Culinary Goods

So this had really good flavor, but could have used some protein with it since we weren't full afterward. Also, I put 1 tsp. of the Srirachi chili sauce in it and it was really hot- almost uncomfortably hot. Jared has a high tolerance for heat and he agreed, so next time I will put 1/2 tsp in. I really loved the peanuty taste and this was easy to make. I would give this an 8 and Jared said he would also give it an 8, but only if it was paired with chicken (whatever). I will definitely make this again. Thai Peanut Noodles 1/2 c. chicken broth 3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter 1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite, 1.5 is medium, 2 is hot) 1 1/2 Tbsp. honey 3 Tbsp. soy sauce 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced 8 oz. Udon or linguine noodles Chopped green onions Chopped cilantro 2 limes, cut into quarters Chopped peanuts Cook noodles in salted water. In the meantime, combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, hone...

I modified these slightly and really like them. I would give them an 8 out of 10. I don't like sunflower seeds, so put coconut in them instead and thought they were quite tasty. I tripled the batch since one batch only makes 6-8 clusters, but could have gotten by just with doubling it. I also changed the name- these were originally called Chocolate Oat Balls, but I don't like eating any food with "balls" in the name. Ingredients {Makes a small batch, about 6-8 small balls} 1/4 cup honey I use 1 TBS 1/4 cup peanut butter 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or dark) I use 1 TBS (in a triple batch I only use 2 TBS) 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/4 cup almonds, crushed 1/8 cup ground flax seed 1/8 cup sunflower seeds I used coconut 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 TBS cocoa powder Directions Melt peanut butter and honey in a pan over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients. (To crush whole almonds, I place them in a ziploc bag on a cutting board and crush with r...

This recipe was awesome. I give it a 9.5. Ignore the picture, which looks gross. Mine looked so much better, which is a first. Here is what I did differently. I only used 2 T. white wine and I used 50% cream and 50% milk, or basically half and half. This was so awesome. I will make this again and again. Ingredients 7 oz. pesto (about 1 cup) 10-16 oz. sliced mushrooms 2 large tomatoes, diced 3-4 garlic cloves, minced 14 oz. spiral pasta (cavatappi, fusilli, rotini, etc.) 1/2 cup white wine 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (still trying to find a healthier substitute -- ideas anyone??) Shredded parmesan-style cheese (vegetarian) for topping, optional Salt/pepper Directions Cook pasta according to package directions until slightly undercooked. Drain in colander. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms in a large skillet with salt until slightly softened. To the skillet, add cooked pasta, garlic, and about one of the diced tomatoes. Stir and saute over medium heat for 1 minute. Add wine, stir thoroughl...

This was not good. Jared and I both gave it a 4. I wanted to make it because it was healthy and it was green for St. Patrick's Day, but it did not turn out well. I served it with homemade cheese rolls, and the rolls were great! The reason I'm posting it, however, is for a few reasons. 1. I didn't use gruyere cheese because it's so expensive and substituted Swiss. That may be why it wasn't good. 2. If any of you want to try and improve it, it could be good. It is healthy, but the flavor was so blase. 3. If you (Melissa) ran across it on Annie's Eats and wanted to try it, don't waste your time. Which is disappointing, because everything else I've tried on Annie's Eats has been fabulous.   Cheesy Spinach Soup Yield: 4-6 servings Ingredients 2 tbsp. unsalted butter 1 medium onion, chopped 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 3 cups vegetable broth Salt and pepper 8 oz. baby spinach leav...

I really liked these and Jared said he was surprised at how good they were. We gave them an 8. My mom, however, isn't adventurous when it comes to food and she gave them a 7. I will for sure make these again.  Greek Quesadillas Yield: about 4 servings Ingredients 4 large (10-inch) whole wheat tortillas Olive oil Fresh spinach leaves, chopped (about 2 cups) Diced red onion (about ½ cup) Roasted red peppers, chopped Oven-dried tomatoes Sliced black olives Mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1-1½ cups) Crumbled feta cheese (about 2/3 cup) Oregano (dried or fresh) Red pepper flakes For the tzatziki: 16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible) 1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced) 1 tsp. white wine vinegar Salt and pepper Squeeze of fresh lemon juice Extra virgin olive oil Directions To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth ov...

Okay, so these had great flavor and were not dry at all. Both Jared and I agreed that they were much better than those frozen ones you buy, Melly. Anyway, the only thing that was missing was salt. When I make these again, I will definitely triple the salt, which is saying a lot, because I am famous for under-salting almost everything I make (by choice). Without extra salt, I would give them a 6. With extra salt, I would give them an 8. Jared also gave them these ratings. I served them with garlic herb oven fries and put the burgers on whole wheat sandwich thins and everything tasted really really good. I will definitely make these again. It says this yields 6 servings, but I actually got 8 burgers out of it. Oh, and I used 3/4 onion instead of a shallot since shallots are pricey.  Black Bean Burgers Yield: 6 burgers Ingredients ¾ cup panko 3 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. olive oil, divided 2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed, divided 2 large eggs 1 tsp. ground...

This was pretty good. I give it at least a 7. One thing I noticed though is that it is very similar to the Mexican Quinoa bowl I posted a while back. Here is what I did differently. First, I scrapped the dressing. I made it, but it didn’t smell appetizing, so I left it off. Instead I just added evoo and lime juice. Also, I added a bit of diced, seeded jalapeno. And, I added more beans. For condiments, we used salsa and avocado. I cooked the quinoa in vegetable broth. Mango Quinoa Salad 2 cups cooked quinoa * at room temperature, or chilled 1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 medium mango, peeled and diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 6 green onions, thinly sliced 1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup) 4 tablespoon red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice kosher salt freshly cracked black pepper *Quinoa can be cooked in water or broth. I suggest using vegetable or chicken broth for enhanced flavor, but plain water works grea...