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