Zucchini boats with Lebanese flavors

Inspired by a delicious creation from my step-MIL, we tried making halved zucchini stuffed with Lebanese meat filling. Unlike traditional Lebanese cousa, we did not core small zucchini and gently simmer in seasoned tomato sauce. Instead, we loosely followed Chef Kamal al-Faqih’s recipe for filling: first, preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil-spray two 9x12" glass… Continue reading Zucchini boats with Lebanese flavors

Turkey chili

We tried this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7985-turkey-chili?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share In lieu of a bell pepper, we added 2 small-medium Korean sweet potatoes (skin on, diced). After sauteeing the minced turkey (which we reduced to 1 lb 10 oz), we set the turkey aside and then sauteed the diced sweet potato for about 5 mins before adding the onion,… Continue reading Turkey chili

SkinnyTaste slow cooker three-bean turkey chili

While on vacation, we tried this recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/crock-pot-3-bean-turkey-chili-3125-pts/ Our modifications: first, instead of canned chopped chilis, we used ½ jalapeño (seeded and diced). We also used a mix of dark and white minced turkey. Second, due to our pantry, we used 1 tsp coriander instead of cumin. We also ultimately increased the chili powder to… Continue reading SkinnyTaste slow cooker three-bean turkey chili

Chinese stirfried eggplant with minced pork

We tried this recipe: https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/chinese-eggplants-with-minced-pork/ Instead of ¼ cup minced pork, we used ½ lb (approx ½ cup) and doubled the pork marinade (minced ginger and cooking wine) while leaving all other ingredients (including Pixian sauce) in the original proportion. We used Japanese eggplant, and I think that was better than the rounder western option.… Continue reading Chinese stirfried eggplant with minced pork

Mongolian meatballs with roasted eggplant wedges

We tried this recipe: https://omnivorescookbook.com/easy-mongolian-meatballs/. We used a mix of 50% minced chicken breast and 50% minced pork. For the pepper flakes, we used only ½ tsp Burmese toasted pepper (including seeds). While making these meatballs, we preheated the oven at 425 and roasted eggplant wedges (1 medium eggplant cut into 2x1 wedges, tossed with… Continue reading Mongolian meatballs with roasted eggplant wedges

Korean wakame seaweed soup with shiitake and minced pork

We made this on the fly: first, soak about ½ oz dried wakame, broken into 1" shards (about 1.5 dry cups) in room temperature water for 30 mins; leave soaked until ready to use. At the same time, soak 7-8 dried shiitakes in hot water for 20-30 mins; drain, trim off and discard stems, and… Continue reading Korean wakame seaweed soup with shiitake and minced pork

Moroccan turkey-beef kefta meatballs, pressure cooker style

We tried this SkinnyTaste recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/moroccan-meatballs/ Our modifications: first, we used ½ lb each minced beef and turkey instead of 1 lb minced beef. Second, to add a beefy flavor (to counterbalance the turkey), we added 1 Tbsp beef stock to the meatball mixture and 2 Tbsp beef stock to the tomato sauce. Third, for… Continue reading Moroccan turkey-beef kefta meatballs, pressure cooker style

Salisbury steak meatballs

We tried this SkinnyTaste recipe, and it was delicious: https://www.skinnytaste.com/salisbury-steak-meatballs-instant-pot-stove-top-slow-cooker/. We increased the cremini mushrooms to 8 oz; we used one minced mushroom for the meatball mixture. We also browned the meatballs in batches in a large nonstick pan. We simmered the meatballs, mushrooms, and sauce on the stovetop for 29 mins. We served the… Continue reading Salisbury steak meatballs

Swedish meatloaf with caramelized cabbage (kalpudding)

We tried this recipe: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/meatloaf-with-caramelized-cabbage-swedish-kalpudding-58bf7b741a0d174bc06f9fcd We baked this in a round, high-walled 2 quart glass baking dish. To avoid potentially undercooked onion, we sauteed the minced onion in oil spray before adding to the meatloaf mixture. We used 1 cup half and half in lieu of heavy cream; this may have resulted in more liquid… Continue reading Swedish meatloaf with caramelized cabbage (kalpudding)