Week 26 - Ricotta Gnocchi

I was inspired to make gnocchi from an experience that I had at...hmmm... that restaurant on the corner by St. Norbert College and the bridge. Apparently I wasn't inspired enough to actually remember the name of the restaurant.

I really need to ask myself why I thought it was a good idea to use all 8 oz of fresh mozzarella in that sauce. The end product reminded me of a lake taken over by lilly pads. I wonder how many minutes were taken off my life due to the gross overusage of cheese. Not to mention that the gnocchi themselves were made from ricotta cheese.

Gnocchi:

• 1 (8 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 dash crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 6 basil leaves, finely shredded
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small chunks

Overall, this was a fairly decent recipe. (Swiped from Allrecipes.com) There were no changes made to the orginal recipe. Honestly, I don't know if this recipe warrants the time expenditure especially given my inability to work with the uber-soft dough. The boiled gnocchi possessed a raw flour flavor which was disappointing. I think next time the capricious gnocchi desire hits, I need to find a regular (non-ricotta) gnocchi recipe. This isn't really a proper baseline recipe to use in regards to determining if gnocchi will ever come out of my kitchen again.

When all is said and done, I give this 6 stars out of 10. It has potential, as long as I go easy on the cheese...

Week 25 - Taco Pizza

I feel somewhat unsophisticated with my unfettered desire to combine tacos and pizza. Whenever I am looking at a pizza menu, my eyes immediately scan to see if there is a taco pizza. I rarely ever deviate if one is available for the choosing.

• 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons warm water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 (16 ounce) can fat-free refried beans
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons salsa
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1/4 pound ground beef
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• lettuce
• 1 tomato
• black olives, sliced

Oh, how nice it is to have a bread machine. I was quite amused watching my pizza dough through the kneading and resting stages. The pizza crust turned out quite well. It is by far the best crust I have ever had on a homemade pizza. On second thought, I don't know if I have ever had a true homemade crust... I think that's one element that people tend to cheat on. I think it might be a good idea to bake the pizza crust for about 5 minutes before putting on the toppings. I was too fearful of burning my toppings, as a result, my crust never turned golden brown.

The pizza sauce turned out quite well. I was actually a bit surprised that it turned out as well as it did given my aversion to tomato paste. The water, paste and spices turned out to be an ideal consistency. If I were to make it again, I probably would cut down on the chili powder and the cayenne pepper. I think the sauce was a bit overloaded with spices and could benefit from a bit more conservative application.

The original recipe did not call for tomatoes, lettuce, or black olives. I put those on after 10 minutes of baking. I should have waited even longer on that. The lettuce was a bit wilted when removing the pizza from the oven. I should have put the lettuce on a minute before removing the pizza, so that the verdant green would remain but still have a bit of warmth to it. Nothing disrupts a warm pizza experience more than a couple cold ingredients.

Overall, I really liked this recipe. The leftovers have been enjoyable as well. I will give this recipe 8.5 stars out of 10. It's definitely something that I'd like to make again. What's even better is that I can take the dough and sauce technique from this recipe and use it for various other homemade pizza attempts in the future.

Week 24 - Easy Szechuan Chicken

This definitely was not as good as a few of my previous Chinese-inspired meals. I added more vegetables that what the original recipe called for. I also had to use red wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar. White wine vinegar is supposed to be a bit sweeter. I don't know if that would have changed the inherent flavor of my meal by much at all. I tried to add a bit more sugar to make up for that issue.

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green pepper
• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I only had red wine vinegar)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 3 green onions, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

I never got the opportunity to try the leftovers for this meal. I made it but then never had the opportunity to try it again for various reasons.

Overall, it did not give a good first impression. I will probably stick with the stir fry recipes that have been successful in the past. I am going to give this recipe 4 stars out of 10. The red wine vinegar just didn't do it any favors. Also, I have never had much luck when dredging meat in cornstarch. That perhaps could be changed in the future as well.

Week 23 - Pelmeni

This is actually my second attempt at making Pelmeni. (Pelmeni is a Russian dumpling.) However, this is a different recipe and therefore earned it's spot on my blog. Once again, this is a recipe that was inspired by my college days in Madison. There was this wonderful little Pelmeni shop on State Street. They served two things: potato dumplings and beef dumplings. You could then have your choice of two styles: spicy or not spicy. They could either be served with a spicy sriracha-based sauce or with sour cream. That was it; that was the entirety of their business plan. There were only 5-6 tables in the restaurant. One person could easily run it. The demise of the restaurant came not from the quality of the food but instead by some controversial ownership dispute. Alas, such a shame.

• 1/2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. ground pork
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• garlic to taste

Pel Meni Sauce

• butter
• a little rice wine vinegar
• cilantro
• curry powder
• sriracha

These Pelmeni dumplings were very tasty. They fed me for a couple days. Each day, I would make them fresh. The biggest battle that I encountered when making these dumplings was the dough. It was just sticky, almost impossible to work with. No matter how much flour I added, it just didn't seem to help much. By the time I had gotten the dough to a point where I could handle it, it seemed like I had added at least another cup of flour. Subsequently, once the dumplings had boiled for their 7-8 minutes, it seemed like the outside of the dumpling wasn't quite as tender as it should have been. I am on the search for more feasible dough proportions. I suspect that I probably shouldn't be using as much water or will need to cut down on the eggs. Perhaps I need to cut down on the boiling time... As much as I want to complain about the dough, I should note that the process was greatly simplified with the acquisition of a Pelmeni mold.

The dumpling filling was quite tasty. It's somewhat simplistic, however there isn't anything that I would change about it. The sauce also came very close to what I remembered having in Madison. Overall, this was a pleasantly nostalgic meal. I sat in quiet reverence for about 5 mintues after finishing my meal. I was in awe that I was able to replicate something that I so truly missed from my days in Madison.

I give this 8 stars out of 10. The only thing that needs improvement is the dough. Everything else was perfect.

Week 22 - Spaghetti Squash

Who knew there could be such a healthy alternative to pasta. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love pasta, but spaghetti squash when treated like pasta, is actually quite good. This also serves as a tasty side dish.

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 jar of pasta sauce
• 1 TBSP of fresh basil
• parmesan cheese, grated

Overall, there isn't much to say about this concoction. I somewhat feel like I have cheated my blog once again with this one given the simplicity. This is the first time in at least 2 years that I have used a jar spaghetti sauce from the store. (Aside from when I use it in my lasagna...)

I will give this recipe 6.5 stars out of 10. I will definitely make it again when I'm craving spaghetti squash. I would like to explore other ways to spice it up a bit as well. I am already getting a few ideas...

Week 21 - Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

Orzo... Somedays I just pick new recipes based on ingredients that I have never tried before. Orzo was a peculiar concept in my mind. It's like quasi-rice / quasi-pasta. Also, another impetus is that I am severely under-equipped with side dishes in my repertoire of recipes. This orzo dish certainly was not meant to be made as an entree, however, that was how I served it the evening that I threw this one together.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Overall, it served it's purpose quite nicely. It really is a basic dish but the combination of basil and parmesan cheese gave it a slightly richer flavor. It definitely would be interesting to add in a meat of some type, either sausage, chicken or shrimp. I really don't know what would work the best, but I would be open to playing around with it.

This recipe reminded me of what I perceive risotto to be...if I were to ever make it. :) The creamy tenderness of the orzo was quite pleasant, though I probably could have cooked the orzo for a bit longer. one other change that I would make would be to find a way to reduce the salt. Granted, I made this about a month ago, but I seem to remember a salty aftertaste. That must be dealt with. There are at least 4 ingredients that could be the culprit in that.

I will give this recipe 6.5 out of 10. It definitely warrants another attempt and works quite well as a side dish. I am almost craving the simplicity of the flavors right now.

Week 20 - Berbere Paste

Berbere paste is an essential ingredient to Doro Wat. This paste is used throughout Ethiopian cooking. It took me a couple months to track down the spices. I had never seen Piquin peppers, cardamon, cumin seeds or fenugreek seeds in any spice stores around here before. There was a cute little store by Baypark here in Green Bay called Spice and Tea Exchange that sold the cardamon, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Unfortunately, I don't think the store will be around that long. It looked like they were struggling to get business. It really was quite sad. I found the Piquin chiles at good old Woodman's.

•14 dried Piquin chiles, stems removed
•2 Tablespoons ground cayenne
•2 Tablespoons ground paprika
•4 whole cardamom pods
•2 teaspoons cumin seeds
•1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
•1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
•1 small onion, coarsely chopped
•4 cloves garlic
•1 cup water
•1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
•1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
•1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
•3 Tablespoons oil

The most confounding element of the Berbere paste was the cardamom pods. Do you use the entire pod or do you shell it? I had read recipes where it indicated that it should be shelled and others that indicated that one should use the pod. Also, do you use black cardamom or green cardamom? Black is more for Indian cooking whereas the green is used more in Swedish and other European dishes. There really was no clarity on the matter. The black cardamom are somewhat like walnuts, though the shell isn't nearly as thick. One needs to pry out the little seeds, if you choose to do so. I ultimately decided that I would go sans pod on this one. It looked quite fibrous and very difficult to use with my newly acquired mortar and pestle. There was absolutely no way I would ever get that pod into a fine powder.

Overall, this paste was quite pungent. It was comprised of aromatics in the onion and various other spices. There really wasn't anything to balance out the Berbere paste in the Doro Wat. However, I think the Berbere paste served it's purpose. It's really can't be judged as a recipe on it's own. I will try it again sometime. The recipe deserves a 6 out of 10 at least.

Week 19 - Doro Wat

So this has been on my to-make list for about 2 years. I was inspired to give it a shot by my visits to a local Ethiopian restaurant in Madison. They always served the meal with injira which is a fermented bread; it's a bit rubbery in texture. I assure you, it's quite a bit better than what it sounds. Alas, I did not have any injira handy when I concocted this one. As a result, I served it with rice.

•2 lb Chicken legs and thighs, skinless
•1 Lemon, juice only
•2 tsp Salt
•2 Onions, chopped
•3 Garlic cloves, crushed
•1 TBSP Gingerroot, peeled and chopped
•1/4 cup Oil, butter or niter kibbeh
•2 TBSP Paprika
•1/4-1/2 cup Berberé paste
•3/4 cup Water or stock
•1/4 cup Red wine
•1 tsp Cayenne pepper
•Salt and pepper, to taste

So do I get to put Berbere paste as a separate recipe on my blog? I think I am a bit desperate to catch up. I think I will do that. The paste itself took about an hour to make. It required grinding my spices by hand; my back was sore after that endeavor.

Quite honestly, this recipe was a bit of a let-down given that it took me a few months to gather the ingredients for the paste and the utensils needed to make it. Overall, it was a tad bit bitter. The sauce almost looks like a tomato-based sauce but as you can see above, there isn't a single tomato to be found. I wonder if it would suit my palate if I added a can of diced tomatoes or perhaps a small can of tomato sauce. I am also beginning to wonder if I am not using the gingerroot properly... In every recipe that has called for ginerroot, it has left behind a bitter aftertaste. Am I not peeling away enough of the skin? Should I be cooking it longer? I am to the point where I find myself somewhat relieved if a recipe calls for ginger powder instead of the fresh version.

All in all, I would like to try this again. It just wasn't as grandiose as I was hoping it would be. I might try tweaking it with the the tomato sauce... So for now, I am going to give this recipe 6 stars out of 10.

Week 18 - Jalapeno Popper Burgers

Oh my goodness! These were the best burgers that I have ever had. I still can't get over how they beat all of their burgery competition into submission. There was just enough spice to give it a bit of a kick yet it wasn't dominating. The guacamole offered a cool refreshing accent to the finished burger. The original recipe called for bacon but I left that out. I have come to the conclusion that bacon as an accent really doesn't do anything for me; the benefits that it might provide in taste do not outweigh the various costs. I also added onion and left off the lettuce. Those are just personal preferences...

• 3 Jalapeno Peppers
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 pkg (3oz) cream cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 4 slices of pepper jack cheese
• 4 hamburger buns split
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 3/4 cup guacamole

It's a massive burger once you are done stuffing it with the cream cheese filing. One thing to keep in mind is that to melt the pepper jack cheese, you will need to put the cheese on a side that was recently overturned. In the second attempt to grill these burgers, I burnt them because of waiting for the cheese to melt. Had the burger top been sizzling, I would not have had that problem.

Aside from that, this was a heavenly burger. I can still remember the utter surprise at how well the flavors melded together. I am practically drooling just thinking about it. I would say that this was probably the best recipe of 2011 thus far. I most definitely will have to make them again before the summer is over. As a result, I will give this recipe a 9.5 stars out of 10. This makes me wonder; will I ever dole out a perfect 10?

Week 17 - Tangy Beef Sandwiches

I cheated on this recipe. I stole it from my mother. However, given that it was new to me, I decided that I could use it in my 52 Recipes blog. I am way behind as it is. We ran across this recipe when I loudly asserted that I did not want Lloyd's BBQ for a family function. I instead suggested that we try a homemade version. This is the result of her search. I made it for the first time for myself back in late May.

• 3 cups chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup low sodium ketchup
• 1 cup low sodium barbecue sauce (Baby Ray's)
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbsp vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 4-lb lean boneless chuck roast

Overall, I wouldn't really change a thing with this recipe. It doesn't have a strong BBQ flavor which can be quite refreshing. In comparison, when eating Lloyd's BBQ, it's very unlikely that one will desire more than 1.5 sandwiches. The flavor of Lloyd's is just so overpowering.

I give this 8 stars out of 10. There is always room for improvement; however, this is a very strong base recipe. The leftovers are equally as tasty. I believe that I had used bakery rolls when I had made it. It's always important to choose a chewier roll given that the sauce is a bit juicier. Anyway, I will definitely make this again.

Week 16 - Penne with Asparagus and Mushrooms

So I haven't updated my blog in months. This is a recipe that I made back in May which I failed to document. I had leftover asparagus; so I decided to make a pasta using the asparagus.

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (10 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked penne pasta
1 cup heavy cream

*adapted from allrecipes.com

Overall, I enjoyed this recipe. However, I don't know if it had anything notable that would make me return for a second rendezvous with it. The cream-based sauce carries this recipe. Any vegetables could be used in place of the asparagus. I guess if I come across a veggie which doesn't already have a determined purpose, I will substitute it for the asparagus in this recipe.

Unfortunately, I don't recall all of the nuances of this recipe to comment much more than what I have already said. So, I will give this recipe 6 stars out of 10.

Week 15 - Sauteed Asparagus

I feel like I cheated with this "recipe". However, to be fair, I have never attempted to saute asparagus.

• 3 TBSP butter
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• sale & pepper, to taste

Such a simple recipe, yet I managed to mess it up. Even with reading other users' reviews and/or warnings, I still burned the garlic. On the bright side, this asparagus was verdant green and had a perfect crispness to it.

All in all, I have had much tastier asparagus. I will continue to work on this technique. At this point, I don't know if it was the recipe or the preparer. Grading this recipe on the taste of the final product alone, I would give it 6 stars out of 10. However, I will continue to tweek it.

Week 14 - Breakfast Enchilada

So we had a brunch for Easter. I rarely make breakfast; this is definitely a problem... The only breakfast casserole that I have made and enjoy was the same casserole that my mother was intending to take. As a result, I turned to the trusty Allrecipes.com website.

The best that I could come up with was Breakfast Enchiladas. The egg mixture soaks into the rolled tortillas overnight. This gives the impression that the tortillas were rolled with egg in them.

• 2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 10 (8 inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Overall, I think it was a good breakfast meal. However, it's not something that I will likely crave. I don't really know why that is the case. I made this recipe once the week before Easter and on Easter Sunday itself. In the second attempt, I added onion, green pepper and red pepper. That certainly improved the flavor. In the end, I think my palate is becoming disenchanted with store-bought flour tortillas. At some point, I will need to attempt a homemade tortilla. Perhaps that would have improved the overall quality...

Anyway, I give this recipe 6 stars out of 10. It was good but just didn't have that magical culinary "oomph". I definitely would take my mother's farmers' casserole over this option any day.

Week 13 - Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuna always sounds like a great meal option when one is actually craving tuna.  However, one rarely craves tuna 3-days in a row.  So tasty leftovers, tuna noodle casserole does not make. 

• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked medium egg noodles
• 2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• pinch of thyme
• pinch of red pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained and flaked
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 3 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

I added in the thyme and red pepper to the roux.  That spice combination was not in the original recipe.  Also, I was a bit of a laggard in regards to the bread crumbs.   I crushed up a few croutons.  I don't know if that made much of a difference. 

My biggest mistake in this recipe was overcooking the egg noodles.  They didn't seem overcooked at the time that I was mixing them in with the other ingredients prior to final baking, however, they were practically baby food during the subsequent meals. 

I think this was a good base recipe for a tuna casserole.  However, more seasoning is still required.  I am not Overall, it was a bit bland for my tastes.  I really had to force myself to eat the leftovers.  I am not suggesting that it needs more "hotness".  It could be rectified by just adding a bit more salt and pepper.  Anyway, I am going to give this recipe 5.5 stars out of 10.  I will likely give it another shot someday when I'm having that elusive taste for tuna. 

Week 12 - Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry

My attempts at making homemade stir-fry are vastly improving.   Each attempt has been better than the previous attempt.  There is only one small change that I need to make to my Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry recipe.  Aside from that, it's an excellent base to experiment with.  I should be able to use numerous different combinations of vegetables.  

So here are the ingredients:

<ul>
<li>2/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce</li>
<li>1/4 cup packed brown sugar</li>
<li>1 TBSP cornstarch</li>
<li>2 tsp peeled, finely chopped fresh gingerroot</li>
<li>2 garlic cloves, pressed</li>
<li>1 lb boneless pork loin chops, cut into 1/8-wide strips</li>
<li>2 cups rice</li>
<li>1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips</li>
<li>1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips</li>
<li>6 ounces fresh snow peas, trimmed</li>
<li>1 bunch green onions with tops, cut into 1-inch pieces (6-8)</li>
<li>1 tsp sesame seed oil, divided</li>
<li>1 can (8 oz) bamboo shoots</li>
</ul>

My one and only mistake with this recipe was not using reduced-sodium soy sauce.  As a result, it was a bit salty.  Had I followed the recipe, this would have easily been a 9 on my scale.  Very fresh.  The vegetables were crisp and tasty.  Gone are the days of using frozen vegetables.  That's just a recipe for sogginess. 

I really don't have much to say about this recipe other than it was darn good.  I will definitely make it again when I'm craving a stir-fry.  I give it an 8.5 out of 10. 

Week 11 - Chicken Fajita Soup

I made Chicken Fajita Soup this past Friday night. This was a relatively simple recipe; it turned out quite well actually. I can't think of anything that I would change aside from perhaps using regular diced tomatoes instead of fire roasted. (Read below for a contradiction of that statement). The fire roasted tomatoes did not adversely affect the flavor; however, it felt like I was attempting to choke down an inedible stem of some sort.

The ingredients for the recipe are listed below:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 1 (1.27 ounce) packet fajita seasoning
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 poblano pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 large onion, cut into thin strips
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can seasoned black beans
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 dash hot sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

As I think about it a bit more, I have concluded that it would be interesting to attempt building the fajita seasoning from scratch. It would also be worthwhile to try adding more broth and/or water. The spices were very concentrated yet the dish seemed to lack a depth of flavor. The heat of the peppers hit me and then that was that. I certainly didn't mind the flavors but there was something about the concoction that seemed overly processed.

The original recipe indicated that it yielded 10 servings. HA! There was hardly enough there for two meals. In actuality, there were 2-3 servings at most.

With that being said, I will definitely make this again sometime. It's probably not a recipe for those that aren't able to tolerate spicy cooking. I will give this recipe a 7 out of 10 stars.

Week 10 - Foccacia Turkey Sandwich

How could something so simple turn out so...utterly...disappointing? I blame the foccacia bread that I found at Copp's. ICK! Parmesan and onion bread sounds good when perusing the bakery, but after taste testing and closer inspection, it became obvious that they layered copious amounts of onion over the bread and then threw on a hard crust of baked parmesan cheese. What?! Anyway, I really want to try foccacia bread again. I just need to find relatively plain bread. The pictured bread looks so light and airy on the recipe website. What I had purchased was anything but light and airy; it was instead dense and insanely pungent. Anyway, here are the ingredients that I used.

• 1 (1 pound) loaf focaccia bread - parmesan/onion flavor
• 1/2 cup chive-and-onion cream cheese spread or spinach dip
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 8 ounces thinly sliced deli smoked turkey
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

Cheap recipe, this was not. It was probably the most expensive sandwich that I have ever made or purchased in a restaurant for that matter. The failure of the bread really destroyed everything else that could have been so darn successful.

I will likely try this again someday. However, I can't rate this particular rendition any higher than a 3 today, though it serves as a sufficient base recipe.

Week 9 - Jambalaya

Oh man, I am really behind. Jambalaya was the second (in one week) new recipe that I made a couple weeks ago. Despite cheating a bit on the Zatarin's rice mix, this was a really tasty recipe.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can regular diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup water
• 1 (8 ounce) package ZATARAIN'S® Jambalaya Mix
• 1 (12 ounce) package andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices

The original recipe called for shrimp but I am way too cheap to experiment with expensive food in new concoctions. I will give shrimp a try the next time that I throw this one together. Other than that, I didn't change anything from the original recipe.

I don't have much to say other than this was a very acceptable rendition of jambalaya. It had perfect moisture content. Usually Zatarin's rice alone doesn't keep well for a second meal. However, with the addition of the diced tomatoes, it created a mixture perfect for leftovers. The diced tomatoes truly made the meal.

I will definitely make this again sometime. I will give it 8 stars out of 10. I am not sure if there is anything to improve upon this recipe other than to wean myself off of the Zatarin's mix. I would really like to make jambalaya entirely from scratch someday.

That's it for now.

Week 8 - Chicken Stir-Fry

Uh-oh. I am not quite on schedule with my project. I made two new recipes last week as result. The first recipe was a Chicken Stir-Fry. My stir-fry recipes are slowly improving, which is a good thing. However, they aren't quite where I would like for them to be.

The ingredients are listed below. The hoisin sauce, chili paste, green pepper and jalapeno pepper were my additions from the original recipe that I swiped from Allrecipes.com.

• 14 oz chicken pieces/tenders
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup sliced celery (1/2 inch pieces)
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1 green pepper

Overall, I liked this attempt at stir-fry. It was a bit too spicy for John. He tried to use BBQ sauce to mask the spices. That, however, was somewhat of an offensive deviation from the chef's (my) intention for the recipe.

Nothing can beat the fresh vegetables in stir-frys. It probably would have worked with mushrooms as well. I might try adding that the next time I make it.

I think there needs to be a change made with the method of seasoning/marinading. The original recipe called for marinating the chicken, corn starch, soy sauce, and garlic powder in a sealable bag for 30 minutes. (I also added the hoisin and chili paste during this phase). It seemed that some of the flavor was lost as result. Perhaps, I just need to add a bit more of the sauces/spices when actually cooking the recipe. John had indicated that there should have been more soy sauce. Also, it seems that a thicker sauce would have been more appropriate. I had reduced the amount of corn starch but probably should have gone with the 3 tablespoons that the recipe called for.

I give this a 6.5 out of 10. I will definitely use this recipe as a base in the future, but it still needs to be modified.

Week 7 - BBQ Beef Brisket

For Week 7, I made BBQ Beef Brisket (without the brisket) in a slow cooker. I substituted a beef sirloin tip roast for the brisket.

• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar (used 1 instead)
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp chopped chipotles in adobo plus 2 tsp adobo sauce
• 2 tsp chili powder
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2 red onions, sliced (used 1 instead)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 1/2 lb beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat (used sirloin tip roast)
• 6 rolls

After 6.5 hours of cooking, it wasn't nearly as tender as I would have expected. Despite it not falling apart with just a touch of a fork, I was able to shred it fairly easily. This could have been attributed to the differences in the cut of meat.

I omitted 1 TBSP of cidar vinegar; that was probably a mistake. The dish was tasty but it lacked the final punch. The peppers gave it a bit of a kick but I still would have liked to taste a depth of flavor. Also, I only used 1 onion; 1 onion was sufficient.

It's definitely a good base recipe which I would like to tweak a bit more. I will give it 7 stars out of 10.

Week 6 - Stuffing and Baked Chops

I made this baked pork chop recipe last weekend. The original recipe was titled as "Crazy Good Stuffing and Baked Chops". That by itself, should be indicative that this recipe was somewhat of a let down. I just did not enjoy the overall flavor one bit.

• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms, or more to taste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup dry sherry, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or as needed
• 2/3 cup milk, or as needed
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (14 ounce) package dry bread stuffing mix
• 1/4 cup butter
• 6 boneless pork chops
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 (10.75 ounce) can milk

The recipe had called for pan-fried pork chops. This has never been my preferred method of cooking. I was hoping that the stuffing and sauce would balance nicely with the distasteful elements of the pan-fried meat. That, however, was a silly notion. Must grill or bake pork chops.... no pan-frying.

Also, the cream of mushroom soup overpowered any potential that the stuffing may have had. The stuffing really needed something else to provide a bit of a kick. I think celery would have enhanced the final product though I don't think it would have saved the recipe. The cream of mushroom made it nothing short of mushy.

It should be noted that I had decided to use marsala wine over sherry as the original recipe had called for. I am not sure how much of a difference this made in the overall experience.

I would give this recipe 4 stars out of 10. I probably won't make it again. There are so many better ways to make pork chops.

Week 5 - Roast Sticky Chicken-Rotisserie Style

Earlier this week, I made a rotisserie style chicken. It was by far the best whole chicken I have ever made. The ingredients are listed below.

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 onions, quartered
• 1 (4 pound) whole chickens

I served mashed potatoes and green beans along with it. I adjusted the cooking time. The original recipe called for roasting two 4-lb chickens at 250 degrees for 5 hours. My 4.5-lb chicken was roasted for 4.5 hours. It turned out perfectly. The meat was very juicy and tender. I just wish there had been more. Next time, I will buy a bigger bird.

There is only one change that I want to make to the instructions of the recipe. I recommend placing some seasoning between the meat and the skin of the chicken. Aside from that, it was delectable.

I am going to give this recipe 8 stars out of 10.

Week 4 - Italian Style Meatloaf

Well I am quite impressed with myself. I am still going strong at Week 4 of my 52 new recipe challenge. For Week 4, I made an Italian Style Meatloaf. I must admit, it was the best meatloaf I've ever had. (However, it's still meatloaf :-))  Meatloaf is just one of those recipes that requires that you have an acquired taste for it. 

Here are the ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Italian-style seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

I didn't make any changes to the recipe.  It didn't even require ketchup as a condiment when all was said and done.  My only mistake in making this recipe was not appropriately timing the side dishes with the main meal.  The meatloaf was removed from the oven prior to the side dishes being done.  However, this meatloaf definitely needed to cook longer than the hour that the recipe recommended.  Had I known that, I would have cooked the meatloaf until the side dishes were ready.  It would have solved the problem. 

I would give this a 7 out of 10 stars.  It is definitely worth making again if I ever happen to be craving meatloaf.

Week 3 - Slow Cooker Swiss Steak

On Sunday, I made slow cooker swiss steak that was served over mashed potatoes. This was my second attempt at finding a suitable base recipe. I would say I had marginal success over my last attempt.

Here are the ingredients that I used for this permutation:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour salt and pepper to taste
• 1 - 1 1/2 pounds round steak, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, or to taste
• couple dashes of Chipotle tabasco sauce
• 1 green pepper, sliced in larger chunks

I seem to have a strong propensity to add Chipotle tabasco sauce to slow cooker meals. I know I had mentioned earlier that I considered such an addition a form of culinary cheating but this strikes me as an exception. I certainly didn't add enough to overpower the flavors of the recipe. It blended nicely with the sweet green pepper that was added.

The original recipe called for 10 hours of cooking even after sauteeing the vegetables and browning the meat. Goodness!! 7 hours of cooking was already far too much. I like tender vegetables that still maintain some of their texture. I was a bit disappointed with the consistency of the meal and at one point wondered if I had inadvertently created baby food. This, though, can easily be fixed. I wouldn't recommend cooking it for more than 5 to 6 hours on low.

I only added about 3/4 pound of the round steak. Since the meat was a bit thicker, I cut it into thin strips. I don't think that was ideal. I would have preferred to have a thinner cut of meat that I could have cut into inch by inch chunks or so. Perhaps it doesn't really matter at the end.

Overall, I liked the recipe as a base recipe. There needs to be some work done with the seasoning. Also, it would likely be feasible to add a bit of tomato juice and/or tomato sauce to the diced tomatoes. As a result, I would like to continue to explore various combinations in the sauce. Wine could also perhaps be added. The leftovers were fine, however, the flavors didn't continue to develop as they usually do in many of my recipes.

I will continue to tweak the recipe. I will give it 6 stars out of 10 as written above given the lack of depth in flavor. I think it has potential to be greater.

As a side note, my star rating system is in a state of constant evolution. This recipe definitely was more pleasurable to eat than the beef mushroom barley concoction despite receiving a similar rating.

Week 2 - Butter Chickpea Curry

For Week 2, I made a Butter Chickpea Curry. This recipe certainly was much more of a success. This again was from allrecipes.com. However, I am quite perplexed on the title of the recipe. What does butter have to do with anything here?

 

• 4 medium potatoes, cubed
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 (12 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

 

I only made one change to the recipe. The original recipe used 1 can of condensed tomato soup but I decided to replace that with diced tomatoes. It just seems that curry recipes need a more acidic sauce than tomato soup.

 

Overall, I liked this recipe. It is even better the second day. I do hae one criticism; it wasn't quite as spicy as I prefer. It seems like it may have needed a bit of tumeric as well. I also should have cooked the spices in the oil a bit longer than what I did. That, I read, is one key to a tasty curry. I had purchased a jalapeno as an extra ingredient. I was a bit dismayed when I had realized that I had forgotten said pepper. It wasn't the end of the world.

 

I am going to rate this 8 stars out of 10 stars.

Week 1 - Beefy Mushroom Barley Soup

For my very first new recipe of 2011, I am trying a Beefy Mushroom Barley Soup.  It's simmering as I type this message; the barley is still a bit firm.  Here are the ingredients:

• 1 pound cubed beef stew meat
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 6 cups water
• 3 cubes beef bouillon cube
• Salt / Pepper to taste
• 3-4 dashes chipotle tabasco sauce
• 2 pinches of thyme
• 1/4 cup pearl barley
• 1/4 cup sour cream

I took the base recipe from Allrecipes.com which is my favorite culinary website of all time.  The reviews are always extremely helpful though at times it seems that recipes become undeservingly popular on this site.  Once a substantial number of people have reviewed the recipe, it seems that newcomers judge the recipe by the number of reviews alone.  Many just aren't that impressive despite having several 5 star ratings.  

I added in a handful of my own ingredients to the base recipe.  As one would probably expect, chipotle tabasco sauce was not called for in the original recipe.  That's always my secret weapon when I begin to fear that I have a dud in the pot.  I tried to resist adding it; however, the temptation/fear was just too strong with this one. 

The first sip has been taken.  I think I was imagining this would be more of a barley soup.  The reviews warned against using too much barley.   Instead, it really has an earthy flavor from all of the mushrooms...too many mushrooms....  The recipe needs more barley than what was added and half as many mushrooms.  The barley is barely noticeable which is somewhat of a disappointment given that I was drawn to this recipe because of the barley. 

To make again or not?  This recipe could go either way.  It certainly is tasty but it is difficult to imagine myself ever craving it again like I do with many of my other soups.  The viability of the leftovers will go a long way in determining the fate of this recipe.    To be determined.  5 stars out of 10 stars

*1 night later*

I can't eat more than one bowl at a time.  It's difficult to even look forward to eating this meal.  Alas, I don't think I will be making this recipe again.