Experiments in Cooking

I followed this _gloyoyo_ video for heatless strawberry syrup.

She used about half a Bonne-Maman jar's worth of strawberry tops, and one tablespoon of sugar. You just shake it up and put it in the fridge for 1-2 days, then add a teense of hot water, and strain out the strawberry tops.

I had about twice that much of strawberry tops when tossed loosely into a jar, so I used two tablespoons of sugar and it worked out fine.

I think I later found out you can do 1:1 weight fruit:sugar (untested).

I followed this recipe for passionfruit bars, but didn't have enough passionfruit puree/juice so subbed in lemon juice for the rest since a friend of ours had previously made passionfruit-lemon bars and they were great. This also turned out great. :3

For the shortbread crust: - 8 oz unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled - 1/2 c sugar - 2 tsp vanilla - 1/2 tsp salt - 2 c flour

For the filling: - 8 large eggs (room temperature) - (scant) 2 c sugar - 1 c passionfruit puree/juice - 1/2 c lemon juice - 1/2 c flour - 1/2 tsp salt?

Line a 9x13 glass pan with parchment paper so that it extends up the sides.

Whisk together 8 oz melted butter, 1/2 c sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, and 1/2 tsp salt. Once mixed, add in 2 c flour and stir with a spatula until no streaks of flour remain.

Scrape the dough into the pan and press it into an even layer. It will look greasy/wet.

Bake the crust at 350F for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top. While crust is baking, prepare the filling:

In a large bowl, whisk together 8 eggs, ~1/2 tsp salt, scant 2 c sugar, and fruit juices. Sift the flour on top of the egg mixture and whisk well so there are no lumps.

When the crust has finished baking, slide the rack part-way out of the oven and pour filing over the hot crust.

Reduce temperature to 325F and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. The bars are done with the center barely jiggles when you tap the pan.

Once done, remove the pan from the oven and place entire pan on wire rack. Let it cool until it reaches room temperature (~1-2 hours), then refrigerate the pan until the bars are completely chilled (~2-3 hours).

One chilled, remove entire thing from the pan by lifting up on the edges of the parchment paper. Cut with a sharp knife into bars of your desired size. --We first trimmed off the edges, since our pan is rounded on the sides. And then cut into 1" squares for bite-sized pieces, as the flavor is pretty intense/rich.

Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar if you want. We felt that they were nice without the extra powdered sugar.

Store bars in airtight container in the refrigerator.

Because M accidentally bought straight cayenne instead of "chili powder."

2 Tbs paprika

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp oregano

Ingredients: (Serves 6) - 1 Tbs olive oil - 1 lb ground beef - 1 medium onion, diced - 3 cloves garlic, minced - 1 can diced tomatoes - 1 1/2 c beef stock (I used leftover pho broth) - 1 c uncooked rice - 2 Tbs tomato paste - 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce - salt and pepper to taste - 1 cup shredded cheese

In a large skillet (with a lid), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the beef and press into an even, flat layer. Let cook untouched until browned underneath (~5 minutes).

Sit in diced onion, minced garlic, salt, and pepper, breaking the meat up. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender (~5 minutes).

Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid, beef stock, rice, tomato paste, and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender (20-25 minutes).

Remove from heat and stir. Sprinkle on cheese. Cover and let stand until cheese melts (~2 minutes).

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Not as good as crinkles or brownies. But might do it again when I want something with the same vibe as crinkles without actually putting in the effort to make crinkles.

Ingredients: (makes roughly 2 dozen) - 1 package (20oz) Ghiradelli brownie mix (Costco version: Triple Chocolate, which has chocolate chips in it) - 1/4 c flour - 1/4 vegetable oil - 2 eggs

Ingredients: - 1 c flour - 1 c cornmeal - 2/3 c sugar - 1 tsp salt - 3 tsp baking powder - 1 egg - 1 cup milk - 1/3 c oil

Mix 1 c flour, 1 c cornmeal, 2/3 c sugar, 1 tsp salt, and 3 tsp baking powder in a medium-large bowl.

Mix 1 egg, 1 c milk, 1/3 c oil in another bowl.

Pour half of wet mixture into dry mixture and mix to combine (will look like this paste). Pour remaining wet mixture into dry mixture and mix to combine (will be quite liquidy).

Pour into ungreased 8"x8" pan, and bake for 25 minutes at 400F, or until toothpick comes out clean.

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We recently had a Marie Callender's mix cornbread and M commented that it was really good and he had forgotten what it tasted like. Turns out the main difference is that it has more than twice as much sugar as my normal recipe that I had been slowly tweaking. XD

Ingredients: - 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced - 20oz ground pork - 2 Tbs Southwest Spice blend - 2 packets Tex-Mex paste - 12 flour tortillas - 1 cup Mexican Cheese blend - 1 lime - 2 Roma tomatoes - 6 Tbs sour cream - 8 Tbs guacamole

Preheat oven to 425F. Lin ea baking sheet with foil and lightly oil.

Prep: Thinly slice onions. Mince a few slices until you have 2 Tbs of minced onions.

Cook pork: Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion, cook for 3 minutes. Add pork. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until pork is browned and cooked through, and onion is softened (4-6 min). Stir in Southwest Spice blend, Tex-Mex paste, and 1/2 c water. SImmer until thickened (2-3 min).

Assemble and bake: While pork is browning, drizzle tortillas with 2 Tbs oil. Brush/rub to completely coat both sides. Place tortillas  on a clean work surface. Once pork filling is done, add 1/4 c filling to one side of each tortilla, sprinkle with 1 Tbs Mexican cheese blend. Roll up tortillas to create taquitos. Place seam side down on baking sheet. Bake on middle rack until golden brown and crispy (8-12 min).

Finish and serve: While taquitos bake, finely dice tomatoes. Zest and quarter lime. In a small bowl, combine tomato, minced onion, half the lime zest, a squeeze of lime juice, and salt to taste. In a separate small bowl, combine guacamole, sour cream, remaining lime zest, a squeeze of lime juice, and salt/pepper to taste. Divide taquitos among plates. Top with pico de gallo and creamy guacamole.

Thoughts:

Ingredients: - 24 oz potatoes, diced - 4 cloves garlic - 12 oz carrots, cut into 1/4″ diagonals - 8 oz button mushrooms, thinly sliced - 4 scallions, thinly sliced - 20oz ground beef - 2 tsp dried rosemary - 2 packets beef stock concentrate - 2 packets chicken stock concentrate - 2 Tbs flour - 3 Tbs sour cream

Mashed potatoes: Place 24oz potatoes and 4 cloves garlic in a alrge pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender (15-20 min). Reserve 3c potato water, then drain and return to pot. Keep covered, off heat, until ready to mash.

Cook carrots: Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add carrots and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and softened (5-7 min). Transfer to plate and wipe out pan.

Patties: While carrots cook, in a large bowl combine 20oz beef, scallion whites, 1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to taste. Form into four patties, each slightly wider than a burger bun. Once carrots are done, heat a drizzle of oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook to desired doneness (3-5min per side). Remove pan from heat, transfer patties to a plate, allow pan to cool for 1-2 minutes.

Mushroom gravy: Melt 2 Tbs butter in the pan over medium-high heat. Add 8oz sliced mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and softened (2-4 min). Add a drizzle of oil, 2 Tbs flour, 1/2 tsp rosemary. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned (2-3 min). Whisk in 2 cups of the reserved potato water, chicken stock concentrate, and beef stock concentrate. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking, until thickened (3-5 min). Reduce heat to low. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mash potatoes: Return pot with potatoes to medium heat. Add 3 Tbs sour cream and mash. Add additional potato water if needed, until you reach desired consistency. Cook until warmed through (1-2 min). Turn off heat, stir in 4 Tbs butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Finish and serve: Return patties to pan with gravy. Turn until evenly coated. Divide mashed potatoes and carrots. Top mashed potatoes with patties and remaining gravy. Garnish with scallion greens.

Thoughts:

Ingredients: - 2-3 pounds waxy potatoes  (6 medium), cubed - 3 Tbs white vinegar - 5 hard boiled eggs - celery, carrots, onions, green onions, wtv, chopped - 1 c mayonnaise - salt, pepper

Add potatoes (and carrots, if desired) to large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, and cook for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are easily stabbed with a fork.

Transfer potatoes to large mixing bowl, sprinkle with 3 Tbs vinegar, and toss gently. Allow to cool (15-20 min).

Ingredients: - 4 packets veggie stock concentrate - 8 oz button mushrooms, thinly sliced - 2 yellow onions, diced - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 1 1/2 c Arborio rice - 8 oz grape tomatoes, halved - 1/4 oz chives, minced - 4 Tbs herb butter - 6 Tbs Parmesan cheese - 1 Tbs butter

Stock: In a medium pot, combine 7 c water and stock concentrates. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer.

Cook mushrooms: Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat, transfer to a plate. Wipe out pan.

Start risotto: Heat a drizzle of olive oil in same pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until slightly softened and lightly browned. Add garlic, rice, and 1 Tbs butter. Cook until garlic is fragrant and rice is translucent. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook risotto: Add 1/2 c stock to pan with rice mixture. Stir until liquid has mostly absorbed. Repeat with remaining stock, adding 1/2 c at a time, until rice is al dente and risotto is creamy (25-30min). Season generously with salt and and pepper.

Finish risotto: Once risotto is done, stir in mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic herb butter, half the Parmesan, and half the chives. Cook until tomatoes are softened (2-3 min).

Serve: Top with remaining chives and Parmesan.

Thoughts:

Ingredients: - 8 oz bacon - 1 lemon - 4 cloves garlic - 1/2 oz sage - 20 oz scallops - 18 oz butternut squash agnolotti (like ravioli) - 2 packets chicken stock concentrate - 4 Tbs cream cheese - 3 Tbs sour cream - 6 Tbs parmesan cheese - 6 Tbs butter

Cook bacon: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat a large dry pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook turning occasionally until crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Once cool enough to handle, roughly chop. Discard all but 1 Tbs of the bacon fat.

Prep: While bacon cooks, zest and quarter lemon. Peel and mince garlic. Pick sage leaves and finely chop. Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Transfer to a medium bowl. Toss with olive oil, lemon zest, and 1/4 of the garlic, salt and pepper.

Cook pasta: Once water is boiling, add agnolotti and reduce to simmer. Cook until al dente and floating to the top (3-5 min). Reserve 1/2 c pasta water, then drain and set aside.

Cook scallops: Heat pan with reserved bacon fat over high heat. Once pan is hot, add scallop mixture in a single layer. Cook undisturbed until browned and cooked through (2-3 min). Reduce heat to low. Add 2 tsp chopped sage and 2 Tbs butter. Cook, stirring, until butter has melted and sage is fragrant. Turn off heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Wipe out pan.

Make sauce: Let pan cool slightly. Melt 2 Tbs butter  in the same pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until butter is foamy and flecked with amber brown bits (2-3 min). Stir in remaining garlic and cook until fragrant (30s). Stir in stock concentrate, cream cheese, 2 Tbs sage, 1/2 c pasta water. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened. Remove pan from heat. Add sour cream, half the Parmesan, and 2 Tbs butter. Stir until melted and smooth. Turn off heat. Gently stir in drained agnolotti, scallops, half the bacon, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve: Garnish with remaining Parmesan and bacon.

Thoughts:

Ingredients: - 1 red onion - 2 zucchini, cut into long wedges - 8 oz grape tomatoes, halved - 1 lemon, zested and quartered - 5 oz couscous - 2 packets veggie stock concentrate - 2 tsp sumac - 12 oz grilling cheese - 2 Tbs Za’atar spice

Prep: Heat broiler to high. Halve, peel, and cut onion into 1″ thick wedges. Mince one wedge.

Cook couscous: Heat a drizzle of oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add minced onion and couscous. Cook until onion is softened and couscous is lightly toasted. Add 1 1/2 c water and stock concentrate. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until couscous is tender (6-8min). Keep covered off heat until ready to use.

Broil vegetables: Toss zucchini and onion wedges on a baking sheet with olive oil, sumac, salt, and pepper. Broil until lightly charred (10-15min).

Cook grilling cheese: Slice grilling cheese into eight pieces. Place Za’atar spice on a plate. Coat cheese in spice, pressing to adhere. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large non=stick pan over medium-high heat. Add cheese an cook until browned (1-2min per side).

Finish couscous: Transfer cooked couscous into large bowl. Stir in tomatoes, lemon zest, half the broiled vegetables, a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve: Divide couscous mixture among plates. Top with remaining broiled vegetables and grilling cheese.

Thoughts:

Ingredients: - 1 yellow onion, diced - 1/4 oz parsley, minced - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 1 lemon - 2 zucchini, cut into 1/2″ thick half moon - 2 containers chickpeas - 1 cup basmati rice - 4 packets veggie stock concentrate - 6 Tbs sour cream - 2 Tbs Tunisian spice blend - 1 oz sliced almonds - 2 oz dried apricots - 4 Tbs butter

Prep: Zest and halve the lemon. Drain and rinse chickpeas.

Cook rice: Heat a drizzle of oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add 1/4 of the onion. Cook, stirring, until just softened. Stir in rice, 1 1/2 c water, 2 packets veggie stock concentrate, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until rice is tender (15-18min). Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

Mix chermoula and cream: While rice cooks, in a small bowl combine parsley, 3 Tbs olive oil, a pinch of garlic, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of  lemon juice. Taste and add more garlic/lemon juice as desired. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, pinch of salt, and lemon zest (to taste). Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches drizzling consistency.

Cook veggies: Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and remaining onion. Cook until softened and lightly browned (~10min). Add Tunisian spice blend, remaining garlic, and a big pinch of salt. Cook until fragrant (1-2 min).

Simmer tagine: Add 2/3 c water and 2 packets veggie stock concentrate to the pan with the zucchini. Stir in chickpeas and bring to low simmer. COok until liquid has slightly reduced. Reduce heat to low. Stir in 2 Tbs butter until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Finish and serve: Fluff rice and stir in 2 Tbs butter. Season with salt and pepper. Divide rice among plates and top with chickpea/vegetable mixture. Sprinkle almonds and apricots. Drizzle with lemon crema and chermoula.

Thoughts:

I liked it! I almost never stock chickpeas at home, but I might have to start because this is the second chickpea recipe I’ve really enjoyed.

Ingredients:

- 1 lemon - 2 pears - 1/2 c flour - 4 oz ricotta cheese - 3 eggs - 1/2 c milk - 1 tsp cinnamon - 1/2 tsp nutmeg - 3 Tbs brown sugar - 8 Tbs creme fraiche - 4 Tbs maple syrup - 1 oz pecans

Preheat oven to 425F.

Prep: Zest and quarter lemon. Peel, half, and core pear. Dice into 1/2″ pieces.

Heat pan and make batter: Place 2 Tbs butter in a cast iron pan. Once oven is preheated, place pan on middle rack.  Heat until butter melts and starts to bubble. Keep an eye on it to avoid burning. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together ricotta, half the lemon zest, flour, eggs, milk, 1 Tbs white sugar, and a pinch of salt.

Cook dutch baby: Once butter has melted, remove pan from oven and swirl to evenly coat bottom. Pour in batter. Back on middle rack until puffed and golden (~20-25 min).

Cook pear: Melt 1 Tbs butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add pear, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook until fragrant (~1min). Add 1/2 c water, brown sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine, then cover. Cook until pear is tender (~8-10min). Uncover and cook until liquid is thickened and syrupy (~1-3 min more). Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbs butter until melted.

Make creme fraiche: In a small bowl, whisk together creme fraiche and 1 Tbs maple syrup.

Finish and serve: Top dutch baby with pear, maple creme fraiche, and pecans. Serve directly from pan, or cut into wedges and divide between plates.

Thoughts:

Ingredients:

- 24 oz potatoes - 2 shallots - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 1/2 oz parsley, roughly chopped - 20 oz ground beef - 1/2 c panko breadcrumbs - 2 Tbs ketchup - 12 oz green beans - 2 Tbs flour - 2 packets beef stock concentrate

Preheat oven to 425F.

Prep: Cut potatoes into 1/2″ thick wedges. Halve and peel shallots. Grate one shallo ton the largest holes of a box grater. Mince the other shallot.

Roast potatoes: Toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, and peper. Place on baking sheet. Roast on top rack until browned and tender (~20-25 min).

Bake meatloaves: In a bowl, mix grated shallot, ground beef, garlic, panko, half the parsley, 1 tsp salt, and pepper. Gently combine, then form into four 1″ tal loaves. Place on one side of a baking sheet. Brush tops of meatloaves with ketchup. Bake on middle rack for 5 minutes.

Roast green beans: Toss green beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Once meatloaves have baked for 5 minutes, add beans to other side of the baking sheet. Continue cooking both the meatloaves and the beans until beans are tender and meatloaves are cooked through (~12-15 min more).

Gravy: Melt 1 Tbs butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Add minced shallot and cook until softened (~3-4min). Sprinkle in flour, and whisk to combine. Stir in beef stock concentrate and 1 c water. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened (~3-4 min). Stir in remaining parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Thoughts:

Makes 50 small-ish cookies.

Ingredients: - 1/2 c molasses - 1/4 c honey - 1/2 c butter, cubed - 2 large eggs - 1 1/2 tsp anise extract - 4 c flour - 3/4 c white sugar - 1/2 c brown sugar - 1 1/2 tsp baking soda - 2 tsp ground cinnamon - 1 tsp ground ginger - 1 tsp ground cardamom - 1 tsp ground nutmeg - 1 tsp ground cloves - 3/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper - 1/2 tsp salt - 2 Tbs powdered sugar (for rolling)

In a pot, mix together 1/2 c molasses, 1/4 c honey, and 1/2 c butter. Stir the mixture on medium heat until melted. Remove form heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Stir in 2 eggs and 1 1/2 tsp anise extract.

In another bowl, mix together 3/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 4 c flour, 3/4 c sugar, 1/2 c brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cinnamon, and 1 tsp each: ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves.

Add dry ingredients to molasses mixture gradually and blend well. Cover and chill for 2 hours (or overnight).

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325F.

Roll dough into 1″ diameter balls. Arrange balls on baking sheet lined with silicone baking mats, spaced 1″ apart. Bake until golden brown, ~12-15 min. Transfer cookies to wire racks and allow to cool for ~5 minutes. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar.

Allow to cool thoroughly. Store in airtight container.

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