Oven-roasted Italian sausage with shallot and bell pepper

This recipe is from my step-MIL, who applied a Provencal flavor profile to a traditional Italian dish. Preheat oven to 400. Using 8 large raw Italian mild pork sausages (see Note below), prick each sausage with a fork (three times on top and on bottom). Cut one yellow and one red bell pepper in half… Continue reading Oven-roasted Italian sausage with shallot and bell pepper

Eggplant parmesan casserole

We tried a variation of the NYT recipe for zucchini parmesan, using 2.5 lb eggplant in lieu of zucchini: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017523-zucchini-parmesan?login=emailWe followed our modifications to the original recipe, details here: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/163022801851/zucchini-parmesan-casserole-we-had-an-abundance We found that the eggplant slices took more time to roast, becoming brown on both sides after about 20 mins at 450. As a shortcut,… Continue reading Eggplant parmesan casserole

Zucchini parmesan casserole

We had an abundance of zucchini, so we made this with our pantry ingredients: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017523-zucchini-parmesan Our modifications: First, we used one shallot instead of a small onion. Second, in lieu of 2.5 lb fresh tomatoes, we used two 28 oz cans whole peeled canned tomatoes. To save time, we puréed the canned tomatoes before adding… Continue reading Zucchini parmesan casserole

Stuffed Swiss chard leaves

We followed this basic recipe for stuffed cabbage leaves: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/122717650121/polish-stuffed-cabbage-leaves-galumpki-recipe However, we had to modify the recipe due to availability of ingredients. First, we used 10-11 rainbow Swiss chard leaves (2 bunches), with stems removed. We gently parboiled the leaves in slightly salted water with 1 tsp white vinegar (to preserve the bright colors), and… Continue reading Stuffed Swiss chard leaves

Shredded potato and sun dried tomato casserole

We tried this recipe: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-egg-hash-brown-casserole-with-cheddar-sun-dried-tomatoes-167015 We used one shallot instead of a small onion. (Apr. 2017) Note: For the 3 Tbsp hot mustard, we followed this recipe: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/01/hot-mustard-recipe.html We whisked together 3 Tbsp Colman’s hot mustard powder with 3 Tbsp cold water in a medium mixing bowl, to which we later added the eggs and… Continue reading Shredded potato and sun dried tomato casserole

Spaghetti pie with pecorino, black pepper., and broccoli raab

We tried this for brunch: https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/01/spaghetti-pie-with-pecorino-and-black-pepper/ Instead of 8 oz pecorino, we used 6 oz pecorino and 2 oz parmesan. We also added about ½ tsp crushed red pepper to the egg mixture. Finally, I concur with Smitten Kitchen that the springform pan needs to be tightly wrapped with foil to avoid unwanted spillage. I… Continue reading Spaghetti pie with pecorino, black pepper., and broccoli raab

Colombian ripe plantain and cheese cake (torta de maduro)

We tried this casserole recipe, but we had only four ripe (nearly black) plantains. For the fifth, we substituted with one ripe banana and 1 tsp flour (since plantains have a higher starch content than bananas). We used an 8x8 baking dish, which we buttered. At the end of baking, we broiled on low for… Continue reading Colombian ripe plantain and cheese cake (torta de maduro)

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

Simple lasagna with hearty tomato meat sauce for two

We tried an America’s Test Kitchen recipe from their Dinners for Two magazine; access to the online recipe requires a subscription: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/361-simple-lasagna-with-hearty-tomato-meat-sauce Unfortunately, our loaf pan was too small to fit the recipe (which presumably requires a 9x5 loaf pan), so we ended up having to transfer it to an 8x8 baking dish, breaking the… Continue reading Simple lasagna with hearty tomato meat sauce for two