Chinese celery and carrot tossed with sesame oil and five-spice peanuts

To recreate an appetizer we tried at a Montreal dumpling house, we tried this Andrea Nguyen recipe as our base: https://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2012/07/celery-and-carrot-tossed-with-sesame-recipe.html We used 4 large celery stalks and 2 medium carrots (orange and purple). We increased the sesame oil to 2 tsp. We then added ½ cup drained, Chinese five-spice boiled peanuts (http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/182349694281/chinese-five-spice-peanuts-pressure-cooker-style), tossed with… Continue reading Chinese celery and carrot tossed with sesame oil and five-spice peanuts

Oven-roasted fingerling potatoes

We loosely followed this recipe but skipped the seasonings except salt, black pepper, and olive oil. https://www.budgetbytes.com/rosemary-roasted-potatoes/ In addition, to accommodate roast chicken pieces concurrently in the oven, we initially roasted at 400 (for 20 mins) and then increased to 425 until the potato halves were brown and crispy (an additional 20 mins). We garnished… Continue reading Oven-roasted fingerling potatoes

Indian minced meat with peas (keema matar)

We tried this keema matar recipe from Shubhra Ramineni’s Entice with Spice cookbook, except that we substituted minced bison for minced lamb. First, using a high-walled stainless steel skillet, turn on medium heat without oil and then add 1 lb minced lamb (here, minced bison). Saute until browned, then drain the fatty liquid (it will… Continue reading Indian minced meat with peas (keema matar)

Vietnamese-inspired chicken congee with celery

Feeling under the weather, we modified Andrea Nguyen’s chicken back and celery rice (http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/116232038826/vietnamese-chicken-back-and-celery-rice-recipe) to make a comforting porridge. First, using a pressure cooker, we combined two large chicken backs and some additional chicken skin (from freezer), about 6 inches of peeled ginger (cut into 1-inch penny slices and each lightly smashed), 2 large shallots… Continue reading Vietnamese-inspired chicken congee with celery

Syrian pan-seared coriander chicken

We tried this recipe from Mayada Anjari’s cookbook, The Bread and Salt Between Us. First, using a mortar and pestle, smash 6 large cloves garlic with ½ tsp kosher salt into a paste, then set aside. Second, using a large, high-walled stainless steel pan, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Add the garlic… Continue reading Syrian pan-seared coriander chicken

Classic pecan pie

My husband made this pecan pie with this recipe: https://cookiesandcups.com/easy-pecan-pie-recipe/ He made one significant modification: instead of only light corn syrup, he used a 50:50 ratio of light and dark corn syrup. For the egg, he used one large egg (lightly beaten). He used a frozen pie crust (specifically, Giant brand deep dish, which comes… Continue reading Classic pecan pie

Sheetpan sweet and spicy chicken with carrots, lemon, and dates

We tried this NYT recipe for an easy Rosh Hashanah dinner: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016808-sweet-and-spicy-roast-chicken As some NYT comments suggested, we cut the carrots a little thinner to make sure they would be done at the same time as the chicken. After marinating overnight, we placed the vegetable mixture in a single layer on an oil-sprayed rimmed baking… Continue reading Sheetpan sweet and spicy chicken with carrots, lemon, and dates

Lemon sheet cake with buttercream frosting

We tried this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019261-lemon-sheet-cake-with-buttercream-frosting We made only a few modifications: first, we cut out parchment to cover only the bottom of the 9x13" baking dish, but we left the sides alone. We secured the parchment to the bottom of the baking dish with a few dabs of unsalted butter on glass bottom, which… Continue reading Lemon sheet cake with buttercream frosting

Oven-baked potatoes

We followed this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016869-baked-potatoes We topped with plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. (Sept. 2018) Note: The original recipe recommends baking at 450 for 45 mins. We sometimes modify this to 425 for 1 hour (even up to 1.5 hours) to bake concurrently with roast meat such as buttermilk roast turkey breast (roasted… Continue reading Oven-baked potatoes