Culinary Goods

So, the picture would probably look better if I hadn’t already eaten half the plate, but I never remember to get pictures in time. This was easy, fast, and good. I give it an 8. I made it up, so it’s pretty straightforward. Pesto Quinoa Make quinoa. Add some olive oil and fresh garlic. Stir in some pesto (either fresh, which I have made many times, or the Costco brand, which I have also bought many times). Don’t put in too much. Then, chop fresh tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese, add some salt and basil (fresh or dry). Put this on top. It’s good.

I know, I seriously have sucked lately with new recipes. I am planning a few though, but for now,  here is my most recent success. First, I had a friend who gave me the idea for this, and then I just kind of made it up as I went along. Also, I didn’t get a picture because we ate it too quickly (I did take it a big gathering though, so it might have just been eaten out of necessity). Either way, here is what I did: 8-10 egg yolks 3 cups of cream 3 1/2-4 cups of whole milk 2/3 cups sugar 2 tsp. vanilla dash salt jar of Trader Joe’s cookie butter I basically heated the milk, sugar and salt and then tempered the egg yolks and cooked them until they were near boiling, but not quite. Then I poured that through a strainer into a bowl that had the cream and cookie butter in it (I took a hand blender and blended these together beforehand). Then, I added vanilla. Chill, then freeze. We served this with chunks of Speculoos cookies, some fresh raspberries, and some raspberry truffles....

I love lemon desserts and this recipe didn't disappoint. Jared gave it an 8 and I gave it an 8.5. This would be great served with whipped cream. I love this because the top layer is a sweet and fluffy lemon pastry and the bottom layer is a tart lemon pudding. I got the recipe from www.seasonsandsuppers.ca. 2 Tbsp. (28 grams) butter, at room temperature 1 cup (225 grams) white sugar, divided I put in 3/4 C.  3 large eggs, separated 1 Tbsp. lemon zest 1/4 cup (25 grams) all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup (250 ml) milk 2/3 cup (158 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (3-4 lemons) 2 Tbsp. icing/confectioners sugar, for garnish Instructions Preheat oven to 350° F with rack in centre of the oven and lightly butter one 1.5 quart baking dish or 4-6 individual, small ramekins. Have ready a high-sided roasting pan and place the prepared dish (or dishes) in to the roasting pan. Bring 8-10 cups of water to a simmer (will be added to the roasting pan to bake the puddings)....

This is technically a crockpot recipe, but I just threw everything together into a regular pot and cooked it for about 30 minutes. I don't remember where I got this recipe. As always, my changes are in bold. Jared and I gave it a 7.  1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained I used pinto beans 1 can black beans, don't drain I drained these 3 cups water I used chicken broth 1 can mexican style stewed tomatoes 2 medium carrots, chopped I didn't add these 1 large onion, chopped 1/2 small can chopped green chilies 2 TBS. chicken bouillon I didn't add this 1/2 tsp. chili powder 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp. cumin corn cilantro cheese sour cream Put everything in crock pot. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. 

This was similar to the cajun chicken pasta I make, but I liked the sauce just a bit better because it was creamier. I didn't add the chicken to this, but will next time since it needed something extra. Jared gave it a 6, but said the rating would be higher with the chicken. I gave it a 7. I got the recipe from a friend years ago and never got around to making it until now. Lousiana Pasta Chicken 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves 3/4 cup breadcrumbs 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated) 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons flour Cajun Sauce 1 tablespoon butter 1 small yellow pepper (chopped) I used a green pepper 1 small red bell pepper (chopped) 3/4 small red onion (chopped) 3 whole garlic cloves (minced) 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes I put in 1/4 tsp. 1 1/4 pints whipping cream I used half and half 1 cup low sodium chicken broth 4 tablespoons fresh basil (thinly sliced) 1 cup grated par...

I know it looks like my crepe is bleeding, but that is blueberry compote on it. I would give this a 7.5. It was great on crepes and would work well on most breakfast pastries. I got the recipe from food52.com. 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup sugar    I put in 1/4 C. and thought it was plenty sweet 2 strips/peels fresh lemon zest 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice splash fun liqueur like Grand Marnier I didn't add this Combine water, sugar and lemon zest in a medium-sized heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in half of the blueberries and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until blueberries begin to burst, 3 to 5 minutes. Add splash of Grand Marnier. Remove from heat and stir...