My Favorite Recipes: February 6, 2020

Allie Cofer is a busy woman. This mother of two works for the Colfax Chamber of Commerce, helps with the Colfax Downtown, is a hairdresser and a volleyball coach.

Allie comes from a long line of Whitman County residents. Her grandfather has lived here all his life, and her aunt and uncle still live in the house her grandparents built.

Allie enjoys having such strong ties to the area. "I always thought that was kind of cool."

Allie has spent most of her life in Whitman County. She was raised first in Steptoe for 12 years, then moved to Colfax where she graduated from high school.

After graduation, Allie attended the Columbia Basin Community College to play volleyball, but after a little more than a year decided to attend hair school at Glen Dow Academy in Spokane.

"I thought, I really need to focus on a career and what I really want to do," explained Allie. "When I went to college, it wasn't like I was going to college for something. I was going to college to play volleyball and I needed to find what I actually wanted to do."

She married her husband, David, during the six years she lived in Spokane. They have two children, Ava and Ross. In the years since the family has left Spokane they have lived in Pullman, Palouse and now Colfax.

Allie has now been doing hair for 13 years, and enjoys the flexibility the career provides her. She does hair at Bliss, the hair salon on the corner of Mill and Canyon in Colfax.

"I really enjoy doing hair," stated Allie.

Allie enjoys cooking, and has a Pinterest board dedicated to recipes she enjoys. "I like simple, I try to be healthy, but sometimes not."

Recipes:

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta

"My kids love this! So do I!"

said Allie.

½ lb. penne pasta

1 onion, small

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

½ tsp oregano, dried

½ tsp basil, dried

1 pinch red pepper

flakes (optional)

½ tsp salt

freshly cracked pepper to taste

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 oz. cream cheese

¼ cup grated parmesan

½ 9 oz. bag spinach,

fresh

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender (7-10) minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander.

While waiting for the pasta to cook, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook both in a large skillet with the olive oil over medium-low heat until softened and transparent (about 5 minutes).

Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt and some freshly cracked pepper to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and a 1/2 cup of water to the skillet and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved into the sauce.

Turn the heat down to low. Cut the cream cheese into a few pieces and then add them to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Use a whisk to stir the sauce until the cream cheese has fully melted in and the sauce is creamy. Add half of the parmesan to the skillet and whisk until it is melted in. Add the remainder of the parmesan and whisk until melted.

Add the fresh spinach and gently stir it into the sauce until it has wilted (3-5 minutes). Add the pasta and stir until it is well coated in the creamy tomato sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.

Grilled Chicken Flatbread Wraps

"I love this recipe because it's quick and easy and it tastes amazing,"

said Allie.

1 lb. chicken breast,

skinless, boneless

(about 2 large breasts),

cubed into bite sized

pieces

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed

through garlic press

Zest of 1 lemon (about

1 Tbsp)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1 pinch black pepper

½ tsp oregano, dried

½ tsp cumin, ground

¼ tsp coriander

¼ tsp paprika

4 middle eastern-style flatbreads (you can use pita bread)

Arugala greens

Sliced tomatoes

Spicy Garlic Sauce

½ cup mayonnaise

3 cloves garlic, pressed

through garlic press

½ cup sour cream or

full-fat, plain Greek

yogurt

1 Tbsp tahini

2-3 tsp sriracha

1 tsp salt

1 pinch black pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper

½ tsp lemon juice

Place the cubed chicken into a medium-size bowl and drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in the garlic, plus the remainder of the ingredients up to and including the paprika, and using your hands, toss all of the seasonings/spices very well to coat the chicken.

Using four bamboo skewers (you can soak these in water first to prevent burning), skewer the chicken so that there is equal portions of meat on each skewer, and allow the chicken to marinate for about 20 minutes, or even overnight, if making ahead.

While the chicken marinates, prep the garlic sauce by adding all the ingredients to a medium-size bowl. Whisk together until completely smooth and creamy, set aside or keep in the fridge, covered. (I like to put mine in a plastic squeeze bottle, and keep any leftovers in the fridge to use for other sandwiches, or as a tasty condiment).

When ready to grill, place a grill pan over medium-high heat (you can certainly use your outdoor grill, as well), and drizzle in a little oil. Once the oil gets hot, place the chicken skewers into the pan, and cook them for about 6-8 minutes, turning them occasionally so that they get a bit charred on all sides, or until cooked through.

Allow them to rest, lightly covered with foil, for about 5-10 minutes, then remove the chicken cubes from the skewers and set aside.

To assemble, add a little drizzle of the spicy garlic sauce onto the flatbread, followed by the greens. Then add a couple of slices of tomato and about one skewer-worth of the lemon chicken.

Drizzle over a generous amount of the spicy garlic sauce, and fold the sides towards the middle to form a "wrap" (you can even use some parchment paper or foil to hold it all together, if you'd like).

Yields 4 wraps

Instant Pot Chili

"I make this for my family all the time it's super easy and super good."

1 Tbsp extra-virgin

olive oil

1 lb. lean ground

turkey

1 large yellow onion,

hopped

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground chipotle

chili pepper

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 can crushed tomatoes

(28 oz.)

2 cans beans (15 oz.cans), rinsed and

drained (any mix of black beans, dark or light red kidney beans, or chickpeas - I use 1 can of black and 1 can of light red kidney)

1 ½ - 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

For serving: cilantro, avocado, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Set an Instant Pot to sauté and drizzle in the olive oil. When the oil is hot and simmering, add the turkey, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, breaking apart and browning the meat, until the turkey is no longer pink and the onion is beginning to soften, about 7 minutes.

Add the chili powder, chipotle chili, cumin, and garlic powder. Let cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, beans, and 1 ½ cups chicken broth. Stir well. Cover, seal and set to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Quick release to vent the remaining pressure immediately.

If the chili seems too thick, stir in additional chicken broth to reach your desired consistency.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot with desired toppings.