Other Goodies

Hearty Kale, Squash and Bean Soup with Chorizo

From NYTimes Cooking, a great rainy evening meal. I should have roasted the squash a bit longer, but added it just a tad earlier (5 mins.) than the recipe called for and it was perfectly finished (albeit not so caramelized) when the soup was done. I also substituted baby kale so no prep of the greens needed. The chorizo was very nice it in (the recipe calls for chorizo or keilbasa). I did all the chopping in in the morning, so it was easy to cook leading up to dinner. It's supposed to be even better as leftovers, so I am looking forward to it for lunch tomorrow.

Flour and Corn Tortillas

The last time (first time) I made tortillas, it was with 100% masa. This time, it was a mixture of masa and AP flour, with more of the latter, as well as a little oil. The recipe called for rolling them out, but I just pressed them.

The last time, I foolishly greased the pan so didn't get the desired browning. This time, I left the pan dry and got some nice browing. I had left-over frozen filling from the enchiladas I made the first time, so made bean tacos. Tasty.

Blackberry Lemon Ginger Jam

adapted from a NYTimes recipes, but with more add-ins.

I've loved this flavor combo for decades. So we added minced fresh ginger for the much of the full boil along with lemon juice, then towards the end some powdered ginger, then lemon zest right as we took it off the heat. So good.

Pumpkin Butter

From not your mother's slowcooker cookbook. Very tasty. Brown sugar, honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, spices, and of course pumpkin.

The one issue was that it was so viscous when we got it in the jars to process for shelf stability, we couldn't get the air bubbles out. But from what we read, that's okay.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Fruit, sugar, lemon juice. It comes from this recipe. One thing I learned is that enameled pots, while they'll work on induction, are much slower to get hot than just stainless steel. The canning pot belongs to my mom, but it's time to get my own stainless steel version.

Peach Apricot Chutney

We adapted a recipe from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook to the stovetop (we did a multiple recipe and it wouldn't fit my slow cooker) and to being processed so it doesn't need refrigeration (so it can be mailed for gifts. Great on pork!

Homemade Veggie-Cheese Enchiladas

Begins with my first attempt at homemade tortillas. I used round parchment sheets when pressing them. I pressed them all before cooking -- had to be careful when pulling off the parchment paper.

Then I made the same enchilada sauce as for the empanadas. I didn't have vegetable broth and rather than using chicken, I used Penzey's vegetable soup base -- way too salty! Also rushed the roux and didn't let it darken enough.

I filled it with a mixture of onion, peppers (below), garlic, and refried beans and sharp cheddar.

Came out great -- the judgment was that it was suitable for company. Had it with a classic 3-2-1 margarita.

Baked Falafel

I'm a big fan of Yummy Mummy's Baked Falafel. The recipe makes a big batch. I freeze them and reheat them in my toster oven (though I've been know to take them cold to school for lunch. Pictured here with coleslaw (Greek style, with a lemon juice-olive oil dressing rather than a mayo-based one) and tzatziki (store bought).

Weeknight Neapolitan Style Pepperoni Pizza

On the plus side, the dough is more easily stretched and I ended up with a larger pizza. I was glad I had cut the recipe in half. The crust was still thin and crisp but the little olive oil seems to have removed some of the lightness of the overnight crust and I don't like the flavor quite as much. Overnight (below) is worth it. I cut up the pepperoni into triangles because the rounds were so large.

Neapolitan Style pepperoni pizza

I've made a lot of pizza over the years that I like fine, but the crust always feels bready and not nearly as good as eat-out pizz. This has been the exception! This tastes like really good pizza. I wonder if the flour combo is part of this. I used KA "00" flour (a mix of hard and soft wheat) and this recipe. This recipe rises overnight (and up to 24 hours). Nice bubbly crust, but thin and crisp underneath, with fresh mozzarella. (The pepperoni slices were larger in diameter than normal, so it's not quite as small as it might first appear.)

Chicken-Corn Empandas

The crust came out great (all butter), but I needed to work on the ratio of filling to crust. The homemade enchilada sauce was delicious (and vegan) and I have made it since for other recipes.

Thanksgiving Turkey 2020

We did a dry brine and it was fantastic. A little salty, but so juicey and such a crisp skin. No basting, but some white wine/cider mix in the bottom of the roasting pan. The drippings, I think, would have made a good gravy, but we didn't do gravy this year. We followed this recipe (but used a regular cider rather than a hard one.

Not really bakes. At the left are some peppers, onions, and garlic being sauteed up for some chili. At the right, a tree I saw on a walk on the same day with the same colors.

Okay, now I've left baking really behind, but it still involves cooking of a sort. Here are the results of a pint glass workshop I took at Snow Farm with my best friend (none of the glasses would pass regulation muster). And me blowing glass. It was a lot of fun and would recommend the weekend workshop!

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