The ImageThink Cookbook: Recipes for Working from Home

We’ve written a lot about the changing landscape of work. From meetings, to brainstorming sessions, to last week’s post on team building activities, we are trying to help teams adapt to the new challenges of collaborating remotely.

As promised in our last post, we are sharing some of our team’s favorite recipes developed or enjoyed while working from home:

• Nora’s Immune boosting anti-inflammation Smoothie
• Sasha’s pickled veggies
• Christopher’s smashed potatoes with lemon and olive oil
• Sam’s Shrimp Tacos
• Aaron’s Mezcal Gimlet
• Miles’ Cold Sesame Noodles
• Christine’s Tabbouleh & Lebanese chicken
• And Christine (M)’s “Not Precisely Made” dry Manhattan

Beyond fostering healthy diets, this daily sharing was healthy for our team mentally, creatively, and in some ways, spiritually. These lunches, dinners, snacks, and cocktails have all served to inspire the Brooklyn based ImageThink team, and brighten days spent working from home inside a New York apartment. Hopefully some of these dishes will inspire your own kitchen creativity, or help you spruce up your all-too-similar weekdays.

Also on the subject of creativity and team building, we’re thrilled to be bringing back our webinar, Drawn Together, But Apart next Thursday, June 18 at 4:30 PM. Join us and crib some ideas for keeping your team engaged and social. Bring a recipe, if you want to share! Register here.

---

Nora’s Immune boosting, anti-inflammation Smoothie

You might be looking for ways to boost your immune system right now. This smoothie is quick, and the high protein low sugar profile means you will start the day out sharp and avoid a sugar crash mid morning.

When fighting late stage lyme disease, I aimed to increase protein- a necessary component for your immune system to fight infection and to decrease inflammation. As sugar is inflammatory, the approach is low sugar high protein, and inflammation fighting ingredients. The low sugar means this is a great choice for anyone with diabetes.

Ingredients:

• One scoop of protein powder- Vega plant based powder
• One scoop of green super food powder–
• ¾ cup plain yogurt- If you start reading labels for yogurt you will be surprised how high the sugar is. If you don’t want to make reading yogurt labels pastime, I have done the work for you.
• Look for full -fat Greek yogurt. Cabots as it has the most protein and lowest sugar.
• ½ cup oat milk- Dairy is inflammatory. So I go for a dairy substitute. Oat milk has creamy consistency and is low sugar.
• ½ banana- banana’s are high sugar so substitute the other half of the banana with berries
• 3-4 strawberries
• 1 table spoon coconut oil. It contains medium-chain triglyceride (MCT)
• Which are associated with many health benefits, including being an anti-fungal and antibacterial
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• ½ tablespoon of cinnamon- anti inflammation properties
• 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
• 1 table spoon Chia seeds

Instructions:

1. Combine all of the above and mix with hand blender. 

Tip: if you like this recipe and begin making it frequently- save yourself sometime by mixing all the dry ingredients together, into your own custom supermix!

---

Sasha’s Quick Pickles

Ingredients:

• Cucumber
• Radishes
• Red Onion
• Garlic cloves
• Carrot
• Salt
• Crushed red pepper
• Black Pepper Medley 
• Mustard seeds
• Sugar 
• Apple Cider vinegar or Rice Vinegar 

Instructions:

1. Thinly slice the cucumber, carrot, radishes, garlic cloves and onions. 
2. Toss them all in a jar, and add the spices, to taste. 
3. Add apple cider vinegar, fill up to 1/4 to 1/3 of the jar, and fill the rest up with boiling water. 
4. Refrigerate for a couple of days. 
5. Eat up! 

---

Christopher’s Smashed New Potatoes with Lemon and Olive Oil

(Based off the recipe by Joshua McFadden)

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• 1 pounds new potatoes, rinsed and just lightly scrubbed if they need it
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, halved
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Put the potatoes in a pot and add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Add salt until the water tastes like the sea. Bring to a gentle boil and boil the potatoes until they are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. With a ladle or a measuring cup, scoop out about cup of the cooking water and drain the potatoes well. Put them back in the pot and crush them using a potato masher or a big fork or a wooden spoon. Squeeze on the lemon juice, season with teaspoon salt and many twists of pepper, and add cup olive oil. Sprinkle on a tablespoon or so of the cooking water and crush a few more times and then taste. Adjust with more lemon, salt, pepper, or olive oil until the flavor is irresistible. Add a bit more cooking water if you like in order to make the texture chunky but a bit creamy.
3. We’ve also been adding capers and olives to taste.

---

Sam’s “Mostly-Pantry” Shrimp Tacos

All days start to blend together when working from home, but glass-half-full folks know that just means EVERY NIGHT IS TACO TUESDAY! This recipe attempts to use refrigerator or pantry items, and in most cases where a fresh ingredient is called for, a pre-packaged substitute is suggested. Of course any frozen, canned, or pre-packaged ingredient can be swapped for fresh when grocery shopping normalizes.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag frozen shrimp, uncooked, veined and tails removed
• Red chilli flakes
• Salt
• Butter
• Mayonnaise
• Greek yogurt
• Milk
• Salt
• Avocado (pre-packaged guacamole ain’t great…so go with fresh avocados)
• 3 Limes (can substitute bottled lime juice)
• Purple cabbage (can be pre-shredded mix)
• Carrot (bagged or loose works, to your comfort level)
• 3 spring onions (any onion will do – red onions add a bit of heat)
• 1 garlic clove chopped (fine dice, can substitute dried chopped garlic)
• 2 garlic cloves sliced thin (can substitute granulated or dried garlic)
• 1 bag Small soft taco shells

Instructions:

1. For the slaw: Rinse all your veggies. Using a knife, shred the purple cabbage. Grate one carrot. Chop spring onions into ¼” slices. Combine these with mayonnaise and set aside. Lightly mix, and set aside.
2. For the “crema”: (Note: this is not a real crema, but a quick approximation made in a few minutes. If you have the time, look up how to make real crema! It’s so good!!) Combine Greek yogurt and milk with juice from half a lime. Stir in chopped garlic and a pinch of salt.
3. For the guac: Slice and cube 4 avocados into a large bowl. Add the juice of two full limes, and mash until the desired texture. Salt to taste. (Here, you can add onion, garlic, tomato, or red chilli flake if that’s your jam!)
4. For the shrimp: Rinse and dry thawed shrimp thoroughly. Melt butter in a skillet with sliced garlic and a light sprinkling of red chilli flakes. Add shrimp in a single layer. As the shrimp becomes opaque and pink/orange, begin flipping shrimp when the pan-side is browned.
5. Assemble! Add a layer of slaw to a tortilla, top with shrimp, then guac, and a drizzle of your “crema” et voila! Eat as many as you can without making yourself sick.

---

Aaron’s Mezcal Gimlets

Nothing says summer like citrus and heat. This cocktail balances refreshing lime juice with a spiced up smoky mezcal. Egg whites add texture and foam, but can be swapped for chickpea juice or left out entirely for the less adventurous imbiber. 

Ingredients:

• 2.5 ounces mezcal
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• ½ ounce agave syrup
• 1 egg white
• 1 jalapeno
• Ice

Equipment:

Cocktail shaker and strainer

Directions:

1. Prepare the mezcal by combining sliced jalapeno and mezcal in a jar. Allow to steep for 5-20 minutes, for a spice level to your taste. Strain jalapenos from mezcal.
2. Dry-shake the cocktail: Combine mezcal, fresh lime juice, agave syrup, and egg white in strainer. Shake without ice for 20 seconds, until liquid thickens into foam.
3. Open shaker, and add ice. Shake again for 30 seconds, until strainer becomes ice-cold to touch.
4. Strain into a chilled glass
5. Get crunk.

Editor’s Note: Aaron insisted I keep “get crunk” in this article.

---

Miles’ Cold Noodles with Sesame Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1lb Udon Noodles or Linguine #17 ( I use Udon in the Summer and #17 in the Winter)
• 2 tbspn Sesame Oil
• 4 Teaspoon
• ¼ cup tahini or peanut butter (I advise peanut butter)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tbspn rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbspn hot chili oil or tobacco (Chili oil is ideal)
• 2 scallions cut into .5” pieces
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (shredded)
• 2 cloves of garlic (crushed/minced)

Instructions:

1. Cook noodles according to their directions – drain
2. Toss with sesame oil
3. Refrigerate until cold
4. Mix in small bow with wire whisk or fork all other ingredients except scallions – mis well
5. Pour mixture over chilled noodles – toss until well coated
6. Sprinkle scallions on top

Notes/Tips:

• I like to double the sauce quantities because its amazing.
• You are in control of the heat with the hot chili oil, garlic, and ginger – chose your own path here based on you heat tolerance – the recipe as it is will have a kick
• toasted sesame seeds to sprinkle on the individual bowls at “platting” is extra but amazing.

---

Christine’s Tabbouleh

Ingredients:

• ½ cup bur’ghul (very, very fine crushed wheat) Note: If gluten free or on low carb diet, this can be omitted.
• ½-3/4 large white onion
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 5 cups of very finely chopped parsley (about 5 bunches of parsley)
• ¼ cup very finely chopped fresh mint or 2 teaspoons of dried mint
• 2-3 large tomatoes, finely chopped
• pprox. ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions:

1. Wash the bur’ghul and drain well by squeezing our the excess water. Put in a bowl to refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Finely chop the white onion, parsley, and mint. 
3. Mix together the onion, parsley, mint, and bur’ghul, salt and pepper.
4. Just before serving, add the lemon juice and olive oil. Mix all together.
5. Adjust salt and lemon juice to taste.
6. This is usually served in a bowl garnished with lettuce leaves to eat with, can be used to eat with pita bread, or on it’s own.

---

Lebanese Chicken, Potatoes, and Carrots

• About 15 chicken tenderloins
• 6-8 red potatoes, medium sized, peeled and quartered
• 1 pinch of salt to taste
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, crushed
• ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup of fresh lemon juice
• ½ bag of baby carrots

Instructions:

1. Place chicken, potatoes, and carrots in a large baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a bowl, mix together garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Poor over chicken, potatoes, and carrots. Cover with foil and set in refrigerator for an hour. 
3. Preheat oven to 475 degrees and cook for 30 minutes. Remove foil and turn up oven to 475 degrees. Cook for another 30 minutes until potatoes start to golden.
4. Highly suggest the garlic spread from Trader Joe’s to dip the chicken, potatoes, and carrots in. 

---

The “Not Precisely Made” Dry Manhattan

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces bourbon
• 1 ounce dry vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Garnish: thin slice of lemon
• Dish ware/utensils/other needs: pint glass, cocktail glass, shot glass, butter knife, ice

Instructions:

1. Put the cocktail glass in the freezer
2. Fill a pint glass with ice
3. Pour the bourbon, vermouth, and bitters into the glass with ice and stir using the butter knife
4. Take the cocktail glass out of the freezer
5. Pour the mix into the cocktail glass, using the butter knife as a strainer for the ice
6. Garnish with the lemon slice
7. Enjoy!