vegan Mac 'n Cheese

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This Mac 'n Cheese from Purple Carrot is so creamy and delicious, you wouldn't even know that it's vegan. You'll love it!

I'll admit, I was a little skeptical when I saw the recipe in my dinner kit. Vegan parmesan cheese, almond milk, and vegan butter? How could they possibly make for an authentic Mac?

But an authentic Mac these ingredients did make! The dish came together so well in the end that I actually imagined a mad scientist cooking up a storm in the kitchen at Purple Carrot to conceptualize the recipe. Beakers, test tubes, and lab fires, oh my!

This little cooking fantasy was really more about the food being absolutely delicious than being surprised it was vegan because it doesn't take a rocket scientist to make plant-based meals taste great!

Plus, working plant-based meals into your diet is probably one of the best ways to improve your health and well-being because it makes it so easy to fuel your body with additional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that will keep your body healthy in the long-term! This is why my meal planning to incorporates meat-free dinners at least a couple times per week, and yours should too!

Long story short, Purple Carrot offers 100% plant-based meals that are absolutely scrumptious. By ordering their meal kit, you'll get your weekly dose of plant-based meal while pleasing your palate at the same time! Use the code Diet30 to receive $30 off of your first order!

Creamy Vegan Mac 'n Cheese

Time: 35 Minutes
Serves 3
Adapted from Purple Carrot's Creamy Mac 'n Cheese

Ingredients
6 oz pipette pasta
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp arrowroot starch
8 oz almond milk
1 lemon, halved
1 packet dijon mustard
5 tbsp nutritional yeast
3 tbsp vegan parmesan cheese
1 tbsp vegan butter
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp green chiles
8 oz broccoli florets
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Place a large pot of salted water over high heat. Once boiling, add the pipette pasta, stir, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain but do not rinse.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Set aside 1 tsp of the garlic. Once hot, add the remaining minced garlic and cook until slightly toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the arrowroot starch and whisk continuously for 1 minute longer.

Slowly whisk the almond milk into the large skillet and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. It’s okay if this mixture is lumpy. Carefully transfer the sauce to a blender. Add lemon juice, dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, and vegan parmesan to the blender and season with salt and pepper. Blend, taste, and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary.

Set oven to broil on high. Melt the vegan butter in a microwave or small skillet. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, panko breadcrumbs, and a pinch of salt.

Return the cheese sauce to the large skillet and place over medium-low heat. Add as much or as little of the green chiles as you’d like to the sauce. Bring sauce to a simmer and stir in cooked pasta. Transfer mac n’ cheese to a 8x8 baking dish and top with buttery breadcrumbs. Broil until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Rinse the large nonstick skillet and place over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Once hot, add the broccoli florets and remaining garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 tbsp water to create steam and cover. Cook until broccoli is just tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Scoop servings of creamy mac n’ cheese onto large plates. Serve with garlic broccoli. Dig in!