Roast chicken coated with lemon-rosemary butter

We tried this Pioneer Woman recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/roast-chicken/ For the butter mixture, we increased the zest from 2 lemons to 3 lemons. We also reduced the amount of butter by 1 Tbsp. We skipped the foil (for prep) and added 3 Yukon potatoes and 6 small Korean sweet potatoes, skin-on and cut into 3-inch chunks, to… Continue reading Roast chicken coated with lemon-rosemary butter

Baked tilapia in lemon caper butter sauce

We tried this recipe: http://www.deliciousasitlooks.com/2013/05/lemon-butter-baked-tilapia-with-capers.html?m=1 Our modifications: first, we used caper berries in lieu of capers. Second, we used fresh oregano instead of dry, and we increased the lemon juice to that from one whole lemon. Third, we omitted the salt to offset the briny flavor of the caper berries. Finally, we kept the garlic… Continue reading Baked tilapia in lemon caper butter sauce

Steak tips with red wine pan sauce for two

We tried a recipe from an America’s Test Kitchen Dinner for Two Magazine; this same recipe is available in The Complete Cooking For Two Cookbook https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936493837/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_HdgAyb004ATQN We served these beef tips over homemade mashed potatoes, although we used only 4 medium Yukons: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/133996295246/simple-mashed-potatoes-this-is-a-recipe-from-my (Dec. 2016)

Ground beef stew with root vegetables

We tried this Pioneer Woman recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/beef-stew-with-root-vegetables-recipe.html We used minced beef and bison in lieu of beef stew meat, which cut out about 2 hours of cooking time. We also drained out the oil after cooking the meat, and once we removed the meat, we added about 1 tsp grapeseed oil to saute the onion… Continue reading Ground beef stew with root vegetables

Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy

We tried this SkinnyTaste recipe, which ingeniously lightens the dish by substituting half of the minced beef with minced turkey. http://www.skinnytaste.com/skinny-salisbury-steak-with-mushroom/ Although the recipe calls for unseasoned breadcrumbs, we added about ½ tsp each freshly minced sage, oregano, and thyme to the meat mixture. To shape the patties, we used an oval ½ cup measuring… Continue reading Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy

Braised chicken thighs and chayote

We had extra chayote and decided to try this one-pan meal: http://www.chowhound.com/recipes/braised-chicken-and-chayote-27664 First, heat a large sauté pan for 15 seconds, then pour in a little oil and spread it so that a sheen of oil covers the floor of the pan. Once the oil starts shimmering, place the chicken, skin-side down, in the pan.… Continue reading Braised chicken thighs and chayote

Mushroom and rice soup

We tried this quick, chicken broth-based soup from Cook’s Illustrated. Soak ¼ oz dried porcini mushroom in hot water, then remove and mince the reconstituted mushroom. Set aside the mushroom soaking broth and save ½ cup dor the soup. Heat 5 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, ½ cup mushroom soaking broth, ½ cup uncooked long… Continue reading Mushroom and rice soup