This chicken soup recipe clocks in at 36 grams of protein per bowl so it can be served for dinner or as a light appetizer with a side of kale salad. It’s balanced, healthy and basic yet totally satisfying. As you can see, I’ve finished mine with fresh lime and chiles, but I encourage you to make it your own and have loads of ideas for you to try.

Soup is something I like to rotate between meals just to break things up. My family really enjoys soup, and it’s just another way to serve chicken that keeps it interesting to eat.

About This Chicken Broth

I practically never buy soup and it’s really because homemade chicken broth is superior in flavor. It’s just so simple to make from scratch and I’m constantly playing around with whatever I happen to have on hand.

• Ginger. Fresh, anti-inflammatory, adds a spicy factor.
• Garlic and onions. Just the right amount of potency, anti-viral, anti-bacterial.
• Salty broth. Think great for hydrating post workout or when you have the flu.
• Generous amounts of lime juice and a pinch of zest.
• A pile of cilantro – or go with fresh mint, Thai basil, kaffir lime, parsley, or rosemary.
• Coconut milk for richness (think Tom Kha vibes). Absolutely feel free to swap in half and half if you prefer.

What never ceases to amaze me about this soup is how people react. People assume this is an involved recipe because it tastes so complex, but it’s actually really simple to make.

💭Top Tip

When using delicate herbs or greens, add them at the very end so the color and flavors really pop.

White Chicken Chili Variation

Consider fanning some avocado and minced red onion on top if you’d like a white chicken chili option. Have powdered ginger and garlic? Try swapping those if that’s what you’ve got. You can even add corn (fresh or frozen) and a handful of cheese, canned beans, etc.

Preparation

Make the entire recipe start to finish or prep and freeze for later.

🔪 Instructions

Cook the chicken until they reach 165°F then set aside.

Dice the vegetables (medium chop). Use a microplane to grate the peeled ginger. This is where you can double the garlic if you prefer to swap out the ginger.

Sauté or sweat the vegetables until tender. Don’t skip this step because it forms the base layer of your homemade broth.

Add 2 cups of water and shredded chicken to the pot. Let that come to a simmer.

Finish the soup with coconut milk (for dairy free–half and half works, too), lime juice and zest, and a big pinch of fresh herb magic on top.

Taste the soup and if it needs it, add more salt.

Freezer Options

This soup can be frozen for up to 1 month and I have two options for you.

The Cook-Later Option: See the recipe card notes for instructions on how to prep, freeze, then cook the soup.

The Reheat-It Option: If you would like to cook the soup first, then freeze, you will follow the recipe as written but omit the garnish. Allow soup to cool 20 minutes then portion and transfer to freezer bags or glass containers. Simply microwave to reheat. Garnish and serve.

Scaling

If scaling up or down, keep all ratios the same except the salt; add 1 teaspoon sea salt and then add more to taste. When scaling, bare in mind you will need a vessel that can hold roughly 4 cups for the original recipe (so 8 cups if doubling, 12 cups if tripling).

Leftovers

Leftovers? But how? You mean you didn’t stand dunking your spoon into the leftovers in the pot? Just me then, okay. You can store any soup leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 4 days. The garnish should be stored separately and added after you’ve rewarmed it.

Nutrition, big flavor, and healing whole food ingredients make this a cold-weather (and head-cold) essential. Garlic, ginger, and lime juice? This trio can make it all better.

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Creamy Chicken Soup

Creamy homemade chicken and vegetable broth with shredded chicken and finished with citrus and cilantro. Chiles or spices may be added if you like.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword cream soup

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes minutes

Total Time 52 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 484kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil lard, tallow, avocado oil, or butter work, too
• 1 onion diced
• 3 stalks celery diced
• 4 garlic cloves chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced
• 1 14- ounce can full-fat coconut milk or substitute half-and-half
• 4 limes remove zest from 1 lime and then extract juice (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs cilantro, mint, thai basil for garnish (chiffonade)

Instructions

Cook the chicken.

• Slow Cooker Method: Season chicken thighs with salt and place in slow cooker with the oil. Set to “Bake” mode for 400F for 45 minutes.

  Oven Method: Use an oven-safe pan or Dutch oven at 400F, spread oil and place seasoned chicken thighs in pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until an internal temperature registers 165℉.
• Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Chop the vegetables (onion, celery, and garlic) and transfer them to a large prep bowl as you work to give yourself plenty of room on the cutting board. If you own a microplane, mince the ginger directly over the bowl to capture as much ginger juice as possible (as opposed to just chopping it).
• Sweat vegetables and make broth. Use tongs to transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Allow to rest for 10 minutes so you don't burn your hands and so the chicken can reabsorb surface juices. Combine the vegetables (onion, celery, garlic, and ginger) to the hot slow cooker or Dutch oven. Sauté on high heat for 7 minutes. Stir then add 2 cups of water. Return the shredded chicken (discarding the bones) to the pot.
• Finish the soup. Bring to a simmer then add coconut milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Allow the soup to warm then serve along with salt to taste. Top with fresh cilantro, mint, or Thai basil for Asian flavors or try adding avocado or red onion for Southwest.

Notes

Freezer Instructions:

FREEZE TOGETHER:

• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 onion diced
• 3 stalks celery diced
• 4 garlic cloves chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced
• 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk (additive free)
• 4 limes (zest of 1 lime plus 1/4 juice)

INSTANT POT: From frozen, add 2 cups water then high pressure for 13 minutes + 10 minutes natural release.

SLOW COOKER: Thaw first, and then cook 6 hours on high.

FINAL STEP: Shred the meat and serve with cassava pasta, baked sweet potato, cauliflower or broccoli rice, zucchini noodles, etc.

If you regularly make batches of smoked chicken thighs, you can simply shred that for a smoky version of this soup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 775mg | Potassium: 873mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 526IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 6mg

As always, if you try a variation to this recipe that you like, you can leave it in the comments so you have a record for when you come back to make it again.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars are basically candy bars for adults who read ingredient labels and are health conscious. Loaded with peanut butter and protein powder, these stout guys pack 28 grams of protein so are the quintessential post-workout meal replacement or nutritious snack.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate = Pure Indulgence

I don’t know about you, but if I’m raiding my kids’ Halloween stash, I’m looking for a Reese’s peanut butter cup. It’s funny how sweet they taste to me now as an adult. Too sweet if I’m honest. So, here we have an adult version of that classic peanut butter and chocolate combo that’s less cloyingly sweet and more chocolate+peanut chemistry.

As with anything homemade, you get to decide what ratio of peanut butter filling to chocolate you are craving. You could do half and half as I do in these cut-out squares or you could shape them into bars and dip them in chocolate if you’re looking for just a thin layer of the chocolate. It’s fun to experiment with this recipe.

Ingredients You Need to Make Peanut Butter Protein Bars

In this recipe, you have a peanut butter protein paste that’s really thick and will remind you of playing with clay and a stovetop melted chocolate portion that gets poured (or used for dipping). No oven baking required. You just need a pan, parchment paper, a pot, and a mixing bowl.

• Coconut flour: coconut flour is desiccated coconut (think fiber) with a fine, flourlike texture that’s available in the baking aisle next to gluten-free flours.
• Protein powder: Use any type of protein powder that you like. Double check that there’s no gluten or dairy if you follow a gluten and dairy-free diet. For an allergy-friendly option, I like Hydrolyzed beef protein AI Paleo by Rootcology or Equip Prime Protein which is unflavored and unsweetened. Note: If your protein powder is sweetened, you will want to decrease the amount of maple syrup a bit.
• Peanut butter: Use plain, creamy peanut butter; if your peanut butter is already sweet, you may need to decrease the maple syrup in this recipe to taste. You may substitute with any nut butter. Cashew or sunflower butter would be great.
• Maple syrup: grade A or grade B work equally well in this recipe or try coconut palm syrup, honey, date syrup, or brown rice syrup.
• Palm shortening: I found a big tub of Palm shortening and enjoyed how easy it was to scoop and measure. Note, you can use refined or unrefined coconut oil 1:1 as a substitute.
• Coconut butter (not oil): Coconut butter or whole coconut puree provides some necessary fat (fat=flavor) and is reminiscent of cacao butter in that it’s solid at room temperature. Feel free to substitute cacao butter, if you like.
• Coconut sugar or maple sugar provide sweetness but coconut sugar is unrefined and won’t completely dissolve; if you want your carob coating smooth, go with maple sugar or evaporated cane sugar.
• Cocoa or carob powder: regular cocoa powder or carob powder is the base for the chocolate coating
• Vanilla extract: just be sure to read the label to ensure you are buying pure vanilla extract not imitation vanilla
• Optional: either sea salt in the chocolate or flake salt for garnish

Steps for Making Peanut Butter Protein Bars

See recipe card (below) for all the details.

Whisk the protein powder with the coconut flour.

Melt the peanut butter with the maple syrup then combine with the protein mixture to form a claylike paste.

Press the protein paste into the parchment lined dish and set aside. Make the chocolate mixture on the stovetop.

As you can see, the chocolate mixture starts out with melted palm oil (coconut oil works, too). Pour the chocolate mixture over the protein paste and chill until set (or shape the protein paste and dip).

More Sweet Snacks to Try

• Disappearing Apricot Coconut Bites
• Lime Cheesecake Bites with Toasted Coconut
• Valentine Tuile Cannoli
• Bodybuilding Dessert: Peanut Butter Tofu Pudding
• Candied Orange Slices Dipped in Chocolate

Get all my appetizers and snacks (sweet and savory) here!

Last but not least, you can add a flourish of fancy flake salt. While your bars are chilling, this peanut butter tofu pudding is fun to gawk at–it’s from my Dad’s bodybuilding competition days.

This recipe is adapted from my own recipe for Tigernut Butter Protein Bars. What’s great about this recipe is that you can swap the nut butter for anything you are not allergic to so feel free to try cashew butter or sunflower butter.

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No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Creamy peanut butter and chocolate protein bars that taste like candy yet are low carb, fiber and protein rich, and contain low-glycemic (unrefined) sweeteners. These will soon become your favorite meal prep snack.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate, peanut butter, snacks

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 10 bars

Calories 762kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

Protein Bar Ingredients:

• ½ cup coconut flour
• 1 ½ cups protein powder I like Hydrolyzed beef protein AI Paleo by Rootcology
• 2 cups peanut butter creamy/smooth
• ½ cup maple syrup

Carob Coating Ingredient:

• 1 cup palm shortening coconut oil works, too
• 1 cup coconut butter not oil or cacao bar
• ¼ cup evaporated cane sugar /maple sugar/coconut sugar
• ⅔ cup cocoa powder or carob powder
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt leave out if adding flake salt for garnish

Instructions

• Get ready. Use silicone bar mold or line a glass Tupperware or baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. For thicker bars, use an 8 x 8-inch pan. For thinner bars or bark, use any size bigger.
• Whisk the protein powder with the coconut flour. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the coconut flour and protein powder.
• Melt the peanut butter with the maple syrup. In a small pot over low heat, melt the peanut butter with the maple syrup until you can stir until smooth.
• Combine the wet and dry mixtures. Use a spatula to combine the dry and wet mixtures to form a very thick, sticky, smooth paste.

  *Troubleshooting: If the mixture seems dry and crumbly (it should be moist, sticky, and very thick) then you need to add more liquids, try 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or coconut oil) until you reach the desired texture. IF you mixture is too wet, consider adding more protein powder.
• Press protein paste into prepared container. Transfer the protein bar paste into the prepared pan and press firmly in place. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
• After the bars are firm, it's time to make the chocolate mixture. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the palm shortening and coconut butter.
• Add the sugar (coconut sugar/maple sugar/cane sugar) and stir frequently to distribute evenly (remember, coconut sugar will not completely dissolve). To avoid scorching, remove promptly from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and sea salt.
• Working rather quickly, make the bars! You should get 8 large bars or 10 to 12 smaller ones.
• Easy Way: Drizzle the chocolate coating over the top of the protein and refrigerate. Once set, use a knife to shape into squares or bars.
• Hard Way: Cut into bars first and dip the protein bar into the chocolate mixture to cover.
• Refrigerate to allow the shell to harden. Serve when chocolate coating is firm and set.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 762kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 325mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 43IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 3mg

Picture perfect roasted Brussels sprouts packed with flavor. That’s these miso citrus glazed Brussels sprouts. Seasonal sides need not be predictable or dry. This is how you get everyone to eat their vegetables.

We eat a healthy serving of vegetables every night for dinner. These roasted Brussels sprouts will be a forever favorite–and for good reason.

My not-so-favorite part of a vegetable side? When it’s served dry and just lifeless. I simply can’t abide a sauceless vegetable. Not no way. Not no how.

As the resident saucier of the house, I set out to deliver a new and lighter (yet saucier) Brussel sprouts dish (this time no cheese). Going for something fresher in flavor, memorable, interesting.

And the perfect backdrop for our sauce? Little crisp, dry pockets of perfectly roasted Brussels sprouts.

Tip #1: Roast Brussels Sprouts at 400F, Tossing Every 5 Minutes

Steaming has ruined so many people on Brussels sprouts. If you want just crispy and caramelized-not-mushy sprouts?

1. Spread them out: crowding = steaming = gross
2. season with salt and pepper: and I mean generously
3. lightly toss with avocado oil: your go-to high heat oil
4. stir them every 5-minutes until they look really caramelized, are tender, have crisp edges, but not mushy: this is how you guarantee success regardless of the size of your Brussels sprouts

Gluten-Free, Dairy Free, Vegan POW Sauce

To sum, this sauce says “pow.” It hits your entire tongue in an instant with some seriously savory, floral notes. It’s definitely an unexpected experience. It’s different but in that way that you are craving.

Ingredients Explained:

How to Roast Brussels Sprouts

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ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH CITRUS MISO GLAZE

DAIRY FREE, GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN

I'm firmly in the camp that we underestimate the value of bitter greens. Take these Brussels sprouts. On their own, they're bitter and slightly spicy. When roasted? These become caramelized, less bitter, and pair spectacularly with this citrus-based sauce. You get umami, floral, and mustard flavors from this dish that leaves your taste buds wanting more.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Brussels sprouts

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 138kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

Brussels Sprouts:

• 1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts halved, stems removed
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil high-heat, neutral oil
• ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt or use truffle salt
• Fresh ground black pepper 15 turns

Citrus Miso Glaze:

• 1 ½ teaspoons tamari
• 1 ½ teaspoons miso paste such as white, chickpea, or yellow
• 1 ½ teaspoons fresh citrus juice ideally yuzu or a combination of lemon and grapefruit
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tiny pinch evaporated cane sugar
• ¼ teaspoon truffle oil*
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil neutral oil

Instructions

• Roast. Preheat oven 400F. Toss Brussels sprouts, oil, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and lay out on a sheet tray, making sure not to crowd. Roast until golden brown and tender, stirring every 4 minutes.
• Toss Brussels sprouts with the glaze. In a medium prep bowl, combine tamari, miso, yuzu, nutritional yeast, and sugar. Whisk while adding oil one drop at a time until emulsified. Toss roasted Brussels sprouts with the glaze and use tongs to serve.

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Notes

Truffle oil: You may replace the salt in this recipe with truffle salt (that’s salt sold with pieces of truffle in it) and omit the truffle oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1half cup portion | Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 459mg | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 856IU | Vitamin C: 97mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

Photography by Adam Rahman

Slightly sweet, buttery, and with pure vanilla extract! These homemade gluten-free waffle cones are crunchy and capture everything you know and love about a freshly shaped waffle cone. From one bowl of batter, you can shape into waffle cones, bowls, or take two disks and make ice cream sandwiches.

With kids in the house, we are a little ice cream obsessed around here. We’ve been churning batch after batch of lemon custard, salted caramel, and this fresh ginger ice cream (pictured throughout).

These cones have been a long time coming!

You can find decent ice cream in the store. That said, the cones are another matter. It’s maddening trying to buy flavorful ice cream cones; I’ve been on the hunt for a waffle or sugar cone that isn’t stale right out of the box for a decade.

It doesn’t exist (or if it does, I haven’t found it).

Cones don’t keep.

It’s a good idea to have ice cream cone ingredients because that way, you can whip up a batch of fresh cones in 15 minutes. Your homemade cones will keep for up to 3 days if you can protect them from moisture.

Why Gluten-Free Cones?

You may be wondering what’s up with the gluten-free flour. My husband has a gluten sensitivity and my culinary training is actually in the specialty diet realm. Bottom line, a tested and perfected gluten-free cone recipe has a ton of value to my family (and hopefully, yours too).

If you’re getting into gluten-free baking, I’m really proud of these gluten-free fudgy brownies (dairy free, too) and for something savory, there’s these gluten-free mini pizzas and these sushi and sashimi bowls.

In case you are wondering, you can make these in a non-stick skillet, but I think it’s significantly easier to use a waffle iron to get the fun pattern like we did here.

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Gluten-Free Waffle Cones or Bowls

You can add additional water to the batter (towards the end) if it thickens too much. When shaping cones, the initial texture will be pliable when warm. As the shapes cool, the cones will harden into whatever their shape is, becoming increasingly crunchy.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten free, waffle cones

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 cones

Calories 128kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour (also called tapioca "starch") may substitute arrowroot
• 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 1 egg white at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 to 4 tablespoons whole milk low-fat milk will also work
• coconut oil or butter for greasing the pan

Instructions

• Mix dry ingredients. In a bowl (preferably with a spout), whisk together the brown rice flour, tapioca, xanthan gum, salt, and sugar until incorporated.
• Form the batter. To the dry ingredient mixture, add the melted butter, vanilla, egg white, and 2 tablespoons milk. Whisk to form a smooth batter. Since you want the batter to remain pourable (but not too thin), you may need to continue to thin it out as it sits with milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Preheat a waffle iron (medium-low heat). Brush a waffle cone iron lightly with either coconut oil or butter. Pour or ladle approximately 3 tablespoons of batter at once. Close the lid and cook until golden, about 2 minutes.
• Remove and shape while warm. Using an offset spatula or a toothpick, carefully pry away the edges. Immediately roll into a cone shape being sure to keep the tip-end as small and tight as possible. You want to cinch the tip together while warm and hold in place for about 1-minute before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter and cones.

  Store cones in a non humid environment. They will stay crunchy for up to 3 days at room temperature in a sealed container or glass jar.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1cone | Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Photography by Adam Rahman

Ginger ice cream made from fresh ginger makes such a refreshing dessert. Serve it after a heavy meal for an instant palate cleanser that will leave your taste buds dancing.

This ginger ice cream is crazy good–but unusual.

Just like a loud and proud lemon and cream pairing, fresh ginger infused syrup marries extremely well with dairy. We are talking simple, delightful zips of fill-your-whole-mouth ginger flavor.

Why You Need An Ice Cream Machine In Your Life

An $80 ice cream machine is a small investment to make when you consider how easy (and affordable) it is to stretch a few ingredients into multiple batches (and customizable flavors) of ice cream. Think roughly $3/gallon for homemade ice cream. I’m not even sure you could buy ginger ice cream at the store if you wanted to.

In this 7-ingredient recipe, you have egg yolks for a golden color and rich flavor and no carrageenan. Since ginger cannot be added directly to the ice cream due to its fibrous texture, you will learn how to diy your very own ginger syrup, so nothing artificial!

Since I have a few gluten sensitive eaters in my family, it was worth it to me to make homemade gluten free cones to pair with this naturally gluten-free ice cream. Gluten or no gluten, what matters here is homemade. Nothing beats a freshly waffled cone in terms of quality. Definitely recommend.

Serving Ideas for Ginger Ice Cream

You can serve this ginger ice cream with or without crystallized ginger, in a cup or in a homemade gluten-free cone; you can even serve it sandwiched between these molasses ginger cookies.

Ice Cream and Ginger Ale Float

On a hot summer day, you might want to try adding a scoop of ginger ice cream to some carbonated water. That’s right, you can make your very own ginger ale float! Creamy, thirst-quenching, and 100% natural ginger flavor.

Back to the ice cream recipe…Let’s go over all the ingredients you need for the ice creams (and pictured here are the cone ingredients, too).

Fresh Ginger Ice Cream Ingredients:

• sugar: evaporated cane sugar works well for making the syrup
• ginger peeled and grated: peel the ginger root and use a microplane to get a really fine pulp
• whole milk: be sure to use whole milk (reduced fat milk will not work)
• egg yolks: you will temper the egg yolks that give this custard a luxuriously rich flavor
• heavy cream: it’s important to use heavy, full fat cream to get a thick, creamy, and rich ice cream texture
• fresh lemon juice: compliments the flavor of the ginger
• candied ginger (optional): chewy, sweet, and spicy; used as a garnish

Ginger Ice Cream Recipe Step-by-Step

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. You can match these steps with the recipe card (below).

Step 1: Make simple syrup and infuse with fresh ginger.

An infusion is where you extract the ginger flavor into a heated syrup. You’ll strain the pulp at the end and you’ll be left with a golden, ginger syrup.

Step 2: Warm milk and steep with ginger. 

Step 3: Beat egg yolks. 

Step 4: Temper eggs to form the custard.

Step 5: Cool Quickly.

Ice Bath Method: You can quickly cool your dairy mixture by setting the bowl inside of a larger bowl with ice. Stir to cool. You don’t want to pour a really hot mixture into an ice cream machine because then it might not get cold enough to freeze and thicken properly.

Step 6: Churn Ice Cream

Ingredient Tip: Add chopped crystallized ginger when churning the ice cream, if you like. It will add little chewy bites.

Step 7: Freeze

If you’re wondering what I mean when I say “soft serve consistency,” look at the above picture. Your ice cream machine will produce something very soft. If you want to be able to scoop it, you have to freeze it longer (see below).

To get a nice scoop, you should spread the ice cream in a baking pan lined with parchment paper (also cover the top with parchment paper or plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn). Once the ice cream is hard, you will be able to scoop it. This can take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours of freeze time.

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Fresh Ginger Ice Cream

Makes 1 quart (Double recipe if you have a 2 quart machine)

Refreshing ginger ice cream made from fresh ginger with pops of candied ginger. This ice cream is a palate cleanser/dessert in one.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Asian

Keyword ginger, gluten free ice cream, ice cream

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Steeping (30 minutes) + Freezing (4 hours) 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 scoops

Calories 204kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Equipment

• 1 ice cream machine

Ingredients

• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar of choice preferably evaporated cane sugar
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 ounce ginger peeled and grated
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons candied ginger optional

Instructions

• Make simple syrup and infuse with fresh ginger. Combine ¼ cup of the sugar with the water in a small saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Add the grated ginger and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from the heat, and strain the syrup into a small bowl. Reserve the cooked ginger (still in the strainer) in a separate bowl.
• Warm milk and steep with ginger. Over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan, combine the milk with 2 tablespoons sugar and reserved cooked ginger. When the milk comes to a boil, remove from the heat, and pour in the ginger syrup. Set aside and allow the milk to steep for 30 minutes.
• Beat egg yolks. Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining ¼ cup of sugar until the yolks turn pale yellow.
• Temper eggs to form the custard. Heat the ginger-infused milk once again, on low heat until hot. Pour the hot milk in a steady stream into the beaten egg yolks, whisking the whole time to avoid any lumps or scrambling of the eggs. Pour the custard mix back into the saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring continuously for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the custard thickens to coat a spoon.
• Cool quickly. Put a handful of ice cubes and a cup or two of water in a large bowl. Place a medium bowl in this ice bath. Remove the custard from the heat and strain it into the medium bowl. This cools the custard quickly. With a wooden spoon, press down on the ginger in the strainer to get any juices into the custard.
• Churn ice cream. When the custard has cooled through, stir in the heavy cream and the lemon juice. Pour into an ice-cream maker and add the candied ginger. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Freeze. Most budget ice cream machines will produce a soft serve consistency. If you would like to be able to scoop your ice cream, I recommend pouring into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Top with parchment paper and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze for 4 hours. At this point, the ice cream will harden and you can scoop.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1scoop | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 584IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Photography by Adam Rahman

You can’t go wrong with a crispy tortilla layered with chipotle simmered black beans, pickled red onion, and refreshing avocado slaw. We are covering our bases with these gourmet black bean tostadas and then some.

I really love a simple, yet gourmet, tostada. Can you tell?

In my book, there are a few musts when it comes to tostadas. They must be:

1. crispy, and preferably made with freshly fried corn tortillas
2. have a thick, hot layer of saucy black beans
3. topped with something(s) fresh

Don’t let these guys fool you. These black bean tostadas and every component are weeknight friendly and should only take you about 30-minutes to make (a bit more if you want to make the tortillas yourself).

Here are the Mexican Ingredients You Need:

• Avocado oil: This is a healthy cooking oil with a neutral flavor.
• Corn tortillas: homemade or store-bought
• Salt: sea salt or smoked sea salt are ideal
• ¼ medium white onion diced: don’t be tempted to use an entire onion in this recipe. I have tested this and you should keep the ratios so as not to over-power the beans.
• Garlic: you can mince your own garlic or use the pre-minced kind
• Chipotle chile in adobo sauce canned *1 chipotle chile from the can, roughly chopped plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce: these peppers are smoky and spicy; be careful not to add too many or the beans will be very spicy
• 1 14- ounce Can Black Beans: you can mash these up a bit if you like or use refried beans
• 1 pinch Dried Mexican oregano/regular oregano/fresh minced oregano: this adds a floral, earthy flavor that is important to Mexican cuisine
• 1 pinch Anise seed: while this may seem like a strange ingredient, I encourage you to use it. The anise imparts that something extra that makes these incredibly fresh-tasting.
• ½ Red Onion very thinly sliced: this is used for quick pickling and will become a garnish; I really like the flavor of red onion pickled in salted lime so don’t use a white onion for this
• 3 Limes: limes impart a sweet, sour flavor for pickling the onion; this juice gets re-purposed in the slaw and helps break down the cabbage so that it’s softer
• Jalapeno minced: I like to include the seeds for flavor and spiciness; adds freshness
• Cilantro: a garnish that adds a lemony, peppery, pungent taste to the dish
• Cotija cheese: any mild fresh cheese will work and you can leave off the cheese if you are making these vegan
• Green cabbage: I like the crunchiness of shredded green cabbage; it holds up better than lettuce
• Avocados: you can use the avocado to garnish and to impart a rich, creaminess to the cabbage slaw; acts like sour cream in this recipe

Step-by-Step Black Bean Tostada Recipe

Step 1: Pan-fry the tortillas until crispy. 

Technique Tip: For best results, you need to pan-fry (not bake) the tortillas. Really aim for firm and crispy so that they can hold the toppings without flopping around.

Step 2: Make the beans. 

Step 3: Quick pickle the onion. 

As you can see, the red onion gets submerged in lime juice with salt and this acid breaks down the onion, making it soft and a pretty pink color (see picture below).

Step 4: Make slaw, garnish and serve. 

For the slaw, you can serve this on top of the tostada like you would lettuce or on the side.

You can use store-bought corn tortillas to save time or you can make your own for a restaurant quality experience. Homemade tortillas are easier that you might think, and you don’t even need a tortilla press.

How to Make Homemade Corn Tortillas (Optional)

You can make homemade tortillas in less than 10-minutes by cleverly sandwiching the masa dough between parchment paper, which makes for both easy clean-up and prevents the dough from sticking. Here’s the basic process:

Homemade Tortillas Ingredients:

• 1 cup masa harina
• Lukewarm water
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fat, such as avocado oil, olive oil, or lard

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the masa, lukewarm water, salt, and fat. Mix well to form a thick paste. 
2. Divide masa paste mixture into 4 roughly equal-sized balls. 
3. Set a large piece of parchment paper on the counter. Transfer the masa balls on top spacing far apart and set another large piece of parchment on top sandwiching the masa in between the parchment layers. Press, flatten and roll the masa balls until very flat (approximately ⅛-inch thick). 
4. Peel away the top piece of parchment. Flip to make it easier to peel the parchment away from the flattened masa dough. To do this, you can place the masa over the palm of your hand and carefully remove. Gently lay palm-side-up onto a preheated griddle. Cook 40 seconds, then flip every 20 seconds until cooked through, approximately 2-minutes total. Store tortillas covered to keep moist.

Variations and Serving Tips:

• Cherry tomatoes: Halve and add as a garnish for a pop of color
• Salsa: any fresh salsa
• Taco sauce, hot sauce, or enchilada sauce
• Sour cream, especially thinned with a bit of lime juice and cilantro added
• taco shop guacamole
• shredded cheddar cheese, especially if melted over the beans
• microgreens: such as radish, kale, or arugula
• Just a pinch of this mesquite salt will impart some really special wood smoke flavor.
• Make mini tostadas: If you are making homemade tortillas, you could try serving mini tostadas for a fun appetizer or as a party food for a buffet

Mexican Recipes You Might Like:

• Chilaquiles with Fried Eggs: This is a great breakfast recipe if you end up with extra tortillas
• Bona Fide Fried Ice Cream
• Mangonada Smoothies
• How to Make Chamoy
• Pork Pozole Verde
• Forever Barbacoa – Mexican Shredded Beef

I hope you love a weeknight gourmet tostada as much as I do. Thanks for stopping by. You’re welcome back any ol’ time.

The Frayed Apron is committed to creating high quality recipes that work. We are transparent about the recipe notes we receive:

Tostadas – Tortillas were easy to make, funnily enough I have a low carb tortilla recipe on my website that uses the same method for flattening. These were delicious, my toddler loves the tortillas. I kept a bit of water on hand to keep the dough from drying out as I worked on them. We had these for dinner the night I made them with shredded chicken on top and they were great!

Adam Rahman, Recipe Tester and Photographer

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Smoky Black bean tostadas with avocado slaw and pickled onion

I love a good tostada and these black bean beauties have got it going on! You get bold, smoky and spicy from the chipotle black beans. Plus, the best of the best in toppings: pickled red onion, avocado slaw, and fresh Mexican cheese.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword black beans, tostada

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 535kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• Avocado oil
• 8 corn tortillas homemade preferably or store bought
• Salt to taste
• ¼ medium white onion diced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Chipotle chile in adobo sauce canned *1 chipotle chile from the can, roughly chopped plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1 14- ounce can black beans
• 1 pinch dried Mexican oregano regular oregano or fresh minced oregano work, too
• 1 pinch anise seed
• ½ red onion very thinly sliced
• 3 limes
• Jalapeno minced
• 1 ounce cilantro roughly chopped
• Cotija cheese crumbled (optional)
• 1 tiny head green cabbage very thinly sliced (1 cup)
• 3 ripe avocados halved, seeded, and outside peels removed

Instructions

• Pan-fry the tortillas until crispy. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and when it shimmers, add the tortilla in a single layer, cooking one at a time until golden brown. Flip the tortilla and repeat, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and season with salt while hot. Note: For tostadas, you are aiming to cook the tortillas until they are crispy like a chip.
• Make the beans. In the hot skillet, add the oil and chopped onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are slightly brown around the edges. Add the garlic and chipotle chiles. Stir then add the canned black beans, oregano, and anise seed. Leave to simmer. Note: While you can’t over-cook the beans, they can dry out so feel free to add water 1 tablespoon at a time to keep them moist.
• Quick pickle the onion. In a small bowl, combine the red onion, the juice of 3 limes, and 3 pinches of salt. Massage for 10 seconds then set aside and watch as the color transforms. When they appear bright fuschia, they are ready (approximately 10 minutes).
• Make slaw, garnish and serve. Slice 2 of the avocados thinly lengthwise for garnish, set aside. For the slaw, place one avocado in a bowl and mash with a fork. Pour the pickled onion liquid (reserve the onions for garnish) over the avocado. Add the cabbage and massage to create the slaw. Plate the slaw with a sprinkle of cotija. To plate the tostada: Place a layer of beans and garnish with jalapeno, cilantro, cotija, avocado slices, and pickled onion.

Video

Notes

Chipotle chiles are sold canned in adobo sauce. You can include some of the sauce in the beans, if you wish. It has a spicy, smoky flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tostadas | Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 1666mg | Fiber: 28g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 952IU | Vitamin C: 119mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 5mg

Photography by Adam Rahman

Artichokes are such a delicacy but because they contain so many inedible parts, they can be downright daunting. If you love the taste and want to learn how to cut, cook, and eat them with ease, welcome! Today is the day you master the artichoke.

Let me start by saying that I am especially glad you are here. My favorite recipes involve some sort of challenge and the ability to be creative beyond cooking101. I KNOW that if you are reading this, you likely are a frayed apron cook in your own right. I see you!

I covet an artichoke. We never had them growing up.

This weekend, my sense of accomplishment came from teaching my son how to eat his first artichoke. He loved it! Even my husband, who is never excited about artichokes, raved “these are the best!” His apathy for them comes from thinking of them as steamed and lifeless.

All of this is to say, clean your chokes, stuff and roast them and people will think of you as an artichoke angel. Definitely plan on at least an entire artichoke per person. It’s hard to share that prized heart!

Gather Your Ingredients:

Today, we will be steaming, then stuffing and roasting whole artichokes with the usual players: breadcrumbs, olive oil, and garlic but also some pairings that you might not expect: capers, roasted bell peppers, and a citrusy vinaigrette.

When you sink into this artichoke, you will get earthy and briny tastes amplified by acidity (so not quite as rich as a dairy-based recipe). This is a pretty refreshing spring dish with lots of whole foods ingredients.

Would you look at that?

These are so gosh darn pretty. They make for a lovely appetizer for a family brunch. Honestly, I think they’d make a fabulous vegetarian centerpiece. Regardless of how you serve them, you can’t go wrong with an artichoke.

You can even make these gluten-free if you use gluten-free breadcrumbs, making this recipe:

Visual Tutorial on How to Prepare Fresh Artichokes 

Ingredient Tip: Did you know that cut artichokes oxidize and turn black? To prevent them from turning colors, you simply place them in a bowl of acidulated water (water with lemon juice usually) or just rub your halved lemon directly on the artichoke where you cut it open.

How to Cut

It’s probably safest to use a serrated knife to trim the top portion of the artichoke but I almost always use a really sharp chef’s knife.

Other nice things to have are a pair of kitchen shears for removing the pointy end of petals (about ¼ of the way down allows the petals to sit flat). While you can remove the fuzz while the artichoke is raw. It’s quite a bit simpler to do this step after the artichokes have been steamed.

Steam (Don’t Boil)

A steamer basket is key and will enable you to keep the artichokes above the boiling water. Steaming with a spritz or two of fresh lemon juice maintains the color and flavor of the artichokes as they cook.

Cooking Tip: If your steamer basket sits very low, you may need to add additional water halfway through as you really don’t want the artichokes submerged. Boiling will zap your artichokes of their flavor.

After the artichokes have cooled, you can remove the inedible center (so, just remove the fuzzy portion) with a spoon. This will vastly improve the eating experience.

Why Bother Roasting?

While you can eat freshly steamed artichokes, we are using a breadcrumb-based stuffing and we want to get the breadcrumbs slightly golden brown and crispy. Roasting also intensifies the flavor of each ingredient and allows everything to come together.

How to Cook Stuffed Artichokes

Really fill the heck out of your artichokes then roast them until you see the breadcrumbs brown in spots. This could take 15 minutes or longer.

How to Eat

You pull the leaves off one-by-one and bite down pulling and scraping the remove “the meat.” You can use a fork to enjoy little bites of the breadcrumb center, too.

Truly, I was surprised how quickly my 2-year-old figured out how to scrape the leaves with his teeth. He really seemed to get a kick out of this one.

Sometimes a photo (or video) is worth a thousand words. If at any point you’re not understanding an instruction, please check out the images or drop me a comment. I always try to get back to people as quickly as I can.

To reiterate, I love connecting with people who are well on their way through their cooking journey. It means I get to share even more creative recipes (like this one!). Oh, I DO hope you’ll come back:)

Your Curated Recipe Playlist:

• Homemade Pasta
• Rotisserie Chicken How-To with Seasonal Vegetable
• Creamy Rhubarb Lime Sorbet
• Extra Fudgy Gluten-Free Brownies (Dairy Free)

The Frayed Apron is committed to several rounds of testing so that our recipes always work! Here’s the feedback we received from our recipe tester:

Stuffed artichokes – No notes really, instructions were straightforward, it was pretty yummy. My family jokes that artichokes are the only food in the world I don’t like but I think you’ve converted me!

Adam Rahman, recipe tester and food photographer

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STUFFED ARTICHOKES

DAIRY FREE, GLUTEN-FREE, NUT FREE, SOY FREE, VEGAN

Freshly prepared artichokes are a must try. Serve these stuffed chokes as a gourmet vegetarian appetizer or a main course.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword artichoke

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people (1 artichoke each)

Calories 543kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Equipment

• steamer pot with steamer basket
• Kitchen shears
• Chef’s knife

Ingredients

• 2 approximately 1-pound artichokes, washed and dried
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Black pepper
• 2 tablespoons capers drained
• ½ cup roasted red pepper from 1 roasted pepper or from the jar, minced
• 1/2 cup packed baby spinach minced
• 1 cup breadcrumbs such as store bought or homemade (gluten free is ok)

Instructions

• Prepare the artichokes. Use a chef’s knife or serrated knife to cut straight through the top 2-inches of each artichoke and enough off the base to allow the artichoke to sit flatly. Use kitchen scissors or a chef’s knife to discard any tough outer leaves (usually toward the bottom of the artichoke stem-end). Use scissors to cut sharp tips of leaves.
• Steam the artichokes. Fill a pot with a couple inches of water and place a steam rack on top. Set the artichokes, stem-end up on the rack. Drizzle with about ¼ teaspoon acid (lemon juice or red wine vinegar) per artichoke then cover. Simmer over medium low heat until tender, about 40 minutes (more or less time, depending on the size of your artichokes*).
• Make the stuffing. Whisk together the orange juice, red wine vinegar, mustard, olive oil, garlic, and black pepper. Mix in the capers, roasted red pepper, spinach, and breadcrumbs.
• Stuff the artichokes then roast. After steaming, use a pair of tongs to remove the artichokes to cool on a plate. Gently remove just enough of the leaves from the center to reveal the “hairs” or fuzz. Use a spoon to gently scrape away and discard the fuzz to reveal a clean “heart.” Place the artichokes in a baking dish (or casserole dish) heart-side up so that they fit snugly. Use a spoon to pack the center of each choke with plenty of stuffing. Next, drizzle filling between the leaves; tip: using your fingers to spread the leaves will help you get more stuffing in there. Season each artichoke with salt then roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until the breadcrumb stuffing appears golden. Serve and savor each and every bite.

Video

Notes

Timing artichokes and cook time:

It’s actually pretty difficult to offer a universal cook time for artichokes because they cook at different rates depending on the size and other factors.

If you can pierce them through easily with a skewer, they may be removed from the steamer. You will be roasting further so it’s ok if the artichoke doesn’t just fall right off the skewer (this visual is the one you would look for if you were only steaming and not following with a roast).

Nutrition

Serving: 1stuffed artichoke | Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Sodium: 1252mg | Potassium: 753mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 977IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 5mg

Recipe Photography by Adam Rahman

This recipe is part of my cooking Basics series, a collection of recipes that are all about how to cook basic, everyday things.

My dad notoriously undercooked wild rice throughout my childhood. It was always a task to eat it, and I didn’t learn how to cook it until I went to culinary school.

Turns out, you want to cook wild rice like pasta. That is to say, in salted boiling water. You also want to look for the grains to sort of burst open. Trust me, it makes all the difference.

Wild rice fetches a premium price because it can involve being harvested by canoe as it grows in water like a grass; making it difficult to cultivate.

How Much Water to Use When Cooking Wild Rice

Unlike regular rice which involves precise measurements, wild rice is less finicky because the outer shell prevents it from turning mushy. You don’t have to be as precious about the ratios of water to wild rice. Just be sure the rice has plenty of room to cook. In other words, you can’t have too much water when cooking wild rice (but you could have too little).

How to Tell Wild Rice Is Done

Simply dump it into a pot of boiling water and cook until you see the grains burst open. You do want to remove the rice as soon as this happens. It is possible to over-do it with the cooking. As a rule of thumb, wild rice takes anywhere from 35 to 55 minutes, depending on the brand. Just begin checking every 20 minutes or so.

Best Way to Serve Wild Rice

Once strained, the wild rice will have the best texture if you allow it to steam and fluff it with a fork.

You can serve wild rice like a salad with a shallot vinaigrette and some dried cranberries or with a hearty wild mushroom sauce like my mushroom stroganoff. It’s lovely as a side to some broiled salmon and those pan drippings can double as a sauce for the rice, too.

Hope you enjoyed this basic cooking method. Now, grab your apron and let’s go!

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How to Cook Wild Rice

You want to treat wild rice less like rice and more like pasta.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword wild rice

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 158kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cups wild rice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

Instructions

• Boil. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the salt and the wild rice. Stir every so often to ensure the rice cooks evenly. Note: You can check the bag for approximate cook time. Typically 35 to 55 minutes.
• Strain and serve. When you see the grains visibly split open, immediately strain using a fine mesh strainer. Transfer to a large serving bowl and toss with some olive oil or butter to fluff and allow steam to escape. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 11/2 cup portion | Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

With thin strips of cucumber as the wrapper, these nibbles prove that you don’t need to go to a sushi restaurant when the craving strikes. Fresh tuna is such a splurge and yet always leaves me proclaiming, “I could eat this way every week!”

You can’t go wrong with cucumber, tuna, and avocado. This combination is so fresh and the textures work in harmony. A spritz of lime and a thin slice of jalapeno round out all the flavors for one glorious bite.

This simple spring dish is a blast.

There’s a creaminess from the avocado and some crunch from microgreens, jalapeno, and cucumber. And the tuna! Let’s not forget about the luxurious tuna–so smooth and melt in your mouth.

Plus, you can make this recipe in about 15-minutes in one pan! So, there’s really no downside.

While these seem like an appetizer, I habitually make this dish a full meal by adding rice and miso soup to the table. If you have day-old rice, even better, I have this ahi tuna recipe that will walk you through how to make crispy golden rice in the same pan as the seared tuna.

Watch How to Make Cucumber Tuna Avocado Rolls (Video)

You can watch how to prepare the cucumber and layer the ingredients to make rolling easy.

Ingredients/Tips/Substitutions

• Tuna steaks (6 to 7 ounces/180-200g each) (boneless, skinless): Fresh tuna with vibrant color and marbling will have the best flavor and texture. Use purchased fish within 2 days.
• Olive oil: A high heat oil for searing the tuna. Avocado oil is a great alternative.
• Salt: sea salt or Kosher salt ensure maximum flavor
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Seedless English cucumbers: This forms the wrap and can be prepared easily with an open faced vegetable peeler or a mandolin set to the thinnest setting
• Avocados: you can ripen avocados quickly by placing in a brown paper bag someplace high (with a banana if possible)
• Microgreens: any delicate microgreen works; I like anything with a spicy bite, like radish or mustard greens (you can even grow microgreens yourself). Chopped cilantro is a good substitute.
• Jalapeno: Just a thin slice per bite gives the right amount of heat to accentuate the other flavors.
• Lime: Balances the savory flavors by adding a fresh, acid component.

Equipment Tip: a mandolin or vegetable peeler is key for peeling extra thin slices of cucumber for rolling. If you don’t own one, you can deconstruct the whole dish and serve it salad style in a bowl.

Step-by-Step Instructions and Cooking Tips

Step 1 – Cook Tuna.

Be sure to season the tuna well with salt and pepper. Rub with a thin coat of olive oil.

In a really hot pan, sear the tuna until you see a nice, even gold crust form. Repeat on the other side. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Step 2 – Prepare the Vegetables.

There are several ways to get thin strips of cucumber. You can use a vegetable peeler easily enough or a mandolin. If you don’t have either, you could thinly slice the cucumber and serve everything salad-style in a bowl.

Ingredient Tip: Look for “English cucumber” because the seeds are very delicate and English cucumbers tend to be long, making them perfect for strips (see above picture).

Step 3 – Assemble. Roll. Serve.

You can cut the tuna into thin ¼-inch thick squares (about 1-inch x 1-inch). Make sure the tuna has cooled completely or it will tear when you cut into it.

To assemble: Place the cucumber strip in front of you (note: you may need to stack 2 pieces of cucumber on top of each other).

Add a single layer of tuna starting from one end and leaving at least half the length bare (over-stuffed cucumber will be difficult to roll). Repeat with the avocado slices, a thin layer of microgreens, adding a single slice of jalapeno per roll.

Starting at the end with the tuna, begin to roll to form a single bite-sized roll. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Serve with lime juice.

FAQs

What temperature for cooking tuna steak?

Rare: A final temperature of about 90 degrees for that beautiful red color and luxurious texture that tuna is known for. You can cook it to medium-rare (130 degrees when measured at the thickest point) but any further and it will become dry.

How do you ripen avocado?

Place the unripe avocado in a paper bag with a banana and place on a shelf up high. This method will ripen an avocado within about 8 hours, so it’s great to do this the night before.

How many calories in a spicy tuna roll?

Approximately 460 calories in the total recipe, so divide the number of rolls you get by 460 and that’s the number of calories per roll.

How to store:

While you could make this dish ahead, I’d recommend omitting the salt because it will draw too much moisture out of the cucumber. You could assemble the rolls and store in a container in the refrigerator for a couple of days. The lime will prevent the avocado from oxidizing somewhat, but the ingredients will be at their best texture when fresh.

Now that you have the basic technique, it’s time to test the waters. You’ll soon get the hang of how to stack and roll everything. It’s also fun to lay everything out and let people stack and roll at the table together. It’s interactive and fun!

More Fresh Seafood Recipes For You:

• Halibut Foil Pack with White Wine Sauce
• Beer Braised Mussels with Spicy Salami and Sun-Dried Tomato
• Lemon Orzo Shrimp Salad
• Baked Scallops with Citrus Ginger Sauce

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CUCUMBER TUNA AVOCADO SALAD ROLLS

One Pot, Fast

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free

Fresh tuna served rare is paired with everything it needs: salt, fat, heat, and acid.

These fresh little bites can be served a number of ways as an appetizer or light lunch: as sushi rolls, in a salad bowl, on top of cucumber coins (thickly sliced cucumber), or stuffed inside of cucumber. The sky is the limit and what really matters is the ingredients coming together into one harmonious bite not so much the exact presentation.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword avocado, cucumber, rolls, salad, tuna

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 122kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 2 tuna steaks (6 to 7 ounces/180-200g each) (boneless, skinless)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 seedless English cucumbers outer peel removed and thinly peeled lengthwise into wide strips
• 2 ripe avocados cut in half, seed and skins removed
• Microgreens
• 1 jalapeno sliced very thinly
• 1 lime cut in half

Instructions

• Cook tuna. Drizzle half the oil over the tuna. Smear over one side then sprinkle with half the salt and pepper, flip and repeat. Heat skillet over high heat until smoking hot. Place tuna steak in the skillet and cook on all sides for 45 seconds. You just want to sear the outside but keep the center rare (118F in the middle). Move to a plate and allow to cool completely before slicing.
• Prepare the vegetables. Use either a vegetable peeler or mandolin to slice the cucumber lengthwise into long thin strips. Set on a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt to remove excess water. With the avocado (rounded side face-up) cut into very thin ¼-inch thick slices lengthwise.
• Assemble the tuna salad rolls, slice, and serve. Once the tune is completely cool, cut it into thin ¼-inch thick squares (about 1-inch x 1-inch). To assemble: Place the cucumber strip in front of you (note: you may need to stack 2 pieces of cucumber on top of eachother). Add a single layer of tuna starting from one end and leaving at least half the length bare (over-stuffed cucumber will be difficult to roll). Repeat with the avocado slices, a thin layer of microgreens, adding a single slice of jalapeno per roll. Starting at the end with the tuna, begin to roll to form a single bite-sized roll. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve with lime juice.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (Total rolls made/4) | Calories: 122kcal | Protein: 20g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 214mg | Vitamin A: 1856IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

Photography by Adam Rahman

There’s nothing wrong with classic vanilla crème brûlée but sometimes you want something a tad brighter–even just a drop of lemon makes vanilla spectacularly more interesting. That’s what this crème brulee recipe is all about. Dynamism!

Tap. Tap. Crunch. Eye-brow raise. That is the scene I want to paint you. You simply can’t help be surprised by the subtle, yet striking, lemon flavor that sort of hits you a moment after the vanilla. It’s really pleasant, and I highly recommend you experience it for yourself.

P.S. We really love lemons around here (and vanilla). There’s also this creamy, very lemony ice cream. These creamy lemon possets (like crème brulee minus the crunch), and meyer lemon bars.

Vanilla Crème with Lemon Brulee Recipe

Brûlée: to burn.

What are we burning today? Why, lemon infused sugar, of course!

If you infuse the sugar topping with fresh lemon peel, what you get is this amazing crackly, lemon-marshmallowy top layer. It’s an unexpected twist to the traditional crème brulee experience.

Basically, the oils from the lemon peel seep into the sugar adding plenty of gorgeous lemon essence. You just use the sugar and discard the peel (which is bitter and overpowering when burned).

Grab your apron and let’s celebrate lemon season crème brulee style!

Top Tips for Making Lemony Crème Brulee at Home

Broiler Method: Usually the problem with making creme brulee at home is how to create a thin enough crunch on top of the creme. Many recipes require the use of a small culinary propane torch. While fun, it’s not an everyday appliance, whereas most people have a broiler setting in their oven.

Use less sugar: My best tip is to use only a teaspoon of sugar per ramekin. More sugar makes it much too hard to tap-tap-break with a spoon.

High fat cream and chill: Vanilla crème brulee is such an exquisitely rich and elegant dessert but if you don’t use high fat cream and chill long enough, it can be soupy instead of creamy. If you are looking for a slightly lighter version, you can replace up to 1 cup with half and half (just be sure to use 1 cup heavy cream).

Infusing sugar takes time: While your custard is chilling, make your sugar+lemon zest and set to the side so it gets good and lemony. It’s normal for the sugar to appear wet and clump together (that’s how you know it’s working).

WATER BATH EXPLAINED

A water bath is where you fill halfway up the sides of the ramekin. This technique allows the custard to cook slowly and evenly when transferred to the oven.

6-Ingredients = One Heck of a Crème Brulee

It’s really amazing how few ingredients you need to make a remarkably good crème brulee. You will need:

• heavy cream: provides the right balance of fat and ensures the texture will thicken and set as it chills 
• vanilla: use a good quality vanilla extract or a vanilla bean for the purest flavor
• salt: just a pinch of sea salt will really enhance the flavors
• egg yolks: for a rich and flavorful custard
• granulated sugar: gives the custard a sweet flavor and is used for the topping
• lemon: we are only using the outside rind/zest to flavor the sugar that gets caramelized

Let’s Look at the Steps

As you can see, I am using a split vanilla bean to infuse the custard mixture, but you could just as easily use vanilla extract.

Step 1- Make Custard Mixture.

Step 2 – Bake. Chill. Make Lemon Sugar.

Step 3 – Serve.

Notice how the broiler method can leave the topping a bit rustic looking? I love this effect and think it makes this crème brulee really unique. The bits of sugar that are a bit moist get extra charred, which imparts even more campfire marshmallowy goodness.

Lemon crème brulee in Lemon

While I love especially shallow ramekins for crème brulee (you get more crunchy topping to filling), you could try setting a hollowed out lemon cut lengthwise on top of a ramekin and filling the lemon peel with the crème brulee. Not only is it eye-catching, it tells you what flavors you are about to taste. Due to moisture, you should serve this right away because it will cause your dessert to sweat.

Storing and preserving homemade lemon sugar

Your leftover lemon sugar will last for many months stored in a sealed bag or container (if it makes it that far). You could totally use the lemon sugar inside the custard portion of this recipe! Another idea is to use it to further enhance homemade lemonade.

CITRUS VARIATIONS (YUZU, GRAPEFRUIT, ORANGE)

Since we are using the zest to infuse the sugar, you could try any citrus. I don’t add the zest to the crème because I like the smoothness of vanilla, but you could add the zest finely grated if you want a more intense citrus flavor.

FAQs

Can you freeze crème brulee?

No. For the best texture, I recommend refrigerating crème brulee and enjoying fresh.

How to store crème brulee?

Wrap the custard tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days. When ready to serve, unwrap then add the sugar and broil immediately. Serve bruleed custard right away.

Can creme brulee be made ahead?

You can make it ahead up to the custard stage just be sure to wait until the last moment to torch or broil the sugar-topping for the right amount of crunch.

More Citrus Desserts for You

• How to Make a Lemon Posset Dessert
• Lemon Custard Ice Cream
• Fresh Lemon Cookies with Lemon Cranberry Glaze
• Meyer Lemon Bars
• Angel Food Cake with Orange-Vanilla Glaze (you can swap lemon for orange if you like)

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VANILLA CREME WITH LEMON BRULEE

If you love classic crème brulee, you might be surprised how much you love this lemon version. You taste so much of the vanilla but get just a lovely lemon crunch from the topping. Simply marvelous!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword custard

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 38 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 43 minutes minutes

Servings 4 ramekins

Calories 584kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 5 egg yolks
• ½ cup granulated sugar plus ¼ cup for lemon-sugar topping
• 1 lemon

Instructions

• Make custard mixture. Preheat oven to 325F. In a saucepan over low heat, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt. Cook just until hot (do not simmer/boil). Let sit for a few minutes then discard vanilla bean (add vanilla extract now, if using). In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together for 1 minute. Stir about a quarter of the vanilla mixture into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir.
• Bake, chill and make lemon sugar. Place four 6-ounce ramekins in a baking dish then divide custard mixture into each cup; open the oven door and set the baking dish with ramekins on top then pour boiling hot water halfway up the sides to create a water bath. Transfer carefully to the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the center is barely set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours and up to a couple days. Use a peeler to remove one big strip of lemon peel. In a small bowl or ramekin, combine the lemon peel strip with ¼ cup sugar. Stir to distribute the sugar around the lemon peel. Set aside to infuse.
• Serve. When ready to serve, use the back of a spoon to break up any clumps of sugar then top each custard with an evenly distributed teaspoon of lemon sugar. It’s important to form a thin layer so it can easily be cracked by a light tap of a spoon. Place ramekins in a broiler 2 to 3 inches from heat source. Turn on broiler. Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve within 2 hours.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1ramekin | Calories: 584kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 377mg | Sodium: 53mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 2080IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 1mg

Photography by Adam Rahman