Turkey and potato keema puffs

This is our latest pandemic addiction. We made this filling: https://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/152921985856/indian-style-curried-minced-turkey-with-potatoes. We froze batches of it in 16 oz containers. We defrost a container and make curry puffs using premade puff pastry. We tried Wewalka brand pastry sheets (13.2 oz), which fills up only one baking sheet and yields 8 puffs. Because the parchment paper… Continue reading Turkey and potato keema puffs

Italian mushroom ragu with pan-seared polenta rounds

We modified a recipe from David Ruggerio’s Little Italy Cookbook. As a shortcut, we used a tube of premade polenta. First, in a 10" straight-walled stainless steel pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Saute 4 shallots (diced) until fragrant, then added 1 lb (16 oz) cremini mushrooms (cut into ½" slices) and… Continue reading Italian mushroom ragu with pan-seared polenta rounds

French-style carrot salad

We tried this recipe: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/french-grated-carrot-salad.html Our modifications: first, instead of grating the carrots, we peeled and trimmed four medium-large carrots and then peeled them into ribbons. Second, we halved the dressing recipe. Instead of lemon, we used juice from 1 small lime. We also used 1 tsp Maille whole grain mustard instead of Dijon. We… Continue reading French-style carrot salad

Pasta with breadcrumbs and anchovies, Sicilian style

We tried this simple recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1006-pasta-with-bread-crumbs-and-anchovies-sicilian-style?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Our modifications: first, we used 2 tsp anchovy paste in lieu of fillets. Second, based on our pantry, we cooked ½ lb linguini. Finally, for the toasted breadcrumbs, we used store-bought breadcrumbs and toasted it in olive oil, per tge recipe (July 2020).

Berries with honey-lime dressing

We loosely followed this easy recipe: https://kristineskitchenblog.com/berry-fruit-salad/ For the fruit, we rinsed and drained 6 oz raspberries and 1 dry pint blueberries. For the dressing, we used the juice and zest from one large lime and 1 Tbsp honey. For increased depth of flavor, we added a dash each freshly ground black pepper and a… Continue reading Berries with honey-lime dressing

Potato salad with lemon vinaigrette

We tried this mayo-free recipe for the 4th of July: https://www.recipetineats.com/lemon-potato-salad/ Our modifications: first, we used only 1 lb baby Yukons (halved), but still made the full dressing recipe. For the dressing, we used zest from 2 lemons (not just 1). We also used whole grain mustard instead of Dijon, and we added ¼ tsp… Continue reading Potato salad with lemon vinaigrette

Italian-style pasta salad with roasted eggplant, anchovy, and mint

Details here: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12862-pasta-salad-with-roasted-eggplant-chile-and-mint?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Our modifications: first, to roast the diced eggplant, we increased the temp to 425, but at the 15 min mark, we increased to 450; this is because the eggplant pieces may have been too crowded on two sheets that they started steaming. We roasted for about 30-35 mins until browned and crisp… Continue reading Italian-style pasta salad with roasted eggplant, anchovy, and mint

Summer minestrone soup with zucchini, turnip, and basil

We tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016431-summer-minestrone-with-fresh-basil?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Our modifications: first, instead of canned cannelini beans, we used 1 ¾ cups homemade presoaked cannelini beans, which are not as fully cooked as the canned version (method here: https://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/622117884905259008/quick-soaking-cannellini-beans-pressure-cooker). As a result, we added the presoaked cannelini beans earlier, at the same stage as the bouquet garni. Second, instead… Continue reading Summer minestrone soup with zucchini, turnip, and basil