On this snow day, we decided to try out this Smitten Kitchen recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/11/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-and-pecan-cookies. We ran out of pecans, so we substituted half of the pecans with dried cherries. We also used rolled oats instead of quick-cook oats. These cookies ended up being overly sweet (probably due to the 12 oz of chocolate) and quite… Continue reading Oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips, pecans, and dried cherries
Vegetable pasta soup
This is a simple chicken broth-based soup recipe from Food Network. It calls for orzo or any small pasta; we used ditalini. This easily can be vegetarian if you use vegetable broth in lieu of chicken broth. We also added a dash of crushed red pepper, bay leaf, 3 sprigs thyme, 1 tsp dill, 3… Continue reading Vegetable pasta soup
Spinach, rice, and cheese casserole
We had leftover cooked rice and a lot of frozen spinach, so we decided to try this recipe. We used shallots instead of onion (see Note 2 below) and added a dash of marash pepper for a little heat. We also used haiga (Japanese medium-grain) rice. After baking in a buttered 2 quart baking dish… Continue reading Spinach, rice, and cheese casserole
Indian spiced hot chocolate
This recipe from Aarti Sequiera adds a nice twist to classic hot chocolate with the use of green cardamom, curry powder, and honey. Recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/spiced-hot-chocolate-recipe.html (Jan. 2016)
Indian split chickpea and zucchini curry
Recipe from Shubhra Ramineni’s Healthy Indian Vegetarian Cooking: Easy Recipes for the Hurry Home Cook [Vegetarian Co… https://www.amazon.com/dp/0804843112/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_8vOkxbH67ZR08. (Jan. 2016)
Spicy chocolate pudding
We followed this chocolate pudding recipe from Tyler Florence: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chocolate-pudding-recipe.html, and then at the end, we added a dash (about 1/8 tsp) cayenne for some heat. We also used 1-2% milk instead of whole milk. (Jan. 2016)
Sloppy lasagna, pressure-cooker style
This marked my first time using a pressure cooker to make lasagna, both the sauce and cooking the lasagna sheets. The recipe is from the Hip Pressure Cooking cookbook by Laura Pazzaglia. Here is a similar recipe she posted on her Hip Pressure Cooking blog: http://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooker-pasta-casserole-a-cheesy-meaty-mess-mezzemaniche-pasticciate/. The sloppy lasagna was very tasty, but I burnt… Continue reading Sloppy lasagna, pressure-cooker style
Broccoli and cheddar frittata
We tried this healthy recipe from Ellie Krieger: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/broccoli-and-cheddar-frittata-recipe2.html. It uses 4 eggs and 4 egg whites. We added a dash of marash pepper and chopped Italian parsley. We served this with simply dressed tomatoes, here: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/121554237486/simply-dressed-tomatoes-slice-tomatoes-any-type (Jan. 2016)
Palestinian pumpkin and red lentil stew (ari’ w adas)
Using a large Dutch oven, sauté one chopped onion in 2 Tbsp olive oil until tender and fragrant. Add 6-7 cups peeled and chopped pumpkin or butternut squash (here, the latter), lightly season with salt and black pepper, and sauté for about 3 mins. Add 1 cup of drained and rinsed red lentils and 6… Continue reading Palestinian pumpkin and red lentil stew (ari’ w adas)
Egg white omelette with oven-roasted veggies
We used about 1 cup of leftover oven-roasted parsnips and carrots (see recipe here:http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/134039844991/oven-roasted-parsnips-and-carrots-preheat-oven) and 5 egg whites to make this crispy omelette in a pan lightly coated with olive oil. It’s a good use of leftovers (Jan. 2016)
Cooking Adventures 