Grandma's Kitchen Table

Whole30: Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken with Cauliflower

      The 31st recipe I’ve made for this group is Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken with Cauliflower and can be found in the Whole30 Fast & Easy Cookbook on page 153.

       Ingredients: cauliflower, olive oil, salt, pepper, ghee, chicken breasts, compliant Buffalo sauce, and compliant ranch dressing (for serving). I did not serve with ranch dressing (not a favorite) and I added a few stalks of asparagus to round out the meal.

       It is still rainy here, the grill is sitting outside patiently waiting. Sheet pan dinners are always easy, everything gets placed on the sheet pan and baked for the same amount of time without much assistance. All of this was nicely flavored (you can add as much buffalo sauce to the chicken as you like) and I would not hesitate to make this again.

       As usual here on this blog, I do not publish recipes that belong to others, respecting their rights as authors. Many times the recipe creators are generous and publish them online, or you can buy the book I that I have cited and have all the recipes at hand. 

Whole30: Mexican Chicken Soup

      The 30th recipe I’ve made for this group is Mexican Chicken Soup and can be found in the Whole30 Fast & Easy Cookbook on page 172.

       Ingredients: olive oil, onion, poblano pepper, red bell pepper, garlic, salt, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chili powder, chicken, and cilantro (I used parsley). 

       It’s a dark and rainy day here so soup is on the lunch menu. Margaret didn’t want to make this recipe as she thought it sounded too spicy…and it did have a spicy kick which warmed up the day ever so nicely. I had things in the refrigerator to use up, soup being a good way to do accomplish that. After a bit of frig/pantry foraging I came up with all of the ingredients, what a happy chance. Definitely a repeat on this recipe, very nice, very easy, very good at using up bits of things, and very delicious. It was recommended that an avocado be served with it but no avocados here today…next time.

       As usual here on this blog, I do not publish recipes that belong to others, respecting their rights as authors. Many times the recipe creators are generous and publish them online, or you can buy the book I that I have cited and have all the recipes at hand. 

Cook the Book Fridays - Everyday Dorie - Roast Chicken with Pan-Sauce Vinaigrette

       The 58th recipe I made for the Cook the Book Fridays group using the Everyday Dorie cookbook by Dorie Greenspan is Roast Chicken with Pan-Sauce Vinaigrette, it can be found on page 128. 

       Ingredients:  Chicken: olive oil, carrot, shallot, thyme, rosemary, sage, bay leaves, salt, pepper, chicken, lemon, garlic, and white wine; Vinaigrette: water, Dijon mustard, sherry vinegar, salt, pepper, and walnut oil; salad greens.

       Each week I make chicken to morph into things over the week, the first night we eat is as a chicken dinner and then it becomes any number of other things which call for cooked chicken…we both happen to like chicken. When I looked at all the ingredients for making this chicken, I thought surely we could cut some corners here and simplify it…but then it wouldn’t mean that I truly followed her plan for the recipe and tasted what she made, so I faithfully followed the recipe as written. Never doubt Dorie…this chicken has a lot of very nice flavor, which is a good thing when one is just going to serve it on a bed of greens with the vinaigrette drizzled over it all. It looked a little lonely so I added a few grape tomatoes. I could literally eat salad every day for lunch and never tire of it. This is a perfect lunch for me and I will make it again…including this chicken as it is so flavorful. Definitely a repeat.

       To see what others in the group made, click here, for the Cook the Book Fridays link. We don't publish recipes from the book here in deference to the author, but the author has been generous and  you can find many of them online.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Cottage Berry Cobbler

       The 43rd recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Cottage Berry Cobbler and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 263. 

       Ingredients:  flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, milk, cottage cheese, berries, sugar, spice (I used cinnamon), and lemon.

       The group made this last summer and I’m just getting around to doing it now. It is rather like a shortcake biscuit. The berries I used were strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. The whipped cream on the top was optional and it seemed to dress it all up quite a bit so I went with that. It was all good, the biscuits get wet on the bottom quickly from the fruit juices, so that’s a bit unpleasant if you don’t like the whole wet bread thing. Would I make this again? Well, I’d make the berries again, as those were nicely flavored, but the biscuit, while on its own was tasty, to serve with this, probably not…the whole wet bread thing. You do you.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

 

 

       The 43rd recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Cottage Berry Cobbler and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 263. 

       Ingredients:  flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, milk, cottage cheese, berries, sugar, spice (I used cinnamon), and lemon.

       The group made this last summer and I’m just getting around to doing it now. It is rather like a shortcake biscuit. The berries I used were strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. The whipped cream on the top was optional and it seemed to dress it all up quite a bit so I went with that. It was all good, the biscuits get wet on the bottom quickly from the fruit juices, so that’s a bit unpleasant if you don’t like the whole wet bread thing. Would I make this again? Well, I’d make the berries again, as those were nicely flavored, but the biscuit, while on its own was tasty, to serve with this, probably not…the whole wet bread thing. You do you.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Iced Honey-Apple Scones with Spelt

       The 42nd recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Iced Honey-Apple Scones with Spelt and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 57. 

       Ingredients:  flour, spelt, baking powder, baking soda, salt, an orange, butter, apple, honey, egg, milk, confectioners' sugar, and bee pollen (I didn’t have this so I just sprinkled some walnut pieces on top).

       The group made these last year and I’m just getting around to doing them now. We aren’t generally scone-eaters, I decided to get the scone recipes I missed along the way made this week so I could hand them out to neighbors as they were out walking their dogs…which turned out to be a great idea as everyone was delighted to have a warm scone to munch on as they walked. 

       I made the scones thinking that they would be fine without the icing, usually we prefer things without the icing, but then the photo in the book looked so nice that I decided I would ice a couple, including the one I was going to sample, and really, the icing (and nuts) were a delicious combination with the apples and honey in the scones. I might make these again at some point as a sweet treat. Scones are really easy and quick to make. Maybe we could grow to like scones more than I thought.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

 

 

       The 42nd recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Iced Honey-Apple Scones with Spelt and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 57. 

       Ingredients:  flour, spelt, baking powder, baking soda, salt, an orange, butter, apple, honey, egg, milk, confectioners' sugar, and bee pollen (I didn’t have this so I just sprinkled some walnut pieces on top).

       The group made these last year and I’m just getting around to doing them now. We aren’t generally scone-eaters, I decided to get the scone recipes I missed along the way made this week so I could hand them out to neighbors as they were out walking their dogs…which turned out to be a great idea as everyone was delighted to have a warm scone to munch on as they walked. 

       I made the scones thinking that they would be fine without the icing, usually we prefer things without the icing, but then the photo in the book looked so nice that I decided I would ice a couple, including the one I was going to sample, and really, the icing (and nuts) were a delicious combination with the apples and honey in the scones. I might make these again at some point as a sweet treat. Scones are really easy and quick to make. Maybe we could grow to like scones more than I thought.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Buttermilk Scones

      The 41st recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Buttermilk Scones and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 52. (I made the fruit version with dried cranberries.)

       Ingredients:  flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, butter, egg, buttermilk, and dried cranberries.

       The group made these a couple years ago and I’m just getting around to doing them now. We aren’t generally scone-eaters for some reason…so I made them, put a couple in the freezer for the Scones Pudding recipe I need to make yet, ate one as a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, and passed these four out to neighbors walking their doggies as I saw them passing by, which is generally a good way to make friends with all the neighbors. 

       Scones are really easy to make, I’m always sorry after I make them that we don’t like to eat them more, but there you have it. I had buttermilk yet from the cake we made last week, so this seemed a perfect opportunity to use that while it was on hand. The scone made a good and tasty ham and cheese sandwich, nicely warm yet from the oven, and the cranberries were delicious with the ham. If I needed an occasion to make scones, I would surely use this recipe.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

 

 

      The 41st recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Buttermilk Scones and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 52. (I made the fruit version with dried cranberries.)

       Ingredients:  flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, butter, egg, buttermilk, and dried cranberries.

       The group made these a couple years ago and I’m just getting around to doing them now. We aren’t generally scone-eaters for some reason…so I made them, put a couple in the freezer for the Scones Pudding recipe I need to make yet, ate one as a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, and passed these four out to neighbors walking their doggies as I saw them passing by, which is generally a good way to make friends with all the neighbors. 

       Scones are really easy to make, I’m always sorry after I make them that we don’t like to eat them more, but there you have it. I had buttermilk yet from the cake we made last week, so this seemed a perfect opportunity to use that while it was on hand. The scone made a good and tasty ham and cheese sandwich, nicely warm yet from the oven, and the cranberries were delicious with the ham. If I needed an occasion to make scones, I would surely use this recipe.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Cheddar-Scallion Scones

       The 40th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Cheddar-Scallion Scones and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 54. 

       Ingredients:  flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, mustard powder, paprika, baking soda, butter, cheddar cheese, scallions, egg, and cold milk.

       The group made these about a year ago and I’m just getting around to doing them now. We aren’t generally scone-eaters for some reason…but these were very nice and fluffy with an oniony-cheesy flavor that made them a nice accompaniment to dinner. They remind me of those biscuits they serve at a certain seafood restaurant that begins with Red and ends with Lobster.

        I made half a recipe and cut them the way she instructed in the recipe, which reminds me neither of traditional scones nor traditional biscuits, so that was a fun change.  The recipe comes together nicely and bakes for 20 minutes so easy enough to do quickly if you want something extra with dinner and are completely out of anything resembling a starch before shopping day. Is the recipe worth a repeat? Yes, I would say so, Mark especially enjoyed them.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Double-Decker Salted Caramel Cake

       The 39th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Double-Decker Salted Caramel Cake and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 99. 

       Ingredients:  Cake: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, eggs, butter, canola, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, vanilla, and buttermilk; Caramel Sauce: sugar, water, corn syrup, cream, salt, butter, and vanilla; Frosting: confectioners’ sugar, caramel sauce, and cream. Optional toppings: toffee bits, chopped chocolate, or nuts.

       April finds three of us in this group celebrating birthdays, so I got to help choose a recipe to make as part of the celebration. This was my birthday cake…caramel being one of my favorite flavors. I chose the toffee bits for the topping. The recipe spans three pages (one is photo only) in the book so there was a bit of a process to have it all come out correctly. Making the cake was easy, making the caramel sauce with Dorie’s recipe is always easy, the frosting portion of the recipe was also easy, and assembling it was easy…so all in all, despite all the steps, it was quite easy, just a bit time consuming, but then most things worth much are usually a bit time consuming. I didn’t mind. The cake was fun to make and delicious, lots of caramel flavor. Is this a repeat recipe? Absolutely, definitely can see making this again. Matt loves caramel as well, so maybe for his birthday in July.

      Because there were a lot of birthday treats arriving this year, I decided that this cake would be, as Mardi says, "minified." I made one third of the recipe which made one 4-1/2" springform pan size cake and 4 full-size cupcakes (the batter would actually make 2 of the 4-1/2" springform pan size mini cakes but cupcakes seemed a better choice for handing off to others). Turned out this was a wise choice as too much of this cake hanging around would be way too tempting, so delicious.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

Cook the Book Fridays: Everyday Dorie - Dark Chocolate Pudding

      The 57th recipe I made for the Cook the Book Fridays group using the Everyday Dorie cookbook by Dorie Greenspan is Dark Chocolate Pudding, it can be found on page 294. 

       Ingredients:  milk, cream, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, salt, eggs, chocolate, vanilla, and unsalted butter.

       Chocolate Pudding is one of Mark’s favorites…I know, he has a lot of favorites but he was very happy when I said I was making this recipe for him. The whipped cream topping was optional...since he thinks every dessert tastes better topped with whipped cream, it didn't seem optional.

       After lining everything up in their proper groupings before starting, I just followed the recipe exactly as she wrote it. It didn’t take long with the ingredients all in my refrigerator and pantry, so making it every now and again would be most welcome by Mark, which is why I make desserts in the first place. The recipe made 6 little bowls of pudding, he happily ate all six over several days, and is already looking forward to the next time. I would say that is a good recommendation. Apparently this is very good chocolate pudding.

       To see what others in the group made, click here, for the Cook the Book Fridays link. We don't publish recipes from the book here in deference to the author, but the author has been generous and  you can find many of them online.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Mochaccino Muffins

       The 38th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Mochaccino Muffins and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 68. 

       Ingredients:  flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, sugar, ground coffee, milk, eggs, coffee extract, butter, mini chocolate chips, and sanding sugar.

       The group made this a couple of years ago, I just didn’t get around to it until now. Mark needed something chocolatey-sweetish to snack on and Matt's friend Kyle was stopping by, so these sounded like just the thing to make on a nice sunny spring day with all the windows open and to send home with Kyle.

       Everything came together as stated, they baked a couple minutes longer for me, but ovens vary. All in all, an easy, quick recipe, and anyone looking for a chocolatey-sweetish treat can have a homemade one in practically no time at all. Mark and Kyle enjoyed them very much. This could be a repeat, I will wait and see if a request comes about, but would happily make them again anytime.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

 

 

       The 38th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Mochaccino Muffins and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 68. 

       Ingredients:  flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, sugar, ground coffee, milk, eggs, coffee extract, butter, mini chocolate chips, and sanding sugar.

       The group made this a couple of years ago, I just didn’t get around to it until now. Mark needed something chocolatey-sweetish to snack on and Matt's friend Kyle was stopping by, so these sounded like just the thing to make on a nice sunny spring day with all the windows open and to send home with Kyle.

       Everything came together as stated, they baked a couple minutes longer for me, but ovens vary. All in all, an easy, quick recipe, and anyone looking for a chocolatey-sweetish treat can have a homemade one in practically no time at all. Mark and Kyle enjoyed them very much. This could be a repeat, I will wait and see if a request comes about, but would happily make them again anytime.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

Cook the Book Fridays: Everyday Dorie - Ginger Fried Rice

       The 56th recipe I made for the Cook the Book Fridays group using the Everyday Dorie cookbook by Dorie Greenspan is Ginger Fried Rice, it can be found on page 239. 

       Ingredients:  ponzu sauce, gochujang, honey, bok choy, Napa cabbage, carrots, onion, fresh ginger, garlic, canola oil, salt, cooked cold rice, chicken, and pepper. (I did not have bok choy so I just used twice as much Napa cabbage and threw a little parsley on top.)

       This was a perfect quick lunch…I had everything on hand and just assembled it, cooked it, and it was all ready in less than 30 minutes. I used leftover rotisserie chicken, what a great place to park that, and make it easier/faster. I will make this again. The flavors are spicy but not too spicy (from the ginger, garlic, and gochujang) and balanced with the ponzu and honey. Definitely a repeat.

       To see what others in the group made for this group, click here, for the Cook the Book Fridays link. We don't publish recipes from the book here in deference to the author, but the author has been generous and  you can find many of them online.

Whole30: Strip Steak with Crispy Salt-and-Vinegar Smashed Potatoes

      The 29th recipe I’ve made for this group is Strip Steak with Crispy Salt-and-Vinegar Smashed Potatoes and can be found in the Whole30 Cookbook on page 74.

       Ingredients: ghee, green onion, tarragon, garlic, lemon zest, whole-grain mustard, salt, pepper, potatoes, vinegar, olive oil, steaks, and chives (I didn’t have chives so I used fresh parsley). 

       Before we were retired, steak was a weekend meal, and we only had it in the summer when we could grill it outdoors. We still only have it during grilling season, but nowadays it can appear any night of the week as when you are retired, as my friend Nancy’s husband says, “Every day is a Saturday.”  These days, Mark and I always just share one…he likes about 2/3 and I’m happy with 1/3 so it works out well, is a lot more economical, and we can have them more often during grilling season. It’s just starting to be grilling season, so he went to the market to score the first steak of the season on this nice warm, sunny day. The rest of the week is not grilling season…welcome to Indiana in April. 

        The potatoes were easy to prepare and since we both love warm German Potato Salad, the vinegar reminded us of that…rounding out the meal was the rest of the asparagus we had from the bundle we used with the lamb yesterday. The little sauce on top of the steak was tasty: garlic, lemon, onion, mustard…a perfect mix for us. Definitely a repeat, a very nice recipe find.

       As usual here on this blog, I do not publish recipes that belong to others, respecting their rights as authors. Many times the recipe creators are generous and publish them online, or you can buy the book I that I have cited and have all the recipes at hand. 

Whole30: Grilled Lamb Chops and Fingerlings with Arugula Pesto

      The 28th recipe I’ve made for this group is Grilled Lamb Chops and Fingerlings with Arugula Pesto and can be found in the Whole30 Cookbook on page 54. Margaret's post is here.

       Ingredients: lamb chops, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, potatoes, olive oil, arugula, almonds, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. 

       Margaret happened upon some really nice lamb chops in her weekly shopping so she selected this recipe. I was onboard immediately as we love grilled lamb chops. Mark is the prime “griller" here and I am the prime maker of sides, salads, and desserts. This happens April through November, prime grilling season in Indiana. The rest of the year Mark is on vacation from any sort of cooking, which is fine, as I am very grateful to have him grilling 7 months of the year. He is, very good with the grilled proteins, and he will often grill vegetables as well, as was the case today. 

       The seasoning flavors and pesto were delicious on the lamb chops. The potatoes I cut into bite-size pieces to get them nice and crispy. We added grilled asparagus and the remaining couple tablespoons of the granola-topped root vegetable dish we had earlier in the week.  A wonderful Sunday dinner, definitely worthy of a repeat.

       As usual here on this blog, I do not publish recipes that belong to others, respecting their rights as authors. Many times the recipe creators are generous and publish them online, or you can buy the book I that I have cited and have all the recipes at hand. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Carrot Muffins

      The 37th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Carrot Muffins and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 65. (The photo shows the muffins and one muffin divided so you can see the inside.)

       Ingredients:  flour, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, salt, baking soda, milk, canola oil, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, orange zest, carrots, raisins, walnuts, and sunflower seeds.

       The group made this one about a year ago, I just didn’t get around to it until now, but now that I have, and tasted the muffins, I’m sorry I didn’t make a point of it sooner. These are probably the best carrot muffins we have ever tasted. I kept to the recipe except for the adding of some walnut pieces, because, one of Mark’s favorite desserts is Carrot Cake and he thought the walnuts might make it taste a bit more like Carrot Cake. They did, it all was delicious and seemed more like a dessert than a humble muffin. Easy, quick, delicious. Definitely a repeat.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

 

 

      The 37th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Carrot Muffins and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 65. (The photo shows the muffins and one muffin divided so you can see the inside.)

       Ingredients:  flour, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, salt, baking soda, milk, canola oil, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, orange zest, carrots, raisins, walnuts, and sunflower seeds.

       The group made this one about a year ago, I just didn’t get around to it until now, but now that I have, and tasted the muffins, I’m sorry I didn’t make a point of it sooner. These are probably the best carrot muffins we have ever tasted. I kept to the recipe except for the adding of some walnut pieces, because, one of Mark’s favorite desserts is Carrot Cake and he thought the walnuts might make it taste a bit more like Carrot Cake. They did, it all was delicious and seemed more like a dessert than a humble muffin. Easy, quick, delicious. Definitely a repeat.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

Whole30: BBQ Pulled Chicken Lettuce Wraps

       The 27th recipe I’ve made for this group is BBQ Pulled Chicken Lettuce Wraps and can be found in the Whole30 Fast & Easy cookbook on page 15.

       Ingredients: chicken, Whole30 BBQ sauce, carrots, parsley, lime juice, lettuce leaves (I also added cucumber slices). 

       Lunch here is usually a simple affair, more often than not, something salad-ish. Earlier in the week I cooked chicken to have on hand to morph into things throughout the week, this recipe stood out to me as I had all the ingredients on hand. Lettuce wraps/cups are easy to make with whatever you happen to have on hand, so this recipe came together quickly after I cooked some of the chicken into barbecue style chicken. I had a few other ingredients that I could have incorporated but keeping it simple like this was perfect. Delicious with the kick of the spicy bbq sauce making the carrots and cucumbers most welcome.  Definitely remembering to do this one again. And again.

       As usual here on this blog, I do not publish recipes that belong to others, respecting their rights as authors. Many times the recipe creators are generous and publish them online, or you can buy the book I that I have cited and have all the recipes at hand. 

Whole30: Seared Salmon Fillets with Ginger-Caramelized Pineapple

      The 26th recipe I’ve made for this group is Seared Salmon Fillets with Ginger-Caramelized Pineapple and can be found in the Whole30 Fast & Easy cookbook on page 88. Margaret's post is here.

       Ingredients: ghee, pineapple, ginger, sesame seeds, salmon, salt, pepper, coconut oil, and green onions. 

       Friday, so it’s probably salmon here, and I’m making my way through the salmon recipes in the books we are using. Salmon is always a quick cook, the sides are usually something different each week to keep it interesting. The book featured the pineapple (oh so good cooked and served warm) so that was the first side, the second was steamed broccoli, the third was a recipe from a different group (Everyday Dorie: Granola-Topped Squash and Root Vegetable Gratin, page 230), not exactly Whole30 but it did fit in well with the Food Freedom aspect of Whole30. All of it was delicious and worthy of a repeat. The only thing I would change would be to add more than just salt and pepper to the salmon, some spicing (I used chili lime seasoning) with a bit of a kick would be welcome. 

       As usual here on this blog, I do not publish recipes that belong to others, respecting their rights as authors. Many times the recipe creators are generous and publish them online, or you can buy the book I that I have cited and have all the recipes at hand. 

Cook the Book Fridays: Everyday Dorie - Granola-Topped Squash and Root Vegetable Gratin

      The 55th recipe I made for the Cook the Book Fridays group using the Everyday Dorie cookbook by Dorie Greenspan is Granola-Topped Squash and Root Vegetable Gratin, it can be found on page 230. 

       Ingredients:  potatoes, squash, celery root, salt, pepper, hot honey, olive oil, broth, and granola.

       This is one of those happy circumstances where I had everything on hand for this recipe and needed a side dish, so it was time to make it as a rewind as the group made it back on November 25, 2022. We had cooked potatoes, squash, and celery root on hand so that cut the preparation time down by quite a bit. After assembling in a baking dish and cooking it for a half hour, then another five minutes to brown the granola after placing it on top, it was ready to serve with Friday night’s salmon. I’m not sure I would make this again, it was good, but the process is a bit much for my style (unless it just so happens I have all three vegetables cooked and ready to go again). She gave a choice of maple syrup, honey, or hot honey…I didn’t think two seconds before settling on the hot honey. The hot honey turned out to be a very good choice, gave it all a bit of a kick, yum. 

       To see what others in the group made this week, click here, for the Cook the Book Fridays link. We don't publish recipes from the book here in deference to the author, but the author has been generous and  you can find many of them online.

Whole30: Chicken Tikka Masala

       The 25th recipe I’ve made for this group is Chicken Tikka Masala and can be found in the Whole30 Slow Cooker Cookbook on page 190. Margaret's post is here.

       Ingredients: chicken thighs, salt, coconut milk, turmeric, coriander, curry powder, cumin, garam masala, garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, onion, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice, and chopped parsley. The recipe instructions call for cauliflower rice but I used regular rice (Food Freedom). 

       A cold and rainy week, so out came the crockpot for this recipe. After marinating the chicken overnight, tossing everything in, the crockpot does all the work for four hours on high so that when supper arrives, you can just dish it up, serve it over a bed of rice and enjoy. We both enjoy Indian cuisine occasionally so this is a nice salute to those flavors and gives our menu a bit of a change. We served it with a side of steamed broccoli, always a favorite here. I would make this one again, it was easy and delicious. Definitely repeat worthy.

       As usual here on this blog, I do not publish recipes that belong to others, respecting their rights as authors. Many times the recipe creators are generous and publish them online, or you can buy the book I that I have cited and have all the recipes at hand. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Iced Spiced Hermits

       The 36th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Iced Spiced Hermits and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 197.

       Ingredients:  flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, raisins, confectioners' sugar, and milk.

       The group made this during the holiday season and I was hoping to have gotten to it, but things progressed without me having done that, so here I am in April making them as a rewind knowing that I would have been so happy to have these during the holidays. Next year I will make these for the Christmas season. The recipe goes together quickly, sits in the refrigerator for a short stint, gets molded into shape, bakes, and cools a bit before drizzling the icing with abandon.  Excellent flavor, such as delicious cookie, Mark was sure he could eat them all, but I put a bunch in the freezer for later so he can enjoy them a couple of times without over-indulging. Not that he is ever against over-indulging. Definitely repeat worthy.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

 

 

       The 36th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Iced Spiced Hermits and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 197.

       Ingredients:  flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, raisins, confectioners' sugar, and milk.

       The group made this during the holiday season and I was hoping to have gotten to it, but things progressed without me having done that, so here I am in April making them as a rewind knowing that I would have been so happy to have these during the holidays. Next year I will make these for the Christmas season. The recipe goes together quickly, sits in the refrigerator for a short stint, gets molded into shape, bakes, and cools a bit before drizzling the icing with abandon.  Excellent flavor, such as delicious cookie, Mark was sure he could eat them all, but I put a bunch in the freezer for later so he can enjoy them a couple of times without over-indulging. Not that he is ever against over-indulging. Definitely repeat worthy.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

Whole30: Pork Chops and Squash over Green Onions

      The 24th recipe I’ve made for this group is Pork Chops and Squash over Green Onions and can be found in the Whole30 Fast & Easy Cookbook on page 131. Margaret's post is here.

       Ingredients: olive oil, green onions, sage, salt, pepper, thyme leaves, lemon zest, pork chops, and butternut squash.

       Margaret likes to cook pork chop recipes so she has selected a few for us to make. Mark likes to eat pork chops, so he is always happy when I say Margaret picked a pork chop recipe for us this week. This one was very easy as it is done on a sheet pan in the oven all at once. It has been rainy here today (I’m looking forward to all those May flowers that these April showers are supposed to bring), so a nice sheet pan dinner sounded just right. I’ve never cooked green onions to serve like this…they are placed on the sheet pan under the pork chops so they take on the flavor from the pork, making them tasty, some got a bit charred which was extra tasty. The thyme and lemon were nice with the pork, a new combination for us as I love lemon and I’m not sure I’ve ever thought to use it with pork this way before. The whole recipe is definitely worthy of a repeat.  Bonus: incredibly easy and quick.

       As usual here on this blog, I do not publish recipes that belong to others, respecting their rights as authors. Many times the recipe creators are generous and publish them online, or you can buy the book I that I have cited and have all the recipes at hand. 

Whole30: Orange Chicken with Cauliflower Rice (Napa Cabbage)

      The 23rd recipe I’ve made for this group is Orange Chicken with Cauliflower Rice (Napa Cabbage) and can be found in the Whole30 Fast & Easy Cookbook on page 102.

       Ingredients: orange zest, orange juice, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, salt, arrowroot powder, ghee, chicken breasts, broccoli, carrots, snow peas, cauliflower rice (I used Napa cabbage), and green onions.

       This isn’t exactly the Orange Chicken you might be thinking of that you get at Chinese restaurants, and believe me, I love that version and have it every November 17th as it was Alex’s favorite thing ever so we go and eat it in his memory each year.  This version is definitely a bit healthier and calorie-friendly, and while it is missing the traditional breading, it does have a very nice orange flavor that is delicious and guilt-free. The recipe called for a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables but I always have fresh carrots and broccoli on hand, so I went with that, skipping the cauliflower rice in lieu of sautéed Napa Cabbage with a little onion as that mixture reminded me of the side that we get with the Chinese restaurant Orange Chicken. The only thing missing is that spicy kick of the favorite, so I added some sriracha drizzle half-way through when I realized I was missing the spicy kick. I have to say, this is a winning combination and one I will make time and again. 

       As usual here on this blog, I do not publish recipes that belong to others, respecting their rights as authors. Many times the recipe creators are generous and publish them online, or you can buy the book I that I have cited and have all the recipes at hand. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Goat Cheese-Black Pepper Quick Bread

 
      The 35th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Goat Cheese-Black Pepper Quick Bread and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 305.

       Ingredients:  flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, eggs, milk, olive oil, honey, lemon, goat cheese, and mint (I used parsley).

       When I saw this recipe in the book, I knew I would be excited to make it (and eat it) as it had such great ingredients (well, not the mint, but the rest). I thought it would make an interesting lunch open faced sandwich bread and I was right, it was so good, I didn’t even put anything on it, just ate a slice with my salad. Mark heated his and spread butter on it, and had some slices with jam. A very nice recipe, cheesy, spicy, lemony, and not too sweet. Definitely a repeat for us. 

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

 

 

 
      The 35th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Goat Cheese-Black Pepper Quick Bread and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 305.

       Ingredients:  flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, eggs, milk, olive oil, honey, lemon, goat cheese, and mint (I used parsley).

       When I saw this recipe in the book, I knew I would be excited to make it (and eat it) as it had such great ingredients (well, not the mint, but the rest). I thought it would make an interesting lunch open faced sandwich bread and I was right, it was so good, I didn’t even put anything on it, just ate a slice with my salad. Mark heated his and spread butter on it, and had some slices with jam. A very nice recipe, cheesy, spicy, lemony, and not too sweet. Definitely a repeat for us. 

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Java Mini Mads

     

       The 34th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Java Mini Mads and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 200.

       Ingredients:  flour, instant espresso, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and butter.

       These madeleines are made in a mini muffin tin rather than a traditional madeleine pan, so that was fun, something new to try, which is why I like baking in groups like this, new things are always interesting and fun. The recipe is very easy, made with ingredients one almost always has on hand, the only time-consuming part is that the dough needs to sit in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours. They turned out well, very light and flavorful...I was so certain mine would not have the traditional hump you get with madeleines made in a traditional madeleine pan, but each one had its own little hump just like the traditional madeleines. The coffee and cinnamon came through so nicely, a good combination. Definitely repeat worthy.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

 

 

     

       The 34th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Java Mini Mads and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 200.

       Ingredients:  flour, instant espresso, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and butter.

       These madeleines are made in a mini muffin tin rather than a traditional madeleine pan, so that was fun, something new to try, which is why I like baking in groups like this, new things are always interesting and fun. The recipe is very easy, made with ingredients one almost always has on hand, the only time-consuming part is that the dough needs to sit in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours. They turned out well, very light and flavorful...I was so certain mine would not have the traditional hump you get with madeleines made in a traditional madeleine pan, but each one had its own little hump just like the traditional madeleines. The coffee and cinnamon came through so nicely, a good combination. Definitely repeat worthy.

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

Whole30: Ancho-Clementine Salmon with Herbed Sweet Potato Fries

      The 22nd recipe I’ve made for this group is Ancho-Clementine Salmon with Herbed Sweet Potato Fries and can be found in the Whole 30 Fast & Easy Cookbook on page 126.

       Ingredients: sweet potato, olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, rosemary, salt, pepper, thyme, clementines, ancho Chile powder, and salmon.

       We have salmon once a week so I’m always looking for new recipes to try, new seasonings to enhance the flavors, etc. In this recipe, both the salmon and the sweet potatoes had seasonings that were easy to assemble and use, with delicious results. Often we use a chili lime seasoning sprinkled on the salmon before cooking so this was similar, using clementines with the chili powder, a nice change-up. The fries I generally just salt and pepper so this was fun to have an Italian type blend to use on them before baking. I would make this combination again as we both enjoyed it.  We served steamed broccoli on the side. All of it, easy, fast, delicious, and done within a half hour once the oven preheats.

       As usual here on this blog, I do not publish recipes that belong to others, respecting their rights as authors. Many times the recipe creators are generous and publish them online, or you can buy the book I that I have cited and have all the recipes at hand. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Cottage Cheese Biscuits

      The 33rd recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Cottage Cheese Biscuits and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 46.

       Ingredients:  flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cottage cheese, milk, and butter.

       These biscuits are quick and easy. I only made a half batch (4 biscuits) as I’m not the biggest biscuit fan so Mark would need to be the one to eat them, which he did, with an egg salad filling. He thought they were very tasty and liked the tang from the cottage cheese in the biscuit. I tasted a bit and it was very good, nice and light and fluffy with great flavor. He loved them. Definitely repeat worthy for him. 

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

 

 

      The 33rd recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Cottage Cheese Biscuits and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 46.

       Ingredients:  flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cottage cheese, milk, and butter.

       These biscuits are quick and easy. I only made a half batch (4 biscuits) as I’m not the biggest biscuit fan so Mark would need to be the one to eat them, which he did, with an egg salad filling. He thought they were very tasty and liked the tang from the cottage cheese in the biscuit. I tasted a bit and it was very good, nice and light and fluffy with great flavor. He loved them. Definitely repeat worthy for him. 

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Blue Cheese Bites

      The 32nd recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Blue Cheese Bites and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 302.

       Ingredients:  flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, eggs, honey, sugar, olive oil, dried fruit (I used apricots), and blue cheese.

       These little fruit and cheesy bites baked in a mini muffin tin were as fun to make as they were to eat. It all went together easily, had a stint in the refrigerator before baking for 13 minutes. The apricots were a nice choice with the blue cheese. Mostly we ate them for snacking, one or two here and there for a few days. Definitely repeat worthy. 

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Lick-the-Pot Chocolate Pudding Pie

   
       The 31st recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Lick-the-Pot Chocolate Pudding Pie and can be found in the Baking with Dorie book on page 276.

       Ingredients:  cookie crumbs (or a traditional pie crust, which is what I decided to use), flour, butter, chocolate, milk, sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, salt, vanilla, and whipped cream to serve. I made a half recipe in my 6” tart pan.

       My last Tuesdays with Dorie post was a non-chocolate dessert, so it seemed only fair that I make something next with chocolate for Mark. I rarely make pudding, let alone from scratch, so I need a bit of work on how to make it smooth, I did what I could and then put a lot of whipped cream on top as I knew it would make him happy. He enjoyed it all and would happily eat it again. I guess it is worthy of a repeat if I want to try to perfect my chocolate custard-making skills. 

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips. 

 

 

   
       The 31st recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Lick-the-Pot Chocolate Pudding Pie and can be found in the Baking with Dorie book on page 276.

       Ingredients:  cookie crumbs (or a traditional pie crust, which is what I decided to use), flour, butter, chocolate, milk, sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, salt, vanilla, and whipped cream to serve. I made a half recipe in my 6” tart pan.

       My last Tuesdays with Dorie post was a non-chocolate dessert, so it seemed only fair that I make something next with chocolate for Mark. I rarely make pudding, let alone from scratch, so I need a bit of work on how to make it smooth, I did what I could and then put a lot of whipped cream on top as I knew it would make him happy. He enjoyed it all and would happily eat it again. I guess it is worthy of a repeat if I want to try to perfect my chocolate custard-making skills. 

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips.