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

Recipe: Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups

Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups

dominosugar.com

5 stars

I found this recipe while reading some industry trade news -- it caught my eye because I love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. My sister actually made these while visiting, and they were delicious and overall really easy to make! Only 6 ingredients!  The texture of the peanut butter center was spot-on, just like Reese's. Now I'm thinking about all the variations and flavors we can potentially make!

Ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate chips, all-natural crunchy peanut butter (no sugar added), powdered sugar, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, salt

Tips:

• Made half a batch and it still yielded 17 cups.
• Used a mix of semi-sweet and dark chocolate.
• It's easier and more efficient to fill each paper liner with all of the chocolate, push the peanut butter mixture into the center and then smooth the chocolate on top.
• To chill these faster so we could taste them, we put them in the fridge. If you do this, you definitely need to let them come down to room temperature so it's easier to remove the paper liner from the chocolate.

Recipe: Dal Palak

Dal Palak

Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2021, p. 26

4.8 stars

This dish turned about better than I expected especially since we don't cook many Indian-inspired dishes. Not hard, just a few components that I had to manage to get the timing right as I wanted each component to be done and ready to eat at the same time (including the falafel that I added to the side).

Ingredients: steamed rice, masoor dal (red lentils), onion, spinach, cilantro, garlic, ginger, ground turmeric, lime, ghee or unsalted butter, black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seed, small dried chile, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Added at least 2x the amount of spinach and likely could have added 4x
• Baked falafel on the side

Recipe: Tomato Salad with Blue Cheese and Crispy Shallots

Tomato Salad with Blue Cheese and Crispy Shallots

Bon Appetit Magazine, Sept 2021 p. 29

4.5 stars

This salad was fine, not amazing which is why I rated it 4.5 stars. It's super simple and is a good salad to make when we have extra blue cheese and also crispy onions (we had some fancy ones from making green bean casserole). We always have lettuce and tomato and the dressing ingredients on hand.

Ingredients: Bibb lettuce leaves, mixed tomatoes, blue cheese, fried shallots or onions, sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, extra-virgin olive oil

Notes:

• Used what we had in the fridge: romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes

Recipe: Mama Rosa's Lasagna de Carne

Mama Rosa's Lasagna de Carne

Bon Appetit Magazine, Dec 2021/Jan 2022, p.47

5 stars

This is one of the most interesting lasagnas we've made as the sauce calls for red bell pepper, cilantro and cumin (plus black olives and capers - but we didn't add these ingredients). It also was one of the best lasagnas we've ever made because hubby made the lasagna noodles from scratch. Great for a dinner party; will definitely be making it again.

Meat Sauce Ingredients: ground beef chuck, red bell pepper, onion, plum tomato, cilantro, parsley, black olives, capers, jar of marinara sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, garlic, Italian seasoning, ground cumin, extra-virgin olive oil, black pepper, Kosher salt

Assembly Ingredients: dried lasagna noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, garlic, Italian seasoning, extra-virgin olive oil, black pepper,  Kosher salt

Tips:

• Made red sauce from scratch instead of using a jar of marinara
• Made fresh lasagna noodles
• Used Impossible plant-based meat instead of ground chuck (also cut the amount in half from 2 lbs to 1 lb)
• Used 3 garlic cloves instead of 5 so it wouldn't be too garlicky
• Left out the black olives and capers

Recipe: Garlicky Smashed Chickpeas with Corn

Garlicky Smashed Chickpeas with Corn

Bon Appetit Magazine, Oct 2021, p.20
4.8 stars

Super easy weeknight dish that was healthy! Nice layers of flavor but it's missing a crunch ~ something I wanted this evening. I'm trying to think of what could go with this that could add that texture.

Ingredients: eggs, chickpeas, onion, poblano chile, corn, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, dill, cilantro

Tips/Notes:

• May want to use a non-stick pan for the chickpeas -- but be careful smashing them as you don't want to scratch the pan. The chickpeas stuck to my stainless steel pan.
• Used canned corn since we had a can of it -- could also use frozen
• Used dried dill as I didn't want to buy fresh dill in case I didn't like the flavor it added -- it was fine; I probably should add more dried dill to see what it  really imparts to the flavor
• Served with falafel (more chickpeas!) since I had them in the fridge

Pan-Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Tempeh

 

Pan-Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Tempeh

Bon Appetit Magazine, Dec 2021/Jan 2022, p.40

4.8 stars

I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out -- it was not a recipe that I would've chosen to make (and we've never cooked with tempeh before), but hubby flagged it in the magazine and we made it. It was surprisingly FLAVORFUL! And oh so healthy. The chipotle chiles in adobo made the dish -- not a surprise for me as I generally love the flavor it imparts.

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, apple (Pink Lady or Honeycrisp), tempeh, chipotle in adobo, shallots, lime zest and juice, cilantro, grapeseed or vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Instead of 25-30 min, our sweet potatoes took about 35 min to roast (depends on size of the potatoes)

Recipe: Cheesy Rice Porridge with Greens

Cheesy Rice Porridge with Greens

Bon Appetit Magazine, Oct 2021, p. 18
4.9 stars

This recipe was so easy and healthy -- nice recipe to start out the new year. I didn't rate this as 5 stars because hubby didn't like this as much as me.

Ingredients: chicken broth, jasmine rice, sharp cheddar, kale or Swiss chard or spinach, chili oil

Tips

• Used vegetable broth
• Used kale
• Used chili crunch oil
• Added sharp cheddar on top
• Served with gyoza

Recipe: Chocolate-Almond Pear Tart

Chocolate-Almond Pear Tart
Bon Appetit Magazine, Oct 2021, p. 63
4.5 stars

We had 2 pears and almond flour that I needed to use so when I saw this recipe, I thought it would be perfect especially since I really love the flavor and also texture of almond flour.

This recipe took a couple of days to make because the tart dough needs to sit and then chill in the freezer. Overall, it was an easy recipe, and I liked the flavor.

Two issues: The pears that I used were too ripe, so it caused the tart to be a little too "juicy." Also, the tart filling rose and overflowed so beware if you make it and make sure to put the tart pan on a sheet pan.

Tart Dough Ingredients: Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, egg, Kosher salt

Filling and Assembly Ingredients: pears, almond flour or meal, all-purpose flour, Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, bittersweet chocolate, vanilla extract, almond extract, Kosher salt; sliced almonds and powdered sugar