Mango Frozen Yogurt (with all ingredients obtained at Trader Joe’s)

Blend equal parts frozen sweet mango halves and non-fat plain frozen yogurt (the store brand). Adjust to desired chunkiness/smoothness and make your boyfriend snap a picture of the results.

I’d call this a guiltless dessert, but I really don’t think there’s any circumstance in which one should feel bad for having a sweet tooth.

Photo Credit: Patrick Hamm

It was still chilly last month when I made the above dish. I had a bunch of leftover root vegetables, plus a hankering for a wintry type of meal, so pot roast seemed entirely appropriate. During a mid-day run, I picked up a piece of flank steak at Savenor’s in Beacon Hill (possibly the best meat market in Boston proper — though farmer’s markets are offering some interesting cuts this summer). Then I tossed all the ingredients into a big pot of goodness, set it to low heat, and let it turn into deliciousness. It was tender and flavorful by dinnertime.

If you’ve never made pot roast before, the beef becomes tenderized through moist, low heat over several hours. This is the perfect dish if you don’t like staying in the kitchen to watch over things (or if like me, you tend to accidentally burn things). Do not become alarmed if the beef is still tough after an hour. By the end of the cooking time, it’ll be melt-in-your-mouth tender.

I love pot roasts because they’re great for meals at the end of the week or right before a trip out of town, when you have a hodgepodge of groceries that you need to get rid of before they go bad. You can throw in old wine (seriously, doesn’t matter if it’s been open for a couple weeks), leftover veggies from other meals, and whatever herbs you have available at any given moment. It’s basically a free-for-all and a perfectly tasty way of emptying your fridge of excess ingredients.

Beet & Carrot Pot Roast with Flank Steak

Ingredients: cut of beef suitable for braising, peeled root vegetables of your choosing (potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, etc.), onion, broth, red wine, herbs (thyme, marjoram, oregano, etc.), and spices

1. Rub a mixture of cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper onto beef. Heat olive oil to medium high in a large pot and sear beef until just brown on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Using the now flavored drippings (um, super delish!) in the pot, cook diced onions until translucent. Turn to low heat, and add vegetables, herbs, and spices. Place beef on top of all the other ingredients.
3. Pour just enough broth and wine to submerge half the beef. (If you have cheap red wine or old leftover wine, this is a great way to get rid of it, and you won’t be able to taste the difference. You can even mix different varieties of wine.)
4. Cover the pot tightly and cook on low heat for 2.5-3 hours. Check in half hour intervals after the 2-hour point to see when the beef has become tender to your liking.

This dish will keep overnight and can be easily reheated. I just stick the whole pot in my fridge to save hassle with containers. I like to make a huge roast at once and eat it over a couple meals.

I made an indoor version of this Grilled Miso-Marinated Sea Bass recipe by caramelizing the fish under my broiler. I also threw into the marinade a couple cloves of minced garlic. You can technically serve the fish a little bit rare though I didn’t like that idea and cooked it medium instead. (I’d probably do it different next time since it would have been even more delicious if tender.) It’s served here with jasmine rice and snow peas tossed with soy-chili sauce (click for recipe and photo).

Photo Credit: Patrick Hamm

Snow Peas Tossed In Soy-Chili Sauce

Instructions: Toss snow peas in sesame oil and broil 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway. Toss in a sauce of chili oil, soy sauce, minced garlic, and brown sugar. Top with sesame seeds. Cue flavor explosion.

(Click through for the hi-res image.)

Photo credit: Patrick Hamm

Chilled Cucumber & Corn Soup with Avocado and Tortilla Chips

I came home from California a week ago with a suitcase full of organic, pesticide-free loquats and avocados grown in my mother’s backyard. Mama Chen packed the fragile fruit in shoeboxes for their journey to Boston and thanks to her meticulous care, they arrived more or less intact. They were also barely able to fit into our overstuffed fridge. When I left last-minute to Los Angeles for my grandfather’s passing, I had no idea if the lovely vegetables I bought that week would last until my (then unknown) return. As it turns out, they did, and as a result, I’ve got plenty of recipes to share from the great unemptying of my kitchen. This is the first, and it uses those amazing aromatic avocados I brought back from California.

All you need for the most basic version of this refreshing and savory summer recipe are three ingredients (cucumber, corn, and garlic) and a blender! Here are the instructions for one serving:

1. For the quickest, no-frills recipe: I use a ratio of three cloves garlic to one seedless cucumber to one 15.5 oz can of corn. Blend all ingredients until smooth and add salt and pepper to taste.
2. If you have more time and/or ingredients, add lime juice, vegetable stock, a shallot or quarter of an onion, cilantro, or a jalapeño pepper.
3. Top with chopped avocado pieces and tortilla chips. I recommend Trader Joe’s Veggie & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips (which are both colorful and way better than the usual supermarket offering).
4. Secret tip: this dish tastes even better if you refrigerate overnight to let the flavors develop. You can also serve at room temperature, but I like it super chilled.

SO EASY, DELICIOUS, and HEALTHY! This is one of my favorite meals for hot days. Been waiting months for summer weather so that I could finally make this :)