Recipe: Baked Shells with Gremolata Breadcrumbs

Baked Shells with Gremolata Breadcrumbs

Food & Wine Magazine, Nov 2021 p. 48

4.8 stars

We love mac 'n cheese! We've tried a number of recipes -- this one looked "different" because of the amount of half and half (3.5 cups!!!), fontina as one of the cheeses and the amount of seasoning like onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper and nutmeg. It turned out delicious... it's definitely is not low calorie!!!

I preferred the mac & cheese without the gremolata breadcrumbs on top which made it a little to garlicky for me.

Ingredients: pasta shells, fontina cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, half-and-half, whole milk, flour, panko, extra-virgin olive oil, unsalted butter, parsley, lemon, garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper, nutmeg, black pepper, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Zested lemon instead of mincing lemon peel strips
• Added the salt and black pepper when mixing in the onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper and nutmeg

Recipe: Cheddar Cornbread Waffle BLT with Chipotle Butter

Cheddar Cornbread Waffle BLT with Chipotle Butter
HalfBakedHarvest.com
5 stars

Wow - this was as good as the title of the recipe sounds. Restaurant worthy (it could be served at a restaurant), and I enjoyed every single bite. Each bite had some much flavor and texture!

Ingredients: buttermilk, sharp cheddar, bacon, tomatoes, arugula, avocado corn kernels, jalapeno, eggs, all-purpose flour, stoneground cornmeal, honey, baking powder, salt, Kosher salt, pepper, maple syrup, salted butter, chipotle chiles in adobo

Tips/Notes:

• Lightly char the corn next time to give yet another dimension of flavor/texture
• We would've liked more spice (the jalapeno was not hot) so have a couple of jalapenos and/or a serrano on hand
• This recipe made 6 waffles
• Great with a bourbon cocktail!

Recipe: Avocado and Bulgur Salad

Avocado and Bulgur Salad

Bon Appetit Magazine, Aug 2022, p.15

5 stars

Delicious, restaurant-worthy salad. Love the different textures and flavors!

Ingredients: bulgur, arugula, avocados, scallions, pistachios, cilantro, ground cumin, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest and juice, jalapenos, Kosher salt, pepper 

Tips:

• Yes, use all of the scallions
• Added different mixed greens to the arugula

Recipe: Saucy Tofu Noodles with Cucumbers and Chili Crisp

Saucy Tofu Noodles with Cucumbers and Chili Crisp

Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2022, p.46
5 stars

Great flavor (just look at the list of ingredients!) and pretty easy for a weeknight meal -- there are a number of steps, so it's easier to make with two people cooking it.

Ingredients: ramen, extra-firm tofu, shiitake mushrooms, cucumbers, shallot, ginger, garlic, cornstarch, unseasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, light or dark brown sugar, tahini, toasted sesame oil, black (Chinkiang vinegar) or balsamic vinegar, chili crisp, vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Used the alternative balsamic vinegar instead of black Chinkiang vinegar
• Serve with gyoza or vegetable eggrolls next time

Recipe: Peach and Prosciutto Sandwich

Peach and Prosciutto Sandwich

Bon Appetit Magazine, June 2022, p. 56

4.8 stars

Super easy weeknight meal especially during the summer. We made them open-faced sandwiches vs. in a baguette, and we used white peaches (YUM!). This could also be a summer appetizer.

Ingredients: baguette, peaches, cheddar, prosciutto, basil, red wine vinegar, chili crisp, Kosher salt

Recipe: Potato Soup with Sage Butter and Rye Crumbs

Potato Soup with Sage Butter and Rye Crumbs

Food & Wine Magazine, Mar 2019, p. 95

4.8 stars

Easy soup recipe that is so flavorful and restaurant-worthy! 

Ingredients: rye bread slices, Yukon Gold potatoes, leek bulbs, fresh sage leaves, butter, white verjus, heavy cream (optional), sea salt, water

Tips:

• Toasted the rye bread twice in a toaster instead of in the oven
• Used white wine vinegar instead of white verjus (researched online and found that this is a good substitute)
• Made 1/4 of the sage butter and made it in a small mixing bowl instead of making the food processor oily. Honestly, I don't think the sage butter is truly needed! I think we could just blend the sage into the soup next time to cut the butter calories out.
• Did use the heavy cream -- blended it in (vs. stirring it in)

Recipe: Breakfast-for-Dinner Burritos

Breakfast-for-Dinner Burritos

Martha Stewart Living, May 2022, p.55

4.8 stars

I love having breakfast for dinner!!! These breakfast burritos were super easy to make (especially for a quick weekday meal) and flavorful. 

Ingredients: tortillas, eggs, bacon, Yukon Gold potatoes, scallions, hominy, cheddar, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper, salsa or hot sauce

Tips

• Yes, use the amount of scallions it calls for!
• Added New Mexico chile powder to add some flavor/complexity to the potato mixture
• Definitely add salsa on top -- nice addition

Recipe: Spinach and Ricotta Puff Pastry Christmas Tree

Spinach and Ricotta Puff Pastry Christmas Tree

AllRecipes.com

5 stars

Not, it's not Christmas in June! But I did have puff pastry, spinach and ricotta on hand so thought we'd try this out. I'll make these any time as this is my kind of appetizer -- spinach and ricotta... kind of like spanakopita but better IMHO.

The only thing that makes this "Christmas" is the recipe recommends arranging the pinwheels in a Christmas tree layout after baking which we didn't do and decorating with cherry tomatoes to look like tree ornaments.

Ingredients: puff pastry, spinach, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, egg, red onions, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, oil, cherry tomatoes

Tips:

• Used a shallot instead of 2 red onions -- 2 red onions would have been TOO much!

Recipe: Seven-Layer Chicken Burrito

Seven-Layer Chicken Burrito

Better Homes & Gardens, June 2022, p. 64

5 stars

So simple yet so DELICIOUS! This is a great weekday meal. Again/as always... chipotle in adobo adds an amazing layer of flavor!!! I used to like Taco Bell's Seven-Layer Burrito; this beats that by a long shot and is so much healthier. I think this actually has nine layers if you count them all!

Ingredients: flour tortillas, refried beans, shredded chicken, tomato, shredded spinach, shredded cheddar cheese, black olives, chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, salsa, guacamole, sour cream

Tips:

• We made "tacos" as we like the smaller fresh flour tortillas that we get at our local Central Market
• Baked Impossible Chicken Nuggets and diced them instead of using shredded chicken

Recipe: Tempeh Crumbles with Coconut Rice

Tempeh Crumbles with Coconut Rice

Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2022, p. 23
4.2 stars

This was the second time we made a dish with tempeh. It was fine -- not amazing, thus, the 4.2 stars. I felt like it needed more heat and also I added soy sauce at the table. Still, overall a good dish.

Note that we made regular rice instead of coconut rice.

Ingredients: jasmine rice, cucumbers, tempeh, shallots, garlic, chili crisp, unsweetened coconut milk, unseasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, roasted peanuts, basil, grapeseed or vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Recipe: Idaho Potato Braised Vegetable Shepherd's Pie

Idaho Potato Braised Vegetable Shepherd's Pie

GetFlavor.com

5 stars

This recipe by Chef Jeff Mann was featured in Flavor & The Menu's weekly email and on their website. We had to try it because I trust Jeff (I worked with him in the past) -- plus I was looking for a lentil-based dish as we are still trying to eat more plant-based. The dish turned out GREAT; we'll definitely be making this again but with the tweaks below.

The recipe looks like it has a lot of steps, but it's actually quite easy and just takes some planned stovetop cooking time. 

Tips/Tweaks:

• Halved the entire recipe -- it was still plenty of food for multiple meals
• In addition, halved even more (so 1/4 of the recipe) the butter that we cooked the onions in
• Added salt & pepper to the vegetable mixture
• Used 25% less butter and cream for the potatoes
• For the potatoes, the amount of salt seemed like a lot so we added what we thought it needed to taste
• Didn't pipe the potatoes on top
• Skipped the egg wash on top since the cheddar covered the potatoes
• Need to use white cheddar next time (I had bought some but forgot!)

Recipe: Spicy Poblano, Black Bean, and Quinoa Enchiladas

Spicy Poblano, Black Bean, and Quinoa Enchiladas

HalfBakedHarvest.com

4.6 stars

We're trying to eat more plant-based, and quinoa is one of the best grains that has protein in it! In these enchiladas, you can't even taste the quinoa!!! The dish was super easy to make -- but see tips below.

Ingredients: tortillas, quinoa, red enchilada sauce, black beans, poblano peppers, cilantro, sweet onion, limes, shredded cheddar, shredded pepper jack, garlic, jalapenos, ground cumin, extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Topping Ingredients: avocado, yogurt, pomegranate arils

Tips:

• The filling is so good on its own -- we had a bit left over so froze it. We'll be eating this with chips for a future meal!
• Needs double the amount of cheese both inside and on top.
• The red enchilada sauce is pretty overpowering so you don't taste a lot of the great flavors inside the enchilada. That being said, it was really good and tasted like a restaurant beef enchilada with red sauce (but without the beef).
• Added a "salad" of lettuce, tomato, cilantro and avocado on top. We skipped the pomegranate arils and yogurt.

Recipe: Avocado-and-Beet "Poke" Bowl

Avocado-and-Beet "Poke" Bowl

Martha Stewart Living Magazine, Mar 2022, p. 59
4.8 stars

I love poke bowls, but as we have gone more plant-based, this recipe intrigued me. How can beets mimic the raw tuna? Well, it did! I really liked all of the textures in this dish -- the poke-like beets, the fresh cucumber, creamy avocado, crunchy peanuts...

Ingredients: rice or soba noodles, beets, avocado, cucumber, ginger, sesame oil, lime zest and juice, chile-garlic sauce, seasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, dried wakame, scallions, sesame seeds, peanuts

Tips/Notes:

• Make double the sauce next time so there is some to pour over the noodles
• Allow enough time to cool down the beets
• Serve with vegetable spring rolls

Recipe: Broccoli Soup with Turmeric, Peanuts, and Crispy Shallots

Broccoli Soup with Turmeric, Peanuts, and Crispy Shallots

Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb. 2020, p. 71
4.8 stars

I honestly wasn't sure how this was going to turn out even as I was cooking it. It turned out GREAT! Super flavorful with nice textures and complexity, including HEAT from the serrano. The reserved broccoli added at the end was a nice touch, adding to the texture. The soup also had a good consistency, almost tasting like it had cream in it -- it doesn't!

Ingredients: broccoli, onion, Yukon potato, spinach, serrano, garlic, shallots, dry-roasted peanuts, turmeric, fish sauce, mint or cilantro leaves, vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Used 2 medium potatoes
• Used a ton of spinach (4 large handfuls)
• Used cilantro

Cocktail Recipe: Shadow Woman

Shadow Woman

Food & Wine Magazine, Mar 2022, p. 61
4.8 stars but a strong drink!

This is a strong drink -- but oh so good. Better than cocktails I've ordered in restaurants. I love the complexity of it. I modified it a little bit in that I used pear liqueur instead of pear brandy. The recipe is from the American Bar in the Savoy Hotel in London. 

I modified it to the following and mixed it all in the glass -- didn't strain it.

• 1.5 oz bourbon
• 0.5 oz pear liqueur
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• orange and lemon peel twist
• ice

Recipe: Quick Broccoli Frittata

Quick Broccoli Frittata

Martha Stewart Living, Sept 2021, p. 56

4.6 stars

This was definitely QUICK! 

For a frittata on a weekday night when I don't have much time, this was overall good. There are other frittata recipes I've blogged about that were better but for a quick meal, I'm going to make this again. Plus, we generally have all these ingredients in the fridge.

Ingredients: frozen broccoli florets, eggs, sharp white cheddar, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, avocado, flaky sea salt

Tips:

• Next time, try gruyere instead
• Next time, roast the broccoli to caramelize it a little bit
• Served with tater tots and a salad

Recipe: Italian Wedding Risotto

Italian Wedding Risotto

Food & Wine Magazine, Feb 2022, p. 42

4.7 stars

This potentially can be a 5 star recipe when I remake it. As we are eating more plant-based, I tried Beyond Meat's Italian Meatballs. Not great. So, next time I'm going to try making the meatballs using Impossible ground beef and then will update this blog.

Overall, the risotto was really nice; I would make it again.

Ingredients: pork, panko, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, parsley, egg, chicken stock or broth, extra-virgin olive oil, butter, yellow onion, celery, arborio rice, dry white wine, baby spinach, garlic, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:

• Used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth
• Used a LOT (3-4 big handfuls) of spinach
• As noted above, will try to make the meatballs using Impossible beef next time

Recipe: Super-Speedy Ziti

Super-Speedy Ziti

Martha Stewart Living, Jan/Feb 2022, p.52

4.8 stars

There is another recipe on this page in the magazine "Baked Ziti with Sausage and Bechamel" that I actually intended to make and wanted to note here as the recipe looks delicious -- however, because of a lack of time, I tried this Super-Speedy Ziti. It was great!

Ingredients: ziti or rigatoni, marinara sauce, sweet or spicy Italian sausage, mozzarella, ricotta, heavy cream, fresh basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Used a jarred Calabrian marinara sauce (could've still used some red pepper)
• Didn't want to over salt the dish; it needed a little Maldon at the table

Recipe: Cheesy Lentil-and-Black Bean Nachos

Cheesy Lentil-and-Black Bean Nachos

Martha Stewart Living, Jan/Feb 2022, p.99

4.8 stars

Easy, delicious weeknight vegetarian meal!

Ingredients: tortilla chips, cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, brown lentils, crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, portobello-mushroom caps, red onion, garlic, serrano, chili powder, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, ground pepper

Ingredients for serving: chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro, lime

Tips:

• Had green lentils so used them instead of brown
• I thought the liquid was going to be too watery, but it did reduce down!
• Served with pickled sliced jalapenos
• Serve with sour cream next time

Recipe: Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups

Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups

dominosugar.com

5 stars

I found this recipe while reading some industry trade news -- it caught my eye because I love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. My sister actually made these while visiting, and they were delicious and overall really easy to make! Only 6 ingredients!  The texture of the peanut butter center was spot-on, just like Reese's. Now I'm thinking about all the variations and flavors we can potentially make!

Ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate chips, all-natural crunchy peanut butter (no sugar added), powdered sugar, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, salt

Tips:

• Made half a batch and it still yielded 17 cups.
• Used a mix of semi-sweet and dark chocolate.
• It's easier and more efficient to fill each paper liner with all of the chocolate, push the peanut butter mixture into the center and then smooth the chocolate on top.
• To chill these faster so we could taste them, we put them in the fridge. If you do this, you definitely need to let them come down to room temperature so it's easier to remove the paper liner from the chocolate.

Recipe: Dal Palak

Dal Palak

Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2021, p. 26

4.8 stars

This dish turned about better than I expected especially since we don't cook many Indian-inspired dishes. Not hard, just a few components that I had to manage to get the timing right as I wanted each component to be done and ready to eat at the same time (including the falafel that I added to the side).

Ingredients: steamed rice, masoor dal (red lentils), onion, spinach, cilantro, garlic, ginger, ground turmeric, lime, ghee or unsalted butter, black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seed, small dried chile, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Added at least 2x the amount of spinach and likely could have added 4x
• Baked falafel on the side

Recipe: Tomato Salad with Blue Cheese and Crispy Shallots

Tomato Salad with Blue Cheese and Crispy Shallots

Bon Appetit Magazine, Sept 2021 p. 29

4.5 stars

This salad was fine, not amazing which is why I rated it 4.5 stars. It's super simple and is a good salad to make when we have extra blue cheese and also crispy onions (we had some fancy ones from making green bean casserole). We always have lettuce and tomato and the dressing ingredients on hand.

Ingredients: Bibb lettuce leaves, mixed tomatoes, blue cheese, fried shallots or onions, sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, extra-virgin olive oil

Notes:

• Used what we had in the fridge: romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes

Recipe: Mama Rosa's Lasagna de Carne

Mama Rosa's Lasagna de Carne

Bon Appetit Magazine, Dec 2021/Jan 2022, p.47

5 stars

This is one of the most interesting lasagnas we've made as the sauce calls for red bell pepper, cilantro and cumin (plus black olives and capers - but we didn't add these ingredients). It also was one of the best lasagnas we've ever made because hubby made the lasagna noodles from scratch. Great for a dinner party; will definitely be making it again.

Meat Sauce Ingredients: ground beef chuck, red bell pepper, onion, plum tomato, cilantro, parsley, black olives, capers, jar of marinara sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, garlic, Italian seasoning, ground cumin, extra-virgin olive oil, black pepper, Kosher salt

Assembly Ingredients: dried lasagna noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, garlic, Italian seasoning, extra-virgin olive oil, black pepper,  Kosher salt

Tips:

• Made red sauce from scratch instead of using a jar of marinara
• Made fresh lasagna noodles
• Used Impossible plant-based meat instead of ground chuck (also cut the amount in half from 2 lbs to 1 lb)
• Used 3 garlic cloves instead of 5 so it wouldn't be too garlicky
• Left out the black olives and capers

Recipe: Garlicky Smashed Chickpeas with Corn

Garlicky Smashed Chickpeas with Corn

Bon Appetit Magazine, Oct 2021, p.20
4.8 stars

Super easy weeknight dish that was healthy! Nice layers of flavor but it's missing a crunch ~ something I wanted this evening. I'm trying to think of what could go with this that could add that texture.

Ingredients: eggs, chickpeas, onion, poblano chile, corn, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, dill, cilantro

Tips/Notes:

• May want to use a non-stick pan for the chickpeas -- but be careful smashing them as you don't want to scratch the pan. The chickpeas stuck to my stainless steel pan.
• Used canned corn since we had a can of it -- could also use frozen
• Used dried dill as I didn't want to buy fresh dill in case I didn't like the flavor it added -- it was fine; I probably should add more dried dill to see what it  really imparts to the flavor
• Served with falafel (more chickpeas!) since I had them in the fridge

Pan-Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Tempeh

 

Pan-Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Tempeh

Bon Appetit Magazine, Dec 2021/Jan 2022, p.40

4.8 stars

I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out -- it was not a recipe that I would've chosen to make (and we've never cooked with tempeh before), but hubby flagged it in the magazine and we made it. It was surprisingly FLAVORFUL! And oh so healthy. The chipotle chiles in adobo made the dish -- not a surprise for me as I generally love the flavor it imparts.

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, apple (Pink Lady or Honeycrisp), tempeh, chipotle in adobo, shallots, lime zest and juice, cilantro, grapeseed or vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Instead of 25-30 min, our sweet potatoes took about 35 min to roast (depends on size of the potatoes)

Recipe: Cheesy Rice Porridge with Greens

Cheesy Rice Porridge with Greens

Bon Appetit Magazine, Oct 2021, p. 18
4.9 stars

This recipe was so easy and healthy -- nice recipe to start out the new year. I didn't rate this as 5 stars because hubby didn't like this as much as me.

Ingredients: chicken broth, jasmine rice, sharp cheddar, kale or Swiss chard or spinach, chili oil

Tips

• Used vegetable broth
• Used kale
• Used chili crunch oil
• Added sharp cheddar on top
• Served with gyoza

Recipe: Chocolate-Almond Pear Tart

Chocolate-Almond Pear Tart
Bon Appetit Magazine, Oct 2021, p. 63
4.5 stars

We had 2 pears and almond flour that I needed to use so when I saw this recipe, I thought it would be perfect especially since I really love the flavor and also texture of almond flour.

This recipe took a couple of days to make because the tart dough needs to sit and then chill in the freezer. Overall, it was an easy recipe, and I liked the flavor.

Two issues: The pears that I used were too ripe, so it caused the tart to be a little too "juicy." Also, the tart filling rose and overflowed so beware if you make it and make sure to put the tart pan on a sheet pan.

Tart Dough Ingredients: Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, egg, Kosher salt

Filling and Assembly Ingredients: pears, almond flour or meal, all-purpose flour, Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, bittersweet chocolate, vanilla extract, almond extract, Kosher salt; sliced almonds and powdered sugar

Recipe: Garlic & Herb Swirl Bread

Garlic & Herb Swirl Bread
Better Homes & Gardens, Dec 2021, p. 171
4.7 stars

This is only the second bread recipe I've ever made, and it turned out pretty well! It was focaccia-like in texture. While there were a number of steps to make this, the most work was planning ahead and chopping up all of the herbs. Otherwise, it was actually pretty easy to make.

Despite all of the butter in it, it wasn't buttery and it actually needed butter at the table. The herb flavors also mellowed out as I thought the herbs would be overwhelming.

Looks impressive if I can say so myself!

Ingredients: all-purpose flour, active dry yeast, eggs, milk, butter, sugar, Parmesan cheese, oil-packed dried tomatoes, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, red pepper

Recipe: Creamy Swiss Chard Gratin with Crispy Gnocchi

Creamy Swiss Chard Gratin with Crispy Gnocchi

Food & Wine Magazine, Nov 2021, p.46

4.8 stars

I forgot to take a photo of this one! We served this for dinner with friends -- it was a nice dish that we could prepare in advance and bake while they were here... a creamy delicious dish, though it was a little bit on the heavy side for me. Next time, we'll serve this with a light salad.

Ingredients: Swiss chard, refrigerated potato gnocchi, Gruyere cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, red onion, all-purpose flour, whole milk, Dijon mustard, garlic, cayenne pepper, ground nutmeg, unsalted butter, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Apple Pies.... Sarah's Best Apple Pie (with Crumb Topping) and Maple Bourbon Apple Pie

We made two apple pies, one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas. Both were very different -- and neither memorable in taste though they looked nice. I'm including them here so we remember them and can compare them to future apple pie recipes.

Maple Bourbon Apple Pie

Better Homes and Gardens, Nov 2021, p. 95

1st photo

I don't remember tasting much of the bourbon. The lattice was fun to make -- well, my sister, did that part! In reviewing the recipe again, it's odd that there were no spices mixed in with the apples, perhaps so that the bourbon and maple could shine through, but they didn't.

Ingredients: apples, all-purpose flour, sugar, butter, maple syrup, lemon juice, bourbon, egg white, Demerara sugar

---------------------------------------

Sarah's Best Apple Pie  (with Crumb Topping)

Martha Stewart Living, Nov 2021, p. 58

2nd photo

I thought this would be a hands-down amazing pie coming from Martha Stewart's magazine, but it was average, fine, ho hum. I'm looking for an ah-maz-ing apple pie recipe.

Ingredients: apples, all-purpose flour, apple cider vinegar, sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cardamom, ground cloves, butter, black pepper, Kosher salt

Crumb topping ingredients: all-purpose flour, quick-cooking oats, light brown sugar, butter, baking powder, Kosher salt

Recipe: New Mexican-Style Breakfast Burritos

New Mexican-Style Breakfast Burritos
Bon Appetit Magazine, Oct 2021, p.78
4.6 stars

Potential ski-trip breakfast recipe! This is similar to what we make when we're skiing -- a hearty burrito, except this recipe definitely has a "New Mexico" taste/flair to it because of the New Mexico chiles in the sauce.

Sauce Ingredients: New Mexico chiles, garlic, Mexican oregano, all-purpose flour, Kosher salt

Burrito Ingredients: tortillas, sausage to your liking, eggs, cheddar, russet potato, New Mexico green chiles, unsalted butter, garlic powder, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:

• Used plant-based sausage
• Couldn't find New Mexico chiles so used New Mexico chile powder
• Added white onion to the sauce
• Couldn't find New Mexico green chiles so used a can of hot Hatch green chiles
• Cooked the potato, plant-based meat and Hatch green chiles together
• Made "tacos" instead of a burrito

Recipe: Spicy White Bean Casserole with Calabrian Chiles

Spicy White Bean Casserole with Calabrian Chiles

Better Homes & Gardens, Dec 2021, p.172

5 stars

This was so surprisingly good! To be honest, we had put off making this recipe because it said the total time to make it (including baking was 1 hr 20 min). It took just an hour.

While we're eating and leaning toward more vegetarian/plant-based, this recipe did have a little bit of pancetta for umami which was necessary (just 3 oz).

Ingredients: cannellini beans, broccoli florets, panko, pancetta, yellow onion, Calabrian chiles or peppadew peppers, chicken broth, heavy cream, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan, olive oil, lemon, garlic, dried oregano, basil, red pepper

Tips:

• Used 1.5 lbs (a bag and a half) of frozen broccoli. Note: Try using non-frozen broccoli next time which may make the dish less "soupy"
• Couldn't find Calabrian peppers so used red pepper
• Substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth

Recipe: Creamy Baked Tortellini with Spinach

Creamy Baked Tortellini with Spinach

Martha Stewart Living, Dec 2021

4.8 stars

Really easy to make for a nice, flavorful weekday dinner. We made this vegetarian by not adding the ground turkey.

Ingredients: cheese tortellini, marinara, ground turkey, cream cheese, spinach, panko, Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon zest, all-purpose adobo seasoning, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Had to go to a couple of places to find adobo seasoning (not canned chipotle in adobo) which I found in the spice aisle at Kroger
• Used double the spinach (about half of a large box of spinach)

Recipe: Cheesy Stove-Top Barley and Swiss Chard

Cheesy Stove-Top Barley and Swiss Chard
MarthaStewart.com, Nov 2021

4.8 stars

I forgot to take a photo of this one! Easy hearty weeknight dish that goes well with a small side salad and bread.

Ingredients: barley, diced tomatoes, shiitake, Swiss chard, Gruyere or white cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon juice or red wine vinegar, basil, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• The sauce was a little acidic for me so would recommend trying lemon zest instead of the lemon juice or red-wine vinegar next time
• Top it with melty cheese!

Recipe: Broccoli-and-Chickpea Parmesan

Broccoli-and-Chickpea Parmesan

marthastewart.com, Oct 2021

5 stars

I loved this dish! We've made many tomato-bean-cheese type of dishes that go with toast, and this is one of the best as it was incredibly flavorful. The Parmigiano-Reggiano (umami/salt) and the melted slices of mozzarella along with the crunch from the panko and all of the herbs = one of my top easy weekday dishes.

Ingredients: broccoli, marinara sauce, mozzarella ball, chickpeas, Parmigiano-Reggiano, panko breadcrumbs, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Used cannellini beans instead of chickpeas
• Served with toast

Recipe: Cold Sichuan Peppercorn Noodles

 

Cold Sichuan Peppercorn Noodles

Bon Appetit Magazine, Sep 2021, p. 22

4.6 stars

Super easy tasty Asian dish to make for a weekday -- and as you can see, we used my favorite udon noodles.

Ingredients: udon or soba noodles, corn, green beans, scallions, tamari soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, Sichuan peppercorns, red pepper, garlic, sesame seeds, vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Added tofu
• Used canned corn instead of 2 ears of corn
• Used regular soy sauce
• Next time, use half of the balsamic vinegar ~ it was a bit strong

Recipe: Braised Tofu and Chiles

Braised Tofu and Chiles

Bon Appetit Magazine, Sep 2021, p.45

4.7 Stars (but need to make again)

I rated this 4.7 stars, but we need to make this again because it could be a 5 star dish! (We ran out of mirin so used extra rice vinegar and also added a little bit of sugar to make up for it.) Overall, I liked this dish and it was easy to make for a weekday meal.

Ingredients: tofu, red bell peppers, red chiles (we used jalapeno), scallions, garlic, ginger, mirin, soy sauce, sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, vegetable oil, Kosher salt, rice or rice noodles

Recipe: Summer Tomato Pizza Beans

Summer Tomato Pizza Beans or "Margherita Pizza Beans"

Bon Appetit Magazine, Sep 2021, p.18

5 Stars

This was a SURPRISINGLY delicious dish considering the simple ingredients! It beats the other cannellini bean or tomato-based type of recipes we've made in the past that go with toast. One reason I love this dish is because of the fresh mozzarella slices on top! YUM.

Ingredients: ripe tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cannellini beans (or other white beans), fresh mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, ground pepper, serve with toasted bread

Tips:

• Add tomato paste
• Add more basil

Recipe: Tomato Pie Bars

Tomato Pie Bars

Food & Wine Magazine, Aug 2021, p. 34

4.6 stars

We weren't super looking forward to making this recipe (even though I planned it for the week) because it sounded ok ... we weren't sure how it would turn out based on the ingredient list. It ended up being really good, and we're curious what the leftovers will be like, if they'll be too rich.

The curry powder and chipotle in adobo were interesting adds and added a NICE flavor, one that wasn't too strong or where you'd guess those ingredients in the dish. 

We served this with a side salad and also Beyond Sausage.

Ingredients: saltine crackers, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, egg yolks, sharp cheddar cheese, chipotle in adobo, curry powder, mayonnaise, butter, black pepper, Kosher salt, basil

Tips:

• Was a little salty overall so when sprinkling the tomatoes with salt, use 1/4 tsp
• Used an heirloom tomato instead of cherry tomatoes
• Baked it for almost 32 minutes to get the cheese completely melted and bubbly

Recipe: Ultimate Veggie Burgers

Ultimate Veggie Burgers

Food & Wine Magazine, Aug 2021, p.32

5 stars

Best veggie burger ever! This took a LOT of steps and a while to make, but to me, it was worth it for its fresh flavor. I wish the burger patty stayed together a little better -- it needs a binder (like an egg) and perhaps if it was fried before baking, it would be even more amazing and stay together more but then not healthy.

Patty Ingredients: pearl barley, carrots, beets, chickpeas, button mushrooms, panko, walnuts, whole-grain or Dijon mustard, bay leaf, ground cumin, smoked paprika, soy sauce or tamari, olive oil, garlic, Kosher salt, black pepper

The rest of the burger: hamburger bun, mayonnaise, lettuce, pickles, red onion, sliced tomato, cheese

Recipe: Farro Salad-Stuffed Avocados

Farro Salad-Stuffed Avocados

Better Homes and Gardens, Sept 2021, p. 78

4.8 stars

We didn't stuff the avocados but instead diced them as part of the "salad." Great flavor for a Greek-like salad and really easy for a nice weeknight meal.

Ingredients: avocados, farro, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, vegetable broth, harissa paste, dill, lemon, shallot, garlic, smoked paprika, feta, Greek yogurt

Tips:

• Had jarred harissa sauce instead of paste; thinking the paste would be more concentrated, we used more sauce than needed and it ended up being too spicy!
• Left out the dill
• Used cherry tomatoes
• Had plant-based Beyond Sausage on the side but actually falafel would be a perfect accompaniment next time!

Ask Martha: Difference Between 3 Hard Italian Cheeses

I'm saving this as a reminder of the difference between Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano and Pecorino Romano! (Source: Martha Stewart Living Magazine, September 2021, p.48)

Recipe: Stir-Fried Noodles with Chicken (Tofu)

Stir-Fried Noodles with Chicken (Tofu)

Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2021, 

4.9 stars

What caught my eye on this recipe was this blurb beneath the recipe, "These simple noodles are designed to empty out your entire crisper drawer in one fell swoop, from slightly droopy carrots and celery to scallions on their last legs and that random onion half."

It sure did as we had all of the above in our vegetable drawer including green cabbage from another dish that we needed to use up. This was so delicious -- I can't wait to eat the leftovers.

Ingredients: wavy ramen noodles, chicken, green cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, scallions, serrano or Fresno chile, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, unseasoned rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine or medium-dry sherry, sesame oil, sesame seeds, grapeseed or vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Made this vegetarian by using tofu instead of chicken
• Used jalapenos (we have plenty in our herb garden!) instead of serranos
• Used up the shallot we had
• At the table, added a little more soy sauce and added chile crisp for additional heat
• Served with vegetable spring rolls

Recipe: Cheese-Stuffed Portobello Burger

Cheese-Stuffed Portobello Burger

Martha Stewart Living Magazine, Jan/Feb 2021, p. 98

5 stars

There's no missing of meat here! The flavor overall and crunch of the panko was perfect -- I definitely prefer this over a regular burger!  The ingredient list and recipe are pretty simple for this flavorful, plant-based burger.

Ingredients: buns, portobello mushrooms, provolone, arugula, all-purpose flour, egg, panko, mayonnaise, vegetable oil, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Used regular sesame buns that we had instead of brioche buns which the recipe called for
• Make sure to use/find the LARGEST portobellos as the portobellos shrink
• Didn't butterfly the portobello and put the slices of provolone in the middle -- the portobellos were too thin (instead, we put the provolone directly on the bun in the burger)
• Used regular mayonnaise vs. making the garlic-vinegar mayonnaise the recipe called for
• Served with a side salad and sweet potato fries

(Find paper recipe under: Salad - Winter Cobb Salad)

Recipe: Pesto-ish Risotto

Pesto-ish Risotto

Bon Appetit Magazine, June 2021

4.8 stars

This was a super interesting risotto recipe that involved a turmeric/pine nut/oil topping. Flavorful and good enough to serve at a dinner party!

Ingredients: basil, arborio or carnaroli rice, vegetable broth, pine nuts, turmeric, grated Parmesan, lemon, unsalted butter, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, ground pepper

Tips:

• Served this with Beyond Sausage which we had for the first time that was pretty good!

Recipe: Salt-and-Pepper Cauliflower

Salt-and-Pepper Cauliflower 

Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2021, p. 66

5 stars

In reading the title of the recipe as well as the ingredients themselves, this doesn't sound like it would be good, but it was delicious. The tofu, miso and shallots (yes, use all 3 shallots) created a gravy-like sauce for the dish with the shallots adding an unexpected depth of flavor.

Ingredients: rice, cauliflower, shallots, silken tofu, white miso, garlic, jalapenos, lemon juice, cilantro, vegetable oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:

• There was a lot of what I'm calling "gravy" so double the amount of cauliflower as well as the jalapeno topping
• Served this with spring rolls

Recipe: Peach-and-Blueberry Tart with Cream Cheese Filling

Peach-and-Blueberry Tart with Cream Cheese Filling

Martha Stewart Living Magazine, Jul/Aug 2020, p. 101

4.8 stars

I've always been one that hates waste all around, and now even more so after reading an article about food waste in Bon Appetit Magazine last month. 

We had made a dish recently that resulted in 6 oz of cream cheese left over, and for some reason, every time we have leftover cream cheese, it spoils in the fridge. I was determine to find a recipe to use it up and found this pretty easy tart dessert. Really nice and refreshing on a summer day.

Ingredients: peaches, blueberries, cream cheese, unsalted butter, heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, all-purpose flour, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Need to make sure the tart bottom isn't super thick and don't overbake as it was super thick and hard to cut through with a fork when eating
• Because the fruit was so sweet, used less granulated sugar
• Make sure to read the recipe carefully as the lemon juice and Kosher salt are divided between multiple steps