Recipe: Sheet-Pan Chicken Meatballs and Charred Broccoli

 

Sheet-Pan Chicken Meatballs and Charred Broccoli

Bon Appetit Magazine, p.16, March 2019

4.7 Stars

This recipe had so much flavor -- just take a look at the ingredient list (ginger, garlic, honey, soy sauce and more). It was delicious! Generally, ground chicken is a bit dry, but these meatballs were incredibly moist. Also, although it looks like a lot of sauce, make it all as the sauce goes great on the broccoli and rice.

Meatball and Assembly Ingredients: rice, ground chicken, broccoli, egg, scallions, garlic, ginger, panko, toasted sesame oil, vegetable oil, Kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes

Sauce Ingredients: ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, rice cooking wine, honey, soy sauce, ginger, black pepper

Recipe: Fried-Bread Panzanella with Ricotta and Herbs

 

Fried-Bread Panzanella with Ricotta and Herbs

Bon Appetit Magazine, Sept 2018

4.5 stars

Super easy weeknight recipe. Went really well with fried chicken! 

Ingredients: sourdough bread, ricotta, heirloom tomatoes, basil, parsley, shallot, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, red-wine vinegar, flaky sea salt, black pepper

Notes:

• Didn't fry the bread. Toasted and buttered it instead.

• Added fresh mozzarella.

Recipe: Hawaiian Pork Bowl

Hawaiian Pork Bowl

Food and Wine Magazine, July 2017, p.88
5 stars

Restaurant-worthy dish (and as good or better than any True Food Kitchen bowl).

Overall the bowl is layered with so many flavors: rice as the base + marinated pork, bacon, grilled red onion, grilled pineapple, jalapeno, avocado, cilantro and a bright dressing. The inspiration of the dish comes from Graham Elliot. 

This was the first time we've ever marinated meat in tea, and it worked out nicely. According to the recipe, "sweet tea is an ideal marinade for pork because its sugars help to caramelize the meat as it cooks."

Ingredients: rice, pork tenderloin, bacon, pineapple, avocado, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, sugar, English breakfast tea bags, lime juice, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper, boiling water

Pork and Asparagus Stir-Fry

 

Pork and Asparagus Stir-Fry

Bon Appetit Magazine, Apr 2020, p.28
4.2 stars

I'm not an asparagus fan so we made this with green beans instead. Really delicious. I was debating whether I liked this or the Spicy Green Bean and Tofu Stir-Fry with Bison better. They're just different. . . this recipe doesn't require boiling the beans ~ they're sauteed and there isn't a sauce. Both are good but I prefer the tofu/bison recipe.
Ingredients: cooked rice, asparagus, ground pork, scallions, garlic, ginger, Shaoxing wine or medium-dry sherry, soy sauce, sesame oil, vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Recipe: Seared Salmon with Miso-Honey Sauce

Seared Salmon with Miso-Honey Sauce
Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2019, p. 22
5 stars

Delicious easy weekday meal. Could make less miso sauce but ended up using it on the steamed broccoli we made (plus our leftover broccoli).

Ingredients: salmon, rice, ginger, scallions, white miso, honey, unseasoned rice vinegar, sesame seeds, vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Recipe: Grilled Carrots with Avocado and Mint

Grilled Carrots with Avocado and Mint
Bon Appetit Magazine, June/July 2020, p. 22
5 stars for me/2.5 stars for the grandcruman

This is a little embarrassing. I thought this was a taco recipe from looking at the image on the recipe. It's actually a SIDE DISH, but hey, it worked for us as vegetarian tacos! I really liked the flavors but blog non-contributor the grandcruman wasn't a huge fan, thus the difference in ratings above. We often have all of these ingredients (except for ginger) on hand so this is a great lunch that I can make... for me!

Ingredients: carrots, avocados, mint leaves, serrano chile, ginger, cumin seeds, lemon juice, honey, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Recipe: Charred Focaccia and Steak Salad

Charred Focaccia and Steak Salad
Food & Wine Magazine, Aug 2020, p. 42
4 stars

Blog contributor the grandcruman really liked the salad. I thought it was ok -- good, but could have used avocado. I did like the heat from the Calabrian chiles in the dressing. Good weeknight salad.

Ingredients: strip steak, arugula, tomato, Persian cucumbers, focaccia, watercress, red onion, extra-virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, Calabrian chiles, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Used hanger steak (so tender!) instead of strip steak
• Used grilled bread that we had on hand instead of focaccia
• Left out the watercress

Recipe: Pan-Seared Scallops with Chorizo and Corn

Pan-Seared Scallops with Chorizo and Corn
Bon Appetit Magazine, Sep 2018, p.44
5 stars

We made another delicious restaurant-worthy dish that I could see South Carolina Chef Sean Brock or Texas Chef Stephen Pyles making. It's surprisingly a relatively "quick" dish to make!

We had made this before, but bought chorizo that was too oily and that fell apart last time so I hadn't taken a photo or blogged about it. This time, the dish was perfect. When making this dish, make sure to use fresh corn, not frozen.

Ingredients: large sea scallops, corn, smoked Spanish chorizo, scallions, cilantro, garlic, serrano, buttermilk, butter, lime, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Halved the amount of garlic (afraid it was going to overpower the dish)
• Used about half the amount of scallions
• Served gruyere bread on the side

Recipe: Rice Noodle Salad Bowls with Grilled Lemongrass Chicken

Rice Noodle Salad Bowls with Grilled Lemongrass Chicken
Food and Wine Magazine, Feb 2019, p. 74
4.5 stars

We don't have a Vietnamese restaurant near where we live, so I haven't had my "vermicelli bowl" with pork and spring roll in a long time. I found this recipe in my stash, and it's restaurant-worthy! No need to go to a Vietnamese restaurant anymore for the bowls, well, unless we don't want to take the time to make this as there is a lot of chopping and steps. The chicken marinade flavor was so good, we'll have to remember this for other Asian dishes.

Ingredients for the marinade: lemongrass, shallot, light brown sugar, canola oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, cayenne pepper

Ingredients for the bowl: chicken thighs, rice stick noodles, lettuce, bean sprouts, cucumber, cilantro, mint, basil, roasted peanuts or cashews, canola oil

Ingredients for the Nuoc Cham: water, lime juice, maple syrup or sugar, rice vinegar, fish sauce, carrot, Thai chile or serrano, garlic

Optional: fried shallots or onions

Tips:

• Added carrot to the bowls
• Didn't make or add fried shallots or onions
• This is a "light" dish so next time, serve with gyoza or egg/spring rolls

Burrata and Prosciutto Toast ("Somebody Feed Phil" Inspired)

Burrata and Prosciutto Toast ("Somebody Feed Phil" Inspired from His Chicago Episode)
5 stars

My all-time favorite food show is "Somebody Feed Phil" on Netflix. It makes me so happy watching it -- seeing Phil travel to amazing places around the world, getting to know people and their cultures as well as eating amazing food, all while having fun (I laugh every time!).

We were watching his Chicago episode on Season 3 where he goes to Monteverde restaurant and tries one of the chef's favorite menu items -- an appetizer called Burrata E Ham. On their menu, here is the description:

BURRATA E HAM

rosemary tigelle, culatta prosciutto, arugula, grilled cherry tomato, toasted garlic  24

Tempesta finocchiona  add 5   prosciutto butter  add 4

We made the dish for much less than $24.

At some point, I'll figure out how to make rosemary tigelle, but here's how we made it (similar to how Phil ate it on the show) which is a little different from what is described above:

- Toasted bread
- Buttered the bread
- Added prosicutto
- Added shaved cantaloupe
- Added burrata

Mmmmmmm mmmmmm! (Can you hear Phil saying that? It's what I said it when we ate this!)

Recipe: Melissa Joan Hart's Lasagna Roll-ups

Melissa Joan Hart's Lasagna Roll-ups
Us Weekly, Dec 11, 2017, p.58
5 stars

After having steak and more meat than usual, I was looking for a good vegetarian dish, and THIS IS IT!!!  We've made this before, but I hadn't blogged/logged it in this journal.

This dish is so good, you won't even miss the meat. Note that the dish is a little watery, but that is to be expected because of the zucchini. Really great dish for people who want lasagna but are trying to cut out white pasta/carbs. Interestingly, the red bell pepper adds a nice flavor and crunch. Can't wait to eat the leftovers!

Ingredients: zucchini, 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, ricotta or cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, spinach or kale, carrots, red bell pepper, egg, parsley, basil, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Layered the zucchini instead of rolling them
• Took about 45 min for prep
• Used spinach 
• Used ricotta

Recipe: Burst Cherry Tomatoes and Pancetta

Burst Cherry Tomatoes and Pancetta
Food and Wine Magazine, July 2018, p. 35
5 stars

Of all the dishes we've made that go with bread/toast, this one is my favorite. It has so much flavor because of the pancetta. This dish can be an appetizer, but we had it as our main meal and tossed in some pasta with it. And check it out -- just 7 ingredients including the bread itself!

Ingredients: toasted bread, cherry tomatoes, pancetta, ricotta, yellow onion, garlic, fine sea salt

Tips:

• Add red pepper flakes
• As mentioned above, we boiled pasta on the side and tossed some of the tomato mixture with it
• Add some fresh basil to the top when serving

Recipe: Chicken and Pork Paella

Chicken and Pork Paella
Food and Wine Magazine, Sept 2017, p.112
5 stars

Paella and cava. DELICIOUS!!!!
This was a really different paella recipe as you can see from the ingredient list below -- no seafood! We have been enjoying the leftovers from this as it made quite a bit. I would definitely serve this to guests at a dinner party.

Ingredients: chicken thighs, pork ribs, tomatoes, frozen artichoke hearts, romano beans, scallions, chicken stock, red bell pepper, Bomba rice, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, saffron, pimenton de la Vera (smoked sweet Spanish paprika), rosemary sprig, boiling water, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Couldn't find Bomba rice so used arborio rice instead
• Excluded romano beans but use green beans next time
• Next time, add chorizo!

(Find recipe under: Entree - Vegetable Tortilla)

Recipe: Quick-Pickled Vegetables

Quick-Pickled Vegetables

I found this recipe and am including it here for reference for when we need it

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 cup thinly sliced vegetables

• Whisk the unseasoned rice vinegar, sugar and Kosher salt together until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
• Add vegetables and let sit, squeezing gently with your hands occasionally to help them pickle more quickly for about 10 minutes.
• Vegetables can be pickled 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Recipe: Pork Volcanes al Pastor

Pork Volcanes al Pastor
Bon Appetit Magazine, Mar 2020, p. 59
5 stars
Restaurant-worthy!

I've been missing going out to restaurants to try new foods, so I've been thinking about how we can make restaurant-level dishes, and this is definitely one of them. I can't wait to eat the leftovers and make this again!

The chiles give layers of flavor/complexity (note that it's not too spicy, and we actually added jalapenos as a garnish). The flavorful pork along with the crispy tortillas ~ like tostadas and the melted cheese, cilantro, onion -- this is a "wow" dish.

Ingredients: corn tortillas, pork shoulder, Oaxaca cheese, white onion, cilantro, guajillo chiles, morita chiles, achiote (annatto) paste, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Couldn't find achiote paste but did find annatto which we ground up.
• Next time, cube the pork so it's easier to eat.
• The marinade is DELICIOUS. There will be lots of extra marinade so cook it and use it as a sauce or as a dip to eat with chips.
• It didn't take nearly 35 min to crisp up the tortillas. Will note the amount of time the next time we make this.
• Added jalapeno as a garnish to give additional heat.

Recipe: Green Chile Enchiladas

Not a beautiful dish, but it's delish

Green Chile Enchiladas
Better Homes and Gardens, July 2020, p. 96
5 stars

I don't know who subscribed me to Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, but I do flip through every issue and have found some valuable content. To be honest, I'm wary of their recipes compared to what I might find in Food & Wine and Bon Appetit Magazine maybe it's because I feel like BH&G caters to more mainstream food tastes, whereas, I really like complex, hot/spicy, non-mainstream flavors.

I was craving enchiladas and saw this recipe that came from Frontier Restaurant which was highlighted in the "Route 66" article as a must-stop place to eat in New Mexico (it's near the University of New Mexico). These enchiladas were so delicious. As I'm writing this, I'm hoping that blog contributor the grandcruman left some for me in the fridge for lunch. We have a couple of other enchilada recipes we've tried that I've blogged about which are good, but different styles; this one is definitely being added to our enchilada repertoire.

Ingredients: flour or corn tortillas, sharp cheddar cheese, ground pork, russet potatoes, canned diced Hatch green chiles, yellow onion, white onion, chicken broth, serrano, yellow cornmeal, garlic, olive oil

Notes:

• As noted in the recipe, there is plenty of leftover green chile stew leftover that you can freeze. (Note for us -- it filled a medium glass containers with a blue top.)
• It made about 9 enchiladas.
• Forgot the serrano so there wasn't a lot of heat even though we used half hot diced Hatch chiles and half mild. Need to remember the serrano next time!

Recipe: Warm Sausage and Lentil Salad

Warm Sausage and Lentil Salad
Food and Wine Magazine, Jan 2018, p. 73
5 stars

I wouldn't call this a salad, per se. It's a delicious entree that is relatively healthy -- I LOVED it. Blog contributor the grandcruman didn't think it was 5 stars, but he's not writing this blog. I thought the flavor was spot on, and I looked forward to eating the leftovers. There was the acidity from the red wine vinegar dressing, the crunch from the walnuts, heartiness from the lentils, complexity from adding the fennel and parsley and who doesn't like sausage? I'd make this again in a heartbeat.

Ingredients: carrots, fennel, garlic sausages, green lentils, shallots, thyme, walnuts, bay leaf, parsley, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Notes:

• Doubled the amount of carros (and used tri-color carrots that I love from Trader Joe's)

Recipe: Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken

Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken
Food & Wine Magazine, Sept 2018, p. 68
4.5 stars

Easy weeknight Asian stir-fry meal. This recipe comes from Charles Phan, the chef at The Slanted Door (been there!) in San Francisco. We had the chicken for dinner with steamed rice and broccoli. The sauce was amazing drizzled over the broccoli -- it had a really nice heat from the Thai chiles.

This recipe was in the "40 Years of Food & Wine" issue back from September 2018 (they selected this has a top recipe from 40 years of recipes!)

Ingredients: chicken, shallot, fresh Thai chiles, cilantro, dark brown sugar, fish sauce, canola oil, water, rice vinegar, garlic, fresh ginger, ground pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Fish sauce has a strong flavor so we used less than the 1/4 cup
• Used chicken breast instead of chicken thighs

(Find paper recipe under: Entree - Pasta with Sausage, Mustard and Basil)

Drink Recipe: Sarah's Garibaldi

Sarah's Garibaldi
Martha Stewart Living, Nov 2019, p.74
5 stars

You have to like Campari for this cocktail! I loved it, but I like bitter drinks with a lot of complexity. The bitterness of the Campari is definitely smoothed out by the orange juice.

This drink is so simple to make -- basically shake up the following in a cocktail shaker and strain into a coupe or martini glass:

• 2 oz Campari
• 1 oz fresh orange juice
• A few dashes of orange bitters
• Garnish with an orange twist

Notes:

• I used 2 oz of orange juice
• Next time, top off with sparkling water or club soda to give it some fizz

Recipe: Salsa de Arbol

Salsa de Arbol
Bon Appetit Magazine, p. 58
4.5 stars

There's fresh, bright non-roasted salsa and then there's fresh roasted salsa with a deeper flavor like this recipe. It's so easy to make and the ingredients are items we (can) always have on hand.

Ingredients: can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes, dried chiles de arbol, lime juice, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Add jalapeno!

(Find recipe under: Entree - Pork Volcanes al Pastor)