Chinese steamed cod fillet with black bean sauce

This recipe is from Grace Young’s The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen, which used a whole sole fish. First, thoroughly rinse 1 lb cod fillet (in lieu of sole) in cold water, pat dry, and sprinkle the front and back ½ tsp (we used ¼ tsp) salt. Peel and julienne a 2" knob of ginger… Continue reading Chinese steamed cod fillet with black bean sauce

Chinese cabbage stirfry with bacon and chicken

We tried this recipe: https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-cabbage-stir-fry/ Our modifications: first, for the protein we sauteed bacon (about 2 strips) cut into matchsticks, and then once the bacon rendered a bit, we added one boneless chicken breast, cut into ½" thick slices (each piece about 2x2"). Second, we hand-tore ½ small head of red cabbage. This dish was… Continue reading Chinese cabbage stirfry with bacon and chicken

Fruit and oat bars with Middle Eastern flavors

We tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013145-white-house-fruit-and-oat-bars?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We made substantial modifications, including Middle Eastern flavors (pomegranate molasses, dates, and pistachios): first, for the syrup, we combined 6 Tbsp canola oil; ¼ cup each light brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and pomegranate molasses (for a total of 1 cup sweetener). Second, for the fiber, we used 2 cups… Continue reading Fruit and oat bars with Middle Eastern flavors

Middle Eastern stuffed vegetables

When our friend Mary gifted us two baby bell peppers and an ancho chile from her garden, we felt inspired to make stuffed tomatoes and peppers, along with a stuffed purple topped turnip (mainly to keep the vegetables snug in our 6 quart pot). We followed this recipe: https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/middle-eastern-stuffed-vegetables-4-ways/ Our modifications: first, we identified the… Continue reading Middle Eastern stuffed vegetables

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 3/4 tsp Maille whole grain mustard as well as 3/4… Continue reading French-style carrot salad

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

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

Chicken salad with mustard and lemon flavors (mayo-free)

We tried this recipe to use up some leftover rotisserie chicken: https://www.healthy-delicious.com/chicken-salad-sandwiches-no-mayo/ Our modifications: first, we toasted the pine nuts in the toaster oven at 300 until lightly toasted. Second, for the mustard, we used ½ tsp Dijon and 2 tsp whole grain mustard (instead of just 1 tsp Dijon). We also finely diced the… Continue reading Chicken salad with mustard and lemon flavors (mayo-free)

Banana everything cookies

This is a kitchen sink recipe that uses banana as a binder in lieu of eggs and butter, plus chocolate chips, walnuts, and oats. We tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012904-banana-everything-cookies?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We used 1 large, ripe banana. Instead of spraying the baking sheets with oil, we lined with parchment, which we then sprayed with corn oil. We… Continue reading Banana everything cookies