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.

Chicken with Feta Cheese

Total Time: 25 minutes

Grade: B+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (May 2004)


This recipe was easy to cut into 1/4 recipe for one serving. I used a little bit less of the fats (only 1 teaspoon each of the oil and butter, and could have gotten away with even less oil.) It was pretty good - nothing terribly exciting, but a good easy chicken recipe. It was easy to clean and steam some broccoli while the chicken was cooking for a more complete meal.

Cream Cheese and Molasses Bread

Prep Time: 18 minutes
Bake Time: 55 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Whole Grain Baking

Besides struggling to cut the bread into neat slices, I really liked this bread. It has a good nutty texture and was very tasty. The combo of oats, barley flour and whole wheat flour is very good and the cream cheese and butter makes it very moist.

Skillet Ziti with Chicken and Broccoli

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes (lots of cooking done while prepping)

Grade: A-

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (Feb 2005)

This one is not as easy as I thought it would be. I don't know why - just a lot more prep than I wanted, I guess. I really liked the flavor the first time I made it, and the 2nd time I was less impressed. I realized the difference was the first time, I subbed a 1/4 c cream and 3/4 water for the 1 cup of milk. This time I made with 2% milk and it was less rich.

My sub adds calories, (but maybe only 25 per serving) so I might try again that way. The one thing I have to remember with this recipe is to add the broccoli later than the recipe suggest. The broccoli cooks way faster than my pasta and gets overcooked when I used the recipe's times.

Gyros Sandwiches

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10+ minutes

Grade: ??

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (May 2007)

I have mixed feelings about this one. I'm not sure I like lamb, so cooking with it was hard for me. The meat smelled a little off, but I wasn't sure how it should smell, so I think that affected how I thought it would taste. It wasn't bad, but I worried that it wasn't good, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I probably would have if I wasn't thinking about the meat being old.

I did really like the Tzatziki sauce, and it was an easy recipe that can be frozen. I think I might try again with ground beef, because I do think it is a good recipe.