Italian dressing

 Used this recipe to make Italian dressing 

https://thewholecook.com/easy-homemade-italian-dressing/

Preserving our harvest 2020

 This year, I was a little better about picking the cherry tomatoes and I needed a way to preserve them. I found a couple recipes that were pretty similar and I used them both. Now in dec, all our frozen tomatoes have been used up already 😩

https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-preserve-tomatoes-in-olive-oil-4775075

https://heartbeetkitchen.com/2014/canningpreserving/slow-roasted-tomatoes-preserved-in-olive-oil/

I also grew jalapeños. Someone in my dinner group said she really enjoyed pickled jalapeños, so I found this recipe and both E and I have really enjoyed them. Probably not the best thing to do, but I have some frozen jalapeños that I slice up and add to the jar when there’s room.

https://gimmedelicious.com/quick-10-minute-pickled-jalapenos/#wprm-recipe-container-13182

Recent baking adventures

 Here’s a list of things I have baked recently...

We got another box of peaches and I made peach pie, cobbler and crisp. I much preferred the crisp. I think I probably need to up my pie crust game.

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/brown-sugar-peach-crumble-pie/#tasty-recipes-70284

https://pinchofyum.com/peach-cobbler

For some reason, I can’t find the pie recipe, but no loss, because I would not want to make it again.

Fall apples and cider mean apple cider donuts-https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019593-baked-apple-cider-doughnuts

Another bread maker recipe, this time for cottage bread  - https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=731136

Coffee cake, I it may have been user error, but I thought the layers were too separate and the sweet was only concentrated in the streusel part- https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/cinnamon-streusel-coffeecake-recipe

The kids saw something on Daniel Tiger that was made. I tracked down a recipe and made some. They seem to be fairly healthy and they tasted that way too. I wouldn’t mind making it again for the kids. https://www.pbs.org/parents/recipes/mozie-mazing-cookies

This is a great framework for making muesli https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/how-to-make-muesli-cereal

This isn’t baking, but definitely a treat. I tried this ice cream recipe and it was very rich. The kids didn’t like it at all.p, but I enjoyed it. I won’t make it again tho https://livinghealthywithchocolate.com/desserts/paleo-mint-chocolate-chip-ice-cream-2073/#wprm-recipe-container-9423

Punjabi-style black lentils and Aloo mattar and curry powder

 I followed this recipe from Smitten kitchen (https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/03/punjabi-style-black-lentil-dal/ ) when trying to make a Dal makhani, this was before my recipe find after Diwali. I thought it was ok, but I liked the second iteration/other recipe better.

My first attempt at aloo mattar was with this recipe, https://pipingpotcurry.com/instant-pot-aloo-matar. I thought it was ok, but I also preferred my second attempt better.

I don’t think I needed it for either recipe, but something I made called for curry powder I didn’t have, so I used this recipe to whip some up- https://minimalistbaker.com/diy-curry-powder/

Roasted potatoes

 In another, this is probably not worth writing a recipe, but it was what I found when trying to find something to make with the potatoes E grew (they are small). I found this recipe for roasting potatoes in butter (https://www.eatwell101.com/roasted-garlic-butter-parmesan-potatoes-recipe). E liked it and so did I.

Indian take out at home

 Since the closest Indian restaurant is at least 50 miles away, I have been trying to make my own. Some tries have been more successful than others. The night after Diwali, I made a feast, and it was mostly for me and E, since the kids don’t really like it too much.

I made aloo mattar, not in the instant pot this time- https://www.manjulaskitchen.com/aloo-mattar-potatoes-and-green-peas/

Dal makhani, in the instant pot-https://www.manjulaskitchen.com/dal-makhani/

Chole palak, I used frozen kale because that’s what I had  - https://www.manjulaskitchen.com/chole-palak-chickpeas-with-spinach/

and naan - https://rasamalaysia.com/naan/#mv-creation-11

I thought everything was wonderful. I really like the website I found for most of the recipes. The Dal makhani was a little more soupy than I wanted, but maybe it’s more authentic that way? 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

Thanksgiving 2020

 I made Thanksgiving dinner for just our immediate family this year. I started cooking on Wednesday evening, resumed Thursday morning and cooked all through the day.  The kids helped quite a bit and I had a lot of fun with it.

Menu included -

Vegan seitan roast which I made from scratch since we couldn't find a pre-made tofurkey roast.

Mashed potatoes

Stuffing

Cranberry sauce

Roasted Brussels sprouts with maple glaze

Pecan and chocolate pie

Recent cooking adventures

 Vegan lentil loaf from Oh She Glows-https://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/01/ultimate-vegan-lentil-walnut-loaf/

Drunken Beans/Borracho beans from Rancho Gordo. I think I used pinto or Eye of the Goat -  https://www.ranchogordo.com/blogs/recipes/drunken-beans

Jamie Oliver's veggie burger. This was ok, but still a little mushy. https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/the-best-vegan-burger/

Used this recipe in the summer for garlic scape pesto. I remember it being pretty good. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015301-garlic-scape-pesto?action=click&module=Global%20Search%20Recipe%20Card&pgType=search&rank=1

Made these green beans to accompany a tofu stir fry: https://dinnerthendessert.com/spicy-chinese-sichuan-green-beans/#wprm-recipe-container-8658

I  have been working on making"take-out" at home. This was mentioned in my dinner FB group, so I thought I would try. I used lemon bc that's what I had on hand. Everyone else did not like it but I thought it was ok. Definitely a different flavor from a restaurant. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014830-baingan-bharta?fbclid=IwAR1jeskJlooJDarwc1-p1oYCiMSV5fl6jzRlSWwLCawE5yUZ-R1HlcquDLI

These sauteed zucchini almost don't need a recipe, but they were delicious: https://www.kitchentreaty.com/7-minute-sauteed-zucchini-with-garlic-basil/

I think I had a lot of cabbage, so I made this slaw. It was ok, but I think I prefer a creamier dressing. https://downshiftology.com/recipes/vinegar-coleslaw-no-mayo/

I tried making a bread machine challah. I didn't like how it turned out, but I still ate it ...https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/bread-machine-challah/

This NYT recipe was a great reason to use up some Ranch Gordo white beans. At this point, I can’t remember what kind I used, but probably some royal Coronas or the Marcellas.
I remember that I was the only person in my family who liked it, but this is not unusual for the bean dishes I make. I probably won’t make this one again though.

Serious Eats pizza dough

I tried another pizza dough recipe in hopes that it would be the one. This time, the Serious Eats pizza dough was ok. I think I wasn’t able to get it thin enough, so it was pretty doughy in the middle. The quest for the perfect pizza dough continues!

Gluten free granola

I said I would make some gluten free granola for my coworker. I didn’t have a whole lot of the gf oats, so I found a small batch recipe and used it. It was a little different from my usual recipe, but I liked it and more importantly, so did my coworker.

Cheesy Squash “breadsticks”

I used this recipe when trying to find something to use up too many yellow squash.it did not come out very good. I choked a couple down, and the kids refused to try them. I would definitely call this attempt a flop.

Vanilla Cake

R’s quarantine birthday happened and he said he wanted a vanilla cake I halved this recipe from King Arthur flour and made it into cupcakes. I frosted it with cream cheese frosting. They were pretty good on the first day, but were not as moist as I hoped for. The leftovers were stored in the cookie tin and became more moist. I think I ate all the rest -cupcakes and frosting!

Creamy Polenta With Mushrooms

I made Creamy Polenta With Mushrooms from the NY Times. However, I did not make the polenta. The mushrooms I made and served over egg noodles. I really liked how it turned out.

Everything Bagel Seasoning

I followed Perry's Plate recipe to replace the EBTB seasoning that I ran out of. I didn't have flaked/Maldon salt, but used some pink salt instead. It works and is a lot closer/cheaper/easier than driving and hour and half to go to Trader Joes.

White Beans Au Vin

I found this Bean recipe on NY Times. It was fairly easy to put together and I'm pretty sure I made it on a weeknight, but it was a little later than our normal 6/6:30pm dinner time.
I followed the recipe as written, though the last simmer wasn't as long as I needed to get dinner on the table!
I really liked this and it would be really good over noodles or rice too.

IP Apple Fig Compote

I had a bunch of apples in the back of the fridge that were no longer fit for eating plain. They had become a little soft, but they were still usable in the right situation. I didn't want plain applesauce because I was a little worried about the taste of them on their own, so I found an apple, fig, apricot compote that worked perfectly. I had all the right ingredients too and the bonus was that there was no added sugar. The recipe was from Tidbits for Tasty Living.
I enjoyed it over plain homemade yogurt with some homemade granola. I think I put it on top of pancakes too. I was pretty much the only one who ate it though... oh well!

Thyme Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This recipe is a favorite of mine for Thanksgiving. It can have a kick depending on how much red pepper is added. My preference is to use dried thyme rather than fresh because the dried coats the sweet potatoes and the flavor gets everywhere.

Christmas 2019

I made scalloped potatoes and spicy beans with cheese for dinner. Not super traditional, and quite cheesy, but it did the trick. I used the amount of salt prescribed, but as table salt it was far too much!
I liked the bean dish too. I used Rancho Gordo scarlet runner beans that I previously cooked in the instant pot.

I made a cranberry pear crisp with the pears that my parents get every year and always forget about them. I made more filling than the recipe called for and put everything in a 9x 13 pan. I really liked this. The ginger really gave it a kick.

Summer Vegetable Galette

I made this Summer Vegetable Galette with tomatoes and roasted eggplant. I used a butter crust that is probably somewhere else on this blog...
It was good. I liked it. It took a bit more work, so probably not a good weeknight dinner.

Spiced chickpea stew

This spiced chickpea stew was good, even though R and I were the only ones who ate it.

Magic cookie bars

I had some sweetened condensed milk leftover from ice cream making, so I decided to use it up making these Magic Cookie Bars. I don’t think it turned out because the milk was quite thick. I think it turned into dulce de leche in the can. Don’t tell E it was so old... haha. I’ll find a way to eat it though.

White bean dip

I made this white bean dip for work snacks. It was kind of bland so I won’t try it again.

Vegetarian pot pie

I think I was using up some leftovers from thanksgiving so I threw them together into this vegetarian pot pie. It was easy enough and though they all complained, everyone in the family liked it!

Thanksgiving 2019

I made:
Stuffing
Cranberry sauce 
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Served with a vegan roast.
The stuffing was good, but I reduced the butter considerably especially since I was using stale croissants and didn’t have some of the vegetables. It still turned out pretty good.
I didn’t care for the gravy, it was too thick. I’ll go back to my trusted mushroom gravy recipe.
Overall, a great dinner, but I was cooking all day!

Chocolate Ice cream

This chocolate ice cream was pretty good, but too cocoa-y for E. I’ll keep looking for another chocolate ice cream recipe...

Apple muffins

I had some apples to use so I found this recipe for apple muffins. The kids really liked it so I will probably make these again.

GF Pumpkin and Banana bread

I made some banana bread for a GF colleague at work.
I found this recipe to try out. The first time I tried I used bananas. I made it per the recipe fairy closely and added vanilla, cinnamon, and probably almond butter, but it was a while ago so I can’t recall now.

The second time I made pumpkin bars. I think I used at least one cup of puréed pumpkin with cinnamon and vanilla. I also topped it with some store-bought cream cheese frosting.

Both times it went over well and it was fairly easy to make.