Polenta with sausage and spiralized butternut squash

Details here: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016103-butternut-squash-polenta-with-sausage-and-onion Our modifications: first, for the polenta, we used 5 oz spiralized butternut. We also added about 1/3 cup water slowly over time while simmering to make sure the polenta mixture wasn’t too viscous. Second, we used a mix of hot and sweet Italian chicken sausage (2 links each). We also sautéed the… Continue reading Polenta with sausage and spiralized butternut squash

Quick spaghetti bolognese

We tried this recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/spaghetti-bolognese/ We used 1 lb minced bison instead of minced beef. To reduce sodium, we omitted the beef bouillon cubes. At the end of seasoning, we added a splash each of fruit-flavored white balsamic and traditional balsamic vinegar; we also added a dash of crushed red pepper. We recommend increasing the… Continue reading Quick spaghetti bolognese

Chicken sautéed with Meyer lemon

We tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12312-sauteed-chicken-with-meyer-lemon We made minor modifications: first, we substituted the leeks with one large shallot. Second, we increased the amount of pickled Meyer lemon to 1 ½ (instead of 1). We still found this dish lacked acid; we may add some standard lemon juice or apple cider vinegar at the end to… Continue reading Chicken sautéed with Meyer lemon

Chicken stewed with tomato and garlic

Details here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/chicken-with-tomatoes-and-garlic/ We generally followed this recipe except: first, we used 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (each cut into three pieces) and 6 drumsticks. Second, we added a shallot (rough cut) and sautéed it with the chicken in butter and oil. Third, for fresh herbs, we used one large sprig each thyme and rosemary… Continue reading Chicken stewed with tomato and garlic

Healthier eggplant parmesan

We tried this Cookie & Kate recipe, which uses oven-roasted, non-breaded eggplant slices: https://cookieandkate.com/2017/italian-eggplant-parmesan-recipe/ Our modifications: first, we doubled the amount of sauce because we prefer saucy casseroles. Even so, we almost ran out of sauce for the final layer (we had three layers of eggplant). Second, we did not have a 9x9” baking dish,… Continue reading Healthier eggplant parmesan

Italian-style lemony pasta with chick peas

Details here: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018591-lemony-pasta-with-chickpeas-and-parsley First, we increased the chick peas from 2 cups to two cans (14.5 oz each) chick peas. We rinsed and drained the chick peas, then used 1.5 cups vegetable stock later in the recipe. Second, we used 1 large shallot instead of ½ onion. Third, we used the zest of a whole… Continue reading Italian-style lemony pasta with chick peas

Simple panzanella

We tried this recipe based on our pantry: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/09/classic-panzanella-salad-recipe.html Our modifications: we used 2/3 lb sliced Whole Foods pain de campagne (country bread), which we cut into bite-sized pieces. After lightly coating them with olive oil, we sprinkled about 1 tsp dried Greek oregano before toasting in the oven (at 400 for 7-10 mins, turning… Continue reading Simple panzanella

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