Grandma's Kitchen Table

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Apple Galette

       The 61st recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Apple Galette and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 248. 

       Ingredients: apples, lemon, sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, flour, salt, butter, jelly or honey for glazing, and turbinado sugar.

       This is a fun and delicious recipe…like an apple pie but with a less fussy crust and the addition of some homemade caramel applesauce underneath a small mountain of apples piled in the center. I made the applesauce the day before so it was ready when I assembled the galette. It all goes together quickly and it baked in the amount of time specified in the recipe. I suggested waiting a bit but Mark was eager to have a warm piece pretty much straight out of the oven, so that happened instead. He loved every bite, thought that this was a recipe worthy of many repeats and one cannot ask for more than that of a recipe. Definitely going to repeat this one, it is, after all, still apple season.

       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: Dijon Brussels and Butternut Squash

      The 55th recipe I’ve made for this group is Dijon Brussels and Butternut Squash and can be found in the Whole 30 Friends & Family cookbook on page 67. 

       Ingredients: Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, cinnamon, cloves, salt, pepper, compliant bacon, Dijon mustard, and cider vinegar.

       There is a theme to many of my fall meals: Brussels sprouts. I just love them, and in the fall they are on sale at all the grocery stores for weeks on end, so I happily incorporate them into meals every chance I can manage. This recipe is very easy and delicious with the flavor of the mustard, cider vinegar, garlic, cinnamon, and cloves. I added a boiled egg for a little more protein and it was just perfect on a cold autumn evening. Definitely worth 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       As usual here on this blog, I do not publish recipes that belong to others, respecting their rights as authors.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. 

Whole30: BLT Potato Skins

      The 54th recipe I’ve made for this group is BLT Potato Skins and can be found in the Whole30 Friends & Family cookbook on page 2. 

       Ingredients: grape tomatoes, fresh thyme, olive oil salt, pepper, compliant bacon, potatoes, W30 compliant mayonnaise, and romaine lettuce.

       This book has a lot of side recipes that looked interesting, fun, and delicious. This one seemed to hit all the notes for us as we love BLT sandwiches and it seemed way less messy to put it all on a baked potato.  

       Instead of a white potato, I used a sweet potato split into halves, but the rest I kept the same. We had it with grilled pork, and Brussels sprouts. Definitely a good recipe, a good idea to just do half a potato each as it was all really filling.  It made such a pretty plate. Definitely worth 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. 

Whole30: Salisbury Steak Meatballs and Noodles

The 53rd recipe I’ve made for this group is Salisbury Steak Meatballs and Noodles and can be found in the Whole 30 Fast & Easy cookbook on page 196. Margaret’s post is here.

       Ingredients: Meatballs: red onion, celery, egg, almond flour, ground mustard, salt, black pepper, ground beef, olive oil, beef broth; Noodles: olive oil sweet potato noodles spiralized, salt, black pepper; Gravy: beef broth, tomato paste, and arrowroot powder.

       Margaret found this recipe and it called for it to be a “Noodle Bowl,” but I decided that it needed more green if we were going to call it a meal, so I added Brussels sprouts and served it on a plate instead of in a bowl. The recipe is very easy, and the flavors in the meatballs are nicely reminiscent of Salisbury steak so that lived up to its promise. For some odd reason, my medium cookie scoop was not to be found, so I used the small one to form the meatballs...which I actually ended up liking a lot size-wise.  I would make this one again. I don’t have a spiralizer but my local market stocks different veggies already spiralized and that seems like a really good deal to me to use those.

       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 - Cinnamon Raisin Bread

       The 60th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Cinnamon Raisin Bread and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 17. 

       Ingredients: flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, yeast, butter, egg, vanilla, milk, raisins, and cinnamon sugar for dusting (optional on the cinnamon sugar so I did not do that part as we wanted to use it for both sweet and savory purposes).

   
       Back when the boys were growing up, I would make bread quite often as they would eat a lot of bread, especially in their teenage years. Sometimes letting the bread cool wasn’t an option as they would dive into it the moment it was cool enough not to actually burn their fingers too much. So today, I am remembering not only my boys, but another little boy who grew up in the same years and who sadly passed away four years ago today at the age of 27.  The comfort of warm bread seems appropriate, grief is a nasty taskmaster, rest in peace, Tom.

       It was so good getting out all the bread ingredients, dusting off the bread pan, trying to locate the dough hook for my mixer (it’s in the kitchen towel drawer underneath the towels in case I forget again), and feeling the dough beneath my palms. The recipe is very easy, goes together smoothly without a hitch using pantry ingredients, and rises nicely in the times specified. It also baked in the time specified. What’s not to love about all that easiness? And…I know you are waiting, the taste is really lovely, just perfect for Cinnamon Raisin Bread. It eats well out of hand, and it toasts ever so nicely. This recipe is a winner…and I’m happy about that, a nice salute to a young man who enjoyed cooking for his family and friends. Definitely worthy of 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. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Buttermilk-Molasses Quick Bread

      The 59th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Buttermilk-Molasses Quick Bread and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 82. 

       Ingredients: flour, rye flour, whole wheat flour, wheat bran, wheat germ, baking soda, salt, ground anise, ground caraway, ground fennel, buttermilk, and unsulfured molasses.

       What a fun and interesting loaf of quick bread this turned out to be. The read on the ingredients promised to contain many delicious flavors and something out-of-the-ordinary so I was looking forward to making it and tasting the final result. Dorie says the recipe is from Stockholm, Sweden, found throughout Sweden, and is used for both savory and sweet treats: various toppings included jam, butter, cheese, smoked salmon, ham, etc., so it is quite versatile. Mark had some with butter and then jam and then ham while I enjoyed it plain or with some cheese. The recipe is easy, quick, and really the only difficult part is wrapping it after it cools so that it can sit overnight before slicing it for best results. We waited and it was well worth it, this is a delicious bread full off lovely spices, and one I will make again as we both enjoyed it.

       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: Asian Sesame Chicken Salad

      The 52nd recipe I’ve made for this group is Asian Sesame Chicken Salad, and can be found in the Whole 30 Cookbook on page 116. Margaret's post is here.

       Ingredients: Napa cabbage, green cabbage, snow peas, red cabbage, carrots, green onions, cooked chicken, toasted almonds, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, coconut aminos, fresh orange juice, olive oil toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. (I did not have red cabbage on hand so I just used extra Napa cabbage.)

       Margaret and I both like Asian food, our husbands, however, are not fans, so when we pick Asian recipes to make, we know that these will be eaten by us and that we will be providing other options for the guys. This recipe has a lot of ingredients, but most all of them are pantry and frig staples so there isn’t a lot of purchasing extras to make it. We had leftover chicken this week, so I planned to make this for a main meal dinner option for me and Mark could have leftover chicken in another way. It all came together easily and quick. 

       I have two thoughts on the recipe: first of all, too much salt (I was prepared for this as Margaret had made it before me and mentioned it) so I did not add the specified salt, figuring the coconut aminos would be plenty salty enough…that worked in my favor, no need to add any extra salt. The second thought is that the amount of dressing is way in excess of what one needs…I just drizzled some over the top of the salad as I am not much for dressing and to soak it would not be a happy occasion for me. Other than that, the mixture of vegetables and chicken is good and the flavors are nice and clean, very filling and enjoyable. I would make this one 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 - Caramel Crunch-Chocolate Chunklet Cookies

       The 58th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Caramel Crunch-Chocolate Chunklet Cookies and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 170. 

       Ingredients: butter, sugar, confectioners’ sugar, salt, vanilla, flour, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.

       Being out of commission for six weeks with a bad case of Covid, I am finally up and about in my kitchen cooking and baking in my usual style.  Mark would say…in the manner of Jane Austen, “There has been a shocking lack of chocolatey baked goods” all this time. He was so happy to see these cookies coming out of the oven and cooling on the rack for ballgame snacking today.

       Were they worth the wait? Apparently so…he thought they were wonderful. The recipe is very easy, and fairly quick, despite needing a bit of resting time in the refrigerator before baking. The instructions had us baking them in a muffin tin which crisped up the edges and kept the middles soft. These are definitely repeat material, all that buttery chocolatey goodness.

       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 - Morning Bundt Cake

       The 57th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Morning Bundt Cake and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 74. 

       Ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, sugar, clementines, canola, eggs, honey, vanilla, yogurt, muesli, dried fruit, nuts, and fresh citrus juice.

       The group has circled this recipe off and on with various members suggesting it at various times, but it never quite made the final cut until now. I’m happy to see it have its day as it is one that I really wanted to make sooner rather than later. The list of ingredients is long, but nothing unusual that one doesn’t usually have in their pantry, just more things to make it more tasty. And, it is tasty…the warm spiciness makes it perfect for fall, something to treat yourself to anytime of the day. I made a half size in 6 cup bundt pan, the recipe worked perfectly, and we have been enjoying it a little slice at a time. This recipe does not disappoint, and I will definitely make it again. 

       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: Skin-on Garlic Smashed Potatoes with Crispy Prosciutto, Onions, and Pine Nuts

       The 51st recipe I’ve made for this group is Skin-On Garlic Smashed Potatoes with Crispy Prosciutto, Onions, and Pine Nuts and can be found in the Whole 30 Cookbook on page 249.  Margaret's post is here.

       Ingredients: potatoes, garlic, ghee, salt, coconut milk, prosciutto or compliant bacon, onion, chicken broth, and pine nuts. 

       Margaret picked this recipe for us, she didn’t have to think twice about whether it would be one that our guys would like because…well, potatoes, onion, bacon…enough said. It all came together in several steps (potatoes in one pan, onions in another, bacon in another, pine nuts toasted in another…with careful planning I doubled up in appropriate ways/places), it all came together fairly easily. It was so worth it, Mark loved it, was happy to hear there would be leftovers for another day, and thought he would really like to see this recipe again. His plate was loaded with grilled pork, potatoes, and carrots…and I enjoyed these potatoes as well, 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. 

Whole30: Peppered Beef Fajita Bowls

       The 50th recipe I’ve made for this group is Peppered Beef Fajita Bowls and can be found in the Whole 30 Friends & Family cookbook on page 177. Margaret's post is here.

       Ingredients: flank or skirt steak, paprika, salt, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, cayenne, olive oil, bell peppers, red onion, garlic, guacamole, salsa, cilantro, and riced cauliflower. I did not use cilantro and I substituted regular rice for the cauliflower (Food Freedom option). 

       The list of ingredients is rather long, but most of it is seasoning, so if you just follow it along nicely, the recipe is fairly easy and quick to make. The seasoning is very nice, a little spicy but not too much.  The combination of ingredients works very well, and we both enjoyed it as a main meal. This is definitely a repeat as Mark commented that he would like to have it 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 - Fig and Goat Cheese Tart

       The 56th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Fig and Goat Cheese Tart and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 313. 

       Ingredients: tart shell (page 355, but I made it using whole wheat flour), goat cheese, Greek yogurt, lime, salt, pepper, honey, figs, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar.

      Ever since I first looked through this book, I have been wanting to make this tart, so this week was finally the time! All the ingredients sounded so appealing. It’s not really sweet, just a little sweetness with the drizzle of the honey on the figs, so I enjoyed that aspect. The recipe is very easy, it can be made in steps and assembled close to time of serving. The tart held up well for subsequent servings and we both thought maybe I should have made a full-size version instead of my customary 6” tart size. Definitely repeatable…soon, as it’s fresh fig season!

       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 - Alsatian-Style Blueberry Tart

      The 55th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Alsatian-Style Blueberry Tart and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 289. 

       Ingredients: tart shell (page 348), almond flour, sugar, cinnamon, blueberries, egg, cream, vanilla, salt, and confectioners’ sugar.

       Blueberry season is so wonderful, we enjoy them sweet, savory, baked into recipes, eaten out of hand, as a topping for yogurt or ice cream…just so many ways to enjoy blueberries. With this recipe, we have yet another, so easy and quick to make.

        I made a small 6” tart (you are all probably well aware that I’m in love with my 6” tart pan and use it whenever possible as it is the perfect size for just two people to have over the course of a few days). Making a full size recipe of the dough, I divide it into thirds, use one for the 6” tart and freeze the other two for future tarts. This makes it incredibly easy to just pull a tart dough from the freezer and make a tart in very short time. While not the biggest fan of custard-based tarts, this one was nicely flavored and the custard did not take over the flavor of the blueberries, which was a good thing. We enjoyed it, not sure it is a repeat as we don’t usually choose a custard tart if we are looking for a tart dessert. If you are, this is a good one.

       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: Fingerling Potatoes with Parsley Pesto and Grilled Peaches

      The 48th recipe I’ve made for this group is Fingerling Potatoes with Parsley Pesto and can be found in the Whole 30 Friends & Family cookbook on page 74.

       Ingredients: fingerling potatoes, salt, olive oil, ghee, black pepper, almonds, garlic, parsley, and nutritional yeast. 

       The potato is always a frequent guest as Mark thinks a potato should be available in some form for the major meal of the day. I’m always on the lookout for new ways to serve it’s little humble self and this potato recipe interested me as the potatoes were parboiled before roasting, making them crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. I also like when they use the little bitty potatoes as it all seems more manageable rather than the regular big size potatoes.  The addition of the pesto is delicious, very fresh tasting with a bit of tang to give the potatoes a bit of jazz.  Definitely repeat-worthy. 

       The 49th recipe I’ve made for this group is Grilled Peaches and can be found in Whole 30 Friends & Family cookbook on page 117.

       Ingredients: ghee, cinnamon, and peaches.

       Each summer we look forward to grilling fruit, especially peaches. The heat softens them perfectly and the additional of a little spice (here it was cinnamon but we also like cardamom, nutmeg, sumac, pepper, vanilla, various spices and herbs, so many options) makes them fun and unique. The combination of ingredients in this recipe is very nice, these are definitely on 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 - Tomato Tart

      The 54th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Tomato Tart and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 322. 

       Ingredients: tomatoes, salt, tart crust (page 347), mustard, honey, basil, cheese, black pepper, and olive oil.

     The group made this in August of 2022 and I’m just getting around to it now as I figured tomato season being upon us, it was time to catch up on the tomato recipes I missed along the way. This one is very easy, assemble everything in the tart shell and bake. It’s a nice side dish, or nice to have a slice of it with a garden salad on the side.

      This is definitely worthy of repeat, looks most impressive for minimal amount of effort. It can be served at room temperature so that’s a wonderful feature when you are taking something for a pitch in. This one was a third of a recipe made in a 6” tart because…well, there is just so much Tomato Tart one can eat when it’s just the two of us, no matter how good it is.

       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-Corn Tomato Crisp

       The 53rd recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Double-Corn Tomato Crisp and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 329. 

       Ingredients: tomatoes, corn, onion, olive oil, sherry vinegar, honey, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, fresh herbs, cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, and butter.

       The group made this last August and I’m just getting around to it now as I wasn’t really sure I wanted to make this…a ”crisp” to us is traditionally made with fruit, not vegetables. Corn and tomatoes are in season right now so I thought I would make a small recipe of this as sometimes it is good to try something completely new and different. This was one of those times…it is really good. The corn and cornbread tastes are very forward, the tomatoes and onions less so, but still very present. The crumbly cornbread topping went very nicely with it all. Despite my hesitation about making this, it just goes to show that sometimes you go for it with an open mind. Definitely fun and delicious, definitely repeat-worthy in corn and tomato season.

       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 - Parfait-Layered Vacherin

      The 52nd recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Parfait-Layered Vacherin and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 239. 

       Ingredients: cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, meringue snackers (page 233: sugar, confectioners’ sugar, egg whites, white vinegar, vanilla), caramel sauce (page 370: sugar, water, corn syrup, cream, salt, butter, and vanilla), and almonds.

       When I saw the photo for this recipe in the book, my first thought was, “Yikes,” as I didn’t know if I could actually make this, it looked and sounded a bit complicated and time consuming. And it was a bit time consuming if you make all the parts from scratch (Dorie gives you some shortcuts in the Playing Around section of the recipe if you don't want to do that). After reading it through, I could see that I had made each of the parts in other recipes, so step-by-step, I set about constructing the Vacherin. It went much faster/easier than I had originally thought. I made a small version in a 4" springform pan, using one-fourth of the recipe measurements.

       The result was delicious…I’m a fan of bland most of the time (lemon being about as dicy as I like to go in desserts). So something all-vanilla with a bit of caramel drizzled about, was perfect for me, being that person who goes to ice cream places and always orders vanilla.  Mark did not enjoy it as he thought the meringues made it too sweet for his taste, so it's not a repeat for him.  He said he would have preferred to just have homemade vanilla ice cream with homemade caramel sauce drizzled over it. I think it would be so pretty at Christmas.

       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: Garlic Herb Lamb Chops

       The 47th recipe I’ve made for this group is Whole30 Garlic Herb Lamb Chops and can be found at The Wooden Skillet's site online here.

       Ingredients: lamb chops, olive oil, garlic, salt, black pepper, fresh rosemary, lemon zest, and dried oregano. 

       Lamb chops are always a treat around here, they can be a bit expensive, but on the plus side, they are rich and filling so we each only ever eat one small one, making them much more budget-friendly. Another big plus is that they cook very quickly, a thick one can finish up with four minutes on one side and three on the other. The recipe we used had a marinade, which I did use, and a sauce, which I did not use, as the chops are so delicious with just a light marinade (the fresh rosemary was a particularly good match) and nothing more to cover the flavor. I marinated the lamb chops for 5 hours and then added a bit more salt and pepper before cooking them as the amounts seemed small. 

       We kept it simple and served the lamb chops with steamed farm fresh green beans and some leftover boiled potatoes (diced and cooked in a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper). It was a perfect summer evening meal. Definitely worth a repeat. I copied the marinade recipe on a recipe card and taped it inside a kitchen cabinet so I could quickly locate it and use it with lamb, pork, chicken, fish, steak…a very versatile and quick marinade.

       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: Citrusy Watermelon Strawberry Shortcakes

      The 46th recipe I’ve made for this group is Citrusy Watermelon Strawberry Shortcakes and can be found in the Whole30 Friends & Family cookbook on page 149.

       Ingredients: coconut milk, vanilla, orange juice, orange zest, strawberries, watermelon, and toasted sliced almonds. 

       When Margaret and I got this new book (our criteria for buying any new cookbook is that it must have at least 25 recipes in it that we would like to make so we feel we get our money’s worth out of it), we each flipped through marking our favorite recipes…this was my first choice as it is summer, and I just loved everything about the looks of this recipe.  It did not disappoint. It took about 20 minutes to put it together, chilled in the refrigerator for about 8 hours, and was a big hit when served, everyone thought it was lovely.  It is very pretty and the addition of the orange in it gives it a wonderful burst of extra flavor. Definitely worthy for 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. 

Whole30: Sweet Plantain, Sausage, and Broccoli Breakfast Skillet

      The 45th recipe I’ve made for this group is Sweet Plantain, Sausage, and Broccoli Breakfast Skillet and can be found in the Whole30 Friends & Family cookbook on page 112.  Margaret's post is here.

       Ingredients: chicken broth, broccoli, coconut oil, chicken sausages, plantain, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. (Optional ingredients: cilantro, green onion, Sriracha)

       There is no end to rainy days here this summer, so Margaret chose this recipe from a new W30 Cookbook that we each recently bought…not a new one, but a new one to us...a stovetop or grill top recipe. The recipe states that it is perfect for a camping trip (or hiking, biking, canoeing, or kayaking)…since Margaret and I are both pretty much past these kinds of camping trips, we just made it for supper. 

       It all comes together in about ten minutes and cooks in about the same amount of time, so in less than half an hour, dinner is served.  Mark likes sausage, so this was a big winner for him. I haven't really cooked with plantains, I think maybe once before, so it was a nice change to include one…they taste like a non-sweet banana when cooked, seemed like a nice compliment to the other flavors, and wasn’t difficult to prepare. Definitely can see this as a repeat sometime. 

       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: Fajita Chicken and Shrimp with Peppers

      The 44th recipe I’ve made for this group is Fajita Chicken and Shrimp with Peppers and can be found in the Whole30 Fast & Easy cookbook on page 136. 

       Ingredients: olive oil, chili powder, salt, cumin, cayenne, chicken, red, orange, yellow bell peppers, red onion, shrimp, and lime wedges. 

       Another rainy day, another call for the ease and convenience of a sheet pan weeknight supper. I staggered the cooking times at 425 degrees, putting the vegetables in first for 10 minutes, then the chicken for 15 minutes, followed by the shrimp for the last 12 minutes and it all came out just how we liked it. The seasoning was good, maybe next time I will double the amounts of seasonings. All in all, a delicious summer supper on a rainy day, I would make this one 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 - Lemony Yogurt Muffins

      The 51st recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Lemony Yogurt Muffins and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 62. 

       Ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, lemon zest, yogurt, eggs, butter, blueberries, and marmalade.

       It’s lemon week, lemon and blueberries, a favorite combination. The recipe is very easy, and in hardly any time at all, you will have fresh muffins cooling on the baking rack. I made a half recipe which gave me 7 muffins as my standard muffin tin is a tad bit smaller than the usual ones for some odd reason. No complaints, 7 muffins is a nice amount, it’s like getting a bonus. The recipe gave us a choice of finishings so I used marmalade on the tops, making them a bit sticky, but delicious. These are not too sweet, would be even less so without the marmalade on top, so we both appreciated that aspect…and of course, lemony blueberry goodness is always appreciated as well. Definitely worthy of 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: Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Colcannon

      The 43rd recipe I’ve made for this group is Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Colcannon and can be found in the Whole30 Fast & Easy cookbook on page 62.  Margaret's post is here.

       Ingredients: sweet potato, ghee, Swiss chard, leek, salt, black pepper, and pork chops. 

       These pork chops are good, but the vegetables really shine in this recipe. Such an easy recipe for sweet potatoes, chard, and leek with just salt and pepper and a very small amount of ghee.  The pork chop was a bit large so I cut mine and ate only half...it was all still a very filling meal. I would definitely make this one 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: Slow-Cooker Moroccan Chicken

      The 42nd recipe I’ve made for this group is Slow-Cooker Moroccan Chicken and can be found in the Whole30 Fast & Easy cookbook on page 212. Margaret's post is here.

       Ingredients: olive oil, garlic, ginger, paprika, salt, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, onion, chicken, sweet potatoes (I also added some carrot), raisins, and toasted almonds. 

       This was a nice recipe for Sunday cooking, where I just sort of like to have the day for church, family, reading, watching a movie or sports, etc., and not so much cooking anything involved or time-consuming. The slow cooker is good for this type of meal, one just tosses everything in and walks away only needing to return when the food is all cooked and ready to serve. I offered to make some rice or potatoes for Mark to have with the dinner but he thought it was just fine the way it was, so that’s how we served it. The flavors were very nice, nothing too strong, just a nice change of pace from our regularly seasoned food.

       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: Roasted Salmon with Tomatoes and Fennel

      The 41st recipe I’ve made for this group is Roasted Salmon with Tomatoes and Fennel and can be found in the Whole30 Fast & Easy cookbook on page 116.

       Ingredients: salmon, cherry tomatoes, fennel (I used cabbage), salt, pepper, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, capers, fresh dill, and Dijon mustard. I also added some asparagus spears.

      Another rainy day…all rain all day long…so another sheet pan dinner seemed a good choice. Sheet pan dinners are very nice, and if you learn how to stagger the cooking times, they work even better. I cooked the cabbage (instead of fennel as Mark did not think licorice taste and salmon would be very nice together), 20 minutes before adding the asparagus for 10 minutes before adding the salmon and tomatoes for the last 13 minutes, all at 425 degrees. It was perfect, everything came together nicely and the seasoning/sauce was delicious. Definitely 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. 

Whole30: Roasted Sausages with Potatoes and Cabbage

      The 40th recipe I’ve made for this group is Roasted Sausages with Potatoes and Cabbage and can be found in the Whole30 Fast & Easy cookbook on page 139. Margaret's post is here.

       Ingredients: ghee, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, black pepper, green cabbage, small potatoes, and chicken sausages. 

 
      The rain comes and goes…tonight was a sheet pan dinner that required hardly any effort, cooked for just a half hour, turned out wonderfully well, and was enjoyed by all. The mustard mix that is applied to the cabbage and potatoes gave it a rave review here as we are definitely mustard lovers (there are, at any given time, at least a half dozen mustards available in the refrigerator). Definitely a repeat. This would be a most welcome meal on a cold winter’s night.

       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 - Jelly Roll Cake

       The 50th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Jelly Roll Cake and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 135. 

       Ingredients: flour, cornstarch, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, sugar, jam, whipped cream, and powdered sugar.  I made a half-size version in a quarter sheet pan.

       This month the group is celebrating the birthdays of Margaret at Tea and Scones and Kim at Is This A Keeper?  They chose for us to make the Jelly Roll Cake in the book, which has many options, and I'm sure that when you visit the other members' blogs, you will see a variety of the options Dorie presents in the book. The birthday option has frosting on the outside with sprinkles, and topped with birthday doodads and candles…how fun! Today, however, I went the simple route, no birthdays here this month, so I did the standard Jelly Roll Cake filled with whipped cream and strawberry jam, topped with sprinkles of powdered sugar. While not as exciting as some of the others, it seems a lot more accommodating to the amount of sugar we need to be ingesting on a non-birthday occasion. The taste was wonderful…very light and creamy, I especially loved the lemon flavor coming through so nicely,  just perfect for these hot summer days we are having right now. 

       The cake looks like it would be a bit fussy, but really, it’s not all that difficult. One just follows the directions for baking the cake that she gives, rolls it up, waits for it to cool, fills it, lets it rest in the refrigerator an hour, and Bob’s Your Uncle…one very nice fruity dessert with very little fuss. And there will come a time when I will make it and “birthday-it-up” because all that frosting, the candy sprinkles, the candles, and the doodads are just so festive and cute. 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.

Cook the Book Fridays: Everyday Dorie - Mostly Rhubarb Tart

 
      The 60th recipe I made for the Cook the Book Fridays group using the Everyday Dorie cookbook by Dorie Greenspan is Mostly Rhubarb Tart, it can be found on page 288. 

       Ingredients:  rhubarb, sugar, cream, egg, vanilla, rose extract, strawberries, and a Sweet Tart Dough Shell (page 327).

       It’s strawberry and rhubarb season here so I am going back and making the recipes that call for these while they are in season. The group actually made this in June 2022, so it’s a bit of a rewind to finish it up now. We both happen to like both strawberries and rhubarb so I knew I would get to this recipe sooner or later. I liked that it was a tart with just one crust as it’s fun to see the ingredients without another crust covering them up like in a double-crust pie. We made something similar to this in cake form with strawberries and rhubarb recently, so it reminded me of that recipe. 

      The recipe comes together quickly and tastes delicious, very fresh with the fruit in season, strawberry flavor shines over the rhubarb but the rhubarb gives it a nice tartness. Worthy of a repeat? Definitely. It’s good to have recipes to look forward to during strawberry and rhubarb season.

       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 - Father's Day Blueberry-Cherry Pie

       The 49th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Father's Day Blueberry-Cherry Pie and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 269. 

       Ingredients: All-Butter Pie Dough (page 347), cherries, blueberries, water, sugar, salt, lime zest and juice, flour, cinnamon and almond flour. The recipe had an optional glaze which I did not use (water and confectioners’ sugar).

   

      The group made this recipe last year and I’m just getting around to it now, much to Mark’s delight as he loves a pie, and so now that the fresh fruits are coming into season, my hope is to catch him up with the missing entries in the pie category. I am making half-size pies (7”) so that I can bake more varieties since a full-size pie isn’t hanging around waiting to be finished off. This was a very simple recipe, the most time-consuming hands-on part being pitting the cherries.  I followed her baking instructions, and while I thought the crust might be a tad dark, it tasted really nice, like a caramelized version, so that was a happy find. I cut this piece so Mark could have a warm slice of pie and the filling was a bit loose, but it did firm up nicely after it cooled and the other slices were all nicely set…I didn’t bother getting another photo as the light was long gone in my kitchen for taking a sunny photo on a lovely day. This recipe was very good and definitely worthy of repeat-status. 

       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 - Strawberry Rhubarb Squares

      The 48th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Strawberry Rhubarb Squares and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 112. 

       Ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, butter, sugar, salt, honey, vanilla, egg, buttermilk, rhubarb, and strawberries.

     We are in strawberry and rhubarb season here in the midwest, so this recipe seemed a perfect fit for being able to use local homegrown produce. This is an easy and quick recipe, you just make the cake base, and then scatter the rhubarb and strawberries over the top. It bakes up nicely, and after cooling, you slice it into 16 bars. It is good both plain or with whipped cream.

      The texture of the cake is moist and it is best eaten within a day or two, so it’s a good one to make if you are having company around to help eat it. The strawberries overpower the rhubarb flavor, maybe that is because I had really fresh strawberries from my farm basket. It was nice that she didn’t have us sugar the fruits, so the only sugar is in the cake part, and I liked that tartness from the rhubarb. It would be repeat-worthy in season.

       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: Grilled Salmon with Cauliflower Couscous-Spinach Salad

      The 39th recipe I’ve made for this group is Grilled Salmon with Cauliflower Couscous-Spinach Salad and can be found in the Whole30 Cookbook on page 194.  Margaret's post is here.

       Ingredients: cauliflower (I did not use this as we don’t care for it), olive oil, spinach or kale, grape tomatoes, basil leaves, almonds, white wine vinegar, shallots, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, salmon, chives, and lemon wedges. 

       The recipe uses cauliflower and we just don’t really care for that, so instead I threw in some asparagus that Mark grilled along with the salmon and that worked just fine for us.  Everything else was the same as the recipe stated (I used kale as it gave a choice). I love having the fresh herbs from my garden pots as they always add such nice flavor to anything I’m making. This was a very good dinner salad, next time I will make them a bit smaller as it was a lot of salad…the recipe could easily served 8 instead of the 4 indicated. The vinaigrette was delicious, we both love Dijon and salmon. We both enjoyed it and would make it again, we usually have salmon once a week.

       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: Southwest Chicken Noodle Bowl

   
      The 38th recipe I’ve made for this group is Southwest Chicken Noodle Bowl and can be found in the Whole30 Fast & Easy cookbook on page 199.

       Ingredients: chicken, southwest seasoning (I used chili lime), olive oil, chicken broth, red bell pepper, onion, potato, salsa, and fresh lime juice. 

       The recipe actually calls for the potato to be spiralized making it into “noodles,” but I don’t have a spiralizer, so I just diced the potato into a small dice instead. We usually have leftover chicken each week, so this is a great place to use that, I seasoned it with the chili lime mix and sautéed the chicken in it for a little bit before adding the other ingredients. The soup flavor is very nice, the lime really comes through with the seasoning and the fresh lime, so that was great as I love the flavor of lime. It’s not too spicy but does have a bit of a kick, the salsa I used was spicy so that contributed to the overall spice level. This is definitely a recipe worth repeating.

       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 - Mixed Berry Pie

      The 59th recipe I made for the Cook the Book Fridays group using the Everyday Dorie cookbook by Dorie Greenspan is Mixed Berry Pie, it can be found on page 285. 

       Ingredients:  blueberries, sugar, water, flour, lemon zest and juice, blackberries, raspberries, and All-Butter Pie Dough recipe (page 326).

     A full-size 8" or 9” pie here at the house, now that it’s just the two of us, is way too big of a commitment. It is harder to hand off pie slices to others than it is cupcakes, cake pieces, or cookies.  I have taken to making smaller sized pies…most often a 7” pie, which is about half the size of a 9” pie. For a 7” pie, I use a third of pie dough crust (2 if it is a double crust pie like this one) and half of the filling ingredients. The bake time for a 7" fruit pie is 425 degrees for 30 minutes then lower the heat to 375 degrees for another 15 minutes. (All ovens are different, so you can adjust the times to your own oven.) The recipe has us making a sort of blueberry jam-type filling and then adding in the blackberries and raspberries after it has cooled a bit. All in all, it’s an easy pie to make with wonderfully delicious results. Definitely repeat-worthy. Mark is already waiting for the next one.

       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 - Gouda Gougères

 
      The 47th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Gouda Gougères and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 229. 

       Ingredients: water, milk, butter, salt, cumin, flour, eggs, Gouda cheese, cumin seeds, and flaky salt for seasoning. (I omitted the cumin seeds as I didn't have any.)

        We have all made gougères before in various Dorie books as she calls them one of her signature bakes. They aren’t difficult to make, and in fact, the more you make them, the easier they seem. They also lend themselves well to various flavor change-ups, this one with Gouda and cumin was a nice combination, anything with cheese sells well here. I doubled the amount of cheese, just to be sure that it would be cheesy enough to call a real treat, it was, and I would do that again next time. These were delicious, Mark ate half a dozen straight off the baking sheet.  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: Teriyaki Pork

      The 37th recipe I’ve made for this group is Teriyaki Pork and can be found in the Whole30 Slow Cooker cookbook on page 108.

       Ingredients: pineapple, coconut aminos, garlic, ground ginger, cayenne pepper, pork tenderloin, black pepper, and green onions.

       For whatever reason, these pork tenderloins seem to be found at a good price here lately, so cooking one this week seemed like a fine idea, we can get three meals out of one so that’s always a plus as well. All the other ingredients for this I normally have on hand, so putting it together in the slow cooker was not at all time consuming. It cooked 2 hours on high. Although they served it with cauliflower rice, we used Food Freedom and had regular rice with it. Mark is not usually a fan of Asian flavorings, but he did enjoy this as the pineapple dominates and he loves pineapple.  This could be a repeat anytime as it is fast, easy, and delicious.

       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: Chicken Cacciatore

       The 36th recipe I’ve made for this group is Chicken Cacciatore and can be found in the Whole30 Slow Cooker cookbook on page 239. Here is Margaret's post.

       Ingredients: chicken, oregano, salt, black pepper, coconut oil, onion red bell pepper, mushrooms, canned diced tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, tomato paste, garlic, and fresh parsley for garnish. (Note: the recipe in the book serves it with zucchini noodles, Mark is not a fan of those and wanted rice with it, so I used a bit of Food Freedom for the rice. All ingredients listed use Whole 30 approved versions.)

       Cacciatore means hunter in Italian so this dish is a hunter-style chicken dish. We happen to love chicken with vegetables so when Margaret suggested this recipe, I seconded it immediately, it all seemed like a fine thing to make on a rainy day. While the recipe in the book gives directions for making it in the instant pot, I don’t happen to have one of those, so I just cooked it stovetop for a longer amount of time. This version has a nice clean taste with most of the usual flavors that we enjoy in cacciatore, definitely will use this recipe 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: Fish en Papillote

       The 35th recipe I’ve made for this group is Fish en Papillote and can be found in the Whole30 Cookbook on page 183. Margaret's post is here.

       Ingredients: tomatoes, shallot, garlic, olive oil, herbs, salt, tilapia (or cod, sole, or salmon), black pepper, Kalamata olives, fresh parsley, and lemon. (I have homegrown herbs right outside my back door in the spring, summer, and fall, so I used dill, oregano, thyme, basil, chives, and parsley for serving.)

       I learned how to make these fancy papillote packages years ago when our Whisk Wednesdays group was cooking through a Cordon Bleu book and have used this method countless times over the years. It is such a wonderful way to get everything together, have it all set to go, just cook it right before serving, and clean up is a breeze. We like how it keeps the fish so moist. The flavors in this recipe were all very Mediterranean, something we both enjoy, so with very little effort, and no unusual ingredients, it’s a great weeknight meal, especially for Fish on Friday here. We served it with fresh asparagus from our farm basket and the leftover vegetables from the chicken dinner earlier in the week. Definitely 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. 

Whole30: Roasted Roots with Chicken

      The 34th recipe I’ve made for this group is Roasted Roots with Chicken and can be found in the Whole30 Cookbook on page 160.

       Ingredients: sweet potato, rutabaga, carrots, parsnip, onion, pancetta, salt, black pepper, chicken thighs, rosemary, lemon, garlic, and olive oil. (I did not use rutabaga or parsnip, instead I used red potato.) Margaret's post is here.

       It’s still raining here, can you even believe the amount of rain we have gotten this spring? So, we are back to the sheet pan dinner schedule lineup. I have roasted chicken many times with root vegetables, so when Margaret suggested this, seeing the lemon factor made it a quick “okay.” The lemon, rosemary, and garlic flavored the chicken and vegetables nicely. I would definitely make this recipe again. Squirting the warm lemon wedges over everything was really delicious, a big hit with both of us.

       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 - Cream Puffs with Crackle and Cream

       The 46th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Cream Puffs with Crackle and Cream and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 217.

       Ingredients:  flour, brown sugar, butter, salt, vanilla, milk, water, sugar, eggs, and heavy cream.

       The group is celebrating birthday months within the membership and this month finds Mardi having a birthday, it's always great to celebrate Mardi as she makes all the recipes all the time always on time, I aspire.  My cookbooks are filled with notes from all the bakers who have wonderful insights on how to do things, how to enhance a photo, and most of all for me these days, how to make mini versions of the original recipe so our smaller household now can still enjoy baking along but can easily hand off extras. Mardi is Queen of Minifying Bakes, my books are filled with Mardi Tips. Thank you, Mardi, and best of wishes for your birthday month, we are so fortunate to have you baking along and inspiring us with your posts. 

       When I looked at this recipe, and I have made Cream Puffs before, it seemed a little daunting…lots of steps, none of them difficult or time-consuming, but still…I kept putting it off until I realized yesterday that I could NOT be late with Mardi’s Birthday Pick. After lining everything up, following each step, and focusing on the end, it all went together smoothly and my Cream Puffs were large and puffy, just like the ones in the book.  Success! There were various options for filling them…this is a whipped cream household as it is Mark’s favorite, he comes by it from his father who was also a huge whipped cream fan. The photo is a modest cream puff with whipped cream…I will leave to your imagination what Mark’s looked like…I know there was a cream puff in there somewhere. The flavor is tasty, the crackle on the top makes it all a bit crunchy which is very nice, love “crunchy” in a dessert. Definitely can be a repeat, there are many ways to change the fillings, add a drizzle, and celebrate most anything. 

       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 46th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Cream Puffs with Crackle and Cream and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 217.

       Ingredients:  flour, brown sugar, butter, salt, vanilla, milk, water, sugar, eggs, and heavy cream.

       The group is celebrating birthday months within the membership and this month finds Mardi having a birthday, it's always great to celebrate Mardi as she makes all the recipes all the time always on time, I aspire.  My cookbooks are filled with notes from all the bakers who have wonderful insights on how to do things, how to enhance a photo, and most of all for me these days, how to make mini versions of the original recipe so our smaller household now can still enjoy baking along but can easily hand off extras. Mardi is Queen of Minifying Bakes, my books are filled with Mardi Tips. Thank you, Mardi, and best of wishes for your birthday month, we are so fortunate to have you baking along and inspiring us with your posts. 

       When I looked at this recipe, and I have made Cream Puffs before, it seemed a little daunting…lots of steps, none of them difficult or time-consuming, but still…I kept putting it off until I realized yesterday that I could NOT be late with Mardi’s Birthday Pick. After lining everything up, following each step, and focusing on the end, it all went together smoothly and my Cream Puffs were large and puffy, just like the ones in the book.  Success! There were various options for filling them…this is a whipped cream household as it is Mark’s favorite, he comes by it from his father who was also a huge whipped cream fan. The photo is a modest cream puff with whipped cream…I will leave to your imagination what Mark’s looked like…I know there was a cream puff in there somewhere. The flavor is tasty, the crackle on the top makes it all a bit crunchy which is very nice, love “crunchy” in a dessert. Definitely can be a repeat, there are many ways to change the fillings, add a drizzle, and celebrate most anything. 

       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 - Scones Pudding

       The 45th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Scones Pudding and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 60. 

       Ingredients:  stale TWD buttermilk scones, lemon curd, milk, cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, eggs, sugar, vanilla, apples, and butter.

 
       The group made this more than a year ago but I’m just getting around to it now. I froze some of the Tuesdays with Dorie Buttermilk Scones I made in April, using two large scones, a 5x7 baking dish, and half of the recipe. There are a lot of steps to making this, but all of it is easy to put together with things mostly on hand. I had a small jar of lemon curd that the guys brought back with them from London last year, so using that worked out perfectly. Even though it was a smaller dish, the baking time was the same, 45 minutes in a water bath. I made it after Mass and served it warm for dessert on this Mother's Day, plating it on Mark’s grandmother’s dishes that were used when his mother was growing up, so that was fun. I wasn’t certain how the apples and cinnamon would pair with the lemon, but it was really good.  Mark especially liked it and would like to have it on a rotation list so this is 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: Pesto-Pepper Frittata with Squash

 
    The 33rd recipe I’ve made for this group is Pesto-Pepper Frittata with Squash and can be found in the Whole30 Cookbook on page 19. Margaret's post is here.

    Ingredients: basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, salt, black pepper, olive oil, red bell pepper, onion, eggs, and butternut squash.

     Over the years I have made many frittatas but never one quite like this one. Butternut squash in a frittata? Topped with pesto? It sounded a bit questionable but Margaret and I both decided we were going to go for it. Such a great recipe, full of flavor, the butternut works so well with the eggs and the pesto on top is fun to drag through each bite, adding a bright fresh taste to everything. A perfect lunch on a nice sunny spring day. Definitely 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 - One Big Break-Apart Chipper

      The 44th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is One Big Break-Apart Chipper and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 152. 

       Ingredients:  flour, whole wheat flour, espresso powder, cinnamon, cardamon, butter, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, egg, honey, chocolate pieces, and nuts.

       The group made this two years ago and I’m just getting around to doing it now. It was suggested that this be a party cookie, where you bring it to the table, let everyone break off their own shards of cookie, and that sounded like a great idea but for some reason, I just have never managed to get that all together for a party.  Mark didn’t mind, he was happy to break all the shards and eat them at will.  

        This recipe makes a lot of chocolate chip cookie dough, when I do it again, I will do half the recipe as it would be easier to roll the huge cookie on the sheet pan with only half the amount of dough. I would definitely schedule it for a party, or at least when there were guests for dinner for the extra help to eat it all…it does, however, freeze nicely.  I skipped the chocolate drizzle on top as it seemed like there was plenty of chocolate as it was…and I can only be counted upon to work with just so much chocolate any given week. Definitely a repeat, Mark enjoyed the taste of the chocolate, coffee, and cinnamon together.

       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 44th recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is One Big Break-Apart Chipper and can be found in the Baking with Dorie cookbook on page 152. 

       Ingredients:  flour, whole wheat flour, espresso powder, cinnamon, cardamon, butter, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, egg, honey, chocolate pieces, and nuts.

       The group made this two years ago and I’m just getting around to doing it now. It was suggested that this be a party cookie, where you bring it to the table, let everyone break off their own shards of cookie, and that sounded like a great idea but for some reason, I just have never managed to get that all together for a party.  Mark didn’t mind, he was happy to break all the shards and eat them at will.  

        This recipe makes a lot of chocolate chip cookie dough, when I do it again, I will do half the recipe as it would be easier to roll the huge cookie on the sheet pan with only half the amount of dough. I would definitely schedule it for a party, or at least when there were guests for dinner for the extra help to eat it all…it does, however, freeze nicely.  I skipped the chocolate drizzle on top as it seemed like there was plenty of chocolate as it was…and I can only be counted upon to work with just so much chocolate any given week. Definitely a repeat, Mark enjoyed the taste of the chocolate, coffee, and cinnamon together.

       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: One-Pan Meatballs with Potatoes and Broccoli

 
        The 32nd recipe I’ve made for this group is One-Pan Meatballs with Potatoes and Broccoli and can be found in the Whole30 Fast & Easy Cookbook on page 147. (I made the meatballs small to match the little potatoes and broccoli florets I used, so this is shown on a salad-size plate, not a full size, in case you were wondering how big of a serving this makes.) 

       Ingredients: potatoes, broccoli, garlic, salt, olive oil, egg, almond flour, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, ground beef, pancetta, onion, tomato basil pasta sauce, and lemon wedges.

       It is still rainy here, even my kitchen is a bit dark and solemn as seen here in the photo, sheet pan dinners are quick and easy, so Margaret and I picked this dinner for us today. Margaret's post is here.  This is a simple recipe, my kind of thing where things don’t end up touching too much on the plate. The only things I varied were that I did not put the pancetta in the meatball mix as I’m not such a fan of it, and the meatballs kept rolling around too much so I squished them a bit to make them stay still on the sheet pan…and, they are easier to eat that way, less chance of one going flying off the plate (this I learned when the boys were very young). The whole dinner is quick and easy with ingredients usually on hand here, so I would definitely 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: 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.