I Could Drink That Sauce.

That tomatoey, creamy, shallot-infused gravy is something I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

I made this dinner for my family on the first barely chilly day a few weeks ago. I think my body had just been waiting for permission to go fall cooking mode, and I just unleashed.

Pan-fried chicken. Luscious, savory Cajun cream sauce. Homemade mashed potatoes. Green beans. Apple crisp for dessert.

I served it in deep bowls and we let the girls eat on the living room floor, using the coffee table as their table, while we watched American Ninja Warrior together with the windows open – which, frankly, is the move of two parents who are feeling extra generous and a little out of their mind with the joys of early fall weather. But that meal will be a top 5 meal for me this year, for sure. We all devoured in silence and then cozied up with full bellies to watch some ridiculous TV together.

Here’s an idea I keep coming back to: shrimp. Like what if you just made the sauce, and then threw a pound of uncooked jumbo shrimp in there? It would poach right in the sauce! I haven’t been able to pull myself away from the chicken and mashed potatoes combination, but I feel shrimp should at least be considered.

Hope this recipe gives you all same cozy fall feelings it gave me.

This Is Exactly What I Want To Be Eating, ALl The Time.

I made this for dinner when my brother came to visit, and by the end of his visit three days later, I had already made it again because we all loved it so much.

Can this just be dinner for the next three weeks? the next month? the next year? Peanut chicken, coconut rice, and ginger slaw is truly a match made in heaven.

In the bowl:

• thin strips of chicken, coated generously in the Trader Joe’s peanut satay sauce
• rich, steamy coconut rice
• a punchy ginger slaw with purple cabbage and thinly sliced shallot
• cilantro and crispy shallots to top it off

The ginger slaw in particular – MORE OF THAT PLEASE. I could eat that on / with / around everything. It’s bright and zingy with a sassy little gingery bite.

And the freshness of the vibrant slaw against the richness of the peanut chicken and coconut rice – ugh. I love it so much.

I use the Trader Joe’s peanut satay sauce for this (same stuff I used on this recipe)! But if you don’t have access to Trader Joe’s, a homemade peanut satay sauce like this one will work! I think they’ve recently changed the sauce just slightly – it used to be pretty thick, but my last few batches have been smooth and drizzle-able right out of the jar!

Hope you guys love this combo as much as I do.

This Is My Fresh Summery Reset Meal.

Juicy teriyaki chicken, grilled if you want, served over rice with a scoop of bright gingery peaches, and a rich sesame drench getting into every bite.

YES PLEASE I love this meal!

My family’s summer eating has two basic modes:

• Fresh mode: vibrant, summery produce! crispy, juicy, colorful.
• YOLO mode: chips (so many chips), ice cream cones, hot dogs, fried chicken sandwiches, and packaged snacks that hit just right at the pool, on a road trip, or at the State Fair.

I truly love both of these categories. But once every few weeks, I start to sense myself going a bit hard into YOLO mode – typically after a road trip or an extended amount of pool days, which is where we’re at here at the end of summer.

This teriyaki chicken with ginger peaches has been my go-to meal for when I’m ready to get back to something a bit fresher.

I’ve made it as a bigger meal for my extended family – nieces, nephews, sibs, parents – where my dad helped me grill the chicken, we sliced up “plain peaches” for the kids, and almost all of us went back for seconds.

And I’ve also made it for a meal just for our family, because 9 out of 10 nights, I am looking for a way to just eat peaches for dinner (or, dessert).

Hope you love it, too!