Butternut squash galette (recipe loosely based on this one at Epicurious) and roasted Brussels sprout salad (recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit). In a bid to try to curb some rampant perfectionist issues, I’m trying to branch out in the kitchen and occasionally tackle recipes/techniques that scare me and so I usually shy away from them. I’m hoping that these culinary exercises will teach me that just because I’m not confident I’ll do something perfectly the first time (or at all), that doesn’t mean that thing isn’t still going to be rewarding and not worth doing at all. I have said many times that I am no baker (when I tried to make cinnamon rolls from scratch, I was nearly in tears because I didn’t think they looked pretty… they wound up tasting fine (and looking good, too) after baking), so anything involving pastry generally seems like too much work. I often go the cheat route and just used a store-bought one but for this galette, I decided I’d do it right and actually make the crust from scratch. I’m so glad I did! This crust was really easy to pull together; somehow it magically wound up not being too dry nor too wet, and I don’t think I overworked it even though I did it all by hand (no KitchenAid mixer for me) because it wound up being moist but crisp when baked… pretty much everything you’d hope a crust to be! Definitely tasted better than the store-bought crusts, and even the rolling part only took me two tries to get right (the first time did not involve enough flour on the surface so the dough did stick). I think starting off my official solo crust-making education was a good choice because you don’t have to pick the crust up and put in in a tin and make it all pretty! You just roll it out and then plop all the fillings in the center. As for the filling, I forgot to pick up leeks, so I just wound up using some caramelized onions instead. I also added in some goat cheese and some cloves of garlic. None of these things were a mistake because this tart was SO delicious. Flavors were rich and wonderful and if I could eat this every day, I probably would. The Brussels sprout salad was also a great side dish as it was elegant and had enough robust flavors to stand up beside the galette. I loved how well this meal came together, and it’s definitely a good reminder that going outside of my comfort zone can yield some wonderful results. View high resolution

Butternut squash galette (recipe loosely based on this one at Epicurious) and roasted Brussels sprout salad (recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit).

In a bid to try to curb some rampant perfectionist issues, I’m trying to branch out in the kitchen and occasionally tackle recipes/techniques that scare me and so I usually shy away from them. I’m hoping that these culinary exercises will teach me that just because I’m not confident I’ll do something perfectly the first time (or at all), that doesn’t mean that thing isn’t still going to be rewarding and not worth doing at all. I have said many times that I am no baker (when I tried to make cinnamon rolls from scratch, I was nearly in tears because I didn’t think they looked pretty… they wound up tasting fine (and looking good, too) after baking), so anything involving pastry generally seems like too much work. I often go the cheat route and just used a store-bought one but for this galette, I decided I’d do it right and actually make the crust from scratch.

I’m so glad I did! This crust was really easy to pull together; somehow it magically wound up not being too dry nor too wet, and I don’t think I overworked it even though I did it all by hand (no KitchenAid mixer for me) because it wound up being moist but crisp when baked… pretty much everything you’d hope a crust to be! Definitely tasted better than the store-bought crusts, and even the rolling part only took me two tries to get right (the first time did not involve enough flour on the surface so the dough did stick). I think starting off my official solo crust-making education was a good choice because you don’t have to pick the crust up and put in in a tin and make it all pretty! You just roll it out and then plop all the fillings in the center.

As for the filling, I forgot to pick up leeks, so I just wound up using some caramelized onions instead. I also added in some goat cheese and some cloves of garlic. None of these things were a mistake because this tart was SO delicious. Flavors were rich and wonderful and if I could eat this every day, I probably would.

The Brussels sprout salad was also a great side dish as it was elegant and had enough robust flavors to stand up beside the galette. I loved how well this meal came together, and it’s definitely a good reminder that going outside of my comfort zone can yield some wonderful results.

When life gives you leftovers, make frittata! Our Braised Kale Spaghetti was so good that while we had leftovers, it was really just enough to feed one person. So, I took the idea of Mark Bittman’s pasta frittata and ran with it, using our leftover spaghetti to stretch one serving into three! By mixing our pasta into what is essentially a big omelet, we had enough food for one more hearty dinner AND lunch for Tony the next day! I improvised making this frittata so that I could avoid using the oven (none of our pans that were the right size are oven-safe). Instead, I cooked it until set on one side and then flipped it into another pan and continued cooking it so that the got nice and brown. I definitely cooked my frittata more vigorously than Mark did, but I am of the school that feels a frittata should be a bit brown on top! This is the best kind of weeknight meal, as it comes together so quickly. Also a great way of stretching leftovers you don’t quite know what to do with, I must remember to make frittata more often! View high resolution

When life gives you leftovers, make frittata!

Our Braised Kale Spaghetti was so good that while we had leftovers, it was really just enough to feed one person. So, I took the idea of Mark Bittman’s pasta frittata and ran with it, using our leftover spaghetti to stretch one serving into three! By mixing our pasta into what is essentially a big omelet, we had enough food for one more hearty dinner AND lunch for Tony the next day!

I improvised making this frittata so that I could avoid using the oven (none of our pans that were the right size are oven-safe). Instead, I cooked it until set on one side and then flipped it into another pan and continued cooking it so that the got nice and brown. I definitely cooked my frittata more vigorously than Mark did, but I am of the school that feels a frittata should be a bit brown on top!

This is the best kind of weeknight meal, as it comes together so quickly. Also a great way of stretching leftovers you don’t quite know what to do with, I must remember to make frittata more often!

Spaghetti with Braised Kale, recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit. I am always grateful that Tony is such an obliging husband, one who doesn’t mind eating the random veggies that I take a shining to. I’m one of those people who legitimately loves greens and veggies, but in particular, I have been crushing on kale pretty hard for the past year. I bought a big bag of it at Kroger to toss into some chana masala I made (and did not photograph) in order to pump up the nutritional content, but that bag was biiiiiig and I ultimately had enough leftover that I needed to repurpose it into another dish. Enter this recipe for Braised Kale spaghetti, which turned out to be really simple, really delicious, and really healthy. Apparently this recipe is great for those of you who want to learn to love kale… an issue that I definitely did not have. But it as someone who already was carrying on a passionate affair, I can definitely say that this was delectable. I was a bit wary as to how such a simple preparation would lead to such undeniable deliciousness, but some how it really works. Of course I fussed about a bit and added in some raisins for a bit of sweetness and some red pepper flakes for a bit of a burn (which really complemented the sweet raisins nicely), and some toasted walnuts for an extra flavor dimension. The end result was scrumptious where all the individual elements were able to shine. Definitely a case where the simplicity of the dish doesn’t make it any less yummy. I can’t wait to make this again! View high resolution

Spaghetti with Braised Kale, recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit.

I am always grateful that Tony is such an obliging husband, one who doesn’t mind eating the random veggies that I take a shining to. I’m one of those people who legitimately loves greens and veggies, but in particular, I have been crushing on kale pretty hard for the past year. I bought a big bag of it at Kroger to toss into some chana masala I made (and did not photograph) in order to pump up the nutritional content, but that bag was biiiiiig and I ultimately had enough leftover that I needed to repurpose it into another dish. Enter this recipe for Braised Kale spaghetti, which turned out to be really simple, really delicious, and really healthy.

Apparently this recipe is great for those of you who want to learn to love kale… an issue that I definitely did not have. But it as someone who already was carrying on a passionate affair, I can definitely say that this was delectable. I was a bit wary as to how such a simple preparation would lead to such undeniable deliciousness, but some how it really works. Of course I fussed about a bit and added in some raisins for a bit of sweetness and some red pepper flakes for a bit of a burn (which really complemented the sweet raisins nicely), and some toasted walnuts for an extra flavor dimension. The end result was scrumptious where all the individual elements were able to shine. Definitely a case where the simplicity of the dish doesn’t make it any less yummy. I can’t wait to make this again!

Wolfgang Puck’s pan-roasted chicken with Jamie Oliver’s roast potatoes and mixed greens with strawberries, blue cheese and walnuts. AKA “Stephie Homemaker’s Roast Dinner”. This was a really great meal that was relatively simple in concept but actually took a good bit of mettle to pull off. Nothing was hard, but the chicken and potatoes both required some extra effort, which was totally worth it in the end. On the chicken front, this dish was exciting because we got to spatchcock a chicken (that is, remove the backbone and we also removed the keelbone) so that it could rest flat in the pan while cooking. Never done that before, and even though butchery kind of scares me, after watching this YouTube video, Tony had no problem preparing our bird. However, our chicken must have been quite a bit plumper than the one Wolfgang used for his recipe because ours definitely took closer to 40 minutes to cook all the way through. The potatoes were crispy nuggets of pure deliciousness, and were definitely the best roasties I’ve ever made. BUT they took a lot of work and time, as they had to first be peeled and chopped, then parboiled, then roasted, then smooshed and seasoned, and roasted some more. They probably took a total of 2 hours to complete, but they were definitely worth the effort. I was a bit nervous about adding in the vinegar and raw garlic during the second phase of roasting (I went with simple flavor combo #1) but I trusted Jamie and it all worked out lovely in the end. Yes, these taters required a good deal of effort on my part, but I will now never make roast potatoes any other way! The salad, while simple was definitely able to hold its own. We used the dressing outlined in this recipe over at The Vegalicious Family Kitchen, and it seriously soooo good. Normally I don’t make many salads because I find them boring, but this dressing is enough to make me want to eat salads every day… and a little bit goes a long way! This is definitely now my go-to dressing! So really, although there were some bumps along the way with the chicken taking more time than expected to cook fully, we wound up with a meal featuring three star components! What more can you ask for? View high resolution

Wolfgang Puck’s pan-roasted chicken with Jamie Oliver’s roast potatoes and mixed greens with strawberries, blue cheese and walnuts. AKA “Stephie Homemaker’s Roast Dinner”.

This was a really great meal that was relatively simple in concept but actually took a good bit of mettle to pull off. Nothing was hard, but the chicken and potatoes both required some extra effort, which was totally worth it in the end. On the chicken front, this dish was exciting because we got to spatchcock a chicken (that is, remove the backbone and we also removed the keelbone) so that it could rest flat in the pan while cooking. Never done that before, and even though butchery kind of scares me, after watching this YouTube video, Tony had no problem preparing our bird. However, our chicken must have been quite a bit plumper than the one Wolfgang used for his recipe because ours definitely took closer to 40 minutes to cook all the way through.

The potatoes were crispy nuggets of pure deliciousness, and were definitely the best roasties I’ve ever made. BUT they took a lot of work and time, as they had to first be peeled and chopped, then parboiled, then roasted, then smooshed and seasoned, and roasted some more. They probably took a total of 2 hours to complete, but they were definitely worth the effort. I was a bit nervous about adding in the vinegar and raw garlic during the second phase of roasting (I went with simple flavor combo #1) but I trusted Jamie and it all worked out lovely in the end. Yes, these taters required a good deal of effort on my part, but I will now never make roast potatoes any other way!

The salad, while simple was definitely able to hold its own. We used the dressing outlined in this recipe over at The Vegalicious Family Kitchen, and it seriously soooo good. Normally I don’t make many salads because I find them boring, but this dressing is enough to make me want to eat salads every day… and a little bit goes a long way! This is definitely now my go-to dressing!

So really, although there were some bumps along the way with the chicken taking more time than expected to cook fully, we wound up with a meal featuring three star components! What more can you ask for?

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup recipe courtesy of Joy the Baker. Although I think I could safely go vegetarian on a regular basis, going vegan is where I draw the line. I mean, a life without cheese is not a life worth living as far as I’m concerned. Still, every now and then I like to try out healthier alternatives to classic comfort foods and while I’ve become accustomed to making “creamy” soups sans cream (generally by simply puréeing the mixture OR by adding in some potato for thickening) I was intrigued by this recipe because it uses cashews as the thickening agent. I mostly followed the recipe as it was written, though I omitted the Worcestershire sauce (didn’t have any), used a frozen broccoli/cauliflower blend, and did add in some cayenne pepper and some dijon mustard for extra kick (and both flavors definitely melded well with the soup). The end result was an extremely thick soup that was filling but not heavy. No, it doesn’t taste like a broccoli-cheddar soup, but it was still really satisfying and yummy, and I don’t think most people would guess it was vegan.  I’d definitely make this again as it’s quick and easy to throw together but still has plenty of flavor and none of the guilt of the original! View high resolution

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup recipe courtesy of Joy the Baker.

Although I think I could safely go vegetarian on a regular basis, going vegan is where I draw the line. I mean, a life without cheese is not a life worth living as far as I’m concerned. Still, every now and then I like to try out healthier alternatives to classic comfort foods and while I’ve become accustomed to making “creamy” soups sans cream (generally by simply puréeing the mixture OR by adding in some potato for thickening) I was intrigued by this recipe because it uses cashews as the thickening agent.

I mostly followed the recipe as it was written, though I omitted the Worcestershire sauce (didn’t have any), used a frozen broccoli/cauliflower blend, and did add in some cayenne pepper and some dijon mustard for extra kick (and both flavors definitely melded well with the soup). The end result was an extremely thick soup that was filling but not heavy. No, it doesn’t taste like a broccoli-cheddar soup, but it was still really satisfying and yummy, and I don’t think most people would guess it was vegan.  I’d definitely make this again as it’s quick and easy to throw together but still has plenty of flavor and none of the guilt of the original!

Chile Relleno Casserole, recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes. A while back I attempted to make chile rellenos at home and documented the results here. While the result was tasty, the process was fairly demanding and the end product was far from pretty. Sometimes I still really crave that chile and cheese combination, so when the urge struck this time, I decided to try out Elise’s casserole as a potential substitute. I made the full portion, but next time, I think I could handily halve it and bake it in an 8x8 pan instead. I also decided to use a vegetarian ground beef substitute to cut back on calories and make the dish just a bit more healthy. I concocted my own blend of chorizo spices (largely inspired by the recipe here) and also added raisins to the mix. Miscommunications led to me not having any fresh chiles to roast and stuff, so instead I went with canned green chiles… I wound up with ones that had already been diced, so I just mixed this with the “fauxrizo” filling before layering them in the pan.  The final product was a really hearty and flavorful casserole that put a smile on our faces. I don’t know that I felt this was perfect for sating traditional chile relleno cravings, as it really was more like a Mexican lasagna (definitely more dense, not light and fluffy like rellenos), but it was still really tasty. Perhaps if I’d had the fresh chiles, their flavor may have been more pronounced and given the dish a stronger link to its inspiration. Perhaps not as glamorous as the fried version, but better for having leftovers for the week, that’s for sure. (It warmed up beautifully on subsequent days!)  View high resolution

Chile Relleno Casserole, recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes.

A while back I attempted to make chile rellenos at home and documented the results here. While the result was tasty, the process was fairly demanding and the end product was far from pretty. Sometimes I still really crave that chile and cheese combination, so when the urge struck this time, I decided to try out Elise’s casserole as a potential substitute.

I made the full portion, but next time, I think I could handily halve it and bake it in an 8x8 pan instead. I also decided to use a vegetarian ground beef substitute to cut back on calories and make the dish just a bit more healthy. I concocted my own blend of chorizo spices (largely inspired by the recipe here) and also added raisins to the mix. Miscommunications led to me not having any fresh chiles to roast and stuff, so instead I went with canned green chiles… I wound up with ones that had already been diced, so I just mixed this with the “fauxrizo” filling before layering them in the pan. 

The final product was a really hearty and flavorful casserole that put a smile on our faces. I don’t know that I felt this was perfect for sating traditional chile relleno cravings, as it really was more like a Mexican lasagna (definitely more dense, not light and fluffy like rellenos), but it was still really tasty. Perhaps if I’d had the fresh chiles, their flavor may have been more pronounced and given the dish a stronger link to its inspiration. Perhaps not as glamorous as the fried version, but better for having leftovers for the week, that’s for sure. (It warmed up beautifully on subsequent days!) 

I love Thai food, but it’s one of those cuisines whose authentic cooking at home still eludes me. Although I make a good deal of coconut-based curries, I never seem to achieve the richness of restaurant curries, even when sticking very close to a recipe. No such issue here, as this shrimp massaman curry was entirely my invention, though I do admit to using a pre-made paste. Final verdict: pretty good! I still don’t seem to be able to nail the creaminess and slight sweetness that our favorite Thai restaurants do, but this was still a delicious variation on this yummy, nutty curry. I managed to perfectly cook the potatoes, and the remaining veggies (edamame, baby corn, onions, mushrooms) all went well together. By adding the shrimp at the very end, I managed to prevent them from overcooking and shriveling up, so I do think this was a well-executed version of the dish I was envisioning. And of course, I didn’t forget to add the roasted peanuts at the end, which went so well with all the other flavors! I may not yet be a Thai curry master (I definitely intend to take some cooking classes when we visit Thailand!), I think I’m on my way!  View high resolution

I love Thai food, but it’s one of those cuisines whose authentic cooking at home still eludes me. Although I make a good deal of coconut-based curries, I never seem to achieve the richness of restaurant curries, even when sticking very close to a recipe. No such issue here, as this shrimp massaman curry was entirely my invention, though I do admit to using a pre-made paste.

Final verdict: pretty good! I still don’t seem to be able to nail the creaminess and slight sweetness that our favorite Thai restaurants do, but this was still a delicious variation on this yummy, nutty curry. I managed to perfectly cook the potatoes, and the remaining veggies (edamame, baby corn, onions, mushrooms) all went well together. By adding the shrimp at the very end, I managed to prevent them from overcooking and shriveling up, so I do think this was a well-executed version of the dish I was envisioning. And of course, I didn’t forget to add the roasted peanuts at the end, which went so well with all the other flavors! I may not yet be a Thai curry master (I definitely intend to take some cooking classes when we visit Thailand!), I think I’m on my way! 

Healthiness be damned, sometimes there’s no beating a good old English fry-up (for breakfast or dinner)! When Tony and I are feeling decadent, we do the whole works, as pictured here… but we’ll often indulge in a pared down version as well, that just features eggs, beans, and toast. Since we were doing this for dinner, we went full-stop and added in sauteed mushrooms and roasted tomatoes (a new venture that was really delicious! I used this Barefoot Contessa recipe and it did not disappoint!). Certainly not a meal appropriate for breaking one’s fast on a daily basis, but for the occasional lazy Sunday or evenings when I feel too lazy to really cook (and who doesn’t love Breakfast for Dinner?), this is always the right choice! View high resolution

Healthiness be damned, sometimes there’s no beating a good old English fry-up (for breakfast or dinner)! When Tony and I are feeling decadent, we do the whole works, as pictured here… but we’ll often indulge in a pared down version as well, that just features eggs, beans, and toast. Since we were doing this for dinner, we went full-stop and added in sauteed mushrooms and roasted tomatoes (a new venture that was really delicious! I used this Barefoot Contessa recipe and it did not disappoint!). Certainly not a meal appropriate for breaking one’s fast on a daily basis, but for the occasional lazy Sunday or evenings when I feel too lazy to really cook (and who doesn’t love Breakfast for Dinner?), this is always the right choice!

Pot roast with root veg and Yorkshire pudding. (Dish largely inspired by this recipe at Fresh Tart). I know pot roast is a staple for a lot of people, though I have to admit that my mom didn’t really make it tons when I was growing up. Roast beef? Yes. Tongue? Yes. (Though that last one was trotted out under the moniker of “tender beef”.) But pot roast? Not that I can recall. I don’t ever feel motivated to buy the nice cuts of beef that would make for nice roasts ($$$), but to me there’s nothing more perfect for a Sunday dinner than a good roast… and I figured there was no reason why I couldn’t achieve the same vibe with a cheaper cut of meat. Overall, I was really happy with how this turned out. The meat was nice and unctuous, and even though you’ll never get a rare piece of pot roast, it was still nice and juicy and the sauce (really more of a jus) had great flavor. To lighten up the dish a bit, I didn’t bother adding in any kind of cream, and instead of potatoes, I put in turnips instead. I am always hearing people complain about how difficult it is to make good Yorkshire puddings, but I must have the knack because I’ve never had mine fail to rise or be heavy little hockey pucks. I just use a simple ratio (1 egg, 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of milk… bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 450º) and it never steers me wrong. Apparently Yorkie puds aren’t a common thing in the U.S. which makes me sad because they are so delicious. Like french fries with gravy, you Yanks don’t know what you’re missing! View high resolution

Pot roast with root veg and Yorkshire pudding. (Dish largely inspired by this recipe at Fresh Tart).

I know pot roast is a staple for a lot of people, though I have to admit that my mom didn’t really make it tons when I was growing up. Roast beef? Yes. Tongue? Yes. (Though that last one was trotted out under the moniker of “tender beef”.) But pot roast? Not that I can recall. I don’t ever feel motivated to buy the nice cuts of beef that would make for nice roasts ($$$), but to me there’s nothing more perfect for a Sunday dinner than a good roast… and I figured there was no reason why I couldn’t achieve the same vibe with a cheaper cut of meat.

Overall, I was really happy with how this turned out. The meat was nice and unctuous, and even though you’ll never get a rare piece of pot roast, it was still nice and juicy and the sauce (really more of a jus) had great flavor. To lighten up the dish a bit, I didn’t bother adding in any kind of cream, and instead of potatoes, I put in turnips instead.

I am always hearing people complain about how difficult it is to make good Yorkshire puddings, but I must have the knack because I’ve never had mine fail to rise or be heavy little hockey pucks. I just use a simple ratio (1 egg, 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of milk… bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 450º) and it never steers me wrong. Apparently Yorkie puds aren’t a common thing in the U.S. which makes me sad because they are so delicious. Like french fries with gravy, you Yanks don’t know what you’re missing!

Another “Downton Dinner”! This time I prepared a pork loin stuffed with apples and craisins (recipe courtesy of Dean Sheremet… yes, I used a recipe created by Leanne Rimes’s ex-husband!). We accompanied the pork with a greens & sweet potato gratin (prepared by Trisha) inspired by a recipe at Smitten Kitchen and a side of corn pudding (recipe courtesy of Epicurious). This was a lovely meal that looked impressive but wasn’t very hard to prep at all. And you might not believe it, but the gratin took the longest to bake! Pork loins are very lean so you don’t want to overcook them or else they will get dry and tough. I also think that by pounding it thin and then stuffing it, that also cut down on cooking time (rather than using an intact loin that hasn’t been butterflied). The cut Sheremet uses in his recipe had a layer of fat over top (ours did not) so it could stand being cooked longer as the fat will naturally baste the meat. Our cut only needed to be in the oven for about 30 minutes and turned out moist and succulent (I think the apple stuffing certainly helped!). I’d never stuffed a loin before so I was worried about rolling it, but it wound up not being difficult at all, even though it looks impressive. I’ll certainly do it again! View high resolution

Another “Downton Dinner”!

This time I prepared a pork loin stuffed with apples and craisins (recipe courtesy of Dean Sheremet… yes, I used a recipe created by Leanne Rimes’s ex-husband!). We accompanied the pork with a greens & sweet potato gratin (prepared by Trisha) inspired by a recipe at Smitten Kitchen and a side of corn pudding (recipe courtesy of Epicurious).

This was a lovely meal that looked impressive but wasn’t very hard to prep at all. And you might not believe it, but the gratin took the longest to bake! Pork loins are very lean so you don’t want to overcook them or else they will get dry and tough. I also think that by pounding it thin and then stuffing it, that also cut down on cooking time (rather than using an intact loin that hasn’t been butterflied). The cut Sheremet uses in his recipe had a layer of fat over top (ours did not) so it could stand being cooked longer as the fat will naturally baste the meat. Our cut only needed to be in the oven for about 30 minutes and turned out moist and succulent (I think the apple stuffing certainly helped!). I’d never stuffed a loin before so I was worried about rolling it, but it wound up not being difficult at all, even though it looks impressive. I’ll certainly do it again!