Our Sundog Editors are sharing some of their favorite food secrets. Check them about below and happy eating!
Random Chickpeas by Cynthia Brandon-Slocum, Managing Editor
This easy dish came to me one summer when I was home alone for a couple of weeks. I was lazy and hot and wanted a quick way to get some vegetables in me.
Things you need
• A few tablespoons of olive oil
• About a cup of diced onion
• About a teaspoon of chopped garlic
• A pint of cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half (or quarters if they’re chunky)
• A can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
• A tablespoon of fresh lemon juice (maybe more, but start light)
• 4-5 cups of spinach
Directions
1. Sauté the onion in the olive oil on medium heat until it’s soft.
2. Add the garlic and stir around for a minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, lemon juice and cook until the tomatoes have broken down and the juices are loose.
4. Throw in spinach and stir until it wilts.
5. Add salt and pepper and more lemon if you’re underwhelmed.
Usually I just eat this in a bowl on its own, but it’s also good over couscous or served as a side to some breaded and fried eggplant.
Cheesy Penne Goodness by Hayli May Cox, Assistant Nonfiction Editor
I am one of those people who would rather eat something flavorful I don’t like than something with no flavor at all. I’m also one of those people who doesn’t measure anything. If that’s okay with you, here’s one of my favorite spicy dishes to whip up. I call it cheesy penne goodness.
- Start boiling some water, which will eventually cook some pene. Preheat the oven, too.
- Mince some fresh garlic, dice up some onions, strip some thyme, and put those things somewhere.
- Cut some cherry tomatoes in half, whip them up in a bit of EVOO & sea salt, pop those babes into the oven to roast.
- Saute the garlic and onions in some EVOO until they smell good.
- Add a plop of veggie stock and some veggie chorizo, or just chorizo spices. If you like, you could probably use real chorizo, but that has animals in it. (It’s the lymph nodes that get me.)
- Put in the tyme, boiling water, and some noodles (the water should cover them). Cook all that until the noodles are done.
- While that’s cooking, debone and cut up some kale.
- Put the kale on the rest of the food, add some shredded mozzarella, and put a lid on a few minutes to steam the kale. You can turn the heat off for this step.
- Mix it all up, put it on a plate, add sprinkle with parm, and eat!
I hope you like it! Lately I’ve also been making stuffed waffle pizzas in my waffle iron (seemed like a good idea), and I’d be happy to tell you how that works.
Cinnamon Salmon and Honey Lemon Curry Shrimp with Cilantro Lime Rice by Amber D. Dodd, Assistant Nonfiction Editor
As a Marylander, I am all about seafood and cooking it in different variations. For Valentine’s Day, I cooked myself cinnamon salmon and honey lemon curry shrimp served with cilantro lime rice. Always wash your seafood in cold water to make sure the texture remains that slick feeling instead of gummy.
Warning: I am Black. I measure nothing.
INGREDIENTS:
Salmon:
Cinnamon
Old Bay
Red Crushed Pepper
Lemon Juice
Parsley
Shrimp:
Lemon Old Bay
Curry Powder
Cayenne Pepper
You wanna marinate both of these for long as you can. For this edition, I marinated the salmon and shrimp for about 20 minutes in separate tiny sandwich bags so the flavor could all soak.
COOKING:
Shrimp:
- You can either cook shrimp in water to steam them or butter to really get a nice thick flavor juice, the choice is yours buddy.
- With pan on high, flip and stir your shrimp until they go from gray to pink. It should only take you about five or six minutes to saute shrimp. A trick to know: if the shrimp starts bending (C-shape means cooked, O means overcooked).
- Add honey or any other sauce last because it can change the texture of your shrimp and you want it as firm as possible. Keep it on low as you prepare your salmon.
Salmon:
- Keep the skin on, it will help retain the flavor.
- Cut a little cube of butter on a hot pan.
- Flip your salmon every minute or use a spoon to pour the butter onto the meat.
Rice:
I don’t want to treat you all remedially, so I’m going to say cook the rice, add salt, cilantro and lime juice onto the top of it and let them sit on low for about five minutes.
Serve on a plate and boom, you’re done.
Can’t wait for blue crab season and summers with a sangria and jumbo shrimp to plop into some garlic butter sauce! We are almost on Maryland and very, very soon.
Super Secret Recipe by Robyn Ritchie, Assistant Fiction Editor
This one is very complicated so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it on the first try. First, don thine bunny slippers and mustard-stained joggers. Don’t forget your mask! Then, trot out to your car or bike, if you’re the environmental sort. Journey to the local McDonald’s. The line may be long, may in fact wrap around the building, but hold fast. Tell the cashier you would like a large fry. They will ask for some money — hopefully you have some and, if not, return to step one. Then, after payment has been rendered, take your carton of fries back home. Chuck them down your pie hole. You’re welcome.