Recipe: Easy Polenta

Easy Polenta
Food & Wine Magazine, Mar 2020, p.36
4 stars

Honestly, I wasn't quite sure about this recipe especially when we started making it and I realized that we literally just needed to boil the broth, whisk in the polenta and then remove the pot from the heat and let it stand for 45 minutes.  Overall, for a no stir polenta, it was pretty good.  Some lumps, but not bad (we could have whisked more "vigorously" to break up the lumps).

Had this with a salad and also Magic Crispy Chicken!  Such a great meal.

Ingredients: polenta, chicken broth, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, butter, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tip:

• Made half the recipe (2 cups of uncooked polenta expands and serves a lot of people -- 8)
• Next time, use 10% less broth

Recipe: Spicy Baked Pasta with Cheddar and Broccoli Rabe

Spicy Baked Pasta with Cheddar and Broccoli 
Bon Appetit Magazine, Mar 2020, p. 27
4.5 stars

I was really curious about this recipe as the heading for the article/recipe was "A Very Persuasive Pasta -- Alison Roman couldn't find a baked pasta she liked. So she made one she did."  I would say she did a great job creating this dish. So good and flavorful. I liked the use of the sharp white cheddar and especially loved the crispy topping.

Ingredients: rigatoni, leeks, broccoli rabe or broccolini, sharp white cheddar, chives, fresh breadcrumbs or panko, heavy cream, extra-virgin olive oil, black pepper, Kosher salt

Tips

• Used penne instead
• Used kale instead of broccoli rabe

Recipe: Black-Bean and Sweet-Potato Stew

Black-Bean and Sweet-Potato Stew

Marthastewart.com

5 stars

Super healthy, satisfying, flavorful vegetarian Mexican-style stew.  You won't even miss that there's no meat in this dish, and the leftovers are great!  What "makes" the dish is the chipotle in adobo which again and again proves to add a nice layer of flavor and heat.

Ingredients: black beans, sweet potato, quinoa, white onion, poblano pepper, chipotle in adobo, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, cilantro, shredded cheddar

Tips:

• Added sour cream as you can see from the photo
• Can also add chopped avocado
• Serve with tortilla chips for crunch

Recipe: Cheesy Spinach-Potato Egg Casserole

Cheesy Spinach-Potato Egg Casserole
Martha Stewart Living, Apr 2020, p. 109
4.5 stars

Breakfast for dinner! This casserole was great -- it has my favorite combination of ingredients.  We basically made the recipe but included more potatoes, cheese and spinach than what it called for.   

Ingredients: eggs, fontina cheese, spinach, onion, milk, thyme, nutmeg, butter, Kosher salt, pepper

Recipe: Weeknight Beans on Toast

Weeknight Beans on Toast
Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2019, p.24
4.5 stars

This is a nice alternative to the Skillet Bruschetta with Beans and Greens (that we've made many times that goes with toast) -- incredibly delicious and overall healthy!  As noted within the recipe, I can see the leftovers being repurposed and used on top of pasta.

Ingredients: bread, sweet or hot Italian sausage, crushed tomatoes, baby spinach, white beans, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, extra-virgin olive oil, butter, Kosher salt, Parmesan, parsley

Tips:

• Use 2-3x the amount of spinach (recipe also notes that kale could be used)
• Measure the salt
• Use cannellini beans
• Did not make the garlic butter or broil the bread -- simply toasted the bread and buttered it

Recipe: Pork-Meatball Skillet Bake

Pork-Meatball Skillet Bake
MarthaStewart.com
4.5 Stars

I have decided that I am not a sausage and peppers fan (this recipe is essentially that recipe).  However, the dish was good, and I'm recording our thoughts here so that when I, thetaster, is out of town, then blogger the grandcruman can make and enjoy this!

This was a tasty recipe, despite me not loving the combination of sausage and peppers (and onion).  It was very easy to make, and I always love how the addition of fennel seeds can make pork taste like a spiced sausage.

Ingredients: crusty boule, fresh mozzarella, basil, ground pork, red and/or yellow bell peppers, onion, tomato sauce, fennel seeds, Parmigiano-Reggiano, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips/notes/changes:

• 1 pound of pork made 13 meatballs
• Add garlic to the meatballs
• Add red pepper flakes to the sauce
• Toast the bread before putting it in the broiler
• Use shredded mozzarella instead of fresh (fresh has too much water)
• Next time, cut the bell pepper slices in half so it's easier to eat
• Next time, sub the 1/4 cup water for white wine to add depth of flavor

Recipe: Crispy Baked Chicken Flautas

Crispy Baked Chicken Flautas
MarthaStewart.com
5 stars

This dish was so delish.  And easy, easy, easy, easy for a weeknight meal.
The chipotle in adobo always adds complexity to dishes we've made and takes this recipe to the 5 star level.

Ingredients: tortillas, ground chicken, chipotle in adobo, cilantro, Monterey Jack cheese, tomato paste, lime juice, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper; pico de gallo and sour cream for serving

Tips:

• Use 2.5 Tbsp of chipotle in adobo next time
• Great with chips and also guac on the side too

Recipe: Polenta Dutch Baby with Ham and Swiss

Polenta Dutch Baby with Ham and Swiss
Food & Wine Magazine, Jan 2020, p. 81
4 stars

This was an interesting dish -- considered a "large-format pancake" if you read about it at foodandwine.com. This recipe is from 2015 Food & Wine Best New Chef Jonathan Brooks who owns the Indianapolis restaurant, Milktooth.

I love polenta, so I really liked the texture which was a bit unexpected -- it's not a light souffle and not an eggy dense frittata but something in between with polenta's grainy texture.  Surprisingly, the entire dish only used three eggs.

The SALAD was absolutely delicious and one that we'll definitely make again.

Polenta Dutch Baby Ingredients: all-purpose flour, sugar, uncooked polenta, whole milk, eggs, unsalted butter, deli ham, Swiss cheese, Kosher salt

Salad Ingredients: baby arugula, red grapes, Dijon mustard, Champagne vinegar, pure maple syrup or honey, grapeseed oil

Tips:

• Use a non-sweet ham (not a honey ham, for example) because there will overall be too much sweetness in the dish
• Used extra-virgin olive oil instead of grapeseed oil

Recipe: Grain Salad with Greens, Cherries and Crispy Bacon

Grain Salad with Greens, Cherries and Crispy Bacon
Better Homes & Gardens, Feb 2020, p. 66
5 stars

YUMMMMMMM... this dish was so delicious and easy for a weeknight meal.

Farro = LOVE! (I just love its texture)
Kale = Healthy
Blue cheese = what can you not love?  Creamy!
Bacon = really, what can you not love?  Crispy!
Sweet dried cherries (we used raisins) = Sweetness
Dressing = Acidity

We'll definitely be making this again.

Ingredients: farro, bacon, kale, sweet dried cherries, blue cheese, red wine vinegar, coarse-grain mustard, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:

• At least double the amount of kale

Recipe: Charred Vegetable Ragu

Charred Vegetable Ragu
Food & Wine Magazine, Jan 2020, p. 45
5 stars

We love bolognese sauce, but after trying this recipe, we think this beats out all the bolognese recipes we've ever made (and there's no meat in this dish!).  The char of the vegetables, including the whole roasted garlic head and umami from the mushrooms, all add a deep, complex flavor that was just so mmm mmm good. This is a restaurant-worthy dish.

Ingredients: dried pasta, portobello mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, garlic, yellow onion, celery, carrots, tomato paste, dry red wine, dried oregano, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:

• Slice the cremini mushrooms instead of quartering them
• Even though this was so good without any meat, this dish could be taken to the next level with the addition of a 1/2 pound of hot Italian sausage

Recipe: Coconut-Apple-Ginger Dal

Coconut-Apple-Ginger Dal
4.5 stars
Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2018, p.34

What an easy, healthy dish with a punch of flavor!

Ingredients: onion, garlic, ginger, apple, red lentils, coconut milk, virgin coconut oil, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, ground turmeric, lime juice, plain yogurt, cilantro leaves, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Only had 1 cup of lentils so cut the water by a cup (the lentils soak up much of the water)
• Added red pepper flakes since our cayenne has lost some of its heat
• Chopped up the apple
• Used lite coconut milk 
• Left out the toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
• Note that was on the recipe: Red lentils break down quickly and are done in 20 min -- ideal for a quick soup like this.

Recipe: Larb with Cabbage

Larb with Cabbage
4.5 stars
Bon Appetit Magazine, Apr 2018

Love this dish!  So much flavor but you can see why from the ingredient list.  It has sweet, sour, salty, spicy and umami flavors, plus crunch from the peanuts. We did change the recipe up just a little bit -- see notes below.

Ingredients: rice, ground pork or beef or lamb, green cabbage, peanuts, scallions, lemongrass, Thai chiles, garlic, shallot, lime juice, fish sauce, mint, vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes:

• Used lamb -- it's a bit fatty, so use less oil
• Used butter lettuce instead of cabbage
• Shredded cabbage and cooked it with the lamb
• Found Thai chiles (finally!) and wow, it added heat which was great!
• Add peanuts only at the very end if you think you'll have leftovers as the peanuts will get soggy

Recipe: Torn Escarole Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Torn Escarole Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Food and Wine Magazine, Dec 2019, p. 66
5 stars

This is a WOW / restaurant-worthy salad.  Lots of complexity and dimension to this salad as you can see from the ingredient list!  Spice, crunch, sweet, salty, umami.... definitely making this again soon.

Main Ingredients: applewood-smoked bacon, escarole, Honeycrisp apples, mild blue cheese like Gorgonzola

Crouton Ingredients: crusty Italian bread, hot chile-sesame oil or olive oil, Kosher salt

Dressing Ingredients: shallot, olive oil, apple butter or honey, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard


Notes/Tips:

• Used a mix of hot chili oil and sesame oil -- definitely use this instead of just olive oil
• Used red leaf lettuce instead of escarole
• Didn't have Gorgonzola (which would've been amazing on this salad!) so used Parmesan

Recipe: Sausage-Spiced Cauliflower Steaks

Sausage-Spiced Cauliflower Steaks
Food & Wine Magazine, Dec 2019, p. 46
5 stars

The description on this said "toasted fennel seeds, black pepper and orange zest lend a sausage-like flavor to these roasted cauliflower steaks." I thought, "Yeah, right ~ sausage-like flavor?!"  It actually DID have that flavor due to the fennel and mix of spices!  This was so good and an easy vegetarian dish that we'll definitely make again.  Didn't miss having meat during this meal!

Ingredients: cauliflower heads, marinara sauce, shredded fontina or provolone cheese, Parmesan cheese, fennel seeds, orange zest, garlic powder, olive oil, fine sea salt, black pepper

Notes:

• We had mozzarella so used it instead of fontina or provolone

Recipe: Easy Cheesy Zucchini Gratin

[Forgot to take a photo!]

Recipe: Easy Cheesy Zucchini Gratin
ibreatheimhungry.com
4.5 stars

This is a low carb, keto side that we made the other day -- really delicious (can't go wrong when there's cheese!).

The recipe is linked above, but I'm including it below in case the blog or link goes away which has happened!

• 4 cups sliced raw zucchini
• 1 small onion, peeled and sliced thin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Grease a 9×9 or equivalent oven proof pan.
3. Overlap 1/3 of the zucchini and onion slices in the pan, then season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
4. Repeat two more times until you have three layers and have used up all of the zucchini, onions, and shredded cheese.
5. Combine the garlic powder, butter, heavy cream, and xanthan gum in a microwave safe dish.
6. Heat for one minute or until the butter has melted. Whisk until smooth.
7. Gently pour the butter and cream mixture over the zucchini layers.
8. Bake at 375F for about 45 minutes, or until the liquid has thickened and the top is golden brown.
9. Serve warm.

Tips/Notes:

• Xanthan gum is optional (it's used as a thickener).
• Bake for less time so the zucchini doesn't get overcooked and mushy.

Recipe: Brussels-Sprout Tacos

Brussels-Sprout Tacos
Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Martha Stewart Living, Nov, 2019 p. 76 and 78
5 stars

I wasn't sure about this recipe, but wow -- this is a new "go to" for when we want to eat a plant-based meal.  This has everything to satisfy: creaminess from the avocado, acidity from the pickled onion, crunch from the peanuts, a little bitterness from the brussels sprouts, spiciness from the chipotle in adobo.  This is one of my new favorite recipes!

Brussels Sprout Tacos Ingredients: corn tortillas, avocado, roasted peanuts, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, Kosher salt

Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Brussels sprouts, chipotle in adobo, honey, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes:

• We used flour tortillas instead.
• The chipotle in adobo mellowed out while roasting -- I was expecting a LOT of spice, but it wasn't super spicy.
• Quarter the Brussels sprouts instead of halving them to make it easier to eat in the tacos.
• Add sour cream to the tacos at the table.

Recipe: Ginger-Lemongrass Broth with Noodles, Silken Tofu and Broccolini

Ginger-Lemongrass Broth with Noodles, Silken Tofu and Broccolini
Martha Stewart Living, Oct 2019, p. 116
5 stars (with additions)

I was feeling like ramen, and this hit the spot.

Ingredients: chicken broth, broccolini, wheat noodles, silken tofu, onion, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, Thai chile, Thai or Italian basil, sugar, fish sauce, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Had Chinese gyoza/dumplings on the side.
• Forgot the basil (agh)!
• Used ramen noodles.
• The recipe as-is = bland.  Added some white miso to the broth and also soy sauce and sriracha at the table to taste.

Recipe: Tuscan Kale Salad with Gorgonzola Croutons

Tuscan Kale Salad with Gorgonzola Croutons
Food & Wine Magazine, Nov 2019, p. 60
Only the croutons = 5 stars

Overall, we weren't fans of this recipe.  It was... eh and salty!  Granted, we didn't make the recipe as written because 1) I don't like turnips at all and 2) Kale is hard to eat in a salad (it's rough) so we used mixed greens instead.  The only piece of this recipe that I would make again is the croutons, but I need to remember to only make 1/2 a recipe of the croutons -- it makes a ton!

Crouton Ingredients: Gorgonzola cheese, rye bread, butter, extra-virgin olive oil

Tips:

• As noted above, make just 1/2 the amount of croutons

Recipe: Salmon with Citrus-Chile Sauce

Salmon with Citrus-Chile Sauce
Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2019, p. 22
5 stars

Easy weeknight meal!
LOVED the flavor of the sauce -- delish.

[Once we make this again, I need to come come back and post more info as I'm writing this post a couple of weeks after making it and can't remember exactly what we thought!]

Ingredients:  salmon, broccolini, endive, grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, jalapenos, unseasoned rice vinegar, garlic, honey, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, sesame seeds

Tips:

• Added some grapefruit zest (not as much as what the recipe called for).
• Didn't think the endive was necessary.
• Left out the sesame seeds.
• Had a bit of sauce left over so might make a tad less next time.
• Great with panko/togarashi crusted tofu on the side.

Recipe: Sara's Game-Day Chili

Sara's Game-Day Chili
US Weekly, Dec 2, 2019, p. 44
5 stars (with additions)

Sara = Sarah Haines (I didn't know who she was.... she is a GMA3 ~ Good Morning America host).

The recipe as-is was bland -- we added cayenne, ancho chili powder and chili powder to amp up the flavor.  Overall, this is a really healthy chili to make during the winter.  I like that butternut squash and sweet potato is used in it (again, healthy!).  My sister really liked this dish as well. 

Ingredients: green bell pepper, red bell pepper, yellow onion, ground beef, butternut squash, sweet potato, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt pepper

Tips:

• As noted above, added cayenne, ancho chili powder and chili powder (without these, it's bland).
• Used already cubed butternut squash from the frozen section.
• Next time, cook for less than the 30 minutes noted in the recipe (the butternut squash and sweet potato were a tad overcooked).