Culinary Goods

So this was super good. I would give it a 9, but with my suggested changes, it would easily be a 9.5. This recipe came from melskitchencafe.com, and I put my changes below in bold. Essentially, I am going to change this to a torte and use the Trader Joe dark chocolate peanut butter cups instead. Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Brownie Cake Brownie Base:   Instead of using this recipe, I am going to be using her recipe from the Double Chocolate Mousse Torte from melskitchencafe.com. Here is the link and I am just going to swap out this brownies base for the cake base in the torte http://www.melskitchencafe.com/double-chocolate-mousse-torte/ 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks or 5 ounces) butter 1 1/4 cups (9 7/8 ounces) sugar 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 7/8 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1/2 cup (2 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour 12 ounce bag mini Reese's peanut butter cups, unwra...

So, I did not really try these besides a couple of bites, but I liked them better once they had fully cooled. 2 of my kids didn’t like them, but the darling Carol Nelson (Stef’s mother-in-law), who is the person I took them to, loved them and even asked for the recipe. So maybe on average they would be around an 8. Anyway, I kind of looked all around online for recipes and then chose a base recipe and tweaked it.  Here is the base recipe I used: http://jumboempanadas.blogspot.com/2011/05/shameless-copycat-starbucks-oatmeal.html So, I took the recipe above as a base but made a few changes. First, I cut the flour down to 2 1/2 cups instead of 3 cups and it worked great. Also, the recipe instructions say to add 2 Tbs. of butter to the chocolate filling, but I added 4 Tbs. I mean, why not? Who doesn’t like extra butter? Mine cooked faster than it said, and they take longer to cool than you would think. But, they are pretty easy and make a lot! Also, I would serve these cold and pref...

Jared made this and the recipe came from allrecipes.com. This was lovely and gets a 9. We served it with peach cobbler.  1 C. heavy cream 1 1/2 C. half and half  2 eggs beaten 1 C sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 2 tsp. ground cinnamon  Here's a link to the instructions:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/48036/cinnamon-ice-cream/

Jared made these and they were yum. The spread was really good and would work well in sandwiches. The recipe came from Fine Cooking and it gets a 7.  2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard 1-1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice He left this out 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary 1 small clove garlic, minced 1-1/2 lb. 85%-lean ground beef 4 slices Comté or Gruyère cheese He used gouda 4 good-quality hamburger buns or rolls, split 12 fresh arugula leaves Here's a link to the instructions:  http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/caramelized-onion-cheeseburgers.aspx

I liked this and it made a great side dish for summertime. I will probably add some cumin or garlic powder next time or double the chili powder since it needed just a bit more oomph. It gets a 7 and it came from Fine Cooking. 2 large red onions, cut into 1/2-inch disks and threaded onto metal skewers 4 red bell peppers, halved, cored, and seeded 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp. plus 2 Tbs. kosher salt; more as needed 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more as needed 1-1/2 cups cooked fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears) I used frozen corn 1/2 lb. bacon (8 to 9 slices), cooked until crisp, drained, and crumbled 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 tsp. chili powder 3 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces 3 Tbs. cider vinegar; more as needed Here's a link to the instructions:  http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/grilled-southwestern-potato-salad.aspx

This was meh and gets a 5. It was okay the first day, but the texture was terrible the day after. The recipe came from momontimeout.com.  2 very ripe bananas ½ cup granulated sugar I used 1/4 C. ¼ cup brown sugar ½ cup applesauce (no sugar added) ⅓ cup water 1 tsp white vinegar 1¼ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup unsweetened baking cocoa 1 tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided I used 3/4 C. Here's the link to the instructions:   http://www.momontimeout.com/2014/06/chocolate-banana-applesauce-cake/

This was good and gets a 6.5. The recipe came from Fine Cooking. 1-1/2 oz. slice of prosciutto (about 1/4 inch thick), roughly chopped 1/4 cup lard (or 2 Tbs. butter and 2 Tbs. olive oil) I did the butter and olive oil 1 medium onion, roughly chopped 1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped   12 large fresh basil leaves I used dried  8 cups homemade or low-salt canned chicken stock 1/2 cup stelline, orzo, acini di pepe, or other tiny soup pasta  1/2 cup peas I doubled this   1/2 cup finely diced carrot   I doubled this 1/2 cup finely diced fennel Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Lemon wedges Freshly ground Parmigiano-Reggiano Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/minestra-pasta-piselli.aspx?nterms=50086

Stef blogged this originally, but I tweaked this and I like this version slightly better. I give this a 9. I love tarts. And Lemon. And berries. Anyway, this recipe was from foodiecrush.com, but I initially pinned it on Pinterest.   So, essentially what I did is use my full tart crust recipe (see previous posts on tarts) and then put it in a larger tart pan. The baking time took much longer, so I might honestly do miniature tarts. Then, I used Stef’s recipe for lemon curd , which can be found here: http://www.thevintagemixer.com/2014/02/lemon-curd/   Here is the list of ingredients with my changes in bold:   1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 2-3 lemons zested 1/2 cup lemon juice 3/4 cup sugar I did a generous 1/2 cup 2 large eggs separated     Essentially you melt the butter on very low heat. Then, in a bowl you add the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. You separate out the eggs, putting the whites in the sugar bowl and the yolks in the cooled...

Ok, I have a strange love for this pie. First, it is good. I would give it a 9. Second, it is easy, so I am using this recipe from now on for chocolate mousse pie. This recipe came from my pastry chef friend Rebecca. I have made it 7 times in about 12 days. Seriously. Also, I like the graham cracker crust best, followed by the chocolate graham cracker crust. However, John prefers Oreo crust. Chocolate Mousse 8 oz. full fat Philadelphia brand cream cheese (no substitutes if you want it to taste the same, and put it at room temp) 2 T. milk 1/3 cup sugar (I cut mine down to a few Tbs. and it was fine—you could probably even leave this out) shake salt 1 tsp. vanilla 1 3/4 cup unwhipped cream 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped 3 1/2 –4 cups Cream for the top Oreo Crust: For the crust, pulverize oreos (about 23) and mix with 1/4 c.-ish (3 T.) of butter to make the crust. Press into pie plate and bake at 325 for 10 minutes Graham Crust: I package graham crackers, 3 T. suga...

I really, really liked this. I give it a 7.8, and I will make this again. It came from cookingclassy.com: Red Vegetable Curry Ingredients 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I substituted olive oil) I only used about 2 Tbs. of olive oil 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced so, I put my ginger through a garlic press instead, which is difficult but worth it. I bet I had between 1/2 tsp. and 1 tsp. finally diced ginger 2 jalapenos, thinly sliced, with seeds 2 Tbsp red curry paste 2 Tbsp curry powder 1 Tbsp ground cumin I also added 1 tsp. smoked paprika and a few shakes of turmeric Salt 1 (14 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces (mine was nearly 3 lbs) 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced instead of this, I did carrots, peas, and cashews like Bombay house 3 cups vegetable broth 1 cup tomato sauce 1 (14 oz) can unsweetened...

So, my kids have been begging me to make cinnamon rolls forever. I have a standby recipe I love, but is caramel on the bottom and that’s just too much sugar. So, I went onto Pinterest and found a potato roll recipe from Bonappetit.com. It was quite good, but TONS of work. They get an 8.  I put my changes below in bold.   1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 3 large eggs 4 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour It took way more than this 1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F) I did scalded milk instead 3 1/4-ounce envelopes active dry yeast (scant 2 tablespoons) 2 tablespoons sugar Filling 1 1/3 cups (packed) golden brown sugar 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temperature Glaze 2 cups powdered sugar Instead of this recipe I did 3 parts cream cheese to 1 part...

So, these were surprisingly good. My fabulous neighbor dropped these off a few weeks back, so I tracked down the recipe. They would get a 7.5, and my changes are below in bold: Monster Cookies 1 1/2 cups creamy or chunky peanut butter 1 cup packed light brown sugar I decreased this to 3/4 cup 1 cup granulated white sugar I decreased this to 2/3 cup 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 3 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 4 1/2 cups quick cooking oats 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup M&M's plain chocolate candies I did more M&Ms and less chocolate chips instructions and link to recipe are listed below: http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/05/07/monster-cookies/

These were great, but not spectacular. I would give them an 8.5. However, they are super easy and come together fast. 3 cups mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)—they need to be fresh 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 3 Tbs. Ultra Gel 1/4 cup sugar   Puff pastry (I buy mine—it’s so much easier).   You essentially roll out the two puff pastry sheets and then cut 8 squares. You squeeze the juice over the berries, and add the ultra gel and sugar. You mix until the sugar is not longer visible. Then you spoon a couple of Tbs. onto each puff pastry square, fold it over, crimp the edges, brush it with egg, and sprinkle with sugar. They bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. You need ice cream to serve with them.

I didn’t grab a picture, but this is white. And it looks like yogurt. This recipe is a keeper, but you do need an InstantPot.   1 Gallon 2% Milk 3 Tablespoons Powdered Milk ½ Cup yogurt with active cultures I did plain Kefir 1-2 Tablespoons Vanilla (optional) I did 1 Tbs. of vanilla 1 Vanilla Bean (optional) Nut Milk Bags Instant Pot     Essentially, you dump the milk and the powdered milk into the Instant Pot and stir. You then pour in yogurt and click the adjust button it it says boil. After about an hour, it will be done and you take off the lid and cool it to 115 degrees or below. Then you mix in your yogurt started, the vanilla, and turn it back on. I click yogurt and cook for 8 hours. Then, you strain this for 30-60 minutes, depending on how thick you like it. I just used 4 separate strainers, which is a mess, but I haven’t bought a nut milk bag yet. Then, you refrigerate it. You can also stir a few Tbs. of the yogurt back into the whey to have your ow...

I have tried many different kinds of tiramisu, but this was the best, hands down. It gets a 10 and the recipe came from allrecipes.com. I accidentally bought only half of the ladyfingers that the recipe called for, but it was still great. I more than doubled the rum and coffee syrup, but then only ended up using about 3/4 of it once I realized I didn't have enough ladyfingers. Luckily,  it wasn't soggy, even with half the ladyfingers missing. I basically soaked the ladyfingers, but stopped before liquid started running out of them. I also made this 24 hours before I served it, which really helped with the flavor.  6 egg yolks 3/4 cup white sugar 2/3 cup milk 1 1/4 cups heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pound mascarpone cheese 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature I used 3/4 C.  2 tablespoons rum I used 4 TBS 2 (3 ounce) packages ladyfinger cookies I only used 1 package 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

I think this is the best version of black bean burgers I've had, so this will become my new default. They get a 7.5. and the recipe came from Fine Cooking. 1/2 cup rolled oats 1 15.5-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 large egg 1 tsp. ground cumin Kosher salt 2 oz. finely grated pepper Jack cheese (1/2 cup) I used monterey jack 1 large scallion, minced 2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro 1 Tbs. olive oil; more for the plate 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted Jarred salsa, for serving I left this out Sliced avocado, for serving I left this out Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/black-bean-pepper-jack-burgers.aspx?nterms=112064

This was awesome and gets a 9. I've decided that you really can't go wrong with dulce de leche. The recipe came from David Leboovitz: My Paris Kitchen.  Chocolate crust: 6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 g) salted butter, at room temperature 1/4 cup (35 g) powdered sugar I used 2 TBS  1 large egg yolk 1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour 1/3 cup (35 g) unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or other flaky sea salt Filling: 8 ounces (230 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped 2 large eggs 1 1/4 cups (310 ml) whole milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1 teaspoon dark rum 1 cup (240 g) dulce de leche Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional) Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling over the tart Here is the link to the instructions:  http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/what-were-reading-my-paris-kitchen/

Jared made this and it was fantastic. Literally nothing could have made it better and it gets a 10. He got the recipe from bakeorbreak.com. FOR THE CRUST: 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt FOR THE FILLING: 24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 3 large eggs 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup dulce de leche FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: 3/4 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 3 TBS dulce de leche He left this out toasted coconut 1 tsp. coconut extract 1/2 tsp. vanilla Here is the link to the instructions: http://www.bakeorbreak.com/2014/07/dulce-de-leche-cheesecake-with-brownie-crust/

This was pretty good. Since the sauce recipes were so similar, I actually used my leftover sauce from this meal: http://culinarygoods.blogspot.com/2016/06/coconut-honey-lime-filipino-chicken.html and just added the red curry paste to it. I gave it a 6 and Jared gave it a 7. The recipe came from pinchofyum.com. For the Coconut Curry Sauce: 1 tablespoon oil 2 shallots 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced  2 tablespoons red curry paste 1 14-ounce can regular coconut milk ½ cup reduced sodium chicken or veggie broth (optional - see notes) 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon hot chili paste (sambal oelek) 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons soy sauce For the Bowls: 4 ounces rice noodles  1 tablespoon oil half an onion, chopped 1 cup chopped broccoli florets 1 cup shredded carrots 1 cup chopped asparagus 1 cup shredded purple cabbage sesame seeds for topping limes for serving a handful of fresh basil for serving

I forgot to get a picture of this, but just imagine chicken on kabobs. Anyway, this was good and gets a 7. The recipe came from halfbakedharvest.com. I saved about half of this for serving, which was a good idea since it makes a ton of sauce.  2 pound skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite size cubes 3/4 cup soy sauce I used 1/2 C. 1/3 cup canned coconut milk (lite or regular both work great) juice of 2 limes 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1/4 cup honey I used 2 TBS 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated 3 bay leaves 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns coconut rice , for serving mango ,  pineapple , or  mango strawberry salsa , for serving (optional) Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/coconut-honey-lime-filipino-chicken-adobo-skewers/

These were yum and get a 7. I actually love the taste of banana, but their offensive, snot-like texture keeps me from eating them plain, so I have to add them to things. The recipe cam from yourcupofcake.com. 2 C. flour 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 3/4 C. butter, softened  1/2 C. sugar I used 1/4 C. 1/2 C. brown sugar I used 1/4 C. 1 egg 2 tsp, vanilla extract 1 large ripe banana, mashed 1 cup old-fashioned oats  2 C. chocolate chips  I used 1 1/2 C. Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.yourcupofcake.com/2013/10/banana-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookies.html

I love lemon desserts and this didn't disappoint. The ratings given ranged from 8-9, so I'll give it an 8.5. The recipe came from foodiecrush.com. For the tart crust 1 ½ cups all purpose flour  ½ cup almond flour  I used regular flour and added 1 tsp. almond extract 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons powdered sugar I used 1 tsp. ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, very cold and diced into ¼ inch pieces 1 egg yolk 1-2 tablespoons cold water For the mascarpone filling ¾ cup whipping cream I used 1/2 C. 1 8 ounce container mascarpone cheese, at room temperature 1 heaping tablespoon powdered sugar I left this out 1 cup lemon curd, store bought, or I used  this recipe   I used that recipe 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced 1 pint raspberries ¼ cup strawberry preserves I left this out Mint leaves for garnish Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.foodiecrush.com/berry-tart-with-lemon-curd-mascarpone/

Jared made this and it was awesome. The flavors were perfect and I wouldn't change anything. It gets an 8.5 and the recipe came from Fine Cooking.He grilled these instead of frying them. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 lb. total) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 oz. fresh goat cheese 2 Tbs. coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives 2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest (from 1 large lemon) 1-1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary 2-1/4 oz. (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour 3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 3 Tbs. minced shallots 1-1/2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar 2 Tbs. lower-salt chicken broth Here's a link to the instructions:  http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/goat-cheese-olive-chicken-breasts.aspx