Love cardamom in my coffee. Also in my tea, but especially in my coffee.
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Would love to hear your version. I was thinking of making something Mexican-ish this week and forgot. (This shortcut chicken verde aka chicken cooked in a jar of salsa is currently top contender 
.)
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Sure! Here is the original recipe: Cheesy chicken enchilada skillet
And here are my notes:
“White meat from one rotisserie chicken, two cans of beans, 10 tortillas, 2C cheese, and a can of mostly-drained petite diced tomatoes in addition to the salsa (other ingredients unchanged), and did it in a 12” cast iron skillet.” If memory serves, the 4 tortillas and 1 C cheese in the original recipe felt stingy, and I added more beans and tomatoes to make this count as dinner vegetables too (also thereby decreasing the spiciness of the salsa for DS).
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I just made something similar – with seasoned beans added. Better than the sum of its parts somehow.
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Spent most of last week in Morro Bay. Buttercup Bakery there has excellent pastries, if you’re passing through. Now preparing to go back to reality.
For two adults in San Diego:
Breakfasts: Granola, fruit, and almond milk.
S: takeout - Chicken pot pies
Su: (tonight) Eggs scrambled with spinach and cheese, sausage, hash browns
M: Fish tacos - seafood
T: TJs chicken shawarma, yellow rice, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta.
W: Tomato soup, cheesy garlic bread - vegetarian/soup
Th: Leftover shawarma in a salad inspired by https://smittenkitchen.com/2025/08/grilled-chicken-salad-with-cilantro-lime-dressing/ - salad
F: Baked pasta… basically, I don’t want to make a whole lasagna, so I’ll make a small dish of baked pasta with all the lasagna fixings.
Take care of yourselves!
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I add a splash of Scrappy’s cardamom bitters!
It’s really delicious. I used a jar of salsa verde instead of tomatillos once when I couldn’t find them, and never went back. Here’s a pic.
Amazing that just a jar of salsa and chicken (or pork) produces such a delicious result.
Also makes a great arroz con pollo.
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Rick Bayless has a shortcut salmon in pipian verde recipe that’s very good; it uses prepared tomatillo salsa and tahini for the sauce.
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That is a very interesting recipe!
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It probably won’t surprise you now that I have also pureed TJ’s Pepita Salsa for a similar purpose 
(inspired by a pipian chicken I ate in Sacramento)
Oy I don’t know about that… I crush some cardamom seeds 
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This sounds absolutely delicious
Love this too. I have made “personal size” lasagna in the past by stacking the noodles in a loaf pan.
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All your menus look so good, and I love the “feast of fasting food” concept 
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Oooh, I’ll have to remember that loaf pan idea!
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Greetings, People.
I’m fantasizing about building a small, deer-proof vegetable cart which I can put out in front of our house to share our garden bounty. I’ve been using a cardboard “free box” to give away much of the excess, but it would be fun to have something kitschy, and prudent to have something deer-proof and which offers a bit of shade (and - thinking aloud - maybe dog-friendly with a water-bowl and doggie snacks down low?). Day-dreams may be easier than reality, though. When we think about where to place it out front without blocking the sidewalk, how windy it can get here (very!), where to store it during the off season, and how heavy it might be for me to move around, the obstacles are many. Still, my drawing board is getting a work-out.
Cooking for two adults in the PNW:
FRI: Pan-roasted chicken thighs. Scallion and potato gratin (or leftover Irish champ). Roasted green beans. Cucumber salad. Green sauce.
SAT: Leftover lamb kofta from the freezer. Soft pita wraps. Greek salad. Tzadziki. Greek spuds?
SUN: A new-to-me salmon prep from NYT: Chile crisp and honey roasted salmon (gift link). Cucumber salad. Rice.
MON: Serious Eats Crying Tiger Beef with Jaew dipping sauce. Rice. Green beans. Cukes.
TUE: ATK’s seafood and chorizo stew (behind paywall - sorry). Cucumber salad. Focaccia.
WED: Either NYT’s chicken lo mein (gift link) or WOL chicken and green bean stir-fry.
THUR: Another summer minestrone. Leftover focaccia from the freezer.
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Wow, those green beans look great, how nice of you to give them away! That WOL chicken and green bean stir-fry is a winner, need to make it again soon myself. @Amandarama suggested oyster sauce instead of dark soy which is what I have used (vegan variety) when I’ve made it.
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We have green beans coming out our ears at the moment, so happy to share. They were the first things to disappear from the box (and I have two more bags in the fridge for this weeks WMP).
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I can take photos of the honesty boxes in our neck of the woods. Most aren’t completely deer proof but some have doors. Some prob bring the produce in at night.
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I have been bringing them to people I work with, and friends.
It’s interesting to see how some ppl decline offers of specific homegrown veg.
I’m a direct person, so if I ask “would you like squash? Would you like beans? Would you like peppers?” I want a yes or no for each ask.
Toronto is kind of Midwestern in that people will say yes to what they want, but have a hard time saying " No, I don’t like tomatoes" LOL.
I now have a running list in my head of who hates green beans, winter squash, corn on the cob, and Tomatoes. The tomato haters are especially vocal.
I do have one neighbor who likes everything and accepts everything.
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My latest idea (as of this morning) is to make one of those Free Little Library things (well ventilated), and stick the post in a bucket of cement. We could put it out/stow it away seasonally. Small footprint, and well anchored.
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