We have been curious about Senate navy bean soup for a while, and we decided to try this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1027174-slow-cooker-senate-bean-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Our modifications: first, we converted this recipe from a 6-8 hour slow cooker recipe to a Instant Pot (120 min high pressure) recipe. We based this conversion on RecipeTin Eats’ recipe for pea and ham…… Continue reading Senate navy bean soup, Instant Pot style
Tag: 2025
Dominican turkey picadillo
We tried this picadillo recipe: https://www.sandravalvassori.com/turkey-picadillo/. This recipe is our favorite picadillo recipe to date. Our modifications: first, we used a mix of minced turkey (1 lb) and minced chicken (1/2 lb). Second, for tomato paste and tomato sauce, we used no-salt versions. Third, based on our pantry, we made some substitutions: 1/2 cup caper…… Continue reading Dominican turkey picadillo
Fried sweet plantains (maduros)
We often bake sweet plantains to make them healthier, but we decided to try this traditional preparation: https://mydominicankitchen.com/fried-sweet-plantain-slices-platanos-maduros-fritos/ We used a large nonstick pan and 3/4 cup canola oil (instead of 1 cup). Immediately after placing the cooked plantain slices on a paper towel-lined plate, we sprinkled them with a little kosher salt. We served…… Continue reading Fried sweet plantains (maduros)
Easy banana chocolate chip bread
We had three overripe bananas, so we decided to try this recipe: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/ Our modifications: first, we used 1/2 cup white sugar. Second, after folding in the flour, we added 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter. (Oct. 2025)
Classic scrambled eggs
We make scrambled eggs only a few times a year. This is one of those dishes that we take for granted as basic, yet has mixed results if the proper technique isn’t followed. This was a good opportunity for us to refresh best practices: https://www.seriouseats.com/fluffy-scrambled-eggs-recipe (Oct. 2025)
Lebanese crispy meat-stuffed pita (arayes)
We tried this recipe from RecipeTin Eats: https://www.recipetineats.com/arayes-lebanese-meat-stuffed-pita/ We used 1 lb minced beef for the recipe. Our modifications: first, we followed the spice blend in the recipe except that we used 1/2 tsp ground Kashmiri pepper instead of cayenne. we could not find large pita, so we used five Middle East Bakery’s whole wheat…… Continue reading Lebanese crispy meat-stuffed pita (arayes)
Sheet-pan chicken tikka with bell pepper, cauliflower, and shallots
We found this recipe intriguing and decided to give it a try: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025554-sheet-pan-chicken-tikka-thighs?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share This was remarkably flavorful, with great mouthfeel; it’s definitely a keeper. Our modifications: first, 1.25 lb was the smallest unit of boneless chicken thighs we could find, so we slightly rounded up the other ingredients. For the yogurt, we used Fage nonfat…… Continue reading Sheet-pan chicken tikka with bell pepper, cauliflower, and shallots
Korean scallion and egg fried rice (bokkeum bap)
We had a craving for a mildly seasoned fried rice, so we tried this: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/egg-fried-rice-gyeran-bokkeumbap/ We found this recipe simple to make and delicious. It was reminiscent of chaufa blanco, a Chinese-Peruvian fried rice tossed with egg white, asparagus, and toasted sesame oil. Our only modification was to add 1/2 cup frozen peas. This was…… Continue reading Korean scallion and egg fried rice (bokkeum bap)
Simple baked ziti
We had a craving for baked ziti, but we had limited ingredients in our pantry – 1 lb uncooked ziti, Rao’s marinara sauce, and some cheese. We tried this simple recipe that doesn’t use ricotta cheese or heavy cream: https://asimplepalate.com/blog/easy-baked-ziti/ Our modifications: first, to manage sodium for the 3 cups of tomato sauce, we combined…… Continue reading Simple baked ziti
Japanese curry with cabbage and thinly sliced beef
We stumbled upon this version of Japanese curry, and it was delicious: https://www.japanesecooking101.com/pork-and-cabbage-curry/ Our modifications: first, instead of 12 oz thinly sliced pork, we used 10 oz thinly sliced beef. Second, we used less than 1/2 head of a small cabbage – probably closer 1/3 head. Third, we used 1/2 package of S&B hot curry…… Continue reading Japanese curry with cabbage and thinly sliced beef