April 2021 Hits & Misses (655 views)

Make Again

Chicken Fajita Quesadilla with Cilantro Pesto www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a46639/chicken-faijta-quesadilla-with-cilantro-pesto-recipe/. I used this idea more than following the recipe. I roasted my chicken and veggies. I omitted the basil in the pesto. The recipe ingredient list is missing the cheese that goes in the quesadillas.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars www.halfbakedharvest.com/swirled-carrot-cake-cheesecake-bars/ I did a half recipe and baked it in a loaf pan with a parchment sling Skipped the icing. Easy and tasty.

Classic Rack of Lamb www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/classic_rack_of_lamb/ Perfection!

Grilled Asparagus with Mint Feta Pesto jeanetteshealthyliving.com/grilled-asparagus-with-mint-feta-pesto-recipe/ I roasted the asparagus cuz I didn’t feel like grilling in the dark and the oven was already on for the lamb. The pesto is great.

Sheet Pan Sticky Korean Chicken Meatballs www.halfbakedharvest.com/korean-chicken-meatballs/ Sheet Pan dinner, meatballs, and Korean!

Eggplant Shakshuka leitesculinaria.com/284626/recipes-eggplant-shakshuka.html We didn’t love this but that was totally my fault. I didn’t plan enough time for this to cook properly. The eggplant was underdone. It will definitely get another go because it has such promise.

Marty’s Salmon Burgers with cilantro, pickled ginger, lemon aioli, and spicy greens newenglandfishmongers.com/recipe/martys-salmon-burgers/ my new fav salmon cake recipe is from the fishers who I buy all my fish from. I didn’t have any pickled ginger, so I made this quick pickled ginger to use in it. cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013949-quick-pickled-ginger We had them on salad with some crumbled rice crackers.

Steak + Wasabi Pea Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette www.healthy-delicious.com/steak-wasabi-pea-salad-hoisin-vinaigrette Easy, fun, and delicious.

Roasted Red Cabbage leitesculinaria.com/112253/recipes-roasted-red-cabbage.html We love roasted green cabbage, this was the first but not the last time roasting red cabbage. We loved this.

Spring Tortellini Soup with Peas and Asparagus www.thekitchn.com/spring-tortellini-soup-recipe-23136172 a nice spring soup

Melissa King’s Kung Pao Chicken This was from an online class with Melissa. I think her recipe is on her web site. The class was good and the Kung Pao was great!

Crispy Chicken Skins www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/crispy-chicken-skins-3908751 I deboned and deskinned the chicken thighs that I used for the Kung Pao, so I decided to try making crispy chicken skin for garnishes on salads. The cooked skin chips were not greasy at all. And they stayed crispy in the fridge for a few days.

Cuban Style Orange Scented Black Beans www.bhg.com/recipe/cuban-style-orange-scented-black-beans/ I’m obsessed with this and Joe Yonan’s book Cool Beans. Serving suggestion was pickled red onions.

Quick Pickled Onions cookieandkate.com/quick-pickled-onions-recipe/ Whenever the jar gets low, I make more.

Sheet Pan Salmon with Minty Peas, Oranges, and Fennel www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/04/01/sheet-pan-salmon-minty-peas-recipe/ I used two blood oranges. We love fennel and blood oranges.

Slow Cooker Tacos Al Pastor leitesculinaria.com/311598/recipes-slow-cooker-tacos-al-pastor.html We loved this! I started it in my Instant Pot on the slow cooker setting, but after checking it after 6 hours the pork was not where near done. Then I remembered that this also happened the last time I used the slow cooker setting on my IP. I switched it to pressure cooking to finish the pork. We loved the pineapple-avocado salsa. This takes a little bit of time to prep everything, but so worth it.

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread sallysbakingaddiction.com/cinnamon-swirl-quick-bread/ I do not love to bake. I made this twice in April. First time I made two loaves, one for a gift, one for us. The gift receipt said she devoured it.

Cabbage, Sausage, and White Bean Casserole www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/cabbage-sausage-white-bean-casserole/17762/?itid=lk_inline_manual_6 I used Hot Italian Chicken Sausage, but the sausage didn’t have much of a punch, so I added extra crushed red pepper. I used some broth instead of heavy cream because I don’t usually have cream on hand. This is a simple, homey, and tasty dish.
30 minute creamy sesame miso ramen with crispy mushrooms www.halfbakedharvest.com/creamy-sesame-miso-ramen/ I cooked the noodles separately. The mushrooms are so good.

Spanakopita Pie www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/spanakopita-pie/17679/?itid=lk_inline_manual_24 I expected this to be more difficult than it was. I used spinach and arugula for the greens and added a leek that needed to be used. This recipe has you brush the fill dough with olive oil rather than butter.

Pakistani Aloo Keema www.teaforturmeric.com/aloo-keema/ I used ground lamb. This is fast and easy and uses ingredients I almost always have.


Tried and True

Evan Kleinman’s Pizza Dough www.finecooking.com/recipe/easy-pizza-dough My go to pizza dough. Always a hit.

Beautiful Burger Buns aka Moomie’s Buns

Deli Style Macaroni Salad bakeatmidnite.com/deli-style-macaroni-salad/ DH loves this.

DIY Oyster Crackers www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/11/diy-oyster-crackers-recipe.html These are so easy and addictive. I cut them the size of wheat thins this time.

Chicken Tot Pie www.splendidtable.org/story/2018/01/24/chicken-tot-pie I use boneless chicken thighs, more vegetables, milk instead of cream. So comforting.


Needs more tweaking
Baked Rice with White Beans, Leeks, and Lemon cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020273-baked-rice-with-white-beans-leeks-and-lemon The flavor was good, but by the time the rice cooked, it was a bit mushy. I think we would prefer this with brown rice.

Hatch Chile Chicken Enchilada Pie cravingsbychrissyteigen.com/recipes/green-chile-chicken-enchilada-pie/ I used corn instead of carrots and peas. And I needed more corn tortillas to make the pie.