Crunchy Slaw

by Irene Lindvall

Yet another recipe with not enough details! The recipe says to brown the almonds and sesame seeds in butter over medium heat. I have no idea how long I left them on for initially, but it wasn't long enough because the almonds were still white. I decided to put them back on the stove and of course the second time I left it on for too long because they were slightly charred and a little overwhelming in the salad. It didn't make the salad inedible but it did draw a lot of attention to the smoky flavor of the nuts and seeds. Overall, I guess this isn't too bad of a thing because the salad didn't have a ton of flavor otherwise. Not a bad slaw, but not memorable.

Things I learned from this recipe:

I made two versions of the dressing. One with vegetable oil and the other with extra virgin olive oil. I went with the recipe suggestion of vegetable. It was nothing to brag about, but was better than the olive oil version.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Probably not.

The recipe

Provencal Chicken w/Green Olives (dinner)

by Irene Lindvall

I needed a good protein to accompany the stuffing and I've had this recipe saved from a Bertolli Olive Oil cookbook, and was drawn to it because of the olives. I knew that Eric wouldn't care for them, but there wasn't a lot to the recipe and he could pick them off. The recipe is pretty self-explanatory except when cooking the chicken it just says "cook until evenly browned". I'd prefer to know how long to cook something, and in this case I really needed to know. Not only did the onions come out charred and inedible (photo 2), the chicken was so nicely charred that Eric thought it had skin on it (which it didn't). Regardless of all that, the chicken was still moist, but really lacked taste. Thank goodness for the stuffing.

Things I learned from this recipe:

I hate recipes that do not give me heating instructions. Cooking chicken for 15 minutes on medium heat is a lot different than 15 minutes on medium-high heat.

Would I make this recipe again?:

No

The recipe - I really did not like the wording of this recipe and do not feel like it's worthy of sharing. 

Caramelized Onion & Carrot Stuffing

by Irene Lindvall

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I have many recipes to try out before the big day. I started with stuffing. Who doesn't love a good stuffing? Everyone in my family loves stuffing, but of course there comes with restrictions. I don't want any meat bi-products used or nuts, and Eric wants no fruit involved. So...this recipe was perfect, and perfect it tasted! It's so simple, but so great. The only thing I regret was not being able to caramelize the onions enough. The dish was so great, Eric had three helpings. I'd say it was a success.

Things I learned from this recipe:

I will be re-making this (potentially for Thanksgiving day) to attempt to get the onions fully caramelized.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Definitely.

The recipe

Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

by Irene Lindvall

I've been away from bowling for a couple of weeks which means I haven't made any tasty baked goods in awhile. In fact, I feel like it's been quite a long time since I've made any worthy baked goods. While the recipe says muffins, it also gave the alternative of a loaf and I went with that option because I didn't think pecan halves would make much sense in the bottom of a muffin. I think crushed pecans would be great and I definitely want to give those a try.

I recently told my sister-in-law about my woes with loaf pans and she suggested USA bakeware and my grocery store happens to stock it so I picked up a pan while I was there, and it produced a perfect loaf. It was ready in the exact amount of time the recipe said, it was moist and the edges were just a tad crispy - the way I enjoy them. The best part about the loaf? The pecans and brown sugar. Everyone at bowling enjoyed the loaf and agreed the sugary goodness at the bottom was the best.

Things I learned from this recipe:

Grated fresh ginger root is a fine substitute for ground ginger. Check online for ratios because it is not one-to-one.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Absolutely.

The recipe

Lentil Stew w/Winter Vegetables (lunch)

by Irene Lindvall

It's cold outside. It's cold inside, and all I feel like eating is soup. I don't have very many recipes for soup but I found this one for vegetable stew from 2007 that I've been holding onto and thought today was the perfect day for a warm lunch. I knew that Eric wasn't going to be too excited about this dish. Beets, turnips, butternut squash, kale and lentils - all things not high on his list. To be honest, beets and turnips are not my number ones either, but I gave it a go anyways. There was a lot of prep work and I ended up having to simmer the stew well past what the recipe said because the liquid hadn't absorbed so the prep & cook time was at least one hour and ten minutes.

The last step of stirring in goat cheese was quite unique and added all the flavor the stew needed. I sort of forgot that Eric really dislikes goat cheese and that was what did this dish in for him. I thought it was fine, and the stew kept me warm which was my first goal, but the flavors were not my favorite.

Things I learned from this recipe:

Beets aren't so bad.

Would I make this recipe again?:

No. Although, I definitely want to find a stew we both enjoy.

The recipe