Katia's food adventures

[katiahayati]

2ish hour rustic bread

180g warm water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp instant yeast

7.5 g olive oil

250 g flour

Mix everything into a shaggy dough. Cover for 15 mins, then do a stretch and fold over 4 times (4 quarter turns). Cover and let rise for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 430. Stretch the dough into a greased baguette pan and let it rise, covered, on the stove for around 30 mins. Slash then bake for 20 mins, after throwing some water on the bottom of the oven.

Ideally let rest for a few mins before eating.

[katiahayati]

miso pork

Adapted from here: https://smittenkitchen.com/2026/02/miso-chicken-and-rice/

2 lb boneless country style pork ribs, cubed

4 Tb soy sauce

1 1/3 Tb hoisin sauce

2 tsp fish sauce (this one and the hoisin subbing for 2 Tb oyster sauce)

2 Tb rice vinegar

2 Tb white or red miso

1 tsp sugar

Marinate the pork in all of this. Put it in the IP with 1/2 cup water and cook for 25 mins, then let it release all the way by itself (or get impatient and release after 15 mins). Now I didn't test this coming part, but thicken the cooking liquid with cornstarch and serve with.

What I did do is use the pork that came out and the cooking liquid to cook rice in a second step. It was good, but the pork that came out was magnificent. If I did want to make the rice again, I think the pork should cook for 5 mins less at least.

[katiahayati]

no churn chocolate ice cream (kid approved!!)

Sweetened condensed milk:

2 cups lactose free milk

2/3 cup sugar

Ice cream:

2 cups whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

30 g cocoa powder

100 g 100% chocolate

Make the condensed milk: whisk the milk and sugar over medium high. Bring to the barest simmer. Simmer until reduced by half (1 1/3 cup), around 35 mins. Cool quickly in an ice bath, then cool for around 15 mins in freezer.

note: full recipe is for 300g condensed milk. Last time I got just under that (around 1 cup) and scaled the cocoa and chocolate a tiny bit.

Whip the cream to soft peaks. Add the condensed milk and the vanilla and whip until stiff peaks. Gently fold in the cocoa and chocolate ("you just fold it in!"). Freeze for a few hours.

This does get pretty hard, but not icy inside, and is very delicious.

[katiahayati]

instant pot lamb biryani (kid approved!!)

Lamb and marinade:

~1.5 lb lamb bone-in shoulder neck slices

250 g Greek yogurt

0.5 tsp turmeric

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp coriander

1 Tb biryani masala (store bought)

juice of one lemon

2 tsp garlic

2 tsp ginger

glug oil

Rice:

1.5 cup basmati rice

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

some chopped mint

Topping:

1 red onion, sliced very finely (I used a mandolin)

In the IP insert, put in all the marinade ingredients and whisk. Add the lamb and coat. Marinade for however much time there is.

Turn the IP on saute and saute the mix for a few minutes. Add 0.5 cups water and cook on high for 35 minutes. Let it release pressure naturally the whole way (15-20 mins).

When the lamb is depressurizing, start soaking the rice.

Take the lamb out and take it off the bone. Put the cooking liquid in a fat separator and separate.

Put the lamb back in the IP, then the cilantro and mint, then the rice on top and optionally some salt (depending on the saltiness of the biryani masala), then 1.5 cups of the cooking liquid. Cook on high for 5 mins, and NPR for 5.

Meanwhile, take the fat off the top and use it to caramelize the onion.

Serve with the leftover cooking liquid, the caramelized onions, and some yogurt sauce.

Loosely adapted from Andy Cooks.

[katiahayati]

sausage onion potato skillet

this was really delicious

1 package brats (not pre cooked) (or other sausage I guess)

1 onion, sliced

3 potatoes, diced small-ish (I used russet)

Little bit of oil

Salt, pepper, marjoram, garlic powder, paprika

Splash of apple cider vinegar

Heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium. Add everything except the vinegar and stir. Cook for 20-25 mins, stirring every once in a while. Deglaze with some vinegar at the end.

[katiahayati]

pasta with ricotta, lemon, and spinach

This is really, really good https://theclevermeal.com/10-minute-lemon-ricotta-pasta-with-spinach/#recipe . Add some more garlic though. I made it with fettuccine started in cold water.

[katiahayati]

pasta with ricotta, spinach, sausage and lemon (wip)

I used orecchiette, 4 mild Italian sausages, 8 oz spinach, most of a 15 oz package of ricotta, and one lemon. Garlic would have been nice too.

[katiahayati]

instant pot birria

this recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/birria-tacos/ , except

No chipotle in adobo

Use achiote chili powder

Cut up roast into 2 in chunks

Put everything at once in the IP

Cook for 45 mins, NPR for 15

[katiahayati]

Noodle stir fry

1 lb chicken thighs

2 heads broccoli florets

3 small carrots

3 package fresh yakisoba noodles

Avocado oil

Soy sauce and rice vinegar for marinating chicken

Sauce:

4 Tb soy sauce

2 Tb hoisin sauce

1 Tb rice vinegar

1 Tb ginger

1 tsp garlic

Marinate chicken in soy sauce and rice vinegar

Air fry it for ~15 mins at 375

Meanwhile, microwave each noodle packet for 1 min

Chop vegetables small

Heat a few Tb of avocado oil in wok until very hot. Put veggies in and stir fry until they are nicely charred. Don't move them around too much and use a spatula.

Add chicken, then noodles

Pour sauce on outside of wok then use tongs to mix in with noodles and use spatula to mix everything together.

[katiahayati]

paneer

half gallon full fat milk (preferably cream top)

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup lime juice

Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat in a non stick saucepan. It will take forever and a day or two. Add the yogurt then the lime juice and stir. Turn off the heat as soon as the curds form. Strain into cheesecloth put on strainer. Rinse curds very well in cool water to get rid of any acidity. Wring cheesecloth well, then place paneer in tofu press for an hour or two.

[katiahayati]

Clarified butter-poached chicken breast

6 sticks of salted butter (could probably get away with 4 or 5)

2 large chicken breasts (~ 2 lb)

Salt

Fresh herbs (I just used tarragon)

Clarify the butter: put the butter in a pan and turn the heat to low/medium low. Let the butter melt and separate slowly over 20-30 minutes. Do not stir. When the butter is nice and separated, skim off the foam, then strain the top fat from the bottom milk solids. I found that cheesecloth in a fine-mesh strainer helped.

Meanwhile, salt the chicken and leave it out.

Put the fresh herbs in a pouch. Put the chicken in the pan, then pour the clarified butter, then add the pouch. Bring to a simmer (temp should be around 200F). Turn heat down to maintain simmer, cover and cook for 30-40 mins until chicken registers 165F.

Take chicken out and let rest for a while. Can use the poaching liquid for mashed potatoes, and gravy. I sliced the chicken for serving.

[katiahayati]

best crab cakes I've ever had

Maryland's Best Crab Cakes (Little Filler) - Sally's Baking Addiction

These Maryland crab cakes get a big stamp of approval from locals. For the best texture, use lump crab meat and little filler.

[katiahayati]

kid-approved soba noodles

the sauce from here https://www.justonecookbook.com/soba-salad/#wprm-recipe-container-56597, except with half the honey and no red peppers. I warmed up the oils in the microwave.

[katiahayati]

egyptianish shawerma

this: https://fedbysab.com/gyro/ general idea

with the spices of this: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/grilled-beef-shawarma/ scaled 3x (I used allspice instead of nutmeg because that's what I had)

Also only 2tsp salt.

Then I made two versions: one I put in the air fryer for 4 mins basted with a little of the cooking juices.

The other I pan fried, basted with the cooking juices, then adding vinegar from a squirt bottle and at the end tomatoes and parsley.

The pan frying worked really well though I had a bit of a heavy hand with the vinegar.

This was pretty legit!

[katiahayati]

stewed kale

1 lb bag chopped kale

some oil

some garlic and red pepper flakes

soy sauce

rice wine vinegar

better than bouillon veg base

Heat up oil in IP. Fry garlic and red pepper flakes together just for a min until golden. Add kale in batches and wilt. Drizzle with some soy sauce, add 3 cups of water + BTB, cook on HIGH for 9 minutes, then quick release and add a drizzle of rice wine vinegar.

[katiahayati]

zoe approved turkey bolognese

1 onion

2 carrots

2 rib celery

1 lb ground turkey

Garlic

Tomato paste

Ground allspice

Oil

1 28 oz san marzano tomatoes

2 cup chicken stock

8 oz bucatini

Caramelize aromatics in oil. Take them off the heat, put in small blender, and blend until very smooth. Return to pot with a little extra oil and the turkey. Brown the turkey, add allspice, garlic and tomato paste and saute. Add blended down tomatoes and cook for as long as Z lets you. Then add stock and pasta, bring to a boil then maintain at a vigorous simmer until cooked, which will take a while (around 20 mins?)

[katiahayati]

Steak and rice

This recipe is really great: https://melissajorealrecipes.com/best-one-pot-steak-and-rice/

I used the carne asada cut from the grocery store, cut into crosswise strips.