We had several sprigs of fresh spearmint from our garden, so we tried making spearmint tea. We loosely followed these guidelines: http://www.balconycontainergardening.com/gardening/322-make-mint-tea but made a few modifications: first, rather than steeping just the leaves, we washed, patted dry, and steeped one handful of mint sprigs (including the stems). Second, we placed them in the bottom… Continue reading Spearmint tea
Turkey lentil chili
We followed this recipe: https://food52.com/recipes/29879-turkey-lentil-chili but we increased the amount of chicken broth to 6 ½ cups. We were lucky enough to have dried epazote, a Mexican herb, from our friend Enrique. (Oct. 2016)
Simply dressed avocado and tomato salad
We cut one avocado and half a tomato into ¼ inch slices, then drizzled with the juice of one lime, seasoned rice wine vinegar (Marukan yellow label), and olive oil. We sprinkled lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and garnished with cilantro. We loosely based this dish on delicious Peruvian sliced avocado salad… Continue reading Simply dressed avocado and tomato salad
Sichuan chicken dumplings
We tried this Andrea Nguyen recipe: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2010/10/sichuan-crescent-dumplings-recipe-zhong-jiaozi.html We made the following modifications: first, for the filling, we used minced chicken (dark meat) instead of pork and added 6 oz drained, minced water chestnuts for texture. Second, for the sauce, we used 1 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil (grape seed oil) in lieu of 1 Tbsp chili… Continue reading Sichuan chicken dumplings
Avocado toast with fried egg
Quick and easy breakfast. Recipe here: http://simplegreenmoms.com/skinny-fried-egg-avocado-toast/ (Oct. 2016)
Italian-style turkey mini-meatballs
We tried this recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/skinny-italian-meatballs-turkey-1-p/ We made the following modifications: (1) we first sautéed 1 medium onion (chopped) in olive oil, then added the crushed garlic cloves and sautéed for a minute before adding the crushed tomatoes and herbs; (2) we replaced half (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes with 29 oz chopped canned tomatoes that… Continue reading Italian-style turkey mini-meatballs
Braised chicken thighs and chayote
We had extra chayote and decided to try this one-pan meal: http://www.chowhound.com/recipes/braised-chicken-and-chayote-27664 First, heat a large sauté pan for 15 seconds, then pour in a little oil and spread it so that a sheen of oil covers the floor of the pan. Once the oil starts shimmering, place the chicken, skin-side down, in the pan.… Continue reading Braised chicken thighs and chayote
Ethiopian berbere chicken stew with hard-boiled eggs (doro wat)
We tried this recipe:http://www.daringgourmet.com/2013/08/27/doro-wat-spicy-ethiopian-chicken-stew/ but made a few modifications. First, instead of 7 Tbsp unsalted butter, we used a mix of butter, olive oil, and grapeseed oil (6 Tbsp total, reduced from 7). Second, we used one large red onion and sliced in along the grain. Third, we used 10 skin-on, bone-in drumsticks in lieu… Continue reading Ethiopian berbere chicken stew with hard-boiled eggs (doro wat)
Salvadoran chicken and vegetable soup (sopa de pollo con verduras)
Place a whole chicken (4-5 lb) in a stock pot, then add 2 cups celery (about 3-4 stalks), 1 cup cilantro (about 1 bunch), ½ cup each parsley (about ½ bunch) and spearmint, 1 roughly-cut tomato (about ½ cup), 1 large onion (rough-cut), 2 Tbsp chicken bouillon (here, Better Than Bouillon), and pour in enough… Continue reading Salvadoran chicken and vegetable soup (sopa de pollo con verduras)
Simple pound cake
We tried this Ina Garten recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/plain-pound-cake-recipe.html but reduced the sugar to 1 ¾ cups and salt to ¾ tsp. This recipe yields 2 regular loaves, or 1 regular loaf and 3 mini-loaves (one of which is depicted). Fill the loaves only ½ way, as the batter expands while baking. During my childhood, I grew… Continue reading Simple pound cake
Cooking Adventures 