Culinary Goods

So, I was trying to recreate my favorite salad from Cubby’s restaurant, and I came pretty close. This is fantastic. I love new salads, and this one is a keeper. I would give this a solid 8.   Mixed greens 1/2 avocado, cubed 1/4 cup roasted pistachios 1/2 cup cubed, roasted beets 1/4 cup fresh oranges with the skin removed orange zest   Balsamic Orange Vinaigrette 1/4 cup orange juice 1/4 cup olive oil orange zest 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar 1 small garlic clove, minced a few pinches of salt a squirt of Dijon mustard a shake or two of onion powder 1 tsp. honey

I messed these up majorly, but they turned out surprisingly well. My 4-year-old was watching them bake in the oven, and at about the 4-minute mark, she said "Mommy, they look like volcanoes!". It turns out I had left the flour out, so all the butter was melting out of the cookies. I pulled them out, mixed them back into the other half of the batter and the flour, and threw them back in the oven. After about 6 minutes, I noticed they weren't cooking all that well, and realized that I had turned off the oven in my panic while pulling them out the first time. So I pre-heated it again and just guessed on the cooking time. The second batch, despite being half-baked, was better, but both batches tasted really good.  Anyway, these are supposed to be white with chocolate chips, but the chocolate incorporated with the dough when I threw them back in the mixer, which is they they're this color. They get a 7.5 and the recipe came from carlsbadcravings.com. Also, I cut down th...

For these, I peeled and cut 3 apples and threw them in a pot with 2 TBS butter, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 2/3 C. maple syrup. I also added a pinch of nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. I cooked them for about 6 minutes, until the apples were soft. These were great on buttermilk pancakes and we also had them the next morning in oatmeal. I will probably make them with plain water next time and serve them with whipped cream instead of the syrup. They get a 7.

This was a good weeknight meal and gets a 6.5. I like that it was healthy, but Jared didn't like the texture of the kale in it (though it didn't bother me). The recipe came from thewanderlustkitchen.com. 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, diced 2 medium carrots, diced I used 3 2 stalks celery, diced I used 3 1 medium zucchini, diced 1 yellow summer squash, diced 4 cloves garlic, pressed ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes ¼ teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon dried rosemary 1 quart vegetable (or chicken) broth 2 (14 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 (14 ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with juices 3 cups chopped kale, ribs removed 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon white sugar 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar Here's a link to the instructions:   http://thewanderlustkitchen.com/easy-tuscan-bean-soup/

This was yum and gets a 7. I made a few changes in regards to sugar (like always), but it was still plenty sweet. The recipe came from carlsbadcravings.com. Maple Apple Spice Cake  1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup granulated sugar I used this minus 2 TBS 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick) 3/4 cup pure maple syrup I used 1/4 C.  2 tablespoons molasses 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks, room temperature 1 cup full fat sour cream 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, and diced into 1/4” - 1/2” pieces 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped I left these out 1/4 tsp. Mapleine Cream Cheese Frosting 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature 1 tablespoon sour cream 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup I le...

So this was super good. I would give it an 8. The original recipe came from Fine Cooking magazine, and I put our changes in bold. Cinnamon Toast Popcorn by Karen DeMasco from Fine Cooking Issue 138 2 Tbs. granulated sugar 1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom we left this out Kosher salt 1 batch freshly popped Basic Stovetop Popcorn   we just did 1/2 cup dry popcorn 2-1/2 oz. (5 Tbs.) unsalted butter I used 4 Tbs. 2-1/2 Tbs. nonfat dry milk powder Instructions can be found at link below: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/cinnamon-toast-popcorn.aspx Essentially, you melt the butter and dry milk powder together in a saucepan until it boils and gets foamy (stir it constantly). As soon as it turns light brown, it’s done and you dump it on the popped popcorn. Then you sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture (which you mix beforehand) on top. Then you eat it. And wish you were not a diabetic so you could more than two handfuls.

This was awesome and gets an 8.5. Jared made it and got the recipe from fine cooking.com.  He served it with the grilled potato wedges I just blogged. For the steak and asparagus 1/2 Tbs. black peppercorns He just used white and black ground pepper 1 tsp. coriander seeds He used ground coriander 1 tsp. fennel seed He used dill instead Kosher salt 1 lb. thick-cut New York strip steak 1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil 1 lb. thick asparagus, trimmed Freshly ground black pepper For the vinaigrette 3 Tbs. lower-salt chicken broth; more as needed 2-1/2 Tbs. hoisin sauce 2 Tbs. olive oil 2 Tbs. white wine vinegar 1-1/2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger 1 tsp. Dijon or Chinese mustard 1 tsp. minced garlic Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste For the salad 4 cups upland cress or watercress   He used spinach  1 large mango, peeled and slivered into thin wedges, or 2 large navel oranges, peeled and sliced into thick round...

This was the best dressing I've ever had and it gets a 10. Jared made this for the steak salad, but this would be good with most meats and/or salads and/or sides. He got the recipe from Fine Cooking. 3 Tbs. lower-salt chicken broth; more as needed 2-1/2 Tbs. hoisin sauce 2 Tbs. olive oil 2 Tbs. white wine vinegar 1-1/2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger 1 tsp. Dijon or Chinese mustard 1 tsp. minced garlic Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Add all ingredients to blender and pulse 2-3 times. 

These were good and get a 6. They could have used a bit more flavor, but were tasty with the steak salad that Jared made. This was a Fine Cooking recipe. For the spice rub 1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. ground coriander 1/2 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. ground allspice 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper Pinch of sugar (optional) For the potatoes 1 lb. russet potatoes 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

These were yum and get a 7.5.  I only used 1/4 tsp. chipotle pepper and they were plenty hot. Also, I added a can of black beans to the filling so that there was some fiber in the meal. The recipe came from carlsbadcravings.com. 4 chicken breasts (1 1/2 pounds) I used 2 breasts 10 Minute Marinade 1/3-1/2 cup honey* I used 1/4 C. minus 1 TBS 1/2 cup lime juice 1 tablespoon chili powder ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon cumin 1/2-1 teaspoon chipotle powder I used 1/4 tsp. ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) I left this out 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 16 oz. bottle salsa verde Jared made some homemade salsa verde, so I used 5 oz. of that and then used canned salsa verde for the rest.  8-10 flour tortillas 3 cups Pepper Jack cheese, shredded I left this out 2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded (optional for EXTRA cheesiness) I also used 1/2 C. cheddar and cold jack Garnish Sour Cream Cil...

This was good, but too sweet. I'll definitely make it again, but will leave out the brown sugar entirely. This gets a 7.5 and the recipe came from melskitchencafe.com. I served it with coconut whipped cream. 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar I will leave this out next time 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process or regular) 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 3/4 cups whole milk 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 cup milk chocolate chips (or 6 ounces bar milk chocolate chopped) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Here's the link to the instructions: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/the-best-vanilla-and-chocolate-pudding/

  Now, keep in mind we altered things a bit, which is why I am just telling you what I did. Also, I did not taste them, but John says they are about a 7.5 Next time, I’m going to make the lemon ricotta pancakes we love, add the poppyseeds and some vanilla to the batter, and then do the strawberry syrup with fresh strawberries and cream. STRAWBERRY LEMON POPPYSEED PANCAKES Buttermilk Pancakes Base 1 cup flour 2 tsp. sugar ¾ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt ½ tsp. baking soda 1 ¼ cup buttermilk 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten 2 tbs. melted butter, at room temperature. 2-3 Tbs. of poppyseeds 1 tsp. vanilla   In bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine buttermilk, baking soda and egg yolks. Mix lightly and add to dry ingredients. Mix until batter is barely smooth. Stir in butter. Gently fold in egg whites and sprinkles. Heat griddle to 350. Pour scant ¼ cup batter onto hot griddle. Serve with whipped cream and fresh...

These were fine. I gave them a 5 .5 and Jared gave them a 4. The recipe came from laurenconrad.com. 1 cup sugar I used 2/3 C. ½ cup olive oil 2 eggs 1 tbsp. vanilla extract ¾ cup flour ¾ cup cocoa powder 2 tsp. ground cinnamon ½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper I used 1/4 tsp. and it was plenty hot 1 tsp. baking soda 1 cup dark chocolate chunks (or substitute chocolate chips) Here's the link to the instructions:  https://laurenconrad.com/blog/2015/08/edible-obsession-mexican-hot-chocolate-cookies/?crlt.pid=camp.taZBoSgIu1He

These had awesome flavor and get an 8.5. Jared made them and got the recipe from finecooking.com. For the steak 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped 1-1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 lb. skirt steak, trimmed of excess surface fat He used top sirloin For the quick pickled onion 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced 1/4 cup kosher salt 2 tsp. granulated sugar 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar For serving 18 corn tortillas 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves 4 oz. (1 cup) crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco 4 limes, cut into wedges Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/carne-asada-tacos.aspx

This had great flavor and tasted awesome with the carne asada tacos. Jared got the recipe from fine cooking.com. 1 lb. tomatillos, husked and rinsed under warm water, halved 6 sprigs fresh cilantro, leaves chopped and stems reserved 1/2 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped 1 medium clove garlic, peeled 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice Kosher salt Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/carne-asada-tacos.aspx

I forgot to get a picture of this, but this was pretty good. I gave it a 6.8 and Jared gave it a 6.5. The recipe came from laughingspatula.com. 8 oz fettuccini pasta 3 tablespoons butter 3 large cloves garlic, minced 1 12 oz jar of Roasted Red Peppers - drained and patted dry with paper towel 1 cup heavy cream I used 1/3 C. half and half and 2/3 C. whole milk 4 oz crumbled Feta cheese I used 6 oz. ¼ cup grated parmesan plus more for garnish I used 2 TBS less than this handful of fresh basil, chopped plus more for garnish I used dried Here's the link to the instructions:  http://laughingspatula.com/roasted-red-pepper-fettuccini-with-creamy-feta-sauce/

So, I did not try it, but everyone else said it is good. I just kind of combined a bunch of recipes and ended up with this: 1 cup butter 1/3 cup honey 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla Generous 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1 Tbs. brown sugar Whip it together.

These were yum and they get a 7.5. I wish I had taken a picture before we dug into them, but you get the general idea. The recipe came from thekitchn.com. S'mores Brownies Makes 8 brownies For the crust: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled I used 5 TBS 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 full crackers) 2 tablespoons sugar I left this out  1/4 teaspoon salt For the brownies: 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 1/2 cup sugar I used 1/4 C.  1/2 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 10-ounce bag large marshmallows Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-smores-brownies-222598

So, these are totally kid food. I would have loved them as a kid, and the average rating today from my kids was 9.5. I doubt they deserve that high, but it’s a big hit with kids. I basically just looked at some recipes online and adjusted my own pancake recipe to the following (oh, and I doubled this): Buttermilk Pancakes Base 3/4 cup flour 1/4 cup white cake mix 2 tsp. sugar ¾ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt ½ tsp. baking soda 1 ¼ cup buttermilk 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten 2 tbs. melted butter, at room temperature. 3-4 Tbs. of sprinkles folded into the batter right before you add them to the griddle In bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine buttermilk, baking soda and egg yolks. Mix lightly and add to dry ingredients. Mix until batter is barely smooth. Stir in butter. Gently fold in egg whites and sprinkles. Heat griddle to 350. Pour scant ¼ cup batter onto hot griddle. Serve with whipped cream.

I got this recipe from a girl in my neighborhood and really like it. I don't usually like most wheat bread recipes, so this is a keeper.  1 1/8 C. warm water 2 TBS. olive oil 1 tsp. salt 3-4 TBS honey 3 C. white whole wheat flour 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast (or 1 tsp. instant or bead machine yeast) 1. Put ingredients in the bread maker in the order above. 2. Run the "Dough Cycle". 3. Renove from machine and put in a greased bread pan. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes. 4. Bake for 26-27 minutes. 

So, I didn’t eat these even though they smelled fabulous because I couldn’t bear to eat that much sugar for breakfast, but John tried them and assured me they are a 9. He says they are more like dessert. Anyway, Gavin found this recipe on Pinterest, so we gave them a try. I used my own buttermilk pancake recipe, which I have included below. Then, I used the cinnamon filling and cream cheese glaze recipe from the web address below. The following pancake recipe came from my dad, and I have no idea where he got it. Oh, and I double it and it feeds our family perfectly: Buttermilk Pancakes 1 cup flour 2 tsp. sugar ¾ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt ½ tsp. baking soda 1 ¼ cup buttermilk 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten 2 tbs. melted butter, at room temperature. In bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine buttermilk, baking soda and egg yolks. Mix lightly and add to dry ingredients. Mix until batter is barely smooth. Stir...

First, yes, this is what I eat for lunch most days. Remember “Seinfeld” and the big salad episode? I am a fan of big salads, so I have to change things up so they don’t get old. So, my friend brought this salad dressing to a church activity, and it was good. I would give it a 7. However, it tastes nothing like the Olive Garden Dressing. It’s not even the same color. But, it’s tasty enough, and I have made this multiple times in the last month. It pairs well with the salad above, which is spinach, lettuce, roasted almonds, edamame, olives, carrots, avocado, onions, boiled eggs, pea pods, and alfalfa sprouts. Anyway, I noted my changes below in bold. 1 ⁄ 2 cup mayonnaise 1 ⁄ 3 cup white vinegar   I used less than this, probably 1/4 cup 1 teaspoon vegetable oil I increased this by a few Tbs. 2 tablespoons corn syrup   I left this out entirely 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons romano cheese   I just added more parmesan 1 ⁄ 4 teaspoon garlic salt I...

So, this recipe came from Finecooking.com. We made this a couple of months ago and I am just barely getting around to blogging it. Sigh. Anyway, this was good. It wasn’t amazing, but I would certainly make it again. Oh, and John made it, and since it’s been so long, I doubt he remembers what he did. I noted one change I think he made, but anyway, I would give this a 7.5. Stir-Fried Shrimp and Carrots with Toasted Almonds by Susie Middleton from Fine Cooking Issue 116 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. fish sauce 2 tsp. fresh lime juice 1-1/2 tsp. packed dark brown sugar 1/2 tsp. Asian chili garlic sauce 1/4 tsp. cornstarch 2 Tbs. minced fresh lemongrass (from the tender, white inner part) or 1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger We used ginger 1 Tbs. minced garlic 1 tsp. finely chopped or thinly sliced serrano chile, including seeds We did a jalapeno, without seeds 2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. canola or vegetable oil 12 oz. medium carrots, cut into 1/8-inch-thick half-ovals 1 lb. extra-jumbo shrimp (16 t...

Jared made this meal the other night and it was awesome. He got the recipe from finecooking.com and it gets an 8.  1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes) 1/4 cup Asian sesame oil 1/4 cup less-sodium soy sauce 3 Tbs. grated fresh ginger (from a 5-inch knob) 2 Tbs. fresh orange juice 2 Tbs. rice vinegar 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tbs. dark brown sugar 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest Six 3/4-inch-thick boneless center-cut pork loin chops (about 6 oz. each), trimmed of excess fat 1 ripe golden pineapple, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings, and cored 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cleaned Vegetable oil for the grill Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Here's the link to the instructions: http://www.finecooking.com/grilled-ginger-sesame-pork-chops-pineapple-scallions.aspx