I figured out a shortcut recipe. It’s not authentic, but it tastes pretty close. Brew 12 oz of your strongest roast coffee (we use either Lavazza Classico or Trader Joe’s Laos Bolaven Plateau). Spoon 2 tsp to 1 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk (we recommend Longevity brand) into a 2-cup measuring cup. Pour the hot coffee… Continue reading Vietnamese-style iced coffee
Tag: shortcuts
Stuffed shells with bolognese sauce
We followed this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/6609-manicotti-with-cheese-filling-and-bolognese-sauce?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share As a shortcut, we used 2 ½ cups of premade bolognese sauce (24 oz Rao’s bolognese sauce). To reduce sodium, we used 1 oz finely chopped prosciutto (down from 2 oz). We also used 12 jumbo shells, which we parboiled for 10 mins; the 12 stuffed shells filled a… Continue reading Stuffed shells with bolognese sauce
Spinach lasagna
We tried this Mark Bittman NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9616-spinach-lasagna?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We used 4 cups of Rao’s marinara sauce (see Note 1 below), 1 ¼ lb fresh spinach, and twelve 6-inch long dried lasagna sheets. To parboil the spinach and lasagna, we boiled water in a low-walled Dutch oven, then first parboiled the spinach (one bunch at a… Continue reading Spinach lasagna
Chocolate-covered cornflake clusters
After discovering this simple dessert on vacation, we tried making it at home: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chocolate-corn-flakes Our modifications: based on our pantry, we used 3 cups cornflakes and only 10 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (ideally, we would have used 12 oz). We microwaved the chocolate chips in a medium glass mixing bowl at 30-second intervals, stirring b/w… Continue reading Chocolate-covered cornflake clusters
Potato kugel
We tried this Smitten Kitchen recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2015/12/potato-kugel/ It was tasty and easy to make. As a shortcut, we used 48 oz refrigerated Simply Potato hash brown potatoes (which come in 20 oz packages) instead of shredding the potatoes ourselves. (Sept. 2019)
Scamorza alla pizzaiola
We tried this recipe: https://food52.com/recipes/75578-scamorza-alla-pizzaiola Our modifications: first, instead of tomato puree, we used meat sauce from a local Italian establishment. Second, we used smoked scamorza. We served this on toasted baguette halves. (Aug. 2019)
Giada’s meatballs (sort of)
We made meatballs generally following this recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/classic-italian-turkey-meatballs-recipe-3381279 Our modifications: instead of 1 lb ground dark turkey plus 1 lb turkey sausage, we used 1 1/3 lb ground veal, pork, and beef (aka meatloaf mix) plus 2/3 lb (2 raw links) Italian chicken sausage (1 link spicy, the other link sweet), removed from their sausage… Continue reading Giada’s meatballs (sort of)
Velvet chicken and asparagus stirfry
We tried this recipe by Grace Young, who is well-regarded for healthy Chinese cooking: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/grace-youngs-velvet-chicken-with-asparagus-52140001 We used 1 lb chicken cutlets (thinly sliced chicken breast), which we cut into ¼" thick x 2" wide diagonal slices. As the first step, we marinated the chicken for 30 mins, and towards the end of marinating time, we… Continue reading Velvet chicken and asparagus stirfry
Blueberry crumb pie
We had about 14 oz fresh (but too soft) blueberries and a frozen pie crust, so we tried this recipe: https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/blueberry-crumb-pie-34185 Because we used frozen pie crust, we let it come to room temperature for 10 mins, and then poked the bottom of the crust a few times with a fork before scooping in the… Continue reading Blueberry crumb pie
Breadcrumbs made from crackers.
We made instant breadcrumbs from leftover Trader Joe’s wheat entertainer crackers (similar in texture to Ritz). Using a Braun electric handheld mixer, we quickly pulverized about a dozen crackers to make 1 cup of breadcrumbs for a Salisbury steak recipe. We loosely followed instructions here: https://www.finecooking.com/article/crush-crackers-to-replace-breadcrumbs (Jan. 2019)
Cooking Adventures 