Baked Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients:

2 tsp smoked paprika
1½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1½ tsp kosher salt 
½ teaspoon black pepper
8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 pounds)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Step 1
Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Step 2
In a small bowl, combine the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and mix with one of the measuring spoons.

Step 3
Pat the drumsticks dry with a paper towel and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle the drumsticks with the olive oil and toss to coat, then sprinkle with the spice mixture and toss again until well-coated.

Step 4
Arrange the drumsticks, evenly spaced, on the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for 15 to 20 more minutes, until the drumsticks are browned and cooked through. (An internal thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of a drumstick should register at least 165 degrees, and preferably closer to 175 degrees.)

Step 5
Serve hot or warm. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, bake at 350 degrees, loosely wrapped in foil, for about 20 minutes, until heated through. To recrisp the skin, adjust heat to 425 degrees, unwrap the foil and cook for 5 minutes more.

(from nytimes cooking)

Snap Pea Salad With Walnuts and Parmesan

Ingredients

• Salt and black pepper 
• Ice, as needed
• 0.5 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed (about 3 cups)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice (from 1 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 0.5 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1.5 oz Parmesan or pecorino, shaved with a vegetable peeler (about 1⁄3 cup)
• Fresh dill (optional)

Directions:

Step 1
Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of salted ice water. Drop peas into the boiling water and cook until bright-green and crisp-tender, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain the peas, then transfer them to ice water to cool completely. Drain well, shaking the colander.

Step 2
Return the snap peas to the empty bowl. Add the lemon zest and juice, mustard and a generous grinding of pepper. Stir vigorously until the peas are evenly coated. Stir in the walnuts, Parmesan and fresh dill, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve at room temperature or cold. The salad can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days. 

(adapted from nytimes cooking)

Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

For the Burgers

½ medium onion
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
¾ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 hamburger buns, preferably whole wheat
1 tablespoon canola oil, or use pan spray
Thin slices of Cheddar, optional

For Serving

Sliced tomato
Sliced onion
Iceberg lettuce
Pickles
Sliced red pepper
Ketchup and mustard

Preparation

Grate the onion on the fine holes of a grater. You should have about two tablespoons of grated onion (and a lot of juice, which you can discard). Place in a bowl with the ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper. Using a fork, mix together well. Shape into four patties — the mixture will be quite moist — and press the patties into ½-inch thick rounds.

Heat the canola oil in a nonstick griddle or large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. (Alternately, spray the griddle or pan with pan spray.) When you can feel the heat while holding your hand just above griddle or pan, cook the patties for five minutes on each side, topping with slices of Cheddar, if desired, after the first flip. Serve burgers on buns, with the condiments of your choice.

(from cooking,nytimes.com)

Chicken Au Poivre

Ingredients

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns [optional]
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
3 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus more for garnishing
Crusty bread or egg noodles (optional), for serving

Directions

[optional step!] Place peppercorns in a small resealable bag. Using a mallet or the bottom of a saucepan, gently crush the peppercorns until coarsely cracked. (Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle.) Set aside.

In a 12-inch cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat oil over medium. Season chicken with salt. In two batches, sear chicken until light golden all over, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate. Pour off any remaining oil in the skillet.

Add butter and shallot to the skillet and cook, stirring, until butter is melted and shallot is softened, 1 minute. Add broth, heavy cream, thyme sprigs and cracked peppercorns and mix well, stirring to lift up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add chicken (and any accumulated juices), bring to a simmer and cook, turning and basting occasionally with the sauce, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes.

Divide chicken among 4 serving plates and discard thyme.

Add lemon juice to the skillet and stir until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and stir in parsley.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken and garnish with more parsley. Serve with crusty bread or egg noodles, if desired.

(from cooking.nytimes.com)

Sheila's Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 can of pumpkin puree 

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/3 cups of oil (vegetable or avocado)
3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

(optional) chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and spray two standard sized breads pans (or 1 mini breadpan + 12 muffins, or 24 muffins). 

Mix eggs, pumpkin puree, sugar and oil.

Separately, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Combine all together and throw in chocolate chips if you want. Bake for an hour (if 2 bread pans), ~45-50 min for muffins.

Sheet-Pan Sausage Meatballs With Tomatoes and Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 head broccoli florets or 2 bunches broccolini, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
½ pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (about 3 cups)
¼ cup olive oil, plus more as needed
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Kosher salt
¾ pound bulk spicy or sweet Italian sausage (or fresh sausages removed from casing)
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1 loaf soft Italian bread, split lengthwise
3 to 5 small garlic cloves, grated or minced

Directions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees with one rack in the lower third and one in the upper. On one sheet pan, combine the tomatoes, broccoli and mushrooms with ¼ cup oil. Season with 1 teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes and salt to taste. Toss to combine, then arrange the tomatoes so they are cut-side up. Roll the sausage into 1-inch balls. (There should be about 30.) Distribute them around the vegetables. Sprinkle the entire sheet pan with 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, brush the cut sides of the bread with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil. Spread the grated garlic on the bread, then sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon oregano and salt to taste. Cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces. Grease another sheet pan with olive oil, then place the bread on the pan, cut-side up.

After 15 minutes, gently shake the pan to flip the meatballs. Sprinkle the entire pan with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan, concentrating your efforts on the tomatoes and the empty pan edges so that some Parmesan has room to crisp. Return the meatball sheet pan to the lowest rack and place the bread sheet pan on the higher rack. Roast until the bread is golden at the edges, the broccoli tips are crispy and the meatballs are cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. (If the broccoli and meatballs need a little more time, remove the bread from the oven, cover loosely with foil and continue to roast the other sheet pan for 5 more minutes.)

Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any cheese that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. Serve everything with the garlic bread and more grated cheese.

(from nytimes.com)

Smashed Chicken Burgers

Ingredients:

½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 lime, juiced (optional)
8 cheddar slices for topping
1 small shallot, minced (about ¼ cup)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 pound ground chicken, preferably dark meat
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 brioche or burger buns, lightly toasted

Directions

In a small serving bowl, combine the mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon mustard. Season to taste with salt and the juice of 1 lime wedge.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine 1 cup parsley with the grated cheese, shallot, garlic, cumin and red-pepper flakes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the Dijon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken and gently combine. Form into 4 large, round balls.

Heat a 12-inch cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high until very hot, 1½ to 2 minutes. Add the neutral oil or ghee, then add the chicken meatballs, spacing them out in the pan. Use a metal spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to press them until they form ½-inch thick patties. Cook without moving for 3 to 4 minutes, until a deep golden crust has formed on the bottom and they easily release from the pan. Flip the patties using a sturdy spatula and cook until cooked through with a nice crust on both sides, about 3 minutes more. If the patties need more time, you can cover the pan and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to avoid scorching. A minute or two before they’re done, set 2 slices of Cheddar cheese on top of each patty to melt.

Place the burgers on the buns, slather with Dijon mayonnaise, and top with a little of the greens and avocado from the salad. 

(from nytimes.com)