English Muffin Bread

Prep Time: 13 minutes
Rise Time: 45-60 minutes
Bake Time: 22 minutes


Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Baker's Banter Blog

I've been wanting to try real English Muffins for a while now, but haven't done it yet. Then I saw this recipe and had to try it since it seemed to be so quick and easy. It was quick and easy. No kneading, and a fast rise. The only remotely hard part was getting the dough level in the pan.

I do really like this, but I will try regular english muffins before I do this again. The bread is very good toasted with butter or peanut butter. I don't think it is great untoasted (just like an english muffin wouldn't be great.) This is nice recipe to have on hand.

Lasagna Carnivale

Prep Time: 65 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Rest Time: 5 minutes
Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Best International Recipe

This recipe calls for making tiny meatballs (with a scant teaspoon of meat.) The first time I made this, I made the meatballs a little too big, which made the structure of the lasagna a little bit of a problem. I also felt like there wasn't enough tomato sauce. Overall, though, I loved it, so I decided to make this again for Christmas Eve dinner with my family.

I made one with beef and one with Turkey. I also made more sauce (50% more.) I made the meatballs a little smaller, althouth probably still a tiny bit bigger than a teaspoon. No doubt, it is tedious to roll the meatballs, but this is a great dish to make ahead, so it was done the day before the dinner, when I was less stressed. (I had some help with this, thankfully.)

The beef version was better than the turkey. The first time I did this, I used turkey and liked it, but this time I used Trader Joe's Turkey, instead of Jenni-O. I'm not sure why, but I just didn't love the flavor of the TJ turkey in this. I had added some oregano and red pepper to the turkey the first time, and forgot that this time, so maybe that was my problem.

In the end, this is a keeper recipe for me, since lasagna can be made ahead of time, and makes great leftovers.

Chocolate Snowcaps

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cool Time: 45 minutes
Roll Time:10-15 minutes
Bake Time: 12-14 minutes per sheet

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (December 2003)

I like these cookies, but they are messy to eat sometimes. There is a strong chocolate flavor with both cocoa and melted chocolate. These are supposed to be Espresso Snowcaps, but I cut the espresso powder by 75% so I use just enough to enhance the chocolate flavor, but not taste like it.

Beer Batter Cheese Bread

Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 45-50 minutes

Grade: B

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (December 2007)

Quick breads are supposed to be quick, and this one is super-quick. The only effort you have to put in is dicing and shredding the cheese and melting the butter. I only used 2 T of butter (instead of 4) and I think that was fine, since you just pour it on top. It still tasted buttery.

I had two minor problems. 1) The crust was hard to cut and 2) it was hard to get out of the pan, because there was a bit of cheese on the bottom, and it ripped a little. Also, sometimes I feel like quick breads baked in my larger 9x5 pans don't cook perfectly through the middle of the pan. For that reason, I think that I might prefer to stick with muffins. The Savory Cheese Muffins I tried last year might be a better option in the future. (I did enjoy just pouring in an old bottle of beer in here though, since I had some to use up.)

Turkey Tetrazzini

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (November 1998)

This is, of course, a leftover recipe for after Thanksgiving. It isn't super quick, but it is fairly easy, and I really find it to be good comfort food that froze fine, so I will make this again next time I have turkey leftovers.

(I skipped the mushrooms, used less butter and lemon, as I often do.) Oh, and I also used Panko instead of fresh breadcrumbs. I used a technique from The Best Light Recipe and browned them in a little butter on the stove which works well.

Pumpkin Cheesecake (Mini)

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Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Cool Time: 7-8 hours total

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (Nov 2003)

Recipe Source: Baking Illustrated

I made this recipe when it was first published and really liked it, but I haven't made it again since. It was for Thanksgiving dessert this year, and dinner was just for two. So, I made a half recipe and used my (previously unused) mini-cheesecake pan. Using the mini pan was a great timesaver, because the cakes cooked and cooled faster. They were done in under 25 minutes instead of the 90 minutes it would have taken in a 9" pan.

The only problem I had was that a half recipe can fill the 12 mini pans with crust, but there was a lot of extra filling after filling all 12. The crust amount was probably perfect, although I only filled 9, because I wanted a really thick crust. I filled all 12 with filling and still had another cup of filling at least. I ended up saving and making a bar cookie out of it (which was not that great) because I didn't like the idea of throwing it away. Next time I would probably make a 1/3 of the filling and 1/2 of the crust. (Or more crust and 1/2 filling.) I have some 4" pans also, so I could maybe do one mini pan and one 4".

Beef and Vegetable Soup

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (Sept 2007)
Recipe: America's Test Kitchen TV Show (Season 9)

No, that picture doesn't have that much to do with my soup. But I couldn't get a good pic and I have to talk about mushrooms, so I thought of this one (taken at Acadia in Maine). I don't like mushrooms. I like the flavor, but I don't like their sliminess. Sometimes, when they are mixed in with things they are are ok, if cut fairly small. This recipe says that the mushrooms are important for contributing to the meaty flavor of the broth, and allows the soup to be prepared quickly.

So, I didn't want to skip them. I tried using less, and also did something dumb. The recipe called for cutting the mushrooms in quarters, but I chopped them really small, hoping they would disappear more into the soup. All that did was make the mushrooms harder to pick out, because I did find them rather unappetizing.

Other than that though, the soup was delicious. The broth was delicious. The meat was delicious. But I had to pick through every spoonful to remove mushrooms. That was not fun. I also should mention I didn't feel like the celery added that much.

I did not add the optional potatoes (since they weren't listed as an ingredient, and I forgot them.) I wish I had. The soup wasn't quite hearty enough for me. In the end, I scooped up all the meat and carrots (picking out the mushrooms) and some broth for leftovers. Then I strained the remaining broth and froze it for later. [Update: I have used the broth again. I basically cooked the meat in the soy sauce, added chopped carrots and potato (slightly precooked in microwave), then added the defrosted broth. I cooked this about 20 minutes then added some frozen peas. This was delicious and mushroom free!

But if I make again, I have a mushroom issue to deal with. I'm not quite sure how I would handle it. Definitely not cut them up tiny though.

Skillet Baked Pasta

Total Time: 40 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (December 2007)

I have enough skillet pasta recipes, so I'm not sure why I tried this one too. Probably just because there was a pretty picture of it in the Best of 2009 book. It was pretty good. The only reason it gets a "-" is that the skillet pastas don't make great leftovers. The other reason is that it requires a non-stick pan that can handle being under the broiler.

Otherwise, this is a nice quick and tasty recipe, that took about 20 minutes of work, and then just some stirring. I love it when the end of the recipe doesn't require much work and it is possible to clean up, or get other things done while the meal finished.

Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken

Total Time: 45 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (September 2001)

Since I opened up some chunky peanut butter for the PBJ bars, I decided to make this also. I think it is really good. The important thing is to get sauce thin enough so it doesn't get clumpy. Even my leftovers are good (and they don't need to be reheated.) I've been making this one for years now, and I still like it.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes

Grade: B-

Make Again: No

Recipe Source: Best of America's Test Kitchen 2009

I am guessing this recipe is in the Baking Book from ATK, but I don't know, because they don't tell you in the 2009 Best of edition. For this reason, and also because there are not as many pictures, I am slightly disappointed in the book. It is OK, I still think buying this book is smarter for me, then buying all of their new books, since they have so much overlap. However, it just is not as nice as the 2007 and 2008 editions.

I'm really surprised at how underwhelmed I was by this recipe. I was sure I would love it. To be fair, the jam I used is not that flavorful (an Organic strawberry jam from Trader Joe's.) It probably would have been better with a sweeter jam. I really found the unbaked dough (which, yes, I did try) to be very tasty, so I assumed the cookie would be too. I almost wonder if I should try again with a better jam, but then I think - I have so many recipes to try, I probably won't. There are other PB cookies I like, so I will probably pass on this one. I do think part of my problem was the chopped peanuts, since I don't love nuts in baked goods.

Chicken Pot Pie (Lighter)

Prep Time: 60 minutes ???
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: The Best Light Recipe

You would probably be surprised if you tasted this, that it was considered light. It has a very rich taste to it, and the biscuits on top taste buttery. They are made with 4 T of butter and buttermilk and it is enough to make them still taste great.

I'm not sure about my prep time. I believe I got most of the prep work done for everything including the biscuit ingredients done in 35 minutes. However, the cooking of the chicken always takes a long time. I finally cut the breasts into smaller pieces. But the waiting, shredding and moving pieces around while I tried to get it all cooked probably took me more than half an hour. I believe that if the chicken cooked faster, the entire thing would have been put together quicker. I'd say 35 minutes, plut 10-15 cooking time, plus another 10 to shred the chicken, thicken the sauce, and assemple the dish.

Anyway, this is a good one and I will probably compare to the original (non-light version) this summer. But I will make this again, for sure.

P.S. I forgot to take a picture, so the above is leftovers (which is why the peas looks dingy!) The leftovers are still really good, the biscuit is just not as crispy on top.

Tomato and Sausage Risotto

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food

This was good comfort food for our first real cold spell. I liked the flavor of this a lot, and although it did require stirring, otherwise is a very easy recipe. I made lighter, by using only 1 t. oil and 1 T of butter, and using Turkey sausage (and only 2 links, instead of 3). Overall, a pretty healthy and nice one-pot meal, since you get vegetables, protein and rice combined.

I happened to make this with rice that said "best by March 2005". But it was fine. I will probably make this again, if I can remember to do so.

Apple and Chicken Sausage Salad

Total Time: 25 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Best Light Recipe

I only make this about once a year, but it is really, really good. It was one of the completely brand new (as far as I know) recipes from the Best Light Recipe. (Many of the recipes were reworked from original CI recipes.)

I used an Apple Chicken sausage from Trader Joes with a little bit of maple flavoring and they worked really well with this salad. I skipped the walnuts, because I don't like them, and there was plenty of flavor, crunch and interest in this salad without them.

Popovers (again)

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Rest Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: King Arthur's Flour

Yes, I did just make popovers last week, but I still have extra milk to get rid of, so I tried this recipe. It is similar, but makes larger popovers. The recipe is a little better than Julia's because the cooking time was more realistic, the popovers popped up more, and were prettier. But I felt like the flavor was missing a little bit. I actually like to eat popovers plain, but these didn't taste as good as last time. I think it needed more salt. I did put in the salt, but comparing the recipes, both called for 1/2 t, where the ingredients in this recipe were otherwise about 50% more in volume. So maybe I should try 3/4 t. instead. I would probably look to this recipe next time instead of the one in Julia's book, just because I like them bigger and the 20 minutes time at 450 works in my oven instead of 25.

Next up for popovers, I hope to try the whole wheat recipe in Whole Grain Baking.

Magic in the Middle Cookies

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: King Arthur's Flour

I can't pass up a good peanut butter and chocolate recipe, so I tried this one from the most recent blog entry at Baker's Banter. These were really delicious. I think they will be better warm, so I froze them after cooled and will defrost in the microwave when I want one.

I don't have the KA scoops, so I had to guess. I do have a cookie scoop, but I don't know the number. I do know it holds exactly 1 Tablespoon of water, but I gather this is not really what the recipe is referring to when it says to use a Tablespoon scoop. (Looking at the scoops for sale, it says that they hold more than 1T and more than 1t.

So I used a real teaspoon to measure my filling. I could tell early on I was going to get a lot more than 26 balls, so I started to allow the teaspooon to be heaping. I assumed I might have the same issue with the Tablespoon scoop, so I didn't level those off, I had them heap too. That worked, I got a similar # of balls from the filling and dough, even though I didn't level as the recipe called for. I ended up with enough for 31-32 cookies, instead of the 26.

These are more work than many cookies, because of the rolling the two balls together then rolling in sugar. But they are very good and I will definitely make these again because they are different than the usual cookies most people make.

Pork Tenderloin Roast

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (???? 2008

I am pretty sure this recipe came from Cook's Country, but not positive, because I could not find it on their site. However, the Best of 2009 book made it appear it was from the magazine. Maybe it hasn't been published there yet.

It was good and easy. You butterfly two pork tenderloins, spread with filling and roll them up together. The filling was flavorful with mustard, butter, and herbs. I used less butter and that was fine, because some of it did leak out anyway.

Banana Bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 65-70 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: King Arthur's Flour

I really don't need another banana bread recipe. The ones I have tried are always great. But I recently started reading KA's baking blog (Baker's Banter) which had a recipe that was a little different (with the inclusion of honey and apricot jam.) And I also have just about 1000 frozen bananas waiting to be baked with, so I thought I would try this. I used half whole wheat flour which was good.

Like all quick breads this was easy, and it tasted good. I'm not sure which banana bread recipe I prefer of all the ones I've used, but I will probably use this one again, if I have the apricot jam on hand.

One thing that I liked about this bread, is that it cut very nicely. Sometimes I have some trouble with the bread falling apart when I try to make thin slices. This came out really clean and even.

Caldo Verde

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Best of America's Test Kitchen 2009

I really don't know where this recipe can be found. I just got the lastest Best of book, and this version does not give the original source of the recipe. I assumed it came from the International cookbook, but I don't see it in there. There was a somewhat similar recipe in the Best 30 minute cookbook, but more streamlined.

Regardless of the source, I know I liked it, although the final product was a bordering on being too salty. Probably from the sausage. I acutally used half the called for chorizo, which works fine, IMO since it is so flavorful. Anyway, this is a simple soup, with chorizo, kale and potatoes and nice to have on a cold day. I will make this again when I find the chorizo on sale.

The only time consuming thing here is that you need to peel the potoates. Mine were small so it added to the time. Otherwise, a simple recipe.

Popovers

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Bake Time: 40-50 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Baking with Julia

I love popovers, because they are super easy to make and delicious. This recipe didn't work perfectly for me though, because they get too crispy and lose some of the eggy middle that I love. My oven has trouble getting to 450, so I used the Speed baking (air - sort of like convection), since the temp was only a little over 400. Also, I thought it would be good since I was using a muffin tin which doesn't allow as much air circulation. By 20 minutes (instead of called for 25) they were too brown really. (For the record, I had this trouble with the recipe before in a different oven without the air.) So, I need to remember to check these early.

But they were still delicious. I think they freeze well and even just heating up in the microwave works pretty well. (The oven would probably be better.)

Simple Bagels

Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus overnight starter)
Rise Time: 2 hours (3 times)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 25 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: King Arthur Flour

Like any bread, there is a lot of time that needs to pass while making these, but bagels were easier to make than I thought they would be. I really liked these. My one complaint with the recipe was that it said to put the seeds on after baking 15 minutes. This was a big failure. The 2nd time I dipped my bagels right from the water bath into a bowl with poppy seeds. That worked much better.

There are really good and since the recipe doesn't require any special ingredients, I will continue to use it.

Miraculous Spinach Quiche

Prep Time: 21 minutes
Cook Time: 45-55 minutes
Rest Time: 10-20 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Baker's Banter Blog

This is supposed to be like one of those recipes where you mix everything together, but the crust ends up on the bottom. This did not happen for me, and I didn't expect it too. The mixture was too thick for this to happen. But it didn't really matter. It still was easy to slice and serve. It was filling and good, so I would probably make again.

I didn't put the topping on, and I used a 16 oz bag of frozen spinach instead of a 10oz box. That worked well, and I think it was better that way.

Skillet Spaghetti and Meatballs

Total Time: 43 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Best 30-Minute Recipes

This was very good. The only reason it gets a "-" is because these skillet recipes end up with pasta that really, really soaks up the sauce, and becomes overgrown. It makes the leftovers not quite a good. 8 oz of pasta ended up feeling like a pound becuase it grew so much. I used 85% beef for this and it worked fine, instead of meatloaf mix. I also used less olive which was also fine. The only trouble I had was with the bread not mashing easily enough. Maybe I didn't cut enough of the crumbs off. I might just use fresh breadcrumbs next time. Getting out the food processor would add time, but maybe not, since I struggled with the bread pieces and that slowed me down.

Milk and Honey Corn Muffins

Prep Time: 12 minutes
Bake Time: 12-23 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Whole Grain Baking

My bake times have a wide range, because I made these muffins in a muffin-top pan, and they baked very quickly.

I almost didn't make these, because I don't often like corn muffins, unless filled with lots of fat. But the "milk and honey" drew me in, and I'm glad I tried them. These are very, very good, with a little sweetness, but not too much. And you would never know they were made with whole wheat. I will definitely use this recipe again to go with soups.

Whole Grain Banana Muffins

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 23-25 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Whole Grain Baking

The prep time included 10 minutes of resting time before baking. This recipe is different than most muffin recipes I've tried because it calls for using the mixer and creaming the butter and sugar. But not much harder. This are richer than the other banana muffins I've made before - but not too rich. It looked like the bananas caramelized, but maybe that was the honey. I've never had that happen before, so I'm not sure.

Spicy Stir-Fried Sesame Chicken with Green Beans

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (May 2004)

This is very, very good. The sauce was spicy but not too hot and very flavorful. The recipe uses the technique of velveting the chicken which makes it extra good. It almost tastes like like it was fried, but is not greasy, because of the cornstarch mixture. And it keeps the chicken very moist.

I skipped the mushrooms, and used extra green beans and some scallions instead. I will definitely be making this again soon, since it is easy and I get great beans at the farmers market.

Roasted Sesame Green Beans

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (November 2005)

I didn't love these as much as I loved the Maple Mustard version, but they were still good and I will make them again probably. I might like just a bit more honey on them.

One thing I need to remember is that the garlic mixture started to overcook after a few minutes, so I didn't need to continue roasting for the recommended 10-12 minutes. I was using pretty fresh beans, and not winter grocery store beans, and they didn't need all that roasting anyway. If I was doing this with tougher beans, I would wait to put the garlic mixture on later.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cool Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 10 minutes
Cool Time: 1 hour
Assemble: 15 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (July 2003)

Although there are multiple steps, these are quite easy to make. I do think they could be even easier, by making one huge sandwich and then cutting after freezing some. I think Everyday Food has another recipe that does that, so I will try those next before I make these again.

I served these to my extended family on the 4th of July and they were liked by the kids and adults.

Chicken Mole

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
Finish Time: 5 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: The Best Chicken Recipe (And Best International Recipe)

I've never had Chicken Mole before, but have always wanted to try it. I realized today that I had all the ingredients at home to make it (including the dried Anchos), so decided to try it. (Actually, I just remembered, I didn't have raisins, so skipped them.) I'm not sure what it supposed to taste like, but I liked it. The sauce was spicy, smoky and nutty at all once. Very good.

I know that CI recipes with sauces like this are often too saucy for me, so I saved half the sauce to freeze for later. That way I can cook the chicken in it another time without the work! It worked out perfectly, so that is a nice bonus to this recipe. I also only used 1 T of oil instead of 3, and it was fine.

For some reason, I find shredding chicken to be a pain, so I just cut it up with a knife. I tried to be messy about it though and tear through the pieces, so there were scraggly edges for picking up the sauce. I served this over rice and it was a very nice dinner.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 17-19 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (December 2006)

These are pretty good, although maybe a bit rich. The reason they take 25 to prep is that you need to brown the butter, but otherwise this is a simple bar recipe cookie. But it is not simpler than the "light" oatmeal cookies from Best Light Recipe which I is an excellent cookie, so I'm not sure how much I would make these.

Strawberry Pretzel Bars

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Assemble: 1 hour (with chilling of gelatin)
Chill Time: 4 hours

Grade: A-

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (June 2005)

Some of the times above can be overlapped. This is kind of similar to a jello recipe that uses crushed pretzels. I liked it, but my crust was too crumbly. Maybe I measured the butter wrong or didn't cook enough. I have never used plain gelatin before and like it. I like the idea of making my own with my own flavors. For the grape juice, I used extra juice from Trader Joe's peaches, which worked well. I used a little more water and less juice than called for because the juice seems a bit reduced to me. It worked out OK.

Strawberry Scones

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (June 2005)

These were good and tasty, however, getting the strawberries into the dough didn't work great for me. They got a little mushy. I really prefer the "Best Blueberry Scone" recipes, which is wonderful (but I have not added here yet.)

Grilled German Potato Salad

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Prep/Cook Time: 35 minutes

Grade: B+

Make Again: ??

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (July 2001)

This was OK, but ends up being more work than I think it should. I think I will probably stick to the poblano version which is a little more exciting. Also, for a nice potato salad with red potatoes, the French Potato salad is really good and fairly light.

Chicken with Asparagus and Parmesan

Total Time: 35 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: The Best Chicken Recipe

This is an alternative to the Spinach and Feta version that I tried last week and just thought was OK. Well, I realized I had made a few mistakes with that one, and that I could use less lemon in this version.

So, I tried this version and liked it more. I remembered to toast the orzo first, used Penzey's Chicken Base (a new ingredient for me that I like, as an alternative to Chicken Broth which is expensive.) I also used just about 1/2 T of lemon juice in the recipe and no zest, which was a lot less, but just right for me. I think it added a tiny note, but didn't overpower the flavor of the parmesan and asparagus.

I also remembered to prep most of the ingredients before starting, so this recipe took less time than the Spinach version. I have a habit of trying to prep while things are cooking. Sometimes that saves time, but sometimes it makes things worse and stresses me out. Plus I make mistakes, like forgetting to toast the orzo!

I cut up the chicken and stirred the pieces into the orzo. I prefered this, because it allowed the chicken to get more flavor. I skipped the oil drizzle at the end. It didn't need it.

Tandoori Chicken

Prep Time: 15minutes
Marinade Time: 4+ hours
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Grade: B

Make Again: maybe

Recipe Source: The Best Chicken Recipe
Recipe: America's Test Kitchen TV Show  (Season 10)

This was not bad, but since I am squeamish about eating chicken on the bone, and skin, I probably missed out on a lot of the flavor. I later used some of the marinade on a boneless chicken breast and grilled the chicken using the method from the magazine, which worked well. But still the flavor didn't wow me. It was good, just not exciting. I remember loving the way the Tikka Masala chicken breast tasted without the sauce, so I think I would used that recipe instead of this one when I want a yogurt based marinade with Indian flavors.

Roasted Chicken and Bread Salad

Prep Time: 19 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Grade: A+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: The Best Chicken Recipe

I normally wouldn't give a recipe an A+ until I had made it a few times, but I know this one is a real winner for me. It was incredibly easy to make, and delicious.

My bread did overcook just a bit, but that was because my chicken took longer than expected and the pieces were not all under the chicken. I used a demi-baguette from Trader Joe's which had lots of crust. It might work better from a larger loaf with less crust.

My only wish is that I could find a way to make this on the grill, because I won't want to be roasting chicken too much this summer. The beauty of this recipe is cooking the chicken on top of the bread, so I'm not sure how that would work.

The recipe was inspired from Zuni Cafe Cookbook's (I'll try to remember to post the link later to that recipe when I can find it.)

I do think I could skip the pine nuts altogether. I love pine nuts, but they seemed to get lost in the salad and I didn't notice them. So I'm not sure they are worth the calories. I forgot to add the shaved parmesan, and I think that is the addition that is probably worth it.

I will definitely be making this one again!

Skillet Penne with Chicken Sausage

Total Time: 40 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: The Best Chicken Recipe

This was good. I've tried a lot of the skillet pasta recipes don't always like them. Actually, I usually like them, but feel like they are more effort than I want. This one is pretty easy. The total time is not all work, and entire dish probably could be made in less than 30 minutes if you were quick. (I bet this recipe is in the Best 30-Minute cookbook too, or at least something VERY similar.)

I loved that this had spinach in it, so it truly is a one-pot meal. I might add more spinach next time (just because I like it!) I felt like the Pine nuts were kind of lost in this dish, so I may just skip them next time.

Stir Fried Pork Scallions and Peppers with Garlic Sauce

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Grade: C+

Make Again: No

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (April 2007)

I wasn't too in love with this recipe. I just wasn't getting much flavor out of the sauce. It helped when I added some soy sauce. It wasn't bad, but since most of the other CI stir fry recipes I've used have been outstanding, this one just doesn't compare for me. It came from the Best Light Recipe also - maybe their efforts to lighten took away too much for me.

Chicken with Orzo Spinach and Feta

Total Time: 40 minutes

Grade: B

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: The Best Chicken Recipe

This was in the Cooking for Two chapter (or something like that). It was fine, but not my favorite. I thought the lemon flavor was too strong (even though I used a little less than called for) and it covered up other flavors. I might make again if I have the ingredients handy, just because it was a nice one pan meal that wasn't too complicated to make.

Update: I realized later that I forgot to toast the Orzo first and instead added it with the broth. Also, I used Vegetable broth since I didn't have Chicken on hand. Both these things probably affected the flavor, so my review is possibly not fair. If I make again, I will use less lemon.

Coconut Scone

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Whole Grain Baking

These are pretty good, but the coconut flavor was not strong for me. One problem was my coconut was kind of old, and I did not have any coconut extract. If I make again, I will need to get some extract. I'd like to try making these with light coconut milk instead, so I would definitely want to use the extract for that version.

It was 2/3 white whole wheat and 1/3 white flour, and you truly cannot tell that there is whole wheat. After my initial whole wheat biscuit, I was thinking the whole wheat versions of biscuits and scones wouldn't be that good. But I'm finding the ones that add a little regular flour are very good.

Chilaquiles (Skillet Tortilla Casserole)

Total Time: 30 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: The Best Chicken Recipe

I really liked this one. It was a nice skillet meal for two that I cut in half for a single serving and it worked out really well. My final product doesn't look that pretty, but it was very tasty.

I actually changed the recipe somewhat drastically, because it called for what I thought was too much chips and cheese. My final product was still very rich and flavorul but something that wouldn't leave me full for hours and hours. I didn't have the cilantro and it would have benefited from it. I didn't have a plum tomato so used some Chipotle salsa instead of the minced chipotle and the tomato. That worked well, but made the dish look a little less appetizing than it would have with the tomato added later. And I used minced onion instead of a shallot, and used less oil. Even with all my changes, I think I can safely say the original recipe would be excellent, and my version is also very good.

SKILLET TORTILLA CASSEROLE (for one)

1 boneless chicken breast (5-6 oz)
salt and pepper
1/2 T vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 ounce tortilla chips broken into smaller pieces
1 medium ripe tomato, cored, seeded and chopped
1 ounce cheddar cheese, grated
1 T cilantro, minced


1. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. If tortilla chips are very salty, be cautious with the salt.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in ovensafe 10" skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and brown on each side for 5 minutes.

3. Move chicken to the side, add 1/2 teaspoon oil and onion and saute a minute. Add garlic and chipotle and pinch of salt if needed. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Add broth and stir up an browned bits. Stir in half of tortilla chips. Cover, and cook until chicken reaches 160-165. Preheat broiler while chicken is cooking.

5. Remove chicken and cut or shred. Return to skillet with half of cheese (2 T), half of cilantro, and remaining tortilla chips. Stir to moisten.

6. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and put in broiler until cheese starts to brown. Top with cilantro. Let cool a bit before serving.

Baked Orange Chicken

Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: B+

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (May 2006)

You can't be fooled by the "Baked" because the chicken is still sort of pan fried in a good amount of oil while it is baking. I do not think this is as good as the fried version. The texture doesn't turn out quite as good. However, it is still pretty good. Since I hate frying things just because it feels messy to me and wasteful to use all that oil that you can't really re-use, it is possible I might make this again. Mostly because I like to cook asian food for others and this would allow something to be cooking in the oven, and would allow another dish to be stir-fried at the same time.

The prep included the wait time for the marinade, so it wasn't a true 50 minutes of work. There was plenty of time to clean the kitchen, prep and steam some broccoli, etc.

Laab Gai (Thai Chicken Salad)

Total Time: 25 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: The Best Chicken Recipe
Recipe: America's Test Kitchen TV Show  (Season 10)

I have no intention of buying this latest CI cookbook, because it is full of recipes I own in other books. Also, I am kind of tired of the standard CI cookbook, since I've read so many of them. (I'm sticking with the Best of ATK books, which they will hopefully continue, since they are much more attractive and feature the highlights of all their new books.) But I was happy to see it at the library and will try a few of the new recipes in there.

This was good. My biggest problem with cooking Thai though is the smell of the fish sauce. I hate it! I try to not smell it until the cooking is done. However, this recipe doesn't have a huge number of ingredients in the sauce, so the smell was still strong after combining everything, and that affects how it tastes to me. Once the smell went away, it all tasted good. I mixed the leftovers with some leftover rice which is also good.

The recipe calls for 2 T. of toasted rice which is then ground up. I was lucky enough to find some rice flour in the Thai section of a good internation grocery store close to me, and it was only $1. That saved some time and effort. It kind of made up for the fact that I had to pay $2.50 for a tiny amount of not super fresh basil. I should have waited until my basil was bigger to try this recipe, but I had some ground chicken and went for it now.

I skipped the oil, because the chicken had enough fat in it. I also skipped the step of mashing the chicken before cooking. I had to mash it while cooking. I discovered my potato masher worked really well for this.

I will probably make this again, since it was so easy, but I wouldn't spend a lot of money on the basil to make this.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Whole Grain Baking

I'm not sure why this took me 25 minutes. Prepping the rhubarb, and making the topping took the most time, I think. I should have used a larger bowl for the topping.

I really liked this one a lot. It has 2 cup of the wheat flour and 1/2 cup of regular, but you cannot really tell that it is whole wheat. I think the strong flavor of the rhubarb helps with this. In general, all of the quick breads and coffecakes that I have tried have done a good job of disguising the fact that they are whole wheat. (I'm sure all the sugar and butter helps!)

Since I have some rhubarb in my garden that comes back every year, regardless of how badly I treat it, I will definitely be making this again.

Banana-Caramel Coconut Cream Pie with Dark Rum

Prep Time: 46 minutes
Cool Time: 3 hours
Grade: B

Make Again: No

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (May 2004)

I didn't feel like making this look pretty, so I skipped the whipped cream and coconut on top. It was good, but I don't think it would be my first choice for a cream pie. (That would be the chocolate version.) I love coconut, but I'm not sure if I love coconut cream. I did really like the crust with the bananas and caramel. I actually ended up not eating much of the cream part, because it just wasn't too exciting to me (or worth the calories.)

The prep time would have probably been less, or included a break while waiting for things to cool. I took longer because I burned my first caramel. I've only done caramels two times before (the Turtle Brownies and Caramels) and both times I didn't cook the caramel enough. The problem though, is that this was a small amount, so didn't take much time at all to make.

I tried to use all the correct ingredients since it was my first time with this recipe, but I didn't want to get unsweetened coconut when I had sweetened on hand. Also, my rum wasn't dark.

I should mention I made a half recipe and put it in a 7.5" pie plate. I thought the crust might not be enough so I used a few extra animal crackers. This was a mistake, because the crumbs were a bit too dry and I couldn't make the crust as sturdy as I would have liked. It was also too thick on the sides, so a simple half recipe would have worked fine.

This is a good recipe, but not an "A" for me just because of my taste buds more than anything else.

Honey Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rise Time: 2.5 hours (total)
Cook Time: 45-60 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Whole Grain Baking

I really wasn't very careful with this recipe and it showed as I ended up with a very squat loaf. However, it is very delicious bread. Part of the prep time is waiting for the oatmeal mixed with boiling water to cool.

I didn't have enough honey and tried to sub in some other sugars (a little molasses and a little brown sugar) to fix it. I also didn't let it really double for the first rise, because I was being impatient and my kitchen was quite cool. Also, then I didn't grease the pan and the bread totally stuck to pan. I also overcooked it a bit, because it was taking forever to get past 185 degrees, so I let it go awhile, then suddenly it was at 195 degrees instead of the 190.

Anyway, the bread is still very tasty and I will make this again. It is a easier than the CI whole grain bread so a nice alternative. It is a sweeter bread, but not too sweet and nice for sandwiches (especially if I had a better rise!)

One small complaint about the cookbook is that they don't always give the best instructions. There wasn't much guidance on how long to knead the bread or what the dough should feel like. I've done enough bread to make an educated guess, but I do prefer CI's more detailed instructions.

Banana Crunch Cake

Prep Time: 18 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes
Cool Time: 20 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Whole Grain Baking

I didn't love the other banana thing I've made from this cook book, so I wasn't sure what I would think of this, but it was very good. A nice moist coffe cake with just a little banana flavor and a nice tasty topping. I couldn't tell at all that it was made with whole wheat. It also called for oat flour, which I don't have, so I ground up some of my oatmeal in the food processor until pretty fine, and it worked out well.

Fried Rice

Total Time: 20 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (March 2001)

This is the best way to use up some extra rice. I prefer the Thai curried chicken fried rice
version, because it is a little more flavorful and substantial for a full meal, but this is easy and quick.

Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (September 2003)

This isn't as great as the Thai-Style Beef recipe, but it is a good stir fry. I have finally learned to clean up between the prep and cooking when I do stir fries and it makes a huge difference. My kitchen doesn't look like a disaster when the food is ready to eat and I feel less stressed when I'm cooking. I think it goes faster too.

Quick Moussaka

Prep Time: 32 minutes
Cook Time: 5-10 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (March 2003)

I substituted zucchini for the eggplant and struggled to find enough of it that looked good at the grocery store. I also substituted crushed tomatores, for whole canned (and drained) so my dish was a little soupier than it should have been. But it tasted great. I really like the topping, even if it not really traditional. It is a very flavorful dish and pretty quick considering the layers.

Rieska

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 15-20 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Whole Grain Baking

Rieska? I had no idea what this was, but decided to try it because I had some rye flour to use up. This is a great recipe. Super easy, like all quick breads, but different. It is a cross between a biscuit and a quick-bread really. It doesn't use a ton of butter, but enough to give it that biscuit-y taste. And it is all whole grains, so a nice way to get them in when you want something more biscuit like. (I tried making whole wheat biscuits before, and was not that impressed.)

I calculated that my 3x2.5 inch squares (15 from a 9 x 13 pan) had only about 100 calories, which is not bad! I think these would be excellent for serving with soup. I also think it might be great for making little breakfast sandwiches, since the bread is kind of flat.

The recipe in the book, made a huge amount to be baked in a 13x18 jelly roll pan. I made a half recipe, which I will probably stick to. However, if serving a crowd, it might be a good recipe to use if you want to make something to serve with soup or chili.

Actually, looking at the recipe now, I realize that I left out the regular all-purpose flour (it called for 1/2 c. per half recipe) in addition to the rye flour, whole wheat flour and oatmeal. I didn't miss it at all, and might just skip it next time.