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

Chef John’s classic, fluffy mashed potatoes

We love homemade mashed potatoes, and we decided to try this classic recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/219077/chef-johns-perfect-mashed-potatoes/. Chef John's video is filled with useful tips. We accidentally did not cut the Russet potatoes only lengthwise, but the dish still turned out well. To make this recipe a little healthier: for 3 large Russet potatoes, we reduced the salt… Continue reading Chef John’s classic, fluffy mashed potatoes

Turkey cottage pie

We tried a lighter approach to cottage pie, replacing the beef and adding more vegetables. Because we had 2 lb minced turkey, we doubled the recipe: https://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/114585999926/shepherds-pie-heat-oil-in-a-wok-cook-1-chopped Instead of ½ cup peas, we used 1 ½ cups diced vegetables (green beans, carrots, peas, and corn kernels). We also added some additional beef flavor (1 tsp… Continue reading Turkey cottage pie

Turkey taco salad bowl

For the past few months, we have tried reducing our red meat intake, focusing on lean proteins and plant-heavy recipes. We felt inspired to try this dish. For the filling, we loosely followed this recipe: https://bellalimento.com/2015/02/25/black-bean-turkey-tacos/ Our modifications: first, we used 8 oz finely chopped kale (leaves only) instead of one bell pepper. Second, for… Continue reading Turkey taco salad bowl

Roasted vegetable, kale, and lentil shepherdess pie

First, we soaked 1 oz dried porcini in 1.5 cups hot water. We roasted a variety of vegetables (about 8 cups), cut into bite-sized chunks and lightly tossed in canola oil at 425 (or 450, as needed): 3 parsnips, 2 carrots, ½ cauliflower, 1 red bell pepper, and 8 oz mushrooms until caramelized (about 25… Continue reading Roasted vegetable, kale, and lentil shepherdess pie

Chicken thigh and chicken andouille gumbo

We tried this recipe, and it was very tasty: https://thecafesucrefarine.com/make-ahead-chicken-andouille-gumbo/. In lieu of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, we used no-salt diced tomatoes. To make up for the fire-roasted flavor, we used 2 tsp smoked paprika and only 1 tsp sweet paprika (for 1 Tbsp total paprika). At the end of cooking, we added 2 tsp pomegranate-quince… Continue reading Chicken thigh and chicken andouille gumbo