Saturday, July 31, 2021
Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma
Peach Upside-Down Cake
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Sheet-Pan Roasted Mushrooms and Spinach
This sheet-pan recipe is for vegetables only, but it makes a full meal with an addition of a simply cooked protein. I served this with a fried egg on top one night, and the next night served the leftovers with some pan-fried Aidell's chicken sausage. Both ways were very good, but I think I liked the egg best. Other suggestions were to serve it with salmon, chicken, steak, or wrapped in an omelet, and it would also work over rice or noodles.
The original recipe did not include red pepper, but I had one on hand, so I added it, and liked the addition. Another time I added a zucchini. Amounts are flexible. Simple recipe, delicious results, and great as leftovers, too! For example, I've used the leftovers inside an omelet, also delicious.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021960-sheet-pan-roasted-mushrooms-and-spinach
4 servings
- 1 pound mushrooms (either regular or baby portabellas), trimmed and sliced about 1/4" thick
- 3 small shallots, peeled and sliced vertically
- 1 red pepper, sliced in strips, and then halved (optional)
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2 T. olive oil, plus more as needed
- freshly ground pepper
- 8-10 oz. baby spinach (you can substitute kale, but add it after cooking other vegetables for about 10 minutes, and then continue to cook for another 8 minutes)
Toss together in a large bowl: the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and 2 T. olive oil. Season with some freshly ground pepper. Put the mixture into a rimmed sheet pan, and spread out evenly. Roast for about 15-20 minutes.
Take the sheet-pan out of the oven, and add in the spinach, drizzle with a little olive oil (maybe a tablespoon), and toss with the mushrooms. Roast until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes, turning once about half-way through.
Monday, March 8, 2021
Sheet-pan Roasted Chicken with Cauliflower and Yogurt Sauce
This dish is simple enough to make for a week-day supper, but it would also make an elegant dish for guests. And how lovely that before long, we'll be able to have (vaccinated) guests to dinner!
The original recipe did not call for any marinating time, but several commenters on the NYTimes site suggested it, and I think it makes a big difference. I removed the skin, which I think also helped the flavor penetrate the meat. About the herbs--I think using both mint and coriander would be great, but I can't bring myself to buy a little packet of mint in the store, because in a couple of months I'll have bushels of it growing in my herb garden. The sauce was delicious with coriander only; I upped the amount a little because of omitting the mint.
adapted from https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021945-roasted-chicken-thighs-with-cauliflower-and-herby-yogurt
serves 4
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (or 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes)
4 tablespoons olive oil (divided 2 and 2)
salt and black pepper
chicken bone-in thighs and/or drumsticks, enough for 4 people, skin removed
1 large cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into 2-inch florets)
3 shallots, quartered lengthwise (about 1 heaping cup)
1-¼ cups plain non-fat yogurt (Greek yogurt also fine)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (also delicious with cilantro only)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more for serving
1 garlic clove, finely chopped or grated
In a large bowl, whisk together the coriander, paprika and Aleppo pepper with 2 tablespoons oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat in the oil and spices. Let marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
When getting close to cooking time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees; cover a large sheet pan with aluminum foil for easier clean-up.
Put the cauliflower, shallots, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss to coat.
Arrange the chicken in the middle of the sheet pan. Then arrange the vegetables in a single layer surrounding the chicken.
Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the cauliflower is browned, about 40 minutes.
While the chicken bakes, prepare the yogurt sauce: Whisk the yogurt, mint, cilantro, lemon juice and grated garlic with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a platter and top with any juices left on the sheet pan and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with the yogurt sauce.
Monday, January 18, 2021
Update of recipe for Red Curry Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach
I made this recipe again tonight, and found myself thinking, "I wish I could have people over for dinner so I could serve this to them!" If you haven't tried this yet, I do encourage you, especially now that I've simplified the recipe a little bit, combining some steps together. The original recipe called for browning the sweet potato first, and then taking it out of the pot to cook the onion. But I forgot to remove the sweet potatoes, and the few extra minutes of cooking did no harm. So I've changed the directions to cook them together. And since I like to chop garlic, ginger, and onions in sequence in my food processor, I've changed the directions so these ingredients are all added in together. Finally, I took out the original recipe's suggestion that cilantro and toasted coconut be used as final add-ons at the table. I used neither tonight, and think they're entirely unnecessary. The flavors of this stew are already complex and delicious, so why bother with more ingredients?
So, here's a link to the revised recipe. Enjoy!
https://penny-inthekitchen.blogspot.com/2020/01/red-curry-lentils-with-sweet-potatoes.html
Sunday, January 17, 2021
Cooking for lunch: Tomato and White Bean Soup with Lots of Garlic
It's rare for me do any real cooking for lunch. Standards are things like pouring boiling water into a container of dry soup, maybe a peanut butter sandwich or tuna fish, or if I'm feeling ambitious, matzah fry (scrambled eggs with a piece of matzah crumbled in). But when I saw this recipe in the NY Times, it sounded really good to me, and so simple and quick to make that I decided to try it for lunch. I highly recommend it! This is basically tomato soup, but with much more substance/depth than opening a can of Campbell's. I had the soup with an apple and some nuts, and found that to be a very satisfying meal.
(Sorry for the extra spaces between the lines before the instructions--something odd going on, making it impossible for me to make them single spaces.)
TOMATO AND WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH LOTS OF GARLIC
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020733-tomato-and-white-bean-soup-with-lots-of-garlic
4-5 servings
10 garlic cloves
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 (14-ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or great Northern, including their liquid. Drain one can but use both beans and liquid from the other can.*
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup stock or water, plus more as needed
Kosher salt and black pepper
Heavy cream, for serving (optional)
Peel the garlic, then smash the cloves using the flat side of a chef's knife or the bottom of a heavy skillet until wispy and flat.
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the olive oil, then add the crushed garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the white beans and the liquid from one can, crushed tomatoes, stock or water, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then partly cover, reduce heat, and let simmer until thickened and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes.
Using an immersion or regular blender, purée the soup until smooth. Add stock or water to thin as desired. (I did not thin.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I did not use any salt.) Option: Drizzle with heavy cream before serving. (I happened to have cream on hand, so drizzled some on the first time I served the soup. I forgot about it the next day when I had the soup for a second lunch, and didn't notice any difference. So, no need to add cream!)
*This is what I did, following advice from one commenter. The original instructions were to not drain either can, and use the liquid from both cans. I might try that the next time, as it makes it that much easier to leave out a step and not have a colander to wash.