We followed this recipe: https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/01/rigatoni-with-eggplant-puree/ Our modifications: 2 small Asian eggplants; 1 lb (1 1/3 pint) Campari tomatoes, quartered; 1 bulb garlic (peeled); and 1 lb penne (instead of rigatoni). We toasted the pine nuts at 325 in our toaster oven until lightly browned (about 3 mins). We also finished the pasta with a glug… Continue reading Pasta with roasted eggplant and tomato purée
Tag: 2017
Jamaican-style okra and bell pepper stirfry
I adapted a Chinese stirfry technique and added Dry Jerk Seasoning (see recipe below) for a Jamaican flavor. Cut one large (2 bulb) shallot into ¼ inch lengthwise slices. Separate, cut one red bell pepper into ¼ inch-lengthwise strips, removing seeds. Cut about 6 fresh large okra on a diagonal into ¼ inch slices. Set… Continue reading Jamaican-style okra and bell pepper stirfry
Jamaican broiled jerk snapper fillet
Preheat broiler on low and place oven rack 4 inches away from heat source. Place a rack in foil-lined baking sheet, and spray cooking oil on the rack. Pat dry one 10-ounce skin-on snapper fillet with paper towels. Mix 1 Tbsp Dry Jerk Seasoning (recipe below), 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, and a dash of hot… Continue reading Jamaican broiled jerk snapper fillet
Strawberry-peach crisp
We tried this recipe from Food & Wine: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/old-fashioned-strawberry-rhubarb-crisp Our modifications: first, the recipe calls for 2 lb rhubarb, but we could find neither fresh nor frozen, so we used 1 lb frozen peach slices instead. Because peaches are not as tart as rhubarb, we reduced the amount of white sugar by ½ cup (for… Continue reading Strawberry-peach crisp
Italian wedding soup
We tried this recipe: http://www.goodinthesimple.com/favorite-soup-italian-wedding-soup-recipe-cant-beat/ Our modifications: first, because the meatball mixture was too liquidy, we supplemented it with about 4 oz minced beef and about 2 Tbsp plain breadcrumbs. Second, we used shredded (not ground) Parmesan in the mixture and did not add any additional Parmesan directly to the soup. Third, we increased the… Continue reading Italian wedding soup
Ciabatta french toast
We tried this recipe, which is our favorite: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/french-toast-40039 (See Note 2.) The recipe is simple: using a flat, wide bowl (we use an 8x8" baking dish), combine 3 eggs, ¼ tsp salt, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 cup milk (see Note 1) below, and ½ tsp each vanilla extract and ground cinnamon (see Note 4).… Continue reading Ciabatta french toast
Simple egg white frittata with bacon and caramelized scallions
Using an 8-inch nonstick pan, we heated the pan and then added about 1 oz uncooked center-cut bacon, cut into match sticks. Once the bacon browned, we added ¼ cup chopped scallions (mainly whites) and sautéed on medium-low heat until the scallions started to caramelize. We added 5 lightly beaten egg whites (seasoned with a… Continue reading Simple egg white frittata with bacon and caramelized scallions
Simple cucumber salad
We loosely followed this recipe: http://www.coffeeandquinoa.com/2013/05/simple-cucumber-salad/ Our modifications: first, using a mandolin slicer, we thinly sliced three unpeeled Persian cucumbers (seedless mini-cucumbers) into a mixing bowl. Second, we thinly sliced one small shallot (about 2 Tbsp) in cross sections and added them to the bowl. Third, we used ¼ cup Japanese seasoned rice vinegar (Marukan… Continue reading Simple cucumber salad
Spaghetti bolognese for two
We tried this one-pot recipe (we used a 14-inch wok) from America’s Test Kitchen Dinner for Two magazine. The online recipe is available here: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/64-weeknight-pasta-bolognese (subscription required). Once we turned off the heat, I added about 2 tsp each of red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar. (Jan. 2017)
Balsamic-roasted strawberries and grapes
Preheat oven to 375. Using a 9x13" baking dish, add 1 lb (16 oz or 2 cups) each strawberries (cleaned and quartered) and grapes (here, a combo of red and black), halved lengthwise. Toss with ¼ cup each sugar and balsamic vinegar (we used a 3:1 ratio of regular balsamic and fruit-infused balsamic). Oven-roast, tossing… Continue reading Balsamic-roasted strawberries and grapes
Cooking Adventures 