Tag: pandemic cooking

Simple basil pesto

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We tried this Ina Garten recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pesto-recipe-1951665 It was delicious, but a bit too runny. The next time, we will reduce the olive oil by 1/3. (Or perhaps we should have measured the basil leaves more tightly instead of loosely.) We served this pesto with cavatappi and some quartered grape tomatoes. (Sept. 2020)

Open-faced rotisserie chicken sandwich with homemade gravy

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This was a good use of ¼ rotisserie chicken (2 skin on, bone-in thighs, the back, and a wing) that we had leftover. We made gravy following this recipe: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/chicken-gravy/ Our modifications: Because we did not have any drippings, I browned the bones (with some meat attached) and skin with about 1 Tbsp vegetable oil… Continue reading Open-faced rotisserie chicken sandwich with homemade gravy

Middle Eastern stuffed vegetables

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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

Indonesian fried rice (nasi goreng)

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We had about 3 cups leftover cooked rice and one leftover roast chicken thigh. We tried this recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/nasi-goreng-indonesian-fried-rice/ Our modifications: first, we used 3 small Thai chilis, 2 garlic cloves, and 1 medium shallot. Second, we didn’t have kecap manis, so we used 1.5 Tbsp Chinese thick soy sauce (made of molasses and soy)… Continue reading Indonesian fried rice (nasi goreng)

Homemade pop tarts

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We tried this recipe: https://lemonsandzest.com/the-easiest-homemade-pop-tarts/ For the filling, we used our homemade strawberry plum jam. First, we found that ¾ Tbsp per pop tart was sufficient. Second, we used store-bought pie crust (1 box, which had 2 layers). We strongly recommend rolling out each layer of dough to no more than 1/8" thick for a… Continue reading Homemade pop tarts

Baked rigatoni

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Inspired by the baked pasta dish we made while on vacation, we decided to try this recipe: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/baked_ziti/ Our modifications: first, for the pasta we used 1 pound of rigatoni instead of ziti. We also preheated the oven to 350 at the start of preparation. Second, for the sauce we used ¾ lb spicy Italian… Continue reading Baked rigatoni

Chilaquiles

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We had about 3 cups of leftover tortilla chips, but no salsa on hand. We followed this recipe: https://www.thekitchn.com/chilaquiles-recipe-268271 For the salsa, we had to adjust based on our pantry (and lower volume of tortilla chips). Our modifications: 14.5 oz can diced (no salt) tomatoes in lieu of fresh; 2 garlic cloves; 1 small onion… Continue reading Chilaquiles

Fruit jam oatmeal cookie bars

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Flush with homemade strawberry-plum jam, we tried this recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/11314/delicious-raspberry-oatmeal-cookie-bars/ Our modifications: first, instead of raspberry jam, we used strawberry-plum jam, recipe here: https://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/628996606180655104/strawberry-plum-jam-while-on-vacation-with-a. Second, we baked ours at 350 for 45 mins (we found 35-40 mins insufficient). After baking, we placed under the broiler (on low) for about 2 mins. We let it cool,… Continue reading Fruit jam oatmeal cookie bars