SOLDIER Smoothie

“For better or for worse, only the strong can enter SOLDIER.”

—Cloud Strife, FFVII

• 3 oz. greens
• 1 cup coconut water
• Juice of 1 lime
• 15 g. walnut pieces
• 15 g. chia seeds
• 5 oz. frozen berries

Put the greens, coconut water, and lime juice in a blender and pulse until combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Perfect post-workout drink! If you want more protein, try adding a couple tablespoons of hemp protein powder.

Makes 1 serving. Per serving: 288 calories, 4.2 g. omega-3s, 14 g. fat, 37 g. carbohydrates, 11 g. fiber, 8 g. protein

 

Café Carta Chicken Fettuccine

“I purchased a life-sized griffon statue the other day…”

“How wonderful! I bet it’s gorgeous.”

“Indeed, it is. I had to add a room to my mansion for it!”

—Nobles in Treno, FFIX

• 1 16-oz. box of fettuccine
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• ½ yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 10 oz. sliced crimini mushrooms
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup Chianti or Sangiovese wine
• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Start boiling the water for the fettuccine. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, but not fully cooked, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add onion to the skillet and cook until tender, about 2 minutes, reducing heat as necessary to avoid burning. Add mushrooms and garlic and sauté until the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the chicken breasts crosswise into slices, about ½” thick. The water should be boiling by now; prepare fettuccine as per package directions.

Add wine to the mushrooms and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and the mustard. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.

Divide the fettuccine between six bowls. Remove the skillet from heat, stir in the parsley, and divide the chicken mixture evenly between the six bowls.


Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 652 calories, 28.4 g. fat, 14.5 g. saturated fat, 1.2 g. poly. fat, 5.2 g. mono. fat, 121 mg. cholesterol, 346.7 mg. sodium, 551.1 mg. potassium, 62.7 g. carbohydrates, 3.5 g. fiber, 35.1 g. protein, vitamin A 12%, vitamin C 4%, calcium 6%, iron 19%

 

South Gate Bundt Cake

Cinna: “I missed my ride! What am I gonna do now?!”

Marcus: “How the heck should I know…? You were the one who wanted to watch the scenery while eating South Gate Bundt Cake.”

Cinna: “I’m gonna be late returning to Lindblum…”

Marcus: “There’s nothing we can do. I won’t tell the boss.”

Cinna: “Thanks, buddy! Let’s eat another bundt cake!”

—FFIX

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 3 cups flour, plus more for pan
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2½ cups sugar
• Finely grated zest of 8 lemons (about ½ cup)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• ¾ cup apricot preserves
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour Bundt pan and set aside. Whisk baking powder, salt, and 3 cups flour in a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and use your fingertips to rub together until well blended. Add 1 cup butter and mix with an electric blender on high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating and occasionally scraping down side and bottom with a rubber spatula, until mixture is light and very fluffy, about 4 minutes more.

Reduce speed to low. Add about one-third of the flour mixture, then half the buttermilk, another one-third of the flour mixture, the remaining buttermilk, and the rest of the flour mixture. Use the spatula to transfer the batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top.

Bake until golden brown and beginning to pull away from sides of pan, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack, remove pan, and let cool completely.

Combine preserves and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Pour over cooled cake at let sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Makes 12 servings.


Per serving: 492 calories, 17.1 g. fat, 10.1 g. saturated fat, 0.9 g. poly. fat, 4.6 g. mono. fat, 110.4 mg. cholesterol, 545.6 mg. sodium, 102.2 mg. potassium, 80.4 g. carbohydrates, 0.9 g. fiber, 6.3 g. protein, vitamin A 21%, vitamin C 3%, calcium 5%, iron 10%

 

Rienna Barley Stew with Tchita Greens

“I do so love to cook! Why, the other day, I held an impromptu party at my house, and fed a new dish of mine to my closest acquaintances. Why, they told me ’twas a taste to tantalize the tongue of a philosopher of cuisine! Yet… their faces were sour as old Nanna cheese.”

—FFXII

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ lbs. beef stew meat, uncooked, cut into 1” pieces
• Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 large onion or two small onions, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
• 8-12 garlic cloves (1 bulb), peeled and halved
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 10 oz. sliced crimini mushrooms
• 1 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
• 10 oz. chopped kale
• ¾ cup pearl barley
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 7 oz. plain Greek-style yogurt
• Fresh chives

Heat butter and oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add stew meat in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Brown on all sides, about 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and add onions and garlic. Sprinkle with sage. Cook until onions are turning golden, about 10 minutes.

Add mushrooms and cook until all their liquid has been released and the pot is almost dry, about 15 more minutes. Slowly begin adding the wine, scraping the crusty bits from the bottom and maintaining a simmer.

Stir in kale. Once it’s wilted somewhat, stir in the pearl barley. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until stew meat and barley are soft and tender, about 2 hours.

Remove pot from heat. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and a little broth from the stew (this prevents curdling instead of adding the yogurt all at once). Stir the yogurt mixture into the stew until combined. Divide into bowls, garnish with chives, and serve.


Makes about 8 heaping 1-cup servings. Per serving: 336 calories, 14.7 g. fat, 5.2 g. saturated fat, 0.9 g. poly. fat, 6 g. mono. fat, 64.6 mg. cholesterol, 840.9 mg. sodium (this will be less if you use homemade chicken stock instead of storebought broth), 588.8 mg. potassium, 26.4 g. carbohydrates, 4.4 g. fiber, 25.7 g. protein, vitamin A 43%, vitamin C 62%, calcium 13%, iron 20%

 

Meteor

“Here now. The way you’re running around here, you’d think Meteor fell or something.”

—the doctor in Mideel, FFVII

• 1 32-oz. bottle of Trader Joe’s bloody mary mixer (mostly tomato juice; includes clam juice, onion powder, and garlic powder)
• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
• Worcestershire sauce
• Louisiana hot sauce, such as Crystal
• Sea salt
• Prepared horseradish
• Freshly-ground black pepper
• 2 celery stalks, washed
• Vodka (optional)
• Pickled vegetables (optional)

Divide the bottle between two large glasses. Squeeze a lime wedge into each glass. Use the remaining 2 lime wedges to decorate the glasses. Add 1 dash of Worcestershire sauce and 4 dashes of hot sauce to each glass.

Add ¼ teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon prepared horseradish to each glass. Add a grind of black pepper and use the celery sticks to stir well.

Stir in vodka to taste, if desired. Garnish with pickled vegetables and serve.

 

Highgarden Terrace Salad

“When I get enough chops, I’ll be ridin’ ‘igh in one o’ them cabs, and that’ll be the end of all this. I’ll be sittin’ pretty up in ‘Ighgarden, innit.”

—FFXII

• 2 red bell peppers, washed and sliced into strips
• 1 jalapeno pepper, washed and sliced into thin disks
• 4 celery stalks, washed and cut into 2″ pieces (about 1 cup)
• 2 carrots, scrubbed and sliced diagonally, ½” thick (about 1 cup)
• ½ yellow onion, peeled, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise (about 1 cup)
• 12 oz. cauliflower florets
• 8-12 garlic cloves (1 bulb), peeled and halved
• ½ cup coarse kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 14-oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
• 1 12-oz. jar of cornichons, drained and rinsed
• 6 oz. pitted green olives
• 16 oz. white balsamic vinegar
• 8 oz. red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil

Place the bell peppers, jalapeno pepper, celery, carrots, onion, cauliflower, and garlic in a large soup pot. Stir in salt, and fill with enough cold water to cover. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, drain vegetables into a colander and rinse well. Return vegetables to the pot and add Italian seasoning,  red pepper flakes, peppercorns, artichoke hearts, cornichons, olives, vinegar, and oil. Stir well, and fill with enough cold water to cover. Refrigerate for at least 2 days before using. The vegetables will last up to 1 month.

 

Doom Pub Dark Stew

“Hey, Zidane. Good timing. I just came up with a new dish that I want you to try.”

—Bobo, FFIX

• 1½ lbs. beef stew meat
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)
• 3 large carrots, scrubbed and sliced diagonally into 1” pieces (about 1½ cups)
• 1 head of garlic (about 8-12 cloves), peeled and halved
• 12 oz. shallots, peeled and halved
• 10 oz. sliced crimini mushrooms
• 1 bottle of red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• Fresh thyme sprigs
• ¾ oz. flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 crusty French baguette (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the stew meat into bite-sized pieces, about 1” square. Dredge the meat in flour. (The easiest way is to put the meat and flour in a plastic bag and shake until all pieces are fully coated.)

Heat butter and oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the stew meat in a single layer and season with salt and pepper to taste. Brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Add onion, carrots, garlic, shallots, and mushrooms. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes, reducing heat if the onions are browning too quickly, until onions are soft and translucent. Slowly pour in 1 bottle of red wine, scraping the crusty bits from the bottom and maintaining a simmer. Bring to a boil, stir well, add bay leaves and a few sprigs of fresh thyme, and remove from heat.

If you’re using a Dutch oven, cover and transfer to the oven. If you’re using a skillet that isn’t oven-safe, transfer the stew into a roasting pan, cover tightly with foil, and place in the oven. Cook for about 1½ hours, until the meat is soft and tender and the liquid is reduced.

Remove from oven. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty bread.


Makes 6 servings. Per serving (does not include baguette): 366 calories, 17.1 g. fat, 6.3 g. saturated fat, 1 g. poly. fat, 7.9 g. mono. fat, 84.3 mg. cholesterol, 356.5 mg. sodium, 812 mg. potassium, 24.9 g. carbohydrates, 2.3 g. fiber, 28.5 g. protein, vitamin A 48%, vitamin C 16%, calcium 7%, iron 22%