Recipe: Brothy Pasta with Chickpeas

Brothy Pasta with Chickpeas
Bon Appetit Magazine, Oct 2019, p. 28
4.5 stars (with additions)

Easy weeknight dish.
[Once we make this again, I need to come come back and post more info as I'm writing this post a few weeks after making it and can't remember exactly what we thought!]

Ingredients: chickpeas, whole peeled tomatoes, orecchiette or other small pasta, small onion, garlic, rosemary, parsley, Parmesan,  red pepper flakes, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:

• Used cannellini beans instead of chickpeas.
• Added Italian sausage.
• Great with bread on the side.
• Use less water next time.

Recipe: Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup

Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup
Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2019, p.16
4.5 stars

This is not just any chicken coup -- this is an amped-up Asian version that has a unique flavor because of the addition of sweet potatoes, cilantro and also umami from the soy sauce.  Only 10 ingredients including salt and pepper!

Ingredients: chicken thighs, sweet potatoes, garlic, ginger, cilantro, jasmine rice, lemon juice, soy sauce, salt, pepper

Tips:

• Added carrots, celery and jalapenos
• For small chopped up sweet potatoes and carrots, it only needs 15 min to cook so the vegetables don't get mushy
• Used a rotisserie chicken so used chicken broth for the soup base
• Added a tad more soy sauce that it called for

Recipe: White Pesto Pasta

White Pesto Pasta
Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2019, p.18
4.5 stars

This is a good one dinner dish (meaning -- great to have for one dinner but not leftovers). It's creamy, tasty and super simple to make.  I'm keeping this recipe because it uses a 1/2 cup of ricotta, and I often have ricotta left over from other recipes.  It was great with leftover chicken and parsley.

Ingredients: tube or rod-shaped pasta like rigatoni, walnuts, Parmesan, ricotta, lemon zest, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, oregano, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Don't use 1 cup of pasta water -- start with 1/2 a cup; otherwise, the sauce will be too thin.

Recipe: Steak and Spring Vegetable Stir-Fry

Steak and Spring Vegetable Stir-Fry
Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2019, p.24
4 stars

For a relatively quick, weeknight meal, this is a pretty good Asian dish. For me, it's tad bit on the sweet side which is why I only gave it 4 stars.  I do love the sugar snap peas in the dish!

Ingredients: cooked rice, sirloin steak, asparagus, sugar snap peas, ginger, scallions, cornstarch, soy sauce, vegetable oil, oyster sauce, mirin, unseasoned rice vinegar, Kosher salt

Tips/Changes:

• Substituted broccoli for the asparagus
• Used brown rice
• Added sriracha at the table to taste

Recipe: Instant Pot Red Bean and Quinoa Soup with Taco Fixins

Instant Pot Red Bean and Quinoa Soup with Taco Fixins
Bon Appetit Magazine, Oct 2019, p.14
5 stars

This tastes better than it looks, AND you don't need to have a InstaPot to make this.  We made this in a regular Dutch oven/pot with the tweaks below.  This is super flavorful with creaminess from the avocado, saltiness from the queso fresco, acidity from the pickled onions, spiciness from the chipotle in adobo, and so many more flavors!  It's also a HEALTHY dish -- plant-based and love that there's quinoa in it!  Good dish to make on a ski trip.

Soup: red onion, garlic, cumin, red beans, red quinoa, chipotle in adobo, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, lime

Assembly: red onion, red wine vinegar, Kosher salt, sugar, lime wedges, sliced avocado, sour cream, cilantro, queso fresco or Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, hot sauce, tortilla chips

Tips:

• Didn't use a InstaPot as noted above.
• Used 2 cans of red beans in stead of dried beans.
• Had tortilla chips on the side.