Weekend Cooking: Back in the Kitchen

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.




Although it's warm and humid today in central New York, we recently experienced a brief taste of fall. It was glorious! I've yet to indulge in the season's first pumpkin spice latte, but have been cooking again. Here are some of the new recipes we've enjoyed.

Fresh Corn Chowder from Natasha's Kitchen

We all love local corn and eat it as often as possible, especially during the late summer when the sweetest varieties are available. In this recipe, stripped cobs are simmered to make an unbelievably flavorful corn stock. In typical chowder fashion, heavy cream is used, but I think half and half or low-fat milk could be substituted to lighten it up. This is best corn chowder I've ever made!

Butternut Squash Soup from Gimme Some Oven

I've been using Susan Branch's Butternut Bisque recipe for ages (even shared it in this 2014 Weekend Cooking post) and never thought I'd try another. But Gimme Some Oven is a trusted source and I was intrigued by the addition of a Granny Smith apple and unsweetened coconut milk... also, this recipe is made in a slow cooker. So easy! I'm not setting aside the old standby, but my daughter prefers this version. I thought it very tasty, too. Guess I have two favorite recipes now.

Blueberry Crumble Pie from Two Peas & Their Pod

I've baked plenty of blueberry pies over the years, but never one with a crumble top. This photo on the blog caught my eye... mine looked almost as good. It's a keeper.

Speculoos Brownie Cake from Simply Recipes

Drop what you're doing, go to Trader Joe's, buy a jar of speculoos cookie butter, and bake this cake - immediately! You can thank me later. ;-)

Black Bean and Quinoa Enchilada Bake from Two Peas & Their Pod

Despite mild resistance, I'm trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our dinner lineup. I recently made this casserole while my husband was away. With a green salad, it was a delicious dinner. I had leftovers for lunch the rest of the week, though admit I was a little tired of it by Thursday. Hubby refused to try it for lunch on Friday...


  Does your kitchen get busier in the fall? Have you tried any new recipes lately?

Weekend Cooking: New Recipe Trifecta

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.





It's been quite some time since I've written a Weekend Cooking post. Instead, my weekly update now features an "In the kitchen" section. That gives me the opportunity to share new recipe successes (or the occasional failure) and include a link to the recipe. However, this was an unusual week. In a shockingly adventurous turn, I experimented with three  new dishes.

The first was so  good, it really deserves a post of its own. The recipe is from the New York Times   and, unless you have a subscription, you will not be able to view the recipe online. I took the liberty of copying it here... hope they don't mind. You can find the other two recipes by clicking on the links.

Swordfish BLT

recipe by Florence Fabricant, New York Times

There must be something to that saying "everything is better with bacon." This is, hands down, the best swordfish recipe ever! Several times during dinner, my husband proclaimed the meal "restaurant-worthy"... an expression I've never heard him use before. Swordfish BLT will certainly be the main course for my next dinner party!

Swordfish BLT

recipe by Florence Fabricant, New York Times

Ingredients:

• ½  pound thick-sliced bacon, about 9 strips
• 1  cup halved grape tomatoes, about 30
• 3  tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼  cup extra-virgin olive oil
•  Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 ½  pounds swordfish steaks, in 6 portions
• 1  cup packed, finely chopped arugula

Preparation:

1. Fry bacon to medium doneness, remove to drain on paper towels and reserve fat. Place tomatoes in a medium-size bowl. Add lemon juice and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Break up bacon into small pieces and mix in. Set aside until ready to grill swordfish.
2. Heat a grill or broiler. Brush swordfish on both sides with remaining bacon fat and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil fish until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side, more or less, depending on the thickness of the fish. Remove fish to a serving platter.
3. Fold arugula into tomato mixture, then spoon mixture, including its sauce, on top of the fish. Serve.

The other two recipe successes include:

Baked Tomato Sauce 

from Smitten Kitchen

This recipe was just as easy as it was delicious... no surprise because I've never gone wrong with Smitten Kitchen. I followed the recipe as written, except I didn't have quite enough fresh basil. Along with a salad, this was a complete meal for my daughter and me. My husband may have grilled a small steak to go with his dinner ;-)

Thank you, Audrey, for sharing the recipe on twitter. It has earned on spot in the regular dinner rotation!

Slow Cooker Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

from Budget Bytes (their photo, too!)

I chose this recipe because it incorporates so many flavors my daughter loves. Plus, we had an exceptionally busy day planned and I knew it would be a treat to come home to a crockpot meal. Add the pineapple, steam some snow peas, cook the rice... and dinner is ready.

I used low sodium soy sauce, but would probably opt for regular next time. My daughter loved it and has already asked me to make it again!



All in all, a very successful week in the kitchen. Have you discovered any new recipes lately?


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My New Favorite Kitchen Gadget: The Sprializer

I've always loved kitchen gadgets. From a cherished Cuisinart food processor purchased shortly after college, to various crockpots, a pasta maker, bread machine, waffle makers, and a panini press, various machines have made their way into my cupboards. Some have stood the test of time, while others have ended up donated or broken.

These days my primary concern when deciding whether or not to invest in a new kitchen is cupboard space... especially  here in my small Florida kitchen. (I'm still undecided about the InstaPot and welcome your thoughts.)  Last spring, after months of deliberation, I finally purchased a spiralizer. We have been trying to eat more vegetables and cut down on carbs, and spiralizing seemed like a creative way to advance the cause. I was right!

The spiralizer//

Many are available on amazon, and they vary widely in price, number of blades, and durability. I compared countless product reviews before purchasing the moderately priced OXO Good Grips 3-Blade Spiralizer with StrongHold Suction. (Please note: I am not an amazon affiliate.) The three standard blades offer all the variety I need... basically,  spaghetti, fettucine, and ribbon cuts. And I am especially impressed with the suction - it stays in placed beautifully!

I like this particular model so much, I bought a second one to give as a Christmas gift and then a third for my Florida kitchen.


The recipes//

There are entire cookbooks devoted to spiralized recipes and Inspiralized: Turn Vegetables into Healthy, Creative, Satisfying Meals by Ali Maffucci appears to be "the Bible." I bought a copy of this book for myself and one to go with the spiralizer I gave as a gift, BUT it wasn't necessary. All the recipes you need are available online.

Zucchini noodles, or zoodles, are quick and easy... heat some olive oil, sauté a little garlic, toss in the the zoodles, season, and you're done in 5 minutes.


Here are my current favorite recipes, all available online:

Lemon-Dill Zucchini Pasta with Shrimp and Capers

This is from inspiralized.com (the best recipe source) and is a new favorite. I've made it twice in the last two weeks.

Quick Spiralized Zucchini and Grape Tomatoes 

Recipe and photo from skinnytaste... so quick, so easy, so delicious! I used the orange fettuccine blade for this one.

Sweet and Sour Cucumber Noodles

... a perfect cold side salad from peas & crayons. Scroll down for recipe.

Ginger Roasted Salmon and Sweet Potato Noodles with Miso-Maple Dressing

Recipe and photo from inspiralized.com (again). Lots of ingredients in the recipe, but oh so good.

Spiralized Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quesadillas

I've lost count on how many times I've made this one. It's from Cookie and Kate and is my daughters' favorite.

Spiralized Sweet Potato, White Bean and Kale Bake

A vegetarian meal idea from inspiralized.com... next time I might try spinach instead of kale and use
gruyere cheese. I thought this was an excellent meal, but my husband missed having meat.


Do you spiralize? Would you like to?

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

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Book Brief: Dinner With Edward

Dinner with Edward: A Story of an Unexpected Friendship
by Isabel Vincent
Algonquin Books, 2016
224 pages
source: purchased


I love to visit independent bookstores when I'm traveling and was thrilled to stumbled upon Off the Beaten Path in Steamboat Springs, CO this summer. Of course I didn't need  another book, but still wanted to do my part to support a local indie!

I selected Dinner with Edward, a delightful memoir of a friendship between a middle-aged woman in a failing marriage and a ninety-something widower trying to find meaning in life after the death of his beloved wife. Edward also happens to be a gourmet cook. Each chapter begins with a dinner menu and, naturally, includes Edward's tips and secrets for preparing that dish.... though no recipes are included.

I read the book on our flight home. It turned out to be just as much about life, love, and sharing as it is about food.  It also made me want to visit Roosevelt Island the next time I'm in New York City.

"It's just cooking, darling," he said, when I asked why he didn't use cookbooks. "I  don't ever think of what I'm doing in terms of recipes. I just don't want to bother looking at recipes. To me, that's not cooking - being tied to a piece of paper."

Bottom line: A sweet, enjoyable read, but ultimately not that memorable.

My rating:

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

Weekend Cooking: The Best Minestrone Ever

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.



It's a chilly, windy Saturday in southwest Florida. Of course, chilly  is a relative term. In central New York, a 58 degree January morning would be considered positively balmy, but down here it has me craving soup. Earlier this week (and on another cool day), I made a big pot of Minestrone using this recipe found on the Skinnytaste blog.

You're looking at her photo, but my soup looked almost as good... and the taste was amazing! Two cooking options are provided in the recipe - a crock pot version and a stove top version. I'm usually all about slow cooker soups, but on that particular day, I couldn't wait six or eight hours and opted to follow the stove top directions.

I used a small star-shaped pasta (because I couldn't find ditalini on the island), fresh spinach and herbs, and did throw in a parmesan rind because I had one on hand. I cooked the pasta separately as directed, but added it to the soup pot rather that ladling it directly into the bowls. Pureeing the cannellini beans with chicken broth made for a thicker base, but I would have liked some beans in the soup, too. Next time.

This was, without a doubt, the best minestrone ever! Encouraged by the results, today I'm making Skinnytaste's  Turkey Chili Taco Soup. I'll let you know how it turns out. Will you be making or eating soup this weekend?

Weekend Cooking: Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Quinoa

Weekend Cooking posts have been few and far between around here lately. Life is crazy (isn't it always this time of year?) but, with the help of Wegmans, I'm still cooking and serving healthful meals most nights.

A couple of weeks ago I discovered this recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Quinoa. It sounded delicious but, since it takes only three hours in the slow cooker, timing is a little tricky. Earlier this week I found myself home for the day by 3 PM, so that worked out perfectly.

The recipe is from an unfamiliar website, Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen, but it sounded good and made sense when I read it though. Last week I had a slow-cooker soup recipe from an unknown website fail, so was a little leery of going that route again.

I needn't have worried...

As usual for any new recipe, I followed the directions exactly as written. The quinoa was cooked to perfection in three hours and I thought the seasonings were just about right, too. Served with a tossed green salad, this was a great meal. My husband wasn't a fan initially, but I put some of the casserole in a warm flour tortilla wrapped burrito-style (something the recipe suggests doing with leftovers) and he was much happier.

Changes for next time?  The ground chicken seemed to get lost in the quinoa, so I'll try shredded rotisserie chicken instead. I will also be sure to have a ripe avocado on hand!

Have you had any new recipe successes lately?

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

Weekend Cooking: Foodie Nonfiction Favorites

Q: What happens when you combine Weekend Cooking, Top Ten Tuesday and Nonfiction November?

A: A Weekend Cooking list of Foodie Nonfiction Favorites

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

My Foodie Nonfiction Favorites

Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation 

by Michael Pollan

I especially recommend the audio version, narrated by author.

Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us 

by Michael Moss

This book is fascinating, but it will make you angry. 

My Life in France by Julia Child

An all-time favorite

A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

A memoir with recipes, my book club cooked (and ate) our way through this one.

The Language of Baklava by Diana Abu-Jaber

Another memoir with recipes book club selection, this time with a local connection.

97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegelman

I enjoyed the social history, but would have appreciated more about the individual families.

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

by Michael Pollan 

I will read anything Michael Pollan writes.

The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee's, Farm Fields and the Dinner Table by Tracie McMillan

Very interesting... and disturbing

Beyond the Pasta: Recipes, Language & Life with an Italian Family 

by Mark Leslie

A month in Italy learning the language and culinary skills while living in a family setting? Yes, please.

Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin

Recipes. stories, and more from one of America's most beloved food writers.

What are your foodie nonfiction favorites? Have you read any of these?

Links to all of this week's Nonfiction November posts are here.

Weekend Cooking: Top Ten Favorite Pinterest Recipes

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.



The Pin It and Do It challenge may be over, but this week I've decided to follow Katherine's lead and share my Top Ten Favorite Pinterest Recipes.

The list below is decidedly seafood heavy and devoid of desserts - we cook and eat a lot of fish, but I'm not much of a baker. Clicking on the name of the dish will take you directly to the blog/website's recipe, not my pin.



Top Ten Favorite Pinterest Recipes

Butternut Squash Quinoa Casserole from Wendy Polisi- I just discovered this recipe a few weeks ago and have already made it twice. I might have even had the leftovers for breakfast one day.

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad from Smells Like Home - This has become my "go to" chicken salad. It looks so elegant served on a croissant.

 Classic Crab Cakes from myrecipes.com - Like the title says, a 'classic' and delicious recipe.

 Chicken Piccata from myrecipes.com - I could eat something piccata (chicken, fish, pork) once a week. Yum.

Seared Halibut with Caper and Tomato Pan Sauce from Mountain Mama Cooks - Halibut is a favorite and I can whip this dish up in 15 minutes.

Mussels in White Wine from Ina Garten - I prepared mussels at home for the first time about a year ago - so easy! After experimenting with several recipes, this one has become our favorite.

 Easy Honey-Beer Chicken from betsylife - A quick meal using ingredients I always have on hand.

Flounder Milanese with Arugula and Tomatoes from Skinnytaste - Another meal I could eat every week, and it couldn't be any easier to prepare. The arugula/tomato salad is the perfect accompaniment - I usually add a green veggie, too.

Seared Swordfish with a Lemon and Wine Rosemary Sauce from Simple Comfort Food -  Perfect with herbs from my summer garden!

 Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken from Tracey's Culinary Adventures (adapted from Skinnytaste) - My daughter's favorite. I should probably compare it with the original Skinnytaste recipe.


Do you use Pinterest? What are your favorite 'pinned' recipes?

Weekend Cooking: Butternut Squash Quinoa Casserole

Pin It and Do It is over, but I tried one more recipe that deserves its own post.

 Butternut Squash Quinoa Casserole 

from Wendy Polisi 

I enjoy vegetarian meals, but dinner is not complete without meat (or poultry or fish) for my husband. An ideal vegetarian dish is one I can enjoy as a main course and serve to him as a side. Butternut Squash Quinoa Casserole is that recipe.

I followed the recipe exactly as written using chicken broth, organic skim milk, and medium (as opposed to mild)  Gruyere cheese.

And talk about delicious... this is comfort food to rival the richest macaroni and cheese, but so much more healthful.

Hot from the oven

... and on my plate.

What is your favorite meatless main course?

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

Pin It and Do It: October Wrap-Up

The fall edition of Trish's  Pin It and Do challenge is winding down and I, for one, am glad she decided to reprise this popular event. Once again, I chose to go the foodie route. My recipes this month included an appetizer, soup, a few main dishes and a dessert. There is one more vegetarian main dish I plan to try, a butternut squash and quinoa casserole. The ingredients are on hand and if it's successful, I will include the recipe in a future Weekend Cooking post.

All photos come from the blog or website where I found the recipe. Links take you to directly to the recipe. Here we go:

Baked Apple Crisp

Apple crisp is pretty basic. It's so much easier than making an apple pie (no crust), but every bit as delicious. Since I always make pie, I have no 'go to' crisp recipe. This one from Mommy Hates Cooking  blog was simple to make. I brought it to Sunday dinner at my sister's and every last crumb disappeared. My only complaint was that it was a little too sweet... but then I usually cut back on the sugar in apple pies, too. (my pin)

Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup

I love Italian Wedding Soup, but never make it myself. I found this recipe on Gather for Bread  blog and was especially drawn to it because of the slow cooker. The soup was delicious... except for the meatballs. They were too dry. The next time I'll use ground beef that is not so lean or have the meatballs spend less time in the slow cooker. I do plan to give this a second chance. (my pin)

Chicken Pot Pie Turnovers

My husband loves chicken pot pie and I've been trying to find the perfect  recipe for years. This one from the Food Network  appealed to me because it looked easy, uses puff pastry, and because I think turnovers are more fun. It's a great recipe and I wouldn't change a thing, but it was a little more work than a "fun" recipe should be. (my pin)

Spinach Balls

I made these for my book club earlier this month. We met at 4 PM instead of our usual morning meeting time and appetizers were called for instead of coffee cake. The recipe is from The Kitchen is My Playground and I chose it because who can resist spinach and stuffing? I'll make these again sometime during the holiday season! (my pin)

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Back to chicken pot pie again. Because the turnovers were a little fussy, the word "easy" drew me  to this recipe from Spicy Southern Kitchen. Still not quite as easy as I was hoping, the recipe was absolutely delicious - but with a whole stick of butter how could it not be? So filling, too! My husband loved it and I'll definitely make it again... just not very often since it isn't the most healthful recipe around. (my pin)

Roast Chicken with Apricot Glaze

Finally, a truly simple and delicious dish! A rub of cumin, cinnamon, and kosher salt followed by a glaze of apricot preserves in the last ten minutes of cooking - that's all there is to this Simply Recipes recipe. It's an interesting twist on classic roast chicken and it looks so attractive on the serving platter, too. (my pin)


Links to other October Pin It and Do It wrap-up posts can be found on Trish's blog.

Do you use Pinterest?

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.