Cuban black beans (frijoles negros), vegetarian and Instant Pot style

We have been craving Cuban black beans for a few weeks. We initially planned to follow a traditional recipe (overnight soak, then hours on the stovetop) from a 1973 NYT recipe (see Note 1 below). But then we stumbled upon this Instant Pot recipe for vegetarian frijoles negro on Instagram (we recommend watching the video…… Continue reading Cuban black beans (frijoles negros), vegetarian and Instant Pot style

Italian wedding soup with turkey meatballs

We have made Italian wedding soup in the past, but we tried this version with turkey meatballs: https://www.feastingathome.com/italian-wedding-soup/ We followed the recipe except we used spinach instead of kale. We also used stelline (tiny star) pasta, which may have been too tiny (we may try ditalini the next time). In addition, we found the lemon…… Continue reading Italian wedding soup with turkey meatballs

Korean radish soy bean paste soup (mu doenjang guk)

I had a craving for a homestyle, simple Korean soup, so we tried this recipe: https://kimchimari.com/radish-soup-korean-mu-doenjang-guk/ Our modifications: first, we halved the recipe, using 6 large dried anchovies (cleaned), 5” kombu, and 4 cups water. Second, based on our pantry, we used 1/3 of a large daikon radish (about 1.5 cups) and 1 large chayote…… Continue reading Korean radish soy bean paste soup (mu doenjang guk)

Italian lentil and escarole soup

We love lentil soup, and we were curious about escarole. So we tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013354-lentil-and-escarole-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share&cgs=c Our modifications: first, we added 2 celery stalks (diced) to the carrots and onion. Second, the recipe didn’t specify the type of lentils, so we used 1 cup French de Puy lentils (small, dark gray), which hold their shape…… Continue reading Italian lentil and escarole soup

Minestrone soup

We made this Cookie + Kate recipe: https://cookieandkate.com/classic-minestrone-soup-recipe/. This was healthy and tasty. Our modifications: first, for the vegetables we used 1 russet potato (diced), 1 zucchini (diced), and 1/2 cup French-cut string beans, which exceeded 2 cups. As a result, we increased the liquid to 7 cups. Second, we used a combination of no-salt…… Continue reading Minestrone soup

Tomato and stars soup

We tried this NYT Cooking recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/771009089-easy-tomato-and-stars-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share&cgs=c. This was delicious. Our modifications: first, instead of 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) stelline pasta, we used 1 1/4 cups (about 10 oz). Second, we blended 4 medium Roma tomatoes, 1 medium shallot, 1 clove garlic, and 1 cup no-salt chicken broth. We then added 3 additional cups…… Continue reading Tomato and stars soup

Lemony white bean soup with minced turkey and greens

We tried this Melissa Clark recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021776-lemony-white-bean-soup-with-turkey-and-greens?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share&cgs=c This soup contains simple ingredients, but yields surprisingly complex, layered flavors. We followed the recipe closely. Our modifications: first, the greens, we used 1/2 a bunch of curly kale from Whole Foods. We included the stems, chopped them, and sauteed them with the onion and carrot. Second, we…… Continue reading Lemony white bean soup with minced turkey and greens

Burmese-style chicken and split yellow pea stew (instant pot / pressure cooker)

We tried a Skinnytaste adaptation of chicken dal curry from the Burmese Superstar cookbook: https://www.skinnytaste.com/burma-superstar-chicken-dal-curry/. The Skinnytaste author omitted fish sauce, which we added back in. We also incorporated some tips from her blogpost comments. Our modifications: first, instead of an Instant Pot, we used a stovetop pressure cooker. (We prefer a stovetop over an…… Continue reading Burmese-style chicken and split yellow pea stew (instant pot / pressure cooker)

Indian stewed whole red lentils (sabut masoor daal)

We purchased whole red lentils specifically to try this recipe by Shubhra Ramineni from her cookbook, Healthy Indian Vegetarian Cooking. We followed the instructions but were unable to keep the whole red lentils intact. Rinse and drain 1/2 cup dried whole red lentils. Place the lentils in a small pot, along with 1 small tomato…… Continue reading Indian stewed whole red lentils (sabut masoor daal)

Broccoli and potato soup

My husband loves broccoli and we both love potato-based soups, so we tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/767814516-broccoli-and-potato-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We favor non-creamy, broth-based soups, and this fit the bill. Our modifications: first, instead of 1 lb baby potatoes, we used 2 medium and 1 large Yukon potatoes. We partially peeled the potatoes and cut them into 2×1” chunks.…… Continue reading Broccoli and potato soup