Tag: western

Simple baked ziti

We had a craving for baked ziti, but we had limited ingredients in our pantry – 1 lb uncooked ziti, Rao’s marinara sauce, and some cheese. We tried this simple recipe that doesn’t use ricotta cheese or heavy cream: https://asimplepalate.com/blog/easy-baked-ziti/ Our modifications: first, to manage sodium for the 3 cups of tomato sauce, we combined…… Continue reading Simple baked ziti

Pasta e fagioli, pressure cooker style

We love pasta e fagioli, and we tried this Instant Pot version: https://inquiringchef.com/instant-pot-pasta-e-fagioli/ Our modifications: first, we used diced center-cut bacon strips (about 2 inches, cut into three sets of match sticks) instead of pancetta. For the beans, we used 8 oz dried cannelini beans that we had reconstituted using this 1 hour quick soak…… Continue reading Pasta e fagioli, pressure cooker style

Matzoh ball soup from frozen chicken, pressure cooker style

In our household, we routinely freeze extra pieces of raw chicken, including bits of fat and skin (e.g., chicken backs leftover from packages of chicken quarters). Today we made chicken soup from frozen, bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (3 wings, 1 chicken thigh, 2 drumsticks, 3 chicken backs and leftover fat / skin trimmings); carrots, celery,…… Continue reading Matzoh ball soup from frozen chicken, pressure cooker style

SkinnyTaste’s Hamburger Helper with minced turkey

My husband and I had a craving for Hamburger Helper from our childhood, but we wanted to make a healthier, scratch version. We tried this SkinnyTaste recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/homemade-hamburger-helper/. Our modifications: first, instead of beef, we used 3/4 lb of minced turkey and 1/4 tsp Kashmiri low-heat ground pepper (instead of paprika). We also sopped up…… Continue reading SkinnyTaste’s Hamburger Helper with minced turkey

Lemon herb roasted chicken with potatoes and asparagus

We spotted this recipe from Instagram and decided to try it: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIaSusnhCLA/?igsh=MTFsb3hkZjNpY210OA== The instructions were scant (and sometimes inconsistent with the video), but we followed the ingredient list in the second photo (below). Our modifications: first, due to our overly sensitive smoke alarm, we used canola oil instead of olive oil based on our overly…… Continue reading Lemon herb roasted chicken with potatoes and asparagus

Black-eyed peas and rice (Hoppin’ John)

I was searching for a bean and rice recipe for work lunches, and we tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022837-hoppin-john?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Per the instructions, we soaked 1 lb dried black-eyed peas overnight, then rinsed and drained. Our modifications: first, we added 2 large stalks celery (diced) along with the diced onion. And then we added the minced garlic…… Continue reading Black-eyed peas and rice (Hoppin’ John)

Chicken broccoli rice casserole

Craving homestyle comfort food, we tried this recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/one-pot-chicken-broccoli-rice-casserole/ We found this recipe especially appealing because it calls for a roux with flour and milk, rather than canned soup. Our modifications: first, because my husband prefers white meat, we used 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (2 pieces) instead of thigh, and we diced it…… Continue reading Chicken broccoli rice casserole

Rotisserie chicken and rice soup

We had leftover rotisserie chicken and decided to try this recipe: https://thecafesucrefarine.com/the-best-chicken-and-rice-soup/ We largely followed the recipe except for a few modifications: first, we did not have Italian seasoning on hand, so we used a mix of dried herbs: basil, rosemary, Greek oregano, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder. Second, instead of 12 oz carrots…… Continue reading Rotisserie chicken and rice soup