thoughtsforfood

[thoughtsforfood]

[thoughtsforfood]

The first time I made crispy roasted chickpeas (for the stew), I said to my husband, “Now that I know how easy these are, I’m unstoppable.”

The second time I made them (for a salad topping), I said, “Do you want any more of these to snack on? I might have some more, but I don’t know… Actually, these are so easy I can’t afford not to eat them.”

Honestly? Life-changing snack. Go fuck myself. Wonderful chickpea revolution. Here’s what you do: dry these beans as much as you can (strainer, then paper towels), toss with olive oil and salt, bake on tray at 200c for like 30 minutes, stirring 2~3 times. Sprinkle with delicious spices, or pop directly in mouth.

(Also, the salad dressing is yogurt, tahini, roasted garlic, lemon, and olive oil, blended roughly with a fork and left in the fridge a few hours. It is also delicious.) 

[thoughtsforfood]

Recipe Review: Peanut Butter Noodles w/ Parmesan by Eric Kim (NYTimes Cooking)

9/10 once again eric kim has gifted us a recipe that absolutely slaps!! so good i was too busy slurping down the noodles to remember to take a photo. (but also it's peanut noodles. u can imagine what that looks like.) such a simple pantry/struggle meal with so much flavor. i made the mistake of using inferior (american) parmesan instead of proper parmegiano reggiano and it was still good! (but i will definitely use the good stuff next time. the american parm was neither salty nor nutty enough to hold its own with the peanut)

the recipe:

INGREDIENCE

Yield: 1 serving

Salt

4 oz. spaghetti or 1 individual package instant ramen (i used linguine bc that's what i had! yippee!)

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon soy sauce

PREP

Bring a pot of water to a boil (and salt it, if using spaghetti). Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the noodles and return to the pot. Turn off the heat.

Add the peanut butter, butter, Parmesan and soy sauce. Vigorously stir the noodles for a minute, adding some reserved cooking water, a tablespoon or two at a time, until the sauce is glossy and clings to the noodles. Season to taste with salt.

Top with more cheese, if you’d like, and serve immediately.

[thoughtsforfood]

Recipe Review: Salmon with Avocado and Cilantro Salad by NYTimes Cooking

9/10 tasty!! a good light dinner :) i ate it with some of the trader joe's dried harvest grains mix (which has pearl couscous, red quinoa, lentils, and split garbanzo beans). once again i used romaine for the salad bc that's just what i had. i also just realized i forgot to add cilantro to the salad 🥲 but really my only note is that in future i would mince the jalapeño instead of just slicing, so the heat is better distributed throughout the salad.

the recipe:

INGREDIENCE

Yield: 4 servings (probably, i made a half recipe bc i didn't fancy eating leftover salmon after more than a day)

1 (1½-pound) salmon fillet, skin on or off (i just did 2 individual frozen salmon filets, defrosted - idk what the weight was)

2 limes (1 thinly sliced crosswise)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, grated or minced

½ teaspoon ground coriander 

Salt

2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

1 jalapeño or Fresno chile (optional), thinly sliced into rounds

2 avocados, halved, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise

3 packed cups watercress, baby arugula or baby spinach

Torn fresh cilantro leaves and delicate small sprigs, for serving

PREP

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, set the salmon, skin side down, along with the lime slices. Drizzle all with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Rub the top of the salmon with the garlic and coriander; season with salt. Arrange the lime slices on top of the salmon in an even layer.

Roast until the salmon is just cooked through and the thickest part of the salmon can easily be pierced with a fork without meeting resistance, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon. (The cooked lime slices can be eaten, or discarded after cooking.)

Meanwhile, zest and juice 1 lime into a medium mixing bowl. Add the scallions, cumin and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and mix to combine; add salt and jalapeño to taste, if using. Add the avocado slices to the bowl; season with salt and gently toss.

Remove the salmon from the oven and let cool slightly.

Add watercress to the bowl with the avocado salad and gently toss to coat; season to taste with salt. Transfer to a serving plate. Break the salmon apart into large chunks, separating from the skin if on, and transfer to the serving plate. Drizzle any liquid from the bowl on top.

Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

[thoughtsforfood]

Recipe Review: Rosé tteokbokki by Maangchi

7/10 this was incredibly tasty day 1 but i have learned that it is a type of rich/dense dish that i don't actually want to have multiple days in a row. (not to mention that tteokbokki reheated are not great imo) so, future me: make a 1/3 or 1/4 recipe next time unless feeding more ppl than your own self! i ate this with a jammy egg (following technique B of this recipe) + edamame for protein bc i didn't have sausages or bacon, rip.

the recipe (ingredients/steps skipped are in parentheses; i was more following the recipe for the sauce ratios):

INGREDIENCE

Serves 2 (this almost never happens but i think this is does 3 servings)

1 pound rice cake for tteokbokki, soaked in cold water for 1 hour

(4 strips of bacon (100 grams), cut into bite sized pieces)

(8 mini sausages, with a few slits cut into each)

¼ of a medium-sized onion (about ¼ cup worth), chopped into small pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup water

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

(1 green onion, chopped)

2 hard boiled eggs, shelled

2 tablespoons gochujang

1 tablespoon gochu-garu

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup whole milk (i used like 3/4 cup oat milk)

½ cup heavy cream (i used like 3/4 cup trader joe's vegan whipping cream alternative)

½ cup water

PREP

Combine gochujang, gochu-garu, soy sauce, sugar, milk, heavy cream, and the water in a bowl. Mix well until it has no lumps and becomes orange color.

Set it aside.

(Drain the rice cakes.)

(Heat up a thick bottomed pan over medium heat. Add bacon and stir for about 5 minutes until crispy and it turns golden brown.)

(Turn off the pan and pour out the excess fat from the bacon into a small ball. Discard the fat.)

Turn the heat on to medium-high. Add the garlic and onion to the bacon and stir for 1 minute.

(Add the sausage, stirring with a wooden spoon for a minute, until the sausage splits a little along the slits.)

Add the rice cake and 1 cup water and stir. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until the rice cake gets tender.

Open and add the sauce, mixing well with the wooden spoon. Cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add mozzarella cheese and stir to melt.

Stir and ladle some of the tteokbokki, egg, and broth into bowls.

Sprinkle some chopped green onion over top and serve right away.

[thoughtsforfood]

Recipe Review: Creamy, Spicy Tomato Beans and Greens by NYTimes Cooking

9/10 this was great!! i didn't make the arugula salad with bread crumbs bc a) i didn't have arugula and b) i was making it for just me and it would've been impractical to have to freshly toast bread crumbs each time i ate it or have them go soggy :( i still want to try that part eventually, but this review is for the beans themselves + the idea of pairing them with a lemony salad (i just did romaine + cucumber). now THE BEANS were so so good! so comforting and warming and equally good eaten as directed with bright greens + crusty bread (i used some foccacia i had frozen, defrosted in the oven) AND eaten in the morning with a fried egg. the runny egg mixing with the tomatoey-cheesy sauce?? DELECTABLE. breakfast of champions, truly!!

the recipe (i've put parentheticals around the parts specific to the salad they're directing bc i freestyled those or skipped them entirely, in the case of the panko):

INGREDIENCE

Yield: 4 serving

6 tbsps olive oil (4 if not doing the panko)

(⅔ cup panko bread crumbs)

Salt and black pepper

1 medium yellow onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp crushed red pepper

⅓ cup tomato paste

2 (14-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other creamy white beans, rinsed

1 cup heavy cream (I used Trader Joe's Vegan Whipping Cream sub and it worked great)

½ cup chopped jarred sun-dried tomatoes in oil

⅔ cup finely grated Pecorino or Parmesan

(4 (packed) cups/3 ounces baby arugula)

(2 tsps finely grated lemon zest plus 4 teaspoons juice (from 1 lemon))

Toasted bread (optional), for serving

PREP

(In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium. Stir in the panko, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently and shaking the pan, until toasted and golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer seasoned panko to a paper-towel lined plate, then wipe out the skillet.)

Add another 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium. Add the onion, garlic and crushed red pepper, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 4 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir until darkened and mixture is combined, about 3 minutes.

Stir in beans, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes and ⅓ cup water, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Stir in half the cheese, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, toss the arugula with the seasoned panko, lemon zest and juice, plus the remaining ⅓ cup cheese and 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Pile the greens at the center of the bean mixture. Serve with toasted bread, if desired.

[thoughtsforfood]

Recipe Review: Coconut Black Bean Soup from NYTimes Cooking

6/10? maybe? that feels harsh bc i didn't DISLIKE eating this but i don't know that i would ever make it again. maybe i'm still just growing in my enjoyment of coconut in savory dishes (which i didn't like for ages), but it simply was not my favorite. also love and light to the 10min prep time estimate but this took me SO long to make. the vast majority of that time was separating the cilantro stems/leaves and then mincing them - maybe that is just lack of technique on my part but jesus. that said! i am actively thinking of other dishes i could start with the onion/garlic/jalapeño/cilantro stem aromatic combo bc that shit smelled SO good and was so delightfully green:

the recipe:

INGREDIENCE

Yield: 4 servings (this was correct for me, iirc)

1 large white onion, peeled

2 limes, 1 halved and 1 cut into wedges

1 ¾ tsps kosher salt (Diamond Crystal or use ¾ teaspoon Morton), plus more to taste

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, seeded if desired and minced

1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans, drained

1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

1 cup vegetable or chicken stock, plus more if needed

PREP

Cut the white onion in half lengthwise and then cut lengthwise again into quarters. Thinly slice one quarter of the onion. Add slices to a small bowl and stir in the juice of ½ lime and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside for serving. Dice the remaining onion and reserve.

Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Once hot, add the oil. Add the diced onion and cook until tender and golden at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Stir in the jalapeño. Mince ¼ cup cilantro stems and add to the pan. Cook until the jalapeño and cilantro stems are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin seeds, black pepper and remaining 1½ teaspoons salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens.

Add in the black beans, coconut milk and stock. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the mixture is thick.

Use an immersion blender or blender to purée the soup until half-smooth and still a little chunky. Add more stock if you want a brothier soup.

Stir in the juice of the remaining lime half and ½ cup of chopped cilantro leaves. Taste and add more salt and lime juice as needed. Serve topped with the pickled onions and more chopped cilantro, and with lime wedges alongside.

[thoughtsforfood]

[thoughtsforfood]

Recipe Review: Orzotto Alla Carbonara by Eric Kim

10/10 i have made this 3-4 times and will continue to make it again and again ! basically a cross between risotto and pastina with a carbonara flair; sooo delicious and cozy and rich with only ingredients I typically have on hand!

Eric Kim has yet to let me down - my only modification is to sometimes add peas or otherwise to eat with a big tangy salad/side veg bc it is quite rich on its own (and not the most nutritionally balanced, but. yknow.) The first time I made it, I was worried about curdling the eggs but just following the tempering process he describes is pretty simple and I have yet to fuck it up!

the recipe (i make the full version bc it’s also great leftover, so i usually get 3ish meals out of it):

INGREDIENCE

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

3½ ounces guanciale, pancetta or thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice (⅔ cup)

1¼ cups/about 9 ounces dry orzo

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed

6 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, plus more for serving

1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks

PREPARATION

Add the guanciale to a large, high-sided skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and crispy all over, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the guanciale to a small dish. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet; reserve the extra fat for another use.

Stir the orzo into the fat in the skillet until coated, then season with salt and pepper. Stir constantly for just a few seconds, then add the chicken broth, raise the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally so the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the skillet, until the orzo is tender and loose like risotto, adding more broth as needed, 7 to 9 minutes. At this point, the pasta should have absorbed most of the liquid.

Take the skillet off the heat and vigorously stir in 4 tablespoons of the pecorino. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and yolks. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons pecorino and ¼ cup of the orzo to temper the eggs and prevent them from scrambling when added to the skillet. Stir this mixture into the hot orzo, then immediately shake the skillet with one hand and stir with the other until the orzo is creamy and thick, about 1 minute.

Taste and add salt as desired. Divide among plates and sprinkle with more pecorino, black pepper and the reserved guanciale.

[thoughtsforfood]

Recipe Review: One-Pot Tortellini with Prosciutto and Peas by NYTimes Cooking

^using the recipe photo bc i apparently took no photos of my own?

6.5/10: useful to use up cream if i have some open, but not interesting enough to be the reason why i crack a carton. **rating to be updated when I try it again after adding the fucking lemon juice like the recipe said to**

this is the second in my Try Out Creamy Recipes with Vegan Cream series. (I also have Aldi mushroom tortellini to use up.) the cream did great again, even with being simmered (the pasta cooks in a cream/broth mixture until it’s done & the liquid has reduced to a sauce)! but the flavor profile is kinda mid, tbh? Like, all the components are nice - creamy sauce with caramelized shallots, salty-umami pork, sweet peas, plump tortellini - but it just feels like it’s missing something, even after i freelanced and added grated parm :/ if i make this again, i think i would add some lemon zest/juice to brighten the sauce up, and maybe some fresh herbs?

edit: this is so fucking embarrassing. I was just copying the recipe down below and editing to reflect the changes I made and. There was supposed to be lemon juice AND zest. And I simply skipped it and then critiqued the recipe for not having it! This is what I get for half watching dnd actual play while trying a new recipe. Anyway sorry to Ali Slagle who does in fact know what she’s doing!!

the recipe (halved, as i made it):

INGREDIENCE

Yield: 2-3 servings

1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more if needed

2 ounces prosciutto (i got diced prosciutto at Aldi which was a great lil shortcut, but i would make sure to even up the chunk size a bit bc I didn’t this time and some of the pieces were too large for my taste)

2 shallots, finely chopped

8 to 10oz refrigerated cheese dried mushroom tortellini (this sub was fine, I just added the full recipe’s amount of liquid and simmered for longer to account for dried rather than fresh pasta)

1 cup (5ounces) frozen peas (no need to thaw)

1 cup chicken broth

1/2ish cup heavy cream vegan “whipping cream”

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional) (I did not add this)

Salt and black pepper

Zest and juice of ½ lemon (about 1½ teaspoons zest plus 1 ½ tablespoons juice) ((DO NOT FORGET THESE LIKE I DID. the recipe needs it, believe it or not!!)

PREPARATION

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium. Add the prosciutto in a single layer and cook, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Press occasionally with a spatula to ensure even crisping and reducing the heat as necessary if the fat begins to smoke. Transfer the prosciutto to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.

To the skillet, add the shallot and cook over medium until softened, 2 to 4 minutes, adding about ½ tablespoon butter if the pan is dry. Add the tortellini, peas*, chicken broth, heavy cream and nutmeg (if using) and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and peas are tender, 3 to 5 minutes*. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.) Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Crumble the prosciutto on top.

* if using dried tortellini, I would recommend waiting 3-5 mins to add the peas, then simmering for a final 3-4 minutes (depending on package instructions & how the pasta is doing) so as not to overcook the peas.

[thoughtsforfood]

Recipe Review: Creamy Mushroom Pasta by Bon Appetit

9/10: delicious but requires additions to make it a full meal.

^idk why it doesn’t look like there is any sauce in the pic above?? I swear it was nice and saucy and creamy when i ate it.

(wahoooo time to start using this blog again!~)

i've had a container of Trader Joe's Vegan Heavy Whipping Cream (i don't *think* i'm lactose intolerant, but my body sure does not like dishes heavy on the cream) in my fridge for a bit, so this was the first in a cluster of recipes involving cream that i wanted to try after opening it. it made a pretty seamless substitution here, as far as i could tell!

this dish is soooooo tasty!!!! perfect balance of creamy-salty-umami sauce with a little greenness from the parsley & zing from the lemon juice and zest! I ate it with some pork schnitzel (from the freezer) and a quick lemony romaine salad for balance. would DEFINITELY make again; the sauce even reheated nicely with 1-2 tbsps water & cream and a sprinkle of extra parm before microwaving for 2-3 mins on half power.

the recipe (halved, as I made it):

Recipe information

Total Time 25 minutes

Yield 2-3 servings

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 lb. mixed mushrooms (such as maitake, oyster, crimini, and/or shiitake), torn into bite-size pieces

Kosher salt

1 medium shallots, finely chopped

1/2 lb. spaghetti or bucatini i did linguine

1/4 cup heavy cream i used trader joe's vegan heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Zest and juice of 1/4 lemon

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about 1/4 cup), plus more for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a Dutch oven or other large pot over medium-high. Cook half of mushrooms in a single layer, undisturbed, until edges are brown and starting to crisp, about 3 minutes. Give mushrooms a toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until all sides are brown and crisp, about 5 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a plate; season with salt. Repeat with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil and mushrooms and more salt.

Reduce heat to medium-low and return all of the mushrooms to the pot. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until shallots are translucent and softened, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions.

Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with mushrooms and add cream and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Increase heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and liquid is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

Remove pot from heat. Add lemon zest and juice, parsley, butter, ½ oz. Parmesan, and lots of pepper and toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Divide pasta among bowls and top with more Parmesan.

[thoughtsforfood]

Chai tea bag + lil but of brown sugar + apple cider packet + 16 oz. mug of hot but not quite boiling water

it will not Fix You but like. maybe. maybe.

[thoughtsforfood]

you seem like a person who knows good soup recipes

am i ever!! there is very little i love more than making soup. maybe eating it?? but even then.... i simply love to chop veggies.

some tried + true favourites:

creamy roasted cauliflower soup

roasted carrot, sweet potato, and ginger soup

chicken and rice soup

literally any combination of broth (beef, chicken, or veggie), a starchy vegetable (potato/sweet potato/squash), an onion, and another veggie (broccoli, carrot, cauliflower), garlic and/or ginger. salt to taste, add the herbs u like (for me it's usually thyme, sometimes nutmeg for depth, cayenne for a lil heat) and blend half then mix it with the rest. i've done so many combos and have not messed it up yet

+ some of my personal plans for soups to try this year:

broccoli and potato soup

vegetable soup

cozy autumn wild rice soup

[thoughtsforfood]

now that i have assessed how well it freezes + defrosts, i can wholeheartedly recommend this horchata recipe~ notes:

super easy to make, all cheap ingredients that you either already have or could easily use again for other meals

i used slightly less condensed milk than the recipe called for and i think that was good, as someone who doesn't love a *thick* beverage

good for 2-3 days in the fridge; after that, i poured the leftovers into an ice cube mold, topped w some extra powdered cinnamon, froze them, and put them in a baggie in the freezer for on-demand drinks.

you could thaw in the fridge but my recommendation is to make a very luxurious iced matcha horchata: a few cubes of frozen horchata in a glass, pour your hot matcha-and-water mix over them, and top with a few ice cubes. that filled my glass so i didn't add oat milk but you could add your milk of choice to make it a latte! the sexy part of this is that the drink stays cold but doesn't water down as much as a regular iced matcha latte would, since the "ice" is mostly horchata :-)

[thoughtsforfood]

I made Hungarian mushroom soup and it's a little too delicious to be real

[thoughtsforfood]

The Dungeon Meshi renaissance is making me want to share the resources that taught me how to cook.

Don’t forget, you can check out cookbooks from the library!

Smitten Kitchen: The rare recipe blog where the blog part is genuinely good & engaging, but more important: this is a home cook who writes for home cooks. If Deb recommends you do something with an extra step, it’s because it’s worth it. Her recipes are reliable & have descriptive instructions that walk you through processes. Her three cookbooks are mostly recipes not already on the site, & there are treasures in each of them.

Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables by Joshua McFadden: This is a great guide to seasonal produce & vegetable-forward cooking, and in addition to introducing me to new-to-me vegetables (and how to select them) it quietly taught me a number of things like ‘how to make a tasty and interesting puréed soup of any root veggie’ and ‘how to make grain salads’ and ‘how to make condiments’.

Grains for Every Season: Rethinking Our Way With Grains by Joshua McFadden: in addition to infodumping in grains, this codifies some of the formulas I picked up unconsciously just by cooking a lot from the previous book. I get a lot of mileage out of the grain bowl mix-and-match formulas (he’s not lying, you can do a citrus vinaigrette and a ranch dressing dupe made with yogurt, onion powder, and garlic powder IN THE SAME DISH and it’s great.)

SALT, FAT, ACID, HEAT by Samin Nosrat: An education in cooking theory & specific techniques. I came to it late but I think it would be a good intro book for people who like to front-load on theory. It taught me how to roast a whole chicken and now I can just, like, do that.

I Dream Of Dinner (so you don’t have to) by Ali Slagle: Ok, look, an important part of learning to cook & cooking regularly is getting kinda burned out and just wanting someone else to tell you what to make. These dinners work well as written and are also great tweakable bases you can use as a starting place.

If you have books or other resources that taught you to cook or that you find indispensable, add ‘em on a reblog.

[thoughtsforfood]

y'all ever have a granola bowl that hits so perfectly you almost start crying