Recipe Review from 5/24/2021

Two recommended recipes from this past week, both would be perfect for a summer supper on the patio. Enjoy!

Spring!

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) Stromboli leftovers (S) Salmon burgers
Sun (L) leftover salmon (S) Pulled turkey bbq
Mon (yoga/bkgrp) leftovers
Tues - leftover turkey
Wed - leftover turkey
Thurs - take-n-bake pizza
Fri (Off) (l) leftover turkey (S) Zucchini egg bake

Lunches - fancy sandwiches (Cook Country recipe from last July)


Salmon Burgers with Quick Pickles & Red Pepper Aioli (Eating Well, June 2021)
This was very good. Only two modifications and small ones at that - I skipped the burger buns and served over baby spinach. As I suspected, these don't have a lot of structural integrity and crumble easily. I think had they been in a bun, it would have been like eating a sloppy joe. Plus, in my humble opinion, the bun is unnecessary filler. These are excellent and a bit more elegant served simply.

Great flavor, don't skip the quick pickles and the pepper aoili is just, yum. Recommended!

Serves 4

¾ cup white-wine vinegar
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided
1 clove garlic, crushed, plus 1 clove grated, divided
½ teaspoon salt
1 medium English cucumber
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup finely chopped roasted red peppers
1 ¼ pounds salmon fillet, skin removed, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted
1 cup baby arugula (I used baby spinach)

Combine vinegar, water, 1 tablespoon dill, crushed garlic and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until the salt dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Thinly slice cucumber into ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Stir the cucumber into the brine and set aside.

Combine mayonnaise, roasted red peppers and grated garlic in a small bowl and stir well. Transfer 1/4 cup of the aioli to a large bowl and set the rest aside. Stir salmon, chives and the remaining 1 tablespoon dill into the aioli in the large bowl. Form the mixture into 4 patties about 4 inches in diameter.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, flipping once, until golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 145°F, 6 to 8 minutes total.

Drain the pickles. Serve the burgers on buns with arugula, the remaining aioli and the pickles.


Zucchini, Spinach and Gouda Bake (Eating Well, June 2021) vegetarian
Having our own flock fo chickens I'm on the lookout for egg recipes and this one caught my eye. It straddles the line between being a fritatta (no crust) and a quiche (with some flour). It's more cake-like than a quiche though, which was different and good. I do wonder if one could cut back the flour to 1/4 cup whole wheat and 1/4 cup white and still get the lift/loft in the bake with a tich less "cake-y" effect?

Good flavor, great way to use summer produce, or swap in your favorite cheese. I can see making this again for an easy weekend meal during the summer. Recommended!

Serves 6 (I made two meals for two out of this, my portion was a tich on the large side)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
2 medium shallots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 (5 ounce) package baby spinach
6 large eggs
¼ cup low-fat milk
⅓ cup white whole-wheat flour
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 ½ cups shredded Gouda cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh tarragon

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add shallots and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Stir in half the spinach; cover and let stand until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining spinach; cover and let stand until wilted, about 5 minutes more. Uncover and allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs and milk in a large bowl until smooth. Add whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and pepper; whisk until no lumps remain. Stir in Gouda and tarragon. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and top with the vegetables, pressing them into the batter.

Bake until puffed and the edges are beginning to set, about 15 minutes. Turn the broiler to high and broil until the top is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 1 hour. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe Review from 5/17/2021

Oy. Dreadfully behind on posting. On the other hand, it's spring, weather is decent, computer time is for later! Schnitzel and spatzle recipe were your basic recipe pulled from the internet - AllRecipes or Taste of Home I think. Worked well with the wild turkey and I made a mess with the spatzle. Note to self, can't use a foodmill for spatzle. Use a potato ricer or ziplock bag.

The Alamo at night

The Meal Plan:
Sat (Yoga AM) (L) Fried Chicken (S) Wild Turkey schnitzel and spatzle
Sun (L) Leftover turkey (S) Skillet beef and tater tots
Mon (yoga) Leftover skillet beef
Tues - shrimp tostadas
Wed (yoga) leftover skillet beef
Thurs (CPR 5-8p) leftovers
Fri - Stromboli

Lunches - barley, corn, and black bean


Grilled Shrimp Tostadas (Eating Well, May 2021)
gluten free Good. Easy. Change up the ingredients to suit your tastes. I didn't feel like skewering the shrimp and heating up the barbie so I cooked them in a skillet. See? Versitile. Recommended for it's simplicity!

Photo from eatingwell.com

Serves 4

1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (21-25 count)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons chile-lime seasoning, such as Tajín
1 teaspoon garlic powder
8 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup guacamole
1-2 jalapeño peppers,sliced
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Crumbled cotija cheese & sour cream for serving

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon oil, chile-lime seasoning and garlic powder in a large bowl. Thread onto four 12-inch metal skewers. Brush both sides of each tortilla with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.

Grill the shrimp until lightly browned and cooked through, flipping once, about 4 minutes. Grill the tortillas until lightly charred and crispy, flipping once, about 2 minutes.

Top the tortillas with cabbage, guacamole, jalapeño and the grilled shrimp. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with cotija and sour cream, if desired.


Tater Tot Casserole with Beef, Corn and Zucchini (Eating Well, June 2021)
Classic midwestern comfort food! Only modification I did was to use cornstarch instead of flour for the thickener. Depending on what kind of meat you use (I used bear) you may not even need a thickener. I thought this was perfect for a cold, wet spring week. Recommended!

Photo from eatingwell.com

Serves about 6

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 medium zucchini, shredded
1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes, divided
1 cup corn kernels
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
2 cups frozen tater or veggie tots

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and onion. Cook, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until the onion is soft and the beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, 1 cup tomatoes, corn, chili powder, Worcestershire and salt; cook, stirring, until the zucchini has begun to release its liquid, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, until the liquid has thickened, about 1 minute more. Remove from heat.

Spread the mixture into an even layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and arrange tots evenly over the cheese. Coat the tots with cooking spray. Transfer the pan to the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and the tots are golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup tomatoes and garnish with chives, if desired.


Pepper, Pesto and Spinach Stromboli (Eating Well, June 2021) vegetarian
I have no idea where Eating Well is finding prepared whole wheat pizza dough, 'cause it does not exist in my corner of the world. Granted, if had I a bit more prep time, I could make my own, but I prefer to grab the fresh pizza dough my co-op makes and sells. Soooo good!

This came together so easily! I used 1 large red bell pepper instead of two, and I tossed in some mushrooms I needed to use up. I did not use three cups of spinach - the toppings were becoming a bit much at the point of assembly. I also used my favorite cheese blend from the co-op (smoked provolone and mozzarella) instead of fontina, use what you like. The dough rolled out perfectly for me, I had the BEST stromboli log, it was beautiful!

Where things fell apart was I grilled instead of baked (it was like 80* out and I didn't want to heat up the house). First grilling of the year, I didn't pay attention to the temperature, and, yeah...totally burned the bottom when the grill topped out over 500* 'cause I wasn't paying attention. Also noting, for the amount of filling in this, 20 minutes is NOT enough. Push it to 30 or longer if possible. I had raw dough on the inside, even after topping that grill out at 500*.

When all was said and done and the burnt bottom cut off, the flavor is fantastic and I absolutely would make this again.  I did forget to buy Recommended!

Photo from eatingwell.com

Serves 4

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 teaspoon, divided
2 1 large bell peppers, chopped
½ large onion, sliced
1 pound whole-wheat pizza dough, at room temperature
All-purpose flour for rolling
¼ cup pesto
3 cups chopped baby spinach
⅓ cup chopped pickled banana peppers
1 ½ cups shredded fontina cheese
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
prepared marinara or spaghetti sauce for dipping (I used extra virgin olive oil because this suggestion was in the recipe blurb, not the ingredient list. Olive oil was super good too!)

Position a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle approximately 14 by 10 inches. Spread pesto over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with the bell pepper mixture, spinach, banana peppers and cheese. Starting at a long side, tightly roll the dough into a cylinder. Pinch and tuck both ends closed to contain the filling. Using two spatulas, carefully transfer the stromboli seam-side down to the prepared baking sheet. Brush with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake until the crust is beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then slice.

The Dog Who Knew too Much by (Chet and Bernie #4)

The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Bernie is invited to give the keynote speech at the Great Western Private Eye Convention, but it's Chet that the bigshot P.I. in charge has secret plans for. Meanwhile Chet and Bernie are hired to find a kid who has gone missing from a wilderness camp in the high country.

The boy's mother thinks the boy's father, her ex, has snatched the boy, but Chet makes a find that sends the case in a new and dangerous direction.

As if that weren't enough, matters get complicated at home when a stray puppy that looks suspiciously like Chet shows up. Affairs of the heart collide with a job that's never been tougher, requiring our two intrepid sleuths to depend on each other as never before.

Read as an audio book.

This installment took me months to get through. Yes, months. I think the Husband and I started this last Fall on a road trip, then I continued reading after. Well, tried too. I fully admit, even knowing that everything will end well because, hello sequels, the initial plot made me so apprehensive I had to set the book aside. Yes, I know Bernie would be okay, yes I know Chet would be okay, but I just couldn't listen to it.

I had to skip a bit in the recording to get beyond the dramatic tension.

After that I could settle in and enjoy classic Chet and Bernie. Chet the Jet! Best part of the story - Chet making his way home and meeting a puppy with ears that don't match, and then Chet and Iggy. Honestly, laugh out loud!

Overall mystery was better than most cozy mysteries, with some deftly woven convolutions and plot twists. I am still not a fan of our hero and heroine confronting the murderers without strong back-up, that that delves into a whole 'nother quirk about cozies and the antagonism between the hero(ine) and law enforcement.

Despite taking forever to finish, I intend to read the next one.

Recommended.

View all my reviews

Recipe Review from 5/10/2021

More great recipes! 

San Antonio Riverwalk, 2016

The Meal Plan: Sat (L) Tofu Tacos (S) Mom's day grill-out
Sun (L) leftover tacos (S) Shepherd's pie
Mom (yoga) leftovers
Tues - Chicken and halloumi rice bowls
Wed (PM Zoom mtg) leftovers
Thurs - leftovers
Fri - take-n-bake pizza

Lunches - hummus sandwiches, fruit, nut cups


Chipolte Tofu Tacos (Eating Well, May 2021) vegetarian/vegan
This was really good and even better the next day. Leftovers re-heated beautifully in the oven, I think I did 400* and just long enough to warm the nuggets up, maybe 15 minutes? To drain my tofu, I place it on several paper towels on a cutting board or plate, place more paper towels on top, then another cutting board weighted down with something heavy. Ideally, I'll let stand at least 30 minutes. I didn't find this overly spicy - use more or less chipolte in adobo to suit your tastes.

This was just...good. I made two meals out of this - they were BIG tacos. Three meals (or serves 6) would probably be better, especially if serving with any sides. Very filling. HIGHLY recommended!

Serves 6

5 tablespoons lime juice, divided
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons canola or avocado oil
1 ½ tablespoons adobo sauce (from canned chipotles in adobo), divided
4 cloves garlic, grated, divided
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 (14 ounce) packages extra-firm tofu, drained and torn into 1-inch pieces
½ cup sour cream
3 cups shredded cabbage
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
12 corn tortillas, warmed (I used flour tortillas)


Recipe note: Here, we tear the tofu instead of cutting it. That might sound odd, but it’s the best way to get crisp, crumbly edges reminiscent of fish tacos. Coating with a flavorful cornstarch mixture helps maximize the crunch.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Whisk 2 tablespoons lime juice, cornstarch, oil, 1 tablespoon adobo, 3/4 of the garlic, cumin and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Pat tofu dry, add to the bowl and toss to coat. Spread the tofu on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake, stirring halfway through, until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix sour cream and 1 tablespoon lime juice with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon adobo sauce, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Toss cabbage, cilantro and the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice in a medium bowl.

Serve the tofu in tortillas with the slaw and sour cream mixture.


Shepherd's Pie (modified from The Irish Pub Cookbook)
This was easy enough, except I thought the directions were a bit out of order and I noted that below. You need to start the potatoes cooking while chopping and assembling the meat mixture.   If you have an instant pot, use that to save some time cooking the potatoes. 

This is pure comfort food. It's also versatile, for example I added celery, but you could easily use a frozen pea and carrot mix. Swap out the cheddar for your favorite cheese. Make your mashed potatoes with buttermilk. Tailor this to fit your tastes.

This did make a 9x13 pyrex pan and I believe we got about three meals (might have been four?) or six servings out of this. Recipe stated serves four, but at two lbs of meat with potatoes and veggies? Yeah, serves closer to six maybe even eight.

FILLING
3 tbsp canola oil
2 lbs lamb (or meatloaf blend)
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 celery stalks, diced (my addition)
1 tbsp tomato paste (my addition)
3 cups beef stock

TOPPING
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (I used Yukon Golds)
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter
3 tbsp Cheddar cheese (preferably Irish)

4. To Make the Topping: In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash. Add the milk and butter and stir until smooth. Cover and set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 425*

1. Start the filling: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tbsp of the oil. Add the lamb (or meat of choice) and cook until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and with a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a large bowl.

2. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of the oil to the pan. Stir in the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the onion is soft but not browned. Add the carrots, [celery,] parsley, and thyme and cook, stirring once or twice, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are coated with oil. [Add the tomato paste, stirring until fragrant and coats the vegetables.] Stir in the flour, cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the stock or broth. Bring to a boil, scrapping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the meat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the meat is tender and the sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer the stew to a large casserole dish (I used a 9x13" pyrex pan) or 4 individual oven proof casserole dishes. Spread mashed potatoes over the top of the meat mixture and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until mixture is hot and bubbling. Sprinkle potatoes with the grated cheese and heat until melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.


Chicken and Halloumi Bowls (Eating Well, May 2021) gluten free, vegetarian option
One significant modification - I used regular brown rice, cooked according to package directions.

The rest is your choice for a "rice" bowl with haloumi cheese and chicken as the proteins. Riff on the greens and veggies any way you like - it's all good. And it was good! I would absolutely make this again, and probably will do so later this summer when it's too hot to cook inside and I'll toss everything on the grill outside. Recommended!

Serves 4-6, depending on how much rice and veggies you add.

1 cup chickpea rice (I used brown rice)
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast (skip or use tempeh or tofu)
4 ounces halloumi cheese
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
⅛ teaspoon salt plus 1/4 teaspoon, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 clove garlic, grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups baby greens, such as arugula, kale and/or spinach
4 cups cut-up fresh vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, radishes

Preheat broiler to high.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add chickpea rice and cook [rice] according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, pound chicken to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. Slice halloumi 1/2 inch thick. Place the chicken on one side of a rimmed baking sheet and the halloumi in a single layer on the other side. Brush both sides of the chicken and halloumi with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Broil, flipping once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the chicken registers 165°F and the halloumi is golden brown, about 7 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board; let rest for 5 minutes, then slice.

Combine basil, oregano, garlic, lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each pepper and salt in a small bowl. While whisking, slowly add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Toss the cooked chickpea rice with half of the dressing and reserve the rest for topping.

Serve the chickpea rice with greens, vegetables, the chicken, the halloumi and the remaining dressing.

Columbus Day by Craig Alanson (Expeditionary Force #1)

Columbus Day by Craig Alanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: We were fighting on the wrong side, of a war we couldn't win. And that was the good news.

The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits.

When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved. The UN Expeditionary Force hitched a ride on Kristang ships to fight the Ruhar, wherever our new allies thought we could be useful. So, I went from fighting with the US Army in Nigeria, to fighting in space. It was lies, all of it. We shouldn't even be fighting the Ruhar, they aren't our enemy, our allies are.

I'd better start at the beginning....

Read as an audio book.

This book totally rocked it. A tich military scifi, a tich space opera, interesting aliens, conflict, noble cause, interesting characters and great humor - this hit all my happy buttons. Oh, and an outstanding narration. Loved all his voices.

I actually don't have anything more to say. I loved it and I'm going to read the next one as soon as I can.

Shortest review yet. Go read the book!

Recommended!

View all my reviews

Recipe Review from 5/3/2021

A very good week for new recipes. Good dishes with just the right amount of leftovers. 

Tucson, 2020.  Botanical Gardens

The Meal Plan
Sat (YMCA function/Husband turkey hunting) (S) - Mujadara
Sun (L) leftover mujadara (S) sloppy joes
Mon (Yoga) leftover joes
Tues - cod and lentils out
Wed (Yoga) leftovers joes
Thurs - cod and lentils
Fri - ??

Lunches - leftover mujadara and tabouli (tabouli from the Classic Moosewood Cookbook)


Mujadara (Milk Street, Eating Well) vegetarian, with a vegan option
The recipe I made was from the Milk Street Cookbook. I had forgotten about the Eating Well version from the Jan/Feb which is done in the Instant Pot. I've linked to the Eating Well version as an option, because, Instant Pot! The main difference between the two recipes is Milk Street used basmati rice vs Eating Well using brown rice.

I greatly enjoyed this dish and probably would have enjoyed it more had I remembered to buy the yogurt. The Milk Street recipe says it serves four - but I easily had 6-8 servings as a main dish. So if you're serving along side of something, plan on having leftovers. Don't skip the onions if at all possible! They completely round out the dish. Yum. Just...yum

Serves 4 (I got 6-8)

Pan Seared Cod with Radish and Lentil Salad (Eating Well, May 2021)
Outstanding. Just...excellent! Loved the flavors in this - the creamy cod, the tangy dressing over the lentils, with just a little crunch from the radish and pecans. Don't be put off by the ingredient list, this one does come together in about 45 minutes and assembly can happen while the lentils are cooking. Try not to skip the mint in this one, it really does add to the dish.

I do have one small grumble tho - cooking the cod in cornstarch. A lot of recipes are calling for tossing the meat in cornstarch for better "browning". All I get is a unappealing mess. Granted, it could be because I don't have a non-stick skillet and I'm using a cast iron pan. If you have a tried and true way of cooking your fish, I'd recommend going with that.

Photo from EatingWell.com

Serves 4

3 cups low-sodium no-chicken or chicken broth
1 cup dried black lentils (see Tip), picked over and rinsed
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
½ cup thinly sliced radishes
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 ¼ pounds cod fillet, cut into 4 portions
¼ cup cornstarch (I advocate for skipping)


Combine broth and lentils in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Cover and cook until the lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and drain any remaining broth.

Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, mustard and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in 4 tablespoons oil. Reserve 2 tablespoons vinaigrette in a small bowl.

Add the lentils, pecans, radishes, shallot, mint, parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the dressing in the medium bowl and stir to combine.

Pat cod dry and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Dredge the cod in cornstarch, pressing to adhere and gently shaking off any excess. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cod and cook, flipping once, until it’s golden brown and flakes easily with a fork, 8 to 12 minutes.

Serve the lentil salad topped with the cod and drizzled with the reserved 2 tablespoons vinaigrette. Garnish with more parsley and mint, if desired.


Sloppy Joes (modified from America's Test Kitchen)
While I've learned a lot from the Cooks Country/Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen franchise over the years, I've also come to realize that yes, it is possible to over engineer a dish. This recipe is kinda straddling that line. If you're browning meat that is only going to be covered in spices and sauces, do you really need to encourage additional browning with baking soda? No. I get the feeling that sometimes they just need to try and make a basic recipe "appear" new and improved when really, it's just making extra work.

I don't like extra work or unnecessary ingredients.

That being said, I did try the baking soda bit (had the Husband mix it up) and I could tell no discernible difference. And are you going to be able to tell when the meat is no longer pink when covered in tomato sauce? No. You are not - cook 5-8 minutes. I DID skip the cornstarch at the end because the mixture was already plenty thick.

I DID keep the baking soda for cooking the onions. That is kinda cool how they break down into a very saucy mixture.

Overall, a very tasty homemade sloppy joe mixture that is a little bit over-engineered and can be slightly simplified. I liked the balance of sweet and spice, but this can be tweaked if you like more sweet or more heat. Recommended.

Photo from America'sTestKitchen.com

Serves 4 (I got six servings out of this)


2 tablespoons water, divided
½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon baking soda, divided
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef  (I used ground bear Italian seasoned)
½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon table salt, divided
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar, plus extra for seasoning
2 teaspoons paprika
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup tomato paste
⅓ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, plus extra for seasoning
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon cornstarch
4 hamburger buns


Combine 1 tablespoon water and ½ teaspoon baking soda in small bowl. In large bowl, toss beef with baking soda mixture and ½ teaspoon salt until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and remaining ⅛ teaspoon baking soda and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in sugar, paprika, pepper flakes, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, until paprika is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until paste is rust-colored, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Mash beef with potato masher until fine-textured, about 1 minute. My note: Use wooden spoon to gently break up any large clumps. Add ketchup, vinegar, and Worcestershire and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits.

Combine cornstarch and remaining 1 tablespoon water in small bowl, then pour cornstarch mixture over beef and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and coats beef, about 1 minute. Season with salt, extra sugar, and extra vinegar to taste. Spoon beef mixture onto buns and serve.

Recipe Review from 4/26/2021

A handful of new recipes last week including one dessert. Overall meal plan was super simple and in hindsight, a bit heavy to the grilled cheese. Mind, these are your standard American Cheese grilled cheese. I added a schmear of pesto; used a variety of cheese such as smoked provolone, cheddar, Gouda, and Swiss; and added some very thinly sliced apple because, yum! Yeah, not your standard grilled cheese.

Madeline Island 2020

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) grilled cheese (S) pasty
Sun (L) grilled cheese (S) poached cod
Mon (yoga/bookgroup)- grilled cheese
Tues - egg and avocado sandwiches
Wed (yoga) - leftover cod
Thurs - leftover egg and avocado
Fri - mujaddara grilled cheese

Lunches - Italian Pasta Salad, fruit

The Best Angel Food Cake (Cooks Illustrated)
I have to say, this wasn't "The Best Angel Food Cake". It was...okay. I read through the comments on the website and learned - don't weigh the ingredients, buzz the sugar in a food processor for about 30 seconds, don't under beat the eggs, and do a tablespoon of sugar at a time when adding the flour to the beaten egg white mix and the cake might not collapse.

My observation on the final assembly instruction, add flour/sugar mix to beaten egg mixture using the whisk on low. Don't "fold" it in. It doesn't incorporate right and takes too long and I can see the whites starting to deflate. I had problems with odd little lumps throughout the batter and cooked cake because I couldn't incorporate properly without deflating the whole darn thing.

Overall taste was good, outside crumb was good, it baked beautifully in the oven and, yeah, collapsed after removing from pan (I did cool inverted for three hours). Undecided if I would use this recipe again. Seems there is too much modifying going on.

Photo from CooksIllustrated.com

Serves 10

1 cup sifted cake flour (3 ounces)
1 ½ cups sifted granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
12 large egg whites (1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon almond extract

Sift the cake flour and the granulated sugar to eliminate any lumps and ensure the lightest possible texture.

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Have ready an ungreased large tube pan (9-inch diameter, 16-cup capacity), preferably with a removable bottom. If the pan bottom is not removable, line it with parchment or wax paper.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour with 3/4 cup sugar. Place remaining 3/4 cup sugar in another small bowl next to the mixer.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, or with a handheld mixer, beat egg whites at low speed until just broken up and beginning to froth. Add cream of tartar and salt and beat at medium speed until whites form very soft, billowy mounds. With the mixer still at medium speed, beat in 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all sugar is added and whites are shiny and form soft peaks. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and almond extract and beat until just blended.

Place flour-sugar mixture in a sifter set over waxed paper. Sift flour-sugar mixture over egg whites about 3 tablespoons at a time, and gently fold it in, using a large rubber spatula. With wisk on low, gently incorporate. Sift any flour-sugar mixture that falls onto the paper back into the bowl with the whites.

Gently scrape batter into pan, smooth the top, and give pan a couple of raps on the counter to release any large air bubbles.

Bake until the cake is golden brown and the top springs back when pressed firmly, 50 to 60 minutes.

If cake pan has prongs around the rim for elevating the cake, invert pan onto them. If not, invert pan over the neck of a bottle or funnel so that air can circulate all around it. Let the cake cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.

To unmold, run a knife around edges, being careful not to separate the golden crust from the cake. Slide cake out of pan and cut the same way around removable bottom to release, or peel off parchment or wax paper, if used.

Place the cake, bottom-side up, on a platter. Cut slices by sawing gently with a serrated knife. Serve the cake the day it is made.


Egg Salad and Avocado Toasts (Eating Well, April 2021) vegetarian
Easy. Refreshing. Perfect for a fast weeknight supper (assuming the eggs are made ahead of time or cooked in an instant pot), will be perfect for a hot summer evening and dinner out on the porch.

I admit I forgot to buy an extra bell pepper for this, so I subbed celery for that added sweetness and crunch. I also used a locally made hot spicy mustard instead of whole-grain. Definitely some versitility here. I WILL be making this again. Recommended!

Made enough for 2 meals for 2, plus an additional meal for 1.

Photo from EatingWell.com

Serves 4

6 hard-boiled large eggs, peeled
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 teaspoons hot sauce
½ cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
½ cup finely chopped celery, leaves reserved for garnish
4 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted
1 clove garlic, cut in half (skipped)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
Fresh parsley for garnish

Mash eggs in a large bowl with a fork or potato masher. Stir in mayonnaise, capers, dill, lemon juice, mustard and hot sauce. Pat bell pepper and celery dry and stir into the egg mixture.

Rub one side of each toast with garlic, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with pepper. Divide avocado among the toasts and top with the egg salad. Garnish with celery leaves and parsley, if desired.


Poached Fish (Mosquito Supperclub Coookbook)
I had to return the cookbook to the library before I could type out the recipe for review. Personally, I thought this was some of the best poached fish I had done. It was a pretty simple recipe that packed a lot of flavor. I did use frozen cod, and will admit it wasn't the best quality. And no, "fresh" seafood doesn't happen here in the middle of the continent. Hm, this might be good with fresh whitefish. Hm.

From memory, recipe was comprised of fish stock (chicken stock in my case),Bay leaves, peppercorns, cayenne pepper (yes!), and maybe some creole seasoning? The ingredients are combined in a dutch oven or fish poacher if you have one. The stock is brought to barely a simmer (140*) and the fish added. Cooking times will depend up on the size of the fillets and type of fish.

I did serve this over rice with some peas along side. Quite good.

As for the cookbook - I'm on the fence about getting it. Lots of excellent recipes from Louisiana and the Bayou, gorgeous photos, well written directions that used both measured amounts and weighed amounts, but there was a whole middle section on seafood that, as I noted above, I can't get here. At all. So...still thinking on this.