Honey Lime Chicken Fajitas

 I rarely go to Mexican restaurants anymore, because it is so easy to make delicious Mexican food at home. This recipe takes ordinary chicken fajitas over the top. The combination of the sweet honey with the zippy lime juice and authentic seasoning brings so much flavor to this chicken, which is made to be wrapped up in warm tortillas with sauteed onions and peppers. Don't forget the salsa!

Honey Lime Chicken Fajitas
A sweet and zesty marinade coats tender chicken.
Serves 4

1/2 cup lime juice, from about 4 limes

1/3 cup honey
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. cayenne
Salt & Pepper
1 T canola oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Flour tortillas, cheddar cheese, sauteed onions, and sauteed peppers, for serving

Combine lime juice, honey, garlic and cayenne in a large bowl. Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Add chicken breasts and toss to coat. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Pre-heat oil in a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breast and cook on each side until done, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from pan and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice in strips. Serve with warm flour tortillas, cheddar cheese, sauteed onions, and sauteed peppers.

Recipe by Sarah Lang

Year-Round Salsa

Salsa is so delicious in the summer when the tomatoes are ripe, but what about the winter? I still crave that fresh tomato taste of zesty salsa, but don't want to use bland tomatoes. The solution is in the pantry, as canned tomatoes are perfect for salsa! Break out your food processor, dump everything into the bowl, and blend it up. You'll have delicious, fresh salsa all year round, that tastes so much better than jarred!

Year-Round Salsa
Fresh and flavorful, and made with ingredients in your pantry!
Makes 3 cups

1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 of an onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds removed (unless you want it spicy!)
1/2 of a green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 32 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp. salt
2 T. lime juice (1 lime)
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. sugar

Put the cilantro, onion, garlic, jalapeno and bell pepper in the bowl of a food processor or blender, and pulse a few times to combine. Add tomatoes, salt, lime juice, cumin and sugar, and blend until totally mixed, about 10 seconds. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or sugar, if needed. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe by Sarah Lang

Slow Cooker Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes

There is nothing better on a chilly Sunday afternoon than firing up the slow cooker. The sumptuous smell of slow-cooked meat fills the house with an intoxicating aroma. Short ribs work great in a slow cooker because the meat becomes meltingly tender and luscious. The sauce of red wine and chicken broth gets a kick from balsamic vinegar, and reduces to perfection. There is a little bit of work involved to get this recipe ready for the slow cooker, but it is so worthwhile. Removing the meat and bones and heating the bones in the microwave first removes excess fat and increases the depth of flavor. Serve the meat and sauce over perfect mashed potatoes for a heartwarming winter meal.

Slow Cooker Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs
Tender meat in a rich sauce served over buttery mashed potatoes.
Serves 4

3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, meat and bones separated
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped medium
1 carrot, peeled and chopped medium
1 celery rib, chopped medium
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups dry red wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Arrange beef bones in a dish and microwave  until well browned, 10 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.

Dry short ribs with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown short ribs well on all sides, 5-7 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.

Add onions, carrot, celery, tomato paste, and thyme to fat in skillet and cook over medium-high heat until onions are softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in wine and vinegar, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Bring to simmer and cook until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.

Stir broth and bay leaves into slow cooker. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9 to 11 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.

Transfer short ribs to serving platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon. Strain braising liquid, discarding solids, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon 1 cup sauce over short ribs and serve with remaining sauce.

Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Mashed Potatoes
You can't beat a classic! Buttery mashed potatoes are the perfect bed for short ribs.
Serves 4

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in even pieces
1 cup milk, roomtemperature
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper

Place potatoes in pan and cover completely with cold water. Heat over high heat until boiling, boil for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain, then return to same pot, cover and let sit (not on the heat) to dry, 5 minutes. Add butter and slowly add milk, mashing until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve hot with short ribs and extra sauce.

Recipe by Sarah Lang

Pasta with Homemade Pesto

I love making a big batch of pesto and keeping half in the fridge and half in the freezer. I use it all week as a spread on sandwiches, mixed into potato salad, smeared onto bruschetta, in soup, and  mixed with lemon juice for flavorful salad dressing. My all time favorite way to serve pesto is with pasta. When mixed with pasta water it creates a silky sauce that clings to the noodles and is loaded with fresh herb flavor. Here is my favorite pesto recipe. Make a big batch and enjoy!

Pasta with Homemade Pesto
A silky, fresh sauce that tastes great on everything!
Pasta serves 2, pesto makes 4 cups

1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts- or you may use all walnuts)

3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. pasta


Make pesto (4 cups):
Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Reserve 1 cup of the pesto and save the rest in the fridge or freezer for another time.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is almost done cooking use a liquid measuring cup to scoop out 3/4 cups pasta water from the pot. Drain pasta, then add back to hot pot. Stir in pesto and pasta water, 1/4 cup water at a time, until sauce coats pasta. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Avocado, Tomato and Red Onion Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

This is a stunning, simple, and delicious salad that pairs beautifully with a meat main course, or can be served on it's own with a fresh baguette. The sweet tomatoes, creamy avocado, and vibrant onion flavor combine beautifully with the salty blue cheese dressing. With so few ingredients in this dish, make sure they're the best. In season tomatoes, ripe avocados and good quality blue cheese make a difference. And trust me on the baguette, you'll want to use it to sop up any extra dressing left behind!

Avocado, Tomato and Red Onion Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing A beautiful and simple salad that is sure to impress.
Serves 2 

2 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 avocado, flesh removed and sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

Blue Cheese Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
1 tsp hot sauce, such as Crystal or Tabasco
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. lemon juice (about half a lemon)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Arrange salad ingredients on a large plate or serving platter. Combine Blue Cheese Dressing in a medium bowl, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour desired amount of dressing over salad. Top with extra crumbled blue cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe by Sarah Lang

Beer Battered Fish with Tartar Sauce

I am a sucker for a piece of moist, flaky fish coated in a crispy beer batter and dipped in cool creamy tartar sauce. But, I've always hesitated making it at home, as it involves "deep frying." Here's where I was wrong- you don't need a deep fryer to make this dish. All you need is a big pot (I love my Dutch oven) and enough oil to cover the fish, along with a simple thermometer. You simply coat the fish in flour, then in the beer batter, then back in the flour, and dunk it in the oil to fry until it's cooked through and moist on the inside, and crispy and flavorful on the outside. Served with lemon, tartar sauce, oven fries and cole slaw, this meal is a real crowd pleaser!

Beer Battered Fish
Crispy and flavorful, you don't have to go out to eat to enjoy this English staple!
Serves 4

3 quarts peanut oil (or canola oil), plus 1/4 additional cup
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 pounds 1-inch-thick cod fillet (or other thick white fish, such as hake or haddock) cut into eight 3-ounce pieces
1 1/2 cups beer (12 ounces), cold

Whisk flour, cornstarch, cayenne, paprika, pepper, and 2 teaspoons salt in large mixing bowl; transfer 3/4 cup of mixture to rimmed baking sheet. Add baking powder to bowl and whisk to combine.

In heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat 2 quarts oil over medium heat to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, thoroughly dry fish with paper towels and dredge each piece in flour mixture on baking sheet; transfer pieces to wire rack, shaking off excess flour. Add 1 1/4 cups beer to flour mixture in mixing bowl and stir until mixture is just combined (batter will be lumpy). Add remaining beer as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition, until batter falls from whisk in thin, steady stream and leaves faint trail across surface of batter. Using tongs, dip 1 piece fish in batter and let excess run off, shaking gently. Place battered fish back onto baking sheet with flour mixture and turn to coat both sides. Repeat with remaining fish, keeping pieces in single layer on baking sheet.

When oil reaches 375 degrees, increase heat to high and add battered fish to oil with tongs, gently shaking off excess flour. Fry, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer fish to paper towels to drain. Serve hot with lemon.

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Tartar Sauce
The perfect compliment to crispy battered fish.
Makes 3/4 cup

1/2 cup good mayonnaise
2 tablespoons small-diced pickles or cornichons
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or mini chopper fitted with a steel blade and pulse several times until the pickles are finely chopped and all the ingredients are well mixed but not pureed.

Recipe by Ina Garten

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu

If you like Italian pasta dishes with rich, flavorful meat sauce, this dish is for you! The ground lamb is cooked with red wine, tomatoes, and spices until reduced and bursting with rich flavors, and then is tossed with tender pappardelle noodles. The finished dish is topped with a scoop of creamy ricotta cheese that melts into the sauce, and brings the whole dish to another level. My husband said this is one of the best meals I've ever made, and I loved it just as much as he did. You'll impress anyone with this dish!

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu
A mouth-watering sauce with plenty of red wine and garlic and flavorful ground lamb, served with tender pappardelle noodles to soak up the sauce!.
Serves 6

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 celery rib, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground lamb
2 teaspoons ground coriander
3 teaspoons herbes de provence (a blend featuring thyme, rosemary, fennel, lavender)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
3/4 pound pappardelle
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped mint
In a large cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, lamb, coriander, fennel, cumin, rosemary and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the stock and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook over moderately low heat until the liquid is slightly reduced, 25 to 30 minutes.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, shaking well. Add the pasta to the sauce. Add the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and toss over low heat. Serve the pasta in bowls, topped with the ricotta and mint.

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine