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Karen Schulz

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps Serves 4 Ingredients 4 tablespoons sesame or olive oil 1 lb. ground chicken Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely minced ½ red bell pepper, finely diced 4 ounces water chestnuts, drained ½ cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce 4 scallions, trimmed and sliced 12 whole Bibb lettuce leaves Sprigs of cilantro and fresh mint for garnish Directions In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the sauté pan over medium heat and, when hot, cook the garlic and ginger for about 1 minute (or less) until garlic is light brown, stirring to prevent burning. Add the pepper and cook about 5 minutes, until the pepper softens. Return chicken to pan, stir in chestnuts. In a small cup, whisk the soy sauce and hoisin with ¼ cup of water. Pour into the pan, add the scallions, and simmer for 1 minute, stirring to mix. Remove the chicken mixture from the heat and spoon it into the iceberg or Bibb lettuce leaves. Garnish with sprigs of cilantro and mint as desired.

Kids Will Come Running!

These Asian chicken lettuce wraps are the perfect middle-of-the-week dinner and are full of flavor and fun to eat.
Slow Cooker Baked Spinach and Mushroom Rigatoni Serves 4 Ingredients 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, chopped Kosher salt and black pepper ½ pound rigatoni 1 red onion, sliced 1 pound mixed mushrooms (i.e. cremini, button, shitake), trimmed and sliced 2 10-ounce packages of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid 1 15-ounce container ricotta 8 ounces mozzarella, grated grated Parmesan, for serving Directions Break up the tomatoes and their juices in a medium bowl with your hands or a potato masher. Add the oil, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. In a separate medium bowl, combine the uncooked rigatoni, onion, & mushrooms. Spread ⅓ of the tomato mixture in the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Top with half the pasta mixture, half the spinach, ⅓ of the tomato mixture, half the ricotta, and half the mozzarella; repeat. Cover and cook on high until the pasta is tender, 3½ to 4 hours.

Enjoying Slow Cooker Season

When the temperatures are frigid outside, your slow cooker is your best friend.  
Raspberry Fool with Perfect Sugar Cookies. Photo courtesy Karen Schulz

A Fool for Love

Raspberry Fool could not be any easier, especially if you cheat and buy adorable Valentine’s cookies to garnish it with rather than baking your own.

Fat Stu’s: A Solution to the Winter Doldrums

The Port Chester joint is one of soon-to-be three locations.
Chicken Pozole (serves 5-7) Ingredients 3 poblano chiles 2 serrano chiles, seeded 6 tomatillos, husked and rinsed ½ medium yellow onion, roughly chopped 8 cloves garlic 4 cups chicken bone broth or stock 2 29-ounce cans white hominy, undrained ¼ - ½ cup fresh cilantro, leaves and stems 1 Tablespoon pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) Pinch of cumin seeds 1½ teaspoon plus 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil Juice of 1 lime 1½ teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (plain oregano is fine) 2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat Directions Preheat broiler to high. Place poblanos, serranos, and four tomatillos on a baking sheet and put under broiler to blister on one side, approximately six minutes, then flip to let blister for eight minutes on the other side. Remove from oven and set the serranos and tomatillos aside. Place the poblanos in a bowl then seal bowl with plastic wrap and let steam for about 10 minutes. With your fingers, remove the waxy outer skin, stem, and seeds. In a blender, combine onion, garlic, chicken stock, and 2 cups of water, blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a 6-quart Dutch oven. Add hominy and its liquid and set on low heat. Transfer broiled serranos, tomatillos and poblanos to blender. Add remaining 2 unbroiled tomatillos, cilantro, pepitas, cumin, 1½ teaspoons oil, lime juice, 1 teaspoon salt and oregano. Blend until smooth, 20-30 seconds to create a salsa verde. In a large skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-low heat. Pour salsa verde into skillet, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly until the salsa slightly darkens in color, approximately eight minutes. Remove from heat. Raise heat of Dutch oven to medium-high and bring soup to a boil. Pour in salsa verde, add chicken thighs, and stir. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook pozole for 90 minutes. Then, with a slotted spoon, remove chicken thighs; use forks to shred the chicken and return to pot. Season with salt to taste. To serve, ladle pozole into bowls, and top with your favorite fixings such as cabbage, radish, avocado, and freshly sliced jalapeno. Sprinkle with sea salt and Mexican oregano, and finish with a squeeze of lime.

Wellness 2026? Nothing Beats a Homemade Soup

This chicken pozole soup is a new recipe, and a huge hit!
Halibut with Lentils and Tarragon Mustard Sauce Serves 4-6 Ingredients 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 large yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 medium sweet potato (I like purple sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces 2-¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth or bone broth 1-¼ cup green lentils, rinsed Kosher salt and fresh black pepper for seasoning 4 6-ounce pieces skinless halibut fillet ¼ cup Dijon mustard ¼ cup dry white wine 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, divided Directions Heat olive oil in large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and sweet potato and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add the broth and lentils and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with ½ tsp each salt and pepper. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lay out the halibut filets leaving 2 inches of space between each fillet. Brush with olive oil then season with salt and pepper and using 1 tablespoon of the chopped tarragon, sprinkle on top of each fillet. When your lentils are almost done, put the halibut in the oven and take it out when it reaches an internal temperature of 130-135 degrees and let it rest for three minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, wine and remaining 2 tablespoons of tarragon, season with salt and pepper. Divide the lentils on the plates, lay a halibut fillet on top and drizzle with the sauce.

An Easy Seasonal Dinner

Some people get intimidated by cooking fish, but simply baking it in the oven is foolproof and the tarragon sauce gives it that extra special something.
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Gifting and Eating Over the Holidays

It will come as no surprise that all things food, tabletop, and kitchen are my favorite gifts to give.
Winter Radicchio Salad with Butternut Squash Serves 4 Ingredients 1 butternut squash, about 1½ lbs., peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch pieces 3 Tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup red wine vinegar 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill 1 small head of radicchio, leaves torn (about 6 cups) 1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed 1 cup crumbled Feta 1 Granny Smith apple, sliced ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved Directions Preheat oven to 450ºF. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast until tender, about 20-25 minutes, tossing once after 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Whisk together the vinegar, dill, remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the squash, radicchio, chickpeas, Feta, apple, and olives.

Thankful to Be Off Pie Duty This Year

May your Thanksgiving be filled with all things delicious, old and new traditions, and full of love with family and friends.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Makes 10 pies Ingredients For the cookies 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling) ½ cup granulated sugar ½ cup packed light brown sugar ½ cup canola oil 1 large egg 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract For the filling 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temp 4 Tablespoon (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp 1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350° F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, sugars, oil, egg, and vanilla until combined. Mix in the flour mixture until just moistened (do not over stir). Drop mounds of the dough (approximately 2 TBS each) onto baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden and firm to the touch, 12-14 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Make the filling: With an electric mixer, beat all ingredients until fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Make the whoopie pies Spread a heaping tablespoon of filling onto flat side of half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies. If soft, chill for 20-25 minutes.

Whoopie Pies With a Fall Twist

Festive and elegant, these can be served as a dessert at a dinner party, but they are also the perfect after-school snack or Halloween party treat.

The Scoop on Soup

In the cold, dreariness of winter, who isn’t comforted by a chili or slow-cooker masterpiece?