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Tangy + Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad
Do you have 30 minutes? Good! That means you have time to throw together this refreshing Tangy + Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad! It’s a rainbow of colors + textures bolstered by a silky peanut dressing—a flavor explosion, I guarantee. I have compiled a scrumptious conglomeration of typical Southeastern Asian ingredients including sesame oil + cilantro + ginger (for flavor) and chopped peanuts + cabbage + carrots (for crunch). You could always add crispy wontons for extra toothsomeness. I’ve also included a zinger: green papaya. Most Asian markets carry green, or under ripe, papayas either whole or shredded in a bag. Adding green papaya among this salad’s gorgeous vegetables + flavors…
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Garlicky + Peppery Baby Bok Choy
This is an uber-clean, heart-healthy dish that will make your body sing! Infusing the olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes provides a robust, pure flavor bath for your bok choy. Top this delicious green with intensified toasted sesame seeds and yowza! There is a wholelotta love going on! Bok choy is a spoon-shaped varietal of cabbage. But unlike a traditional head of cabbage, bok choy is more of a cluster. Its crisp and sweet flavor make it an easy complement to most any spice, as it absorbs the flavors of the seasoning around it. In this recipe, assertive garlic and red pepper flakes on the wilted, gentle leaves…
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Creamy Coconut + Curry Chickpeas
As I gorged myself on the test run of these Creamy Coconut + Curry Chickpeas, I heard a constant nag in my head, “Girl! Slow down! Make it last!” Good advice, but not very realistic. I couldn’t.stop.eating. Seeing the bottom of my empty bowl was the saddest thing to happen to me in a long time. Obviously, this recipe is a WIN. Here’s why… Because even Indian-spice newbies can create this amazingly absolutely delicious yet quick and simple dish and their own signature House Blend Curry Powder. It will take me a while to come down from this achievement-high. It was an exciting Indian-Thai fusion spice adventure. Making such a…
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Curly Kale + Tandoori Chickpea Salad (and a lecture on massaging the Queen)
Do you enjoy a really good massage? If you answered yes, you know how revitalizing a massage can be. Relaxing yet invigorating; a bit painful at times but always worth all the tissue manipulation. Right? Now apply these same principles to your kale. No, I am not kidding. You are going to give your kale a massage. Massaging your kale will break down her cellulose or woodiness. Kale is the Queen of Greens, after all. She deserves it! You know why? She is the OG of superfood cred. For the price of a 2 minute massage, she has a lot to offer in return: 5 grams of fiber per…
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Fakes (Greek Lentils)
Sometimes a girl just wants some beans and rice. Or beans and pasta, as the case may be. Pronounced fa-KEE and sometimes called fakorizo, THIS is my comfort food. I absolutely begged for it as a child. It’s a security blanket in a bowl, like chicken noodle soup. Eating comfort food is my class of self-medicating. It soothes me physiologically. So when I am feeling blue, I reach for my drug of choice: comfort food. Hello, I’m Naked Epicurean, and I am a comfort food addict. My drug must meet requisite standards. For example: Is it easy to make? Check. Does it evoke nostalgia? Check. Is it loaded with calories?…
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Tzatziki Sauce + Dip
Should you or shouldn’t you on the first date? The answer depends on how confident you are with yourself and how comfortable you are with your partner. It really has to be a commitment from both parties. After all, if you both eat garlic, you should be fine because your garlickyness will cancel out his garlickyness. Right? We were face to face with this dilemma on our first date. The culprit was tzatziki, loaded with garlic and garnished with scrapes. Garlic galore! The Man and I looked each other square in the eye. I think he could tell I do not easily part from my food. I was elbows…
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Pasta with Roasted Wild Mushrooms
This dish is one of the most divine things ever. Another wild mushroom recipe, you ask? Absolutely, I say! And there are many more to come! I once thought cacio e pepe was the most heavenly pasta dish. Now I think it’s a toss up. My tastebuds were singing the Hallelujah chorus when I put this in my mouth. The Man (aka taste-tester extraordinaire) would agree. Damn delicious. But why so many recipes with wild mushrooms, Naked Epicurean? Because, inquisitive reader, wild mushrooms are delicious meaty (therefore a great meat alternative) rich in B vitamins…
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Pasta with Wild Funghi Trifolati
There was a tremendous heatwave in Dolceacqua this summer–throughout most of Europe, in fact—so we sought shady respite from the angry sun at a family owned and operated osteria. Gorgeous freshly prepared rustic foods adorned the tables. Creels piled high with fresh, bulbous mushrooms awaited our order. I enjoyed the ravioli ai funghi, basking in a glimmer of olive oil—a perfect light choice for a hot day. It was love at first bite. I knew as soon as I returned home, I would have to duplicate the trifolati. Trifolati. The word dances from your lips. Beautiful to say, but what exactly is trifolati? According to Saveur.com, trifolati is …
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Chunky Mediterranean Hummus
This recipe is one of the reasons I am invited to parties. For years I thought it was my irresistible charm or my clever wit that was so alluring, but no. “Hey, we’re having a get-together Friday. We hope you can come! Around 7PM?” “Sounds great!” “Oh, and can you bring your Chunky Mediterranean Hummus?” My hummus. That’s the caveat. But who can blame anyone for loving this dish? My recipe takes hummus, a Middle Eastern staple, and loads it up with Mediterranean goodness. Hummus is like a beautiful neutral palette that complements anything that…
eat. drink. bemerry. repeat.
