Molasses-Glazed Turkey Breast and Acorn Squash

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours

Grade: B+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (September 2006)

I made this on Christmas Eve, mostly because I wanted something simple and I was feeding a lot of people. It was good. Well, the turkey was good, I'm not a huge Acorn Squash fan. Those that like squash, seemed to like it though. I liked the turkey - it had a spicy dry rub and then a sweet glaze.

The biggest problem was that it took way longer to cook than I thought it would. I used a boneless turkey breast that was tied up in netting and the package instructions say to keep it in the string until done cooking. That makes it more like a roast, I guess. But it probably would have cooked longer if I let it flatten out a bit, so next time I will do that.

For what it was, a simple dish, it was good. Nothing too exciting, but I will do this again on my own when turkey breast it for sale. I might try using the extra glaze on green beans instead and roasting them. I think that would be pretty good.

Golden Pull-Apart Butter Buns

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Rise Time: 90 minutes
Assemble: 10 minutes
Rise Time: 90 minutes
Bake Time: 22-25 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: King Arthur Flour

These are really good. They don't actually have a ton of butter in them - just 4 TB in the dough. And I brushed 1 T of melted butter on top of the 16 rolls after they baked (recipe calls for 2 T). Just that little bit of butter on top really flavors them.

The only problem with this recipe is you need some dry milk and potato flakes. But maybe they are so good, you can use this recipe a lot and use them up. :-)

Like most yeast breads you need to save time to make these, but if you have a good standing mixer, these are not hard to make.

Red Beans and Rice

Soak Time: overnight
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (January 2010)

This was delicious and easy. I have wanted to make red beans and rice for a while, but never have before. I think the recipes I've seen often require something I didn't have. But the most unusual ingredient was andouille sausage, which was easy to find. You can also substitute kielbasa. It wasn't the most attractive dinner ever, but it was very flavorful. I was glad to have a simple meal before I have a lot of more complex cooking to do for Christmas.

The recipe says small red beans are better than kidney beans and will cook up creamier. I could only find kidney beans, and they were fine. I did end up cooking them longer than 90 minutes total though. But they were very creamy, so I don't think it necessary to search for red beans if they aren't at your grocery store.

Crisp Thin-Crust Pizza

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Rise Time: overnight
Prep Time: 15 minutes (I actually use Trader Joe's Pizza sauce, so making your own will add some time.)
Cook Time: 10 minutes per pizza

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (January 2001)

This recipe was in my very first Cook's Illustrated magazine. It was the first recipe I tried, and I was instantly a convert. I loved how they explained in detail how and why they arrived at the final recipe. This is very good, but I haven't made it much lately. I end up making the pan pizza recipe from Cook's Country more often, but I should remember this one too. They are both easy, but this one is even easier I think.

The only problem with this one is you have to remember to make the dough the night before. It is done in a food processor which makes it even faster than other doughs.

The trick to making the crust really crispy is a baking stone and to roll it very thin (put some plastic wrap on top.) You roll it on parchment so you can easily transfer it with the paper to the baking stone.

Our crust yesterday wasn't too thin because it was 2-10 year olds rolling the dough. Still a very tasty pizza when a little thicker. :-)

Sausage Cheese Biscuit

Prep Time: 30-35 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: King Arthur Flour

The pictured biscuit actually used bacon instead of sausage. I've done these both ways. These take a little longer than regular biscuits because you have to cook the sausage or bacon. I like them a little better with the sausage, which is faster for me.

The hardest part is rolling out the dough. The sausage pieces were falling out a bit for me, so that slows me down. But these are a tasty breakfast treat, and freeze pretty well. They certainly are not "light", but in moderation, I enjoy these.

They were not a favorite of my nephews - I'm not sure why. And someone else told me theirs was a bit dry. I think I overcooked them just a bit. I like them though, and think the recipe is pretty good.

Best Beef Stew

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 2.5 hours

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (January 2010)

Between Cook's Illustrated, Cook's Country, the ATK tv show and all the cookbooks, I'm sure ATK has a LOT of stew recipes. They are all good, if you like beef stew. I really liked this one also. It was rich tasting and perfect comfort food for a very cold day.

It does take a while to make, of course, but I love dishes where you can get all the work done early and don't have to do much work after that. There is a tiny bit of work in the last 15 minutes, but it is pretty negligible, so I don't even count it in my time.

I did make a few substitutions. I used some frozen wine, and it was probably a Merlot, instead of Pinot Noir. I also used a tiny bit of anchovy paste instead of chopping anchovies (yuck!) I skipped the pearl onions. The biggest sub was to just put a few rinsed off pieces of bacon in the stew instead of the salt pork. I just didn't feel like trying to find it, and wanted to use the ingredients I had on hand. It worked fine, but I didn't use 4oz. I think it added a little taste in a good way.

This one got a thumbs up from the somewhat picky eater in my life, so I will definitely be making this one again.

Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cake

Layer 1 Prep: 28 minutes
Bake Time: 18 minutes
Cool Time: 1 hours
Layer 2 Prep: 20 minutes
Layer 3 Prep: 15 minutes
Chill Time:2-3 hours

Grade: A+

Make Again: Yes


Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (December 2009)
Recipe Source: America's Test Kitchen (Season 10)

I made this for Thanksgiving dinner and it was liked by all the adults. The kids didn't love it - maybe because it wasn't super sweet. I give this one an A+ after only making it one time for these reasons:
~ can be made ahead of time
~ very pretty with the 3 layers
~ tastes great
~ the leftovers still tasted good a few days later
~ although it takes a while to make, it really is not too hard

The hardest part for me making this is chopping all the chocolate. I hate chopping chocolate in the winter - it generates a lot of static electricity and I get little chocolate dust everywhere. I did it all in the beginning for the entire recipe. Everything else is fairly easy. I maybe didn't whip the last layers cream enough - it kind of poured into the pan. But the gelatin kept it stable enough so it wasn't a problem when slicing the cake.

I actually worried that my pan was too small (9" x 2.5"), so I made a mini cake at the same time. But I still had space at the top, so I shouldn't have worried. (Although I enjoyed getting to try my mini cake the night before.) Next time I may try to cut this one in half and use in my 7" pan, because I won't be as worried about the size. This one does make a large cake.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 9-14 minutes per pan

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes


Recipe Source: America's Test Kitchen TV (Season 10)
Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (May 2009)

I did make these once when the recipe came out, but didn't get to post about it. I almost didn't try it. How many different ways can you make chocolate chip cookies? And CI had already perfected the recipe, I thought.

However, this is a little different. You need to brown your butter first. And then the mixing is done in stages, letting the wet ingredients sit for a bit in between beatings. That does make it take longer. But it is easy work, and I have said before, I like to have those breaks for cleaning my kitchen, so I didn't mind the extra time. Another difference is using dark brown sugar, and more salt than normal. Some might not like the saltiness - these have a hint of the sweet-salty thing going for them when you use the full teaspoon. I used a very scant teaspoon myself - maybe closer to 3/4 t.

I chose to make these smaller. The recipe makes 16 large cookies, but I made 32 regular sized cookies instead. They are quite rich. Not that I didn't eat more than one when I made them!

The flavor does end up quite good. The browned butter adds a richness (and the fact that there is a lot of it!) These are more adult chocolate chip cookies, but I've served them to kids and they liked them too.

Oven Fries

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (April 2007, Originally Jan 2004)

This recipe was originally developed for the magazine in Jan 2004, but they "lightened" it up a bit for the Best Light Recipe book. BUT, not really. All they did was use 1 teaspoon of oil instead of 1 Tablespoon of oil for tossing the potatoes with, but they still put 1/4 c. of oil on the pan.

Anyway, I lightened these up even more, by only using 1.5 Tablespoons of oil on the pan. I put the pan in the oven for a quick minute to warm the oil, making it easier to spread around the pan, so it was enough oil to keep the potatoes from sticking, and also enough to keep these potatoes quite tasty.

So this is still not a "low fat" recipe, but it is definitely lighter, and probably better than fries. And since I hate frying things this recipe is a great alternative to make when I'm having burgers or sandwiches. Since the fries bake for a while it is easy to make a quick burger or sandwich while these are baking for an easy dinner.

Even the prep time is easy, since 10 minutes of that time is spent with the potatoes soaking in water. So, a very easy recipe for a good amount of taste, makes this one an "A" for me.

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Prep Time: 38 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (March 2009)

This is a "make enough for two pans and freeze one for later" recipe, which I like when I'm busy (which seems to be a permanent state for me now.) I modified the recipe quite a bit, because I wanted to lighten it up, and also because I am very much in a use up what I have mode in an effort to be frugal.

My modifications:
~ no mushrooms (don't like)
~ used 5c. 2% milk instead of 6c. of whole milk
~ 3T of butter instead of 6T
~ used 1/2 c. of mozzarella cheese instead of 1.5c of provolone since it's all I had.
~ used a little less Parmesan

I usually don't like these dishes to be too saucy, so I knew using less of the sauce ingredients would be OK. The recipe didn't specifically say to cook sauce enough to thicken, but I cooked it longer than called for so it would thicken, since I knew it wasn't going to have as much cheese. The lighter ingredients and amounts for the sauce worked perfectly and I'll do it that way again.

I do feel like the dish could use a little more spice or flavor, which is why I give it a "-". I don't feel that this had anything to do with my lightening up the fats in the ingredients, but rather a lack of herbs or spices in the recipe. I would probably use more sun-dried tomatoes, or try adding some oregano or fresh basil next time. It wasn't completely bland, just could of used a touch more flavor, I think.

I wrapped up the second pan of this and look forward to having a no-cook meal ready for the oven sometime in the next month or two when I'm busy. I'll try to remember to update this page with how the frozen one tasted.

Freezer Update: I used the frozen half of this recipe this week. It still tasted good. The pasta did get a tiny bit gummy, but it wasn't too bad. The chicken was a little drier, but it was in the saucy pasta, so it still was fine to me. It is a little better fresh, but the convenience of having a meal without any effort was worth it, so I would definitely freeze half again.

Chicken and Dumplings

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Assemble Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (Jan 2005)

Yes, this takes awhile to make. And actually, I used chicken breasts (not recommended by CI, but recommended by me!) so it was quicker. The hardest part for me is pulling the skin off the chicken (after browning) and then pulling the chicken off the bone after cooking. However, it is necessary to do this steps to get the non-greasy, yet full-flavored broth. And I think it is worth it (every once in a while) for such a yummy recipe.

I made a little bit lighter, by using half the fats call for in the recipe (less oil for the chicken, less butter in the stew, less fat in the dumplings.) Using breasts makes is lighter also. But the dish was still very rich and delicious.

I have made this once before and froze the leftovers, and I remember they were still good. I will do that again, which is nice allowing for a quick delicious meal another evening without any work.

Spaghetti Pie

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (February 2006)

This one is really easy to put together. The prep isn't quick because you have to make the "crust" first after boiling the pasta, and then make the filling, but there is plenty of downtime and not much cutting going on with this one.

I did skip the ricotta layer, because I didn't have any on hand, and just used more ground beef in the sauce. It was really good, and a nice change of pace from regular pasta with sauce. An easy recipe for something a little different that still gives you traditional Italian flavors.

White Chicken Chili

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Grade: B+

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: America's Test Kitchen (TV Show) (Season 8)

I like this, but the overwhelming flavor in the dish is the peppers, and I didn't even use as much as called for. It feels more like a "Green" chili than a white chili. (And looks that way too.) The chilies used are all mostly mild, with jalapeno being the hottest, so there is very little spice to this chili.

The cooking time can overlap the prep time some, but I find it less stressful to prep before I start, so I did that. It isn't hard to make, but does mess up a few dishes. I think for something that uses whole chicken breasts (as opposed to boneless skinless), I want the final dish to be a little richer with more chicken flavor. So I probably will stick to regular chili in the future, but could possibly make again someday.

Gingered Oatmeal Muffins

Prep Time: 18 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: B

Make Again: Probably not

Recipe Source:Whole Grain Baking

Wow, it's been a very long time! My life has been turned upside-down this past year, and it left me with less time for cooking, and I've been sticking to my old standby favorite recipes, so there wasn't anything to try. I finally got the desire to bake again recently, so tried these muffins.

They taste very good, but they are very squat, which I don't like. The batter was very soupy. Also, they take a little longer because of chopping the crystallized ginger and making some oat flour (just by using my food processor.) For these reasons, I probably won't make again, but I do like how they taste. There are just too many good muffin recipes, so I stick to my absolute favorites when I reuse a recipe.

Empanadas

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Rest Time: 20 minutes
Assemble Time:15 minutes
Bake Time: 30-45 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (April 2004)

I often make these with ground turkey so I add some more spice to it - usually some cumin. These are very good. A little time consuming to make, but since you can freeze them for later, it is worth it.

I usually make the dough a little thinner, so I can get more out of the recipe. This requires more care when you are forming them so the dough doesn't stretch, but it usually works ok. I want a slightly higher meat to dough ratio, so this works for me.

Fudge Brownies

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40-45 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Baker's Banter (King Arthur Flour)

I've already reviewed many brownie recipes (that I love) but I'm always willing to try a new one! This one is very good. There is a little bit more work than some because you heat the butter and dissolve the sugar in it, but still fairly easy. I like a fudgy brownie, so this is a recipe I will definitely use again.

Baked Pasta with Spinach Ricotta and Prosciutto

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Grade: B+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (2004)

This isn't my favorite baked pasta dish, and it can get a little dry if you aren't careful. However, I do make it occasionally for two reasons. 1) It uses up milk, which I often have too much of, and 2) it is very, very simple to make. The only real prep needed is to cook the pasta, grate the parm and dice the proscuitto. Other than that it is just mixing everything up and putting in the pan to bake.

The most important ingredient is the proscuitto. It is what flavors the dish, so if you like that, you may like this too.

Apple Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 60-70 minutes

Grade: B

Make Again: Maybe with changes

Recipe Source: The Italian Country Table

Oh boy, I had a lot of trouble with this one. I was really intrigued by this recipe, because it cuts butter into some flour and sugar, then makes a very thin crust in springform pan with some of it. Then you take the rest of that mixture and mix in eggs, milk, etc, and then the apples. So you end up with a buttery crust for the cake.

The trouble began when the crumbs didn't really stick together well, but I did my best to press them into the pan. I made the cake and put it in. However, about 30 minutes into the bake, I noticed a smell. I looked in the oven and noticed pools of butter in the bottom of my oven. It was leaking out of the spring form pan. :-( I worried that it might catch on fire, so I decided to sop it up with a paper towel and tongs. Which, unfortunately, touched the electric coil, and proceeded to catch on fire! I turned the water on in my sink, and was able to get it under control, thankfully.

I turned the oven off, and let it cool a bit, then tried again. So, there was about 10 minutes where the cake was out of the oven. I turned it back on and tried to finish it. I think it mostly baked through OK.

In the end, it wasn't bad, but not exactly my favorite. I love spicy apple cakes, and this doesn't really have any spice, so I guess it disappointed me a little. I did like the crusty part though. So I might have to try it again with some spices and possibly a more tart apple. It is a unique idea, and I'm not ready to give up on it yet.

I should mention, you are supposed to add a meringue topping, but I decided to skip that part.

Turkey Sloppy Joes

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (Month 2004)

At first bite, the carrots in these distract just a little. It wasn't the sloppy joe texture I was expecting. But really, once you get past that, they taste very good. And it is nice to get your veggies in with a sandwich, because the recipe calls for 4 shredded carrots and a large can on crushed tomatoes.

Christmas Menu

Roasted Tomatoes and Roasted Peppers

Grilled Polenta

Herbed Goat Cheese and Smoked Mozzarella

Ciabatta Rolls (par-baked from Trader Joe's)

Salad

Lasagna Carnivale

Chocolate Peppermint Cake

I've wanted to post this menu ever since Christmas, since it worked out so well. It was by far the most stress-free meal I've ever served a group of people. That was because most of it was done the day before.

Schedule:

2 Days Before:
~ Shopping
~ Prep lasagna ingredients (Sauce, Shred Cheese, meatballs)

1 Day Before:
~ Roast Tomatoes
~ Make Polenta (can be done at same time as tomatoes.)
~ Bake meatballs
~ Assemble lasagna
~ Bake Cake

Day of:
~ Glaze Cake
~ Cut and grill/broil polenta
~ Assemble appetizer tray (tomatoes, cheeses, bread slices, polenta)
~ Bake Lasagna
~ Prepare salad
~ Bake par-baked bread, while lasagna is sitting

Serve and enjoy!

Oven-Roasted Canned Tomatoes

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2+ hours

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: The Italian Country Table

This is another great simple recipe from The Italian Country Table. It makes a delicious spread or something nice to put on pasta. It takes a long time to cook, but there is very little hands on time here.

Polenta

Total Time: 90-120 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: The Italian Country Table

This recipe is very simple, but takes a while to make. You make the polenta in a double broiler, so it cooks slowly and doesn't need as much attention. You just have to stir it every 20 minutes (although more often the first 20 minutes).

It is good soft, but I love to put it into a pan and let it solidify first (you can use a sheet pan or a loaf pan - both work). Then I cut it into pieces, brush with a little oil and either grill or broil. It gets crunchy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside.

I love to have this with roasted peppers or tomatoes and it makes a nice appetizer for an italian meal.

The Italian Country Table

I don't have a lot of cookbooks, and 80% of those that I own come from America's Test Kitchen (Cook's Illustrated). But Lynne Rossetto Kasper's The Italian Country Table is one that I have kept. Part of the reason is that it is a fun read, talking about different country areas of Italy. There are a few recipes in here that are really great and simple and this will remain a keeper for me.

Whole-Wheat Pasta with Kale and Fontina

Total Time: 28 minutes
Cook Time: minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (October 2003)

If you like kale, then this is a good recipe. I love that it is so quick, and the ingredients in here really do taste well with the whole-wheat pasta (although, technically, my pasta is not 100% whole-wheat - Ronzoni.) I had some extra fontina left from the Baked Pasta dish last week, and this was perfect way to use up the extra, because it just calls for a little bit.

This calls for just a little bit of bacon which really adds to the flavor. I always freeze my bacon that I buy on sale in one and two piece portions so I always have some on hand. (A bonus: it is really easy to cut frozen bacon.)

Melting Mint Brownies

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Cool Time: 1 hour
Icing Time: 10 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: King Arthur's Flour Baker's Banter Blog

These are pretty good, but I give them a "-" because the brownie itself is nothing great. The icing is what makes these good, I think. It is an all-cocoa brownie, and I usually like recipes that use melted chocolate, and those that are a little fudgier. But the icing/glaze has some butter in it, and is really rich and with the mint adds more flavor. They are pretty too, without much effort, so I liked that aspect of these.

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

Prep Time: 38 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food

This may not look that appetizing, but it is a very delicious baked pasta dish. The recipe makes two casseroles, one for eating tonight, and one for freezing, which is nice. It does use a little cream, which adds a nice richness, but overall, this is not a very heavy dish, considering it is a baked pasta dish.

I like that is included spinach, but I would probably chop it up a little first, because it got a little bit stringy. Otherwise, this works great as is.

Vanilla Biscotti

Total Time: 90 minutes

Grade: B+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: King Arthur's Flour Baker's Banter

This is a nice simple recipe that only takes a while because you are baking twice (as you would with any Biscotti recipe.) It is very good. The recipe is very flexible and you can add other flavors or add-ins to the dough.

30-Minute Meatloaves

Prep Time: 27 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: B+

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (Septebmer 2006)

I didn't exactly make these in 30 minutes. Not sure why I was slow. But they are quick and fairly easy. I did like these more as leftovers than originally. I think when I first ate it, it was too hot. But they did taste good and I may make these again, but first I will be trying the other ATK meatloaf recipes, and there are quite a few.

7 Layer Bars

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Grade: B+

Make Again: Maybe w/ changes

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (February 2007)

These are a little bit different than the easy recipe from on the can of the sweetened condensed milk. The recipe adds toffee bits to the crust (good change), toasts the nuts and coconut (good), adds milk chocolate and rice krispies (fine, but couldn't tell the diff) and also used twice as much condensed milk (maybe not such a good change). I felt like these were just a little bit too gooey. And while I didn't mind the extra chocolate, I'm not sure it added much, so I might skip that step along with the cereal. Of course they tasted good, but just not sure all the updates are necessary.

Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 45-60 minutes
Cool Time: 1 hour
Glaze Time: 10 minutes
Rest Time: 1 hour

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (December 2004)

I made this for desert on Christmas Eve, and it went over very well. Even my 3 year old neice said "this is very good!" The mint is only in the frosting, so it could be skipped. The cake is very moist and dense, almost like a brownie. I didn't do a good job with the glaze, I don't think I really got the boiled cream to the chocolate fast enough, and it wasn't super smooth. Then I went back and tried to even out a part, which made it look even less smooth. It can be very pretty and shiny when done correctly.