mellielearnstocook

successes and failures

[victusinveritas]

[mellielearnstocook]

Saving for later

https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/how-to-cook-quinoa-in-a-rice-cooker/#wprm-recipe-container-21893

[mellielearnstocook]

Marry Me Sundried Tomato Orzo

If you're planning to propose to your loved one (or coax them into proposing), this marry me sundried tomato pasta is the perfect dish to ge

Delicious!!

Not pictured: feta crumbled on top

I didnt follow recipe for spinach amount and I used normal spinach. Next time i would use baby spinach and dump in a lot more, or else use lots of frozen spinach/kale. I would also increase chickpea:orzo ratio.

Recipe did not include salt so obviously that was added. Might add more heat too.

I ran out of paprika so i added a little smoked paprika. Next time would try with full amount.

To reheat I needed to add a splash of water before microwaving, and obviously added feta after heating.

[mellielearnstocook]

Apple Pastries

I'll find a better recipe next time - it was just grated apples + cornstarch + vanilla extract + sugar, cooked down until soft, added to rolled out puff pastry. I had to add salt and a bit of lemon juice - I'll find a different recipe with way more spices/flavour next time.

[mellielearnstocook]

Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Cookies from here. Icing from here.

Notes:

- don't make icing by hand again

- commit to piping (ziplocs) with more colours and try thinning for flooding

[mellielearnstocook]

Beef Bourguigon

https://cafedelites.com/beef-bourguignon/#recipe

Delicious!

Notes for next time:

- do more wine and less stock

- more flour or cornstarch, i like thick stew

- remember to prepare potatoes or other starch as base

- more meat (grocery delivery sent me a small package)

- find the small onions and/or

- add double the carrot and onion and mushroom for the same liquid? Maybe

I did not mean to add a question and can't delete it oops

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Voting ended onJan 23, 2024

[mellielearnstocook]

Turkey Meatballs

https://www.budgetbytes.com/turkey-meatballs/

With adjustments too tired to write it up. Burned my hand but delicious.

[mellielearnstocook]

Steak

I got scared of overcooking and ended up undercooking - trust the recipe next time. Delicious but I need to keep working on my skills.

[mellielearnstocook]

Carrot Ginger Soup

Recipw from here. Forgot to take a photo but this was delicious. Ginger taste intensifies over time so I added extra ginger to my bowl on day 1 but then didn't need to the next day.

[mellielearnstocook]

Baked Brie Bites

From here and here.

Half were garlic butter, half were some form of a combo of cranberries/maple syrup/walnuts. Garlic butter was too garlicy (didn't know that was possible lol) and the butter bubbled so much that I think it impacted the browning of the puff pastry.

I bought a block of puff pastry and had to roll is out with a round container - either buy pre-rolled or buy a rolling pin.

One of the recipes said not to skimp on the brie in each bite - I think I did skimp and would add more per bite next time.

Will try again!

[mellielearnstocook]

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Do not waste the seeds from pumpkins, they can be made into a healthy and delicious snack! Learn how to roast pumpkin seeds with this step b

Didnt work too well but saving here in case. Would be better shelled but not worth the effort.

[mellielearnstocook]

One Pot Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet

This Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet is an easy weeknight dinner - all cooked in one pot! Less dishes to wash is always a win 😉

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce {Ready in 20 Minutes!} - WellPlated.com

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce. Made with pumpkin, cream cheese, and sage, this easy recipe tastes similar to Alfredo, but is healthy and ready

[mellielearnstocook]

Red Lentil Fritters

Wanted to use up some red lentils, overcooked them (again), and googled "what to do with mushy red lentils". Came across this recipe as a guideline.

Notes:

I don't have a Cuisinart so I just chopped onion & red peppers by hand finely

I added too much chickpea flour (probably double the recipe) and i can taste it. Next time i might add some chickpea flour and an egg or some other binder with less of a distinct flavour

Add more seasoning than you think. I had to make a little mayo sauce to add extra flavour

I preemptively opened a window and i'l grateful I did. Learned my lessons from hannukah

I have half of the mixture left over to experiment on tomorrow

I'll try to make this type of thing again and experiment more!

[mellielearnstocook]

Red lentil taco:

Roughly based on this link:

Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

You're going to love this vegetarian lentil tacos recipe. Roasted cauliflower, seasoned lentils and creamy chipotle sauce combine to make a

Did not make the cauliflower, just the lentils but added cheese and sauteed mushrooms.

It worked out really well! Will definitely make again.

[mellielearnstocook]

Assorted links for later:

10 min pan fried chicken breast

Pumpkin bars

[mellielearnstocook]

Beef Stew

Roughly followed this recipe for the beef steps & timing, but didn’t measure anything.

Thank you to my cousin Emily for some good tips! Specifically (a) that I shouldnt skip a tomato-based (acidic) addition but could easily substitute ketchup if I didn't have any tomato paste/sauce, and (b) to make sure I floured the beef before searing for a thicker stew.

Veggies/starches - sweet potato,  halved small potatoes, celery, carrot, parsnip, onions (fried with minced garlic).

Flavourings - celery salt, seasoned salt, and pepper (plus flour) on the beef before searing; a can of concentrated chicken broth, ketchup, and hoisin sauce (because without wine or anything else more traditional on hand, I wanted a bit of extra flavour).

Cooked in a crock pot for ~7.5 hours, added some cornstarch and margerine at the end to thicken/ for flavour.

Overall needed some extra salt but otherwise delicious! I’m happy to finally add a wholly new dish/skill to this blog :) (after a while of sticking with my existing skills)

I had way too many veggies to fit in the crock pot but I already chopped them, so I’ll need to find a way to use those up in the next few days. Maybe a chili with some beans I have on hand, maybe an orange soup with red lentils. In the meantime I’ll eat my delicious stew & freeze whatever I don’t finish. 

[mellielearnstocook]

Chickpea flour savoury pancake

Threw this together with ingredients i had on hand:

1 med onion, diced

1 med carrot, diced

2 med red potatoes, diced

1/2 napa cabbage

Fried cabbage until tender. Separately, fried onions until half-cooked then added carrots and potatoes, added 2 frozen cubes of vegetable stock and some water, covered and kept adding water until tender. Seasoned with garlic, oregano, basil, salt.

In another bowl, used proportions from here (but halved) for chickpea flour, water, olive oil, salt. Added garlic powder too. Let sit for 10 mins.

Added potato/carrot/onion mix and cabbage to about half the socca mix, stirred it, poured it onto a hot pan with lots of butter and fried on both sides until cooked.

Delicious!!

So basically a modified socca? I'm sure this exists in some form in the medditeranian already.

Would definitely make again since i usually have most of the ingredients on hand, and since it doesn't rely on eggs which i'm currently out of.