Hits & Misses September 2019 (1,102 views)

My month was filled with lots of recipes motivated by my garden again and most I don't remember (they were good though!) but the emphasis was on eggplant, summer squash, and tomatoes. And they still keep coming!! Can't believe I might actually be getting sick of eggplant and zucchini!!

Excellent:
-Roasted Summer Vegetable Baked Ziti-I cut the recipe a bit and doctored up the ricotta mixture with more herbs and lemon zest which really made this shine. www.southernliving.com/recipes/baked-ziti-summer-vegetables-recipe
-Apple Crumb Coffeecake-https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/apple-crumb-cake/#tasty-recipes-67493

Tried and True:
-Eggplant Gratin-Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone by Deborah Madison. Added a bit of goat cheese.
-Noodle-less Butternut squash Lasagna-Skinnytaste. Used turkey instead of turkey sausage but added sausage seasonings to the ground turkey and let it "marinate" a few hours in the fridge. Then added some extra veggies on top of the ricotta layer cause I had them(spinach and roasted cauliflower).
-Cheesy Penne with Roasted Vegetables-Skinnytaste. Always good but the one above was better.
-Mock "Kit Kat" bars-Cookie Madness blog
-Turkey Chili-https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/turkey-chili-with-white-beans-3090. I doctor a bit by adding peppers from my garden, lime, cilantro, dash of worcestershire, and I used red beans this time (RG rio zape).
-Cook's Illustrated Minestrone. www.food.com/recipe/hearty-minestrone-soup-407648
-Tuna Caponata-Healthy Helpings Cookbook by Norene Gilletz
Vegetarian Lasagna Stuffed Spaghetti squash-multiple sources and my adaptations

Verdict still out:
-Cabbage Roll Casserole- www.smalltownwoman.com/cabbage-roll-casserole/.  I made it over the weekend when cabbage was on sale but had to freeze after cooking cause we had too much in the fridge  so have to wait to try another day but I love stuffed cabbage so I am hoping this will be an easy cabbage roll fix for me. I did take a few liberties based on my mom's stuffed cabbage roll recipe which I love. 

Ha Ha!! Thanks applecrisp...The mock kit kat bars were actually for DS#2 who came into town last weekend with his girlfriend just for the day. He had to drop off some of his things at the house because he and his girlfriend just moved into a smaller apt. this year and don't have the extra storage space. They had a 3rd room mate last year who moved out so they had to find something less expensive this year since DS#2's GF is living on loans, grants, scholarships etc.... to try to get through college. They are actually living in the same complex now but a smaller apt. Anyway sent them back with half the batch and DH took some off to work. Next thing I knew a few of my best customers (my candy business) from his office called me to place orders for these. Needless to say, I am making several more batches this weekend! DH and I have re-named them though to "Build a Bars" since you can swap in any combination of nut/non-nut butters, crackers, chips etc.... and they still taste great.

Karen

September Keepers/Will Make Again

My favorite September recipe was this Peach Crisp. Local peaches were still abundant in early September and this is my new favorite late summer dessert. I made a few changes: used almond flour instead of all-purpose flour, cut back on the sugar (1 TBL stirred in with the peaches and 2 TBL in the topping), and the butter (used only 1/2 stick of grated butter). The first time I served this, we topped it with ginger ice cream, the second time with whipped cream. Both were excellent.
www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a27971398/easy-peach-crisp-recipe/

Creamy Onion Tart. I used red onion instead of white onion. Baked the filling in a hash brown crust. Sprinkled a very small amount of grated swiss cheese on top before baking. This tart was tasty both warm and room temp. We ate it for lunch and breakfast. 
leitesculinaria.com/79399/recipes-creamy-onion-tart.html

Korean-Style Seasoned Mung Bean Sprout Salad. I didn't see any need to blanch the sprouts so I didn't. It was super easy and a tasty side for korean ribs.
mykoreankitchen.com/korean-style-seasoned-mung-bean-sprouts-salad-sukju-namul-muchim/

Arista (Florentine Pork Roast). Garlic, rosemary, and sage. Easy, delicious.
www.elizabethminchilli.com/2019/08/arista-florentine-pork-roast/

Easy and Creamy Chocolate Mouuse with Pisco. Made this for a Peruvian dinner that I prepared as a thank you for friends who kept our bird feeders filled while we were in Peru. My husband raved about it. It was so easy. I did not wait til the chocolate butter mixture cooled to add the egg sugar mixture. Instead I tempered the egg mixture with some warm chocolate before combining. The pisco taste wasn't prominent. I used it because I brought back a small bottle of pisco for making Pisco sours. With or without the pisco, this is likely to become a "house" dessert. I garnished it with some squares of Peruvian dark chocolate, mint leaves, and whipped cream. No frightening maraschino cherries for us!  
perudelights.com/easy-and-creamy-chocolate-mousse-with-pisco/

Causa (Peruvian Cold Mashed Potato Casserole With Tuna or Chicken). Another dish for the Peruvian dinner. This was one of the dishes that I hoped to try in Peru. The version we were served was delicious. It sounds very strange to most people, but it is excellent. Wasn't sure how our guests would like it, but they did. And my cat was very happy to get the water from the tuna fish cans. I made individual servings. I don't have a ring mold, so I made one from a can. That was a challenge because new fangled cans have rounded bottoms and are not made to be opened on both ends. 
www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2018/07/causa-peruvian-cold-mashed-potato-casserole-with-tuna-or-chicken.html

Lomo Saltado (Peruvian Stir-Fried Beef w/ Onion, Tomatoes, and French Fries). The main dish for the Peruvian dinner. We were served this twice in Peru. One version also had red bell peppers, so I added them to amp up the veggies in our mea. This is a national dish in Peru and represents the Chinese influence on Peruvian cuisine. It is simple and delicious. And it is always served with both rice and french fries. I use some Alexia frozen fries. I used jarred aji amarillo pepper paste instead of trying to hunt down the Peruvian peppers and making the paste.
www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2019/03/lomo-saltado-peruvian-stir-fried-beef-with-onion-tomatoes-and-french-fries.html

Sheet Pan Kielbasa and Veggies. I recently found a no added nitrate kielbasa at my store so I decided to try this. I used cauliflower instead of broccoli and added some onion to the veggie mix. We both enjoyed this.
www.lavenderandmacarons.com/entrees/kielbasa-and-veggies-sheet-pan-dinner/

Portuguese Fish Chowder. I used chicken andouille sausage and decided to cut the fish into large chunks instead of leaving the fillets whole. This was tasty on a cool night. I think of it more as a stew than a chowder. I added some smoked paprika. 
leitesculinaria.com/7616/recipes-south-coast-portuguese-fish-chowder.html

Italian Chickpea Salad. Perfect for when you want a salad without greens. I used red bell pepper instead of green bell pepper. My dressing was a good drizzle of Italian olive oil, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper. Used fresh oregano instead of dried. 
iowagirleats.com/2017/06/19/italian-chickpea-salad/

Bacon, Egg, Avocado, and Tomato Sandwiches. No recipe. I found some great tomatoes at the farm stand and had some bacon in the freezer so I planned on BLTs for dinner. I was going to make some tomato soup to go with them but it is not DH's fav, so I decided to top the sandwiches with an egg and call it a meal.


Probably Won't Repeat
Pretzel Rolls. I wanted to like these so much more than I did. I did use spelt flour. After reading all the comments, I increased the boiling time. I LOVE a good pretzel roll. These were OK, but not outstanding to me. They did not store well. The salt melted into the tops and made them a bit gummy. If you have an outstanding Pretzel Roll/Bun recipe, please share it.
leitesculinaria.com/106433/recipes-pretzel-rolls.htm


Tried and True
Korean BBQ Baby Back Ribs. Simple. Delicious.
steamykitchen.com/27330-korean-bbq-baby-back-ribs-recipe-video-2.html

Ceviche de Cameron (Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail). Made this for lunch with friends. It was devoured.
Rick Bayless Mexico One Plate at a Time

Sheet Pan Mongolian Beef.
www.aspicyperspective.com/sheet-pan-mongolian-beef/

KarenW -- If I lived near you, I would have your number on speed dial! I would be ordering those build a bars too!

PattiA -- Wow, your recipes sound great. How long were you in Peru? How did you like it? First time there? What a great (and different) dinner for your friends -- so fun that you recreated some Peruvian food. Years back I used to go to a Peruvian restaurant and loved it.

Hi PattiA --- Thanks so much for taking the time and sharing about your trip. It sounds like an amazing time and opportunity! And when you say Amazon in conversation -- you mean the real Amazon, not the place you buy cooking gadgets. : ) Potatoes in many ways, sounds good to me. How fun to be remembering the trip by cooking up Peruvian food. I checked out the pictures, I loved how your husband named them. Fred Astair and Landing Gear Deployed -- two of my favs. Thx again.