Culinary Goods

This was a nice variation on my usual spaghetti squash spaghetti I make, and it had a nice kick of flavor from the smoked paprika. It was very tasty and low-carb, which is always a win! It get a 7, and the recipe came from halfbakedharvest.com. 2   medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed 2   tablespoons   extra virgin olive oil 4   cloves   garlic, smashed kosher salt and black pepper 1   can (14 ounce)   san marzano tomatoes 1   teaspoon   smoked paprika 1   teaspoon   dried oregano 1-2   teaspoons   crushed red pepper flakes 1/2   teaspoon   fennel seeds 1/2   teaspoon   onion powder 1/4   cup   fresh basil, roughly chopped 1/2   cup   basil pesto, homemade or store bought 8   ounces   mozzarella, torn I used about 2/3 of this 1/4   cup   panko bread crumbs (optional) I left these out 1/2   cup   grated parmesan cheese Link to the instructions:   https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/spicy-tomato-parmesan-stuffed-spaghetti-squash/#bo-recipe

This had a great flavor, but was a bit dry. Granted, I forgot to add the 1 C. of pasta water, so it's probably my fault, but still. I also didn't taste the browned butter, but there really was so much flavor in this dish that it probably just didn't stand out. It gets a 7 and came from halfbakedharvest.com. 1/3   cup   extra virgin olive oil, plus additional oil for drizzling 2   jars (12 ounce)   marinated artichokes drained 3   cloves   garlic, smashed zest from 1 lemon 1   tablespoon   fresh thyme leaves 1/2   teaspoon   crushed red pepper flakes kosher salt and black pepper 1   pound   of your favorite long-cut pasta 3   tablespoons   salted butter 3   tablespoons   raw walnuts, roughly chopped 1   cup   fresh basil, roughly chopped, plus more for serving 1/4   cup   grated parmesan cheese 8   ounces   burrata cheese, torn Link to the recipe:   https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/roasted-lemon-artichoke-and-browned-butter-pasta/#bo-recipe

This recipe makes a ton, so I halved it and it still fulled up my Cuisinart ice cream maker. I love fresh banana ice cream, and this was a winner. I cut down the sugar so it wasn't too sweet, and it was smooth and fantastic. Also, I used an entire can of evaporated milk in half a batch and then added about 1/2 C. cream It get an 8, and the recipe came from tasteofhome.com. 4 cups half-and-half cream 2-1/2 cups sugar I used 3/4 C. in half a batch Dash salt 4 eggs, lightly beaten 4 cups heavy whipping cream I only used about 1/2 C. in a half batch 1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk I still used an entire can in half a batch 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4 to 5 medium) I used 2 Link to the instructions:  https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/best-banana-ice-cream/

Now that the craziness of summer is coming to a close, I'm finally feeling the motivation to try some new recipes. This was awesomely good and didn't even taste like fish! I didn't have pineapple, so it was just a mango salsa, but was still lovely. The recipe came from joyfulhealthyeats.com and it gets an 8.5 1.5 lbs of fresh Mahi Mahi filets 1 tablespoon  of cajun spice seasoning 1/2 tablespoon  of garlic powder 2 tablespoon s of grape seed oil Mango Pineapple Salsa: 1 cup  of fresh diced pineapple 1  mango, finely diced 1/4 cup  of finely diced red onion 1/4 cup  of chopped fresh cilantro juice of  one  lime (about  1 – 2  tablespoons) salt to season Here's the link:   https://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/cajun-mahi-mahi-with-mango-pineapple-salsa/?utm_source=Joyful+Healthy+Eats&utm_campaign=98aa180c46-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3dc9fa0bf6-98aa180c46-122025441

So, this was so frustrating, but by the end, I had figured this out, here is what you do. Melt together: 1 1/2 Tbs. shortening 5 oz. white chocolate chips (I did Ghirardelli brand that you buy in the chocolate chip aisle) Then, smear on back of cookie sheet. Don’t go too thin. This was one of my mistakes. You shouldn’t really be able to see the pan through the chocolate. Put it in the fridge. When it’s ready, you will take a bench scraper and you have to do small, hard motions. So, you do one scrape, then another one, then another, etc. It’s not a smooth process.

This is my favorite shortbread of all time. It’s not fancy for company, but it’s just plain good. Because I am a shortbread addict, I would give it a 9. It came from Jenny Beykirch. Jenny’s Shortbread 2 cups flour ¼ cup sugar I do 3 Tbs. 1 Tbs. baking powder ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. Cinnamon ½ cup butter 3/4 cup cream I use buttermilk instead 2 Tbs. of turbinado sugar for top Combine lightly (cut butter into dry ingredients and then add buttermilk and mix until just combined), then shape together on the pan, into a rectangle. Sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 425 for 12 minutes. Make sure your rectangle is big enough to get 9 pieces, and if you are making this for company, use the cream instead of buttermilk. You could cut them into cute shapes, but I’m lazy and this is easy.

So, these are good--like at least an 8. They taste way better than they look. They taste just like the ice cream. My next-door neighbor Roxanne made them, and she said the recipe came from her friend Jamie Evans. Here you go: Cookies and Cream Cookies 1 cup butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup sugar 1 package Cookies & Cream instant pudding 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 2 3/4 cup flour 10 Oreos, crushed 1 cup white chocolate chips Preheat oven to 375. Mix butter, sugars, and pudding. Add vanilla and eggs. Add dry ingredients slowly. Finally, add Oreos and chocolate chips. Roll into small (2 inch) balls and bake for 8 minutes at 375.

Our friend made this, and it was awesome. This is more rich than everyday pudding, more like pots de creme. I didn’t get a picture because we ate it. It looks like chocolate pudding. Makes 16 servings 4 cups milk 4 cups cream 18 oz. dark chocolate 10 oz. sugar 16 eggs yolks 2 tsp. vanilla salt to taste Put 50% of the sugar in the eggs. Whisk. Put milk, cream, the rest of the sugar and vanilla in a pot and boil. Temper eggs. Then, when  bubbles appear, as soon as mixture boils, take off the heat and whisk in chocolate and salt.  Refrigerate.