Culinary Goods

So, this recipe is similar to one I blogged a couple of years ago, but this was a fun addition. If you wanted pink cream, you know, to be all peppermint-ey, add red food coloring. Anyway, this is excellent. It gets a 9.5. Chocolate Cream Pie Filling (I got this recipe from my Dad originally) You need 1 saucepan and 2 bowls In first bowl, 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup unsweetened dutch processed cocoa, 3 Tbs. cornstarch, 1/4 cup milk. Whip until smooth, it will smooth out even if looks bumpy In saucepan, take 2 3/4 cups milk, 2/3 cup sugar (I have used a generous 1/4 and can’t tell the difference, just FYI), pinch salt. In 3rd bowl, put in 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I use Callebaut intense bitter-sweet callets from Orson Gygi, and I often do 75% bittersweet 25% milk chocolate). 2 Tbs. unsalted butter. On the side, have 1 tsp. vanilla. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a full boil. With a whisk, whisk 1/4 cup of hot mixture into egg/cocoa bowl mixture, and whisk that back into the m

I took an  Indian Food cooking class, and I got this recipe for Mango Lassi from Neeta Fraser. Unfortunately, I didn’t have mangoes, so I used strawberries instead, and it was still good. This is very thick. It feels like you are drinking those yogurt drinks. I will make this again though—I give it a 7. It’s a great mid-afternoon snack. 1 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt 1/2 cup coconut water or coconut milk I used coconut milk, lite, from a can 1/2 cup mango puree (2 ripe mangos (frozen ok)--peeled, diced and pureed in a food processor) I used 1 cup frozen strawberries, but a combo would be fantastic) Pinch salt 2 ice cubes If you have frozen fruit, I don’t think you would need this. 1 tsp. sugar or honey I left this out, but mine was tart. Blend.

First, this looked much better when it was warm. I took a leftover picture. We also ended up adding leftover Wings sauce on top of the pasta, which gave it good flavor. Keep in mind that I think that hands down the best mac & cheese recipe is the Chipotle Mac & Cheese I blogged last year. I think from now on, that’s the base and I add to it from there. I got this recipe off of carlsbadcravings.com. It got mixed reviews. Emma said it was her favorite pasta, and I thought it was perfectly good. Therefore, I give it a 7. I have noted my changes below in bold. Ingredients: 12 oz. cellentani pasta (may sub rigatoni, penne, etc.) 2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, chopped** We used leftover turkey 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 small red onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 15 oz. can sweet creamed corn 4 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cubed and softened 1/2 cup lowfat milk 2-5 tablespoons Frank's Hot WINGS Sauce (not original hot sauce)** We made this

 I love sugar cookies. But they have to be soft. I’ve experimented with this recipe for years, and I think this is the one I’m keeping. I give these an 8. And, they  look cracked and dry on the edges, but they’re not. That’s just the way the method below shapes them into circles. I just kind of put this recipe together, which is why there is no source. Sugar Cookies 1 cup butter 1/2 cup canola oil 1/2 cup sour cream 3 beaten eggs 1 Tbs. vanilla 1 tsp. salt 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup powdered sugar 5-5 1/2 cups flour 3 tsp. baking powder Frosting: 1 cup butter (I also did a version with half cream cheese half butter) 3 cups powdered sugar 3 Tbs. milk 1 tsp. vanilla 1-1 1/4 tsp. almond extract Cream wet ingredients, add dry ingredients. Chill for one hour, then roll out 1/2 inch thick. For the circles, I rolled in balls and smashed them with the bottom end of a glass cup. Bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes. Do not overcook these.

I like that I found a good baked chicken recipe that seems pretty versatile. This badly needed some fresh ginger and more flavor all around, but it wasn't too bad. I gave it a 7 and Jared gave it a 6. I got the recipe from jocooks.com. Here are the directions: 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into 1 inch pieces 2 eggs, beaten 1½ cups  Panko breadcrumbs sesame seeds, optional fresh chopped parsley, optional For Honey Garlic Sauce ¼ cup honey ¼ cup soy sauce 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce (optional) salt and pepper to taste Here are the directions:  http://www.jocooks.com/healthy-eating/baked-honey-garlic-chicken/

This was pretty good- Jared gave it a 6 and I gave it a 7. I got the recipe from food52.com. 2 TBS. butter splash of olive oil 1 1/2 C. fresh bread crumbs 1/4 C. grated Parmesan Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped I used dried  Pinch of lemon zest I added about 1/2 tsp.  1/2-1 LB. linguine I used 3/4 LB. angel hair 1/2-3/4 C. Milk I used 3/4 C. 2 C. ricotta at room temperature 1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper to taste Here are the directions: http://food52.com/recipes/16421-white-pasta-with-garlic-parmigiano-breadcrumbs

So, this was better than I thought it would be. I would make it again, and I would give it a 7.3. My changes are below in bold. 3/4 cup dry lentils I used green 8 ounces No Yolks Extra Broad Egg Noodles 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for tossing pasta 1 large yellow onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 20 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced I used button mushrooms 2 teaspoons dried thyme I only used 1/2 tsp. 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon black pepper 3 tablespoons brandy (or substitute balsamic vinegar) I left this out entirely 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (omit to make vegetarian, tasting recipe for extra salt as needed) 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt   I changed this to sour cream 1/2 cup low fat sour cream 1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus additional for garnish I used dry   You can link to the recipe where I copied the ingredients from and the full instructions below: http://www.wellplated.com/lentil-mushroom-stroganoff/   One th

  My neighbor made this, and it was really good.  I give it an 8. The only thing I would change is that this is SUPER sweet. I would cut the sugar in half, easily. I also added a shake of nutmeg to the top, and it would even be good with some orange zest. YUM. Rice Pudding 1 cup white rice cooked normally on a medium pot on stovetop When all the water is absorbed, add 1 TBSP butter with heat on low, add 1tsp salt 1 1/2 cups milk 1 12oz can evaporated milk 1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup raisins (optional) 1 tsp vanilla lastly-  2 eggs beaten- I wisk them into the rice mixture really, really well so ensure there are no little egg chunks! Heat over medium-low heat until you have a nice creamy consistency.  It will continue to thicken a bit as it cools. (approx 15-20 min)  Do not boil. Serve warm or cold, with a little cinnamon.

So, I pinned this on Pinterest and then linked to a website for the recipe. This was good, but not amazing—probably a 7. That being said, I think it would have been MUCH better without the new curry powder I bought and used. I couldn’t find garam masala, so we used curry, and I don’t like the brand I just bought. I would try this again, in other words. My changes are below in bold. 1 tb. olive oil 1 c. diced sweet potatoes (a small dice is best) 1/2 red onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalapeno or 2 Indian green chiles, seeded and minced 1 tb. minced fresh ginger 2 tb. garam masala   We used curry (optional) 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper I left this out 1 c. quinoa, rinsed 1 and 1/4 c. vegetable broth 1 and 1/2 c. cooked chickpeas (equal to one 15 oz. can) about 1 and 1/2 c. diced tomatoes (equal to one 14 oz. can) 1 tsp. coconut sugar or brown sugar I left this out salt and pepper, to taste fresh lime juice (lemon also works), for serving chopped fresh ci

I am a huge fan of mixing orange and chocolate, so I loved these. I actually didn't have orange extract on hand, so used 1 tsp. of lemon extract and doubled the orange zest instead. You couldn't even taste the lemon, but just an overall awesome citrus flavor. I got this recipe from cookingclassy.com and gave it a 7.5. Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies  Yield:  4 dozen Ingredients 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp cornstarch 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup packed light-brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp orange extract 1 Tbsp orange zest 1 cup milk chocolate chips 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Here is the link to the directions:  http://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/01/orange-chocolate-chip-cookies-tastes-just-like-an-orange-milano-but-better/

I found this recipe on damndelicious.net. This was good—it gets a 7. I put my changes below in bold. Slow Cooker Enchilada Orzo Ingredients · 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes I used normal diced tomatoes · 1 (10-ounce) can Old El Paso™ mild enchilada sauce   I just used tomato sauce and added seasonings (1 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, onion powder, 2 cloves garlic, smokes paprika, and some taco seasoning) · 1 (4.5-ounce) can Old El Paso™ chopped green chiles , drained · 1/2 cup vegetable broth, or more, as needed · 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted · 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed I did like 3 times this amount · Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste It needs at least 1 tsp. salt · 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed · 2 cups uncooked orzo pasta · 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves   For instructions and a link to the recipe, please click here: http://damndelicious.net/2014/12/01/slow-cooker-enchi

I found this recipe from a friend in my neighborhood, Amy Daniels. It’s really good—I give it a 7.5.  It’s not super spicy, but it has a kick because it’s full of vinegar. It’s perfect for a chip dip or on top of nachos.  I have no idea where the recipe originated, but here you go: 8 pounds green tomatoes (16 cups chopped) 6 large onions 6 green peppers 3 sweet red peppers 3-6 jalapenos, to taste 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped 1/2 cup salt 1/2 T. black pepper cayenne pepper to taste 3 cups vinegar 1 cup lemon juice   Coarsely chop tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Add everything else, and boil for about 25 minutes. Put in pint jars, process for 10 minutes for pints, 15 minutes for quarts. I think this should actually be increased to 20-25 minutes for pints based on what I’ve been reading, so I might be freezing the stuff I just canned—boo. The recipe says it makes 6 pints, but I got 7 and  had almost a full quart leftover. Also, put this in th

The name sounds sick I know, but it was actually not bad. I give this a 7. Now, keep in mind it’s tofu, so if you hate it, you’ll hate the whole dish. But, I would make this again. I found the recipe from my Fine Cooking magazine, and I put my changes below in bold. Curried Peas and Tofu by Kathy Brennan, Caroline Campion from Fine Cooking Issue 135 2 Tbs. olive oil 1/2 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped 2 1/8-inch-thick slices fresh ginger, smashed I just did about 1 tsp. of finely grated ginger 1 clove garlic, smashed Kosher salt 2 tsp. mild curry powder 1/2 tsp. ground cumin I did smoked paprika instead, and probably used about 1/4 tsp. 2/3 cup stirred coconut milk 1 cup shelled fresh peas or frozen peas, thawed 1 14- to 17-oz. package firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 tsp. fresh lime juice I forgot about this Instructions can be found here: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/curried-peas-tofu.aspx Recipe ingredients retrieved 11/13

I love Cajun dishes and this one didn't disappoint. It's been a few weeks since I made it, but I think I gave it a 7.5. I got the recipe from cooking classy.com and like it because it provides an easy recipe for Cajun seasoning. Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Yield:  About 6 servings Ingredients 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (shrimp can be substituted) 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided 6 tsp cajun seasoning, divided (recipe in notes below) 12 oz dry linguine or fettuccine pasta 2 Tbsp butter 1 clove garlic, minced 3 Tbsp flour 1 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half I used half and half 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips then strips halved (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 medium yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips then strips halved (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/2 large red onion, sliced into thin strips 2 cups sliced button mushrooms (about 8) I left these out because my husband hates mushrooms

This recipe came from melskitchencafe.com, and I thought it was actually pretty good. I would give it a 7.5. So, I put my changes below in bold, and the only change I would make to the directions is to drain the liquid off the squash before you add the cream cheese and puree the sauce. You can always add some back in, but it would be too runny otherwise. Also, this would be good with some fresh basil and some tomatoes. It needed something else. It was good, but just didn’t have enough of an awesome kick. Ingredients 2 teaspoons olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion I would increase this by about 50% 3 cloves garlic, finely minced I would double this 1/4 teaspoon minced dried rosemary 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon dried sage I used poultry seasoning 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 pounds peeled and cubed butternut squash (about 4 cups or so) 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth 4-8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular (depending on how creamy you want it), cubed I us

I can't find the picture I took of this, so you'll have to use your imagination. This was just lovely and I'll absolutely make it again. It was a nice variation on the same old cornbread I usually make. It gets an 8 and I got the recipe from cookingclassy.com Yield:  About 9 slices Ingredients Cornbread 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour 1 cup (170g) cornmeal 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/2 cup (110g) packed light-brown sugar 1/4 cup (2 oz) unsalted butter, melted 1 cup (244g) canned pumpkin puree  1/2 cup (122g) sour cream 2 large eggs Whipped Cinnamon Honey Butter 1/2 cup (4 oz) salted butter 1/3 cup (105g) honey 1/4 cup (30g) powdered sugar I left this out 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Yes, this picture needs to be turned, but I don't really care to have it look pretty because this wasn't my favorite soup ever. It was fine, but not awesome, and gets a 6. I got the recipe from cooking classy.com. Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup Yield:  About 5 - 6 servings Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium yellow onion chopped (1 1/2 cups) 3 cloves garlic minced (1 tbsp) 3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth, divided 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness I left this out Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce 2 1/4 tsp chili powder 2 1/4 tsp ancho chili powder 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin 3/4 tsp ground coriander 3/4 cup masa harina I couldn't find this anywhere, so used 1/4 C. cornstarch instead 1 cup frozen corn 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed well This definitely needs to be doubled 1 3/4 cup (7 oz) shredded sharp

Now that the craziness of the past few months is over, I can get back to blogging a few recipes. I like this and will definitely make it again- it gets a 7. I got the recipe from cookingclassy.com. Ingredients 3/4 cup uncooked wild rice blend* 1 cup chopped yellow onion (from about 1 small onion)  1 cup diced carrots (from 2 medium) 1 cup diced celery (from 2 - 3 stalks) 7 Tbsp butter, diced, divided I used 5 TBS. 1 clove garlic, minced 4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (measured from 3 14.5 oz cans) 1/4 tsp of each dried thyme, marjoram, sage and rosemary I doubled all the spices  Salt and ground black pepper, to taste 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts halves 1/2 cup flour 1 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup heavy cream I used half and half 1 tsp lemon zest Here's the link to access the directions: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/02/creamy-chicken-wild-rice-soup/

This recipe came from melskitchencafe.com. We doubled it to make a 9x13 and we didn’t change a single thing because my girls were making them. So, these are good. I mean, it’s a brownie. They get a 7.5 I just don’t think they are any better than any other brownie made with cocoa. I’m a brownie snob. The boxed kind is better than cocoa brownies, and real brownies with full on chocolate are better than boxed. So that’s the scale. These are cocoa brownies from scratch. They’re fine. The Best Fudgy Brownies {Think: Homemade Brownies Like The Boxed Mix!} Ingredients 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks or 5 ounces) butter 1 1/4 cups (9 7/8 ounces) sugar 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 7/8 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1/2 cup (2 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour   Click here for directions: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/the-best-fudgy-brownies/     Mel’s Source Recipe retrieved 10-15-15 from htt

Just in case my title didn’t scare everyone away, I think this picture will: Seriously, John. The pepper? Calm down there. Anyway, I am going more vegetarian again, so my recipes will likely reflect that. I adapted this recipe from a previous recipe I blogged. You can find the original inspiration (and a great meat version) by searching “Shepherd’s Pie” in the search bar at the top left. Anyway, Gavin loved this, which is SHOCKING. Everyone like it but Grey, and it gets a 7. I changed things around a ton, so here is what it ended up being: Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie 2 cups onion 6 cloves garlic, minced 3-4 cups carrots 2 cups frozen green beans, cut into small sizes 1 cup frozen corn 1 cup frozen peas 1 1/2 cups green lentils, cooked 16 oz. mushrooms, chopped small 1- 1 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. chicken Better than bouillon paste 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. dry oregano 1 tsp. dry thyme 3/4 tsp. rosemary 1 small can tomato paste 1 cup sour cream   So, throw som

P.S. The bubbles in the soup are because I poured it boiling hot into the bowl very quickly, and it splashed a bit. So, I have made minestrone soup for years, and it’s always good, but this version is the best—I would give this an 8. Does a better version exist somewhere? Probably, but I’m done looking because this one is good. So, here is what I am putting in my permanent recipe box. Oh, and all the spices are dry. Finally, you NEED the parmesan cheese. Don’t skimp. Minestrone Soup 2 Tbs. olive oil 1 medium chopped onion 5 medium cloves minced garlic 1 ½-2 tsp. salt 1 stalk minced celery 2 medium diced carrots 1 small diced zucchini 1 small diced yellow squash 25 green beans, snapped in half (some websites I was searching on said you can use canned Italian green beans. I have no info on this, but maybe it’s good) ½ head small green cabbage, shredded 1 cup fresh spinach 1 can kidney beans 1 can white beans 6 cups vegetable broth 2 cans small diced tomatoes, with juic

John made this recipe up, and it’s yummy. John had it on the table when I walked in from the airport after a week in Oregon, and it was so fantastic. Anyway, these are good—they get an 8.3. Keep in mind that ideally, you could add butternut squash to my Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas recipe, cut out the chicken to make it vegetarian, and that would probably be the best of both worlds. First, made the green chili verde sauce I have blogged about 10 times by now (you can find it by searching “green chile sauce” on the blog). Next, bake the butternut squash (cut into cubes) and coated in olive oil, oregano, and kosher salt at 350 for 20 minutes, or until it was soft. Add, 3-4 cans worth of black beans in a bowl, add 1/2 onion, and mixed the onion beans and squash with the chili verde sauce. Fill into corn tortillas with Monterey jack cheese, add leftover sauce, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Serve with avocado, tomato, lettuce, olives, etc.

These were good, chewy cookies. I left out the  coconut   extract and they still had a nice coconutty taste. They get a 7.5 and I got the recipe from cookingclassy.com. Ingredients 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup unsalted butter, softened I used 1/2 C. butter and 1/2 C. oil 1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar I used 2/3 C. 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 Tbsp milk 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp coconut extract (or 1/2 tsp for more coconut flavor) I left this out 3 cups rolled oats (old fashioned) 12 oz dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks 1 1/3 cups shredded coconut 1 cup unsalted almonds, chopped I left these out Here's the link to the instructions: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/05/oatmeal-coconut-almond-chocolate-chunk-cookies/

I didn't get a picture of this because my sister-in-law made it, but I loved it. It gets an 8. Anything with puff pastry, lemon curd, cream cheese and raspberries is good in my book. She left the raspberry jam out and the powdered sugar and it wa still awesome. The recipe came from http://susikochenundbacken.blogspot.com/2014/02/rustic-raspberry-lemon-cheesecake-tart.html. You can also access the directions here. Ingredients: 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but still cold 4 oz. cream cheese, softened 1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling 2 Tbsp. heavy cream 1/3 cup lemon curd,  homemade  or store-bought  1 pint raspberries 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, warmed Powdered sugar

I loved this. Jared gave it an 8.5 and I gave it an 8. It made a ton of sauce, so I'm going to use the rest for a stir fry. I got the recipe from all recipes.com. I listed the ingredients and you can access the directions here:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/132929/easy-chicken-satay/?internalSource=search%20result&referringContentType=search%20results           1/2 cup coconut milk              
 1 clove garlic, minced             
 1 teaspoon curry powder             
 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar             
 1/2 teaspoon salt                   1/2 teaspoon pepper                   1 cup coconut milk                   1 lb. chicken cut into 1 inch strips             1 tablespoon curry powder             
 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter             
 3/4 cup chicken stock             
 1/4 cup brown sugar             
 2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice             
 1 teaspoon soy sauce             Salt to taste