Spiced Roast Chicken With Tangy Yogurt Sauce

Adapted from NYT Cooking, https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023359-spiced-roast-chicken-with-tangy-yogurt-sauce

Note: The original NYT recipe makes a great shawarma-style pita sandwich, like you'd get from a halal cart in Manhattan. But the chicken is an easy, tasty, and quick meal and can be served with any leftover tzatziki. I served it with Costco mini-naan bites and some leftover sauce from Jerusalem Sliders.

For the Roasted Chicken
¼ cup canola oil
5 garlic cloves, minced (or use garlic oil)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1½ teaspoons ground paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon granulated onion (optional; omit for low-FODMAP)
1 tablespoon dried cilantro
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus wedges for serving
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and black pepper (optional; I forgot and it still tasted great)

For the White Sauce
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
A big pinch of granulated garlic
A big pinch of granulated onion
Salt and black pepper

To Serve:
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 medium tomatoes, diced
Warm pita bread 

Hot sauce/sriracha (optional)

Directions:

Prepare the chicken: Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, fresh garlic, coriander, paprika, cumin, oregano and granulated onion with half of the cilantro and half of the lemon juice; mix well. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and toss to evenly coat.

Spread the seasoned chicken in a single layer on a large sheet pan (covered in aluminum foil for easy clean up!) and roast until golden and caramelized, about 20 minutes.

While the chicken roasts, make the white sauce: In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, granulated garlic and granulated onion; season with salt and pepper, then mix well; set aside.

Divide chicken, lettuce and tomatoes among 4 plates and drizzle with some of the white sauce. Serve with lemon wedges, plus pita and hot sauce, if using.

Buttermilk Cornbread

Adapted from All Recipes https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/76594/grandmothers-buttermilk-cornbread/

Makes one 8x8 pan (can also be baked in a pie plate)

Ingredients

½ cup butter
⅔ cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square pan or small pie plate.

Melt butter in a large microwave-proof glass bowl. Stir in sugar. Quickly whisk in eggs.

In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and baking soda; whisk mixture into the large bowl. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well-blended and only a few lumps remain.

Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Banana Oat Muffins

Adapted from All Recipes https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/6714/banana-oat-muffins/

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or a combination of wheat and white; gluten free also works)
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
¾ cup milk
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed bananas (3 frozen-and-thawed bananas)


Directions

Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine oats and milk. Allow to soak for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt; set aside.

Add egg, oil, and vanilla to milk and oats and stir well. Add mashed bananas and stir.

Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.

Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, 18 to 20 minutes.

Thai Curry Risotto With Squash and Green Beans*

Adapted from https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021947-thai-curry-risotto-with-squash-and-green-beans

Gingery Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Adapted from NYT Cooking https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024295-gingery-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce

4 servings, 30 min

Ingredients

2 tablespoons finely grated or minced fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced (or omit and use garlic-infused oil instead)
1 teaspoon ground cumin, more for serving
1 teaspoon table salt, more as needed
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 pound ground turkey
½ cup panko or plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, more for serving
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon soy sauce
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 lime, halved

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon ginger, the garlic, cumin, salt and coriander. Add turkey, bread crumbs, and cilantro. Using your hands, gently mix everything together, making sure not to overwork the mixture. (Otherwise, the meatballs get tough.) Form into 1¼-inch balls.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high, then add the oil and let it heat up until it thins out. Add meatballs in one layer. Cook, turning and shaking the pan, until meatballs are browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes.

Move meatballs to one side of the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger to the empty side of the pan and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, soy sauce and a pinch of salt to the empty side of the pan. When tomatoes are simmering, cover the pan, lower the heat to medium, and let cook until the meatballs are no longer pink at the center, about 5 to 8 minutes longer.

Uncover the pan. Mix the scallions into the sauce. Squeeze lime juice all over everything, then stir together. Taste, and add salt and lime juice as needed. Serve the meatballs sprinkled with more cumin and topped with cilantro.

Turmeric-Black Pepper Chicken With Green Beans

Adapted from NYT Cooking https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020970-turmeric-black-pepper-chicken-with-asparagus

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons honey
¾ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons ground turmeric
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon coconut or canola oil
12 ounces green beans, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar or soy sauce
1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)

Directions

In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together ¼ cup water with the honey, pepper and ½ teaspoon salt; set honey mixture aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and toss until coated.

In a medium (10-inch) nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook until the turmeric is fragrant and the chicken is golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate.

Add the green beans to the skillet, season with salt, stir and cook until crisp-tender, 5 minutes.

Return chicken to the skillet, add the honey mixture and cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with jasmine rice and lime squeezed over top, if you like. 

Shrimp Pasta

Adapted from NYT Cooking https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024631-shrimp-pasta

Yield: 4 to 6 servings 

Ingredients

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1 pound long pasta, such as linguine, fettuccine or spaghetti
1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp (18 to 20 count), tails on or off
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup thinly sliced garlic (about 7 cloves)
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste
½ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
Lemon zest, for serving

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Scoop out ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander and return it to the pot.

Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and season with ½ teaspoon salt. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the tomatoes have burst, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the wine and reserved pasta water, bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, until slightly reduced. Stir in the shrimp and cook until they are just starting to turn opaque, about 3 minutes. Pour the sauce and the shrimp over the pasta and toss well. Add the parsley and toss again.

Transfer the pasta to bowls. Top with the lemon zest and more parsley. Sprinkle on more crushed red pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.