Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Bake Time: 22-25 minutes
Cool Time: 20 minutes plus more out of pan

Grade: A-

Make Again: No

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (June 2007)

I just made blueberry muffins recently, but I'm still trying to use up frozen blueberries that I have from last summer.  I never even bought any this year.

If I were grading on taste alone, these would get an A+.  They are delicious.  However, there was way too much streusel and  I ended up using only about 2/3 of because I knew it was going to fall off the muffins and be wasted anyway.  I love streusel, but hate the mess when it falls off.  And also it just adds calories that aren't necessarily appreciated.  I think enough to cover in one layer is enough to give the textures and flavor, but more isn't worth it.

Here is only part of the mess.  There is more on the counter and floor. It just seems like a waste to me when it all falls off.

I have another recipe for a coffee cake with blueberries that I will stick to because it ends up being less messy, and probably easier to make, even though this one was very, very good.

Mexican Rice

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes


Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (September 2004)

This is a yummy simple recipe.  It calls for 2 fresh tomatoes, but I make this sometimes with canned tomatoes, which works fine.

The easy part of the recipe is that you put the tomatoes and onion into the food processor to puree instead of needing to dice.  I actually add the jalapeno in there too, and it works fine.  (I leave some out for adding in later as the recipe instructs.)

The only time consuming part is "frying" the dried rice for 6-8 minutes before adding any liquids.  The recipe calls for 1/3 c. of oil.  I used 1.5 T. instead, and that was just fine.

This is definitely a good recipe to use when making any Mexican food.

Enchiladas Verdes

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cool Time: 20 minutes
Assemble Time: 10 minutes
Cook: Time: 20 minutes

Grade: C- (only because I don't like Tomatillos)

Make Again: No

Recipe: Amercia's Test Kitchen TV Show (Season 9)
Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (July 2008)


I've always made or ordered a red sauce when I've had enchiladas, so I wasn't sure if I would like this one.  Well, I didn't like it. 

The recipe itself is good.  Although somewhat time consuming, the work was fairly easy (other than peeling the roasted poblanos.)  I was cleaning my kitchen all along, and I enjoyed making these.  But I just don't like the green sauce.  I used the canned tomatillos, and maybe fresh would have been better, but I will stick to the red sauce version in the future.  

The chick part of the recipe was very delicious though, and I used the leftover broth to make Mexican rice which I will report on next.

Spaghetti with Egg and Breadcrumbs

Total Time: 30 minutes (half recipe)

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Best International Recipe

Recipe Source: The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2008



I overcooked my egg, but this was still delicious.  I wimp out sometimes when it comes to runny eggs, and I should have taken this egg off the burner sooner.

The recipe called for 10T of oil for 4 servings.  I cut that down to 4T (or 2T for a half recipe) and it was plenty.  I also only used 1 clove of garlic for my half recipe (instead of the 2) and that was also plenty for me.  The end result was still very garlic-y but not too much.

I used wheat bread for the crumbs, and they were delicious. The salty bread crumbs with the garlic pasta was a great combo.  Even without the egg the dish would be very good.  But I like the idea of that added protein on the pasta, so I'm going to make this again and hope to do better with the eggs.  Especially because this is a fairly simple dish to make. 

Ultimate Banana Bread

Prep Time: 27 minutes (when using frozen bananas)
Bake Time: 60-75 minutes
Cool Time: 1 hour+

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes


Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (July 2010)

Sometimes I moan when I see Cook's Illustrated redo a recipe when I already liked the first recipe. I liked the previous CI version of Banana Bread but I like this one better.

This recipe is really different from the first.  It uses 6 bananas, which is a lot more than most.  You have to heat them up to release liquid, drain it, then reduce the liquid.  This is why the prep time is pretty long for a "quick" bread.  However, much of that time is not involved, so you can do other things.  It is still a simple recipe. 

The 6th banana goes on top, and it makes a very pretty loaf.  Slice the bananas thin or the cooked slices won't be that appealing.  You also sprinkle some sugar on top, which makes it nice and crunchy.  I used a Turbinado sugar which is very large, and works great. 

I have to say, the bread doesn't taste any more banana-y than other banana breads.  I'm fine with that, but I was surprised.  I do like the flavor and texture of this bread. I also like that I don't need to have plain yogurt on hand (which isn't normally in my fridge).   And since I often have frozen bananas waiting to make banana bread, the 6 bananas isn't a problem (the 6th one should be fresh though.)  So I will definitely use this recipe again.

Pizza Bianca

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Rise Time: 2.5 hours
Bake Time: 20-30 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes


Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (September 2008)
Recipe: America's Test Kitchen TV (Season 9) 

The prep time includes 20 minutes of rest time, and 10 minutes of kneading time with mixer at the end.  It was very simple with very little hands on work. 

I didn't make this perfectly, even though I weighed my flour and water.  My dough was too wet.  It is supposed to be wet, but mine was really, really wet.  I really don't know why.  It still worked though.  The dough rose, and then I poured it into the pan. 

I ended up baking a little too long and the bread was more crispy than it probably should have been, but it was still really good.

I definitely want to try this again and see if I can get it closet to what it is supposed to be.

7 Up Pound Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 70-90 minutes (half recipe took 60 minutes)
Cool Time: 2 hours
Glaze Time: 10 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: No

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (June 2009)

This was very good.  A nice pound cake with a little citrus flavor.  I used Ginger Ale which they said was fine to sub for the 7Up.   I also only made a half recipe and used my 6 cup bundt pan instead of a tube pan.

The main reason I wouldn't make this again is just because it uses the soda, and it isn't something I often have on hand.   (Diet Coke, probably wouldn't work here.)  Also, I have two other very good recipes I like if I wanted a lemon pound cake.  The Cook's Illustrated recipe, which I have never blogged on, and the one from Baking with Julia.

Slow Cooker Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 4-5 hours

Grade: C+

Make Again: No

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (August 2009)


The meatballs were good, but I didn't love the sauce.  I didn't dislike it, but I felt like there should have been more flavor, with all the ingredients that are in this.  The wine slightly overpowered the rest, even though I was careful to cook it down before putting in slow cooker.  

This made a huge amounts of sauce.  More than I think you need for 1.5 pounds of pasta.   I am saving the meatballs with some sauce, in individual containers to freeze, and then I saved almost a quart without any meatballs for use another time. 

I have a medium size slow cooker and it was filled to the brim almost.  The recipe was probably developed in a larger cooker.

I think I have other meatball recipes I would use before making this one again, because it still was a decent amount of effort - especially for a slow-cooker meal.

NOTE: I didn't actually test the Cook's Country recipe.  I used the one from the Best of 2010 book, which contains the recipe from Best Slow and Easy Recipes.  (Did you follow that?)   The recipes are similar, but there are a few differences - the one I used had milk and bread instead of the  mozzarella cheese, less tomato paste and no cream.  Everything else looks the same. 

Skillet Ramen with Beef and Spinach

Total Time: 19 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: The Best Skillet Recipes

I don't have The Best Skillet Recipes, and those recipes are not online.  But I do have the Best of America's Test Kitchen 2010, and this is one of the featured recipes.

I loved it.  So simple and fast.  It just happens that I found a small piece of flank steak in my freezer (single serving size) and I had one package of ramen noodles, so I cut the recipe in 1/4. It worked out perfectly (although it did involve more math than I wanted while cooking.)

I skipped the Shiitake mushrooms, since I don't like them, and that was fine.  The broth made from garlic, ginger, chicken broth, sherry and soy sauce was very flavorful. (You throw away the seasoning packet.)  I wasn't sure about having baby spinach wilted in the broth (I don't love it wilted) but it tasted good.

I will definitely have to purchase some more ramen noodles and cut up some flank steak into smaller pieces and freeze so I can make this quick dinner when I am eating along and short on time.

Popovers

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Rest Time: 1 hour
Bake Time: 50-60 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (December 2008)

Recipe: Cook's Country TV (Season 2)

I assume the Cook's Country TV show is just like America's Test Kitchen and they won't keep those recipes up there for ever (wanting to people to go to paid site instead.)  So, print it out if you are interested. :-)  You need to register with an email but don't need to pay. 

These are very, very good.  I have made popovers lots of times before, and I love them when they are eggy and moist on the inside but crispy on the outside.  These fit the bill, and they are more flavorful than the others I've tried. 

The main differences are as far as I can tell are using more eggs and butter, but a lower fat milk.  It also uses Bread flour for more structure.

I think going forward, this will be the recipe I use, when I make popovers. (Which isn't that often, but it is a good way to use up milk.)