Recipe: Pappardelle with Summer Squash and Arugula-Walnut Pesto

Pappardelle with Summer Squash and Arugula-Walnut Pesto
Food and Wine Magazine, Aug 2015 p. 122
4 stars

I love when I find recipes that use up ingredients that we have on hand.  We had a bunch of basil leftover from another pesto dish that we made; and while this dish doesn't call for basil, we added it to the arugula pesto -- it was great!  This is a restaurant-worthy dish that we'll serve to guests in the future.  Great presentation (lovely ribbons of pappardelle and also zucchini) and a pasta/veggie dish all in one.  Plus, it's super simple to make.

Ingredients:  papparedelle, zucchini, arugula, walnuts, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, lemon juice, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Added basil to the pesto

Recipe: Pocho Taco

Pocho Taco
Bon Appetit Magazine, Mar 2017, p.77
5 stars

Amazing tacos with so much flavor!!!  Definitely restaurant-worthy;  however, this is not a quick weekday meal as preparation of all the ingredients takes a bit of time.

Picadillo Ingredients:  ground beef chuck, russet potato, yellow onion, shallot, pine nuts, Kosher salt, ground pepper, vegetable oil, dried pequin chile or crushed red pepper flakes, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, chicken broth

Salsa and Assembly Ingredients:  tomatoes, red onion, garlic, serrano, jalapeno, white wine vinegar, Kosher salt, shallot, creme fraiche or sour cream, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, hard taco shells and grated cheddar for serving

Tips:

• Added avocado and lettuce
• Add cilantro next time
• The salsa was quite strong so would recommend cooking it a bit on the stove to cook off some of the garlic and chile compounds

Recipe: Coffee-Flavored Belgian Waffles

Coffee-Flavored Belgian Waffles
Bon Appetit Magazine, Mar 2017, p. 14
2 stars for waffles, 4 stars for pancakes

This was a 'r.s.v.p' recipe that someone requested from Kapnos in Washington, D.C.  The flavor of the waffle was good, but it was SOGGY coming out of our waffle iron.  I'll try making it again, but the batter actually was perfect for pancakes.

Note:  We used a regular waffle iron.  Be careful not to overfill it as the batter is light and fluffy and will overflow and seep out of the sides and all over your counter!

Ingredients:  flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, whole-milk ricotta, buttermilk, espresso powder, butter, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt;  maple syrup and whipped cream for serving

Recipe: Weeknight Mapo Dofu with Ground Pork

Weeknight Mapo Dofu with Ground Pork
Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2016, p. 52
5 Stars

My new favorite Asian dish!  I love Mapo Dofu (tofu), but it's generally not the healthiest dish to make or eat.  Lots of oil and few to no vegetables.  For this recipe, we added vegetables to "healthy-it-up" (and to use ingredients we had in the fridge!), and the entire dish used only 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil.  My mouth is watering now just thinking about this.

This is an easy weeknight dish -- the recipe notes it at 25 min total time which is about right.

Ingredients:  ground pork, jalapeno, tofu, garlic, ginger, scallions, tomato paste, Sichuan peppercorns, chicken broth, Chinese black bean garlic sauce, cornstarch, vegetable oil, basil, white rice

Tips:

• Used medium firm tofu as we like them in chunks and didn't want the tofu to fall apart
• Added broccoli and kale (cooked/wilted kale in a separate pan and added to the dish near the end)
• The key to this dish is the Chinese black bean garlic sauce which I've found at many regular/standard grocery stores

Recipe: Black Bean and Chorizo Soup

Black Bean and Chorizo Soup
Food and Wine Magazine, Dec 2016, p.74
5 stars

This soup recipe, from Kathy Gunst's cookbook Soup Swap, rivals (in a different way) the America's Test Kitchen Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe which we love.  The soup offers a punch of flavors in every bite and is SUPER easy to make!

Ingredients:  black beans, onions, Spanish-style dried chorizo, garlic, chicken stock, cumin, bay leaf, thyme sprig, parsley sprig, Mexican crema, avocado, radishes, cilantro, lime wedges, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper, tortillas

Tips

• Used 2 cans of black beans instead of dried beans (next time, use 3 cans of black beans)
• Used 1 onion instead of 3
• Used fresh chorizo instead of dried
• Used creme fraiche (instead of Mexican crema) since we had it in the house
• Reduced cooking time by a lot since we used canned beans

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Food and Wine Magazine, Nov 2016, p. 128
5 stars

This Anthony Bourdain recipe has just 6 ingredients!  As the recipe notes at the top, 'Forget a salad . . . this is the only green thing you need on the table!'

Ingredients:  bacon, brussels sprouts, butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper

Tips:

• We didn't follow the directions exactly. . .  so will need to report back the next time we make this.  We cooked the bacon in a skillet (without water) and roasted the brussels sprouts in the oven.

Recipe: Mashed-Potato Casserole with Sage and Fontina

Mashed-Potato Casserole with Sage and Fontina
Food and Wine Magazine, Nov 2016, p.67
4.5 stars

A wonderful side dish that we're sure to make again!

Ingredients:  potatoes, unsalted butter, Fontina cheese, breadcrumbs, creme fraiche, parsley, sage, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Use about 50% more creme fraiche to make them ultra creamy
• Note: We forgot to add the sage on top in the photo!