Recipe: Quinoa and Broccoli Casserole

Quinoa and Broccoli Casserole
Alton Brown
5 stars

We've been watching old episodes of Good Eats and just watched the one about Ancient Grains. This recipe looked so good that we made it just a few days after watching the show! It doesn't "look" delectable, but it is -- especially if you like broccoli cheese casseroles which it essentially is. As Alton Brown mentions, you could technically eat this every day and be good because it has many nutrients including complete protein from the quinoa.

Ingredients: quinoa, broccoli florets, sharp Cheddar cheese, button or cremini mushrooms, onion, chicken stock, half-and-half, egg, mayo, unsalted butter, dry mustard, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, Kosher salt, black pepper, ground white pepper

Tips:

• Used vegetable stock
• Used more broccoli than was called for (over a pound) and could actually add more broccoli as long as it fits in the Pyrex dish
• Definitely put a sheet pan on a rack under this dish in the oven in case it overflows as it was filled to the brim

Recipe: Kahlua Coffee Chocolate Layer Cake

Kahlua Coffee Chocolate Layer Cake

Live, Love & Sugar

4.8 stars

Instead of making this as a layer cake, I decided to make it as a Bundt Cake... something I hadn't made in years. I mean, I don't even own a bundt pan and had to borrow one from a friend!

This cake turned out really great -- super MOIST, and while I wish I personally could taste more of the Kahlua, friends and family said that they could taste it. It does use 1/2 a cup of Kahlua!

I did not make the Kahlua Coffee frosting; instead we topped it with a chocolate ganache.

Ingredients: all purpose flour, sugar, natural unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, Kahlua, vanilla extract, hot coffee

Tips:

• If making this as a Bundt cake, it will need to bake for 87 minutes

Tiramisu

Tiramisu

savorysimple.net/tiramisu

5 stars

I'd never made Tiramisu before -- and it was surprisingly very easy! Authentic Tiramisu uses raw eggs, but this recipe has directions for cooking the yolks over a double boiler (note that it took almost 25 min to get the eggs up to temp vs. 10-15 min noted in the recipe) -- this was the "hardest" part.

For our guests, we eliminated the alcohol and used decaf coffee.

DELICIOUS!!!!

Ingredients: ladyfingers, strong coffee or espresso, rum or brandy or amaretto, egg yolks, mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, granulated sugar, Kosher salt, bittersweet chocolate, Dutch-processes cocoa powder for dusting

Recipe: Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dressing

Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dressing

Food & Wine Magazine, Dec 2022/Jan 2023, p. 49

5 stars

The photo above doesn't show the apples because we ran out of apples when I took this photo the second time we made this. Great salad to serve at a dinner party with lots of textures.

Salad Ingredients: spinach, Honeycrisp apples, blueberries, feta cheese, sliced almonds, Kosher salt, black pepper

Warm Maple Dressing Ingredients: avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, pure maple syrup, Dijon mustard, honey, smoked paprika, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:

• Use half of the balsamic vinegar (tasted too vinegar-y)
• Used crushed marcona almonds and mixed greens since we had them on hand
• Apples do turn brown because of the dressing so put on top when serving

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad with Broccoli

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad with Broccoli

HalfBakedHarvest.com
4.8 stars

Delicious! Tastes like it would be unhealthy but it's much better for you than getting a dish like this in a restaurant. We had this hearty salad along with a Japanese/purple baked potato.

Ingredients: quinoa, chicken, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, blue cheese, avocado, green onion

Buffalo Dressing Ingredients: hot sauce, olive oil, seasoned salt

Tips:

• Used Impossible Chicken Patties for the chicken (cooked in the air fryer so they were crispy!)
• Go light/easy on the seasoned salt

Recipe: Rajas Con Crema

Rajas Con Crema (or Papas Con Rajas)

Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2023, p. 20
4.6 stars

Easy weekday dish with pretty nice flavor. Since there isn't any protein in it, we served it with black beans on the side -- plus chips and margaritas!

Ingredients: corn or flour tortillas, Yukon Gold potatoes, poblano chiles, white onion, chicken bouillon paste, crema mexicana or heavy cream and sour cream, lime wedges, garlic, jalapenos, butter, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Used Better Than Bouillon vegetable paste
• Used heavy cream and sour cream

Recipe: Ravioli and Mushroom Skillet

Ravioli and Mushroom Skillet

Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2023, p. 22

4.7 stars

Easy recipe for a weeknight meal, but being a dish that has heavy cream in it, it was a bit rich and well, heavy.

Ingredients: fresh or frozen cheese raviolis, mushrooms, heavy cream, grated parmesan, store-bought fried onions, shallot, garlic, white wine, thyme, lemon zest, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Cooked ravioli first (boiled) as we were afraid it wouldn't cook thoroughly in the pan
• Added red pepper

Recipe: Roasted Beet-Citrus Sorghum Bowls

Roasted Beet-Citrus Sorghum Bowls

Better Homes & Gardens, Oct 2020, p.124

4.8 stars

Another super delicious bowl recipe! As we were having this for dinner, I thought to myself -- this would be at least $15 at a restaurant. Great texture and flavor.

Ingredients: beets, sorghum, chickpeas, baby arugula, cucumber, avocado, lemon, orange, mayonnaise, sour cream, feta, garlic, olive oil, thyme

Tips:

• Used farro instead of sorghum
• Thawed frozen beets we had already and roasted them
• Put the roasted garlic in the dressing
• Add pepper to the dressing

Recipe: Salad Ramen

Salad Ramen

Bon Appetit Magazine, Jun/Jul 2020, p. 27

4.6 stars

EASY, tasty weeknight meal. The only reason I gave this 4.6 stars and not higher was because the sauce was more on the acidic side -- need to reduce the lime juice. It also needed another flavor like sriracha.

Ingredients: ramen noodles, seasoned rice vinegar, red pepper flakes/Aleppo-style, toasted sesame oil, extra-virgin olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, toasted sesame seeds, Kosher salt

Vegetable Ingredients (not limited to the following shredded/shaved): radishes, carrots, scallions, cabbage, lettuce, zucchini, cucumbers

Tips:

• Add seared tofu
• Add sriracha at the table to taste
• Serve with spring rolls or gyoza

Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Chipotle Romesco

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Chipotle Romesco

MinimalistBaker.com

4.9 stars

This was YUMMY and so easy to make! I almost gave this 5 stars. There's so much flavor and texture in these tacos -- beats almost any other vegetarian taco I've had!

Cauliflower Ingredients: cauliflower, oil, ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, sea salt

Sauce Ingredients: fire-roasted tomatoes, almonds, chipotle in adobo, garlic, lime, smoked paprika, cumin, sea salt, maple syrup, olive oil

For Serving: tortillas, cilantro, red cabbage, pepitas, avocado, lime

Tips:

• Used roasted almonds instead of raw almonds to save time
• Didn't add in the 1-2 raw garlic cloves into the sauce
• Preferred flour tortillas to corn tortillas
• Used the pepitas from a Chick-fil-a salad (had extra packets) that I had in the pantry
• If using just 1 head of cauliflower, make half the sauce as there was a lot of sauce left over

Recipe: Quinoa Meatballs with Tomato Sauce and Tuscan Kale

Quinoa Meatballs with Tomato Sauce and Tuscan Kale

Food & Wine Magazine, Feb 2017, p. 91

4.8 stars

Super healthy and tasty -- you don't even really miss the "meat" in these meatless meatballs. Note: This did take a bit of time to make so it's not a quick weekday dinner meal

Pilaf Ingredients: quinoa, onion, basil, parsley, scallion, dill, dry white wine, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Quinoa Meatball Ingredients: eggs, semolina, whole milk, fine dried breadcrumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, Parmigiano-Reggiano, extra-virgin olive oil, baking spray, Kosher salt, pepper

Tomato Sauce Ingredients: canned whole tomatoes, kale, onion, garlic, dry white wine, oregano, red pepper, basil, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips

• Left out scallion and dill
• Used cornmeal instead of semolina

Recipe: Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna

Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna

Bon Appetit Magazine, Mar 2023
5 stars

A delicious and easy meatless lasagna recipe. Loved this so much! It tastes rich because of the heavy cream and cream cheese. FYI - It's so interesting how this lasagna doesn't use any mozzarella, and it doesn't need it!

Ingredients: lasagna noodles, 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, frozen spinach, whole-milk ricotta, cream cheese, heavy cream,  Parmesan, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, Kosher salt, ground pepper

Tips:

• The grocery store was out of frozen spinach so we cooked down some fresh spinach
• Added in basil and oregano
• The ingredients/contents filled up our Pyrex dish completely so don't add anything to this dish!
• Place the Pyrex on a sheet tray as it almost bubbled over
• It looks watery but the noodles will soak up the liquid
• Had to bake it for an hour, not 45 min.

Recipe: Sheet-Pan Orange Tofu and Broccoli

Sheet-Pan Orange Tofu and Broccoli

Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2023, p. 49

Interesting

Overall this dish was fine. I didn't rate any stars because of the different components. If we make this dish again:

• Tofu: We'd never cooked tofu like this before -- baking tofu with cornstarch on it to make it seem like it was fried tofu. Maybe there was too much cornstarch because not all of it browned. If we make this again, we need to double the recipe.
• Broccoli: Eh, not the best roasted broccoli recipe as it was boring and not enough. I would make another version of broccoli (even steam it) and make double.
• Sauce: Delicious -- tangy and spicy and tasted like a bit healthier version than orange chicken sauce. Make 1/2 next time and note that it's gloopy after putting it in the fridge.

Ingredients: tofu, broccoli, orange, scallions, garlic, soy sauce, honey, unseasoned rice vinegar, sriracha, sesame oil, cornstarch, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper; serve with rice and toasted sesame seeds

Recipe: Udon with Stir-fried Peppers and Onions

Udon with Stir-fried Peppers and Onions

Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2023, p. 25
4.5 stars

This dish was good, but not amazing compared to other ramen and udon-based Asian dishes we've made. It was SPICY so see tips below.

Ingredients: udon or ramen, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onion, scallions, garlic, ginger, sambal oelek, sriracha, soy sauce, unseasoned rice vinegar, honey, vegetable oil, Kosher salt, toasted sesame seeds

Tips:

• Reduce sambal oelek to 1.5 Tbsp instead of 2 Tbsp
• Reduce sriracha to 0.5 Tbsp instead of 1 Tbsp (more can always be added at the table)
• Added firm tofu and also edamame to the dish for added protein

Recipe: Chipotle Cauliflower Tacos

Chipotle Cauliflower Tacos

Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2023, p. 24
4.7 stars

Super duper easy weeknight recipe! Lots of flavor and overall healthy! 

Ingredients: corn tortillas, cauliflower, adobo sauce, cilantro, sour cream, limes, ground cumin, red onion, jalapeno, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Pickled the onions
• Served with black beans mixed with quinoa and some spices (like cumin) on the side to add protein to the meal

Recipe: Lentil Veloute with Cabbage and Toasted Brioche

Lentil Veloute with Cabbage and Toasted Brioche

Food & Wine Magazine, Oct 2019, p. 85

4.7 stars

(I couldn't find this recipe online so have not linked it here.)

I had set aside this recipe back from 2019, thinking we might make this super interesting recipe one day.... 

We had some cabbage left over from another dish so decided to give this a try. I was mostly intrigued because of the coffee whipped cream that tops this soup. 

This soup was delicious and something I'd expect to find at a high end restaurant. The recipe is from the restaurant Lauza in southern France.

In short, there is a lentil veloute where a cabbage and mushroom mix is added along with a topping of coffee whipped cream. A lot of components and levels of flavor and textures which I love.

Lentil Veloute Ingredients: green lentils, yellow onions, garlic, heavy cream, parsley springs, thyme springs, bay leaves, olive oil, unsalted butter, Kosher salt, black pepper, water

Cabbage and Mushrooms Ingredients: bacon, green cabbage, shiitake, unsalted butter, Kosher salt, black pepper

Coffee Whipped Cream Ingredients: heavy cream, brewed coffee, Kosher salt

Additional Ingredients: brioche slices, extra-virgin olive oil, microgreens for garnish (optional)

Tips:

• Cooked the lentils for 30 minutes instead of 45
• Next time, add 8 cups of water instead of 10 so it's less watery
• We wanted some lentil texture so only blended half of the lentils
• Topped with bacon instead of mixing in with the cabbage and mushrooms so the bacon stayed crispy
• The coffee whipped cream took quite a while to whip because of the coffee liquid
• Add salt to taste -- the 2.5 teaspoons is a lot

Recipe: Grilled Cobb Grain Bowl

Grilled Cobb Grain Bowl

Bon Appetit Magazine, Jun 2015, p. 53

4.6 stars

I really liked this super simple bowl that we served with falafel. Look how short and simple the ingredients list is! The mint, avocado and pistachios are key to the dish.

Ingredients: quinoa, avocado, mint, toasted pistachios, cherry tomatoes, scallions, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper, flaky sea salt

Tips/Notes:

• As noted above, served with falafel
• "Grilled" the scallions and tomatoes on the stove -- may want to double the amount OR reduce the amount of quinoa

Recipe: Quinoa Risotto with Lemon and Roasted Tomatoes

Quinoa Risotto with Lemon and Roasted Tomatoes

Food and Wine Magazine, Jan 2014 p. 70

4.7 stars

Really nice dish, almost elegant, but definitely needed an accompaniment. We had plant-based sausage along with this.

All components are definitely needed to bring the dish together for flavor and texture -- the panko, parsley, creme fraiche.

Ingredients: white quinoa, whole canned Italian tomatoes, panko, chicken stock, shallot, lemon, lemon zest, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, rosemary, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper; creme fraiche and parsley for garnish

Tips/Notes:

• Make triple the amount of tomatoes
• Used vegetable broth instead of chicken stock
• As noted above, serve with something else like plant-based sausage

Recipe: Lentil Soup with Apple and Bacon

Lentil Soup with Apple and Bacon

Food and Wine Magazine, Nov 2016?, p. 85

4.8 stars

I didn't realize this was a Chef Vivian Howard recipe! If you're not familiar with her, she had a documentary series on PBS showing her opening a restaurant.

This was delicious, hearty and healthy. Lots of texture and flavor!!! It was the second time we've made it as I forgot to blog about this the first time.

Ingredients: bacon, green lentils, leek, celery, carrot, Granny Smith apple, chicken stock, apple cider, rosemary, garlic, ginger, cumin, canola oil, Kosher salt, pepper, buttermilk for serving

Tips/Notes:

• Used 2-3 carrots
• Used creme fraiche since we had that on hand (can't seem to find buttermilk without carrageenan very easily)
• Used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock
• Used the apples we had on hand

Recipe: Tofu and Soba Stir-Fry

Tofu and Soba Stir-Fry (Actually it's a Steak and Soba Stir-Fry)

Bon Appetit Magazine, Apr 2013, p. 38

5 stars

I've been going through piles of recipes that I've torn out of magazines over the years. This one looked good -- except that we're not eating much meat right now as we've gone mostly plant-based as we can. This recipe was so good and not hard at all; it just requires a bit of chopping. As you can see below, we've modified the recipe quite a bit to what we like in Asian dishes. This is a recipe where I can't wait to eat the leftovers!

Original Ingredients: soba, skirt or flank steak, bok choy, carrot, scallions, garlic, ginger, vegetable oil, oyster sauce, reduced-sodium soy sauce, unseasoned rice vinegar, sesame oil, Kosher salt, black pepper, sliced almonds

The Ingredients We Used: soba, tofu, broccolini, carrots, scallions, baby corn, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, ginger, vegetable oil, oyster sauce, reduced-sodium soy sauce, unseasoned rice vinegar, sesame oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Used tofu instead of steak
• Used broccolini instead of bok choy
• Used 3 carrots instead of 1
• Added baby corn
• Added shiitake mushrooms
• Didn't add salt 
• Didn't use sliced almonds
• Didn't add the water as noted in the recipe
• Made 2x the amount of sauce since we added so many vegetables -- probably could do 1.75x next time
• Added chili crisp to taste at the table

Recipe: Gyoza and Greens with Chile Butter

Gyoza and Greens with Chile Butter

Bon Appetit Magazine, Oct 2022, p. 18

4.8 stars

We were unsure about this dish (take a look at the ingredients list!) but it turned out delicious and pretty easy to make for a weekday meal. Lots of flavors and textures -- creaminess from the yogurt sauce, heat from the chile butter (a lot of heat), crunch from the pine nuts and more. We didn't add mint but I can see that being yet another layer of flavor!

Ingredients: gyoza, kale, labneh or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, pine nuts, mint, Aleppo-style pepper, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic, unsalted butter, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Recipe: Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Food & Wine Magazine, Sep 2022, p. 42

4.6 stars

Not a pretty dish which is why I didn't include a photo here, but delicious and relatively easy to make. We do prefer America's Test Kitchen's (ATK) Chicken & Dumplings Recipe (I realize I haven't written about it in this blog) as it has a bit more flavor, but this one was good for in a pinch and didn't take too long to cook. I'll need to take a look at the ATK one to see if we can merge their recipe with this super easy one to get the same flavor but in less time.

Ingredients: chicken thighs, yellow onion, carrots, celery, chicken stock base, all-purpose flour, self-rising flour, buttermilk, unsalted butter, thyme, Kosher salt, black pepper, water

Recipe: Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie

Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie

HalfBakedHarvest.com

5 stars

This is now one of my FAVORITE pasta dishes we've made. There is a salty-sweetness to this dish with the sweetness coming from the butternut squash, and the fresh sage and gouda add nice layers of flavor. Can't wait to make this one again!

Ingredients: rigatoni, butternut squash, gouda cheese, mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, salted butter, shallot, garlic, milk, honey, sage, oregano, chili flakes, extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips

• Add enough chili flakes to make it spicy
• Used 10 slices of prosciutto -- the prosciutto shrinks in the oven!

Recipe: Malaysian Char Kway Teow / Chow Fun

Malaysian Char Kway Teow / Chow Fun

@veganbowls featuring @foodpassionical on Instagram

5 stars

This is first dish I've made from a recipe posted on Instagram (see recipe at link above). So easy for a weekday meal and so delicious!!! I love that the white pepper flavor comes through, and adding garlic chili sauce adds a whole new dimension.

Ingredients: flat rice noodles, tofu, choy sum, onion, mung bean sprouts, garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, dark soy sauce (optional), water, oil

Tips:

• Couldn't find chow fun (flat) rice noodles so used other rice noodles instead
• Used broccolini instead of choy sum
• Doubled the amount of sauce since we had quite a bit of broccolini and bean sprouts
  
• Didn't use dark soy sauce

Recipe: Light & Bright Chicken Potpie

Light & Bright Chicken Potpie

Martha Stewart Living, Mar 2022, p. 56

4.5 stars

Usually we make Thomas Keller's Chicken Pot Pie recipe, but we decided to give this one a try especially since we had some pie dough left over from another dish. There are two different toppings for this -- either a pie crust or phyllo clusters as you can see from the recipe link.

This recipe is much easier and involves a number of different ingredients. It was good, but not as good as Thomas Keller's recipe where the bechamel and herbs give it a great flavor. This was a good pot pie recipe for a weekday meal.

I did like the addition of leeks and artichoke hearts!

Ingredients: chicken, leeks, carrots, celery, Yukon Gold potatoes, peas, artichoke hearts, dry vermouth or dry white wine, low-sodium chicken broth, flour, tarragon, unsalted butter, Kosher salt, black pepper; either phyllo clusters or pie crust

Tip:

• Used rotisserie chicken to get that rotisserie flavor and to cut down on time
• Used the Dutch Oven for ease instead of a pie dish

Recipe: Salmon-Shiitake Rice Bowls

Salmon-Shiitake Rice Bowls

Martha Stewart Living, June 2021

5 stars

I've been so impressed with the recipes in Martha Stewart Living magazine -- they definitely test their recipes, and there has rarely been a recipe we've tried from the magazine that we didn't like.

This one is restaurant-worthy. One of the best salmon recipes... and overall meals we've made!

Ingredients: jasmine rice, salmon fillets, English cucumber, shiitake mushrooms, frozen peas, white or yellow miso paste, honey, unseasoned rice vinegar, unsalted butter, Kosher salt, pepper

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