Gingersnaps

Prep Time: 17 min
Chill Time: 1 hour
Roll Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 27-30 minutes per sheet

Grade: B

Make Again: No

Recipe Source: America's Test Kitchen TV (Season 13)
Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (November 2011)

These are a good crispy gingersnap cookie, but they have a lot of bite, so are not for everyone. I liked the flavor, but the picky eater did not. I won't make them again because I prefer chewy ginger or molasses cookies and I have good recipes for those already.

Grilled Boneless Chicken Breasts with Spicy Hoisin Sauce

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Brine Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: America's Test Kitchen (Season 14)
Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (Sept 2013)

You can get the recipe at the TV show website (if you register and read this within a year or two), but the Hoisin Sauce recipes is not there unless you are a paying subscriber.

So here are the ingredients:

2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 – 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder

Basically you just whisk them together (it helps to do the cornstarch into the vinegar first) and then boil it for a minute or two to thicken. 

This recipe is very simple and it was delicious. The chicken turned out perfect. I used 1T of the Sriracha sauce and my picky eater complained it was too spicy. He said he might have liked it with less spice. I will try again with 1/2 T because it was so good. 

And of course a very simple meal if you plan for the brining time before hand.  

Also, I didn't have five-spice powder or all the parts to make a substitute. I used a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of cloves. 

Classic Gingerbread Cake

Prep Time: 18 minutes
Cook Time: 35-45 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (May 2011)
Recipe Source: America's Test Kitchen (Season 12)

Note: Video and recipe available at 2nd link without subscription, probably for the rest of the year.

I have always been disappointed with gingerbread cakes. They are always too moist and gummy and the flavor isn't what I was looking for. This one was the best I have ever tried. It does have quite a kick though, and my picky eater didn't care for it. I liked the texture however. If I do make again it will be with a tiny bit less ginger. I'm not sure I will make again though, since I was the only what that liked it.

Speaking of the ginger, I came very close to forgetting the dried ginger. (There is also some fresh in the recipe.) I had my 2T measured out, but never mixed it in with the dry ingredients. Instead, after I put the cake in the oven, and started cleaning up, I noticed the ginger on the counter! Thankfully it was in time, and I tried to sprinkle it somewhat evenly over the cake, and then I whisked it in the pan. Because the batter was so thin, I was able to do this and avoid a disaster.

Unfortunately, this forgetting of ingredients is becoming a habit of mine. One I need to break. I made some cupcakes a few months ago with no sugar. Today I made rolls and forgot both the sugar and the salt. They were horrible. I also forgot the salt when I made gnochhi. (Notice none of these recipes have been reviewed yet, because I made such bad mistakes.)

I need to work on better prep, so I don't forget things anymore. It is such a bummer when you put all this effort into something and then realize you messed up too late!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes

Grade: A-
Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (January 2011)

I haven't done a stir fry in a while, and I miss them. This is a simple and light version of sweet and sour (no frying).

It differs from Cook's Illustrated stir-fries in that you dump the veggies and chicken into the pan at once. That makes it easier, but it also resulted in green beans that were a little overcooked. Not bad, but not as bright green and crisp as they could have been.

When I first tasted the chicken, I was unimpressed, and thought that it was more bland because there was no marinating of the chicken. But when I tasted the full dish with veggies and sauce, I liked it more, and overall I found the dish very satisfying.

I think CI/ATK stir-fry recipes are a bit better, but a little more work, so this one will do in a pinch when there is less time. I could have shortened the time more by overlapping the cooking with prep, by at least heating up my pan while still prepping. However, I have found cleaning the kitchen before I start cooking with stir fries is a very good idea, otherwise I end up with a disaster.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sesame Chicken Bites

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Marinade: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: B-

Make Again: No

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (October 2005)

This was fine, but I didn't love the sauce flavor - it was a little one-dimensional I guess. However, I do like the idea of cooking chicken bites this way, and may try it with some other sauces. Instead of stir-frying you bake the bite sized pieces of chicken and it worked well. (I skipped the skewers)

Spice Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 32-35 minutes
Cool Time: 2 hours
Frosting: 10 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

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

I really liked this, but I'm not sure if it was a hit with the rest of my family. I didn't get any positive comments. It is very flavorful, but I might have over baked it just a tiny bit.

I love the frosting on this, and it is similar to the Carrot Cake frosting but uses some of the spices from the cake instead of sour cream. It does take a little bit longer to make because of browning some butter and blooming the spices in it, but I think that bit of extra effort is worth it.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (October 2008)

This was delicious and fairly easy. I did find that it had too much sauce though, which is a common thing for me. So, I saved half of it and froze it, and cooked only 3 chicken breasts, since that it a common size for me to get. Then I was able to make this twice. The frozen sauce tasted just fine to me and still spicy and good.

The first time I had trouble getting the chicken cooked in a timely manner, and I decided my pan was not close enough to the burner. The 2nd time it was. But, then it caught on fire! Luckily, I stayed calm while seeing this big flames in my oven, and got some baking soda and was able to put it out and not wreck the chicken - phew! I didn't want to waste any of the deliciousness of this recipe.

The biggest pain is cleaning the wire rack afterwards. I am going to try to grill these next time, because an easy recipe becomes a pain when you have this to clean.

Soba Noodles with Pork

Total Time: 29 minutes

Grade: B

Make Again: Probably not

Recipe Source: Best 30-Minute Recipes

I replaced the mushrooms (stir-fried) with broccoli (steamed in skillet), to suit my tastes. This was good and fine, and I did finish in less than 30 minutes, for once. But, it left my kitchen a disaster. I need to allow myself more time to prep and clean before I start cooking. If it takes 10 minutes more, it will save me 10 minutes later when I'm cleaning up, and I'll feel less stressed!

The flavors were fine on this, but nothing special, so I do think I will stick with other favorite stir-fry recipes.

Sichuan Green Beans

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: B+

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (January 2007)

I didn't love this as much as I thought I would. However, the leftover flavors tasted better to me, so I may try to make this again. It was just a little bit more work than I was expecting, I think.

Spicy Sichuan Noodles - Dan Dan Mian

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (May 2001)

This is fast, and really good. The sauce is made from ground pork and peanut butter, and is spicy. I love that it can be completed from start to finish in 30 minutes if you start your pans heating at the beginning.

Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken with Noodle Cake

Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:15 - 20 minutes

Grade: A+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (March 2003)

I prefer to make this recipe with broccoli and red peppers in place of the bok choy. I also like to use the velveting technique that they used in this version of the recipe found on America's Test Kitchen TV show.

Indian-Style Vegetable Curry

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (May 2007)

This recipe does require a bit of prep (onions, potatoes, serrano, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, toasted spices, and more) but it is very good. I used less oil (1.5 T instead of 4T) and had trouble with the potatoes sticking. I probably should have used more. It is a completely lean dish otherwise, so it wouldn't hurt to use a little bit more.

Pork Bulgogi

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

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (Jan/Feb 2004)

This is very good but a little too spicy for me. I need to use less red pepper.

6 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (or less)
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 lb pork tenderloin, very thinly sliced
1 large onion, cut into 12 wedges
1 Tablespoon olive oil
sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in bowl. Add pork and marinate for at least 10 minutes.

2. Heat oil over medium heat. Cook pork and onions in 3 batches, 3-5 minutes per batch. Discard extra marinade.

3. Return all batches to skillet to warm. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve over rice or with lettuce leaves.

Spicy Chili-Fried Edamame

Prep Time: 14 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes boil, 5 minutes stir-fry

Grade: A+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Restaurant Favorites at Home

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. This is a very addictive snack, with a spicy and sweet component. I have altered the original recipe to use less oil (2 T instead of 4 T.) You need to be careful when using less oil when you add the ginger and garlic so it doesn't stick to pan and burn. Otherwise, using less oil works well.

You have just about enough time to prep all ingredients while water is heating up to boil.

I have served this as an appetizer and had all my ingredients ready including the edamame boiled, and just done the stir fry at the last minute. The cooking time might need to be slightly longer if ingredients are cold.

NOTE: In case you have not eaten edamame in the pods before, the pods are inedible. These are eaten by putting in mouth closing teeth and pulling pod back out. This way you get the beans and the spicy sauce.

Spicy Chili-Fried Edamame Recipe

1 pound frozen edamame in their pods (frozen soy beans)
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced/grated (about 2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add edamame and salt, return to boil, and cook for about 6 minutes, until beans inside are tender. Drain, and refresh with cold water to stop cooking.

2. Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil in small bowl and set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in 12" non-stick skillet over high heat, until shimmering. Add edamame and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

4. Push beans to the side and add 1/2 tablespoon more oil and the chiles. Stir fry for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

5. Add 1/2 tablespoon more oil and the garlic and ginger. Stir constantly for about 1 minutes.

6. Add soy sauce mixture and cook while stirring until liquid has evaporated, about 30 second.