Japanese-style vegetable croquettes

This was a good use of 3 cups leftover homemade mashed potatoes. We tried this recipe: https://www.thespruceeats.com/potato-korokke-2031283. Our modifications: for the patties, we folded in 3 cups mashed potatoes, ½ cup frozen sweet peas (rinsed and drained), ½ cup frozen yellow corn kernels (rinsed and drained), and a dash each salt and black pepper. For… Continue reading Japanese-style vegetable croquettes

Lightly seasoned, oven-roasted broccoli

Preheat oven to 425. Rinse and dry two medium stalks broccoli. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Drizzle with about 1 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil, and sprinkle with a dash of salt, black pepper, and Aleppo (mildly spicy) pepper. Place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in oven until browned (about 15-18 mins),… Continue reading Lightly seasoned, oven-roasted broccoli

Pan-seared parmesan rice cakes

We had 3 cups of leftover cooked rice (a mix of jasmine and basmati), and we tried this recipe: https://anoregoncottage.com/parmesan-rice-cakes/ We found 4 (not 3) large eggs achieved the right batter texture. For the parmesan, we used slightly over ½ cup (not quite 2/3 cups) Kraft shredded parmesan (which we prefer to the crumbled kind)… Continue reading Pan-seared parmesan rice cakes

Steamed broccoli

Using a traditional high-domed, metallic Chinese steamer, we tried this recipe: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/steamed_broccoli/. We found 5 mins on medium-high heat (with the steam at full blast) worked well. (Aug. 2020) Note: We added this as a layer in our steamer during the last 5 mins of steaming the Chinese salted chicken thighs for 30 mins at… Continue reading Steamed broccoli

French-inspired hard-boiled egg sandwich

During this pandemic, I felt inspired by a French baguette sandwich I had in Bordeaux many years ago. Based on our pandemic pantry, we used ¼ baguette (halved lengthwise), mayo (enough for a light spread on both sides of the baguette), 2 hardboiled eggs, ½ tomato (three ½" slices), and 1 Tbsp minced parsley. Here… Continue reading French-inspired hard-boiled egg sandwich

Italian mushroom ragu with pan-seared polenta rounds

We modified a recipe from David Ruggerio’s Little Italy Cookbook. As a shortcut, we used a tube of premade polenta. First, in a 10" straight-walled stainless steel pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Saute 4 shallots (diced) until fragrant, then added 1 lb (16 oz) cremini mushrooms (cut into ½" slices) and… Continue reading Italian mushroom ragu with pan-seared polenta rounds

French-style carrot salad

We tried this recipe: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/french-grated-carrot-salad.html Our modifications: first, instead of grating the carrots, we peeled and trimmed four medium-large carrots and then peeled them into ribbons. Second, we halved the dressing recipe. Instead of lemon, we used juice from 1 small lime. We also used 3/4 tsp Maille whole grain mustard as well as 3/4… Continue reading French-style carrot salad

Potato salad with lemon vinaigrette

We tried this mayo-free recipe for the 4th of July: https://www.recipetineats.com/lemon-potato-salad/ Our modifications: first, we used only 1 lb baby Yukons (halved), but still made the full dressing recipe. For the dressing, we used zest from 2 lemons (not just 1). We also used whole grain mustard instead of Dijon, and we added ¼ tsp… Continue reading Potato salad with lemon vinaigrette

Korean pan-fried tofu (goon dubu)

I grew up eating this dish, and it always brings back happy childhood memories. Cut a 16 oz block of tofu in half vertically, and then crosswise into ½" thick slices. Blot each piece with paper towels until bone-dry; this will minimize splattering and help the tofu brown instead of steam. Heat 1 Tbsp vegetable… Continue reading Korean pan-fried tofu (goon dubu)

Roasted vegetable, rice, and cheese frittata

We made a version of frittata based on our pantry: leeks, asparagus, bell pepper, and mushrooms. First, preheat the oven to 425. Take out two rimmed baking sheets. Wash and dry 6 asparagus spears, ½ bell pepper (we prefer any color but green), and 8 oz (about 8-9) cremini mushrooms. Cut the asparagus into 1.5-2"… Continue reading Roasted vegetable, rice, and cheese frittata