Corn Chowder

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Assemble Time: 35 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (July 2011)

I've been wanting to make this for a long time. I finally remembered to do it this weekend, towards the end of corn season.

This recipe is for a "lighter" corn chowder but it still includes 1 cup of half and half, which does not seem that light to me. I decide to make it without that and just add some milk if it was needed. I ended up adding a splash of milk to thin the soup out a bit, and it worked great.

I used a little less butter and cut off some of the fat from the bacon also. So overall, my version was lightened even more. The taste was rich and delicious without the added dairy and just the fat from the bit of butter and bacon.

I did not squeeze my pulp in a towel and just used a fine mesh strainer. That worked fine and it was easy to clean.

I probably won't make this again real soon, since the corn will be gone in a few weeks, but it is a great recipe for September when the corn is good but the nights are getting cooler.

Make Ahead Meat Lasagna

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cool Time: 30 minutes
Assemble: 15 min
Finish: 5
Cook Time: 45-80 min (fresh or frozen)

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Make Ahead Cook (book)

This was from the "Freezer" section of the book. I haven't really tried any America's Test Kitchen lasagna recipes (at least in a while) so I can't compare the recipe. I assume it is similar, but tweaked for putting in the freezer.

Instead of making 2 lasagnas in 8" square pans, I made 4 small lasagnas for 2 people in  4.5x8 pans. I used the foil pans and they were actually a little too small to fit the noodles in, so I softened 8 of them first in hot water so they would bend. The noodles fit in when I got higher up.

The lasagna was very good, although maybe could have used a little more salt. It was not as stable as I would like. That might be because of the pre-softened bottom noodles. Next time I will make sure to buy pans that are wide enough to handle the noodles. The pans I bought were weird loaf pans with scallops, so hopefully I can find something better that is a bit wider on the bottom.

But I probably won't make this again for a while since I have 3 frozen mini lasagnas in the freezer now. That is of course the best part of it all.

I haven't tried from frozen yet, but I have to assume it will be good. If not, I'll come back and update.

Roasted Pepper Soup

Total Time: 50 minutes

Grade: B-

Make Again: No

Recipe Source: 6 Ingredient Solution

I thought this tasted very nice, but my picky eater didn't care for it. (At least he tried it, which was a shock.)

Although only 6 ingredients you do have to roast the peppers. That part was okay for me. The part where I got in trouble was dealing with the blender. I ended spilling soup everywhere and then I decided to strain it because I wasn't sure I got all the pieces processed enough. That made the soup just too thin for me.

This recipe used these Cheese Stick crackers (only 2), and suggested using the crackers as condiments also, which was good. It also called for a basil whipped cream which I liked. But you were supposed to make that in the blender, and that didn't work well for me. I ended up pulling out my mixer to make it. That part was delicious. You dollop a little on top of the soup.

Although I liked this, since I was the only one and it was a bit of work, and I made a mess of my kitchen, I probably won't make this again. It might be nice for a dinner party though if you have friends who are not such picky eaters and nice like flavors.

Chicago Style Pizza

Dough Time: 10 minutes
Rise Time: 60 minutes
Sauce Prep: 20 minutes
Sauce Cook: 30 minutes
Laminate: 10 minutes
Rise Time: 40-50 minutes
Assemble: 10 minutes
Bake: 20-30 minutes
Rest: 10 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (January 2010) 
I have always lived in Chicago-land area (and for a while in the city) so I do know Chicago pizza. I'm not partial to this style of pizza though, I like all kinds really. The one thing I would say about the style is that it has a buttery crust. Some of them seem like they have cornmeal in them, but I've heard that is not really true. I am not a purist though so I just wanted to try it and see if it was good.

It was good. Very good actually. Maybe not a true replication of any specific restaurant around here but close enough. The crust seemed closest to Lou Malnati's I thought, because of the buttery flavor.

It is a bit more work than a regular pizza, but it made two pies. I wrapped one pan in foil and froze, then baked a few weeks later. That one was as good as the first.

I thought the sauce was a little too sweet so I would skip the sugar next time or use less. Otherwise it was a very good recipe.

Barley Risotto with Corn and Basil

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Grade: A-
 
Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food(October 2005)

Well, this wasn't exactly creamy like risotto, but it tasted very good, and was a nice side dish. I used a fraction of the called for basil, and don't think I would have liked the full 2 c. The barley and corn together was a very nice combination with a good texture. I don't always have barley on hand, but maybe I should use it more, because I like the taste.

I give it a "-" because I'm not convinced the effort (although small) of adding the broth in small batches was worth it, since it didn't have a risotto like consistency. 

Grilled Stuffed Chicken Breasts (Lighter)

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Rest Time: 60 minutes 
Cook Time: 25 minutes
(These times may be off, I didn't write it down and I no longer have the cookbook.)

Grade: B-
Make Again: No
Recipe Source: Light & Healthy 2010 (originally from Cook's Country?)

This wasn't a bad recipe, but it wasn't my favorite chicken recipe and the process of stuffing things is a pain for me. I don't think I cut my chicken holes big enough so couldn't get all the stuffing in. The basil flavor was very strong, and I would have liked a little less, even though I love basil. The cheese got a little rubbery.

Some of the other flavor options may taste better, but I'm not sure I would try. There are just too many good chicken recipes, for me to make something that I didn't love, unless it is super easy.  This is mostly easy, but stuffing the chicken is not.

Chicken Pesto Salad

 Total Time: 53 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Light & Healthy 2010

The pesto in this recipe was very nice.  It was made lighter by skipping the pine nuts and using just a tiny bit of olive oil, and replacing some of that with a light mayo.  It works really well. I actually didn't have half the ingredients I needed on hand (mostly veggies), so my actual salad was very different than intended.  But it was still tasty and I enjoyed the leftovers the next day.

The biggest problem I had was the time it took to make. I like my salads to be quicker. I probably will use the pesto recipe again though. I didn't miss the pine nuts at all, which surprised me. 

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.

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.

Skillet Penne

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Best 30-Minute Recipes

I didn't make it under 30 minutes, but I was close. I think the key is to start heating my pan right away while I was getting the garlic ready and prepping for the sauce. That might cut out 5 minutes actually.

This was very good, but I would prefer to have a flavorful sauce without the cream. I think I will try making with some italian sausage next time instead. To keep it quick, I could saute some bulk sausage in a separate pan, while pasta is cooking and add it before baking. I don't like putting my non-stick pan in a super hot oven (475) so I did transfer everything to a casserole, where it barely fit. That does mean one more pan to cook, but it seems safer to me.

UPDATE: The leftovers of this were not very good (especially those frozen and reheated). The pasta really became quite mushy. That is to be expected for this type of dish, but it seemed much more so than normal. I'm guessing the cooking method contributed.

Tomato Ricotta Tart

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (July 2003)

This is a great quick recipe that is nice for entertaining, either as a vegetarian entree or an appetizer. When I have made this before, the crust was not as crispy and sturdy as I wanted. This time, I used a crusty Italian loaf for my bread crumbs. I also started cooking the crust alone while I finished prepping the rest of the ingredients. This resulted in a very good, crisp sturdy crust. However, it did burn just a bit on the edges. Not enough to effect taste, but it wasn't as pretty.

I also only use 2 tablespoons of olive oil for the crust, and it works fine with that amount. I only make this in the summer, because it needs good fresh tomatoes. Definitely a winner recipe, I think.

Grilled Pizza

Dough Time: 7 minutes
Rise Time: 90-120 minutes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: A+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (July 2005)

This is so very good that I have made it twice this week. I got daring and tried for the first time when I had a friend over for lunch and I wanted to try it again today. It is an easy recipe, although I have trouble getting the rounds rolled out to 9". I tried letting the dough rest and it helped a little, but not enough. Also, this second attempt I didn't use my scale and the dough was more sticky than last time. I think I will have better results using the scale next time.

The other trouble I had was with the dough burning. The bottom gets black when I have it on high, so I need to remember to turn the temp down after the cooking the first side.

I skipped the tomatoes on top this time, but they are a nice touch when you have good tomatoes. I will definitely be using this recipe a lot, and hopefully perfecting my dough technique.

I froze two of the crusts I made, so I can see how that works for a quick meal in the future.

Pasta and Squash with Tomatoes, Basil, and Pine Nuts

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (July 2003)

I like this dish because flavors are good. However, it is a little bit more time consuming than many of my pasta dishes. I will continue to make this, but the Roasted Zucchini and Tomato recipe from Everyday Food is easier and almost as tasty. Perhaps I can combine the best of the two recipes. I like the roasting, but I also like the pine nuts, red pepper and balsamic vinegar in this one.

Pasta with Pesto, Green Beans and Potatoes

Total Time: 26 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (July 2003)

I had Pesto in the freezer, so I didn't have to make it for this recipe. However, even if I did have to make the Pesto it would still be a quick recipe. I had a lot of down time while making this.

The only think I change is to add a little more green beans (12 oz) and to add them with about 4 or 5 minutes left. The trickiest part of this is getting everything cooked at the same time. Usually something is slightly overcooked, but not so that is is bad.

Tomato-Braised Green Beans with Basil

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

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Wow, this recipe was really good. I like green beans just fine, and try to make them once a week during the summer. But this recipe was better than I expected. The flavors were really good and the green beans were nice and tender.

As I was trying this, I realized that it would be really good with pasta, so I cooked some wheat-blend pasta and it was delicious. I have a feeling that is how I will use this recipe the most. It will be a much used summer recipe for me, I believe. To make with pasta, though, I need to remember to cut the beans into smaller pieces. I used less oil than the recipe called for (2 teaspoons instead of 2 tablespoons) and it was still delicious.



My version for putting on pasta: (Serves 2 as a main dish)

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 pound green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half
3/4 cup petite diced tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
4-6 oz whole-wheat blend pasta
salt

1. Heat oil over medium heat in 12" skillet with a cover until shimmering.

2. Add onion and cook until golden, about 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, start pot of water boiling.

4. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. (Take off heat to avoid burning.)

5. Add tomatoes and green beans, and a pinch of salt. Reduced heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. When water is boiling, add 2 teaspoons of salt and pasta to water and cook until al dente. Drain when done, saving a little pasta water in case it is needed for sauce.

7. When green beans are tender, with a little bit of resistent to the bite, stir in drained pasta and the basil. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Roasted Zucchini and Tomato Pasta

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Grade: A+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food ( March 2003)

This is also one of my very favorite recipes. It is healthy, quick and delicious. My modifications to the recipe are small (like using fresh basil instead of parsley). I also use a little less olive oil. I like to add in a tiny bit of olive oil when mixing the pasta with sauce - about 1 teaspoon is enough to add a little extra flavor.

The leftovers make a great pasta salad. It sometimes can use just a tiny bit more olive oil at this point and maybe a little extra freshly grated cheese and herbs.

Marinara Sauce

Cook's Illustated Marinara Sauce March, 2006

Prep Time: 20 minutes (because of my de-seeding)
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Make Ahead: This stores well for a few days, and it also freezes well.

The first time I made this sauce, I really liked it overall, but didn't like the fact that I could taste the tomato seeds. So, this time, I made the recipe a little more complicated. Normally, I try to make recipes simpler, but I think my extra step is worth it.

I drained the tomotoes over a bowl. Then I got out a second bowl with a strainer. Instead of using my finger to break out the core, I cut the tomato in half and squeezed tomatoes over strainer. I cut out the core, discarded it, then put seeded tomato back in the original strainer. When done with all tomatoes, I pressed down on seeds, to get as much juice out of them as possible.

I had to do this to keep the seeds separate from the tomatoes, but still get as much juice drained. Combining juice from both bowls gave me enough to make the sauce.



I enjoyed this sauce more than my initial try and will do it this way again.