Roasted potato, sweet potato, and mushroom hash

While on vacation with a limited pantry, we loosely followed this hash recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/wild-mushroom-yukon-gold-hash-2111863 Our modifications: first, we used 6 oz cremini mushrooms and 1 shallot. Instead of sauteeing them, we oven-roasted them at 425 until browned (about 20 mins). Second, instead of boiling the potatoes, we used ½ lb leftover oven-roasted fingerling (baby yukon… Continue reading Roasted potato, sweet potato, and mushroom hash

Baked rigatoni with minced beef

While on vacation with a limited pantry, we tried this recipe: https://www.thespruceeats.com/baked-ziti-with-ground-beef-cheese-3057389 Our modifications: first, we used a yellow bell pepper (diced), ½ large onion (diced), and 1 clove minced garlic. Second, in lieu of dried herbs, we added about 8 oz Rao’s marinara sauce to the 14.5 oz can of no-salt canned diced tomatoes… Continue reading Baked rigatoni with minced beef

Simple garlic bread

We had about half a baguette leftover, so we tried this recipe: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/garlic_bread/ Based on our pantry, we omitted the parsley and parmesan. (Sept. 2020) Note: If the bread is too soft when you cut it, you can toast it in the oven (350 for 5 mins) or even lightly place in the toaster for… Continue reading Simple garlic bread

Oven-roasted chicken drumsticks with mushrooms, shallots, and garlic

We tossed this together while on vacation. First, preheat oven to 425. Wash, drain, and pat dry 8 oz cremini mushrooms, then trim and cut into ½" slices. Place sliced mushrooms in a medium bowl, add 2 sliced shallots, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Toss with 1 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil, then lightly season with… Continue reading Oven-roasted chicken drumsticks with mushrooms, shallots, and garlic

Spiced graham cracker cookies

While we were on vacation with a limited pantry, we tried this recipe: https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-graham-cracker-cookies-232300 Lacking a food processor, we pulverized 15 planks of Annie’s graham crackers in a blender (using the “crumb” function), and we manually crumbled remnants that survived the blender. Our modifications: first, in lieu of vanilla extract, we enhanced with: ½ tsp… Continue reading Spiced graham cracker cookies

Korean dumpling soup (mandu guk)

This is a supreme shortcut version. We took inspiration from this recipe: https://mykoreankitchen.com/manduguk-korean-dumpling-soup/ Our modifications: first, for the broth, we combined 6 cups water with 1.5 tsp Better Than Bouillon beef concentrate (from a jar). When that came to a boil, we added 1.5 tsp soy sauce, 1 minced garlic clove, ½ tsp black pepper,… Continue reading Korean dumpling soup (mandu guk)

Lightly seasoned, oven-roasted broccoli

Preheat oven to 425. Rinse and dry two medium stalks broccoli. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Drizzle with about 1 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil, and sprinkle with a dash of salt, black pepper, and Aleppo (mildly spicy) pepper. Place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in oven until browned (about 15-18 mins),… Continue reading Lightly seasoned, oven-roasted broccoli

Pan-seared parmesan rice cakes

We had 3 cups of leftover cooked rice (a mix of jasmine and basmati), and we tried this recipe: https://anoregoncottage.com/parmesan-rice-cakes/ We found 4 (not 3) large eggs achieved the right batter texture. For the parmesan, we used slightly over ½ cup (not quite 2/3 cups) Kraft shredded parmesan (which we prefer to the crumbled kind)… Continue reading Pan-seared parmesan rice cakes

French-inspired hard-boiled egg sandwich

During this pandemic, I felt inspired by a French baguette sandwich I had in Bordeaux many years ago. Based on our pandemic pantry, we used ¼ baguette (halved lengthwise), mayo (enough for a light spread on both sides of the baguette), 2 hardboiled eggs, ½ tomato (three ½" slices), and 1 Tbsp minced parsley. Here… Continue reading French-inspired hard-boiled egg sandwich

Easy tuna melt

This was a good use of 1.5 cups leftover tuna salad: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/tuna-melt-recipe-2125452 Our modifications: first, we lightly toasted 4 pieces of sliced bread. Second, we lined a baking sheet with foil and then placed a wired rack inside. Third, we skipped the tuna salad recipe and cut the tomato slices into quarters. Fourth, we used… Continue reading Easy tuna melt