PREP TIME: 5 MIN COOK TIME: 30 MIN TOTAL TIME: 35 MIN SERVINGS: 4 CAL: 649

INGREDIENTS

• 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
• 1 cup Caesar salad dressing 
• ½ cup sour cream (optional)
• 1-1½ cup Parmesan cheese grated

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat oven to 375F and spray the inside of an 8″ x 11″ baking dish with cooking spray.
• If the breasts are uneven thickness, pound them (placed in a Ziploc bag and on a flat surface) to an even ¾”-1″ thickness using a meat pounder. Sprinkle the breasts (both sides) with grated Parmesan cheese & freshly ground black pepper, and place them in the prepared baking dish.
• Whisk together Caesar dressing and sour cream in a small bowl. Pour the Caesar/sour cream mixture over each breasts then sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.
• Place the prepared chicken in the oven and bake at 375F for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of one of the middle breasts reads 150°F.
• Turn the oven to broil and broil the breasts an additional 2-4 minutes or until the chicken turns golden brown. It can burn quickly, so watch it closely. When done, a meat thermometer should register 165F when stuck into the thickest part of one of the middle breasts. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and allow chicken to rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
• If desired, garnish with chopped parsley.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups basmati rice
• salt
• 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil

Directions

1. Fill a large stockpot with 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. In the meantime, place rice in a bowl and rinse with cold water, swirling vigorously with your fingers and changing the water at least five times, until the start has run off and the water runs much clearer. Drain the rice.
3. Once the water comes to a boil, salt it heavily. The precise amount will vary depending on what kind of salt you’re using, but it’s about 6 tablespoons fine sea salt or a generous 1⁄2 cup kosher salt. The water should taste saltier than the saltiest seawater you’ve ever tasted. This is your big chance to get the rice seasoned from within, and it’s only going to spend a few minutes in the salted water, so don’t panic about over-salting your food. Add the rice, and stir.
4. Set a fine-mesh sieve or colander in the sink. Cook rice, stirring from time to time, until it’s al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain into the sieve and immediately begin rinsing with cold water to stop the rice from cooking further. Drain.
5. Remove 1 cup of the rice and combine it with the yogurt.
6. Set a large, very well seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet or nonstick frying pan over medium heat, then add the oil and butter. When butter melts, add the yogurt-rice mixture into the pan and level it out. Pile the remaining rice into the pan, mounding it gently toward the center. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, gently dig five or six holes into the rice down to the bottom of the pot, which will be gently sizzling. The holes will allow steam to escape from the bottommost layer of rice so that a crisp crust can form.) There should be enough oil in the pan so that you can see it bubbling up the sides. Add a little more oil if needed to see these bubbles.
7. Continue cooking rice over medium heat, turning the pan a quarter turn every 3 or 4 minutes to ensure even browning, until you start to see a golden crust begin to form at the sides of the pan, about 15 to 20 minutes. Once you see the crust turn from pale amber to gold, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes. The edges of the crust should be golden, and the rice should be cooked completely through. There isn’t a way to tell what tahdig will look like until you flip it, so I prefer to err on the side of over-browning, but if that makes you uncomfortable, pull the rice after about 35 total minutes in the pan.
8. To un-mold the rice, carefully run a spatula along the edges of the pan to ensure that no part of the crust is sticking. Tip out any excess fat at the bottom of the pan into a bowl, gather your courage, and then carefully flip it onto a platter or cutting board. It should look like a beautiful cake of fluffy rice with a golden crust.
9. And if for any reason your rice doesn’t slip out in one piece, do what every Persian grandmother since the beginning of time has done: scoop out the rice, chip out the tahdig in pieces with a spoon or metal spatula, and pretend you meant to do it this way. No one will be the wiser. Serve immediately.

PREP TIME:10 min COOK TIME:4 hrs TOTAL TIME:4 hrs 10 min SERVES:8 CALORIES:355

Ingredients

• 2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt/1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1/3 cup)  
• 2- 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 1 14oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 14oz can diced tomatoes with green chilis
• 2 15oz cans red kidney beans, drained
• 1  pack of taco seasoning, or 1 ounce of my DIY Taco Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Suggested Toppings:

• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, 
grated
• ½ cup minced sweet onion
• Sliced pickled jalapeños
• Sour cream
• Fritos corn chips

Instructions

• Season beef with salt and pepper. Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain grease from meat if necessary, but this shouldn’t be needed if you use a lean beef.
• Pour ground beef mixture into the crockpot.
• Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans, and seasonings to the crockpot. Stir until well combined. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
• Serve in a bowl with following.
• Fritos, topped with beef mix, topped with shredded cheese, onions, jalapenos and sour cream.