Recipe: Fudgy Almond Butter Brownies

Fudgy Almond Butter Brownies

Dr. Mark Hyman Blog
4.7 stars

Finally! A pretty good dessert made with better-for-you ingredients.

Because of the lack of gluten, the brownies are a little crumbly, but the texture is good and moist because of the almond butter. 

Ingredients: cassava flour, almond butter, unsweetened cacao powder, coconut sugar, ground flax seeds, vanilla extract, maple syrup, coconut oil, baking soda, sea salt

Optional Topping Ingredients: 100% unsweetened cacao chocolate, coconut oil, sea salt

Tips/Notes:

• Used date sugar instead of coconut sugar
• Used melted butter on the pan instead of coconut oil
• Didn't add the optional topping yet but think it would give the brownies more richness

Recipe: Bulgur-Mango Salad

Bulgur-Mango Salad

Food & Wine Magazine's Weeknight Easy Volume 4 (free booklet), p.17
4.6 stars

This was a good salad in a pinch! I felt like we were on an episode of Chopped where I was trying to find things to put together for a meal. We used what we had in the fridge like peaches instead of mango, queso fresco instead of feta.

Ingredients: bulgur, salad greens, garbanzo beans, mango, feta, red onion, lime juice, canola oil, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, mint, salt 

Tip:

• Served with falafel
• Added a little more oil as the dressing was pretty strong in flavor

Recipe: Baked Chipotle Cheddar Sweet Potato Chowder

Baked Chipotle Cheddar Sweet Potato Chowder

HalfBakedHarvest.com
5 stars

This was DELICIOUS!!!! It is VERY similar to Half Baked Harvest's Instant Pot Chipotle Chile Corn Chowder. I like this one because it uses sweet potatoes, though both are good.

Can't wait to eat these leftovers! Again, the chipotle in adobo adds so much flavor and complexity to the soup.

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon, yellow onion, flour, broth, apple cider, milk, garlic, chipotle in adobo, chili powder, smoked paprika, greek yogurt or sour cream, cilantro, green onion, butter, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• The prep time for this is not 15 min -- it's 30 min
• The cook time is not 35 min -- it's 45-60 min
• Used apple juice instead of apple cider since cider wasn't available

Recipe: White Bean and Mushroom Cassoulet

White Bean and Mushroom Cassoulet

Food & Wine Magazine, Mar 2024, p. 39
4.8 stars

Delicious and EASY dish to make -- though the cook time is a little long. The dish will look soupy, but the liquid soak up.

Ingredients: cannellini beans, dried porcini mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, panko, Gruyere cheese,  garlic, tomato paste, dry white wine, dry sherry, parsley, extra-virgin olive oil, thyme, unsalted butter, Kosher salt, black pepper, hot water

Tips/Notes:

• Used dried porcini powder that we had
• Used a little less water since there was so much liquid
• Next time consider adding some paprika and cayenne

Recipe: Honey-Glazed Sweet Potato Steaks with Brussels Sprouts

Honey-Glazed Sweet Potato Steaks with Brussels Sprouts
Food & Wine Magazine, Mar 2019, p. 95
4.6 stars

This turned out better than we expected! Glad we decided to make it -- we'll definitely do it again but with the changes below.

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, ginger, sea salt, coriander, red pepper, canola oil, honey

Tips/Notes:

• Cooked on sheet pans; did not do any of the cooking on the stove
• Doubled the recipe
• Put brussels sprouts on a separate sheet pan from the sweet potatoes
• Next time, use a LOT less salt -- instead, sprinkle sea salt on the vegetables vs. putting it in the rub mix
• Remember to add honey to the vegetables about halfway through the cooking process
• Use a little less ginger

Recipe: My Favorite Salad I Created!

My Favorite Salad

I took ingredients that I love and put them together in an amazing salad.

Ingredients:

• Mixed greens
• Green beans
• Hearts of palm
• Avocado
• Pistachios
• Dates
• A vinaigrette

I didn't have any fingerling potatoes, but that would be a delicious addition and perhaps cucumbers and red onion.

In restaurants, they often also add either rotisserie chicken or salmon.

Recipe: Kimchi-Fried Grains

Kimchi-Fried Grains

Bon Appetit Magazine, Apr 2018, p,69
4.8 stars

Really delicious and SUPER EASY to make -- I probably don't even need the recipe to make it!

Ingredients: kimchi, carrots, cooked grains, scallions, extra-virgin olive oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes:

• Forgot to eat this with the roasted seaweed I bought
• Used 2 carrots instead of 1
• Used a mix of farro and quinoa
• Didn't squeeze the kimchi -- it was fine with the juice
• Didn't make the eggs separately; instead made room on the side of the pan, cracked the eggs, cooked them on the side and then stirred them into the rest of the dish
• Added the reserve scallions at the very end so that they had a little "cook" to them
• Could serve with eggrolls next time

Recipe: Green Goddess Wraps

Green Goddess Wraps
Better Homes & Gardens, Mar 2023, p.62
4.7 stars

I didn't put the ingredients into a wrap but made it into a salad and used Primal Kitchen's bottled Green Goddess dressing. So good!

Ingredients: spinach flour tortillas, green cabbage, cucumber, green onions, pepitas, green goddess dressing, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, radishes

Tips/Notes:

• Made soft-boiled eggs instead of hard-boiled
• Didn't use pepitas
• Since I made mine into a salad, added croutons for some crunch.

Recipe: Fall Harvest Quinoa Salad

Fall Harvest Quinoa Salad

HalfBakedHarvest.com
4.7 stars

Overall a pretty good salad, but like most of Half Baked Harvest recipes, the flavors sometimes taste muddied. BUT, I would make this again...

Ingredients: quinoa, delicata or acorn squash, baby kale, apple, pomegranate arils, roasted pistachios or toasted pumpkin seeds, halloumi cheese, avocado, maple syrup, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Dressing Ingredients: tahini, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, turmeric, olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Used BOTH delicata and also acorn squash. Will cut them thicker next time so there is more "bite" to them
• Didn't use pomegranate arils (grocery store was out!)
• I thought the baby kale might need to be sauteed so I did -- next time I won't
• Used roasted pistachios
• Make 2/3 of the dressing recipe
• Next time, need to add more heat -- more cayenne and/or add red pepper flakes

Recipe: Zucchini Quesadilla with Spicy Salsa Roja

Zucchini Quesadilla with Spicy Salsa Roja
Food and Wine Magazine, Mar 2014, p. 99
Quesadilla: 0 stars
Spicy Salsa Roja: 4.7 stars

The zucchini quesadilla isn't good -- the Monterey Jack gets completely lost; the zucchini needs to be cooked a little and has no flavor. The salsa, however, is good and SPICY!

Spicy Salsa Roja Ingredients: tomatoes, small onion, garlic, dried arbol chiles, chipotle chile in adobo, apple cider vinegar, canola oil, sugar, salt

Recipe: Buckwheat Pancakes with Compote and Sweet Cream

Buckwheat Pancakes with Compote and Sweet Cream

OprahDaily.com

4.6 stars

Pretty good for a pancake that is "healthy" -- I REALLY LOVED the texture!

We didn't make the compote and instead added walnuts and chocolate chips on top -- rest of the applesauce is on the side in the photo.

BTW, I didn't know that buckwheat flour is GLUTEN-FREE!

Pancake Ingredients: unsweetened vegan milk, unsweetened applesauce, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, extra-virgin coconut oil, maple syrup, light buckwheat flour, almond or oat or all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda

Compote Ingredients: seasonal fruit, coconut sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger

Ingredients for serving (all optional): almond or pistachio butter, maple syrup, toasted nuts, mixed fruit

Tips/Notes:

• Will use butter instead of coconut oil next time
• Used almond milk
• Used almond flour
• This makes 6 pancakes, not 12!

Recipe: The Mean Green Detox Salad

The Mean Green Detox Salad

HalfBakedHarvest.com

4.9 stars

Super healthy and hearty salad! This does take a little time to make as there are a lot of components. With two people making it, it's fine time-wise for a weekday meal -- just make sure to allocate 30 min to bake the chickpeas (and falafel that we added). This is a restaurant-worthy salad ~ I can see this easily being $18 in a restaurant.

Notes/Tips:

• Added 1 more tbsp of EVOO to the dressing as the dressing was super thick
• Used 2 cans of chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• Didn't use any coconut
• Steamed some frozen broccoli instead of using fresh
• Didn't add parsley, hemp seeds or chia seeds
• Used regular Parmesan
• Served falafel on the side

Recipe: Spicy Stuffed Peppers

Spicy Stuffed Peppers

4.8 stars

Today.com (a Kevin Curry recipe)

I loved this recipe! It was super flavorful -- but I have to say that we did add some additional spice so perhaps that really "made" it. See tips below. I can't wait to eat these leftovers.

To make this vegetarian, we left out the chicken and swapped the smoked turkey sausage with Impossible Sausage

Ingredients: red bell peppers, green bell pepper, turkey sausage, chicken, yellow onion, celery, avocado oil, chili powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, ground fennel, frozen jasmine rice, chicken broth, tomato paste, Mexican-blend cheese, black pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Eliminated chicken
• Swapped turkey sausage for Impossible sausage
• There was a lot of filling left over so get 5 large red bell peppers next time
• Didn't have Italian seasoning so added dried basil, oregano, parsley
• Added ground cumin and red pepper flakes
• The bell peppers got a bit soft in step 2 (baking them for 20 min before adding the filling) -- next time, try 14 min

Recipe: 30 Minute Creamy Sesame Miso Ramen with Crispy Mushrooms

30 Minute Creamy Sesame Miso Ramen with Crispy Mushrooms

4.8 stars (after thinking about it, we won't make this one again -- we prefer Marcus Samuelsson's Vegetable Ramen recipe)
HalfBakedHarvest.com

So this dish did not take 30 minutes to make (it took 50 min), and the mushrooms weren't crispy, but overall this was still a really nice ramen recipe. 

We changed some things as you'll see from the notes below, but think next time it'll be even better with double the soup base and the addition of hot chili oil (I didn't realize we didn't have any so used some hot chili crisp).

Ingredients: ramen noodles, kale or spinach, mixed mushrooms, shallots, vegetable broth, dried porcini mushrooms, sesame seeds, chili flakes, cilantro, salted butter or olive oil, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, tahini, white miso paste, hot chili oil

Serve with: eggs, carrots, green onions

Tips/Notes:

• Because of everything extra we added ~ tofu, a ton of kale, cabbage... make 2x the entire soup base
• Added tofu! (definitely add!)
• Instead of using dried porcini mushrooms, we had some dried porcini powder from another recipe. Used 1.5 tsp but would use at least 2 tsp next time ~ and then double that for the doubled soup base.
• Used a whole head of kale which is much more than 4 cups
• Chopped the mixed mushrooms ~ baby bella, white button and shiitake
• Didn't have carrots but had purple cabbage so added to the soup
• Added green onions to the soup at the end
• Mushrooms weren't crispy as they release so much water in the sheet pan
• Could serve with egg rolls!
• Per Half Baked Harvest's note on the recipe, she recommends storing the soup and noodles separately as the noodles will soak up the soup and become mushy.

Drink Recipe: Orange Spritz (non-alcoholic)

Orange Spritz

4.6 stars
Today.com (a Geoffrey Zakarian recipe)

This was not too bad for a non-alcoholic drink. I just happened to have a bottle of sweet tea so this was easy to make. Note that it required quite a few splashes of bitters for the bitters to come through.

Ingredients: orange juice, sweet tea, orange bitters, top with sparkling water

Recipe: Crockpot Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Quinoa

Crockpot Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Quinoa

4.7 stars
HalfBakedHarvest.com

We made this on the STOVE, and it tasted so much better than I thought it was going to taste! As usual, chipotle in adobo and also fire-roasted tomatoes give recipes like this a great flavor.

Really FAST and EASY for a weekday meal -- took about 30 min with most of the time (20 min) needed for the quinoa to cook.

Ingredients: quinoa, yellow onion, poblano, jalapenos, fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, vegetable broth, cilantro, lime juice and zest, garlic, ground cumin, oregano, Kosher salt, pepper

Serve with: cilantro, mango, avocado, feta, yogurt

Tips/Notes:

• Saute the onion, poblano, jalapens and garlic 
• Use 1/2 the amount of lime juice and zest
• Used cotija instead of feta
• Definitely needs the avocado!
• Could add potatoes and lentils into the soup next time
• The mango was extra and not really needed

Recipe: Vibrant Spring Broccoli Buddha Bowl

Vibrant Spring Broccoli Buddha Bowl

4.7 stars
HalfBakedHarvest.com

This was definitely a "vibrant" Buddha Bowl full of texture and fiber -- with much of the vibrancy coming from the ginger in the dressing.

There are a lot of ingredients, as usual, in a Buddha Bowl. This was easy to make, just took a bit of time to chop and roast and make all of the components. 

Ingredients: quinoa, green lentils, broccoli, sweet potato, purple cabbage, carrots, avocado, blood orange or caracara, lemon, sesame seeds, extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Ingredients for Turmeric Ginger Vinaigrette: roasted cashews, garlic, ginger, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, lemon, turmeric, cayenne, Kosher salt, pepper

Ingredients for serving: sprouts and hemp seeds

Tips/Notes:

• Double the amount of sweet potatoes from 1 to 2
• Used half of a large lemon in both places
• Added sauteed tofu!
• Need more blood oranges as they're very small -- probably 3 instead of 1 for leftovers
• Didn't add sprouts and hemp seeds
• Need to make 2x the amount of dressing
• In the dressing, used 1 garlic clove

Recipe: Asada Mushroom Tacos with Lime Smashed Avocado

Asada Mushroom Tacos with Lime Smashed Avocado

4.9 stars

HalfBakedHarvest.com

Delicious vegetarian tacos -- better than I expected! Loved the pineapple salsa along with the avocado. To get more protein, we served this with a side of seasoned black beans. 

Ingredients: tortillas, portobello mushroom caps, orange juice, garlic, chipotle in adobo, smoked paprika, limes, cilantro, extra virgin olive oil

Salted Lime Avocado Ingredients: avocado, lime, sea salt

Pineapple Salsa Ingredients: pineapple, jalapeno, lime, cilantro, feta or cotija

Tips/Notes:

• Used garlic powder instead of garlic
• Used 1 lime instead of 2 in the marinade
• Sliced avocado instead of making the smashed avocado
• Used serrano instead of jalapeno as jalapenos haven't been hot lately
• Used 1/2 of a lime in the pineapple salsa instead of a whole lime
• GRILL the mushrooms next time -- OR remember to put a rack on the baking sheet under the mushrooms because there is a lot of liquid from the mushrooms and marinade

Recipe: Herb and Chickpea Stew with Rice

Herb and Chickpea Stew with Rice
4.7 stars
HalfBakedHarvest.com

For a stew of this type (healthy!) this was pretty good. It definitely needed the Greek yogurt to make it creamy and to add another dimension. We served this with falafel on the side.

Ingredients: rice, chickpeas yellow onion, vegetable broth, spinach, cilantro, parsley, dill, chives, garlic, turmeric, red pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Serve with: Greek yogurt, mint

Tips/Notes:

• Didn't add lemon zest but needed to and will next time -- needs the brightness
• Used more baby spinach that it called for
• Used dried parsley
• Didn't add dill
• Didn't add mint for serving
• It was a little bland so added 1/4 tsp celery seed, 1/2 tsp dried basil and more red pepper

Recipe: Crockpot Spicy Queso Beef Chili (but cooked on stove and made vegetarian)

 

Crockpot Spicy Queso Beef Chili 

HalfBakedHarvest.com

4.9 stars

Really good chili recipe that we made vegetarian. It's similar to the SmokyTofu Chili recipe in flavor but has a higher heat level because of the hot chiles and a slightly different flavor. I wish I could taste them side by side to taste the differences. 

Ingredients: ground beef (but see Impossible Beef and tofu sub below), yellow onions, poblano peppers, crushed fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, diced green chiles, broth, cream cheese, mixed chili beans, hot sauce, butter, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, bay leaves, salt

Toppings: cheddar, cilantro, green onions, avocado, Greek yogurt

Tips:

• Used 1 package of Impossible Beef and 1 block of firm tofu instead of 2 pounds of ground beef
• Used 2 Tbsp of hot sauce instead of 1/3 cup 
• Used unsalted butter + salt instead of salted butter
• Used 2 cups of vegetable broth instead of the "2-3 cups of chicken or beef broth"
• Didn't add in the cream cheese
• Didn't add in the cheddar in the chili -- used as topping instead
• Added 1 can of black beans 
• Serve with Frito dipper chips

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