Simple (3-ingredient) mac and cheese

Mac and cheese is one of my husband’s favorite dishes. I always imagined it was too complicated to make at home, but we decided to try this recipe from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt: https://www.seriouseats.com/ingredient-stovetop-mac-and-cheese-recipe. It ingeniously calls for 6 oz each uncooked elbow macaroni, evaporated milk, and freshly shredded cheddar cheese. Our modifications: first, we doubled…… Continue reading Simple (3-ingredient) mac and cheese

Filipino sauteed bean thread noodles with vegetables and smoked tofu (pancit)

I first had pancit during college, when a Filipina-American friend made a huge batch for a potluck. Today we had a craving for a plant-forward version, so we decided to try this recipe: https://www.lifesambrosia.com/grandmas-pancit-recipe/ Unfortunately, we found the seasoning (1 Tbsp soy sauce, salt and pepper) too one-note, so we also took some seasoning tips…… Continue reading Filipino sauteed bean thread noodles with vegetables and smoked tofu (pancit)

Simple baked ziti

We had a craving for baked ziti, but we had limited ingredients in our pantry – 1 lb uncooked ziti, Rao’s marinara sauce, and some cheese. We tried this simple recipe that doesn’t use ricotta cheese or heavy cream: https://asimplepalate.com/blog/easy-baked-ziti/ Our modifications: first, to manage sodium for the 3 cups of tomato sauce, we combined…… Continue reading Simple baked ziti

Filipino sauteed bean thread noodles with vegetables (sotanghon guisado)

We were in search of a vegetable-heavy Filipino dish, so we tried this wonderful, healthy recipe for sotanghon guisado by Filipino-American food blogger Liza Agbanlog. Although her recipe calls for 2 chicken thighs, we used 6 oz smoked pressed tofu (specifically, Kong Kee brand in a red and white label), patted bone dry, and cut…… Continue reading Filipino sauteed bean thread noodles with vegetables (sotanghon guisado)

Sicilian-style pasta with canned tuna

We craved a quick pasta dish, and we tried this: https://www.recipetineats.com/canned-tuna-pasta/ The capers, anchovies, and garlic remind us of Sicilian cuisine. Our modifications: first, based on our pantry, we used 7 oz mafaldine pasta, two 5-oz cans of no-salt tuna in water (which we drained, saving the tuna liquid separately), 1 tsp anchovy paste instead…… Continue reading Sicilian-style pasta with canned tuna

SkinnyTaste’s Hamburger Helper with minced turkey

My husband and I had a craving for Hamburger Helper from our childhood, but we wanted to make a healthier, scratch version. We tried this SkinnyTaste recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/homemade-hamburger-helper/. Our modifications: first, instead of beef, we used 3/4 lb of minced turkey and 1/4 tsp Kashmiri low-heat ground pepper (instead of paprika). We also sopped up…… Continue reading SkinnyTaste’s Hamburger Helper with minced turkey

Sichuan chili sauce for wontons

At the end of the dumpling potluck, our wonderful hosts sent us home with their own homemade pork and shrimp wontons. Later that evening, we prepared Sichuan chili sauce according to this recipe: https://redhousespice.com/sichuan-spicy-wonton-in-chili-oil/ We used store-bought chili oil, but we supplemented with toasted sesame oil (about a 2:1 ratio of chili oil to sesame).… Continue reading Sichuan chili sauce for wontons

Tuscan pasta and bean soup (pasta e fagioli)

We had the most delicious pasta e fagioli at our favorite local Italian restaurant. But unlike other pasta e fagioli recipes, the restaurant's version was heavy on the beans (tender, nearly disintegrated, velvety), light brown, and had virtually no other vegetables. We suspected the soup's foundation was homemade bean broth (as opposed to stock plus… Continue reading Tuscan pasta and bean soup (pasta e fagioli)