Spring weather in this part of the country is crazy.  One day it's 70 degrees and the next it is 40.  This shrimp curry dish works well in both temperatures.  It has the warmth from the toasted spices but the lightness from fresh vegetables.  

I listed the vegetables that I used but substitute your favorites or ones you have in your fridge.  Don't be afraid to get creative and make it your own.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 teaspoons of curry powder
1 teaspoon of brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes or diced jalapeño (optional)
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1-14oz. can of light coconut milk
Salt & pepper to taste
1lb. raw shrimp, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
Veggies I used:
1 cup cauliflower, cut into florets 
1 cup bell pepper, diced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 cup of fresh green beans, cut
2 cups of fresh spinach

In a deep skillet or pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Sauté your onion until just soft or translucent.  Next add the garlic, fresh ginger, curry powder, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, and let them toast and become fragrant. This will only take a minute or two.

I use a lot of Penzeys spices.  I like that they are always consistent in their quality and that they offer a variety of sizes.  If you don't use a lot of a certain spice, you don't have to buy a large amount.  They also sell refill bags so you can reuse your jars.  I am lucky to have a store near me but if you don't, they do sell online.

Penzeys curry spice is a nice blend but if you have your own, feel free to substitute it here.  The brown mustard seeds I added to this recipe because I like the way they give a subtle mustard taste and a little pop in the mouth.  If you can't find brown mustard seeds, you could use yellow.  

Next, add the tomato paste and let it cook and coat all of the spices and onions.  In go the veggies.  I added some cauliflower, bell pepper, mushrooms, fresh green beans, and fresh spinach.  Now add the coconut milk and stir to combine.  

If you've never used coconut milk you will see that when you open it, it will have separated.  The solids will be at the top and the "milk" will be at the bottom.  I usually try to mix it up before adding it to my pan.  If you don't get it all mixed completely, don't worry.  It should all melt together in the pan.  

Simmer the veggie mixture for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are tender but not mushy.  When they are cooked, add the raw shrimp, mix in, turn off the heat, and cover the pan.  The residual heat of the mixture will cook the shrimp in about 5 minutes.

Plate with some rice or quinoa and top with a sprinkle of fresh coriander.

I know it's Spring but the weather here still calls for some warm comfort food.  For me, braised beef brisket hits the mark.  This recipe is by Ellie Krieger.  She is a dietician and cookbook author who makes delicious food.  I can't remember how I found her recipe but it is the only recipe I use for braising a brisket.  Don't be swayed by the "sweet & sour" in the title.  It is rich and savory.  I would bet that if you try this, it will be the only way you braise brisket in the future.  

1-3lb. beef brisket, first-cut or flat-half cut, trimmed of excess fat
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil, (I use olive oil)
1 medium onion, cut in 1/2 then thinly sliced into 1/2 moons
3 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
1-15oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium broth or water (I use beef broth)
3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cider or white vinegar
1/3 cup raisins (optional, I don't use)
5 black peppercorns
1 allspice berry

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Pat the brisket dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or braising pot.  Sear the brisket until it is browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side.  Transfer the brisket to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot and cook the onion, stirring a few times, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add the tomato sauce, broth, brown sugar, 1/3 cup of vinegar, the raisins (if using), peppercorns and allspice, and stir to combine well.  Bring the mixture to a boil, return the brisket and any accumulated juices to the pot, spoon some of the tomato-vinegar mixture over the brisket, cover tightly and transfer to the oven.  Cook until the brisket is fork-tender, 2-1/2 to 3 hours. 

Remove the brisket from the oven, transfer the meat to a cutting board and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes or, if serving later, cover and refrigerate the meat and sauce for several hours or overnight.  When ready to serve, cut the meat against the grain.  Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar into the warm sauce.  Return the sliced brisket to the sauce until heated through and serve.

I love stuffed peppers.  They are the perfect pocket for all types of fillings.  This recipe is for a light Tex-Mex style of stuffed pepper.  Even though it is a light version it is packed with tons of flavor.  Roasting the poblanos adds the perfect charred taste.  This same recipe works well with ground beef as the filling too.

Salsa Verde
8-10 firm tomatillos, quartered
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
1/2 jalapeño pepper (with or without seeds), optional
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 Tablespoon, olive oil
Salt & pepper, just a sprinkle

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.
On a baking tray mix the tomatillos, onion, garlic clove, jalapeño, cumin, olive oil, and salt & pepper.  Bake about 25 minutes or until everything softens and begins to brown.
Let cool and then blend to desired smoothness.

4 poblano peppers, charred and seeded
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin powder 
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1lb. lean ground chicken (or turkey)
2 tablespoons of salsa verde
1 cup of cheddar jack cheese, divided
Toppings
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Cilantro
Hot Sauce

I was teaching a cooking class and we were making my poblano soup when I realized that not everyone knew how to char peppers on the stovetop.  I have always done them this way but if you prefer to roast them under the broiler or in the oven, go right ahead.

Place the peppers directly on the burner over the flame.  Turn the peppers as they begin to char and blacken.  Once, all sides have charred, place them in a bowl and cover them with plastic wrap.  

The peppers will steam as they cool which will loosen the charred skins and make the peppers easier to peel.  

Peel as much of the char off as you can.  Don't worry if you don't get it all off. A little left on adds to the flavor.  If you are having trouble getting it off you can use a paper towel to gently rub it off.  I don't suggest rinsing the peppers underwater.  The water will rinse some flavor away.

​When cool, cut the stem tops off and pull out the seeds and membranes.  

Next, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.  When hot, sauté the chopped onions until they begin to soften.  Next add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin.  After a minute, add the ground chicken to the mixture and cook through  or until the meat is no longer pink.  

Finish by adding the salsa verde to the chicken mixture and some chopped cilantro (optional).  Let cool.

There are many other things you can add to the chicken mixture; black beans, rice, quinoa, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, customize it as you like.

Now that all the components are prepared, place about 1/2 cup of salsa verde in the bottom of an ovenproof dish, stuff each paper with a quarter of the filling, and place them on the salsa verde.  Top each pepper with 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese and place in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  When done, add any additional toppings you like.

Cioppino is an Italian-American fish stew created in San Francisco in the late 1800s.  Just like so many dishes born out of necessity, Cioppino was developed by Italian-American fishermen to use up the catch they weren't able to sell.   But don't think that this a primitive dish.  This fish stew has a great depth of flavor.  It is impressive for a dinner party, but can also work as a quick weeknight meal.

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
​1 fennel bulb, sliced
1 small red onion, chopped
2 shallots, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (more or less on your taste)
2 Tablespoons of tomato paste
1-14oz can of cherry tomatoes or 1-14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups of seafood stock
1 bay leaf
Fresh parsley, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Fish:
You can use any type of fish you want in this stew.  The only thing I would suggest is use at least 3 types of seafood.  It makes a nice variety.  Here is what I used:

• 1lb. mussels
• 1lb. clams
• 1/2 lb. of raw shrimp - You want it to cook in the broth.  Cooked shrimp will become rubbery.
• 1/2lb. of haddock - Any firm fish works well here.

Somethings to know about shellfish.  

One, buy from a reputable place.  If the place you buy fish from has a pungent fish smell, they may not have the freshest fish.  If the place has a slight fish and sea smell, they have fresh fish.

Two, be careful when buying them in net bags.  I once bought a net bag of mussels, didn't inspect them, and the ones in the middle were dead.  If you can only get them in the bag, look through the netting and inspect those in the middle.  How do you know if they are dead?  If a mussel or clam has an open shell, tap the shell on a countertop or flat surface a few times.  If it starts to close it's shell, it is alive, good.  If the shell stays open, toss it out. When cooking with shellfish, the shells should be closed tightly before cooking.  Once cooked, the shells will open so you can get to the meat.  If after cooking, some are still closed, toss them.  

Before cooking - shells closed completely
After cooking - shells open wide

Three, store your shellfish in the refrigerator on ice and uncovered.  Never cover or buy shellfish that is wrapped in plastic.  They will be dead.  They need to breathe.

Four, pre-soak your shellfish in a bowl with a couple of tablespoons flour and cool water for about 25 minutes before you cook them.  The shellfish will drink up some of the flour-water, won't like it, and will reject it out.  Why do this?  Some of the shellfish have a little grit inside their shells.  This eliminates the possibility of having that grit or sand in your stew.  If you have ever had a gritty shellfish dish you know what I mean.  Yuk!

After the 25 minutes, just pour into a strainer and give a good rinse.

In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and cook until they begin to soften.  Next add the garlic, red pepper flakes, a teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Continue to cook for 2 minutes.  Next, add the tomato paste and coat all the veggies in the pan.

Now, add the tomatoes with their juice.  I love these cans of Mutti Cherry Tomatoes.  When we went to Sicily last year we took a cooking class that included shopping for the ingredients before the class.  Our instructor explained that Mutti was the most popular brand used in that region.  The taste was superior.  Ever since then, I try to buy Mutti products when I can find them.  These cherry tomatoes are little gems.  They are sweet and perfect for this dish or any other for that matter.
In goes the white wine.  Give it a minute to burn off some of the alcohol.  You want the wine flavor, not the alcohol taste.  Add the fish stock and bay leaf.  Give a stir, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.  This gives all the ingredients time to blend in the sauce.

After 20 minutes remove the cover and add the clams and mussels.  Cover and continue to cook over medium-high heat.  The mussels and clams should cook in about 8-10 minutes.  Just keep checking to see if the shells are open.  Once they are open, give a stir and add your fish and shrimp.  Cover and cook for approximately 3 minutes.  You want the fish and shrimp to cook through but not over-cook.  This goes fast.  Taste the broth for salt, remove the bay leaf, ladle into bowls, and top with chopped parsley.  Grab some crusty bread for dipping and enjoy!