Culinary Goods

I got this recipe from bonappetit.com and thought it was pretty good. Jared and I both gave it a 7. I have no idea where to buy fresh pasta, so just used penne. Strozzapreti with Spinach and Preserved Lemon INGREDIENTS 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided I cut the butter down by 2 TBS. and also substituted 2 TBS. for olive oil.  1 garlic clove, crushed ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, divided ¾ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 oz. fresh strozzapreti (see Fresh Pasta ) or other fresh or dried pasta 2 bunches flat-leaf spinach, trimmed, large leaves torn in half (about 8 cups), divided ...

My sister-in-law Amanda made this for Thanksgiving. (well, actually Mike made it, but it’s Amanda’s recipe) This was really great—I give it a 7.5. It would be good on sandwiches and as a great sauce for things like rice. 1/4 of big bag of cranberries 2-3 sliced apples 1/2 medium onion, chopped 1/2 cup brown sugar cinnamon (1-2 tsp.) nutmeg (1-2 tsp.) pumpkin pie spice, a few dashes Cover with apple juice, and simmer (use more nutmeg than cinnamon). Simmer this down for an hour, and then cornstarch to thicken. Orange peel would also be good in this.

I made these tonight and thought they were pretty good. They're pretty healthy and can be lower-carb if you don't add brown rice (which I did). They had good flavor and I will definitely make them again. Jared gave them a 6 and I gave them a 6.5. I got the recipe off of annies-eats.com. Spicy Bean Burritos Yield: about 6 servings Ingredients For the bean filling: 2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. minced chipotle in adobo sauce 1 tsp. ground cumin ¼ tsp. kosher salt Dash cayenne pepper 1/3 cup water, vegetable broth or chicken broth 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 6 tbsp. fresh salsa 1/2 lime  Corn For serving: 6 (9- or 10-inch) flour tortillas, warmed Shredded cheese Diced tomatoes Shredded romaine lettuce Chopped green onions Low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt Brown rice

I got this recipe from a friend a few years ago and finally made it. It was awesome! It had really good flavor and Jared actually gave it a...wait for it... 8.5! The man has never given a rating that high to anything I've cooked (since I created this blog, anyway). This is definitely a keeper. I didn't add the shrimp, chicken or prosciutto, but did add chopped cottage bacon from our pig, which gave it fabulous flavor.  Next time I will probably either cut down the noodles or 1 1/2 the sauce since the noodles were just a tad dry. As always, my changes are in bold. Penne Rustica Gratinata Sauce 3 Tbs. butter 2 Tbs. minced garlic 3 Tbs. marsala wine I used a chardonnay wine 2 C. heavy cream I used half and half 1 C. grated Parmesan Cheese 1/2 C. milk I used 1% 1/2 C. chicken broth 1 Tbs. cornstarch 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard 2 tdp. minced fresh rosemary I used dried rosemary 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme I used dried thyme 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne peppe...

I made this last night and really liked it. I left out the Italian sausage, which I will add next time, because the soup was missing just a little something. As it was, Jared and I gave it a 7. I got the recipe off of melskitchencafe.com. Lasagna Soup Yield: Serves 4 Ingredients Soup: 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained 2 bay leaves 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dried basil I used fresh Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 pound fusilli noodles, cooked and drained Cheese topping: 1 cup ricotta cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 2 cups shredded mozzar...

I made these yesterday and thought they would be really good. Now, before I go and blame the recipe, I should tell you that I cut down the butter (which is something I almost never do in desserts) because I could not bring myself to add 3 sticks of butter to a desert that fit in a 9x13 pan. I only cut it down by 4 TBS, but I think that may have been the difference between just okay chocolate shortbread fingers and really good chocolate shortbread fingers. I don't know that I'll ever make them again because of how much butter it calls for, but if I do, I won't cut it down. I also don't know if I will add the cinnamon because it don't think it added too much to the flavor. Okay, it just sounds like I probably need to never make these again because I wasn't a fan all-around. I would give them a 5. I got the recipe and pic off of melskitchencafe.com. Chocolate Shortbread Fingers Yield: Makes 16-20 shortbread fingers Note: To make superfine sugar as...

  This came from our favorite new blog, melskitchencafe.com. You can see from my picture that this is a thick soup, but that I omitted the bacon. It was still awesome. I give this an 8.5, and while I like my original broccoli soup recipe, this one is better and I will use this one from now on. It’s really good. Also, I did make changes, which I indicate in bold on the original recipe below. Loaded Broccoli Cheese and Bacon Soup Yield: Serves 8 You could easily use turkey bacon here especially since the bacon grease is drained before proceeding with the recipe. Alternately, if you like to live life on the edge, you can use the bacon grease for the base of the white sauce and omit the butter (just make sure you have at least 3 tablespoons, otherwise, supplement with butter). This soup is definitely on the thicker side of things; if you want a thinner soup, consider decreasing the broccoli by half (only using 2 cups or so) or adding additional broth at the beginning or the end. Ing...

The muffins didn’t taste much better than they look, unfortunately. So, I found this recipe on melskitchencafe.com, and this was my first disappointment. I give these a 6, but my kids would give them much higher. Here is the recipe, and I put my changes in bold. Whole Grain Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins   2 average-sized bananas, peeled and mashed 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (optional, see note) I used half of this, because she said you might not need any if the bananas were ripe 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1 large egg 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce I used half applesauce and half oil 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 to 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with cupcake liners (lightly grease the muffin liners if using). In a large bowl, whisk together the bananas, sugar, yogurt, egg, and applesauce. In a small bowl, combi...

I got this recipe from melskitchencafe.com (my new favorite) and took this beautiful picture myself. I liked these because they can be healthy (if you don't use sour cream or cheese) and tasted good. I would give these a 7. Jared didn't have any because his stomach was bad, but I'm sure he would have given it a similar rating. I put my changes in bold. Salsa Verde Tostadas Ingredients 4 flour tortillas I used corn tortillas 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese I just put a few slices on each tortilla 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken or pork I did not use any meat 1 cup green salsa (salsa verde) plus more for serving 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin Toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, etc. I cooked brown rice and added it to the bean mixture. I also added chopped green onions. Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrang...

This picture and recipe came from melskitchencafe.com, and it was great. I give it an 8. I will put my changes or things I will change for next time in bold below. Also, I will add corn to this, and possibly more vegetables. It was great, but it needed more substance. Sweet potatoes would be good, and even things like green beans would be great. Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup Yield: Serves 4 we fed 6 with this Note: this recipe calls for already cooked chicken. I usually cook the chicken breasts in the crockpot with a little chicken broth the morning I make this soup, but you could also go ahead and cook the chicken in the first step with the onions and other vegetables that cook together. Ingredients 2 tablespoons butter I cut this down a slight bit 1 yellow onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 2 stalks celery, diced I would double this at least 1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots) I would double or triple this 3 ...

I got this recipe and pic from Fine Cooking (I have a subscription) and really liked it. I would give it an 8.5. Spiced Pumpkin Bread Pudding Softened unsalted butter, for the dish 2 15-oz. cans pure pumpkin purée 2 cups whole milk I used 1% 2 cups heavy cream 2 cups packed dark brown sugar I used 1 3/4 C 8 large eggs 1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract 1 Tbs. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 1 tsp. fine sea salt 1/2 tsp. ground cloves 1-1/2 lb. challah, brioche, or other soft egg bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 16 cups) I used french bread Confectioners’ sugar, for dusti...

I got both this pic and recipe off of melskitchencafe.com. I've been on a cookie kick lately because cookies are probably my favorite everyday grab-and-run dessert. I always cut down the sugar in desserts and not only can I never tell the difference, but more importantly, my husband can't. This recipe, however, needs the sugar that it calls for, as they weren't nearly as good as they could have been. I always put in half(ish) butter and half canola oil without there being a noticeable difference, but these seemed kind of dry. I'll have to tweak these a bit next time. As they were, I would give them a 6. Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars I almost always double this recipe and press the dough into a large 11X17-inch rimmmed sheet pan. They are delicious with any assortment of chocolate chips (butterscotch, mint, etc.). Ingredients 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup oatmeal (quick oats or rolled oats) 3/4 cup (...

I got this recipe off of melskitchencafe.com and really liked it. I cut down the sugar and thought they were still plenty sweet. I got about 3 1/2 dozen cookies out of one batch. I would give these an 8.  Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies Ingredients 1 cup (2 sticks) butter I put in 1 1/2 sticks of butter and 4 TBS canola oil 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup packed light brown sugar I used 3/4 C. 1 cup granulated sugar  I used 3/4 C. 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 large eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup quick rolled oats 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 12-ounce bag semisweet or milk chocolate chips Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl with an electric handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until the batter is light in color, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt. When it is ...

Both this picture and this recipe cam from thegardengrazer.com. I loved this! I would give it a 7.8, and it was super easy. I included my changes below in bold. Also, you could add lots of other great ingredients that appear frequently in Asian food—bean sprouts, scrambled eggs, carrots, yum. Asian Toasted Quinoa with Mushrooms Adapted from Avocado Pesto Ingredients 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed 2 cups vegetable broth 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp. sesame oil 16 oz. mushrooms, sliced (I used shiitake, portabella, and cremini) I only used cremini 6 green onions, sliced I used a few more 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil Toasted sesame seeds I manually had to toast mine in a skillet, but it’s well worth the time. For the dressing 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. sesame oil 1 Tbsp. soy sauce Directions Heat a saucepan over medium heat, and add 2 tsp. sesame oil. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and quinoa. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning, until quinoa is lightly toasted. Add brot...

This picture and recipe came from melskitchencafe.blogspot.com, and this was good. It wasn’t excellent, but I would make it again. I’d give it a 7.5.I did make a couple of changes, and I would make a couple of more changes, I put those in bold. Loaded Baked Potato Soup Yield: Serves 4-6 Ingredients Soup: 4-5 medium russet baking potatoes, I would add at least 2 more potatoes, the soup was a bit thing 4 tablespoons butter, I cut this in half but I’m sure it would be awesome will all of it   I added 1 clove of garlic to the butter 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided 6 cups milk, I used whole milk and swapped out 1/2 cup of cream   2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/3 cup finely diced green onions 1/3 cup light sour cream Toppings: Sour cream Shredded cheddar cheese Chopped green onions Cooked, diced bacon pieces Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pierce the potatoes all over with the tines...

Yep, that is absolutely the most creative name I could come up with. These were good though. I give them a 7 or 7.5, and will make these again for sure. We put them in flour tortillas and added cheese, salsa, olives, and avocado, so they were like bean burritos. To go along with this awesome name, here is this awesome picture:       I got this recipe from http://benandbirdy.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-have-beans-for-dinner.html :   1 lb beans, picked over and rinsed Cover beans with 1 - 2 inches water.  Soak 8-10 hours in cold water, or speed soak by bringing to a boil and then turning heat off and letting sit 1 hour. Drain soaking water, cover with fresh water in the bowl of a pressure cooker. Add 1 Tbsp salt 1-2 Tbsp olive oil 2 bay leaves Seasonings (For Mexican add 1 Tbsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp oregano, 2 tsp granular garlic, dash cayenne, freshly ground pepper, 1 tsp cumin a little chili powder, optional.)  (For Italian, 2 tsp granular gar...

I got this recipe from melskitchencafe.com and thought they were pretty tasty. The main change I made is in regards to the brown sugar- I only had light and I put in 1 1/3 C., total. They were still really sweet even with the sugar cut down a bit. Jared and I both gave them a 7.  Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies Ingredients 1 cup oatmeal (not quick) 2 1/4 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, room temperature 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 tablespoons vanilla 1 cup coconut 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the top 4 ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend about 30 seconds until coarse. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter for 30 seconds until light in color. Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Next, add the dry ingredients then add the coconut and chocolate chips. Shape cookie dough into balls and place on cookie shee...

Our cousin, Haynes made this the other night and we all quite liked it. This is a good meal for cold weather because it's very hearty. I can't speak for everyone, but I gave it a 7.5. Oven Roasted Steak Dinner 2 Lb. steak (cut 1 inch bit sized pieces, coat with flour, seasoned salt, salt and pepper) He just used stew meat from the butcher counter. 6 medium onions sliced 3 large potatoes, peeled and halved 1 bay leaf 1 can condensed tomato soup 1 small package baby carrots 1 lb. can cut french beans Saute the onions, remove them and brown the meat. Place all ingredients except green beans in a roasting pan. Pour soup over the ingredients. Bake 1 hour and 45 minutes at 350. Add beans and cook 10-15 minutes more.

I did not love this. It had potential to be good, but the flatbread I bought at the store was yucko, which made the rest of it gross. If this was made with actual Naan bread, I could see it being tasty. The only thing I did differently was omit the chicken. Jared and I gave it a 6.  Flatbread Pizza with Spinach, Caramelized Onions, and Feta Recipe by Our Best Bites Naan or other flat bread Alfredo sauce (either store bought from a jar or home made , but you only need a tiny bit) Fresh baby spinach leaves Cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken, fauxtisserie chicken , pre-cooked frozen strips, baked , etc. Caramelized onions* Feta cheese Layer the above ingredients on flatbread and cook in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  Slice and serve! *Thinly slice onions and saute them in a skillet on med-low heat with a couple of pats of butter.  After about 15 minutes  when they’re nice and soft add a sprinkle of sugar (either brown or white) if you want t...

My fabulous sister-in-law Marie made this for Halloween, and it’s awesome. I give it an 8.6. Also, she introduced me to a fantastic new website, which is where this recipe came from, melskitchencafe.com: It looks awesome! Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup Yield: Serves 6-8 Note: You can use regular diced tomatoes if you don't have or can't find petite diced, but if you have the option, go for the petite diced. The smaller size of the tomatoes meshes better with the finely diced vegetables. Ingredients 2 (14-ounce each) cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained 1 cup finely diced celery 1 cup finely diced carrots 1 cup finely diced onions 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon dried basil 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 bay leaf 1/4 (4 tablespoons) butter 1/2 cup flour 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 cups fat free half-and-half, warm 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Croutons for serving (homemade version here ) Directions ...

I got this recipe from Rebecca, and I would give it an 8.3. I didn’t take a picture of these, but they look good and taste good. Think of something that looks good and resembles a salad and now you have created your own picture. Ingredients o 2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork rib meat) o 3 cans Coke (NOT diet) o 1/4 c. brown sugar o dash garlic salt o 1/4 c. water o 1 can diced green chilies o 3/4 (10oz) can red enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness but any will work) o 1 c. brown sugar Instructions o Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight. o Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork. o In a food processo...

I got this recipe off bakedinaz.com and really liked it. I may cut down the soy sauce just a bit next time because it was slightly too salty for me, but really liked it otherwise. Jared gave it a 7 and I gave it a 7.5. I served it with garlic green beans and brown rice. Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use frozen) I only used 2 chicken breasts because there's only two of us (and Scout, who doesn't really count since she barely eats anything.) ½-1 cup honey I used 1/4 cup ½ cup soy sauce 1 cup diced onion ¼ cup ketchup 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch 1/3 cup water Sesame seeds Directions: 1. Combine the honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic, pepper flakes & pepper in the slow cooker. Add the chicken and stir to cover them with the sauce. 2. Cook on low for 3 to 4...

I really loved this salad and wished I had discovered it a few months ago, because it would have been a great summer dish. I gave it an 8 and Jared gave it a 6.5. Greek Pasta Salad Recipe by Our Best Bites Ingredients: 8 ounces pasta (your choice) I used spiral noodles 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced or chopped 1/2 medium red onion, sliced or minced 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced or chopped 1 15-ounce can black olives, drained (you can use Kalamata olives if you prefer) I used Kalamata 1 cup grape tomatoes, rinsed I forgot to add those but ironically added one tomato, because I had it on hand. 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese 1 recipe Greek Salad dressing Optional: 3/4-1 pound raw chicken breasts, romaine lettuce, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, a few tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, and a handful of whole pepperoncinis. I added romaine lettuce but nothing else. Instructions: If you want to add chicken to your salad, marinate the chicken in about...

This recipe came from Annie’s Eats, and it did not disappoint. Although my cupcakes did not look as good as the ones you see below, they tasted great and if I could just practice piping frosting, mine would have looked this good. Stupid frosting tip. But, these were good. John gives them a 9. I give them an 8.5. I put my changes in bold. Pear Vanilla Bean Cupcakes Yield: about 30 cupcakes Ingredients For the cupcakes: 14 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided I used 1 cube of butter and 1/3 cup canola oil 3 cups chopped (peeled) pears (about 3-4 medium pears) 1½ cups plus 3 tbsp. sugar, divided I cut the sugar down to a generous 1 cup plus 3 Tbs. for the fillin ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon Dash of ground ginger Dash of grated nutmeg 2 1/3 cups cake flour 2¼ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise I left this out 4 large eggs, at room temperature 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature 2½ tsp. vanilla extract I increased this to 1 Tbs. For the frost...

So I don't like white chocolate, but love gingerbread, so swapped out the white chocolate for semi-sweet. I also cut down the sugar a bit too much, but all the comments I read on this recipe said they were a bit too sweet. Next time I'll add just a bit more sugar. I got this recipe off of marthastewart.com and gave them a 7.5 while Jared gave them a 7. I put my changes in bold. Ingredients Vegetable-oil cooking spray 2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/4 teaspoons salt 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger I used 1 heaping tsp.  1/4 teaspoon ground cloves I used 1/4 heaping tsp.  2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature I put in only 1 stick and 1/2 C. canola oil 1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar I put in on...