Recipe: Ancient Grains Buddha Bowl (like at True Food!)

Ancient Grains Buddha Bowl (like the Ancient Grains bowl at True Food)
5 stars
See link above to the recipe on UrbanFoodieKitchen.com

I heart the Ancient Grains bowl at True Food (restaurant) -- it's so healthy, hearty and flavorful, and I never feel bad eating it.  I can't recall exactly how much it costs at the restaurant, but it's at least $14 (not inexpensive).  I could understand why because there are so many components to it (miso glazed sweet potato, turmeric, charred onion, snow pea, grilled portobello, avocado, hemp seed).

In an effort to eat healthier, I searched for an "ancient grain bowl" recipe and found one from Urban Foodie Kitchen.  It was absolutely delicious and I would say at least as good or BETTER than the one at True Food.

There are a number of steps to making the dish (there are 3 sauces), but it's easy and worth it especially for the leftovers.  In short, the bowl consists of farro, sweet potato, onion baby bella mushrooms, tofu, avocado, a cilantro pesto, miso sauce and a turmeric-tahini sauce.

• Bowl Ingredients:  extra-firm tofu, baby bella mushrooms, sweet potato, onion, farro, avocado, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried thyme, garlic salt, water
• Cilantro Pesto Ingredients:  cilantro, toasted pepitas, garlic, parmesan cheese, fresh lime juice, olive oil
• Miso Sauce Ingredients:  rice vinegar, honey, lime juice, white miso, sesame oil
• Turmeric-Tahini Sauce Ingredients:  tahini, turmeric, fresh lemon juice, water, maple syrup

Tips/What We Changed:

• Used walnuts instead of pepitas
• Used a mix of regular and purple sweet potatoes

Bon Appetit!

Recipe: Almond Torta with Chocolate Chips

Voila!

Before baking

After baking

Almond Torte with Chocolate Chips
4.5 stars
Recipe from Lidia Bastianich (Lidia's Italy)

The torte was a lovely end to our Italian meal this past weekend.  It was easy to make and turned out beautifully.  I was afraid that it was going to be too dense of a cake after a carb-laden meal, but it wasn't.

Tips:

• Added extra 1/2 cup of chocolate chips
• Created our own "topping" of chocolate snowflakes 
• Might add a tad more almond extract next time

Recipe: Party Posole Rojo

Party Posole Rojo
Bon Appetit Magazine, April 2018, p.77
5 stars

Best. Soup. Ever. 
Well, so far until we find another better soup/stew that beats this and America's Test Kitchen Chicken Tortilla Soup.  This is not a hard recipe but does take some time to simmer (about 3 hours).  The flavor of this is complex, amazing, delicious.

Posole ingredients:  hominy, onions, bay leaves, peppercorns, Kosher salt, pork ribs, ground cumin, garlic

Chile puree ingredients:  dried New Mexico chiles, ancho chiles, onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, light brown sugar, Kosher salt

Toppings:  avocado, cilantro, cabbage, jalapenos, radishes, lime wedges, sour cream, torilla chips, hot sauce

Tips:

• Couldn't find dried hominy so used two 15 oz cans; will use three cans next time
• If using canned hominy, add it to the stew so it's only cooking for 1 hour
• Create a bouquet garni for the peppercorns and bay leaves (using cheesecloth and twine) and remove when done cooking
• Since we're trying to eat less meat, in general, used 2.5 lb pork ribs instead of 4, and it still turned out great
• The ancho chiles, New Mexico chiles and jalapeno didn't have much heat at all so make sure there is some heat in the dish
• Couldn't find New Mexico whole chiles so used New Mexico ground powder instead 
• Consider rubbing the pork ribs with some chipotle powder as well next time to add heat

Recipe: Momofuku's Banana Cream Pie Recipe

Momofuku's Banana Cream Pie
4 stars

We had some bananas that were very very ripe (almost black) which made me remember Christina Tosi (on Chef's Table on Netflix) saying that the blacker the bananas, the better when making her Banana Cream Pie.  Note:  This is the first Christina Tosi recipe I've made.

I found the recipe (see link above) on a U.K. website and made it last weekend.

It was really good, but quite sweet as I think all of her desserts are.  Interestingly, her pie crust was bitter -- but perhaps that's to balance the sweetness of the pie filling.  The recipe took a while to make... a bit of effort and time primarily because of the pie crust.  I will definitely be taking some shortcuts if I make this again.

Tips/Notes:

• Next time, use a different chocolate crust recipe as this one took a bit of time and didn't wow me at all (plus, it was bitter as I mentioned above)
• Didn't use yellow food coloring (I never use food coloring!)
• Substituted cornflour for corn meal that we already had
• Potentially use less sugar in the banana cream next time

Recipe: Brothy Beans and Farro with Eggs and Mushrooms

Brothy Beans and Farro with Eggs and Mushrooms
Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2018, p 91
4.5 stars

Ok, so for this recipe, we changed a LOT of the steps.  Having cooked many recipes over the years, we could tell what changes would make the recipe better and make the cooking process go faster.  I'll try to outline all the tips below.  This was a delicious and hearty meal, but next time, we'll make this in the fall/winter/spring months instead of summer.  Not sure why I decided to make this during the hottest month of the year!

Ingredients:  onion, carrot, garlic, beans, farro, shiitake mushrooms, Fresno chiles, sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, rosemary, olive oil, Kosher salt, ground pepper, egg yolks (optional)

Ingredient Changes:

• Diced 3 carrots instead of 1
• Added diced celery (since we had it on hand)
• Used canned Great Northern Beans
• Couldn't find Fresno chiles so used serranos
• Added Andouille sausage

Cooking Changes/Tips:

• Instead of doing the first part of the recipe where the vegetables were boiled with the beans for 70-90 minutes (no time for that!), we sauteed the onion, carrot, celery and MINCED garlic until all were caramelized and then splashed a little red wine vinegar at the end.
• Kept all of the vegetables instead of discarding them and simmered them with the canned Great Northern Beans, farro and added broth.
• To make the chile-garlic oil on top, make sure to add the rosemary that it calls for -- it's a nice touch.  Note:  We made 1/2 the recipe of the oil and still had too much.
• Sauteed the mushrooms separately and added red pepper since the serranos weren't hot.
• Seared the Andouille sausage separately in a pan and added it 10 min before the farro was ready.

Recipe: Mushroom, Leek and Fontina Frittata

Mushroom, Leek and Fontina Frittata
Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2013, p. 43
4.5 stars

We made this for dinner, but it also would be perfect for breakfast or brunch.  Only takes 9 ingredients and was very easy to make -- I can see us making this recipe again but using different ingredients (e.g. different cheese, adding meat).... it's a good base recipe.

Ingredients:  leeks, baby bella mushrooms, eggs, creme fraiche or sour cream, Fontina cheese, parsley, olive oil, Kosher salt, ground pepper

Tips:

• Used 10 eggs instead of 12
• Used regular curly leaf parsley instead of flat-leaf

Enjoy!

Recipe: Cold Sesame Noodles with Broccoli and Kale

Cold Sesame Noodles with Broccoli and Kale

Bon Appetit Magazine, Dec 2016

4 stars

This was a recipe in the "r.s.v.p." section of Bon Appetit Magazine where readers ask the magazine to request a recipe from a restaurant.  This recipe is from a restaurant called North in Providence, RI.

I especially loved the broccoli part of this dish which we'll definitely be making in the future as a side dish... and as you can see from the tips below, we made this into a warm (vs. cold) dish and made some adjustments.

Ingredients:  broccoli, garlic, sambal oelek, sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, scallions, ginger, kale, ramen, torn mint, sesame seeds, vegetable oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:

• Make double the amount of broccoli next time -- it shrinks so much upon roasting
• Double the amount of kale
• Kale can be pretty rough texture-wise, so we blanched it and then sauteed it olive oil with the scallions, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper and splashed the sherry vinegar at the end
• The dish needed a little oomph, so I added a little bit of hot chili oil and soy sauce to my serving which gave it some heat and umami flavor

Recipe: Don Angie's Lasagna Pinwheels

Don Angie's Lasagna Pinwheels
5 stars

I saw this dish being made on the Today Show and immediately printed off the recipe.  Fresh pasta, bechamel sauce, bolognese -- how can you go wrong?  This dish was fabulos-o, but took lots of manpower.  I made the bolognese and tomato sauce, while our good friends made the fresh pasta and bechamel.

I can almost see why the restaurant Don Angie in New York City charges $64 for their Lasagna for Two.  It took lots of ingredients (too many to list), time and labor to make this dish.

The bolognese was so flavorful with its mix of sweet Italian sausage, pancetta and veal -- plus 2 star anise pods for an extra dimension of flavor.  This is now my go-to recipe for bolognese.

The photo above was taken when we took the dish out of the oven (we hadn't sprinkled parsley on it yet).  For sides, we made a simple broccolini dish (sauteed in garlic and olive oil) and bought a loaf of Parmesan bread.

Tips:

• Will use a different pasta recipe next time as this one created a very wet pasta.
• Make 1/2 the bolognese (unless you want leftovers to use for another pasta dish or to freeze).
• Make 1/4 of the bechamel sauce.
• Can use Italian ricotta cheese if robiola cheese isn't available at your local grocery store.
• Will add red pepper to the tomato sauce next time.

Recipe: Zucchini and Gruyere Scones

Zucchini and Gruyere Scones
Bon Appetit Magazine, Sept 2017, p. 18
5 stars

I love, love, love these scones!  This is my new favorite biscuit, I mean scone.  I can say that they're semi-healthy since they have zucchini in them (haha).  They were light and flavorful . . . I heart Gruyere.

As an aside . . . I looked up the difference between a biscuit and a scone.  With all the different sites I looked at, I'm still confused.  One site says that a scone usually has a higher sugar content making them sweeter, and they usually contain baking soda which makes them heavier.  Another site says that scones have eggs while biscuits don't.  With those two definitions, I'd say that this recipe is a biscuit recipe.

Ingredients:  all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, heavy cream, zucchini, Gruyere, flaky sea salt, baking powder, sugar, Kosher salt, black pepper, thyme

Tips

• I used a biscuit/cookie cutter that was smaller than the 3" diameter that was recommended, and these still turned out huge!  Next time, I'll be making them smaller but will need to watch the bake time.
• I also shredded the cheese but need to remember to dice the cheese next time instead per the recipe.

Recipe: 12-Minute Saucy Chicken Breasts with Limes

12-Minute Saucy Chicken Breast with Limes
Bon Appetit Magazine, Dec 2017
4 stars

This is a great weekday recipe that's incredibly flavorful (note that you must like the cumin/turmeric/paprika type of flavor profile) and would go great with the Golden Rice recipe.

Ingredients:  chicken, ground cumin, ground turmeric, paprika, olive oil, Kosher salt, limes

Tips:

• Used boneless chicken breast and sauteed the chicken vs. baking it -- it turned out great!  The chicken was moist and there was delicious sauce to spoon over the chicken.

Recipe: Smashed-Banana Bread

Smashed-Banana Bread
Food and Wine Magazine, Nov 2017, p. 118
4 stars

Now I know what to do with bananas that get overripe... freeze the bananas and make Smashed-Banana Bread with them later!  This was an easy recipe but surprisingly took 1.5 hours to bake.  The outcome was good -- I love the outer crispy crust, but it wasn't a blow-my-socks-off amazing recipe.

Ingredients:  pecans, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, fine sea salt, eggs, smashed very ripe banana, sour cream, vanilla extract, banana liqueur or dark rum, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, confectioners' sugar

Notes:

• The recipe calls for banana liqueur or dark rum, though it's so little (3/4 tsp), I'm not sure what it actually does as that flavor doesn't come through at all.  
• 1.5 cups of smashed very ripe banana turned out to be about 5 medium bananas (3 that I froze and thawed + 2 non-frozen ones).

Recipe: Roasted Mushroom and Vermouth Risotto

Roasted Mushroom and Vermouth Risotto
Food and Wine Magazine, Jan 2018, p. 74
4.5 stars

I've made mushroom risotto before but it usually involves cooking the mushrooms in a pan and adding them later to the risotto.  I thought this recipe was interesting in that it calls for roasting the mushrooms in the oven and then adding them later to the risotto.

This is a restaurant-worthy dish.  This confirms that I'm never ordering risotto again from a restaurant -- it's so easy (and inexpensive to make)!

Ingredients:  mixed, wild mushrooms, chicken or vegetable broth, shallots, arborio rice, unsalted butter, dry vermouth, Parmesan cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips

• Made 1/2 the recipe (used 3/4 cup of arborio rice) since arborio rice expands and we usually have too much for leftovers.  Next time, we'll make the full batch since we actually didn't have a ton left over.
• The recipe doesn't call for garlic, but I think it should be added next time for an extra dimension of flavor.

(Find recipe under: Entree - Warm Sausage and Lentil Salad)

Recipe: Stir-Fried Chicken and Green Pepper with Cumin and Cilantro

Stir-Fried Chicken and Green Pepper with Cumin and Cilantro
Food and Wine Magazine, Apr 2018, p. 50
5 stars

A really easy and delicious recipe to make on a weekday (especially when I'm craving Chinese food).

This does not take much time (30 min), but make sure to get the rice going especially if you have a rice cooker.  This stir-fry dish has a lot of my favorite things mixed together -- cumin, cilantro, garlic, heat from the serrano, onion... it almost seems like it would be a Mexican dish!

Ingredients:  chicken, Shaoxing wine or dry sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch, grapeseed or peanut oil, green bell peppers, red onion, serrano chile, garlic, ground cumin seeds, cracked coriander seeds, sugar, Kosher salt, cilantro, black pepper, rice

Recipe: Cheesy Baked Pasta with Cauliflower (Mac and Cheese)

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Cauliflower
Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2018, p.38
5 stars

I was skeptical about this recipe.  Cauliflower and tomatoes in a mac and cheese-type of dish?  Turns out the tomatoes added a nice oomph (acidity) to the dish that's not present in regular 'ol mac and cheese, and the cauliflower was there and imparted the health benefits of a vegetable without being noticeable.

This dish was so good that I forgot to take a photo of the dish each time we had leftovers (and this was a dish where we looked forward to the leftovers)!

Ingredients:  medium pasta shells, mozzarella, provolone, sharp cheddar, parmesan, can of lightly crushed cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, heavy cream, salt, pepper

Tips:

• Used can of diced tomatoes (I couldn't find a can of lightly crushed cherry tomatoes)
• Used cauliflower rice
• Didn't need to add any reserved pasta water since the diced tomatoes had a bit of liquid

Recipe: Green-Market Tacos with Corn Crema

Green-Market Tacos with Corn Crema
Food and Wine Magazine, Aug 2016, p.108
5 stars

A go-to recipe for us when we're wanting to eat healthy and vegetarian is Alice Waters' Garden Salad Tacos; however, in recent months we had it a bit too often.  I found this Green-Market Tacos recipe which was absolutely delicious.  It's going in our dinner menu rotation.

Ingredients:  tortillas, corn, haricots verts (green beans), Greek yogurt, extra-virgin olive oil, creamy feta cheese, cilantro, avocado, radishes, cumin, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Used frozen corn (so we didn't end up having corn milk from the cobs, but it was fine!)
• Blanched the corn and haricots verts and then put them in an ice bath so the veggies weren't so raw

Recipe: Creamy Lemon Pasta

Creamy Lemon Pasta

Food and Wine Magazine, May 2018, p. 42

5 stars

(I forgot to take a photo of this dish and will update this post the next time we make the recipe.)

What a simple yet fast and comforting pasta dish!

This recipe took less than 20 minutes to make and is perfect for a weekday meal along with a glass of white wine and a salad and/or meat on the side.

It tastes like an adult version of Mac and Cheese (and a much tastier version of Fettuccine Alfredo) -- it's a cheesy dish but with the brightness of lemon and the additional flavors and complexity from the honey and shallots.

Ingredients:  Meyer lemon zest and lemon juice, shallots, heavy cream, dried fettuccine, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, honey, extra-virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, Kosher salt

It's not many ingredients but the resulting dish tastes restaurant-worthy.

Tips:

• Used regular lemons since our grocery store didn't carry Meyer lemons
• Used strozzapretti dried pasta that we had in our pantry
• Used an Italian mix of cheeses that we had in our fridge
• Didn't top/garnish the dish with Meyer lemon supremes (no need for a weekday meal but nice if serving to guests)

Recipe: Miso Pesto with Ramen Noodles

Miso Pesto with Ramen Noodles
Bon Appetit Magazine, March 2018, p. 28
5 stars

At first glance at the ingredient list, I wasn't sure whether this would be a good recipe.  (Before making it, we even talked about halving the recipe in case it didn't turn out well.)  I'm so glad we made the full recipe because this was so good -- a restaurant-worthy meal.

Ingredients:  fresh ramen, baby spinach, cilantro, white miso, grapeseed or sunflower oil, sesame oil, lemon juice, garlic, unsalted butter, Kosher salt, toasted sesame seeds

Tips

• Since the garlic isn't cooked, used half a clove
• Used extra-virgin olive oil since we were out of grapeseed oil
• Couldn't find fresh ramen but found dry ramen that we boiled
• Served it with sauteed bok choy and gyoza (potstickers)

Loved the leftovers!!!

Recipe: Mushroom-Thyme Pot Pies

Mushroom-Thyme Pot Pies
Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2017, p.114
4.5 stars

Delicious umami-laden vegetarian pie for mushroom lovers.
Perfect with a glass of red wine.

Tips

• Made 1 large pie vs. 8 small pies in ramekins
• Dough was a little chewy and is the only pie crust that I've ever made that has egg in it; will use the Thomas Keller Chicken Pot Pie crust recipe next time
• Onion only need 8 min to soften instead of 10-12 min
• Button mushrooms needed only 8 min instead of 12-15 min
• 1 hour was not needed to reduce the broth
• Didn't discard the solids -- we like texture!  The mushrooms were fine.  Didn't need to make the 'gravy' as a result
• Since it was 1 large pie, baked it for 40-45 min

Guide to Dried Chiles

I love this guide that was in Food and Wine magazine's December 2017 issue (p.116).  It's a great reference as I can't seem to remember when to use which chile and what flavor profile each chile imparts.

Recipe: Pork-and-Apple Bedfordshire Clangers

Pork-and-Apple Bedfordshire Clangers
Food and Wine Magazine, Nov 2017, p.54
5 stars

While simple, this took a long time to make as there were many steps.  Start 3 hours before you plan to have dinner.  Note:  The pastry dough is the flakiest dough I've made.  The 4 rolls above have 2 whole sticks of butter in them altogether!

Pastry ingredients:  flour, Kosher salt, unsalted butter, ice water

Sausage ingredients:  ground pork shoulder, fresh breadcrumbs, sage, garlic, sugar, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, Kosher salt, pepper, chicken stock

Apple pie ingredients:  Honeycrisp apples, dark brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, granulated sugar

Other ingredients:  egg

Tips:

• Used fresh ginger
• Didn't do 'half-and-half' with each roll having both sausage and fruit per the recipe;  instead created 2 rolls with sausage (the ones on the right in the photo) and 2 rolls with fruit (the 2 on the left with the slits)
• 1 lb of apples is way too much; next time use 1/2 lb
• Serve with a bold red wine

Timing if you plan to eat at 7:15pm:

• 4:15pm:  make pastry
• 4:30pm:  make filling
• 5:00pm:  freeze the filling
• 5:30pm:  roll out the dough and make the clangers
• 5:45pm:  refrigerate the clangers until chilled
• 6:15pm:  bake
• 7:15pm:  eat

Recipe: No-Knead Bread

No-Knead Bread
nytimes.com;  Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
5 stars

Impress your friends and offer to make the bread for your next get together.  Crusty on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, you'll think you're in Paris!  There are just 5 ingredients (including water), and the recipe is so simple. . .  it just takes time.

Ingredients:  all-purpose or bread flour, instant yeast, salt, cornmeal, water

If you want to have the bread by dinner at 7pm, here's how to time it:

• 9:15pm (the night before):  step 1 - mix the ingredients together
• 3:15pm (the next day): step 2 - fold the dough over itself once or twice
• 3:30pm:  step 3 - shape dough into a ball
• 5:30pm:  step 4 - heat the oven
• 6:00pm:  step 5 - bake

Tips:

• I use all-purpose flour
• Bake time is 45 min altogether (30 and then 15 min)

Recipe: Summer Squash Gratin

Before baking

After baking

Summer Squash Gratin
Food and Wine Magazine, July 2017, p.92
5 stars

Ratatouille-like, this is an impressive and delicious side-dish year round despite the name.  Yes, I know, squash is a summer dish, but this has worked well as a fall side dish in recent months.  It looks complex to make, but isn't, and check out the short ingredient list!

Ingredients:  leeks, zucchini, yellow squash, plum tomato, Gruyere, dry white wine, EVOO, Kosher salt, pepper

Tip:

• After baking and before serving, drain excess water/juice so the bottom of the vegetables don't get soggy.

Recipe: Cheesy Grits with Poached Eggs, Greens and Bacon

Cheesy Grits with Poached Eggs, Greens and Bacon
Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2016, p. 28
5 stars

This is one of my favorite dishes -- combining some of my favorite food items including grits, bacon and poached eggs.

Ingredients:  white grits, Fresno or red chile, bacon, Swiss chard leaves, eggs, cheddar cheese, shallot, Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, unsalted butter, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:

• Used yellow grits instead of white grits since we had yellow grits in the pantry
• Couldn't find a red chile so left that out
• Sauteed mushrooms on the side to top the dish
• Double or triple the amount of Swiss chard

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Grapes and Walnuts

Brussels Sprouts with Grapes and Walnuts
Kristen Bell recipe for Whole Foods
4.5 stars

We enjoyed this dish during Thanksgiving, and I forgot to take a photo!  Will update this post with a photo the next time we make this dish.  Super simple side dish that's a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:  Brussels sprouts, red seedless grapes, walnut pieces, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh thyme, sea salt, black pepper

Recipe: Broccoli Bolognese with Orecchiette

Broccoli Bolognese with Orecchiette
Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2017, p. 48
3.75 stars

I didn't rate this super high and am not adding this to our 'What Not to Make' blog post because this dish was good (not amazing) and easy to make in a pinch for a weeknight meal.  We usually have all the ingredients that this recipe calls for.

By the way, I can't understand why they call this a bolognese?!?

Ingredients:  broccoli, Italian sausage, orecchiette, unsalted butter, Parmesan, garlic, EVOO, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Used frozen broccoli instead of fresh
• Didn't have orecchiette pasta so use any pasta shape you have on hand!

Recipe: Green Corn Soup

Green Corn Soup
Food and Wine Magazine, Aug 2017, p.92
5 stars

Silky Zucchini Soup was our go-to "easy," healthy soup to make until this one came along.  This dish has great flavor (especially with our changes to the recipe) and was just as simple to make -- and just as creamy (without any cream added!) as the zucchini soup. 

Ingredients:  corn, medium onion, garlic, baby spinach, jalapenos, lime juice, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips/Changes:

• Used frozen corn instead of fresh corn
• Added a pinch of chipotle powder for added heat and complexity
• Added a dollop of sour cream and finishing salt on top
• Served it hot instead of cold

Recipe: Vegetable Tortilla

Vegetable Tortilla
Food and Wine Magazine, Sept 2017, p. 118
4.5 stars

This dish took me back to Spain where we ate a lot of "tortillas."  For those that live in Texas and the Southwest, tortilla here is not the flour or corn type that we get at the typical Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurant -- this is a Spanish tortilla that is like a frittata. I gave this 4.5 stars and not 5 because this is a dish where I have to be in the mood to eat it because of the saffron flavor.

Ingredients:  eggs, Yukon Gold potato, small onion, zucchini, red bell pepper, baby spinach, saffron, boiling water, EVOO, mayonnaise, garlic, Kosher salt, pepper


Tips:

• Even if you don't like mayonnaise, make the aioli-like sauce.  It complements the tortilla perfectly and makes the dish (but go light on the garlic); without it, the tortilla is missing something.

Recipe: Lumaconi with Prosciutto and Lemon Breadcrumbs

Lumaconi with Prosciutto and Lemon Breadcrumbs
Bon Appetit Magazine, Sept 2014, p. 129
5 stars

This recipe is from Tosca in San Francisco, and the dish is one of the best cream-based pastas we've made.  While there are a few steps to this, it was not a difficult recipe.  This will be a go-to dish for when we cook while on our next ski trip!

Ingredients:  pasta, parsley, prosciutto, breadcrumbs, radicchio (we used spinach), shallot, garlic, brandy, thyme, bay leaf, lemon zest, lemon juice, heavy cream, olive oil, Kosher salt

Tips/Changes:

• Chopped the prosciutto instead of putting it in the food processor
• Used spinach instead of radicchio (note: use a huge box of spinach next time)
• Used fusilli shaped pasta instead of lumaconi (snail shell shaped) pasta
• Added red pepper to the prosciutto cream
• Did not strain the prosciutto cream through the fine-mesh sieve (no need to!) -- but we did remove the sprigs of thyme and the bay leaf
• Be careful to not oversalt the dish since the prosciutto provides saltiness

Recipe: Mini Chocolate Chip Scones

Mini Chocolate Chip Scones
Sugar Spun Run Blog
5 stars

Inspired by the Great British Baking Show, we decided to make scones, mini ones.  I found this recipe on the Sugar Spun Run blog while Googling for 'scones' in general.

These scones were a-maz-ing!!!  So flaky.  Flavorful.  Great amount of chocolate chips.  The perfect size.  One night I had 2 scones (they were THAT good) and really shouldn't have since I felt stuffed afterwards.

Tips:

• Freeze the butter and instead of using a box grater which takes a long time (and the butter starts to melt), use a food processor.
• Put the grated butter and also the dough in the freezer for a minute or so to ensure the butter doesn't melt.
• The dough will be very shaggy but will eventually come together.  Just make sure not to overwork the dough.

Scone ingredients:  flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, heavy cream, vanilla extract, chocolate chips

Glaze ingredients:  powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract

Recipe: Polenta and Sausage Stuffing

Polenta and Sausage Stuffing
Gourmet Magazine, Nov 2005
4 stars

I found this recipe from a 2005 issue of now defunct Gourmet Magazine that we had saved.  Really delicious dish and quite simple to make -- there were just some steps like cooling the polenta, broiling half of it, and baking it for 35 min which takes a bit of time altogether.

Tip:

• Make sure to broil the polenta until crispy!  We were trying to speed up the process and get dinner on the table and didn't brown it enough.
• Also, we made half the recipe which was more than enough for 2 people with leftovers for a couple of days.

Ingredients:  polenta, sweet Italian sausage, onion, garlic, chicken broth, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, olive oil, butter, water, salt

Recipe: Bucatini with Tomato, Guanciale and Chile

Bucatini with Tomato, Guanciale and Chile
Bon Appetit Magazine, Sept 2014, p.130
5 stars

This is a restaurant-worthy dish (in fact, it's from the restaurant Tosca in San Francisco) and a quick, weekday meal.  We've made similar dishes before, but the layers of flavor from the salty prosciutto (umami!) to the underlying barely-there rosemary and the heat of the red pepper -- and then the garlic and Pecorino. . . yum!  This is one we'll be serving to guests for sure in the future.

Tips:

• Used prosciutto instead of pancetta
• Added garlic
• Topped with parsley

Ingredients:  guanciale or pancetta, red onion, crushed tomatoes, bucatini, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt, Pecorino, olive oil

Recipe: Corn Cake Stacks with Aged Cheddar and Arugula

Corn Cake Stacks with Aged Cheddar and Arugula
Country Living, Jun 2014, p.105
4 stars

A nice main or side dish.  The corn cakes didn't get as crispy as I thought they would; they were a bit soft, but the flavor was good especially with the aged Cheddar cheese.  We made refried beans on the side with the extra diced red bell pepper as well as onion, garlic and cumin.

Tip:

• Instead of baking in the oven as the last step, we'll try the broiler next time.

Ingredients:  corn kernels, red bell pepper, aged Cheddar cheese, baby arugula, cornmeal, eggs, olive oil, sugar, kosher salt, baking powder

Recipe: Omelet Souffle

Omelet Souffle: An Experiment
Food and Wine Magazine, July 2010, p.36
4 stars

I love souffles, but sometimes there just isn't enough time to make them especially on a weekday.  This is a quick 'omelet souffle' recipe that works in a pinch, but it doesn't have the depth of flavor as a regular souffle as the ingredients in this recipe are few.  I'd definitely make this again; however, do prefer regular souffles.

Ingredients:  eggs, butter, Gruyere cheese, salt, top with herbs

Recipe: Lamb Larb

We turned this into a salad

Lamb Larb
Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2017, p. 97
4.5 stars

This was a fast and healthy dish to make with a lot of complexity in flavor -- and yet with not many complex ingredients to prep.

Ingredients:  ground lamb, white rice, Bibb lettuce leaves, cucumber, mint, shallot, cilantro, garlic, red Thai chiles, lime juice, fish sauce, demerara sugar or dark brown sugar, lemongrass stalk, salted roasted peanuts, vegetable oil

Tips:

• Add red pepper to the lemongrass mix
• I'm not a huge fan of peanuts in dishes so didn't top mine with peanuts
• Add basil
• Make extra fish sauce to top the dish
• Add sriracha on top
• Didn't have large enough leaves to make lettuce cups, so turned this into a salad!

Recipe: Chocolate Torta Soffice

Right out of the oven without the powdered
sugar and mascarpone whipped topping

Chocolate Torta Soffice
Food and Wine Magazine, May 2017, p. 107
3 stars as a regular chocolate cake;  4 stars as a chocolate tea cake

This is a chocolate tea cake, not very sweet and not suitable for a celebratory dessert.  However, as a tea cake or a non-so-sweet chocolate cake, it's good.

We had some ganache from another recipe I made;  topping the cake with the ganache, mascarpone whipped topping and a little ice cream was delicious.  We did not top it with the pistachios.

Ingredients:  flour, unsweetened cocoa, salted butter, baking powder, eggs, granulated sugar, whole milk, mascarpone, heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, chopped roasted unsalted pistachios

Recipe: Toasted Orecchiette with Veal Meatballs

Toasted Orecchiette with Veal Meatballs
Bon Appetit Magazine, Jan 2016, p. 11
4 stars

This recipe would be GREAT with some changes.

Tips/Changes:

• Definitely need to cook the bacon first to render off the fat!
• The meatballs were not done after 20 min of cooking in the broth.  We ended up sauteing them in a pan.
• Double the amount of kale next time.
• There wasn't a need to fry the orecchiette -- I mean, it might have been good, but it wasn't necessary (saved the calories here).
• Used ground beef instead of ground veal.
• Used baby bellas instad of maitake mushrooms.
• The recipe called for 8 garlic cloves.  We used 6 (afraid that it would be too garlicky which it wasn't), so will use all 8 next time.  

Ingredients:  smoked bacon, ground veal, ground pork, garlic cloves, onion, breadcrumbs, milk, broth, orecchiette, olive oil, maitake mushrooms, kale, Parmesan, ground coriander, red pepper flakes, allspice, hot smoked Spanish paprika, kosher salt, black pepper

Recipe: Crusty Baked Shells & Cauliflower

Crusty Baked Shells & Cauliflower
Food and Wine Magazine, Nov 2016, p. 80
5 stars

This is my new favorite cauliflower dish!  TASTY, and I can't wait to eat the leftovers today.  I love the cheesiness of the dish along with the 'crunch' of the panko and cauliflower.

Ingredients:  cauliflower, medium shells, fresh sage, capers, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, crushed red pepper, grated Fontina cheese, fresh ricotta, panko, Italian Pecorino cheese, parsley, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Instead of capers, used peppadew peppers instead -- we like the flavor better
• Used a little extra Fontina since we had more than was called for

Recipe: Farro-and-Sausage Parmigiano

Farro-and-Sausage Parmigiano

Food and Wine Magazine, Jan 2017, p. 48

4 stars

I was looking for a hearty dish that uses farro, and I found this recipe that I had saved from a few months ago.  What sold me on the dish was the addition of the Italian sausage and the fresh mozzarella on top.  You can't see the mozz in the image above (I topped it with a lot of panko), but it really 'made' the dish.  

This recipe isn't hard to make and didn't take long (we didn't cook the farro for 2.5 hours;  we have 30-min farro) so this is good for a healthy, weekday meal where you'll definitely have leftovers!

Ingredients:  farro, crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, hot or sweet Italian sausage, scallions, yellow onion, garlic, panko, Parmigiano-Reggiano, fresh mozzarella, parsley, lemon zest, fresh oregano, dried oregano, crushed red pepper, fennel seeds, white wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:

• Make half of the topping
• Use quick cook farro
• Use mini balls of mozzarella

Recipe: Lentil and Egg Stew

Lentil and Egg Stew
Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2017, p. 79
4 Stars

I thought we'd give this recipe a whirl as we had almost all of the ingredients listed -- plus the recipe photo in the magazine looked delicious!  However, this was one where I was skeptical of the recipe based on the ingredient listing and the name of the dish;  I was thinking this might turn out very bland (it's basically lentils and vegetables and no herbs), but it wasn't.  It was a nice, flavorful, healthy stew.  Just make sure to add enough salt and to cook it with the umami-laden Parmesan rind.

Ingredients:  lentils, onion, fennel bulb, carrots, garlic, tomato paste, Parmesan rind, spinach, eggs, red wine vinegar, grated Pecorino, olive oil, Kosher salt, bread for serving

Tips:

• Used grated Parmesan instead
• Added celery since we had that in the fridge
• Didn't fry the bread
• Next time: Mixing in Andouille sausage would be a nice addition

Recipe: Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Lots of Kale

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Lots of Kale
Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2017, p. 34
4.5 stars

For such a simple recipe, this was flavorful and is now a go-to weekday meal.  Nine ingredients and about 20 minutes is all you need.  I was a little skeptical (kale with spaghetti???), but it works!

Ingredients:  kale, garlic, spaghetti or bucatini, olive oil, Parmesan, red pepper flakes, Kosher salt, black pepper, flaky sea salt

Tips:

• Used bucatini -- I consider it a "fun" pasta(!) since it's tubular/hollow
• Make sure to use all the kale the recipe calls for;  like spinach, it shrinks down to nothing as it cooks

Recipe: Rise No.1 Souffles

Rise No.1 Souffles

A souffle = my favorite dish.  They're generally light, delicate and full of flavor -- and because of the multiple steps to make them (and the myth that they're hard to make), are special . . . kind of like French macarons.  Souffles are actually not hard to make; however, the recipes I've made have not cracked the code on how to keep the souffles from "falling" so fast.

Rise No.1 in Dallas, TX makes amazing souffles that are beautiful (perfect!) and don't fall.  They offer a souffle cookbook that I was going to purchase, but the reviews were, well, not great.  However, I searched online to see if I could find one of their recipes to test, and I found one:

Rise No.1's Jambon & Gruyere Souffle

The recipe was significantly different from others I've followed (the ratio of egg whites to eggs and the mixing process), but I decided to give it a try.  The recipe turned out wonderfully!  As you can see from the photos, the souffles rose, and they didn't fall right away!  I overfilled the ramekins a bit too much which is why the top of the souffle looks like it has shifted to the right.  The recipe from here on out is my go-to.  Give it a try along with the following accompaniments for the perfect dinner:

• bread
• salad made up of mixed greens, Granny Smith apple, bleu cheese, candied pecans and a light vinaigrette
• glass of Pinot Noir 

Recipe: Grits Aligot

Shrimp and grits and salad

Look how thick and cheesy these grits are!

Grits Aligot
Bon Appetit Magazine, Sept 2016, p. 144
5 stars

The recipe is from Buxton Hall Barbecue, one of Bon Appetit's 10 Best New Restaurants of 2016.

This recipe should be called Cheese with Grits.  These are the richest, cheesiest grits we've made. . .  and we WILL make these again!  It's perfect with shrimp and a simple side salad.  Note:  This dish is not for those on a diet.  As blog contributor (or non-contributor now) the grandcruman said to me, "They're over the top!"

Ingredients:  coarse-grind grits, butter, heavy cream, mozzarella, Gruyere, extra-sharp cheddar, Kosher salt

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!