Texas Chili in a Slow Cooker

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Grade: A-
Make Again: Yes
Recipe Source: Cover & Bake

I made this several months ago, but forgot to add it here, so some of my details might be off a little. I remember I tried to cut back the spices, but it was still really spicy. I added some frozen corn from last summer, and the sweetness it added was really nice.

Chicken with Rice, Broccoli and Cheddar

Total Time: 40 minutes
Grade: A-
Make Again: Yes
Recipe Source: Best 30-Minute Recipes

I got The Best 30-Minute recipes from the library in hopes that I would start cooking more again since I have a little bit more free time this summer.

All the recipes I've tried previously have been pretty good, and so far the two I tried this week are good options also.

This took longer than it should have because I was just being slow. But it still would probably take a little more than 30 minutes. I used fresh broccoli instead of frozen.

It was really good.

Beef Teriyaki

Total Time: 30 minutes
Grade: A
Make Again: Yes
Recipe Source: Best 30-Minute Recipes

I steamed some broccoli and white rice at the same time as this dish and it all was done within 30 minutes. This was very good and super easy to make. All you need to do is cut the meat in thin slices, and stir the sauce ingredients together. Then cook. To only make the Beef could probably be done in under 20 minutes.

The only ingredient you may need to buy for this is Mirin, which is at most grocery stores in the Asian cooking section. (It is cheaper though if you can get it at an Asian grocery store.)

Lighter Pulled Pork

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Grade: B

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (March 2009)

This was not bad, but the sauce was pretty bland for me. I would make again but try to spice up a bit more. (I didn't make the slaw from the recipe, just the sandwich.) It is definitely a leaner pork sandwich, so that is nice, but maybe not the best use for pork tenderloin. I had some I had to use up, though, and no time, so this recipe is a good one for that situation.

Cacio e Pepe (sort of)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (May 2007)

I guess there is some debate as to whether CI should have called this recipe "Cacio e Pepe", since it is really not authentic. Actually, they named it: Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper (Cacio e Pepe). I have no clue about that - I'd never heard of this dish before. I guess the cream makes it not really true, or something.

Anyway, this is very, very simple. And it tastes delicious. The nice thing is that it actually isn't a heavy sauce, which is surprising since I just mentioned cream, and then there is the cheese. However, there is only one ounce of cheese per serving, and only 2T of cream for the entire dish, so this is much lighter than a creamy sauce you might think of. The ingredients are mixed with pasta water, so the sauce is actually not heavy at all.

The only problem I had was that my cheese did get clumpy, which their technique is supposed to prevent. It may be that I didn't grate properly - I used my rasp-type grater (seen above), instead of the bumpy side of a box grater.

I think I will worry less about that next time, and just throw all the ingredients on the pasta next time, and not worry if I get a perfect sauce.

It is funny that shortly after trying this, I saw this at Smitten Kitchen: Cacio e Pepe/ This recipe is similar but uses more oil, so probably a little richer. I might combine the two techniques next time.

I'll definitely make again for a very quick and tasty pasta dish -- as an alternative to tomato based sauces.

Oh I should mention the 2nd time I made it, I used wheat-blend pasta and it was very goood.

Chewy Brownies

Prep Time: 18 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Grade: C

Make Again: No

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (March 2010)

This is a first - I have never not liked a brownie recipe before. The problem for me is that I could actually taste the oil used in the brownie. I guess it is the combination of the oil and butter that makes them chewy - and they were chewy.

These aren't horrible, and they did taste better then 2nd day. However, the taste was not as good as I've had, and I found the recipe a bit fussy since you had to add both butter and oil. I can use any other brownie recipe from America's Test Kitchen, King Arthur Flour or Everyday food, so these will definitely not be made again.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Fennel and Sausage

Total Time: 35 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (March 2010)

It seems like Cook's Illustrated is trying to do some easier recipes recently. That is fine with me. This one is really easy, fast and good. It would have cooked faster if it wasn't for my slow stove top (electric.) If I had a nice gas cook top, I'm sure it would be faster (as would a lot of my cooking.)

I only used 2 tablespoons of oil, and I still felt like this was a little greasy actually. I will do it with 1 T. next time and use some pasta water to stretch the "sauce". I also felt like the 6 T. of garlic was a little bit much, and would probably use half of that next time. Turkey sausage will work here too to make a little lighter.

I didn't have any lemon with me, or fresh basil and it was still good. I think the basil would be nice, but I don't think it needed the lemon. It is definitely a good recipe for whole wheat, and I'll use again. I don't care for raw fennel, but love it when it is cooked, so this is a good recipe for that also.

Broccoli Soup

Total Time: 35 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (November 1996)

There are still a lot of recipes from the January 2010 Cook's Illustrated magazine that I want to try (and March was just put online!), but I am very, very busy at the moment. I'm also trying to clean out my freezer, pantry and fridge before buying any new ingredients as much as possible.

So, I had a huge bag of broccoli florets that needed to be used up. I remembered a pureed broccoli soup that I used to make from a Jane Brody cook book that I no longer own. The Cook's Illustrated recipe looked similar (as far as I can remember) so I tried it. It is very simple to make and I thought it tasted very good. The only minor flaw was that I didn't probably puree long enough, and the little pieces of florets created a texture that wasn't always the most pleasing (when they clumped up.) But it wasn't too much of a problem.

It was still very good 2 days later. It is a great way to use up broccoli before it goes bad. I sprinkled with a little cheddar cheese when serving which you may see in the picture.

In my cooking time, I also made some home made croutons from two pieces of almost getting stale wheat bread. They were a delicious addition to the soup. I'll do that again since it was so easy.

I can't post the recipe, but here are the ingredients. You basically just saute the onions, add the wine or sherry (I used Vermouth) and then cook the broth and broccoli until very tender (but not army green.) Then puree in a blender with the milk. I used less salt than called for and it was plenty.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, or olive oil (you could get by with less)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons dry sherry or white wine (I used Vermouth which I always have on hand)
5 cups broccoli florets cut small
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or low-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon table salt (I used half)
ground white pepper (I forgot this)
1/2 cup milk (I used 1%)

The original recipe calls from fresh basil which I am sure is great, but I skipped.

For the croutons, I did a 1/2" dice with a serrated knife on two slices of wheat bread. I sprayed with Olive Oil spray and tossed in a bowl with a few shakes of salt. I was pretty generous with the spray and sprayed more than once after tossing, so I wouldn't say it was 2 calories. :-) However, it is a lot lighter this way than tossing with oil. The spray is nice because you can add evenly without needing so much.

Then I baked for abou 10 minutes at 350, tossing once halfway through. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn.

America's Test Kitchen

Just a note about the recipes I'm rating here. Many of them come from the various Cook's Illustrated magazine and the various spin-off books. I subscribe to the online version of the magazine, which includes all info from the printed version and includes short videos of the recipes. It is well-worth the price! But I can't post the recipes here.

However, many of those recipes are also featured in their TV show America's Test Kitchen. I believe all recipes on the show have a free on-line version, so you can find the recipes there.

I will be going through my old posts and adding links where I can, but in the meantime, you might look there if you are looking for a recipe.

Update: Actually, I was just exploring their web-site and it looks like they only have the recipes for the current season and previous season. (Probably whatever is airing on TV.) So, if you find a recipe there you want to try, print it out, because it may eventually not be available again.

Southwestern Skillet Pie

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

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (November 2004)

I love this easy recipe. It is very flexible, fast, and usually can be made with ingredients you likely have on hand.

It came from Everyday Food, but I have changed it a little. Really, this is so flexible, you can substitute in a lot of ways.

The original recipe called for a red pepper chopped up. Although I love red peppers, I never felt like it added much with all the salsa, so I skip. It also called for mixing 1/2 c of the cheese in the biscuits. I feel the cheese doesn't add to the biscuits, so I skip that too. It doesn't even really need any cheese at all, but I use if I have some on hand.

Southwestern Skillet Pie

1 lb ground meat (preferably a lean beef or turkey)
4 cloves garlic minced
16 oz (2 cups) your favorite Salsa
1 15oz can beans (black, pinto, kidney), drained and rinsed
1/2 - 1 t. salt (to taste)
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 c. water
1 c. (or less) shredded cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, etc.)

Biscuit:
1 c. unbleached flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3 T. butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 c. milk or buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425.

NOTE: Use a pan that can be put in a hot oven while the biscuits cook.

1) Brown meat over medium heat in ovenproof skillet. Drain if too much fat.
2) Add garlic, salt and pepper and saute for 30 sec
3) Add salsa, beans and water, stir and heat to a simmer
4) In a medium bowl, mix the dry biscuit ingredients. Cut in butter with pastry cutter or knives until butter is mixed in fairly well (but not completely)
5) Stir in milk with a fork.
6) Sprinkle cheese over meat and bean mixture
7) Drop 8 evenly sized (as well as you can!) spoonfuls of the biscuit dough on top. The dough will spread so leave some space.
8) Bake 20-25 minutes until the biscuits are cooked and starting to brown.
9) Remove from oven and serve.