Keema quesadilla

Earlier this week, we made a double batch of keema peas with minced turkey (https://piglettedc.wordpress.com/2018/12/28/indian-minced-bison-with-peas-we-tried-this/). In our pantry, we had 1 large tortilla, about 2 Tbsp Tillamook spicy Mexican shredded cheese, and 1/2 cup leftover keema. We made a generously stuffed quesadilla, loosely following these instructions: https://spicecravings.com/keema-matar-quesadillas-spicy-minced-meat-peas-quesadillas This was an easy and tasty way to…… Continue reading Keema quesadilla

Ground turkey and bean burrito

We were eager to try this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024725-easy-burritos?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share. Our only modification was to use 1 lb minced turkey instead of beef. Because turkey is leaner than beef, we lightly coated our Ultimate Pan with 2 tsp corn oil before laying down the turkey. We also drizzled with olive oil later in the cooking process… Continue reading Ground turkey and bean burrito

Indian minced chicken with peas (keema peas)

We tried a Madhur Jaffrey keema peas recipe using minced chicken (but we skipped the samosa): https://bigsislittledish.com/2011/01/03/turkey-or-chicken-keema-baked-samosas/ This turned out OK, but we prefer Shubhra Ramineni’s keema recipe (and there, we used minced turkey). Our modifications: we used 1 lb (not 1 1/4 lb) mince and increased the peas to 1 cup. We also removed…… Continue reading Indian minced chicken with peas (keema peas)

Black bean and sausage ragout

My stepMIL is an incredible cook, and she generously shared one of her signature recipes. First, grind 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, and 2 whole cloves. (Shortcut option: using a mortar and pestle, manually crush 1 tsp cumin seeds along with 1 tsp ground black pepper and 1/4 tsp ground cloves). Set… Continue reading Black bean and sausage ragout

Baked Japanese potato croquettes

We had about 24 oz leftover mashed potato and seasoned minced chicken from the torijaga (Japanese chicken and potato stew). We felt inspired to try this recipe: https://www.justonecookbook.com/baked-croquette/ Our modifications: first, we folded in about 1/2 cup frozen peas to the mashed potatoes. Second, instead of mixing the minced meat into the mashed potato, we… Continue reading Baked Japanese potato croquettes

Japanese chicken and potato stew (torijaga)

We have started cutting down on red meat, but we still crave old recipes such as nikujaga (a Japanese meat and potato stew featuring thinly sliced or minced beef or pork). We found this recipe for torijaga (chicken and potato stew), which uses chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces: https://youtu.be/jA-qNOIJ-LE Our modifications: first, we used… Continue reading Japanese chicken and potato stew (torijaga)

Ma po tofu with minced chicken

I grew up eating the pork version of this dish at Chinese restaurants, and every once in a while my mother made this at home from a ma po seasoning packet. Back in 2014, I decided to try a scratch recipe from Andrea Nguyen's Asian Tofu cookbook. Over time, I tweaked her ma po tofu… Continue reading Ma po tofu with minced chicken

Chinese-style chicken meatball soup with napa cabbage

We found this soup very frustrating to make, even if it ultimately came out well: https://omnivorescookbook.com/napa-cabbage-soup/ This recipe called for only 3 cups of liquid. We ultimately had to increase to 9 cups of liquid (8 cups unsalted chicken stock plus 1 cup water). We sauteed about 2 Tbsp bacon, then added 4 cups broth.… Continue reading Chinese-style chicken meatball soup with napa cabbage

Quick bolognese with store-bought marinara

We found this recipe that uses store-bought marinara as a base: https://themodernproper.com/easy-bolognese Our modifications: first, for meat we used 1 lb minced beef and 1 lb minced chicken. We also used 24 oz Rao's marinara sauce. Second, instead of heavy cream, we added 2 Tbsp unsalted butter at the end. Finally, we found the sauce… Continue reading Quick bolognese with store-bought marinara