I know the pandemic isn’t fully behind us, but I’m itching to get together with people again. We still have to be careful to follow safety measures, but I think for the most part, people are starting to plan events together and I’m all here for it!
I think like many of you, I became used to the solitude of only my bubble of people around me. I still second guess myself before getting too close to anyone outside of the bubble, but I think my guard is slowly coming down about being with other people. Did you feel you were content with the solitude, or were you a party animal from the get go and were waiting on the green light? I’m definitely a hybrid of the two, but you know what really gets me racing through those green lights? Yeah, you guessed it: food.
Like for so many other people, a gathering isn’t really fun if you’re not planning something to eat or someplace to go with food. Like, do we just get together and only…talk? Sorry, no. Not for this gal. If you need a girls’ night at the house to discuss some first class girl talk, please bring snacks because I’m weak and my mind will wander to having a cheeseburger or some cheese dip. If you go to a restaurant and order nothing, are you even socializing?! The answer is no. So that settles it, if you want to start gathering with friends again and you plan on being at someone’s house as opposed to a restaurant, then please bring food! I don’t mean to be that dramatic, it’s just that a party without food is just a meeting and we all know that meeting could’ve been an email.
If you don’t already have an arsenal of recipes ready to go, start slowly and make something you’re familiar with making. Once you get pretty consistent results with that recipe, start expanding to using that same recipe as a base and playing with the flavors and protein (if any). I love versatile recipes because I can be lazy at times and I want to make something great, but also too much thinking hurts my brain. So that’s why I’m going to share two recipes with you today. They both are really simple and versatile. That way you don’t get bored with the same thing and can change it up depending on how you’re feeling.
The first recipe is a vidalia onion pastry. Contrary to popular belief, pastries aren’t just sweet, and savory pastries happen to be some of my favorite things. This one is great for an appetizer, but it’s just as great as an entrée for two with the right ingredients. I’ll elaborate in the recipe below.
The second recipe is most definitely an entrée, but I love that it’s pretty light and that the protein can be changed out to make a different dish. I recently made it with chicken because it’s what I had on hand, but it’s equally delicious with salmon, shrimp or even tofu if you want to go completely plant-based.
I hope you have tons of amazing gatherings in your future, whether it’s just two more people or 20+. We deserve to be our happiest and I can’t think of much else other than good people and good food joining to bring us that happiness.
I hope you give these recipes a try and let me know what you think. You can always find what I’m up to on my personal blog on Instagram @zaramadeit. Whether it’s cakes, dessert boxes or recipes, I always find something food related to keep me busy!
Vidalia Onion Tart
Ingredients:
- 1 large vidalia or sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 1/2 block cream cheese, softened
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 1 egg beaten with a little water
Directions:
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On medium heat, heat olive oil in a pot and add in the sliced onions and herbs. Allow to sweat together until most of the water evaporates.
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Continue cooking until the onions slowly turn golden brown (don’t over cook).
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Add in the cream cheese and mix together until it’s melted. Add in salt and pepper and check for seasonings. Set aside and allow to cool.
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
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Roll out the pastry dough just slightly. Here you can do one of two things: either you can make one giant tart and slice into smaller pieces once cooked, or you can cut the pastry dough into 8 pieces and have individual pieces.
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Once you have decided how to serve your pastry, add in the onion filling into the center of either the entire pastry sheet or in the center of the 8 pieces, leaving a slight border.
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Brush the sides/border of the piece(s) with the egg wash and bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry has puffed up and borders look nice and golden. This may depend on your oven so check to make sure it doesn’t burn.
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These can be served immediately or set out for later.
Versatility: You can turn this into a flat bread-type entrée by adding shredded chicken and artichokes for example, and you can add any number of toppings if you’d like to serve as an appetizer: mushrooms, olives, fresh tomatoes, parmesan, bacon, etc.
Coconut Lime & Cilantro Chicken
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken cutlets, pounded a little thin
- 3-4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp. each butter and olive oil
- 1 to 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 to full can of good quality coconut milk
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp. green curry paste
Directions:
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Heat the oil and butter in a skillet while you gently coat the chicken with salt, pepper and flour.
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Once the oil heats up, add in the chicken and cook until golden brown, making sure to flip over to cook evenly.
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Once the chicken has cooked, add in 2 tbsp. of flour and allow to cook in the oil. If the chicken soaked up the oil, feel free to add in another tbsp. of oil or butter so that the flour has something to mix with.
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Slowly add in the cup of chicken broth and allow the sauce to thicken.
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Once the sauce has thickened, add in the coconut milk. Start off with half a can first and see if you need more broth or coconut milk to make extra sauce.
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Once you have your desired consistency, add in the curry paste, cilantro, zest and juice. Mix together and taste for seasonings.
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This is amazing served with plain rice or rice noodles but if you thin it out enough you can use it as a soup as well.
Versatility: This is amazing with salmon, shrimp and tofu as well. You will need to adjust your cooking time to ensure that your seafood doesn’t overcook. You can also add fresh basil leaves, sliced scallions, spinach and red chili paste for more flavor.
From Z to A with Zara Abbasi
Zara Abbasi is the pastry chef and recipe developer for Zara Made It. Follow her food adventures on Instagram at @zaramadeit.