I was perusing the recipes on the NYT Cooking App, and I saw this one. Besides it looks so delicious, it said “Total Time 15 minutes.” OK – for that alone I had to give it a go in the Delaney Test Kitchen.
 
This absolutely delicious. My only mistake was the heat. And depending on who you talk to, maybe it wasn't a mistake. I could not find Thai or serrano chiles at Trader Joe’s, so I went with a jalapeno. I do not know how to tell if a jalapeno will be hot or not. Some are scorching and others quite bland. This one was kicking. My lips were tingling - it was a bit much for my taste, but my husband loved it.

On the Times site, they mention that you can use the ground chicken, but can easily replace it with ground pork, sliced beef or chicken, or even sliced mushrooms. We loved it with the ground chicken, so I think I sill stick to that.
 
And as for the 15 minutes as suggested? I was done cooking before my rice cooker was even done. That is a total win for me, especially on a night busy with soccer practices.
 

Kua Kling (Southern Thai-Style Red Curry)
 
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
¼ Cup Thai red curry paste (ideally one with makrut lime, lemongrass and shrimp paste)
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 Thai or serrano chiles, thinly sliced, or to taste
1 lb ground chicken
½ tsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
¼ tsp freshly grated lime zest
 
For serving:
Rice, sliced cabbage, chopped herbs, sliced avocado, chopped cucumber, and optional fried egg
 
 
PREPARATION
 
Step 1:
In a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, warm the oil and toast the curry paste, turmeric and chiles (if using) until extremely fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir and lower heat as needed to prevent sticking.
 
Step 2:
Add the chicken and cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon. Stir to coat the meat in the curry paste and to prevent sticking, and cook until the chicken is opaque, 7 to 10 minutes. If everything is sticking, don’t panic — just add a little water or neutral oil.
 
Step 3:
Stir in the brown sugar, fish sauce and lime zest, and cook just until the liquid’s been absorbed, about 1 minute. Season to taste with more brown sugar and fish sauce. (The chicken should be spicy first, salty second.) Serve at once with desired toppings.

I just got my September issue of Food & Wine Magazine, and it is filled with some fabulous recipes for Fall.  This one looked like a winner for the Delaney Test Kitchen, and I was right. It took 35 minutes total, has a good amount of protein for my athletes, and I always love a soup with kale. It was a really nice soup for a cozy day. 

While I used hot Italian sausage as per the recipe, I felt like it could have used some more heat. So next time I’ll be adding some red pepper flakes while the kale is wilting.

I served it with fresh French bread so soak up all the goodness.
Side note:  it made a lot of food. I let the extra cool and then stored it in mason jars in the fridge. It will keep for up to four days. To reheat it, just pour it into into a saucepan and heat it over medium low heat. We will definitely be making this again. Happy Autumn!

Creamy Tuscan Chickpea Soup
Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 Cup finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 8 Cups chicken stock
• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups torn kale leaves (about 1 small bunch)
• 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup), plus more for garnish (optional)
• 1/4 Cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt

PREPARATION:

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add sausage; cook, stirring often and breaking into small crumbles using a wooden spoon, until sausage is rendered and browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Add onion and celery to Dutch oven; cook, stirring often and scraping bottom of pot to loosen any browned bits, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in stock and chickpeas; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, until flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Spoon off and discard any foam that rises to the surface.
3. Add kale to Dutch oven; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese, cream, basil, and salt. Divide soup evenly among bowls, and garnish with additional cheese, if desired.

In honor of my 29th (!) wedding anniversary, I thought it was time to add “Marry Me Chicken” to the blog. This is one of our favorites that I’ve been making for years, and only recently realized I had not added it – so here it is.

I have tried a few versions of this recipe, but my favorite is the one from NYT Cooking.  As they said  “This cozy dish, which went viral on TikTok with claims that if you prepare it for someone, you will end up getting married, features boneless chicken breasts nestled in a creamy, tomato-y sauce. With wedding bells in mind or not, this dish comes together fairly quickly and is just as great for entertaining as it is for a family meal.”

That is perfectly stated in my opinion. Plus - it is an easy, a one pan dish (bonus) and the sauce is so yummy thanks to the sun dried tomatoes and the tomato paste. I recommend serving this over rice (if you cook it in the rice cooker, it still only counts as a one pan meal!), or with fresh crusty bread from the bakery or that you cooked earlier using my favorite recipe for The Easiest Loaf of Bread.
 
Marry Me Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
·       3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 6 chicken cutlets (about 2¼ pounds total), patted dry
·       Kosher salt and black pepper
·       ¼ cup all-purpose flour
·       3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
·       3 t Tbsp unsalted butter
·       3 garlic cloves, chopped
·       1 Tbsp tomato paste
·       ½ tsp dried oregano 
·       Red-pepper flakes, to taste  
·       1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
·       ½ to ¾ cup heavy cream
·       ½ cup (1½ ounces) grated Parmesan
·       ⅓ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
·       Fresh basil, for serving
 
PREPARATION:

Step 1:
If using chicken breasts, start from the thickest end and slice each chicken breast in half horizontally so you end up with a total of 6 cutlets (see Tip). Season both sides of the chicken cutlets well with salt and pepper.

Step 2:
Scatter the flour on a large plate and coat the cutlets, shaking off the excess. Transfer the cutlets to a sheet pan or large plate in a single layer.

Step 3:
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. As soon as it melts, add the cutlets and cook until golden on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook the other side until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Do this in batches, if needed, adding more oil, if needed. Transfer the cutlets to a plate or sheet pan.

Step 4:
Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring until the color deepens, about 2 minutes. Add the oregano and red-pepper flakes, to taste.

Step 5:
Increase the heat to medium, add the stock and bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Step 6:
Add ½ cup of the cream and warm through, stirring, until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Watch the cream closely, reducing the heat if necessary, to maintain a gentle simmer. Stir in the Parmesan and the sun-dried tomatoes. Add more cream, if you like, and season the sauce.

Step 7:
​ Place the chicken back in the pan to warm through, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and scatter basil on top.

Nando's is very popular in my house, so when my husband sent me the recipe for Nando's Peri Peri Chicken on IG from @archerkitchen, I knew we had to give it a go in the Delaney Test Kitchen. And it did not disappoint.

There's a lot of chopping to help engage others (children) in the dinner process, but once it starts cooking it is super easy.
And it is easy to regular the level of heat for a variety of palates.
Enjoy!



One Pan Peri Peri Chicken & Rice
​
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red chili pepper, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp Nando’s Peri Peri seasoning*, divided
• 150g basmatic Rice (approx. 5.3 oz)
• 350 ml chicken stock (approx. 12 oz)
• 600g chicken (boneless, skinless) (approx.1.3lbs)
• 30g grated cheddar (I used ¼ cup)
• 1 Tbsp Nando’s Peri Peri marinade sauce (as garnish)

 
*Note: I was unable to find Nando’s seasoning so I made my own mixture of chili and lime seasoning, cumin, paprika and oregano and it worked great.

PREPARATION:

1. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, zucchini, bell pepper and chili along with 1 Tbsp of the Peri Peri seasoning until vegetables are softened.

2. Add the chicken to the pan along with the remaining 1 Tbsp of the Peri Peri seasoning and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Stir in the basmatic rice and the chicken stock. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the stock has been absorbed.
​
4. Sprinkle the grated cheddar over the top, and allow it to melt. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp of Nando’s Peri Peri marinade sauce and Enjoy!

I found this recipe in the December/January issue of Allrecipes.com, and it looked liked it checked all the boxes for the Fam so I gave it a try in the Delaney Test Kitchen.  And by that I mean it was only supposed to take 20 minutes total. What!?  This one really was so easy, and the sauce was delish.  The red pepper flakes at the end really give it the flavor it is missing otherwise, which is great because then everyone can regulate their desired level heat for themselves.  We were still at the table when I was asked to add to to our regular rotation. For me, that is a win!  

Bulgogi-Style Skillet Chicken
Ingredients

• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• ​
  

Directions
1. For sauce: Whisk together white and light green parts of the green onion, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl until marinade is smooth.

2. Cook and stir chicken and marinade together in a large skillet over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
​
​3.  Divide rice and chicken evenly among four bowls and drizzle with sauce from the skillet. Garnish with reserved  dark green onion. Serve with crushed red pepper.

 I am so tired of the Air-Fryer taking up room in my kitchen that I am committed to finding other purposed for it other than wings, fries and tater tots, and Brussels sprouts. This is the first recipe I tried that was a good alternative.  I love scallops, but since no one else in my house does, I try to keep the portions small. This was also super quick, so I could easily replicate it for just me one one of those rare nights that I have to myself, or even for a wfh lunch.

As a busy working mom, I am always on the lookout for yummy one-pot dinners. This one is actually two posts - one for boiling the pasta and one for everything else - but it was still easy.  And this one was a bonus for the Delaney Test Kitchen since it has pasta in it – which is beige, and thus very popular in my house. 

This was a HUGE hit!  And I even caught the boys actually eating the greens instead of picking them out.  That is a solid win in my book.  I’ve been asked to add this into our regular dinner rotation. And if you are worried about it being too spicy, it wasn't.  It had just a light little kick that amped up the flavor.
 
Pasta With Andouille Sausage, Beans and Greens

INGREDIENTS:

·       Salt and black pepper
·       1 pound rigatoni or any pasta with ridges
·       2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
·       12 ounces Andouille sausage, diced
·       1 shallot, minced
·       2 garlic cloves, minced
·       1 bunch collard greens, stems discarded, leaves coarsely chopped (4 1/2 cups)
·       1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
·       1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
·       1 cup diced fresh tomato (from 1 large)
·       ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
·       ¼ cup thinly sliced chives
·       1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges, for serving
·       ¼ cup grated Parmesan, for serving

PREPARATION:
 
1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to the package’s instructions.

2.  Meanwhile, heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 2 minutes.

3.  Add collard greens and toss to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the thyme, cannellini beans and tomatoes and toss to warm through. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain pasta. Return pasta to the empty pot and set over medium-low. Add the sausage mixture and toss to combine, gradually adding the reserved pasta water as needed to create a sauce.

5.  Remove from the heat and sprinkle with parsley, chives, lemon zest and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and serve with lemon wedges.

So.many.eggplants. And zucchinis. And my dill plant is seriously out of control. Oh my! This is an issue every summer, right? This recipe is awesome because it uses all of that, plus feta.  This was easy and all in one pot (bonus).  To be honest, the boys had no interest in these things mixed in with the pasta so we had a fabulous dinner with plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day for both of us. ) The boys just had plain pasta – their loss.)
 
​
The recipe says you can use parsley or basil instead of the dill, but I loved the fragrance of the dill combined with the saltiness of the feta.
 
And this makes an enormous amount of food, so it needs a seriously big big non-stick skillet.  I got to use the pretty blue enamelware nonstick skillet from Bruntmore that I got for Mother’s Day last year. 
 
I will definitely be making this one again.

Eggplant and Zucchini Pasta with Feta and Dill
 

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound eggplant (about 2 small eggplants), cut into 1-inch cubes (about 7 cups)
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound green zucchini or yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons (about 5 cups)
• 1 pound mezze rigatoni or any short pasta
• 8 ounces crumbled feta (about 1 1/2 cups)
•  ¼ cup chopped fresh dill

 
PREPARATION
 
1.     Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
 
2.     Add 2 tablespoons oil and zucchini to skillet and season with salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes.
 
3.     While the vegetables cook, boil the pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water and drain pasta. Return pasta and reserved cooking water to pot over medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 cup of cheese and cook, stirring, until the cheese melts and forms a sauce, about 2 minutes. Stir in zucchini, eggplant and dill; season with salt and pepper.
 
4.     Serve pasta in bowls and top with remaining cheese.

I am so tired of my standard chicken recipes, and I seem to have a lot of extra buttermilk around these days from all of my baking experiments. So I was excited to come across this recipe for Buttermilk-Brined Roast Chicken from NYT Cooking.  This recipe is adapted from Samin Nosrat’s "Salt Fat Acid Heat" (which I loved) and is inspired by the Southern grandma method of marinating chicken overnight in buttermilk before frying it.  This was an easy recipe to follow, and as promised the skin was nice and crispy and the chicken was juicy and perfect. The boys made it disappear.  We’ll be adding this to the rotation.  The only thing that makes this a little tricky is that you need to think about it the night before so that it has time to properly marinate. And since you have to take it out of the fridge an hour ahead of cooking, my recommendation is to cook this on a Friday or Saturday night when you may have just a little bit more time. Beyond that, enjoy! And let me know how yours turns out!

​For the second test kitchen trial of the NYT’s special sheet-pan dinner section from February 2021, we tried the Sheet-Pan Sausages and Brussels Sprouts with Honey Mustard.  And it was a huge win. I did not vary from the recipe as is except that I chose not use add the options yellow mustard seeds or chopped nuts.  But I did use hot Italian Sausage, and that gave it a nice kick along with the mustard flavor.  I think without that it may have been a little too bland. I served them with mashed potatoes to make sure my little athletes also got the carbs that they need. I encourage you to add it to your busy weeknight meal rotation, too!
 
Here’s the recipe as I used it:
 
Sheet-pan Sausages and Brussels Sprouts with Honey Mustard
 
INGREDIENTS:
·       1 pound fresh sausage, such as sweet or hot Italian, or bratwurst
·       1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
·       1 pound small potatoes, like baby Yukon gold or red potatoes, halved
·       2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
·        Kosher salt and black pepper
·       4 teaspoons honey
·       1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
 
PREPARATION:
1.    Heat oven to 450 degrees, and place a sheet pan in the oven. Score the sausages in a few places on both sides, making sure not to cut all the way through. Transfer to a large bowl with the brussels sprouts, potatoes and 2 tablespoons olive oil, and stir until coated. (If the mixture seems dry, add a little more oil.) Season with salt and pepper.

2.    Spread the mixture in an even layer on the heated baking sheet, and arrange the vegetables cut-sides down. Roast 15 minutes, until the brussels sprouts and potatoes start to soften. (The sausages will not be cooked through yet.)

3.    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the honey, and mustard.
​
4.    Drizzle the honey mustard over the sausages and vegetables, and toss or shake to coat. Flip the sausages. Roast until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are golden and tender, another 10 minutes or so. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

This is an easy, yummy recipe that evolved over time. Plus its only one dish, which makes cleanup easy.
 
Ingredients:
16oz box of ziti, penne, or rigatoni
One onion
One green pepper
8oz of cottage cheese
8oz neufchatel cream cheese
32oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce (we prefer Michaels of Brooklyn’s Home Style Gravy)
4oz of low fat shredded mozzarella (1/2 a package)
Pam or olive oil cooking spray                    
 
And for this recipe, I use a 3Qt. pyrex glass rectangular baking dish
 
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as per the box instructions (usually around 11 minutes).
Step 2: Place the Neufchatel cheese (still in the wrapper) near the pasta pot to help soften it to make it easier for mixing later.
Step 3: Slice a medium sized onion into chunks.
Step 4: Remove the seeds from the green pepper and cut in to small chunks.
Step 5: Lightly spray the inside of the baking dish with Pam.
Step 6: When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and then add to the pyrex dish.
Step 5: Mix the pasta with the peppers and onions.
Step 6: Mix in the cottage cheese, and remove the wrapper from the Neufchatel cheese to add it as well.
Step 7: Once thoroughly mixed, pour the pasta sauce over the top. Mix it to make sure it is evenly distributed throughout the dish.
Step 8: Sprinkle the top with the shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese.
Step 9: Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes.