We tried this recipe: https://www.seriouseats.com/best-baked-ziti-parmesan-cream-recipe Our modifications: first, we used 1 lb (not 1.5 lb) whole wheat penne, 24 oz Rao's marinara sauce mixed with 8 oz no-salt tomato sauce, 8 oz shredded low-fat mozzarella, and 4 oz diced Monterey Jack cheese. Finding the parmesan sauce too fatty (heavy cream + parmesan), we tried a… Continue reading Baked pasta with store-bought marinara
Tag: quick meals
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
Minced chicken Sloppy Joes
We had 1 lb minced chicken and made a healthy, vegetable-filled version of this classic dish. We tried this recipe: https://www.babaganosh.org/chicken-sloppy-joes/ For vegetables, we finely minced 1/2 bell pepper, 1 jalapeño pepper, 1 shallot, and 2 celery stalks. This was really tasty. (May 2022)
Pakistani minced chicken with bell pepper (keema shimla mirch)
We tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023125-keema-shimla-mirch-ground-chicken-with-bell-peppers?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We followed the recipe exactly, including the order of cooking the aromatics, chicken, and spices. We used yellow bell pepper. This was very tasty. (Apr. 2022)
Indian-style spiced mixed vegetables (sabzi)
We tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022751-mixed-sabzi?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share To transform this recipe from a side dish to a full meal, we added 14.5 oz chick peas (drained and rinsed) and doubled the aromatics, onion, and tomatoes as follows: 6 Tbsp ghee (not quite double); 2 tsp each cumin seeds and black mustard seeds; 2 Tbsp each grated ginger… Continue reading Indian-style spiced mixed vegetables (sabzi)
Roasted sweet potatoes with black beans and cheese
We tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019600-loaded-sweet-potatoes-with-black-beans-and-cheddar?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Instead of cheddar cheese, we used shredded Mexican blend. This was simple and delicious. The cheese and black beans complemented the sweet potato well. (Mar. 2022)
Pressure cooker red beans and sausage
We roughly followed this recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220863/pressure-cooker-red-beans-and-sausage/ We used 1 lb Camellia brand red beans, which we picked over and rinsed. Our modifications: first, instead of smoked andouille, we used uncooked Italian spicy chicken links, which we cut into 1/2" diagonal slices and browned in a large nonstick pan before adding to the pressure cooker. Second,… Continue reading Pressure cooker red beans and sausage
Sesame-ginger chicken meatballs with sticky glaze
We made these meatballs: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sesame-ginger-chicken-meatballs We baked them at 450 for about 18 mins. While they were baking, we prepared this sticky glaze: https://drivemehungry.com/sweet-and-tangy-sticky-soy-glaze/ Our modifications: first, instead of 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce, we used 1 Tbsp oyster sauce + 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses. While boiling the sauce, we added 2 Tbsp white sugar to… Continue reading Sesame-ginger chicken meatballs with sticky glaze
Thai candied kabocha squash
Kabocha squash has become a recent obsession; it evokes the best qualities of a sweet potato and a custardy pumpkin. We tried this simple recipe for a kabocha dessert: https://praneesthaikitchen.com/2012/11/03/thai-kabocha-pumpkin-candy-recipe/ We made half a recipe (1/4 kabocha, which yielded 3 wedges, each of which we cut in half crosswise for 6 pieces.) The recipe instructions… Continue reading Thai candied kabocha squash
Korean cabbage and soybean paste soup
We tried this recipe: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/baechu-doenjang-guk. At the end of cooking, we added 1 tsp fish sauce to taste. We served this with rice, pan-fried tofu, and seared king oyster mushrooms. (Feb. 2022)
Cooking Adventures 