Pico de gallo

We made this recipe from Cookie and Kate: https://cookieandkate.com/classic-pico-de-gallo-recipe/ We prepared this condiment to season the bean filling for bean and cheese burritos: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022532-bean-and-cheese-burritos?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share. We used 3 vine-ripened tomatoes (seeds and liquid removed, then finely diced) plus about 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes from our garden (finely diced). We reduced the cilantro to 1 Tbsp. At… Continue reading Pico de gallo

Split pea soup, Instant Pot version

We had a craving for split pea soup, and we wanted to give our new Instant Pot another spin. We tried this recipe: https://www.acouplecooks.com/instant-pot-split-pea-soup/ We followed the recipe closely, except that we tossed in a few sprigs of thyme along with the peas (picked over and rinsed), 1 tsp salt, and 8 cups broth. We…… Continue reading Split pea soup, Instant Pot version

Greek-style lemony fish and orzo soup

We love avgolemono (Greek lemony chicken soup), and we tried this version using cod and orzo: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023805-lemony-fish-and-orzo-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share To our surprise, the recipe didn't call for any dill. We found the soup needed more brightness, so we added more lemon juice at the end (we ended up using one entire medium lemon for the entire recipe).… Continue reading Greek-style lemony fish and orzo soup

Mexican vegetable soup with chipotle (caldo tlalpeño)

We were in search of a plant-forward soup with Mexican flavors, so we tried this recipe: https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2023/01/mexican-vegetable-soup-with-chipotles.html We found the blogger's recipe frustratingly incomplete (for example, she called for "some chicken broth" but did not specify the amount). Regardless, this soup was very tasty. Note: this recipe easily could be vegetarian if you use vegetable… Continue reading Mexican vegetable soup with chipotle (caldo tlalpeño)

Chinese congee with smoked fish and spinach

We were craving a light, broth based soup with rice, so we tried this recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/chinese-rice-soup/ This was a quick and easy pantry recipe that yielded surprisingly complex flavors. Our modifications: first, for the protein we used 4 oz Trader Joe's smoked trout (i.e., 1 fillet), which we soaked in water for about 20 mins… Continue reading Chinese congee with smoked fish and spinach

Small batch mixed berry and grape jam

We buy fresh fruit every week, mainly for breakfast and afternoon snacks. We ended up having 1 lb strawberries, 1/2 cup blueberries, and 1 cup black seedless grapes leftover, so we decided to try this recipe: https://kickassbaker.com/mixed-berry-jam/ Our modifications: first, we reduced sugar to 1/4 cup. Second, we found the jam was ready in about…… Continue reading Small batch mixed berry and grape jam

Japanese cellophane noodle soup (harusame)

We returned home, but haven't gone food shopping yet. Relying on pantry ingredients, we tried this recipe: https://www.justonecookbook.com/japanese-glass-noodle-soup/ Our modifications: first, we made 1.5x the recipe (to yield 6 cups broth). This means: 3 eggs, 3 scallions, 3 Tbsp dried wakame, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, and 6 cups liquid (4 cups no salt chicken… Continue reading Japanese cellophane noodle soup (harusame)

Small batch rice krispie treats

I had a sudden craving for these treats but didn't want to make a full batch. We tried this recipe: https://www.dessertfortwo.com/rice-crispy-treats-small-batch/ This yielded 6 cupcake-sized treats. This small batch recipe calls for 2 Tbsp butter, which we found to be too much for 10 standard marshmallows and 1.5 cups crisped rice. The next time we… Continue reading Small batch rice krispie treats