Recipe Review from 2/16/2020

Taliesin West, Phoenix, AZ

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) leftover soup (S) baked pasta (leftover spaghetti sauce)
Sun (L) leftover pasta (S) Bulger pilaf
Mon (off/yoga 2x) leftover pasta
Tues (D in St. Cloud) leftover pilaf
Wed (D in St. Cloud) leftover pilaf
Thurs (yoga) leftover pilaf
Fri - BLT's


Lunches - slow cooked chickpeas and squash

Baked Chickpeas with Orange, Lemon and Squash (Revithia me Kolokytha) (Eating Well, March 2020) vegetarian

This does require some planning ahead as the chickpeas need to soak over day, over night or for 24 hours.  Then this spends upwards of 4-5 hours in the oven.  I did contemplate cooking this in the slow cooker, but since it was only 4* outside, using the oven to help keep the house warm was not a bad idea.

The baking part?  Here's where I ran into trouble.  My gut said to set the timer for 2 hours.  My brain didn't listen.  My gut said not enough liquid.  My brain didn't listen.  Result - gut 2, brain - 0.  Four hours was way too long for the amount of liquid listed and I had burnt chickpeas stuck to the bottom of my dutch oven (because I didn't check at 2 hours).  I scooped out what wasn't burnt, combined with the squash, lemon juice and mustard and finished baking in a separate pan, and worked on soaking the burnt stuff off the bottom of my pot.  Incredibly disappointing. 

Check at two hours. Be prepared to add squash then.  I would consider making this again.

That being said, this was tasty and something I would definitely consider making again.  Chickpeas were creamy, squash added some nice sweetness, mustard and lemon added the tang.  Granted, I also had subtle undertones of "burnt", but it wasn't so much to detract.  I got 5 lunches for myself and one dinner for two out of what I salvaged.    Recommended.

Serves 10

photo by eatingwell.com

2 cups dried chickpeas
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
2 ½ cups chopped onions
1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper or 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth or no-chicken broth
1 cup coarsely chopped celery leaves, plus more for garnish
2 (4 inch) strips orange zest
5 cups chopped butternut squash (1-inch)
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard


Place chickpeas in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Let soak for 8 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Rinse the chickpeas. Transfer to a medium bowl and toss with baking soda.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, Aleppo (or crushed red pepper) and salt; cook for 30 seconds. Add broth, celery leaves and orange zest. Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from heat. Cover the pot with a double layer of foil and put the lid on.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees . Bake the chickpeas until very tender, about 4 hours. Stir in squash, lemon juice and mustard; bake until the squash is tender, about 1 hour more.

Serve drizzled with more oil and topped with more celery leaves, if desired.



Bulger Pilaf with Eggplant, Green Pepper and Tomatoes (Eating Well, March 2020) vegetarian
After the semi-fiasco above, I made this for supper.   Observations - you need a LARGE saucepan for this.   Think dutch oven size.  Though, I think a large skillet (12-14") would also work very well, maybe even better.

Cooking times were off for the bulger.  At 10-12 minutes, I had "risotto", not "pilaf".  I really didn't need this after the chickpea fiasco above.  I think between the tomatoes, white wine and the water, there was just too much liquid.  Which is where a larger pot or a frying pan would have done a better job. 

Still, once I got the liquid absorbed, this was pretty good.   I would make this again. 

Serves 6

photo from eatingwell.com

1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus 1/2 cup, divided
½ teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 ½ cups coarse bulgur
1 ½ cups chopped onion
1 large green bell pepper, cut in 1/4-inch pieces
3 cups chopped ripe tomatoes
½ cup dry white wine
1 ½ cups water
2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
½ cup chopped fresh mint, divided


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss eggplant with 3 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Spread on the prepared pan. Roast until golden, 15 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast bulgur in a large saucepan over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 1/2 cup oil and onion to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very soft, 6 to 8 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high and add bell pepper and the bulgur. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bell pepper is softened, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add water, Aleppo (or crushed red pepper) and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the bulgur is tender, 10 to 12 minutes more.

Remove from heat and stir in the eggplant, 1/2 cup feta and all but 1 tablespoon mint. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes. Serve topped with the remaining 1/2 cup feta and 1 tablespoon mint.

Making Bread!

So I've been doing a bit of baking this winter - soft pretzels, some favorites from the Bernard Clayton bread book, and a couple of breads from the Paul Hollywood cookbook.  I have been using Dakota Maid flour for years, but after a conversation with a friend who makes bread and bagels weekly, I decided to give King Arthur flour a go.  While I can't say conclusively say - I don't have a DM bread next to a KA bread - but for the Paul Hollywood breads I think that KA flour made a difference.  

I recommend both of these. 

Crusty Cob Bread (100 Great Breads by Paul Hollywood)
If you have this bread book, follow those directions.  Much more succinct.   This is a basic mix ingredients, knead, let rise, knead, let rise, bake recipe.  

Makes 1 large boule


500g (1lb 1oz) strong white bread flour, plus a little extra flour for finishing
40g (1½ oz) soft butter
12g (2 sachets) fast-action dried yeast  (I used regular active)
2 tsp salt
about 300ml (10¾ fl oz) tepid water (warm not cold – about body temperature)
a little olive or sunflower oil


Put the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the butter. Add the yeast at one side of the bowl and add the salt at the other, otherwise the salt will kill the yeast. Stir all the ingredients with a spoon to combine.

Add half of the water and turn the mixture round with your fingers. Continue to add water a little at a time, combining well, until you’ve picked up all of the flour from the sides of the bowl. You may not need to add all of the water, or you may need to add a little more – you want a dough that is well combined and soft, but not sticky or soggy. Mix with your fingers to make sure all of the ingredients are combined and use the mixture to clean the inside of the bowl. Keep going until the mixture forms a rough dough.

Use about a teaspoon of oil to lightly grease a clean work surface (using oil instead of flour will keep the texture of the dough consistent). Turn out your dough onto the greased work surface (make sure you have plenty of space).

Fold the far edge of the dough into the middle of the dough, then turn the dough by 45 degrees and repeat. Do this several times until the dough is very lightly coated all over in olive oil.

Now use your hands to knead the dough: push the dough out in one direction with the heel of your hand, then fold it back on itself. Turn the dough by 90 degrees and repeat. Kneading in this way stretches the gluten and makes the dough elastic. Do this for about 4 or 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Work quickly so that the mixture doesn’t stick to your hands – if it does get too sticky you can add a little flour to your hands.

Clean and lightly oil your mixing bowl and put the dough back into it. Cover with a damp tea towel or lightly oiled cling film and set it aside to prove. This gives the yeast time to work: the dough should double in size. This should take around one hour, but will vary depending on the temperature of your room (don’t put the bowl in a hot place or the yeast will work too quickly).

Line a baking tray with baking or silicone paper (not grease proof).

Once the dough has doubled in size scrape it out of the bowl to shape it. The texture should be bouncy and shiny. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knock it back by kneading it firmly to 'knock' out the air. Use your hand to roll the dough up, then turn by 45 degrees and roll it up again. Repeat several times. Gently turn and smooth the dough into a round loaf shape.

Place the loaf onto the lined baking tray, cover with a tea towel or lightly oiled cling film and leave to prove until it’s doubled in size. This will take about an hour, but may be quicker or slower depending on how warm your kitchen is.

Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan assisted)/425F/Gas 7. Put an old, empty roasting tin into the bottom of the oven.

After an hour the loaf should have proved (risen again). Sprinkle some flour on top and very gently rub it in. Use a large, sharp knife to make shallow cuts (about 1cm/½in deep) across the top of the loaf to create a diamond pattern.

Put the loaf (on its baking tray) into the middle of the oven. Pour cold water into the empty roasting tray at the bottom of the oven just before you shut the door – this creates steam which helps the loaf develop a crisp and shiny crust.

Bake the loaf for about 30 minutes.

The loaf is cooked when it’s risen and golden. To check, take it out of the oven and tap it gently underneath – it should sound hollow. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.


Farl Bread (100 Great Breads by Paul Hollywood)
Pretty similar to the Cob bread except less yeast and more butter.  Also follows the mix ingredients, knead, let rise, knead, let rise and bake format.   I do think one could skip the second rise after the first rest period - maybe even extend that rest to 1 1/2 to 2 hours - and pop it straight into the oven.

While this came out very good, it was a bit on the dense or "tight" crumb side of breadiness.  I'm not sure if it was supposed to be that way or if I over kneaded it along the way.  Still, very good and I would make this again. 

photo from Guys and Food

Makes 1 large boule

500g(1 lb 2 oz) strong white flour
10g (1/3 oz) salt
30g (1 oz) yeast (I used 1 pkt Red Star Active Yeast)
60g (2 1/4 oz) butter, softened
300ml (1 pint) warm water

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix for 4 minutes.  Tip out onto a lightly floured survace and kneed for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and pliable.  Lave in the bowl to rise for 1 hour.

Line a baking tray.  Tip the doubh out on to a floured survace and shape into a ball, then flatten into a circle about 5 cm/2 inches thick.  Put on the baking tray and leave to rise for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425* F.  Cover the op of the cough with flour and starting from the middle. make vertical slashes down the dough all the way around.  Bake for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Recipe Review from 2/10/2020

Some awesome recipes this week.  Enjoy!

(C) scifiwithpaprika 2019

Jackson Glacier, Glacier National Park, 2019

The Meal Plan
Sat (L) leftover fish tacos (S) leftover chili
Sun (S) sandwiches (S) blood sausage, spatzel and red cabbage
Mon (yoga)
Tues - Ragu with red peppers over pasta
Wed - Antipasta smother Chicken
Thurs (yoga) - ragu with pasta
Fri - leftover chicken

Lunches - slow cooked Spicy butternut squash with homemade bread


Slow Cooked Ragu with Red Peppers (ATK Slow Cooker Revolution Vol 1)
Long live the Slow Cooker! And Holy Spaghetti Sauce, Batman! this makes a lot!  Recipe noted 12 cups but I think it was more than that.   Some of this will go into the freezer for later dates.

Easy to assemble.  Tastes fabulous.  Perfect amount of  "zing".  Makes a lot so perfect for a big crowd or saving for future meal planning.  Recommended!

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

photo from americastestkitchen.com

2 pounds hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 onions, chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup dry red wine
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
sugar
chopped fresh parsley


Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown sausage, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to slow cooker.

Add onions, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and pepper flakes to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until onions are softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and tomato puree. Cover and cook until sauce is deeply flavored, 8 to 10 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.

Using large spoon, skim fat from surface of sauce. Microwave bell peppers with remaining 1 tablespoon oil in bowl, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir bell peppers into sauce and season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons parsley for every 6 cups sauce.


Antipasto Baked Smothered Chicken (Eating Well Jan/Feb 2020)
First observation, it's not really a "baked" dish, if all you're doing is browning the cheese under the broiler when everything else is cooked on the stove.

This comes together fairly quickly.  Assemble the "antipasto", set aside.  Prep the chicken (I recommend butterflying for more even and consistent cooking).  Here is where I deviated from the recipe a bit - I cooked the chicken completely, set aside and covered, then added the antipasto mix to warm through, returned chicken to the pan, and popped under the broiler to melt the cheese.

Delicious! Loved the flavors - bright artichokes, zing from the pepperoncini (banana peppers), salty salami with creamy cheese.   I loved how fast this came together - maybe 30-40 minutes from pulling stuff out of the fridge to sitting down to eat and I had time to do some clean-up.   Recommended!

Serves 4

photo from eatingwell.com

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
⅓ cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts
(I used a 14.5 can of artichoke hearts, drained)
⅓ cup chopped salami
¼ cup chopped pepperoncini
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, plus more for garnish  (I used 1 tsp dried oregano)
1 pound chicken cutlets
½ teaspoon ground pepper
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Preheat broiler to high.

Mix 2 tablespoons oil, artichoke hearts, salami, pepperoncini, vinegar and oregano in a medium bowl.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with pepper and add to the pan. Cook until starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over and top each piece with the artichoke mixture and cheese. Transfer the pan to the oven and broil the chicken until the cheese is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken registers 165 degrees F, 3 to 4 minutes more. Serve the chicken with any pan drippings and oregano, if desired.


Spicy Butternut Squash Soup (Eating Well - Soups) vegetarian
Photo is more attractive than what it actually turned out looking like.  Mine was more of a muddy yellow-orange color.  My squash may have been paler, or they used more chipolte, I don't know, but mine certainly wasn't dark orange.

Ah Ha!  And I see I completely mis-read part of the instructions!  I read chipolte chili and used chipolte in adobo sauce, which is quite a bit different from the dried chipolte chili they called for.  Which also accounted for my soup definitely being "spicy".   Meh, it all worked out, especially since I don't have dried chipolte chili on hand.

I will also note, I used 4 pounds of squash and about 5 cups of water.  I like my squash soup with some "oomph", not runny, and with the veggie to liquid ratio on the recipe, it was runny.   Overall, tasty, but not my favorite butnut squash soup.    

This made about 6 servings.

photo from eatingwell.com

1 ½ pounds butternut or other winter squash (I used 4 lbs of squash)
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile (see Tip)
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
6 cups vegetable broth (
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives or chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut squash in half and seed. Place the halves on a baking sheet, cut-side down (see Tip). Bake until tender when pierced with a knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Scoop out flesh when cool enough to handle.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, onion and carrot and stir to coat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the squash flesh, cumin, chipotle to taste and cloves. Add broth and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender or a regular blender (in batches) until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with a drizzle of yogurt and sprinkle of chives (or parsley).


Spaetzle (Eating Well online; Magazine Nov/Dec 2014)  vegetarian
Yummy yummy yummy I have spaetzle in my tummy!   I adore spaetzle, but making it has been a bit of a challenge.  This was one of the better recipes that I have tried and this time,  I used a gallon ziploc bag stead of squishing through a colander or pulling out my food mill. Let me tell you - easiest clean up yet.  If I were to do this again (and I probably will), I would make the hole in the corner of the ziploc a tich bigger.

I didn't halve this, and I'm glad I didn't because I thought these tasted even better as leftovers.  Future note: make ahead and reheat.

The addition of the mustard was new to me, and I think really helped elevate the overall flavors.

I cooked this in two batches, and I will note that my second batch wanted to stick to the bottom of the pot.  Not sure if there is a way to prevent that?  

Overall, tasty, easy and recommended!

photo from eatingwell.com

4 large eggs
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat milk
1 ½ tablespoons whole-grain mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons, divided

Whisk eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth; it will be thick.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a bare simmer. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set it near the stove. Pour the batter into a squeeze bottle with a 1/4-inch hole in the tip or into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip. (You can also use a colander with 1/8- to 1/4-inch holes or a spaetzle maker.)

If using a squeeze bottle or pastry bag, hold it directly over the surface of the simmering water and squeeze about one-fourth of the batter in short, 1/2-inch-long "squirts" into the water. If using a colander or spaetzle maker, pour about one-fourth of the batter into it and press through the holes with a rubber spatula.

Stir to release the spaetzle from the bottom of the pan and cook until they float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to the ice water to stop them from overcooking. Repeat with the remaining batter in three more batches. Once all the spaetzle has been cooked, drain well, transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon oil.

When ready to serve, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spaetzle and cook, stirring gently, until lightly browned, about 12 minutes.

Tier 1 by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson (Tier 1 #1)

Tier One by Brian  Andrews

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  In a world violated by terror, the old lines have blurred. Meet the next generation of covert ops.

John Dempsey’s life—as an elite Tier One Navy SEAL named Jack Kemper—is over. A devastating terrorist action catapults him from a world of moral certainty and decisive orders into the shadowy realm of espionage, where ambiguity is the only rule. His new mission: hunt down those responsible for the greatest tragedy in the history of the US Special Ops and bring them to justice.

But how does a man torn between duty and revenge walk the line and preserve his soul?

As Dempsey struggles with the games of spies, the case propels him across the globe in a desperate effort to prevent a new, horrifying attack on American soil.

Once, John Dempsey followed orders blindly. Now he sees behind the curtain, and the security of the civilized world rests on one question: Can a Tier One Navy SEAL adapt and become the world’s most lethal spy?

Read as an audio book.

Predictable. Oh, so very predictable. It was like checking the boxes in predictability.

And, oddly, I was completely okay with that. I could just sit back and let the story spool out. No angst, no drive fraught with worry about "how will this turn out?!?", just simple enjoyment. Mostly. I became impatient with the pacing of the story with about an hour and a half to go. I think I was ready for the book to be done.

I will acknowledge a couple of items that did not fall into the typical thriller trope which I greatly appreciated. The love interest/unrequited love interest basis was established, but, it wasn't brought to fruition in book one. How this was written did NOT fall into my predictability boxes for which I was very grateful. Kudo's to the authors for avoiding this particular plot devise.

There were a couple of nicely done plot twists toward the end (which I won't divulge) that also skipped some typical suspense/revenge tropes and made for a stronger conclusion to book one while establishing the basis for coming books.

All in all, enjoyable. As I noted, I read this as an audio book. I thought the narrator did a good job with voices, intonation and emotion. I will probably read the next in the series.

Recommended if you like military/political suspense.



View all my reviews

Recipe Review from 2/2/2020

Uff.  Busy busy week.  Hit the ground running with a training class on Monday and Tuesday, subbed a yoga class on Wednesday, and Friday was our office SOUPer Bowl cookoff, and Friday evening was my once a month specialty yoga class.  I was quite relieved when I got home Friday night and could just stop moving.

Art at Taliesen West photo by ScifiwithPaprika (c)2019

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) out (S) leftover carnitas
Sun (L) chicken tagine (S) chicken wings and soft pretzels
Mon (yoga) leftover tagine
Tues - leftover tagine
Wed - fish tacos with orange salsa
Thurs (yoga) - menemen (Turkish scrambled eggs)
Fri (yoga) - menemen (Turkish scrambled eggs)

Lunches - turkey chili, fritos, fruit

Moroccan Chicken and Apricot Tagine (Eating Well, J/F 2020)
This was good. Ingredient list seems long, but if you prep and assemble everything ahead, you'll have time for cleanup while things cook. And cooking goes quick once the chicken hits the pan.

One notable substitution - I used kalmata olives for green. Husband doesn't like green olives and we both live the briny taste of kalmata.

Flavors in this are bright (lemon), briny (olives), flavorful (spice mix), sweet (apricots) and when all that comes together - delicious! This is one I need to remember to make again. Serve over couscous, or even some orzo would work. Recommended!

Serves 4 if you don't have couscous 6 if you have couscous or rice.

photo from eatingwell.com

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ teaspoon salt, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons ras el hanout**
2 cups unsalted chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed
½ cup chopped dried apricots
½ cup pitted green olives, halved
½ cup toasted slivered almonds, divided
Fresh cilantro for garnish

**ras el hanout - 1/2 tsp. each ground cumin and ginger and 1/4 tsp. each ground cinnamon, coriander and allspice

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a clean plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and onion to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits, until the onion is soft and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, garlic, ginger, tomato paste and ras el hanout. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, chickpeas, apricots, olives, 1/4 cup almonds and the chicken. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 8 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve topped with the remaining 1/4 cup almonds and cilantro, if desired.


Rye Soft Pretzels (Eating Well, J/F 2020)
I liked the simplicity of these - a very easy and quick dough to make, one rise, and then assemble. I did deviate from the recipe and plop in boiling water with baking soda for 15-20 seconds, then baked. Soft, "wheaty", and still tasty the next day even though the salt dissolved overnight. I would make these again, and these would be a good pretzel "bun" option.

I will recommend, freezing any leftovers.  I think storing on the counter didn't work as well as freezing would have, and pulling out as needed for lunches.

Recommended.

Serves 12

photo from eatingwell.com

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups light rye flour
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant dry yeast
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 ½ cups water plus 3 cups, divided
⅓ cup baking soda
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon (or more to taste) pretzel salt or coarse kosher salt, such as Morton


Combine all-purpose flour, rye flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add honey, 2 tablespoons oil and 1 1/2 cups water. Mix on low until well combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and knead for 5 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and shape into a ball. Coat a large bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, add the dough and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Position racks in middle and upper thirds of oven; preheat to 450 degrees F. Coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.

Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and divide into 12 pieces. To make each pretzel, roll a piece of dough into a 22-inch-long rope and make a U-shape. Lift the ends, twist them completely around each other once and drape the ends over the bottom part of the pretzel.

Combine the remaining 3 cups water and baking soda in a medium bowl. Submerge each pretzel for 10 seconds, then transfer to a clean towel and pat dry. Arrange the pretzels on the prepared pans. Brush with egg and sprinkle with pretzel salt (or kosher salt).

Bake the pretzels, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes.


Fish Tacos with Blood Orange Salsa (Eating Well, J/F 2020)
The recipe is actually for "tostadas", but I simplified and just went with tacos - not as messy as a tostada. One less step too - I don't have to bake the tostada shells. Second modification - I decreased the oranges to 4. I used 3 blood oranges and 1 cara cara because I had it on hand and needed to use it up. Even decreasing by two oranges, it was way to much salsa.

I skipped (forgot) the avocados and romaine lettuce and honestly, this doesn't need it. Not with all the orange salsa. However, if I had included, this probably would have stretched into a meal for four rather than a meal for two. If I had included the avocado and lettuce, this would have turned into a salad with some fish. As it was, the fish was kinda lost in the orange salsa.

With all that being noted, these were really good. I think halving the orange salsa and adding a little bit of avocado and lettuce (or cabbage) would be a good balance. As written, it's basically a salad on a taco. Recommended with some tweaking.

Serves  2 to 4

photo from eatingwell.com

8 corn tortillas
3 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil, divided
6 blood oranges (I used 3 blood oranges and 1 cara cara orange)
⅓ cup slivered red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound skinless Pacific halibut or cod, cut into 4 portions
1 tablespoon chile-lime seasoning or rub
2 ripe avocados, mashed
2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce


(I skipped) Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 400 degrees F. Brush both sides of tortillas with 1 tablespoon oil and arrange on a baking sheet. (It's OK if they overlap a bit; they will shrink as they cook.) Bake, turning once, until browned and crisp, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Meanwhile, segment oranges: Using a sharp knife, slice both ends off and remove the peel and white pith. Cut the orange segments from their surrounding membranes. Combine the segments, onion, cilantro and salt in a medium bowl.

Sprinkle fish with chile-lime seasoning (or rub). Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook, turning once, until it flakes with a fork, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Flake the fish into chunks. Spread avocado on the tortillas and top with lettuce, the fish and the salsa.



Easy BBQ Turkey Chili (ATK: Slow Cooker Revolution Vol 2)
I admit, I had my doubts about this one.  There just didn't seem to be enough ingredients, and BBQ sauce in a chili?  But when all was said and done and eaten, this was good.  Very good.  And imagine this would be a hit with kids if one used a sweeter bbq sauce. 

Serves 6-8

2 pound uncooked ground turkey (I used ground pork)
1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning (I used Penzey's)
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 cans (14 to 15 ounces)beans, rinsed and drained (I used navy and pinto)
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 cups frozen corn

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-7 quarts

In a large skillet set over medium heat combine ground turkey and taco seasoning. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until meat browns and is no longer pink, about 7 minutes.

Transfer cooked meat to your slow cooker.

Add the tomatoes, beans, barbecue sauce and corn.

Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat is tender.

Using a large spoon, skim off any excess fat that has accumulated on the surface of the chili.

Vanguard by Jack Campbell (Genesis Fleet #2)

Ascendant by Jack Campbell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  A young fleet officer and a Marine stand together to defend their colony in the continuation of the powerful and action-packed Genesis Fleet saga from New York Times bestselling author Jack Campbell.

In the three years since former fleet officer Rob Geary and former Marine Mele Darcy led improvised forces to repel attacks on the world of Glenlyon, Old Earth and the Old Colonies have continued to shrink their military forces.

But open warfare erupts once again when Glenlyon tries to force open a trade route. Isolated and alone, Glenlyon places its hope in informal agreements with other worlds also facing attack. But fiercely independent worlds settled by people who wanted to escape higher authority don’t easily agree to such commitments. While politicians try to bring some kind of formal alliance into being, Geary and Darcy once again find themselves fighting desperately to defend their world, hoping they can hold out until help arrives.

If it comes at all.

Read for January 2020 scifi book group.

Book two in the Genesis Fleet Series.

Speaking for myself, I find Jack Campbell's books - specifically this series and his Lost Fleet series - to be a nearly ideal scifi read among a plethora of dystopian plots, overly long space operas, and unnecessarily verbose military science fiction.

Vanguard continues the story of Rob Geary, an unlikely hero who's up against impossible odds protecting two star systems with one small ship. It's also the story of the supporting cast of characters who all have a role to play either in space (fleeing conflict on a freighter), defending a space station, or protecting a planet from invaders. Actually, they are all up against impossible odds and each has their own battles to face.

In this installment, I found the supporting characters - Lochan, Carmen, and Mele - and their plot lines, to be more interesting than Rob's. Situational settings perhaps? Less time lag with communications? More emotional engagement? Perhaps a combination of all of those.

I will also note, and we discussed this in book group, I greatly appreciate the brevity of the logistics in having the space battles described. Trajectories are explained, executed, and our characters fly on. I applaud the realism in the waiting to fly in-system, distances before combat, and the length in communication times.

One comment of concern I do have, was how quickly the Captain of the fighter Piranha was, ah, eliminated. It was almost as if the author needed to cut that plot line off and just snipped that ship out of the picture. Very abrupt.

As I said above, I noted these are nearly idea, but not necessarily perfect. There are some quirks that gave me pause and question plausibility. Still, these are what *I* want to read when I need some solid space faring sci-fi. Recommended.



View all my reviews

 

Recipe Review from 1/27/2020

This wraps up new recipes for January.  A good month with 13 new recipes and all of them quite tasty.  The pumpkin waffles and the IP Banana Bread Steel cut oats were made twice.   Yummy!

A fondness for steam... (C) scifiwithpaprika 2019

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) leftover salmon (S) out for pizza
Sun (L) leftovers (S) Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Mon (yoga/Bkgrp/Legion) leftover pizza
Tues - leftovers squash
Wed - Carnitas
Thurs (yoga) - leftover squash
Fri - leftover carnitas

Lunches - punjabi chickpeas with potatoes (me); hummus and veggies (husband)

Spaghetti Squash Casserole (Eating Well Jan/Feb 20)
IF you don't have a microwave (which I don't) or your microwave can be iffy, you'll want to bake your squash in the oven.  Which I think makes for a more flavorful squash anyway, BUT it does require a bit of advanced planning or some extra time to prep.  I baked the squash in the morning, scooped out and popped it into the fridge.  Then when it came to assembly, all I needed to do was pull the squash out and proceed.

This was pretty good - with some notable modifications.  I used mild Italian sausage, I added red pepper flakes, and I skipped the basil (too $$ this time of year).  This would have been very bland without the uptick in flavor - which if you have kiddos is not necessarily a bad thing, but for some adult taste buds, waayy to bland.

Recommended with modifications to up the flavor/heat

photo from eatingwell.com

Serves 6 

1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
2 tablespoons water
1 pound lean ground beef  (( used mild Italian sausage)
1 medium shallot, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 (28 ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
1 cup shredded fontina cheese  (I used mozzarella, had it in the fridge)
Fresh basil for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place squash, cut-side down, in a microwave-safe dish; add water. Microwave, uncovered, on High until tender, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, place squash halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F until tender, 40 to 50 minutes.)

Meanwhile, cook ground beef in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Add shallot, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer.

Use a fork to scrape the squash flesh from the shells into the sauce; stir to combine. Top with cheese. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with basil, if desired.


Carnitas (Great American Slow Cooker Cookbook)
A simple but flavorful slow cooker dish that is chop, plop, and walk away.  The recipe has directions for three different slow cooker sizes - 2 to 3 1/2 quart, 4 to 5 1/2 quart, and 6 to 8 quart, which also correlates into serving sizes via the amount of your pork (2lbs, 3 1/2 lbs, 5 lbs).   I did the 2lb option, but in a 5-6lbs slow cooker (it was my smaller one).

This was perfect for a weeknight meal.  I prepped in the morning, cooked on low for closer to 9 hours, shredded and reduced the juices, and dinner was on the table.   I served with a side of cornbread (also prepped in the morning).   Recommended for it's simplicity and ease.

Serves 4-5

2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2" pieces
1/2 cup (1 sm can) chopped green chilies (mild or hot)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp garlic

Combine cubed pork, chilies, orange juice, lime juice, garlic and cumin in the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the pork is quite tender

Transfer the pork chunks to a bowl, strain the fat from the sauce.  Pour the de-fatted juices into a sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Boil until reduced by half.  Pour over pork cubes and serve.

My notes:  alternatively, heat a skillet over medium-high heat, shred the pork, and sear the shredded pork until browned slightly. Add in reduced juices if desired and serve.  Garnish with toppings of choice. 

Punjabi Chickpeas with Potato (Chole)  (177 Milk Street subscription required)   vegetarian
Oh yeah...this was very good and fairly easy to make.  A blend of warm spices, onion, ginger, chickpeas and potato.  The ingredient list seems substantial, but it's mostly spices.  I did think the flavor profile in this was closer in taste to what I get from my local Indian restaurant and worth the time. The recipe does require the onion to be grated - next time I will do this in my food processor. 

One substitution - I used Yukon Gold potatoes instead of Russet because I had those in the pantry.  I made this for lunches and I made a batch of basmati rice to go with.  This made five pre-portioned lunches for me.   So nice to just grab and go in the mornings!

Recommended - check out the cookbook or online subscription.