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