Culinary Goods

So the original name of this recipe was Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler, but since this is very similar to a pudding cake and not at all to a cobbler, I changed the name. This had good flavor and the caramely sauce at the bottom of the pan was really tasty. Jared gave it a 7 and I gave it an 8 and the recipe came from laurenslatest.com. This was actually better the next day once all the flavors meshed together. 1 cup + 3 tablespoons all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup granulated sugar I used 1/2 C. 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cloves 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla Topping: 1/2 cup granulated sugar I used 1/3 C. 1/2 cup brown sugar  I used 1/3 C. 1/4 cup chopped pecans I doubled the pecans 1 1/2 cups very hot water Even after cutting down the sugar in the topping, I still only sprinkled about 1/2 of it on top, so I really ended up using only 1

This had pretty good flavor and gets a 6.5. It makes a ton of sauce, so make sure you make a least 2 cups of rice (I only made 1). The recipe came from carlsbadcravings.com. 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1/8” slices against the grain* 1 red bell pepper, sliced then chopped into 2” pieces 1 green bell pepper, sliced then chopped into 2” pieces Coconut Mango Verde Sauce 1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk  1 cup salsa verde  1 cup roughly chopped mango 1 Jalapeno, seeded, deveined I left this out 3-5 tablespoons brown sugar** 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon salt Sriracha/Asian hot chili sauce to taste (optional) Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/chicken-in-coconut-mango-verde-sauce-recipe/

I wanted to try a new lasagna and this was a good one. I left the artichokes out, but it was still tasty. This gets a 7 and the recipe came from cookieandkate.com. Tomato sauce: 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes I left these out  Spinach artichoke mixture 2 cups (16 ounces) low fat cottage cheese 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 smallish red onion) ¼ teaspoon salt 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced 1 cup jarred or defrosted frozen artichokes, drained (simply omit for a classic spinach lasagna), quartered if necessary I left this out 12 ounces baby spinach, preferably organic Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Remaining lasagna ingredients 9  DeLallo organic whole-wheat no-boil lasagna noodles   I used regular lasagna noodles 2 cups (5 ounces) shredded fontina cheese or low-moisture, part-skim m

I overbaked this a bit, but it was still pretty good. I'm thinking the person who wrote the recipe had a deeper skillet than the one I used, so I'll have to cut down the cooking time next time. It gets a 7 and the recipe came from mind-over-batter.com. Also, the directions say to cook the topping in the skillet, but when I did this, the sugar and butter wouldn't incorporate, and it ended up burning. I made a second batch in a regular saucepan and it turned out much better.  Topping: Unsalted butter-1 stick 3/4 C. packed light brown sugar 2 tsp. vanilla 2 C. sweetened coconut- I used unsweetened Cake: 3/4 C. flour 6 TBS cocoa powder 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1 stick butter, room temperature  1 C. sugar 2 large eggs 2 1/4 tsp. vanilla 2/3 C. whole milk Here's the link to the instructions: http://www.mind-over-batter.com/sweet-situations/coconut-caramel-chocolate-upside-down-cake/

Melly's friend made this and it was really tasty. When I made it on my own, it was still good, but not quite as good. Anyway, it's a nice side summer salad and gets a 7. The recipe came from greenvalleykitchen.com. 1½ cups of chopped tomatoes - I used cherry tomatoes 1 cucumber - peeled and seeded then diced 1 avocado - diced  I left this out 4 oz feta cheese - cubed 2 tbs minced red onion 1 handful parsley - minced - about 2 tbs 2 tbs olive oil 1 tbs red wine vinegar 8 twists of black pepper from a pepper mill Here's the link to the instructions:   http://greenvalleykitchen.com/tomato-cucumber-avocado-salad/#comment-5069

This was pretty good, but I actually wasn't a fan of the pudding layers. I thought it would be pretty good considering the ingredients that went into it, but it just tasted like Snack Pack pudding. This gets a 6.5 and the recipe came from halfbakedharvest.com. Cake 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened at room temperature 1/4 cup canola oil 1 cup sugar (use 1 1/2 cups for a sweeter cake) I used 1 C. 3 eggs, at room temperature 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon instant coffee, optional 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 1/4 cups cake flour (or 2 cups flour + 1/4 cornstarch) 1 cup buttermilk Pudding 2 1/2 cups water plus 1/2 cup water, separated 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar I used 1 1/2 C. 1 tablespoon honey 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder a scant 2/3 cup cornstarch 5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1-inch cubes 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Frosting 1 (8 t

Jared made these and these were yum. We actually did't like them as tostadas, so changed them to tacos and they were much tastier. These were good served with black beans, rice, and queso fresco. He got the recipe from Fine Cooking and they get an 8. 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced, plus 2-1/2 Tbs. sauce (from one can of chipotles in adobo sauce) He took the seeds out so they weren't quite as hot 1 Tbs. canola or vegetable oil; more as needed 2 tsp. finely grated lime zest 1/2 tsp. dried oregano Kosher salt 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets 3 ears corn, husked 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tsp. fresh lime juice 8 tostada shells 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro Lime wedges, for serving (optional) Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/chipotle-chicken-corn-tostadas.aspx

This was good and get a 7. The recipe came from melskitchencafe.com and I didn't cut down the sugar at all because she said that the original version called for 2 cups and she had already cut it down to 1 1/4 C.. I also used sour green apples, so needed some extra sugar in it. Cake: 8 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 4 cups peeled, cored and grated/shredded apple (about 5 large apples) plus any accumulated juice Cream Sauce: 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Here's a link to the instructions:  http://www.melskitchencafe.com/apple-dapple-cake-with-warm-vanilla-cream-sauce

I'm always on the lookout for a good double chocolate cookie recipe and this was a good one. I love cookies right out of the oven, but these were the exception to the rule. Because they are so awesomely fudge, they were flimsy and messy right out of the oven. However, I tried them the next day and they were, as promised, thick and fudgy. They get a 7.5 and the recipe came from pinchofyum.com. 1 cup salted butter (melted and cooled - directions in step one) 1½ cups granulated sugar I used 1 C. 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 eggs 3 tablespoons strong coffee You couldn't even taste this 2⅔ cup all purpose flour (more if it's too sticky) ½ cup cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 2 cups chocolate chips Here's the link to the instructions:  http://pinchofyum.com/thick-fudgy-double-chocolate-cookies

I love coconut and I love tres leches cake, so this was a no-brainer. It was a bit too soggy, so I won't add all the liquid next time, maybe around 80%. This gets an 8.5 and it was a Fine Cooking recipe. For the cake: Unsalted butter, softened, for the pan 4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 5 large eggs, at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup whole milk 3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract For the soaking liquid: 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk 1 12-oz. can evaporated milk 1 13.5-oz. can coconut milk Pinch kosher salt For the topping: 2-1/2 cups heavy cream 3 Tbs. dark rum I used 1/2 tsp. rum flavoring  2 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 cup flaked coconut, lightly toasted  Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/toasted-coconut-tres-leches-cake.aspx?nterms=50034

This was good and reminded me of the seven-layer salad my mom made a lot when we were kids. It gets a 7 and the recipe came from carlsbadcravings.com. 1 pound Gemelli pasta (may sub other short pasta) I used rotini 1 8 oz container mascarpone 1/2 cup finely freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 cups frozen petite peas, thawed 3 tablespoons prepared pesto I used fresh basil instead  1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 -1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder Pinch of sugar I left this out 6-8 bacon strips cooked and crumbled 1 cup reserved pasta water Here's the ink to the instructions:   http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/one-pot-pea-and-bacon-pasta-recipe/