2018 RECIPE SIX: Thursday January 25th - aloo gobi

BACK STORY:
I wanted something quick and easy that I could make for dinner with Vanessa, Andrew and baby Lilyana. Vanessa is gluten-free and I'm vegetarian so an Indian dish (served over rice instead of with naan) seemed like a perfect fit.

NOTES:
I combined a few recipes into this one, to get the easiest sauce (with powdered ginger instead of freshly grated, and some turmeric for flavor/color) along with the most protein (added chickpeas but not peas). Overall it was easy but took longer than the recipe called for. I used a sweet potato instead of regular potatoes and took a page out of the Test Kitchen hash recipe from last week and cooked the potatoes and cauliflower in the microwave for a few minutes while the onion and spices cooked. But they still seemed pretty hard so I added some water to soften the potatoes and cauliflower during the saucepan cooking portion. Then I added plum tomatoes (full from a can, saving the sauce for another recipe) and the chickpeas to fatten it up a bit.

STARS: 
5 out of 5. Easy and made with ingredients I usually have on hand. And it can cook in the crockpot or unattended on the stove if you've got the time.

RECIPE:
I mostly used this recipe but adjusted with some others I found online:

http://chefmichaelsmith.com/recipe/sweet-potato-aloo-gobi/

Ingredients

1/4 cup (60 mL) of butter
1 tablespoon (15 mL) of whole cumin seeds
2 onions, diced
2 tablespoons (30 mL) curry powder
2 teaspoons (10 mL) of ground cinnamon
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
a sprinkle or two sea salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) of water
1 cup (250 mL) of frozen peas
1 bunch of cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped

Procedure

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and gently fry them for a minute or two to heat them through, remove any shelf staleness and brighten their flavour.

Add the onions and sauté until they soften. Add the curry powder and cinnamon and stir well for another minute or so. The direct heat of the sauté dramatically brightens the flavours of the spices.

Add the sweet potato chunks and cauliflower florets and stir or toss well to coat them with the spices.

Season with salt, add a splash or two of water, cover with a tight-fitting lid and lower the heat. Continue cooking until the sweet potatoes are tender, another 20 minutes or so.

Just before serving, stir in the peas and cilantro, quickly heating them through.

2018 RECIPE FIVE: Sunday January 21st - brussel sprouts hash

BACK STORY:
Carrie and Jeff shared their America's Test Kitchen Vegetarian cookbook with me and I snapped a few recipes to try out. This is the first one, because I had all the ingredients and wanted something hearty for breakfast to get me through the day.

NOTES:
Everything about this recipe was delicious, though it made about 5x as much as I needed. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly, except instead of using 8 eggs I just made it with two, ate one and kept the other as leftovers. Then I put all the rest of the hash in a separate container to make as leftovers for later in the week. 

STARS: 
5 out of 5. Super delicious and a nice twist on the roasted veggies theme I do often. Will definitely do again!

RECIPE:
I can't find the exact recipe online, but here is one that approximates the first part of the recipe - but the whole thing is cooked on the stovetop, no roasting needed. Also, no bacon.

BAKED EGGS WITH SWEET POTATO BRUSSELS SPROUTS HASH

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup bacon (chopped)
• 1 small onion (peeled and finely chopped)
• 10 ounces Brussels sprouts (quartered)
• 1 large sweet potato (peeled and grated)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• hot sauce (to taste)

directions

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add bacon and onions and cook until onions soften and bacon begins to curl, about 5 minutes.
• Add Brussels sprouts and season with garlic powder, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until Brussels sprouts are softened but bright green. Reduce heat to medium-low and add shredded sweet potato. Stir to combine and cook until the sweet potato is warmed through.
• Using the back of a wooden spoon, form six indents in the mixture. Crack an egg into each indent and season the eggs with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Once the eggs begin to set, transfer the skillet to the oven to finish cooking, about 6-7 minutes. Serve with hot sauce.  
• Helpful tip: use broiler to cook eggs in the oven instead--broil for 2-4 minutes!

2018 RECIPE FOUR: Saturday January 20th - hot pepper jelly

BACK STORY:
Carrie and I made a canning date since she's been super into it. We decided to make a hot pepper jelly spread - the kind you eat over cheese and crackers - because it's easy and delicious.

NOTES:
This was super easy and delicious, until the end. We used liquid pectin instead of powdered and didn't include nearly enough, so our "jelly" didn't really set and became more of a sauce. A chopper would help cut the peppers faster, though we just used a knife, and included approximately 2 red peppers, and 1 each of yellow, green, and jalapeno. I'll have to try it again with the powdered pectin to see how it differs. The recommendation of ladling the peppers into each of the jars first, then filling with the jelly, worked out perfectly to even out the pepper bits into each jar.

STARS: 
4 out of 5. Easy but you need the canning instruments to do it right!

RECIPE:
https://www.aforkstale.com/make-homemade-hot-pepper-jelly/

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup finely chopped and seeded Red Bell Pepper
• 1 cup finely chopped and seeded Yellow Bell Pepper
• 1 1/4 cup finely chopped and seeded Green Bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped and seeded Jalapeño
• 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1.75 oz package powdered pectin
• 5 cups sugar
• 6 8 oz canning jars

Instructions

1. Sterilize six 8oz canning jars and lids in boiling water.
2. Place all peppers in a large saucepan over high heat. Mix in vinegar and fruit pectin.
3. Stir constantly. Bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat.
4. Add sugar and place back on high heat. Return to a rolling boil for one minute.
5. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam from top.
6. Ladle jelly evenly into sterile jars, filling to ¼ inch from top of jar. Cover with flat lids and screw on screw bands tight.
7. Place jars into canner with hot water that is not boiling. Water should completely cover jar. Cook on high heat to reach a boil. Process for 5 minutes,
8. Remove from heat.
9. When jars are completely cooled, check seals by pressing centers of lids with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Recipe Notes

Scoop one ladle of pepper jelly in each jar to evenly distribute peppers before completely filling each jar. The peppers rise to the top. If you do not evenly distribute them, you will have no peppers left for the last jars.

2018 RECIPE THREE: Thursday January 4th - takeout style sesame noodles

BACK STORY:
I wanted to make this as a substitute for regular spaghetti with red sauce (not that I eat that often anyway), and had the sauce ingredients on hand. It also fit well with the smashed cucumbers recipe so I made them both on the same night.

NOTES:
I enjoyed this but the noodles got a little pasty, like there wasn't enough sauce to keep them gooey and the sauce just got sucked up and became a lump in the bowl. Even so it was delicious and easy to make. I ate the noodles and cucumbers separately but smooshed the leftovers together in one bowl so wonder if the cucumbers' sauce will help the noodles. I also used tahini instead of the sesame paste, and it seemed delicious even with the substitution.

STARS: 
3 out of 5. Good flavor but not something I'd make often.

RECIPE:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9558-takeout-style-sesame-noodles

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound Chinese egg noodles (1/8-inch-thick), frozen or (preferably) fresh, available in Asian markets
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus a splash
• 3 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste
• 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons chili-garlic paste, or to taste
•  Half a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch by 1/8-inch by 2-inch sticks
• ¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts

• 
  
• PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes; they should retain a hint of chewiness. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and toss with a splash of sesame oil.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil, the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, peanut butter, sugar, ginger, garlic and chili-garlic paste.
3. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with cucumber and peanuts.

2018 RECIPE TWO: Thursday January 4th - CHinese smashed cucumbers with sesame oil and garlic

BACK STORY:
I pulled this for a December recipe that I never made, so I cooked it up with mini cucumbers as an accompaniment to takeout noodles for another hearty warm meal.

NOTES:
This recipe seemed complicated for what was essentially cucumbers in dressing. Maybe I didn't smash them properly, but it didn't seem to change their constitution much. The effort of smashing, salting and draining could have been eliminated completely in my opinion. I also held back on the oil because it did seem to be too much dressing for the veggies.

STARS: 
2 out of 5. The dressing and flavors were good but I think you could toss it in a salad and get the same outcome.

RECIPE:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017629-chinese-smashed-cucumbers-with-sesame-oil-and-garlic

INGREDIENTS

•  About 2 pounds thin-skinned cucumbers like English or Persian (8 to 10 mini cucumbers, 4 medium-size or 2 large greenhouse)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for cucumbers
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more for cucumbers
• 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed or extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
•  Red pepper flakes, to taste
•  Small handful whole cilantro leaves, for garnish
• 2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
• PREPARATION

1. Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
2. On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.
3. Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
4. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar and rice vinegar. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in sesame oil and soy sauce.
5. When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with grapeseed or olive oil and toss. Add half the dressing, half the garlic and the red pepper flakes to taste, and toss. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned. Taste and add more pepper flakes and garlic if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds.

2018 RECIPE ONE: Tuesday January 2nd - lemony carrot and cauliflower soup

BACK STORY:
First NY Times recipe of the year! This looked good, easy and cosy on a sub-zero night.

NOTES:
I kept this mostly as is, but used coriander powder instead of seeds; brown miso instead of white; and topped with chopped walnuts and hunks of bread to serve. It was soooo delicious but did take a bit to cook the veggies and simmer. The blending was also a mess, but worth it for the creamy bisque texture. 

STARS: 
3 out of 5. Time consuming but worth the effort on a cold night. And the ingredients are usually in my fridge!

RECIPE:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015360-lemony-carrot-and-cauliflower-soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
• 1 large white onion, peeled and diced (2 cups)
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 5 medium carrots (1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
• 3 tablespoons white miso
• 1 small (or half of a large) head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste
•  Smoky chile powder, for serving
•  Coarse sea salt, for serving
•  Cilantro leaves, for serving

1. In a large, dry pot over medium heat, toast coriander seeds until fragrant and dark golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and coarsely crush.
2. Return the pot to medium heat. Add the oil and heat until warm. Stir in onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly colored, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
3. Add carrots, crushed coriander, salt and 6 cups water to the pot. Stir in the miso until it dissolves. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth. (Alternatively, you can let soup cool slightly then purée it in batches in a food processor or blender.) If necessary, return the puréed soup to the heat to warm through. Stir in the lemon zest and juice just before serving. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with chile, sea salt and cilantro leaves.

RECIPE FORTY SIX: Sunday December 31st - shaved brussels sprouts

BACK STORY:
This was my recipe for Christmas but there was so much food I didn't make it. (Also the Brussels sprouts got frozen in Pepin and had to thaw out again.) So I used the ingredients tonight!

NOTES:
I mostly modified this recipe and just used it for the parts. The shaved brussels sprouts came in a bag. Toasted the walnuts in a big pan and cooled them while I cooked the brussel sprouts in a bit of water and then oil to fry them up. (Too much water - keep it for just a moment to soften the sprouts before frying.) Then I added the squeeze of lemon and walnut/cheese as toppings just like the recipe calls for. Delicious and I ate half the serving by myself!

STARS: 
3 out of 5. The shaved Brussels sprouts in the bag made the recipe very easy, but it wasn't particularly notable. A good side dish when the menu calls for lots of other flavorful things.

RECIPE:
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/shaved-brussels-sprout-salad-with-fresh-walnuts-and-pecorino-232809

INGREDIENTS

1. • 1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts (preferably on the stalk), any discolored leaves discarded and stems left intact
   • 1 cup walnuts (3 1/2 oz), lightly toasted
   • 2 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino Romano, or to taste
   • 1/4 cup olive oil
   • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2. Special Equipment
   • an adjustable-blade slicer

PREPARATION

1. 1. Holding each Brussels sprout by stem end, cut into very thin slices using slicer. Toss in a bowl to separate layers.
   2. Lightly crush walnuts with your hands and add to Brussels sprouts along with cheese, oil, and lemon juice, then toss to combine. Season with pepper.