We made this cabbage slaw by Feasting at Home: https://www.feastingathome.com/mexican-slaw/ This was very tasty, and we definitely will make it again. But the next time we may try to slice the cabbage with a mandolin. Our modifications: first, we omitted the cilantro. Second, we used 1 small shallot instead of an onion, and we followed…… Continue reading Mexican cabbage slaw
Matzoh ball soup from frozen chicken, pressure cooker style
In our household, we routinely freeze extra pieces of raw chicken, including bits of fat and skin (e.g., chicken backs leftover from packages of chicken quarters). Today we made chicken soup from frozen, bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (3 wings, 1 chicken thigh, 2 drumsticks, 3 chicken backs and leftover fat / skin trimmings); carrots, celery,…… Continue reading Matzoh ball soup from frozen chicken, pressure cooker style
Korean cucumber salad (oi muchim)
We tried this straightforward recipe from Maangchi: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/oi-muchim Our modifications: first, we used 3 Persian cucumbers instead of 1 English cucumber. Second, we omitted the onion. Finally, we added the optional ingredient, about 1 tsp sugar. This was a quick and tasty recipe, probably our favorite version of this Korean cucumber dish. (July 2025)
SkinnyTaste’s Hamburger Helper with minced turkey
My husband and I had a craving for Hamburger Helper from our childhood, but we wanted to make a healthier, scratch version. We tried this SkinnyTaste recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/homemade-hamburger-helper/. Our modifications: first, instead of beef, we used 3/4 lb of minced turkey and 1/4 tsp Kashmiri low-heat ground pepper (instead of paprika). We also sopped up…… Continue reading SkinnyTaste’s Hamburger Helper with minced turkey
Dominican onion, apple, and spice tea (el té de cebolla)
I am recovering from a weeks-long illness that has left me with a lingering cough. A friend shared her grandmother’s Southern home remedy, an onion simmered in water with a wide variety spices and aromatics. I felt inspired by this Dominican recipe: https://loisa.com/blogs/comida-real/dominicans-are-boosting-their-immune-systems-with-this-traditional-onion-tea, which I modified by adding the wide variety of spices and aromatics…… Continue reading Dominican onion, apple, and spice tea (el té de cebolla)
Burmese sour soup with chayote and catfish (chin-yay hin, version 2)
This is a Burmese recipe from my friend’s sister Ma Thicht, who is an incredible home cook. Basic soup ingredients: 1 medium bottle gourd (or two chayote squash), peeled and cut into 1/2” bite-sized slices; bamboo shoot tips, sliced into 1/4” lengthwise slices (see Note 1 below); 2 tsp (or up to 1 Tbsp) shrimp…… Continue reading Burmese sour soup with chayote and catfish (chin-yay hin, version 2)
Simple romaine lettuce salad
We made this simple salad to accompany soy-honey chicken drumsticks and jasmine rice. The recipe was simple, with a light hand at dressing: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/281305/simple-romaine-salad/ (July 2025)
Seared lemon-pepper chicken breasts
This NYT recipe sounded intriguing, so we tried it this evening: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026851-lemon-pepper-chicken-breasts?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We served it with roasted broccolini and jasmine rice (not shown). This was enjoyable to eat, but we found the lemon butter garlic sauce heavy and gratuitous. This was a tasty dish. (May 2025)
Lemon herb roasted chicken with potatoes and asparagus
We spotted this recipe from Instagram and decided to try it: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIaSusnhCLA/?igsh=MTFsb3hkZjNpY210OA== The instructions were scant (and sometimes inconsistent with the video), but we followed the ingredient list in the second photo (below). Our modifications: first, due to our overly sensitive smoke alarm, we used canola oil instead of olive oil based on our overly…… Continue reading Lemon herb roasted chicken with potatoes and asparagus
Baked ziti with roasted cauliflower, bell pepper, and shallots
We love making casseroles for Sunday dinners and weekday lunch, so we tried this Cookie + Kate recipe: https://cookieandkate.com/baked-ziti-recipe-with-roasted-vegetables/ Our modifications: first, to reduce sodium, we mixed 24 oz Rao’s marinara with 8 oz no-salt tomato sauce to make 32 oz (4 cups) of red sauce. We also added crushed red pepper flakes (approx. 1/2…… Continue reading Baked ziti with roasted cauliflower, bell pepper, and shallots
Cooking Adventures 