American Ghoulash in crockpot

Saw a recipe and similar to chili in cooking.

Used modified recipes from slowcookergourmet.net, dearcrissy.com, and simplyhappyfoodie.com 

The kids were in town so for 8 meals, used 2 lbs of ground turkey and 1 full bag of macaroni. 

Eric said too much macaroni and thought green beans would have been good to go with it.

He also felt not flavorful enough, so maybe more salt, Italian seasoning, fresh oregano, Worcestershire sauce?

I added a can of garbanzo beans but didn’t like it with it.

Avocado was good topping

Ingredients:

-Ground turkey (1-2 lbs)

-garlic cloves

-1 yellow onion, diced

-Serranos - used like 6 diced

-3 bell peppers, diced

-green beans (eric said to add)

-2 bay leaves

-1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

-1 Tbsp dried oregano - Eric said next time use fresh oregano

-1 Tbsp paprika (forgot because didn't see)

-salt (2 tsp)

-pepper (1/2 tsp)

-1.5 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

-1 can diced tomatoes

-1 can tomato sauce (16 oz)

-Chicken broth - probably used 1 cup

-elbow macaroni

Directions:

1. Brown turkey with cloves and serranos

2. Stir in all ingredients except pasta.  

3. Cook on low 4-6 hrs in crockpot

3. Cook elbow macaroni separately (because didn't fit in crock pot).  Add in at end.

Cheese Puffs

From delish.com

Very good and easy to make.  Bready and cheesy.  More bready than a Brazilian cheese puff.

Eric said it was too peppery, so add less next time or none.

Cook to eat with Italian dinner.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

4 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp freshly ground white pepper (optional)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1/2 cup freshly grated Gruyere, plus more for topping

Direction

1. Preheat oven to 400 deg and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

2. In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, salt, sugar, and white pepper and bring to a boil.  Add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms.  Continue to cook until dough pulls away from the pan and forms a ball, and a film develops on the bottom of the pot, about 2 minutes

3. Transfer dough to a bowl and continue to mix with a wooden spoon to cool slightly, 1 minute.  Beat eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth and fully incorporated after each addition.

4. Fold in gruyere

5. Transfer batter to a piping bag or use a small (2 tsp capacity) cookie scoop to create small, inch-wide mounds on prepared baking sheet (needs to be all same size), about an inch apart.  Top with more gruyere and bake until puffed and golden, 20-25 min

Butternut Squash Pasta with Homemade Sausage

Initially had recipe from skinnytaste.com, but I joujed a recipe from NYT better. Eric liked and said he would have again!
Homemade sausage recipe joujed from thebigmansworld.com (added fennel)

Ingredients:

-2.5 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4 inch pieces (weighed 3 lbs)

-2 garlic cloves (used whole head)

-olive oil

-salt and pepper

-3/4 packed cup fresh sage leaves (used 1 bag from store which was more like 1/4 cup)

-3/4 cup chopped walnuts (used an old bag, but could use more at least 1 cup)

-1 lemon zested (about 1 Tbsp) (+ half a lemon juice)

-1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable stock

-1 pound short pasta

-1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

-VEGGIES: 1 yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 bunch of asparagus

Homemade sausage:

-2 lbs ground turkey 

-2 tsp salt - used big 1 tsp salt

-1 tsp pepper - use more

-1 tsp dried sage - use more

-1 tsp garlic powder - use more

-1 tsp brown sugar

-1 tsp fennel - use more

Directions:

1. Peel and dice squash. Bake for 400 degrees with olive oil, salt, pepper for 35 min. Turn halfway.

2. Place squash + garlic + 1 cup of stock in blender until smooth and thick (stored in fridge)

3. Boil pasta al dente.  Reserve 1 cup pasta water aside. (stored in fridge)

4. Zest lemon onto plate + juice half of a lemon (set aside)

5. Grate parmesan cheese onto plate

6. Cook veggies in oven

7. Used large saucepan - heated avocado oil - added sage for about a minute. Then added walnuts + salt.  Cook until sage leaves are lightly browned and crisp.  Transfer to paper towel on plate.  Add zested lemon and mix

8. Cook ground turkey + spices.

9. Add pureed squash + lemon juice + pasta water + parmesan cheese. Can add more salt/pepper.

10. Sprinkle with sage/walnut/zest mixture. Didn't add extra parmesan.

Notes:

-Had about 3/4 cup walnuts in a bag, but could do more - try a full cup

-Only used juice from half a lemon, but try the whole lemon. Good lemon flavor from the nuts/zest.

-Use more spices for the sausage - I had sprinkled more on top of the ground turkey, but not sure how much

-try mixing spices in with turkey to marinate and store in fridge in bowl

Ginger Lemongrass Soup with Coconut Milk

Recipe modified from CookingOnTheWeekends

I thought it was pretty good. Eric said he liked it a lot.

Able to use the lemongrass from the garden

I added a lot of jalapeno, but because it was cooked, not as spicy as I would have liked.  

Try serranos next time. And if still not spicy enough, red pepper flakes.

Used the cuisinart and added the cooked ginger/lemongrass/garlic/jalapenos to the chicken.

I also added veggies.  I think subsequent days, it was not as good on reheat.  Eric agreed.  

Maybe zucchini got soggy, so try snap peas next time? Would also consider adding cherry tomatoes

Added scallions like recipe, but don't think it was a good add esp if using cilantro

Try marinating chicken beforehand

Ingredients

-Lemongrass - 4 stalks (I used a lot more)

-Ginger - 1/2 cup roughly chopped

-Garlic cloves - 3 cloves smashed (I used a lot more)

-jalapenos - use serranos next time!

-8 cups vegetable stock (used 4 or 1 box)

-1 1/2 cups coconut milk (preferably not light) - I used 1 can 

-1 TBSP red curry paste

-VEGGIES: bell pepper, onion, zucchini....maybe use snap peas/cherry tomatoes next time?

-chicken 

-cilantro, thai basil, lime to taste

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken - didn't do before, but would use the red curry paste, lime, other seasonings

1. Prep lemongrass - cut, peel, and smash with knife

2. Infuse lemon grass, chopped ginger, garlic cloves, serranos to pot with coconut milk + stock

3. Boil, bring heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 min.  Turn off heat and infuse for another 45 min

4. Strain liquid in separate bowl - pick out lemongrass and half the ginger - cuisinart the rest

5. Cook chicken with the cuisinarted stuff + jalapenos/serranos

6. Cook veggies with the coconut liquid

Spanish Rice in Rice Cooker

Taken from A Peachy Plate

Ingredients:

-1 cup Jasmine rice (regular, not rice, measuring cup)

-1 cup chicken broth

-1 cup canned diced tomatoes 

-1/4 cup onion, chopped

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1 TBSP butter (would try omitting next time)

-1 tsp chili powder

-1/2 tsp cumin

-1/2 tsp oregano

-1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

-rinse rice

-Add rice to pot and all ingredients, stir

-Set rice cooker - took 65 min on mixed setting!

Notes:

Eric said he liked it a lot.

I thought it was a bit mushy.

Try without butter next time

Cookies & Cream Pie (Oreo)

 Recipe taken from Sally's Baking Recipes

Made for Eric's b-day.  He really liked it.  Not sure my favorite, but pretty good.  More Oreo crumble on top.

Ingredients:

Crust:

-22 regular Oreo cookies

-5 tablespoons (71 g) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

-1 cup cold heavy cream/heavy whipping cream

-8 oz full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature

-3/4 cup (90 g) confectioners' sugar

-1 tsp pure vanilla extract

-12 whole Oreos, chopped (about 1.5 cups or 135 g)

Homemade whipped cream

-1 cup cold heavy cream/heavy whipping cream

-2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees

2. Bake the crust (do 1st so that it can cool later).  

--In a food processor or blender, pulse 22 Oreos including the cream filling into a fine crumb.  

--Pour crumbs into large bowl 

--Add melted butter and stir to combine.    

--Pour into 9 inch pie dish and pat down sides and bottom to make compact.  

--Bake for 10 min.  

--Allow to cool as you prepare the filling

3. Make the filling:

--Whip cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 4 min.  Set aside.

--Beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy

--Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract and beat on medium-high speed

--Fold in whipped cream and chopped Oreos into cream cheese mixture until combined

4. Make whipped cream:

--Mix heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 min.

4. Spread filling into cooled crust

5. Spread whipped cream

6. Cover with plastic wrap and fridge for at least 6 hrs, up to 2 days.  Can freeze for at least 4 hrs.  I froze for first night and then took out and at and was fine.  Harder to cut crust when frozen.  Use knife to cut crust and chisel a little from the pie dish.

African Peanut Soup

Modified from modernproper.com with a few additions from Fitmencook.com

Eric didn't think was great.  He said there was "something missing." He thinks it was salt.

I didn't think it was spicy enough.  I added red pepper flakes afterwards. 

I didn't add sweet potatoes because too much work.

I didn't add kale because...Eric

I also seasoned the chicken/marinated chicken from Fitmencook's recipe.

Ingredients:

-chicken tenders

-1 medium onion, chopped

-1 Tbsp ginger, minced - I used 2 Tbsp or more and good

-1 jalapeno, diced --> use 2 serranos instead??

-4 garlic cloves, minced - used more

-1/2 tsp pepper

-2 tsp cumin

-2 Tbsp tomato paste

-1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes

-4 cups of chicken stock 

-1 cup of creamy natural peanut butter

-1 (14 oz) can of chickpeas, drained

-Veggies used: bell pepper trio (consider sliced jalapenos here, too)

-1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

Fitmencook's spices for sauce - I used for chicken marinade and didn't measure out just sprinkled, but he added to the sauce

-2 tsp smoked paprika (wouldn't use next time, too strong flavor, try regular paprika?)

-2 tsp ground coriander

-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper - need more for spice

-2 bay leaves

Garnish (used the cilantro, but nothing else)

-cilantro

-lemon juice

-sea salt

-pepper

-chopped peanuts

Directions:

1. Cut and marinate chicken with salt, pepper, ground coriander (vs. cumin?), paprika? (not smoked?), and cayenne (use more). 

2. Cut veggies

3. Saute a little of the garlic + serrano --> add chicken. Set aside.

4. Saute garlic + onions + serrano until softened

5. Add ginger

6. Add pepper, cumin, tomato paste --> stir until paste darkens

*. Add sweet potatoes --> cook for another 3 min

7. Add crushed tomatoes, stock, peanut butter, bay leaves

*. Add sweet potatoes if you got them --> simmer for 15 min until potatoes tender

8. If no sweet potatoes, add in veggies + chickpeas and "simmer"

9. Add salt?

10. Garnish

I may try again with the sweet potatoes. Try adding after step 6 per Fitmencook's recipe vs. modern proper after step 7.

I changed recipe to use serranos instead of jalapenos or consider adding jalapenos as part of the veggies added