This shrimp, chorizo and chicken thigh paella is definitely a labor of love, but it is well worth it. The smokiness from the chorizo (I actually used soy chorizo - click into the recipe to read why as it's obviously an odd choice, especially for me), the fat from the chicken thighs and the light, beautiful shrimp mesh together perfectly in this dish. And the saffron, one of my all-time favorite flavors, just pushes this over the top. Spend a Sunday afternoon drinking wine or sangria while cooking this and you will be as happy as I was last weekend.
Read MoreAvgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Soup)
Every time I eat this soup at a Greek restaurant (which is every time I go), I want to replicate it. I was always afraid to though because I figured it was one of those dishes for which you needed a Greek grandma's recipe. Wrong. Once I learned that it was thickened with egg, I knew I had to make it. This is a super versatile dish that is gluten-free and can easily be made vegetarian. Although usually made with chicken, I concocted this dish out of all Thanksgiving leftovers: homemade turkey stock and shredded turkey.
Read MoreSmokey Chicken Thighs, Chorizo and Veggies with Caramelized Lemon
Thanks to working from home the other day with no meetings or calls to attend, I caught a show I've never seen before: Rachael Ray. I could basically smell this dish through the TV. I added tons of veggies, changed some of the proportions and added extra, extra lemon and wow, you have one of the best weeknight one-pot wonders I've ever made. Smokey, yet bright from the lemon, I served this to my entire family and it's now on our top 10 list.
Read MoreCrab Bisque
Making crab bisque sounds intimidating to me. But with this slow cooker version, you'll be thrilled with the very-easy-to-make-but-complicated-to-taste Manhattan chowder version. Seriously, the crab comes in a can and daintily tops the perfect tomato bisque. It doesn't get easier than that...and you'll look like a serious boss in the kitchen.
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