Vegetable and pasta soup with chicken broth

I am feeling under the weather, so we tried this soup: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/vegetable-noodle-soup-recipe-1928029 We made some modifications: first, we doubled the broth, aromatics, and pasta. Second, for the vegetables we supplemented the carrot and celery with a medium Yukon potato (diced) and 1/2 cup frozen sweet peas. Finally, we added juice from a large lemon, which…… Continue reading Vegetable and pasta soup with chicken broth

Grilled salmon filet with Dijon mustard, soy, and herb marinade

We tried this recipe for 1.9 lb salmon filet: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/grilled-salmon/ We followed the recipe verbatim in terms of ingredient proportions, but we purposely left the herbs intact instead of mincing them (see Outdoor grilling notes below). We also cut our filet in half to make it easier to flip on the grill (and to create… Continue reading Grilled salmon filet with Dijon mustard, soy, and herb marinade

Farro and vegetable soup with dried porcini mushrooms and Gruyere cheese

We have had our eye on Martha Rose Shulman's plant-forward soup recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013428-farro-and-vegetable-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share This was absolutely delicious. The depth of flavor and sprinkling of shredded Gruyere evoked French onion soup. We made minor modifications: first, for the liquid we used 2 quarts (8 cups) no-salt chicken broth plus 2 cups salted chicken broth (from Better… Continue reading Farro and vegetable soup with dried porcini mushrooms and Gruyere cheese

Black bean and sausage ragout

My stepMIL is an incredible cook, and she generously shared one of her signature recipes. First, grind 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, and 2 whole cloves. (Shortcut option: using a mortar and pestle, manually crush 1 tsp cumin seeds along with 1 tsp ground black pepper and 1/4 tsp ground cloves). Set… Continue reading Black bean and sausage ragout

Puréed roasted winter vegetable soup with rosemary sourdough croutons

For the past few days we have searched for a pureed roasted vegetable soup, and we loosely followed this one: https://www.yakimaherald.com/explore_yakima/food_and_drink/salt-and-stone-roasted-vegetable-soup-hits-the-spot/article_13ce7e34-48fc-11ed-a0ff-0b1b8e6bbf79.html We took inspiration from the author's observation that this recipe is versatile and useful for any raw vegetables in one's fridge. First, prepare the following for roasting: 1 extremely large (or two medium) carrot,… Continue reading Puréed roasted winter vegetable soup with rosemary sourdough croutons

Split pea soup with smoked turkey, version 1

On this chilly day, we craved split pea soup but did not want an 8-hour slow cooker project. We tried this SkinnyTaste recipe, which took about 2 hours: https://www.skinnytaste.com/split-peas-soup-with-ham-2-points/ Although we normally prefer yellow pea's mellower flavor, we used split green peas for this recipe. Our modifications: first, we used 2 smoked turkey tails in… Continue reading Split pea soup with smoked turkey, version 1

Laurie Colwin’s baked mustard chicken

On our day off, we decided to try a recipe that takes too long for a weeknight meal: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016200-laurie-colwins-baked-mustard-chicken?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Our modifications: first, we halved the recipe, using 4 skin-on drumsticks and 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Second, instead of mincing the garlic, we microplaned it to ensure it would be evenly incorporated into the dijon… Continue reading Laurie Colwin’s baked mustard chicken

Lentil mushroom shepherdess pie

We love this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019221-vegetarian-shepherds-pie?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Of the many plant-forward / vegetarian shepherdess pie recipes we have made, this version is our favorite. It is well-balanced and satisfying. Our modifications: first, for the lentils we used 2 cups Better Than Bouillon chicken broth (omitting additional salt) and later for the filling 1.5 cups chicken broth instead… Continue reading Lentil mushroom shepherdess pie

Smitten Kitchen’s pumpkin muffins

We were in search of a pumpkin bread recipe that utilizes a full can (15 oz) of pumpkin puree. We tried this recipe, but made it into 20 muffins: https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/10/pumpkin-bread/ Our modifications: first, we reduced the sugar in the batter to 1 and 1/3 cup (from 1 and 2/3 cup). Second, we doubled the cinnamon… Continue reading Smitten Kitchen’s pumpkin muffins