Autumn Waldorf Chicken Salad (AKA “Falldorf” Chicken Salad)
Excuse me, but I have a bone to pick with time. It’s moving too fast.
After over eighteen months of this global panini, it suddenly feels like the world is holding down the accelerator to get back to “normal” while still figuring out how to drive. Meanwhile, I’m the dad in the passenger seat slamming on imaginary brakes.
I want to get back to living a normal life just as much as the next person, but a tiny part of me doesn’t feel ready. First of all, if I’m being *real* honest and vulnerable, I’m still getting over the heartbreak of watching live music vanish in front of my eyes last March. On the other hand, despite the sadness, I enjoyed being forced to slow down. I have loved not having to live out of a suitcase, getting to actually have weekends, and suddenly having all the time in the world to plan and cook delicious meals. Also, I’ve finally gotten to pursue my dream of turning this blog into a business. NBFD!!!!!
I’m truly not complaining (I’m grateful to have stuff going on), but when your personal and professional schedules suddenly go from zero to sixty, it can be a little scary. But, since there’s not much I can do to slow this transition (it was going to happen eventually!) all I can do is control how I respond.
Naturally, I am responding with food.
My Favorite Shepherd’s Pie
Happy Pi(e) Day! Since I’ve never been great at math, I’m all about celebrating 3/14 with something I AM great at: (edible) pies. While I am known for going all out with my lattice-top pies, I tend to reserve that 4-hour undertaking for the night before Thanksgiving. That’s why today, I figured I’d celebrate with a pie of a different, lower-maintenance breed – My Favorite Shepherd’s Pie!
Before we dive in though, I just want to take this moment to share a piping hot take with you – I think using “The Best” as a superlative for recipes is annoying. THERE, I SAID IT. Before you come for me, I’m not saying there aren’t reasons for it (like, SEO… or the recipe actually being very good). I’m just saying, if you search online for a recipe that is “the best” of its kind, you will undoubtedly be met with a confusing flood of results. How are we supposed to know who’s telling the truth?
Case in point: When you Google “best banana bread,” SO many results come up that the first related search Google suggests is “best banana bread in the world.” I’m not joking. THE PEOPLE WILL NEVER BE SATISFIED IF WE GO ON LIKE THIS.
So instead, I’m going with “My Favorite .”
Who can get mad at that? Even if I was the only person in the world who felt that way, I wouldn’t be wrong.
I also can’t in good conscience profess that this shepherd’s pie is “the best” – because it’s not trying to be. The recipe is non-traditional, so I can’t and don’t want to compare it to any other. It’s just really good – so good that I have found myself making it over and over and over again this year. The filling is juicy and savory, the potato topping is a little bit sweet, a little bit creamy, and a LOT fluffy. Did I mention it reheats well and there are ways to make it ahead?
If you try it, I am sure you will love it. But even if you don’t, the good news is I didn’t claim it was the best, so I DID NOT LIE TO YOU. 😇
One Pot Tortilla-Style Coconut Chicken Soup
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And no, I don’t mean the holidays (they’re fine). I mean DUTCH OVEN season.
My enameled cast iron dutch oven is one of my most prized kitchen items, especially in the cold months. My reasons:
- It lasts *forever.* I got mine five or six years ago and even though it looks worn in, it still functions just as well as the day I got it. And I use it A LOT.
- It’s naturally non-stick, but still gets an incredible sear because of the heavy bottom.
- It’s multi-purpose. I use it for soups, stews, braised meats, pastas, literally whatever. It also bakes bread beautifully.
- There is nothing on this earth more convenient than a one-pot meal, and dutch ovens are one-pot meal royalty.
- Nothing says “cozy” more than standing over a heavy pot, cooking up something piping hot and nourishing while your kitchen smells like heaven. Some of my favorite, most lasting food memories have been created around my dutch oven, or dutch ovens in general.
If you don’t have a dutch oven yet, I HIGHLY recommend you invest now or tell Santa (or whatever you call your aunt) to put it on your gift list, because it will be the real MVP when you’re staying at home this winter. I use a Lodge brand 6 qt., which at less than $100 (sometimes less than $75!) is an incredibly good value for its durability.
I digress. The moral of this very long introduction is… Get your hands on a dutch oven, and then make this soup.
One-Pot Spicy Cajun Chicken Sausage Pasta
I try to live by the simple rules in life. You know, like, always treat others the way you would want to be treated. Always start the day with breakfast. And NEVER go into Trader Joe’s without a plan.
Raise your hand if this has ever been you at TJ’s:
“Well, my cart is at least 85% vegetables, so I guess one box of dark chocolate peanut butter cups won’t hurt. Or 4…”
“FALAFEL SPICED VEGAN CAULIFLOWER GNOCCHI DUMPLING NUGGETS?!? Where have these BEEN all my life?!”
“I don’t know what a ‘Quartet of Snacks’ is supposed to be, but it’s going in the cart.” *SIDENOTE: filing away under ‘genius string quartet names’*
But rules are made to be broken after all, which is why I have more hummuses in my fridge than I can possibly finish, and also why this recipe exists.
Breakfast Pizza
I have learned to cherish leftovers in a whole new way over the past seven months. Things can get crazy over here (in the best kind of way) trying to juggle school, teaching, blogging, working, AND attempting to have some kind of a social life. As much as I love making new recipes and playing around in the kitchen, I very often have to rely on leftovers to be my meals, or to become the ingredients for new meals.
This kind of makes me feel old. I used to cook new recipes on weekdays regularly, but I think those times are dwindling. I just don’t have the same time or energy I used to… WHAT IS THIS “BEING AN ADULT” THING AND HOW DO I END IT?
