Recipe Review from 12/24/2018

What started out as a quiet and uneventful week, ended with 12" plus of snow in 24 hours.  Then the temperature dropped to below 0*.    Winter is Here...

Lots of recipes to wrap of the end of the year!  I especially liked the Chicken Tikki Masala

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) BLT's with egg and avocado  (S) leftover lentil soup
Sun (L)  leftovers       (S) Slow Cooked Vietnamese Soup (pho)
Mon - leftover pho
Tues (Off) (L) leftovers  (S)  Lamb chops and Ceasar green bean salad
Wed - Chicken Tikki Masala
Thurs - leftover Tikki
Fri - leftover Tikki

Lunches (Husband) veggies  (me)  Mediterranean Chicken and Quinoa stew


Instant Pot Mediterranean Chicken and Quinoa Stew  (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018) gluten free
Slow cooker directions can be found by following the link above.

It's taken a bit to figure out, but I think I love my Instant Pot.There is something about being able to chop, plot, cook, vent, and cool a dish in about an hour that is very appealing. Yes, I still love my slow cooker, it still has a coveted place in my kitchen, but to be done in an hour is very nice.

I made this for lunches for the end of the week, with enough for lunch on Saturday.  This was very tasty - the chicken turned out so tender, the quinoa made for a nice thick base, and the squash added a tich of sweetness to what could have been a bland dish.  My first bowl I forgot about the olives (regular green olives), so I added them to the rest and I could go either way - good with, good without.


Serves 4-6
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 chicken thighs)
4 cups chopped peeled butternut squash

photo from cookinglight.com

4 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 ounce pitted Castelvetrano olives, sliced

Combine chicken, squash, stock, onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, oregano, ground fennel seeds, and pepper in Instant Pot. Cover with lid, and turn to manual. Turn lid valve to seal, and set to high pressure for 8 minutes.

Release valve with a towel (be careful of the pressurized steam), and release steam until it stops.

Carefully uncover, and transfer chicken to a cutting board. Stir quinoa into stew. Turn to sauté, and cook, stirring occasionally, until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Shred chicken, and stir into stew. Discard bay leaf. Divide soup evenly among 6 bowls. Sprinkle evenly with olives.


Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018)
Folks, we have a beef Pho!  I made this mostly for the Husband, I rarely make anything - if at all - with beef and thought this might be something palatable for me.

Now, I did complicate this a bit by making my own beef stock, which was really bone stock, because I really didn't know what I was doing or buying. It worked, but it certainly wasn't "beef stock" as I'm used to.

This is pretty easy to make. I broke the ingredients apart into the order in which they are used. You make a flavorful soup base (slow cooker), then cook noodles (which could be done ahead of time) and lastly, assemble the toppings and serve.

Flavors were definitely different, and okay for the first bowl. By the second bowl I wasn't enjoying them as much. In part it was the beef. I wasn't up to a third bowl so the Husband got that.  This made closer to 6 servings - while it doesn't seem like it, it is a lot of liquid and food. Recommended if you like beef.

Serves 4-6

Photo from cookinglight.com

3 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 medium sweet onions
3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
1 cup water
4 cups unsalted beef stock

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/4 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce

4 ounces brown rice vermicelli noodles

4 ounces top sirloin steak, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 cup roughly torn fresh basil
1/2 cup roughly torn fresh mint
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
Thinly sliced red Fresno chile

Cook star anise and cinnamon in a large skillet over medium until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker. Cut 1 onion in half; place in skillet, cut side down; add ginger. Thinly slice remaining onion, and set aside. Cook onion and ginger over medium, undisturbed, until onion is charred on cut side, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker. Increase heat under skillet to medium-high. Add short ribs; cook until browned on all sides, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker. Remove skillet from heat; discard drippings. Pour 1 cup water into skillet, scraping to loosen browned bits. Pour through a strainer into slow cooker; discard solids. Stir in beef stock and salt. Cover and cook on low 8 hours.

Remove short ribs from slow cooker. Pour broth through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into a bowl; discard solids. Skim and discard fat from surface of broth; pour broth back into slow cooker. Remove meat from bones of short ribs; shred meat, and return to slow cooker. Stir in fish sauce and hoisin sauce. Turn slow cooker to high; cover to keep hot.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Place 1/2 cup cooked noodles in each of 4 bowls. Top each with 1 ounce raw sirloin and 1 1/4 cups hot broth (broth will cook meat). Top each with 1/3 cup short rib meat and 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion. Sprinkle with bean sprouts, basil, and mint. Serve with lime wedges; garnish with Fresno chile.


Caesar Green Bean Salad (Cooks Country, 2017)
Oh! Happy happy tastebuds! This was sooo good! And easy! Super easy. 

I honestly think this was better than a "tradtional Caesar salad.   Recommended!!

Definitely serves 4-6

Dressing and Green Beans

Photo from CooksCountry.com

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 anchovy fillets, minced to paste
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with vegetable peeler

Croutons
3 ounces baguette, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the Dressing and Grean Beans
Whisk lemon juice, Worcestershire, mustard, garlic, anchovies, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in bowl until combined. Slowly whisk in oil until emulsified; set aside.

Line baking sheet with clean dish towel. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add green beans and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, return to boil, and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain green beans in colander and spread in even layer on prepared sheet. Let green beans cool completely.

For the Croutons
Meanwhile, toss baguette,oil, and pepper in large bowl until baguette pieces are coated with oil. Transfer to 12-inch nonstick skillet (reserve bowl). Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Return croutons to reserved bowl.

Transfer dressing, green beans, and half of Parmesan to bowl with croutons and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Serve.

Lamb Chops (Food Network/Giada De Laurentiis) gluten free
Something different for us - I made this for Christmas Day dinner accompanied by the Caesar Green Bean Salad above.   Simple enough marinate, cooking times were off, I would have preferred to grill these  but didn't want to clean the grill.   I would make them again and pay more attention to internal temp than cooking times listed.

The amount of marinade wasn't enough to use in my food processor, so I attempted to use my immersion blender.  Mine didn't work so well.  I would have been better off mincing the

Served 2

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

photo from Food Network

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (I used 1 tsp dried, crushed)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (I used 1 tsp dried)

Pinch cayenne pepper

Coarse sea salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 lamb chops, about 3/4-inch thick  (I used 4 lamb chops)

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, cayenne, and salt. Pulse until combined. Pour in olive oil and pulse into a paste. Rub the paste on both sides of the lamb chops and let them marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator and allow the chops to come to room temperature; it will take about 20 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over high heat until almost smoking, add the chops and sear for about 2 minutes. Flip the chops over and cook for another 3 minutes for medium-rare and 3 1/2 minutes for medium.

Slow Cooked Chicken Tikki Masala (adapted from Great American Slow Cooker Book) gluten free
I had my doubts about this recipe - it's chicken and tomatoes with seasonings. That's it.  Seems too simple.  For it's simplicity - this was very good.

A couple of notables - next time I would add 1 cup diced onion.  I would also saute the onion, garlic, spices (to bloom the flavors), then add the tomato paste to bloom those flavors before putting into the slow cooker. 

This cook book offers quantities for three different sizes of slow cookers.  I made the one for a 4-6 slow cooker. 

With rice and naan (which I picked up from the India Palace) this made enough for about 4 meals for 2 of us (8 servings)

3 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2" pieces
24 oz can crushed tomatoes (no-salt if possible)
8 oz can tomato paste (no-salt if possible)
2 1/2 tbsp Garam Masala
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

cooked basmati or jasmine rice

Combine above in slow cooker.  Cook 3 1/2 - 4 hours on low.  Serve over basmati or jasmine rice.

Crossover by Joel Shepherd (Casandra Kresnov #1)

Crossover by Joel Shepherd

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Jacket blurb:  Crossover is the first novel in a series which follows the adventures of Cassandra Kresnov, an artificial person, or android, created by the League, one side of an interstellar war against the more powerful, conservative Federation. Cassandra is an experimental design — more intelligent, more creative, and far more dangerous than any that have preceded her. But with her intellect come questions, and a moral awakening. She deserts the League and heads incognito into the space of her former enemy, the Federation, in search of a new life.

Her chosen world is Callay, and its enormous, decadent capital metropolis of Tanusha, where the concerns of the war are literally and figuratively so many light years away. But the war between the League and the Federation was ideological as much as political, with much of that ideological dispute regarding the very existence of artificial sentience and the rules that govern its creation. Cassandra discovers that even in Tanusha, the powerful entities of this bloody conflict have wound their tentacles. Many in the League and the Federation have cause to want her dead, and Cassandra’s history, inevitably, catches up with her.

Cassandra finds herself at the mercy of a society whose values preclude her own right even to exist. But her presence in Tanusha reveals other fault lines, and when Federal agents attempt to assassinate the Callayan president, she finds herself thrust into the service of her former enemies, using her lethal skills to attempt to protect her former enemies from forces beyond their ability to control. As she struggles for her place and survival in a new world, Cassandra must forge new friendships with old enemies, while attempting to confront the most disturbing and deadly realities of her own existence.

Read for November book group...

...sort of. This was a Did Not Finish (DNF) for me. I tried to finish it, I did. But by Chapter 16 I was done slogging. Just...done.

Now, the book group group enjoyed this one and have requested to read the next in the series, which we probably will.

So, where did this fail for me? I think it was just too much introspection and expository dumping on what it means to be human, what defines being a human, who should be considered human, how humans are afraid of GI's, and how Cassandra/Sandy is or isn't human.

The bits with action were engaging and fun - but they were far and few between.

I liked Cassandra when she was moving and engaged in something. I liked her growing awareness of how she was different from her fellow GI's, what was causing that awareness, and her empathy for her team.

I liked Vanessa Rice. She was spunky, interesting and fun.

I enjoyed the world building and the city of Tanshua (sp?). The air cars, the river winding through, the different cultures all made for a very interesting and colorful backdrop.

Ultimately, I would have liked this selection more if there was less introspection and more character engagement.

Recommended with reservations.



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The Cookie Post

I did a bit more baking this holiday season than I usually do - I had two back to back meetings and one potluck over two days and this seemed the route to go. 

And there were some notable disasters involved as I attempted to convert two long-standing recipes to gluten free.   I was short of Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour mix and the closest grocery store only had Pillsbury gluten free mix so I thought, Pillsbury knows what it's doing.  Um. No. That batch went into the garbage followed by the bag of Pillsbury GF flour. 

Also some unrealistic decorating happened (I blame the Great British Bake Off show), where I was supposed to "drizzle" the melted chocolate over said cookies and said melted chocolate wanted no part of drizzling.  Argh! 

This is why I generally don't bake.

The Cookie Line-up:
Salted Toffee Chocolate bars (new)
Almond bark dipped pretzels (with sprinkles!)
Peanut Butter Cookies (new)
Almond Crescents (GF)
Chocolate Chip Tea Cakes (GF)


Salted Toffee Chocolate Bars  (co-op flyer)
A similar recipe to the standard homemade toffee bars (so good! Sooo addictive!) but with the addition of a graham cracker base and some salt sprinkled over the top.

I was short three graham crackers (I thought I had a full package, but realized too late I didn't).

My chocolate didn't want to drizzle, so it was spread out over the nuts and salt kinda ruining the effect.

The co-workers and Husband seemed to like these, I was...underwhelmed (in part due to the chocolate fiasco).  They certainly were easy to make, so I'm a bit "maybe" if I want to make these again.

photo from recipe site - mine didn't look as nice

12 graham crackers
1/2 pound butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp coarse salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place the crackers on the foil-lined sheet, with their edges touching. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, then stir in the brown sugar.

Turn the heat to medium high, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for 10 minutes until the sugar has melted. Pour the sugar mixture over the graham crackers, and spread with a spatula to cover evenly.

Sprinkle with pecans and bake for 10 minutes, until bubbly. Place pan on a cooling rack and use the tip of a spatula to nudge the crackers apart. Sprinkle with coarse salt. When the pan has cooled, melt the chocolate and drizzle it over the crackers. Let cool until firm; remove from the pan, and break into pieces. Store, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to a week.



Peanut Butter Cookies (Food Fun Family Blog via Pinterest)
It's been years since I've made peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses. I don't eat peanut butter and we, until the pup came along, didn't have peanut butter in the house. But I had two meetings last week, decided I would do a cookie plate, and thought these would be an easy addition.

Yes, they were easy. And would have been easier if the PB I bought on Friday hadn't expired Feb 2018 and had to send the Husband to the store at 7p at night to get a new jar. Not. Kidding. I'm sure it would have been fine, but I'm baking for co-workers so...yeah. New jar it was.

Once we had fresh PB in hand, these came together in no time at all. I used a 1" scoop so I got 28 cookies.  Husband thought they could have been a bit smaller (cookies/chocolate ratio), but said they were still good.

There was no particular reason why I picked this recipe - it was there on Pinterest among a bazillion other options.

photo from Food Fun Family blog

1¾ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter (not margarine)
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
48 Hershey's Kisses

1.Heat oven to 375°F.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt.

3. In a separate bowl, combine both sugars, butter, peanut butter, milk, vanilla, and egg. Using hand beaters, mix wet ingredients til they're creamy. Add ingredients of the wet bowl into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until they're thoroughly mixed.

4. Spoon small rounded spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet (no need to flatten the cookie dough balls). Bake at 375°F for 9-11 minutes, or until slightly browned. Immediately after you take the cookies out of the oven, place an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss in the middle of each cookies and gently press down.

5. Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes and then remove them to a cooling rack.

Almond Bark Pretzels (referenced James and Everett blog for posting)
I've been making these for decades, so I don't follow a recipe. But in the interest of my cookie list, I found a "recipe" online to link to.  I will say, I think dipping by hand and leaving one little corner un-coated would be easier than my dunk and fish-out of the bark method. I might have to try that next year.

photo from James and Everett - see the un-dipped corner? Brilliant!

1 package of vanilla almond bark
1 package of pretzels
sprinkles

Melt almond bark according to directions on package (I use a double boiler).

Prepare a jelly roll pan with wax paper.

Working in batches, gently dip pretzels into melted bark and distribute evenly on wax paper, being careful not to touch adjoining pretzels.

Sprinkle with sprinkles before bark cools and hardens. Repeat.


Chocolate Chip Tea Cakes (Nestle - The Very Best Baking)
This is another recipe I've had for decades, and a holiday or special occasion favorite. Super easy to assemble, nicely sweet, and tastes just a tich decadent. I'm not certain if my recipe was from Nestle, or if I found it somewhere else.

This was the batch I made first with Pillsbury Gluten Free flour. This was the batch that I threw away and the remainder of the Pillsbury flour followed. Absolute disaster. The cookies exploded into little piles of sand-like mounds with nuts and chocolate chips. I had the husband test-taste one and the bits he managed to get to his mouth, he didn't like. Nope. Would not do.

Second batch I made with Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free flour and those were much better.&Not like using traditional flour but still good.

Then I had problems with the chocolate not wanting to drizzle, so the tops of the cookies were dipped, which I think I preferred.

Photo from Nestle

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup finely chopped nuts
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, divided

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Beat butter and powdered sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour and nuts. Stir in 1 1/2 cups morsels. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set and light golden brown on bottom. Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Microwave remaining morsels in heavy-duty plastic bag on HIGH (100%) power for 30 to 45 seconds; knead. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, kneading until smooth. Cut tiny corner from bag; squeeze to drizzle over cookies. Refrigerate cookies for about 5 minutes or until chocolate is set. Store at room temperature in airtight containers.

Almond Crescent Cookies (AllRecipes.com)
Another cookie recipe that I found decades ago and didn't jot down the source.   The AllRecipes is the closest I could find to mine, the only differences being the almond extract and ratio's (mine made more).

This was the other recipe I attempted to convert to gluten free using Pillsbury GF flour mix.  While this worked better than the tea cookies above, they weren't the best tasting texture wise.  Think...sand.  Which was unfortunate because these really are decadent little shortcakes.   Some online discussion I've had has pointed me to Bob's Red Mill 1:1 or King Arthur GF flour.  I know I can get Bob's Red Mill, not so sure about KA.  Though that might be worth an online purchase.   


1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature

photo from AllRecipes.com

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (not listed on my recipe)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 325*.

Beat butter and confectioners' sugar in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt; mix briefly to incorporate.

Gradually stir 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour into the creamed butter, add almonds, and mix until dough is just combined.

Shape dough into tiny crescents; place on an ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies in preheated oven until edges are golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Roll cookies in sifted confectioners' sugar when cooled.   My version has you rolling the cookies while still warm, so either way is good.

Recipe review from 12/16/2018

There was some baking (review later this week), there was some cooking (reviews down below), there were a few meetings and one Holiday potluck.  It was a busy week! 


Meal Plan for week of 12/16:
Sat (L) out/leftovers(S) Baguette Pizzas
Sun (L) leftover pizzas(S) Lazy Lasagna Soup
Mon (Yoga/Birthday party) leftover soup
Tues (bkgrp) out/leftover soup
Wed - leftover soup
Thur (yoga)
Fri - leftover soup

Lunches - Husband: sandwiches; Me - Lentil and potato soup

Baguette Pizzas with Sausage (Ckng Lght, Dec 2018)
We enjoyed this quite a bit - a variation on the "usual" take-n-bake pizzas that we pick-up on a busy or lazy weekend.  I liked the pesto base, kinda a hit of summer in the middle of December.  I used spicy bulk Italian sausage for the turkey sausage called for.  And I picked up a shredded smoked provolone and mozzarella mix from the co-op that we enjoy on homemade pizzas. 

I made the full compliment of filling for one lunch, but only made 1/2 the baguette, saving part of the filling and cheese for the next day.  And found I didn't have *quite* enough (or my baguette was larger than called for) so I quick whipped up some crushed tomatoes for a red sauce.

Which shows how versatile this idea is.  Recommended!

Serves 4

1 (10-oz.) whole-wheat baguette, split lengthwise
1/4 cup refrigerated basil pesto

photo from Cookinglight.com

2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage
4 cups chopped spinach
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
2 ounces pre-shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat broiler to high. Scoop out the interior of the baguette and discard (Wha???  Set aside and run through the food processor and freeze for bread crumbs at a later date!  For Shame! Cooking Light!). Place hollowed baguette halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Stir together pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl; spread evenly on baguette halves.

Heat oil in a large skillet over high. Cook sausage, stirring, until browned and crumbly, about 4 minutes. Add spinach to sausage; cook, stirring often, until wilted and bright green, about 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Remove from heat.

Transfer toasted baguette halves to a cutting board, and spoon sausage mixture evenly into baguette. Cut each half into 4 equal pieces. Top evenly with cheese. Place on baking sheet; return to oven, and broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

Lazy Lasagna Soup (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018) vegetarian option**
This was most excellent!   One notable substitution - I used bulk spicy Italian sausage for the ground chuck.  I don't like ground beef, and Italian sausage was more "lasagna" to me.  While the sausage is cooking on the stove, you can chop and plop everything else into the slow cooker (there are Instant Pot directions if you follow the link above).   Come back in 6 hours to add the noodles - I was dubious about this part but it worked well.

And this is where my one small critism comes in - perhaps a different noodle instead of breaking up lasagna noodles?  I ended up with all different sizes and it made it awkward to serve and eat. 

Did I mention this was delicious?   It was delicious, filling and would be excellent for company too. Recommended!!

Serves 4-6 (6 if you have garlic bread or a salad on the side)

1 pound 90% lean ground chuck**  skip to make vegetarian

photo from cookinglight.com

**I used 2/3 lb bulk spicy Italian sausage
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1 (14.5-oz.) can unsalted crushed tomatoes
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces whole-wheat lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
1/4 cup half-and-half   (I skipped these three) 

4 ounces pre-shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, stirring to crumble, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and stir to combine. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and black pepper; stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low 6 hours.

Stir lasagna noodles into soup, making sure to submerge all noodles in liquid. Cover and cook on low until noodles are al dente, about 30 minutes. Stir in half-and half.

Divide soup evenly among 8 bowls. Top evenly with mozzarella and basil.


Smokey Potato and Lentil Soup (Mel's Kitchen Cafe Blog)  vegetarian/vegan option**
Instant Pot recipe below.  For stove top, follow the link to the recipe. 

This came together in about an hour total.  It's a chop, plop, cook (clean up), add spinach, serve.  Or, cool for meals later in the week.  This is earthy, hearty and a tich on the bland side.  I did use spinach for this, but chopped kale or chard would also work well. 

This made about 6-7 lunches (I lost count between what I ate and the Husband had).

photo from Mel's Cafe Blog/Pinterest

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow or white onion
3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
1/2 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound Yukon Gold or red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (I do not peel but you can if you want)
1 cup red lentils, sorted and rinsed (see note)
1 cup brown lentils, sorted and rinsed (see note)
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth**
8 to 10 ounces kale or spinach, chopped (optional but delicious)

1. In a stove top or electric pressure cooker, heat the oil (use the Sauté function in the Instant Pot). Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery, and cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't burn

2. Add the cumin, paprika and salt. Stir to combine.

3. Add the potatoes, lentils and stock or broth.

4.  Secure the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook at 3 minutes on high pressure. Quick release the pressure, unlock the lid, and stir in the kale or spinach, if using.

5. Season to taste with salt and pepper (very important!) and serve. The soup will thicken a bit as it cools.

Provenance by Ann Leckie

Provenance by Ann Leckie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Following her record-breaking debut trilogy, Ann Leckie, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke and Locus Awards, returns with a thrilling new story of power, theft, privilege and birthright.

A power-driven young woman has just one chance to secure the status she craves and regain priceless lost artefacts prized by her people. She must free their thief from a prison planet from which no one has ever returned.

Ingray and her charge will return to their home world to find their planet in political turmoil at the heart of an escalating interstellar conflict. Together, they must make a new plan to salvage Ingray's future, her family and her world, before they are lost to her for good.

Read for December book group. Read as an audio book.

I greatly enjoyed this latest installment by Ann Leckie. I read her first three books several years ago and loved the world building, the characters and the aliens. Especially the aliens.

This one was no different - I loved the world building, the characters and the aliens. The plot flowed steadily along, pulling me with it. At first I wasn't sure about the narration, but came to enjoy the different intonations for each being and her enunciation. Absolutely delightful.

This isn't to say I didn't have a few quirks - Ingray is so very naive and frequently had me rolling my eyes in disbelief. Where the reader is quickly figuring things out, she always seemed to be a step behind. Perhaps on purpose? I don't know, but she wasn't my favorite character despite being the main character. In fact, I think I liked just about everyone else better.

This is about politics. Alien politics, planetary politics, adjoining Gate politics, ruling family politics, and internal family politics. There are layers and layers of interlaced intrigue that somehow, Ingray seems to stumble through basically unscathed with a little help from her friends.

The ending, while satisfactory, felt a bit incomplete as if a couple of plot threads weren't quite tied up. I have mixed feeling on the romantic pairings, or perceived romantic pairings, after all the politics because it made the book feel like a romance, which it wasn't.

Recommended, especially if you've already read her first three books. You'll probably quite enjoy a return to this Universe.



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Recipe Review from 12/9/2018

An uneventful week all in all.  Weather has been beautiful.  Husband and I have gotten over our respective head colds.  Yup, pretty uneventful, which is good. 

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) out (S) Take n Bake pizza
Sun (L) leftovers (S) slow cooked pork ribs and poutine
Mon (yoga) leftover ribs and fries
Tues - Tex Mex Chicken Soup
Wed - leftover soup
Thur (yoga) leftover soup
Fri (yoga) more leftover soup

Lunches - Greek Salmon bowls and Tuna Salad bowls


Instant Pot Tex-Mex Chicken Soup (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018) gluten free, could be vegetarian....
This was my second time using an Instant Pot.\ First time was making a batch of wheat berries. There is definitely a learning curve to using one of these gizmos, but I think overall, it's going to become a go-to devise in my house.

That being said, I managed to overcook my chicken. Entirely my fault. Point number one - I was using one of the Husbands hand raised chickens, which are very lean and small. Point number two, I didn't read the bit on the recipe that said "release the pressure" after 10 minutes and just let it un-pressurize on it's own time while I was doing something else. Nope. Can't do that.

However, the soup flavors were good, it is definitely a brothy soup and not thick like a chili or stew.There is a slow cooker option, and really, this could easily be made vegetarian/vegan by omitting the chicken and upping the veggies - maybe two types of beans and some hominy; I would make this again.

Slow cooker recipe here: Tex Mex Chicken Soup

Made three suppers or about 6 servings exactly

photo from cookinglight.com

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 thighs)
4 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1 (15-oz.) can unsalted black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5-oz.) can unsalted diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped red or orange bell pepper
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Combine chicken, stock, beans, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, corn, chiles, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper in Instant Pot. Cover with lid, and turn to manual. Turn lid valve to seal, and set to high pressure for 10 minutes.
Release valve with a towel (be careful of the pressurized steam), and release steam until it stops. Carefully uncover, and transfer chicken to a cutting board. Shred chicken into small pieces; return to Instant Pot. Stir in lime juice. Divide soup evenly among 5 bowls. Top evenly with yogurt and cilantro.


Easy Greek Salmon Bowls (Ckng Lght Nov, 2018) gluten free
I made this pretty much as written with two tiny alterations:  I used zucchini instead of cucumber (not a fan) and I finished cooking the salmon in the oven (I had it on to warm something else up).  I divided this up into individual portions for lunches for the week, and had enough to do five servings.   I did pop it into the microwave for about 30 seconds just to take the chill off of it, but this could be eaten cold, room temp or warm, depending on your preference.  I thought the flavors were about perfect.  I would make this again.  Recommended!

Made 5 lunches

4 (5-oz.) skin-on salmon fillets

photo from cookinglight.com

1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
5 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 (8-oz.) pkg. haricots verts
3 cups packed baby spinach leaves, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
2 cups chopped English cucumber (I used zucchini)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Sprinkle salmon with dill, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add salmon, skin side up, to skillet; cook 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium. Set aside.

Fill a large bowl with ice water. Cook haricots verts according to package directions; place in ice water until completely cool, about 1 minute. Pat dry.

Toss together spinach, quinoa, and parsley in a bowl. Whisk together lemon juice, honey, and remaining 1/4 cup oil in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup lemon dressing to spinach mixture; toss to combine.

To serve, spoon 3/4 cup spinach mixture into each of 4 bowls. Arrange 1/2 cup tomatoes, 1/2 cup cucumber, and 1/3 cup cooked haricots verts in each bowl. Drizzle with remaining dressing; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Top each bowl with 1 flaked salmon fillet and 1 tablespoon feta cheese.


Lemon Dill Salmon Salad  (Ckng Lght Sept 2018)  gluten free
Also made this for lunches for the week because the above recipe wasn't enough to get two of us through the week.   This was also tasty - better than traditional tuna salad in my humble opinion.  I did substitute vacuumed sealed salmon for the canned because I think it tastes better and is not as runny.   Which was a good thing because the lemon juice made the dish runnier than I care for.  Which meant the pita was packed outside the tupperware container. 

Still, once divided up, this was very tasty.  I think we also subbed green beans for the carrots (I had them from the recipe above).   This could also be a great pre-packed picnic dish, but worked great as grab-n-go lunches.  Recommended. 

Made 4 lunches

photo from cookinglight.com

1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill  1 tsp dried
1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice  Could cut back on the lemon juice...
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 (6-oz.) cans sustainable boneless, skinless salmon (such as Wild Planet), drained and flaked  I used 2 packages vacuum sealed salmon.  Note: NOT the individual serving packages.
1/3 cup chopped unsalted roasted almonds
4 green leaf lettuce leaves
3 cups seedless red grapes
2 cups 3- to 4-inch carrot sticks
2 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas, each cut into 8 wedges

Stir together celery, scallions, mayonnaise, dill, lemon zest and juice, pepper, and salt in a medium bowl. Fold in salmon and almonds. Arrange 1 lettuce leaf in each of 4 (4-cup) containers. Divide salmon salad evenly over lettuce.

Divide grapes, carrots, and pita wedges evenly among containers.

King and Maxwell by David Baldacci (Sean and Michelle #6)

King and Maxwell by David Baldacci

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  It seems at first like a simple, tragic story. Tyler Wingo, a teenage boy, learns the awful news that his father, a soldier, was killed in action in Afghanistan. Then the extraordinary happens: Tyler receives a communication from his father . . . after his supposed death.

Tyler hires Sean and Michelle to solve the mystery surrounding his father. But their investigation quickly leads to deeper, more troubling questions. Could Tyler's father really still be alive? What was his true mission? Could Tyler be the next target?

Sean and Michelle soon realize that they've stumbled on to something bigger and more treacherous than anyone could have imagined. And as their hunt for the truth leads them relentlessly to the highest levels of power and to uncovering the most clandestine of secrets, Sean and Michelle are determined to help and protect Tyler--though they may pay for it with their lives.

Read as an audio book.

Premise of the book is, Sean and Michelle are drawn into a web of lies that extends all the way to the Oval Office and the Pentagon. It starts with a teenage boy found running in the rain on a dark and stormy night after he's been told his father died in action overseas. When digging a bit deeper, said father isn't quite so dead, but there is someone out there who really wishes he was. Sean and Michelle find enmeshed in a military muck-up the likes of which no one has ever seen.

Oh my goodness gracious - the implausibilities were as thick as the various alphabet agencies that were involved in this story.

And I enjoyed the story anyway. Maybe because so much of it was just kinda...silly. Plus it's Sean and Michelle - snarky, endearing, fun.

Some of my issues with the book:

• why Tyler Wingo is running around in the rain with a antique pistol never made any sense.
  
• a shoot-out in a mall? Dumb, just...dumb.
   
• Nobody is questioning all the bodies in suits piling up dead around Washington?
   
• Allan Grant's motivation - and the impetus for the entire plot - was weak at best.
   
• Michelle's jealousy regarding Sean and Dana. Girl, get over yourself.
   
• The "sexual tension" between Sean and Michelle - not necessary. Book doesn't need it and I think it just detracts from the characters.

I could go on, but as I noted, despite the faults, it was an engaging read and kept me happily entertained during my commute. The astute reader will know how this will end, but it was fun letting the plot roll out and watching the characters run around. Except for Edgar, Edgar doesn't run around. I think he's becoming my favorite character...

Recommended if you've read the first five books in the series.


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Recipe Review from 12/3/2018

This ended up being a "use stuff up" week, what with the Husband down with a cold. Plus the previous weeks leftovers went on forever, so there was some creative leftover use happening.

The Meal Plan:
Sat - leftovers, Husband was sick
Sun - more leftovers
Mon (yoga) - spaghetti squash with pork
Tues - Mac n Cheese
Wed - Shrimp and Grits
Thurs (yoga) - leftover grits
Fri - Crispy Chicken from store

Lunches - Squash soup  


Basic Stove-top Mac and Cheese (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018) gluten free option, vegetarian
This was touted as a side and serving something like 12 or 16, so I cut it in half. Plus I only had half a box of elbow macaroni. That should be good for two people for two meals, right?; Nope. Try one and a half meals.

In defense of the serving size - this was most excellent. Creamy, not overly rich, and it comes together so fast. I did use Sharp cheddar cheese and added a 1/2 tsp of mustard to up the flavor a bit. This was perfect for a speedy, tasty, weeknight meal.I could also see this one being "dressed up" with leftover ham, or peas if you want to keep it vegetarian. Recommended!

Serving size (as a side) - 16 - 1/2 cup servings (but who does 1/2 cup servings of mac n' cheese??) Realistic serving size (as a meal) about 6

photo from cookinglight.com

4 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound uncooked brown rice macaroni or penne pasta
8 ounces 2% reduced-fat cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
2 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for serving

Stir together milk, 2 cups water, and salt in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil over high. Stir in pasta. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring often and gently to loosen pasta from bottom of pot, until just tender, about 12 minutes. (Do not over-stir, or pasta may become mushy.)

Remove from heat. Add cheeses and pepper; stir gently until melted. Sprinkle with additional pepper.


Shrimp and Grits (Ckng Lght, Dec 2018)  gluten free**  watch the worchestershire sauce
Don't be put off by the ingredient list - this comes together very quickly with minimal chopping.  The grits are mostly hands off and can be started and be cooking or resting while the shrimp comes together. 

This was good - a fairly basic shrimp and grits dish that can be assembled and on the table in under and hour.  I consider this pure comfort food - recommended.

For the Grits
3 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups uncooked stone-ground yellow grits

photo from cookinglight.com

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup), divided
2 1/2 tablespoons half-and-half
3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

For the Shrimp
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped poblano chile
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups unsalted fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon lower-sodium Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
1 pound peeled and deveined raw medium shrimp

Bring chicken broth and 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high. Whisk in grits; reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 20 to 23 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add onion and poblano; cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, 8 to 9 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes, Worcestershire, black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Simmer 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter; cook, stirring often, until butter is melted. Add shrimp, and cook until just pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add 6 tablespoons Parmesan, half-and-half, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt to grits; stir to combine. Divide grits among 6 bowls; top with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with scallions and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan; drizzle evenly with hot sauce.

Recipe Review from 11/26/2018

I was hoping Cooking Light would have the December recipe index posted at this point in time, but they are either busy with the Eating Well switch-over or they aren't bothering to post. Since I didn't realize that, I didn't take a picture of the yummy spaghetti sauce recipe.

Between the pork roast from Thanksgiving Friday, and the spaghetti sauce, we were a bit meat-centric this past week. I wasn't expecting leftovers to last so long (hint, they slid into next weeks meal plan). So it goes.

The Meal Plan for week of 11/26
Sat (L) out (S) leftover pork roast
Sun (L) leftover pork roast (S) spaghetti with Italian Sunday Sauce
Mon (yoga/bkgrp/Legion) leftovers
Tues - leftover spaghetti
Wed - shrimp and grits
Thurs - leftovers
Friday- leftovers

Lunches - chicken wild rice soup

Pasta with Italian Sunday Sauce aka "Sunday Gravy" (Ckng Lght Dec 2018)
I made two substitutions in the recipe and I think it turned out splendidly - I subbed country style pork ribs for the beef ribs, and I used bulk ground Italian sausage. Why the change?I don't care for beef and, chunks of sausage links in my spaghetti sauce was unappealing PLUS I already had a package of frozen ground sausage in the freezer.

Otherwise I made as directed - the ribs were fall of the bone tender and just fell apart. When I sauted the ground sausage, I didn't break it into little bits, but left it as larger chunks, almost like small marbles size. This was very tasty - and it made a lot.;

I served this over regular spaghetti, polenta (delish!), and spaghetti squash. Recommended!

Serves 8 -10
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb bone-in beef ribs (I used country style pork ribs)
12 oz hot Italian turkey sausage (about 3 sausage links)
I used 12 oz bulk ground hot Italian pork sausage
2 cups finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 Tbsp minced garlic
5 Tbsp unsalted tomato paste
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 (28 oz) can unsalted crushed tomatoes
1 rosemary sprig
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
14 oz uncooked whole-wheat spaghetti
4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 1/8 tsp kosher salt

1) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add short ribs and sausage in batches; cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Do not wipe out skillet.

2) Reduce heat to medium; add onion, celery, and garlic to skillet; cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute, Remove from heat; add red wine, scrapping bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Pour& mixture into a 6-quart slow cooker. Sir in tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and red pepper. Add short ribs and sausage, submerging in tomato mixture. Cover and cook on LOW until short ribs are tender, about 7 hours.

3) Transfer short ribs and sausage links to a cutting board. Skim and discard fat from surface of tomato sauce in slow cooker. Discard rosemary. Let short ribs and sausage links cook 10 minutes.

4) Prepare pasta according to directions on package, omitting salt and fat. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

5) Remove meat from bones of short ribs; shred meat, and return to slow cooker.  Discard bones.  Cut sausage links crosswise into 1/2" thick slices; return to slow cooker.  Stir in vinegar and salt.  Serve over pasta.


Roasted Spaghetti Squash (Martha Stewart)  vegetarian, vegan
I saw Martha make this on one of her Cooking Shows and it looked so simple and delicious.  And it was incredibly simple.   I had a 3lb squash, so I figured I would have enough for at least two meals - one of which would be with the spaghetti sauce above.

I had enough for one meal, with barely enough for a side for a second meal.  Some tweaking to the meal plan was necessary.

Mine didn't turn out as stringy and golden and "fluffy" looking as Martha's.  I had quite a bit of liquid which made it a bit...goopy?   Especially after adding the extra 1 tbsp of olive oil and lemon juice.  I'd make this again, but drain the squash before adding any oil or lemon juice. 

1 spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds), halved and seeded
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle squash flesh with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast until squash is tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour.

When cool enough to handle, gently scrape squash with a fork to remove flesh in long strands and transfer to a medium bowl. Toss with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, lemon juice, and parsley. Season with salt and red-pepper flakes and serve sprinkled with cheese, if desired. 

L'appart: the Delights and Disasters of Making Paris my Home by David Lebovitz

L'Appart: The Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home by David Lebovitz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




Jacket Blurb:  Bestselling author and world-renowned chef David Lebovitz continues to mine the rich subject of his evolving ex-Pat life in Paris, using his perplexing experiences in apartment renovation as a launching point for stories about French culture, food, and what it means to revamp one's life. Includes dozens of new recipes.

When David Lebovitz began the project of updating his apartment in his adopted home city, he never imagined he would encounter so much inexplicable red tape while contending with the famously inconsistent European work ethic and hours. Lebovitz maintains his distinctive sense of humor with the help of his partner Romain, peppering this renovation story with recipes from his Paris kitchen. In the midst of it all, he reveals the adventure that accompanies carving out a place for yourself in a foreign country--under baffling conditions--while never losing sight of the magic that inspired him to move to the City of Light many years ago, and to truly make his home there.
 
I have read a number of "My Life in Paris and or France" books and cookbook combinations over the years, but this is the first that has not painted the City of Lights with glassy eyed adoration. This is also the first story that gave me a close-up look at Parisian society and culture beyond raving about boulangeries, patisseries, charcuteries, name your "ies".

And I appreciated the book all the more for it.

Premise of the book is David moved to Paris from San Francisco, and after 10 years of renting an apartment, he's ready to buy. Wanting to prove to himself and Paris he's ready for this transition, he embarks on what becomes nearly three years of heartache, headache, and painful lessons in navigating the bureaucracy known as Paris. He admits his naivety, cultural expectations, and language barrier played a huge part in the trials and tribulations. Interspersed between the chapters are a fun assortment of recipes.

I found this a fascinating and painful read. When authors wax poetic about Paris, it's about the bakeries, the butchers, the cheese shops, the cafes, the wine, and more. I came to realize with David's story, there is a whole aspect of Paris that is never written about: how to actually live there as an expat. Where customer service is first in the US, the customer is there at the convenience of the service in France (I wasn't clear if this was the whole of France or mostly Paris). Where we have legal protections against fraudulent builders, David had...nothing. Where the nuances of the language is something you have to be grow up learning. This was facinating.

Where it was painful, was watching David write check after check, knowing that this is a baaaaddd idea. Wanting to reach through the pages and shout - "Listen to Romain!" I wanted to pull a blanket over my head as one thing after another went wrong, as costs kept accumulating, as deadlines were pushed back yet again.

I also suspect David has some of the worst luck imaginable when it comes to renovating... be it in San Francisco or Paris.

Do I still want to visit Paris? Maybe. It is a city rich with culture and history. Do I want to up and move there after reading this? No. Frickin'. Way. The grass (and thus the butter) is NOT always greener on the other side of the fence.

Thank you for sharing your story, David! It was delightful, mesmerizing, painful, and insightful.

Recommended if you enjoy those "my life in Paris or France" type books.



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Recipe Review from 11/19/2018

A shorter week, what with Thanksgiving on Thursday.  I didn't host this year, so my week was rather quiet as relates to new recipes.  The three below were all good and I recommend them all.   The pork roast was done in the slow cooker and for the dressing/stuffing, I used your basic bag of dried bread cubes and added my favorite fixin's (apples, celery, mushrooms and cranberries).   All hearty and warming food for a chilly week!

The Meal Plan
Sat (L) Leftover jambalya(S) Leftover soup
Sun (L) Co-op pizza (S) Fish Soup
Mon (Yoga) leftover soup
Tues - Shrimp fajitas
Wed - leftovers
Thurs - Thanksgiving!
Fri (L) Pasty (S) Roast pork and fixings

Lunches - Roasted Carrot and Coconut Soup


Spicy Tilapia and Fennel Stew (Ckng Lght, Sept 2013) gluten free
A friend texted me this recipe and I was able to Google the source recipe - an older Ckng Lght recipe that can be found on MyRecipes.

This was outstanding! So easy, versatile, and delicious! For once, I made exactly as directed, including finding Rao's arrabbiata sauce and using tilapia. I did serve this with a side of rustic sourdough bread.

My friend couldn't find the sauce listed below, so she used a basic marinara and added red pepper flakes. She also used some other kind of whitefish. We both agreed that this would make a fantastic Cioppino (I'll find out later this week how hers turned out). Recommended!

Serves 4-5

1 large fennel bulb, with stalks

photo from MyRecipes.com

3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups bottled arrabbiata sauce (such as Rao's)
1/2 cup water
1 (8oz) bottle clam juice (don't skip!)
1 lb tilapia fillets, cut into 1 inch pieces

1) Trim tough out leaves from fennel; mince feathery fronds to measure 2 tbsp. Remove and discard the stalks. Cut fennel bulb in half length-wise; discard core. Thinly slice fennel bulb.

2) Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray (I used grapeseed oil). Add sliced fennel; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 4 minutes or until fennel is crisp-tender.

3) Add garlic to pan, cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add arrabbiata sauce, 1/2 cup water and clam juice to pan; simmer 5 minutes.

4) Add tilapia to pan, cover and simmer 4 minutes or until done. Divide stew among 4 bowls and sprinkle evenly with reserved fennel fronds.


 Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018) gluten free
Easy peasy and perfect for a weeknight meal.  Even if you forget to thaw the shrimp ahead of time.  I actually made as written too.  Loved the flavors, loved the ease of prep and loved the ease of clean-up.  I served with a side of cornbread.  Recommended. 

Serves 4-5ish.  I had enough for 2.5 meals. 

1 1/4 pounds peeled and deveined raw large shrimp

photo from cookinglight.com

1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
1 cup sliced poblano chile
1 cup sliced red onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeo
1/4 teaspoon lime zest plus 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 small garlic clove, grated
8 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 limes, cut into wedges

Place oven racks in center and upper third positions of oven. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss together shrimp, bell peppers, poblano, onion, oil, chili powder, cumin, 5/8 teaspoon salt, and coriander on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place on middle rack of oven; roast until shrimp are cooked through, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a plate, reserving remaining vegetable mixture on baking sheet. Cover shrimp with foil to keep warm.

Turn broiler to high. Broil vegetables on upper oven rack until slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes, and set aside. Stir together sour cream, chopped cilantro, jalapeño, lime zest and juice, garlic, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl.

Spoon shrimp and vegetables evenly onto warm tortillas; top with sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves; serve with lime wedges.


Roasted Carrot and Coconut Soup (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018) vegetarian, vegan, gluten free
Don't be put off by the ingredient list.  There is very little to do in the way of prep, mostly just chop carrots and onions.  The rest is open cans or spices and plop.  Cook a bit.  Blend (I use an immersion blender - less fuss and mess).   Serve.  Or, in my case, divy up into lunch bowls and set aside for lunches for the week.   Note - I did skip the lentils. I was tired of being in the kitchen. 

The Husband didn't care for this at all, which is pretty darn rare and unusual.  He couldn't put his finger on exactly why, so I can't report back to you.  I, however, liked it. 

Could you do this with butternut squash?  I don't see why not, but using carrots was a nice change of flavors. 

1 1/4 pounds carrots, roughly chopped (about 3 1/2 cups)

photo from cookinglight.com

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons red curry paste
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (15-oz.) can unsalted cannellini beans, drained
3 cups unsalted vegetable stock
1 (15-oz.) can light coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced
1 cup cooked lentils

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss together carrots, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt on a large foil-lined baking sheet. Roast at 450°F until carrots are fork-tender, about 20 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add curry paste, grated ginger, and crushed red pepper to Dutch oven, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add cooked carrots, cannellini beans, vegetable stock, coconut milk, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes.

Pour mixture into a blender. Remove center of blender lid to allow steam to escape; secure lid on blender. Place a clean kitchen towel over opening in blender lid. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in lime juice and black pepper. Divide soup among 6 bowls; top evenly with cilantro, avocado, and lentils.

One Good Dragon Deserves Another by Rachel Aaron (Heartstrikers #2)

One Good Dragon Deserves Another by Rachel Aaron

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  After barely escaping the machinations of his terrifying mother, two all knowing seers, and countless bloodthirsty siblings, the last thing Julius wants to see is another dragon. Unfortunately for him, the only thing more dangerous than being a useless Heartstriker is being a useful one, and now that he’s got an in with the Three Sisters, Julius has become a key pawn in Bethesda the Heartstriker’s gamble to put her clan on top.

Refusal to play along with his mother’s plans means death, but there’s more going on than even Bethesda knows, and with Estella back in the game with a vengeance, Heartstriker futures disappearing, and Algonquin’s dragon hunter closing in, the stakes are higher than even a seer can calculate. But when his most powerful family members start dropping like flies, it falls to Julius to defend the clan that never respected him and prove that, sometimes, the world’s worst dragon is the best one to have on your side.

Read as an audio book.

I greatly enjoyed this narrator. Excellent presentation in my humble opinion.

Inconsistencies galore! VanJager (sp? mind, read as an audio book) - the reference was specifically for the dragon flying around killing magic suckers (or whatever they were). Justin. NOT Julius. Marci knew this, she acknowledged this. Yet later, she's telling Julius that she betrayed him and that VanJager is after Julius. No. He is after Justin. Major inconsistency's in this particular plot thread that had me grumbling under my breath.

Use of "either" and "neither" (pronounced by the narrator as "I"-ther or n"I"-ther). I swear it was in just about every other sentence, or it sure seemed that way. I think the narrators emphasis on the word inadvertently highlighted just how much it was used.

Oh my goodness, the repetitive sentences in this installment were just frustrating. Readers are not stupid, even young adults, and we don't need to read the same statement said four different ways on one page! Extraneous extrapolation emphasized the egregious elements of repetitiveness.

Julius is a putz. Marci is the much stronger and more dynamic character in this installment. Julius seems to run around bemoaning what a predicament they are in while Marci rolls up her sleeves and gets them out of it. While Julius stands around going "What? I don't understand?", Marci as absorbed the information and is asking probing questions about the ramifications of what they've just been told.

So, I had my issues with aspects of the book, and my frustrations aside, I did enjoy this book quite a bit. Especially the ending.

Things I found delightful: Ghost is SO COOL! Marci's character really grew in the second book. The reader gets to know more about Amelia, Chelsey, and Bob. And the ending rocked. It really rocked (except for Julius's whining and the talking. Always with the talking.).


Recommended if you've read book one



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 (my review here:  Nice Dragons Finish Last)

Recipe Review from 11/5/2018

My new stove arrived!  My new stove arrived!   It's soooo nice!!  I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies using the convection feature and they turned out awesome.  I baked a tray of bacon on the convection feature and...while tasty (it's bacon), using the regular oven setting might be better.  Over the weekend I'll be roasting some chickens for stock and making pecan tassies for a meeting and Thanksgiving.


The Meal Plan from the week of 11/5:
Sat (L)  out     (S)  Smokey Mushroom/Barley Salad
Sun (L) leftover salad     (S)   Jambalaya
Mon (yoga)   leftover jambalaya
Tues  (STOVE!)   leftovers
Wed - Sausage and butnut pasta
Thurs (yoga)  leftovers
Fri -  Dinner at Folks


Smoky Mushroom and Barley Salad (Ckng Lght) vegetarian
There was really nothing "smokey" about this recipe; you're not roasting the pobalno ahead of time, there's no smoke flavor added, not even any smokey paprika.

One notable substitution:  I subbed farro for the barley because I had more farro on hand than I did barely. 

That being said, this was good (mind - farro, not barley).  A tich bland, but good.  I did make it with the flavored sour cream, and I made it with a poached egg on top.  Both are quite tasty, but I think I liked the creamy egg a bit more.

Serves 4-6 (I got six servings out of this)

1 1/4 cups pearl barley

photo from cookinglight.com

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chopped fresh cremini mushrooms
3 cups sliced fresh shiitake mushroom caps
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 small poblano chile, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup unsalted vegetable stock
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 teaspoon paprika (optional)

Prepare barley according to package directions; drain.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add cumin; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add salt, garlic, shallot, and poblano, and cook, stirring often, until poblano is softened slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in barley and stock. Bring to a simmer; cook until absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir together sour cream and lime juice. Spoon mushroom mixture into 4 bowls, and top servings with sour cream mixture and scallions. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.


Slow Cooked Jambalaya Soup (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018); gluten free
Mixed thoughts on this and those thoughts are due to one substitution:  I used Uncle Ben's instant rice instead of regular brown rice and it gave the soup a bit of an odd texture.  I used the instant rice because I have yet to have regular brown rice work in the slow cooker.  It just doesn't soften.

That being noted, we did enjoy this.  It was nicely spicy and definitely a soup more so than a traditional jambalya.   If I were to make this again, I would serve it OVER rice, rather than cook the rice in it. 

About 6 servings

6 ounces smoked andouille sausage, chopped

photo from cookinglight.com

4 cups unsalted chicken stock
2 (10-oz.) cans unsalted diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon salt-free Creole seasoning
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup uncooked brown rice
12 ounces raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add sausage; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add stock, tomatoes and chiles, onion, bell pepper, celery, tomato paste, Creole seasoning, garlic, and salt. Cover and cook on low 4 hours.
Stir in rice. Cover and cook on low until rice is tender, about 2 hours.

Stir in shrimp. Cover and cook on low 8 minutes. Divide soup evenly among 6 bowls. Sprinkle with parsley.


Sausage and Mushroom Pasta with Butternut Squash (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018)
Point - I do not have access to "fresh lasagna sheets".   So I attempted to make my own noodles and had mixed results.  My timing was off with prepping noodles and the remainder of the dish (dish was ready, noodles were not) because I was concerned the noodles would be ready before the rest of the dish was.  So my noodles were much thicker than they probably should have been, but, they actually tasted pretty good.

If you have access to some kind of fresh noodle, go for it.  If not, use some kind of dry, slightly flat noodle and cook according to the directions on the package.

Overall, this was pretty tasty.  I have enough leftover sausage and squash (frozen) that I could make this again. 

Serves 3-4

6 ounces reduced-fat ground pork sausage (such as Jimmy Dean)
1 (8-oz.) pkg. sliced fresh cremini mushrooms

photo from cookinglight.com

1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup 1/4-inch-cubed butternut squash
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/3 cup dry white wine
8 ounces refrigerated fresh lasagna sheets, cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips
1 cup unsalted chicken stock
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons unsalted roasted pumpkin seed kernels (pepitas), chopped
2 tablespoons pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1 teaspoon lemon zest


Cook sausage, mushrooms, onion, squash, sage, and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high, stirring often, until sausage is cooked through and crumbled, 8 to 9 minutes. Add wine; cook until almost absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water 4 minutes, or to desired degree of doneness. Drain.

Stir stock into sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 1 minute. Stir in pasta, cream, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir together parsley, pepitas, cheese, zest, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Divide pasta among 4 bowls; top with parsley mixture.