Vodka Cream Sauce, Pasta & Fresh Salad

Recipe: Vodka Cream Sauce // Serious Eats

Rating:

This was my most favorite vodka cream sauce that I've ever made. Seth is more talented at making them than me, so I used a recipe for success.

The salad was my first harvest from my tiny container garden. There is a 100% chance I ate a bug. Oh well. Fresh & delicious!

Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto

Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto / Annie's Eats

Rating:

This was a quick, tasty meal. It has too much raw garlic in it, though. I'd reduce that next time. Or roast/cook the garlic before adding it to the pesto. We'll make it again, I'm sure.

Macaroni & Cheese & Hot Dog

Recipe: Seth made it up

Rating:

This is an old favorite. We didn't have any box mac and cheese on hand, so Seth made a roux and added cheese. It separated a little, and would have benefitted from some velveeta or cheeze whiz, but it hit the spot anyway.

Pasta with Goat Cheese, Broccoli, and Oregano

Recipe: Pasta with Goat Cheese, Broccoli, and Oregano // Serious Eats

Rating: 

Seth's Rating: 

I forgot that I'm not fond of goat cheese used as pasta sauce. I love goat cheese, but it just doesn't work for me on pasta. Seth liked it, though (and made me include a separate rating for him). 

We roasted the broccoli using the Cook's Illustrated method instead of steaming it. I can't get enough of roasted broccoli these days! 

Garden Vegetable Sauce with Chickpeas

Recipe: Garden Vegetable Sauce with Chickpeas // Slow Cooker Revolution (pg 176)
To Drink: Villard Blanc // Goose Watch Winery

Rating: 

This was great! The recipe called for dried garbanzo beans, and I was amazed the improved texture and flavor compared to canned. I'm not sure I've had garbanzo beans except from a can; these were much better.

Like most recipes from this cookbook (which Seth bought me for Hanukkah), it required some browning on the stove, but the end result was worth it. I used chicken broth that we had open in the fridge, so ours wasn't technically vegetarian. We paired it with a lovely finger lakes white wine and some leftover Italian semolina bread. I will make this again!

Chicken Parmesan

Recipe: Chicken Parmesan // How to Cook Everything (pg 388)
Rating: 

This was a nice chicken parmesan. The chicken got crispy on the stovetop and the cheese was bubbly and melty in the oven. We used linguini noodles because I am not fond of spaghetti noodles. We've made this before, and we'll definitely make it again.

Slow-Cooker: Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

Recipe: Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna // Slow Cooker Revolution (pg 232)
Rating:  

This was the best lasagna I've ever had. It had excellent flavor, wonderful texture, and it wasn't overly cheesy. A real winner, and I'm not usually a lasagna fan.

This recipe required all the prep for a lasagna cooked in the oven (pre-cooking noodles, sautéing vegetables and the like), so the only real convenience is that you come home and your meal is already cooked. The authors do not try to disguise the fact that most quality slow cooker recipes require a fair amount of prep work. Regardless, I can't wait to try more from this cookbook.

I have been looking for a quality slow cooker cookbook, and I think I have found one worth purchasing from the fine folks at America's Test Kitchen & Cooks Illustrated.

Orzo with sausage, peppers and tomatoes

Recipe: Orzo with Sausage, Peppers and Tomatoes // Serious Eats

Rating:

This is the second time I've made this. It's spicy & satisfying, comes together quickly, and I can easily keep most of the ingredients on hand. We used Shady Brook Farms turkey sausage that I pulled from the freezer.

The only thing I'd alter is the pasta ratio--I'd like more veggies & meat or less pasta.