Baked pasta with store-bought marinara

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

Moroccan caramelized onion with raisins (tfaya)

We tried this recipe: https://www.thespruceeats.com/tfaya-moroccan-carmelized-onions-with-raisins-2394940 For 1 lb onions, we used 2 large red onions, halved and sliced along the grain. For raisins, we used 1/2 cup golden raisins. In lieu of orange blossom water, we added freshly grated zest from a navel orange along with the spices, butter, and water. (Apr. 2022)

Roasted vegetable burrito

We tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022905-roasted-vegetable-burritos?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share For the roasted vegetables, we reduced the mushrooms to 8 oz and supplemented with 3/4 jalapeño and 3/4 of a small shallot (see Note below). We had only 2 poblano peppers, so we added 1 Fresno. For the roasted vegetable seasoning, we used 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp Turkish… Continue reading Roasted vegetable burrito

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)

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

Vegetarian chili

We tried this Cookie & Kate recipe: https://cookieandkate.com/vegetarian-chili-recipe/ Our modifications: first, based on our pantry we had only 1/4 bell pepper and one jalapeño (seeded); we supplemented with 1 cup frozen corn kernels. Second, we used no-salt canned beans and no-salt canned diced tomatoes. Third, at the end of cooking, we added 1 tsp dark,… Continue reading Vegetarian chili

Korean vegetarian rice cake soup (dduk guk)

For the Lunar New Year, we tried this recipe: https://seonkyounglongest.com/soup-recipe-vegetarian-rice-cake-soup-recipe-vegetable-korean-food-asian-at-home/ Our modifications: first, we soaked 10 oz of frozen sliced rice cake in water for 30 mins. Second, at the same time we doubled the soup volume to 9 cups of water with an 8" piece of kombu and 6 large dried shiitake mushrooms. When… Continue reading Korean vegetarian rice cake soup (dduk guk)

Turkish eggplant and chick pea stew (maghmour)

We tried this recipe: https://web.archive.org/web/20210328032426/https://www.slowburningpassion.com/maghmour-the-moussaka-from-lebanon-that-will-make-you-happy/, but unfortunately the site went down. We have tried our best to reconstruct the basic recipe: First, preheat oven to 425. Cut 1 medium-large eggplant (or 2 small-medium) into 2" dice, toss in enough canola oil to lightly coat the diced eggplant, and spread out in a single layer on… Continue reading Turkish eggplant and chick pea stew (maghmour)