What’s Cooking at CSG?

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Even though the temperatures feel more like summer these days, the calendar (and Starbucks) is telling us that fall is here. Kids are back in school, leaves are changing and the return of football puts productivity on the backburner every Sunday. 

At Communications Strategy Group®, the new season has sparked many conversations but the one question that keeps coming up is… what’s everyone eating? Of all the seasons, fall brings flavors that many CSGers crave, loathe and just want to talk about. So, we thought we’d dig into our fav fall foods for all to enjoy. 

Now, CSG is teeming with marketing and public relations talent — but chefs we are not (or at least most of us are not). Take our recipes with a grain of salt (or a shot of tequila) because our crew comes bearing fall fare that may or may not treat your tastebuds to mouth-watering amazingness. However, our goal for this is to bring easy eats to the forefront and enlighten our network with seasonal recipes that you may (or may not) rave about.

In other news… CSG has A LOT of feelings about one of fall’s millennial food staples — pumpkin spice lattes. Is it a drink? Is it a dessert? Does it feel like it launches earlier every year? Well, yes, yes and yes. But no matter your stance on this beloved-by-some sugar-bomb, it’s back and so is fall.… so let’s eat. 

Here’s what’s cooking at CSG:


Turkey Sausage-Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 (4.5-ounce) link hot turkey Italian sausage

  • 2 cups water

  • 1 (16-ounce) package vacuum-packed gnocchi (such as Bellino or Vigo)

  • 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped

  • ½ cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  • Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble.

  • Add 2 cups water and next 3 ingredients to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi float to the top of pan. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle each serving evenly with cheese.

Notes From the Chef:

I usually triple or quadruple the meat and swap in fire-roasted tomatoes for a little extra kick.
— Shannon Fern | Chief Strategy Officer

Venezuelan arepa (Reina Pepiada)

Ingredients:

  • 1½ cups cornmeal

  • 2 cups water

  • 1 avocado

  • ½ chicken breast (cooked)

  • 1 onion

  • 5 tbsp mayonnaise

  • 2 oz cilantro

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tbsp salt

  • ½ tsp pepper

Directions:

Notes From the Chef:

This is a go-to comfort food at my house.
— Daniela Silva Riera | Associate Art Director

Lunch a La Kyleigh

Ingredients:

  • Baby tomatoes

  • Cucumbers (Persian, if you have them)

  • Avocado

  • Some kind of leafy green (For example: Sprouts, arugula, spinach, whatever’s in the fridge)

  • Mozzarella (Belgioioso pearls)

  • Plantain croutons from Trader Joe’s (or anything crunchy)

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • Balsamic vinegar

Directions:

  • Throw leafy things in a bowl. Chop tomatoes, cucumbers and avocado into bite-sized pieces and toss into the bowl. Add mozzarella, croutons, salt, pepper and desired amount of balsamic, and mix. 

Notes From the Chef:

This is one of my favorite, easy lunches. Just add everything to the bowl, mix and BOOM.
— Kyleigh McGrail | Senior Coordinator

15 Minute Garlic Butter Ramen Noodles

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 brown rice ramen noodles

  • 6 tablespoons salted butter

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated

  • 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger

  • 2 small or 1 medium zucchini, grated

  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

  • 4 soft boiled or fried eggs (optional)

  • Toasted sesame seeds for serving

Directions:

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain.

  • Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and garlic. Cook until the garlic is golden and caramelized, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the ginger, cooking another minute. Stir in the zucchini, cooking another 2-3 minutes, until the zucchini wilts into the butter. Stir in the ramen noodles, soy sauce, and basil. Gently toss to combine. Remove from the heat.

  • Divide the noodles among bowls and top with sesame seeds, basil, and eggs, if desired. Eat immediately...enjoy!

Notes From the Chef:

It’s so good and easy — plus it puts a “fancy” spin on those ramen packets that everyone has in their pantry.
— John Stavinga | Senior Director

Annetta’s Berry Easy Dessert

Ingredients:

  • 24 oz. berries (Chef’s choice of a mix of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)

  • ¼ cup sugar

  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

  • 1 angel food cake, store-bought (I like the one from Whole Foods)

Directions:

  • Wash and slice the berries.*

  • In a large bowl, combine berries, sugar and balsamic vinegar. Stir gently to combine.

  • Let the mixture sit for up to 6 hours in the fridge, or 2 hours on the counter.

  • Slice the angel food cake and serve with macerated berries, making sure to spoon lots of juice on each slice.

Notes:

* Wait until you’re ready to prepare the dessert before washing the berries.

* Feel free to adjust the type and amount of berries according to what’s available and the sugar and balsamic vinegar to taste. Just use roughly the same amount of sugar and vinegar.

Notes From the Chef:

The sugar and balsamic vinegar combine to macerate the berries, releasing the most delicious juice. And it couldn’t be easier.
— Annetta Hanna | Senior Editor

Turkey & White Bean Chili

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground turkey

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 green onions, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1 green pepper, chopped

  • 2 ribs celery, chopped

  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

  • 3 tablespoons chili powder

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • Dash of cayenne

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock

  • 2 4-ounce cans diced green chiles

  • 1 tablespoon canned jalapeños, diced

  • 1 15-ounce can northern beans

  • 1 15-ounce can kidney beans

  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

  • 1/2 cup grated cheddar

  • Sour cream for garnish

Directions:

  • In a large stock pot, sauté the onions, garlic, green pepper and celery in the olive oil until just tender. Add the turkey and brown. Add the cilantro, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne, and chicken stock. Simmer 15 minutes.

  • Mix in the green chiles, jalapeños, beans and tomatoes.  Simmer 40 minutes.

  • Adjust seasonings. Add more cayenne if you like it hot. Garnish with cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

  • Serves eight.

Notes From the Chef:

This one lives up to my efforts to be a soup influencer.
— Peter Mackellar | Senior Vice President, Strategy

Abby’s Awesome Salad

Ingredients:

  • Arugula

  • Sliced oranges

  • Diced shallot

  • Shaved parmesan cheese

  • Olive oil and balsamic

Directions:

  • Mix it all up in a bowl for the most spectacular tastebud experience.

Notes From the Chef:

This is the best salad EVER.
— Abby Wood | Associate

Verde Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:

  • Chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on)

  • Salsa Verde

  • Onion, diced

  • Chicken stock (if needed)

Directions:

  • Throw chicken thighs and cover with salsa verde in a Dutch oven at 250 degrees or a crockpot on low for 6-ish hours. After a few hours, if it needs more liquid, throw in chicken stock (or even water). Once it’s done cooking, shred it up and serve on tostadas, tortillas or tacos. Top with your fav fixings.

Notes From the Chef:

It keeps well in the fridge for leftovers and is the easiest thing on the planet if you have people coming.
— Kayla Weimer | Vice President, Strategy

Kristie’s Crockpot Pot Roast

Ingredients:

  • Pot Roast

  • Carrot

  • Onion 

  • Garlic, whole cloves

  • Beef stock

Directions:

  • Put all of the ingredients into a Crockpot and cover with beef stock. Cook on low for about 6 hours.

Notes From the Chef:

Best served with Boston Market Gravy and Hawaiian rolls to clean your plate.
— Kristie Pappas | Associate Creative Director

Tammy’s Toast

Ingredients:

  • Avocado, ripe

  • Baby Heirloom tomatoes, sliced 

  • Shallot

  • Olive Oil

  • Fresh bread (French baguette, sourdough)

Directions:

  • Cut the bread into slices and pan-fry with a little olive oil. Spread avocado on bread and top with tomatoes, shallot and a little olive oil.

Notes From the Chef:

So delish and easy — even I can make this.
— Tammy Seeb | Senior Copywriter

So Long Summer Ice Cream (A Brooke Wylie Indulgence)

You’ll find a few core ingredients at the base of every great ice cream. And once you know the theory, you can riff to your heart’s content. This recipe was born of an excess of dairy and berries. It’s packed with bright flavor, and once churned, can chill in your freezer as a lingering taste of summer in the chilly months ahead. Or, you know, call an audible and steep your favorite fall or winter flavors — ice cream is more about inspiration than rules.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • ¾ cup sugar

  • 6 large egg yolks*

  • 8-10 strawberries, roughly chopped

  • A pinch of salt

  • Vanilla extract to taste (I lean assertive because I like my bases loud with vanilla)

Directions:

  • Combine milk, sugar, salt, vanilla and 1 cup of cream in a medium saucepan and heat gently over medium heat.

  • Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and set aside.

  • Place a large mixing bowl in an ice bath. Put the second cup of cream in the mixing bowl and place a strainer on top. Set aside.

  • When the mixture on the stovetop is warm and slightly steaming (do not boil), remove it from the heat and slowly whisk the warm mixture into the egg yolks. The goal here is to warm the yolks without allowing them to cook — scrambled egg ice cream is not a vibe! But don’t fret little bits of cooked egg, they happen and we’ll strain them out later.

  • After combining, pour the warm mixture (now with added yolks) back into the saucepan and resume heating over medium heat.

  • Stir the mixture consistently and allow to thicken. When the mixture coats the back of the spoon, remove through heat and pour it through the strainer into the waiting cream.

  • Whisk everything together, continue whisking for a few minutes to allow the base to begin to cool in the ice bath.

  • Add the strawberries directly into the base, stir to incorporate.

  • Allow the entire mixture to chill and the strawberries to steep in the base for at least one hour, but ideally overnight.

  • Pour the entire contents into an ice cream mixer and mix according to manufacturer guidelines. 20-25 minutes is plenty with most models.

*A Word About Ice Cream Styles:

The egg yolk base above is a French style that promotes a luxurious, velvety ice cream. Think custard. While it does require slightly more cooking prowess, the custard quickly becomes second nature to the aspiring home ice cream auteur and delivers a thick, silky result that lends a sense of prestige.

The other option is Philadelphia style — it’s lighter and sans the richness and texture of the egg yolks is more likely to develop ice crystals. But, it can be mixed up in the blink of an eye and is a great approach for batches that won’t see much time in the freezer.

To make this recipe Philadelphia style, omit the egg yolks and cooking process. Combine all other ingredients as listed above, allow to chill for the same duration, and mix. Voila!

Notes From the Chef:

Here’s the thing about ice cream: It is easy like Sunday morning.
— Brooke Wylie | Creative Director
CSG Studio