Saturday, December 28, 2019

Recipe: Torn Escarole Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette


Torn Escarole Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Food and Wine Magazine, Dec 2019, p. 66
5 stars

This is a WOW / restaurant-worthy salad.  Lots of complexity and dimension to this salad as you can see from the ingredient list!  Spice, crunch, sweet, salty, umami.... definitely making this again soon.

Main Ingredients: applewood-smoked bacon, escarole, Honeycrisp apples, mild blue cheese like Gorgonzola

Crouton Ingredients: crusty Italian bread, hot chile-sesame oil or olive oil, Kosher salt

Dressing Ingredients: shallot, olive oil, apple butter or honey, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard


Notes/Tips:

  • Used a mix of hot chili oil and sesame oil -- definitely use this instead of just olive oil
  • Used red leaf lettuce instead of escarole
  • Didn't have Gorgonzola (which would've been amazing on this salad!) so used Parmesan

Recipe: Sausage-Spiced Cauliflower Steaks


Sausage-Spiced Cauliflower Steaks
Food & Wine Magazine, Dec 2019, p. 46
5 stars

The description on this said "toasted fennel seeds, black pepper and orange zest lend a sausage-like flavor to these roasted cauliflower steaks." I thought, "Yeah, right ~ sausage-like flavor?!"  It actually DID have that flavor due to the fennel and mix of spices!  This was so good and an easy vegetarian dish that we'll definitely make again.  Didn't miss having meat during this meal!

Ingredients: cauliflower heads, marinara sauce, shredded fontina or provolone cheese, Parmesan cheese, fennel seeds, orange zest, garlic powder, olive oil, fine sea salt, black pepper

Notes:
  • We had mozzarella so used it instead of fontina or provolone

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Recipe: Easy Cheesy Zucchini Gratin

[Forgot to take a photo!]

Recipe: Easy Cheesy Zucchini Gratin
ibreatheimhungry.com
4.5 stars

This is a low carb, keto side that we made the other day -- really delicious (can't go wrong when there's cheese!).

The recipe is linked above, but I'm including it below in case the blog or link goes away which has happened!
  • 4 cups sliced raw zucchini
  • 1 small onion, peeled and sliced thin
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  1. Preheat oven to 375F.
  2. Grease a 9×9 or equivalent oven proof pan.
  3. Overlap 1/3 of the zucchini and onion slices in the pan, then season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
  4. Repeat two more times until you have three layers and have used up all of the zucchini, onions, and shredded cheese.
  5. Combine the garlic powder, butter, heavy cream, and xanthan gum in a microwave safe dish.
  6. Heat for one minute or until the butter has melted. Whisk until smooth.
  7. Gently pour the butter and cream mixture over the zucchini layers.
  8. Bake at 375F for about 45 minutes, or until the liquid has thickened and the top is golden brown.
  9. Serve warm.
Tips/Notes:
  • Xanthan gum is optional (it's used as a thickener).
  • Bake for less time so the zucchini doesn't get overcooked and mushy.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Recipe: Brussels-Sprout Tacos


Brussels-Sprout Tacos
Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Martha Stewart Living, Nov, 2019 p. 76 and 78
5 stars

I wasn't sure about this recipe, but wow -- this is a new "go to" for when we want to eat a plant-based meal.  This has everything to satisfy: creaminess from the avocado, acidity from the pickled onion, crunch from the peanuts, a little bitterness from the brussels sprouts, spiciness from the chipotle in adobo.  This is one of my new favorite recipes!

Brussels Sprout Tacos Ingredients: corn tortillas, avocado, roasted peanuts, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, Kosher salt

Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Brussels sprouts, chipotle in adobo, honey, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes:
  • We used flour tortillas instead.
  • The chipotle in adobo mellowed out while roasting -- I was expecting a LOT of spice, but it wasn't super spicy.
  • Quarter the Brussels sprouts instead of halving them to make it easier to eat in the tacos.
  • Add sour cream to the tacos at the table.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Recipe: Ginger-Lemongrass Broth with Noodles, Silken Tofu and Broccolini


Ginger-Lemongrass Broth with Noodles, Silken Tofu and Broccolini
Martha Stewart Living, Oct 2019, p. 116
5 stars (with additions)

I was feeling like ramen, and this hit the spot.

Ingredients: chicken broth, broccolini, wheat noodles, silken tofu, onion, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, Thai chile, Thai or Italian basil, sugar, fish sauce, Kosher salt

Tips:
  • Had Chinese gyoza/dumplings on the side.
  • Forgot the basil (agh)!
  • Used ramen noodles.
  • The recipe as-is = bland.  Added some white miso to the broth and also soy sauce and sriracha at the table to taste.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Recipe: Tuscan Kale Salad with Gorgonzola Croutons


Tuscan Kale Salad with Gorgonzola Croutons
Food & Wine Magazine, Nov 2019, p. 60
Only the croutons = 5 stars

Overall, we weren't fans of this recipe.  It was... eh and salty!  Granted, we didn't make the recipe as written because 1) I don't like turnips at all and 2) Kale is hard to eat in a salad (it's rough) so we used mixed greens instead.  The only piece of this recipe that I would make again is the croutons, but I need to remember to only make 1/2 a recipe of the croutons -- it makes a ton!

Crouton Ingredients: Gorgonzola cheese, rye bread, butter, extra-virgin olive oil

Tips:
  • As noted above, make just 1/2 the amount of croutons

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Recipe: Salmon with Citrus-Chile Sauce


Salmon with Citrus-Chile Sauce
Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2019, p. 22
5 stars

Easy weeknight meal!
LOVED the flavor of the sauce -- delish.

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

Ingredients:  salmon, broccolini, endive, grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, jalapenos, unseasoned rice vinegar, garlic, honey, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, sesame seeds

Tips:
  • Added some grapefruit zest (not as much as what the recipe called for).
  • Didn't think the endive was necessary.
  • Left out the sesame seeds.
  • Had a bit of sauce left over so might make a tad less next time.
  • Great with panko/togarashi crusted tofu on the side.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Recipe: Sara's Game-Day Chili


Sara's Game-Day Chili
US Weekly, Dec 2, 2019, p. 44
5 stars (with additions)

Sara = Sarah Haines (I didn't know who she was.... she is a GMA3 ~ Good Morning America host).

The recipe as-is was bland -- we added cayenne, ancho chili powder and chili powder to amp up the flavor.  Overall, this is a really healthy chili to make during the winter.  I like that butternut squash and sweet potato is used in it (again, healthy!).  My sister really liked this dish as well. 

Ingredients: green bell pepper, red bell pepper, yellow onion, ground beef, butternut squash, sweet potato, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt pepper

Tips:
  • As noted above, added cayenne, ancho chili powder and chili powder (without these, it's bland).
  • Used already cubed butternut squash from the frozen section.
  • Next time, cook for less than the 30 minutes noted in the recipe (the butternut squash and sweet potato were a tad overcooked).

Sunday, November 17, 2019

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.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

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

Sunday, November 10, 2019

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

Saturday, November 2, 2019

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.

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Recipe: Cheddar Chive Mini Popovers



3 stars
KerryGold.com recipe

I love popovers, plus we had chives that we needed to use so I tried out this recipe.  It wasn't as good as other popover recipes I've tried.  These were denser (not light/fluffy).  They were fine -- and I'd make them again if we need to use up chives in the future but wouldn't serve these at a dinner party.

Ingredients: eggs, milk, cheddar cheese, flour, unsalted butter, chives, salt

Tips/Notes:

Recipes: Magic Crispy Chicken



4.5 stars
Bon Appetit Magazine, June/July 2019, p.38

I was craving fried chicken -- this recipe didn't satisfy my craving 100% but was really delicious and pretty fast for a weeknight meal.  It's a better version of "Shake and Bake."  The side sauce was delicious!

Ingredients: chicken, panko, egg yolk, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, extra-virgin olive oil,  honey, cayenne pepper, chives, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:
  • Our cayenne pepper has lost its oomph -- didn't taste any heat so may add red pepper (or get new cayenne for next time)
  • Served this with Cheddar Chive Mini Popovers and Skillet-Roasted Cauliflower with Panko

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Recipe: Spicy Pork Bowls with Greens

Before adding gochujang

Spicy Pork Bowls with Greens
Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2019, p. 26
4 stars

Another good, easy weeknight recipe that's pretty healthy.  We've made some other really delicious Asian dishes like the Spicy Green Beans and Tofu Stir-Fry with Ground Bison, the Better-Than-Take-Out Stir-Fried Udon or the Weeknight Mapo Dofu with Ground Pork recipes which is why I didn't rate this as 5 stars; however, we'd make this again!

Ingredients: rice, pork tenderloin, carrots, collar greens or Tuscan kale, sambal oelek, light brown sugar, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, seasoned rice vinegar, scallions, gochujang, sesame oil, vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Tips
  • Used kale instead of collard greens
  • Used half the amount of pork (as we are trying to limit our overall meat consumption)
  • Added tofu
  • Added Sriracha at the table as well as the gochujang
  • Need to make double the amount of the soy sauce, seasoned rice vinegar and sesame oil dressing

Saturday, July 13, 2019

Recipe: Ginger-Scallion Ramen Noodles



Ginger-Scallion Ramen Noodles
Bon Appetit Magazine, Apr 2019, p.64
4.5 stars

Really easy weeknight recipe to make -- just a lot of "hot" flavors ~ ginger, garlic and scallions. I love the texture of the ramen.

Ingredients:  ramen, ginger, garlic, scallions, grapeseed/neutral oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, black pepper, ,sugar, Kosher salt, sesame seeds

Tips:
  • Added broccoli 
  • Added firm tofu (seared it separately)
  • This is a bit of an oily dish so didn't need the chili oil but added Sriracha at the table

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Recipe: Sausage and Ricotta Baked Cannelloni


Sausage and Ricotta Baked Cannelloni
Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2019, p.95
5 stars

Restaurant-worthy and most delicious pasta that we've made in a long time.  Instead of rolling the filling into cannelloni, we basically made this into an amazing lasagna.

Ingredients: green Swiss chard, sweet Italian sausage, whole-milk fresh ricotta, fresh pasta sheets, extra-virgin olive oil, store-bought marinara sauce, grated Parmesan

Bechamel ingredients: unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, whole milk Parmesan, cayenne pepper, ground nutmeg, Kosher salt

Tips:
  • Used hot instead of sweet Italian sausage
  • Add red pepper
  • Add oregano
  • Add parsley on top

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Recipe: Weeknight Steak and Rice Noodle Salad


Weeknight Steak and Rice Noodle Salad
Bon Appetit Magazine, Apr 2019, p. 64
4.5 stars

I loved this dish but blog contributor thegrandcruman was not as big of a fan because of the fish sauce.  I think this is a good rendition of a cold vermicelli dish found on almost all Vietnamese restaurant menus.  Really tasty to me especially with our modifications below.

Ingredients: skirt steak, rice noodles, Napa cabbage, Persian cucumbers, daikon, mint, dry-roasted peanuts, lime juice, fish sauce, honey, vegetable oil, serrano chiles, garlic, Kosher salt, flaky sea salt

Tips:
  • Substituted kale for the Napa cabbage
  • Used regular cucumbers
  • Not a fan of peanuts so left them out
  • Seared some firm tofu with togarashi and added it to the dish
  • Made gyoza for the side

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Recipe: Better-Than-Takeout Stir-Fried Udon



Better-Than-Takeout Stir-Fried Udon
Bon Appetit Magazine, Apr 2019, p.61
5 stars

This dish was delish!  I love chewy udon noodles -- they're my fave.  This recipe is easy to make for a weeknight meal.  It reminded us of Pei Wei's Dan Dan noodles.

Ingredients: green cabbage, instant udon noodles, ground pork, scallions, ginger, red pepper flakes, mirin, soy sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil, vegetable oil

Tips:
  • Used kale instead of cabbage and used more than the 4 cups it called for
  • Added Sriracha to taste at the table
  • Next time, need to double the recipe so there are more leftovers!
  • Also add shiitake mushrooms and cucumber

Saturday, June 8, 2019

Recipe: Garganelli with Speck, Peas and Scallion Cream


Garganelli with Speck, Peas and Scallion Cream
Food and Wine Magazine, Apr 2019, p.30
5 stars

Delicious, restaurant-worthy dish.
We've made other dishes with peas and mint similar to this one, but this recipe had the most depth of flavor with the garlic and scallion cream.  This is a "I can't wait to eat the leftovers" dish.

Ingredients: garlic, scallions, bronze-cut garganelli pasta, sweet peas, speck, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, unsalted butter, heavy cream, Kosher salt

Tips
  • Added red pepper
  • Added a little salt as the speck did not impart enough salt to the dish
  • Used bronze-cut penne pasta

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Recipe: Baked Goat Cheese Salad


Baked Goat Cheese Salad
Food and Wine Magazine, Sep 2018, p. 60
4 stars (5 stars if you love goat cheese)

This recipe was a "Top 40" recipe in the "40 Years of Food & Wine" magazine issue.  I'm not a huge goat cheese fan, but thought we'd give this a whirl.  I thought it was an upscale take on a salad (though we didn't make the croutons this time).  I'd try it again, but what I'm really wanting to try next is a polenta crouton recipe.  If anyone has a good one, let me know!

Ingredients: lettuce, croutons, goat cheese log, plain dry breadcrumbs, dried thyme, red wine vinegar, thyme sprigs, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tip:
  • Used panko for the breadcrumbs

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Recipe: Steak-and-Carrot-Tacos


Steak-and-Carrot Tacos
Food and Wine Magazine, Mar 2019, p.30
4.5 stars

From reading the ingredient list, I wasn't quite sure about this one but it looked like a simple weekday meal -- it was easy and delicious... this will be our new alternative to Alice Waters' Garden Salad Tacos that we love to make.

Ingredients: skirt steak, carrots, tortillas, cumin seeds, extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper

For serving: sour cream, cilantro, jalapenos, lime wedges

Tips:
  • Definitely will use a marinade for the meat next time
  • We used regular large carrots; will use small multi-colored ones next time (especially if we serve this to guests)
  • Great with a margarita!

Saturday, April 6, 2019

Recipe: Fettuccine with White Chicken Ragu



Recipe: Fettuccine with White Chicken Ragu
Food & Wine Magazine, Jan 2019, p. 99
4.5 stars

A simple-looking dish with a depth of flavor.  Restaurant-worthy.

This recipe calls for quite a few ingredients, including the making of a sofrito, and there's a reason for it -- FLAVOR!  With every bite, there's this depth of flavor that made me think, "Where is this flavor coming from?" since you don't necessarily see it.  The flavor is coming from the chicken stock, wine, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, sofrito, pancetta, garlic....

Ingredients: chicken thighs, pancetta or guanciale, leek or scallions, frozen peas, Parmesan cheese, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, garlic, dry white wine, chicken stock, heavy cream or half-and-half, butter, lemon zest, fresh parsley, sea salt, black pepper, olive oil

Sofrito Ingredients: celery, yellow onion, carrot, parsley, olive oil

Tips:
  • Never want to burn or overcook garlic so add it all later with the sofrito, not with the chicken
  • Instead of using rosemary and thyme sprigs and "bundling" them up, chop up the rosemary, thyme and scallion and leave in the dish vs. removing later (but DO remember to take out the bay leaf!)
  • Need to use heavy cream instead of half-and-half next time to produce a thicker sauce

Saturday, February 9, 2019

Recipe: Emeril Lagasse's Shrimp Creole


Shrimp Creole
Food & Wine Magazine, Sept 2018, p.30
4.5 stars

This Emeril Lagasse recipe was named one of Food & Wine Magazine's 40 best recipes (ever) in 2018.  The ONLY reason why I didn't rate this 5 stars is because of the level of heat.  When I think something is hot, it is HOT!!!!  Perhaps I didn't measure the spices correctly because I made one-sixteenth of the creole seafood seasoning and was trying to do the calculations in my head.  Our mouths were burning while eating this delicious dish.  We'll be more careful to measure out the spices next time!

Tips
  • Substituted the shrimp with andouille sausage (sauteed it separately with no seasoning)
  • Remember to remove the bay leaves!
  • Served with rice

Saturday, February 2, 2019

Recipe: Dan Dan Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms




Dan Dan Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms
SplendidTable.com
5 stars

I have to admit that I like the Dan Dan Noodles at Pei Wei -- I love the texture of the noodles with the sauce and vegetables, but it, like the rest of Pei Wei's menu, is an Americanized version.  Searching for a recipe that we could make at home, I found one at SplendidTable.com, and the recipe was, well, splendid!!!

Wow to flavor, flavor, flavor.  This is in my top 5 favorite Asian dishes we've ever made.

Ingredients:  fresh ramen noodles, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, sesame oil, black vinegar, sea salt, white pepper

Dan Dan Sauce Ingredients:  Sriracha, tahini, tamari, sesame oil, chile oil, Szechuan peppercorns, small pickled chile with oil, sugar, vegetable stock

Tips:
  • Didn't have fresh ramen so used soba noodles
  • Didn't have Chinese black vinegar but found the following substitute:  1 part balsamic vinegar, 1 part rice wine vinegar, 3 parts water
  • Roasted white onions with the mushrooms
  • Sauteed tofu and added to the dish
  • Added julienned cucumbers
  • Added cilantro
  • Didn't use the small pickled chile with oil
  • Didn't blend the Dan Dan Sauce -- whisked it in a bowl (after grinding the Szechuan peppercorns separately)
  • Next time, make double the amount of shiitake (+ white onion and tofu)


Saturday, January 26, 2019

Tomato Toast with Chives and Sesame Seeds


Tomato Toast with Chives and Sesame Seeds
Bon Appetit Magazine, Aug 2018, p. 92
5 stars

Need a simple side accompaniment when you don't have much in the fridge?  This was a nice side to our steak and was our lunch when we added bacon and lettuce on top (BLT!).  The garlic mayo and Aleppo pepper add nice oomph and a little bit of complexity to this easy and trendy toast.

Ingredients:  country-style bread (toasted), tomatoes, chives, sesame seeds, Aleppo-style pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, mayo, lemon, Kosher salt, flaky sea salt, black pepper


Saturday, January 19, 2019

Spicy Egg Noodles with Vegetables


Spicy Egg Noodles with Vegetables
Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges Cookbook (sorry, no link to this one)
4.5 stars

Great Asian dish when you're trying to eat healthy!  Loved it!

Vegetable Sauce Ingredients:  garlic, lemongrass, green Thai chile, soy sauce, salt, cornstarch, a neutral oil

Main Spicy Egg Noodles Ingredients:  egg noodles, broccoli stems, asparagus, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, carrots, Guilin chili sauce, hoisin, sesame seeds, neutral oil, garlic, garlic chives, red pepper flakes

Tips
  • Did not do step 5 in the recipe (basically frying 1/2 cup of garlic) to top the dish
  • Replaced asparagus with tofu
  • Used broccoli florets instead of broccoli stems
  • Used regular chives instead of garlic chives
  • Used serrano pepper instead of green Thai chile

Saturday, January 12, 2019

Recipe: Citrus Shrimp Rice Bowls


Citrus Shrimp Rice Bowls
Bon Appetit Magazine, November 2018, p. 32
4.5 stars

This is more of a summery dish, but we have so much citrus in our fridge (Harry & David gift from Christmas) that we decided to try it out.  Overall, it was a good and healthy dish (and a quick one for a weeknight meal).  I really liked the dressing.

Ingredients:  shrimp, oranges, Persian cucumbers, scallions, avocado, steamed rice, orange juice, Sriracha, honey, soy sauce, vegetable oil, lim juice, Kosher salt

Tips for next time:
  • Add cilantro
  • Add Sriracha to taste at the table

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Recipe: Khinkali (Meat-Filled Dumplings)





Khinkali (Meat-Filled Dumplings)
Food and Wine Magazine, October 2018, p. 86
4.5 stars

This is a recipe from Georgia, not the state but the country.  When I was reading the recipe, I was wondering if these would turn out like Chinese bao-zi or xiao-long-bao (soup dumplings), and they did!  This was my first time making "bao-zi-like" dough, and it turned out nicely.  It's a lot of work to roll out the dough (be ready for a workout), but it's worth it.

I'll probably tweak this recipe in the future and add soy sauce and ginger -- with those 2 ingredients, this will taste like a Chinese dish.

Dough Ingredients:  all-purpose flour, fine sea salt, water, egg, olive oil

Meat Filling Ingredients:  ground beef, ground pork, water, yellow onion, cilantro, butter, sea salt, kondari (summer savory) or mild thyme, coriander seeds, caraway seeds, black pepper, crushed red pepper, ground cumin, garlic

Perhaps next time, I should read this article before making the recipe:  https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/everything-you-didnt-know-you-needed-know-about-georgian-soup-dumplings