Monday, May 11, 2020

At the Table

If there's been a real positive to staying home for the past two months, it's that I've gotten back into the kitchen. I mean I never really left. I never stopped being the one to manage dinnertime, but things had gotten a little too simplistic. Somewhere along the line during this stay-home time, I rediscovered how much fun it was to try new recipes. And this is as much for me as for you, I confess, but I've rounded up the printed copies and post-it tabbed cookbook pages to list the recipes I've tried for the first time. Of course I've omitted the ones I tried and wouldn't recommend. All of the recipes below, I'd definitely make again, and those Chocolate Chip Cookies? I've already made them three times! Oops.

The Pioneer Woman
basically/bon appetit

Barefoot Contessa
  • Overnight Mac & Cheese - delish! So easy to make ahead & then pop in the oven the next night. I've had requests to make it again.

Studio DIY

Fine Cooking
Damn Delicious
Smitten Kitchen
  • Parsley Leaf Potatoes - these fall into the fun to make category, especially since we had plenty of flat-leaf parsley in the herb garden.
  • Crispy Crumbled Potatoes - Not my norm to fry things like this, but they were delish & oh-so-worth-it.
  • Cinnamon Brown Butter Breakfast Puffs - a spin on an old family favorite, gotta say these were even better, with that brown butter and all.
  • Tomato and Sausage Risotto - SO good and I'm making it again this week.

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
  • Baked Ranchero Eggs with Blistered Jack Cheese and Lime Crema - just tried this yesterday and we really enjoyed it. I cut the recipe down since there's just two of us.
  • Gingerbread Spice Dutch Baby - fall-ish, yes, but it was quick, easy, and tasty.

Smitten Kitchen Every Day
  • Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar - a favorite combo in a new way.
  • Chicken and Rice, Street Cart Style [with Layered Yogurt Flatbreads from Smitten Kitchen] - ok, this was a bit of work but totally worth it. Note Smitten Kitchen has two Yogurt Flatbread recipes. I tried the one from her site without yeast. We liked it alot but I'll try the one from her book too just to compare. Marinate the chicken the day before and that will help with timing the day of.
  • Tomato and Gigante Bean Bake/Pizza Beans - I never would have tried this one without all the rave reviews, but we really enjoyed it. I subbed canned, drained white beans, as the ones the recipe calls for are out of stock everywhere I tried.

So, that's alot of what I've been cooking up! DO tell.... what's the best new recipe you've tried? Has staying home gotten you back to cooking too, or no? Is there a Smitten Kitchen recipe you think I should try? What's been going on in your kitchen?

8 comments:

  1. Wow! The cooking channel has nothing over you. You should be open for take-out at the very least.
    I like your potholders too.

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  2. I think it’s wonderful that you enjoy cooking so much that you’re trying new recipes. I’ve been onto the Pioneer Woman mug cake for several years, and have been known to put all the dry ingredients in a Ziplock bag and take them when visiting family. Those cinnamon puffs look especially tempting. If I thought someone besides me would eat them, I’d be all over making them. Thanks for sharing your cooking creations. They’re fun to see.

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  3. wow. we just had dinner but just reading this made me hungry! I've never been much for cooking, i confess. every now & then hubby comes up with a recipe he wants to try & i help out

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  4. You've been busy! Our great find during this time has been the King Arthur "recipe of the year" for Cripsy Cheesy Pan Pizza - I actually found it on Food52 first. It has turned out every time, and I've figured out the tweaks we like at our house. Plus, you can make the dough up to 72 hours ahead which makes still Sunday dinner when we used to dine out a pretty low effort affair.

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  5. Cooking stuff that is not the same old fast and easy is really an art form in itself. Your dishes look really delicious! I have actually ordered a dehydrated sourdough starter, got it going and have made a loaf of amazing artisian bread and some amazing sourdough biscuits.........yes cooking and baking is fun when you have all time in the world.

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  6. Impressed!!! Thanks for sharing this! I am definitely going to look into some of these. We decided to switch to a vegetarian diet in February so this entire quarantine has been trying new non-meat recipes. It's been good but with the weather warming up I am thinking about how good chicken on the grill would be....

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  7. I have both of Smitten's cookbooks. She is a go to for me when I want a recipe.

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  8. Wow! I've only tried ONE new recipe. All of your food photos look amazing!

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