Weekend Reviews Anyone???

[dgeevanson]

I didn't see a thread for this, so I'll start.

I made a few new recipes this weekend and most were repeaters.

Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb Sauce - Cooking Class
We loved this. Low fat and yummy. Pork was seasoned with s&p and cinnamon nutmeg mixture.

Pan Fried Rice - Jessie Peng
Not really a unique recipe but we loved it.

Easiest Peanut Butter Fudge - Sweetnicks Blog
Good but not a repeater for us. I guess I am just not a huge fan of "cheater fudge". This one calls for powdered sugar. I don't love the other popular bb recipe that calls for marshmallow creme either. Just me.

Tilapia with Green Curry Mango Dipping Sauce-adapted from Bobby Flay recipe
We really liked this. Creamy and yummy over the tender tilapia. Original recipe calls for grilled lobster.

Crabmeat Eggdrop Soup - used a mix from the Asian market and added fresh dungenous crab. It was the fresh crab that made it, obviously. We served this before a sushi meal . (My husband loves to make homemade sushi.)

Rhubarb Pudding Cake - We liked this but what really made it was the leftover rhubarb sauce from the pork recipe on top of the vanilla bean ice cream. The warm pudding cake, vanilla bean ice cream and rhubarb sauce combo was wonderful.

[LakeMartinGal]

I made Mexican Chicken Pasta Salad, (post #29) which was the only new recipe this weekend, and it got rave reviews from DH, who didn't even like 2 of the ingredients in it! This is a definite repeater at our house!

[mightyh]

Can you please post the recipe for the pork tenderloin with rhubarb sauce?

I love, love, love rhubarb, but have never used it in a savory dish. This sounds delicious!

Thanks!

[moogan]

"Pan Fried Rice - Jessie Peng
Not really a unique recipe but we loved it."

Can you please post this recipe? I searched but didn't find it. Thank you.
Megan

[Connor's mom]

Unfortunately, the only cooking I did was dinner on Sunday, but everything was definitely a keeper/repeater.

I have never made BBQ Ribs before (likely because I don't eat them!), but these got great reviews from DH and DS. I marinated the ribs in BBQ sauce for a few hours, then put them in the slow cooker on high til they almost fell apart, about 6.5 hours.

BBQ Sauce - really good on the grilled chicken breast I had, too
1 cup ketchup
1 cup salt-free tomato sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic clove minced
2 teaspoon chili powder
3 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoon Liquid Smoke
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin

We served these with the Baked French Fries that have been posted on this site (soak potatoes in water, sugar,and salt 15 minutes before baking), and Rachel Ray's Muffaletta Salad (minus the salami and ham), which we thought was delish. I added canned tuna to the leftovers for a great salad for lunch today.

[Linda in MO]

I went to a weenie roast Saturday night and I took Caramel Surprise Chocolate Chip Cups and Mexican Fiesta Pasta Salad posted by lwright. The cookies were a huge hit. My notes are at the bottom of the recipe. The picture of the cookie was taken on day 3, so that's why it looks a little dried out.

I got compliments on the pasta salad but for me it falls into the category of "it was good and I'm glad I made it, but I'm not going to be in a rush to make it again". I thought it was best the first night. My changes are in parenthesis.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Caramel Surprise Chocolate Chip Cups

Recipe By :A Baker's Field Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies
Serving Size : 60 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cookies/Brownies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter -- softened (2 sticks)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
60 Rolos (about 8 rolls) and/or mini Reeses
cups
M&Ms -- optional (my addition)

Preheat oven to 350. Line mini muffin pans with paper liners or just spray w/Pam (which is what I did).

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl.

With a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat butter on med or med/high until creamy, about 2 minutes.

Add sugars gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, and scraping down bowl once or twice.

Beat in vanilla, then eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl again.

Add about 1/3 flour mixture and mix on low speed. Gradually add remaining flour mixture, mixing just until blended. Stir in mini chocolate chips.

Fill each muffin tin well with about 1 Tablespoon of dough.

Bake until cups begin to turn light golden brown, about 8 minutes (I did about 10 minutes). The insides will still be soft. Press a Rolo or mini Reeses cup (narrow side down) into the partially baked cookie. The top of candy should be flush with top of batter.

Return to oven for about 3 more minutes (I did about one minute). <At this point, I pressed an M&M into the Rolos but left the Reeses ones plain.> Place tins on racks to cool completely before carefully unmolding.

NOTES : I only got 56 instead of 60. I used my Pampered Chef pan that is dark, but there was no need to reduce the temp. by 25 degrees, which I do sometimes when using that pan. The original recipe just calls for Rolos but I made some with mini Reeses also. I added an M&M to the top of the Rolo ones after they were done baking. I took them to a weenie roast and everyone went crazy over them. I came home with an empty platter. My family also loved them. I preferred the Reeses ones but the ones w/Rolos were also good. They just seemed a little sweeter though. In the book, it says they will stay fresh for 4 days, but I thought they were drier on day 2. I think maybe I was a little too heavy handed when measuring the flour. The cookies looked more buttery in the photo in the cookbook.

******************************

* Exported from MasterCook *

Mexican Fiesta Pasta Salad

Recipe By :Better Homes and Gardens
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Pasta Salad

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups dried penne or rotini (I used Ronzoni whole wheat blend pasta)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen whole kernel corn (I would use more next time)
1/2 cup light dairy sour cream
1/2 cup mild or medium chunky salsa
1 Tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro (I omitted)
1 Tablespoon lime juice (I used the juice of a whole lime)
1 can black beans -- (15 ounce) rinsed
and drained (I used a 1/2 a can and a whole can would have been too much for me)
3 medium plum tomatoes -- chopped (1 cup)
1 medium zucchini -- chopped (1 cup)
1/2 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2
oz.) (might cut into small cubes next time)
(I also added kosher salt, fresh pepper, Penzey's adobo seasoning, and Frank's red hot sauce)

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the corn the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain pasta and corn. Rinse with cold water; drain again.

Meanwhile, for dressing, in a small mixing bowl stir together sour cream, salsa, cilantro, and lime juice. Set dressing aside.

In a large bowl combine pasta mixture, black beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and cheese. Pour dressing over pasta mixture. Toss lightly to coat. Serve immediately, or cover and chill for up to 24 hours (if so, you may need to stir in a little milk to make desired consistency).

Note: It tasted great and was quite easy to make (took no more than 30 minutes total). I used canned corn since that's all I had. Next time, I plan to add some chicken. lwright

[Canice]

OMG, Linda, are there any of those "surprise" cakes left? Could you send one to me NOW?

The only real recipe I made was from the April Bon Appétit, Fettuccine with Morels, Asparagus, and Tarragon. It was a perfect portrait of spring on a plate!

What I did differently
•Used chicken broth instead of vegetable (messed up the veg broth I made)
•Blanched the sliced asparagus in advance and just let it warm in the sauce, toward the end of its simmer.

This really is a lovely, bright spring dish and I think it would make a particularly nice first course at a dinner party. (I see a gorgeous roast chicken with citrus and herbs coming next.)
The recipe calls for reserving 1/2 Tbsp of tarragon for garnish, but I would allow more than that, as I thought it could use a little flavor boost. For that matter, I might use a little more shallot than the recipe called for as well. Be sure to season the sauce well with s&p. Because there are so few ingredients, make sure all are the best available - may be a good time to pick up one of those nice artisinal dried pastas you keep eyeing.
A couple of additional thoughts: I thought one handful of frozen peas thrown in the last seconds of boiling the pasta would add a little sweetness and springyness. Another thought - is this gilding the lily? - would be to top each serving with a small nest of sliced prosciutto San Daniele. Definitely would be a company-worthy dish!


FETTUCCINE WITH ASPARAGUS, MORELS, AND TARRAGON

This pasta showcases spring produce.

8 ounces fresh morels, halved if fresh, or 1 ounce dried morels
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup (packed) sliced shallots
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth (if using fresh morels)
2/3 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, divided

12 ounces fettuccine
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided


If using dried morels, place in 2-cup measuring cup and pour enough hot water over to reach 2-cup mark. Let soak until soft, pushing down occasionally if morels rise to top, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving soaking liquid; add enough water to measure 1 1/4 cups if needed. Cut large morels in half.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and fresh or reconstituted morels; sauté until shallots are tender, about 6 minutes. Add asparagus and 1 1/4 cups broth (if using fresh morels) or reserved soaking liquid (if using dried morels). Bring to boil, cover, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in cream and 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon. Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens slightly, about 4 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and sauce; toss. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon tarragon. Serve with remaining Parmesan cheese. One serving contains the following: 719.54 Calories (kcal), 41.5 % Calories from Fat, 33.20 g Fat, 18.81 g Saturated Fat, 96.84 mg Cholesterol, 77.23 g Carbohydrates, 5.82 g Dietary Fiber, 5.14 g Total Sugars, 71.41 g Net Carbs, 29.05 g Protein

Makes 4 servings.

Bon Appétit
April 2007
Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Epicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.

[dgeevanson]

Can you please post the recipe for the pork tenderloin with rhubarb sauce?

I love, love, love rhubarb, but have never used it in a savory dish. This sounds delicious!

Thanks!

Here you go! Any ideas for sides for this? I was in a rush this time and just pulled out some brown rice and steamed green beans. Looking for something a little better for sides for next time. Darla


* Exported from MasterCook *

Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb Sauce -cooking class Sara Voortmeyer

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Miscellaneous Pork

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 pounds pork tenderloin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon sugar
pinch nutmeg
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Rhubarb sauce:
4 cups rhubarb
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tablespoon butter

In a heavy pan, heat olive oil. Clean and dry the pork. Season with the salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon , sugar and nutmeg. Place the tenderloin in the hot oil and brown on all sides.

Rub the cinnamon mixture all over the pork. Place in a 325 degree oven until inside temp reaches 160. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before slicing. I used 2 1 lb tenderloins and only took 30 mins.

To make the sauce, cut rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces. In a saucepan, combine and sugar and rhubarb and let sit for 15 mins. Add the water and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins or until rhubarb is tender. Remove from heat and add the jucie, zest and butter. Stir well.

Serve sliced tenderloin with the sauce. Yummy. The sauce was also excellent on ice cream.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[mightyh]

Thank you--it sounds delicious and I can't wait to make it!

[dgeevanson]

Can you please post this recipe? I searched but didn't find it. Thank you.
Megan

Jessie Peng is a neighbor of mine and she taught us how to make this last week at a neighborhood cooking class. She doesn't use an actual recipe but this is what she put in and it worked when I made it on the weekend. Sorry the recipe is a little sketchy. It was tasty with the marinated chicken from Panda Restaurant but I've never heard of them selling it to consumers and even if they did, I'd wonder what exactly is on the meat. She has a friend who works there and got her some. She also uses marinated, cooked pork, beef or leftover salmon. Darla



* Exported from MasterCook *

Pan Fried Rice - Peng

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Chinese/Asian/Thai

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 Tablespoons canola oil
2 eggs-lightly beaten
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup peas
1/4 cup carrots, chopped finely
1/4 of a red onion
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup bean sprouts
grated cabbage -opt
1 chicken breast, marinated, cooked, chopped
2 cups cooked rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar or seafood seasoning

Cook egg ( scramble) without s&p and set aside. Saute onion and carrots in oil until soft. Add salt. Add peas, carrots, rice , and soy sauce. Mix well. Add chicken, pepper and sugar.

When all is cooked through, add egg and serve. She added fish seasoning instead of sugar. I added 1 ts asian mushroom seasoning instead of sugar. (healthy sub for msg)

I marinated my chicken in rice wine, bit of cornstarch and soy. She does a mixture of soy, sugar and pepper. For the demo she used Panda Restaurant pre marinated and grilled "mandarin chicken". Strong in soy and sweet tasting.

If adding cabbage, add in with carrots. I'd try adding cabbage next time. I did with brown rice and we liked it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[oceanjasper]

Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb Sauce - Cooking Class
We loved this. Low fat and yummy. Pork was seasoned with s&p and cinnamon nutmeg mixture.

I was just wondering how I was going to use up the rhubarb in my freezer! This sounds perfect!

[MissFood]

A couple good ones...

Shrimp Burgers (Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook): These were really good and definite repeaters. I might kick up the ginger a bit next time, because it was barely noticeable.

The sleeper hit of the weekend was the Caramel Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Sweet Stuff -- I think that's what it's called -- Karen Barker's dessert cookbook). It was a sleeper because I totally goofed it up, but I think it actually turned out better because of the goof. I was moving at the speed of light to get all the various pieces of dinner assembled, threw the crisp in the oven, breathed a sigh of relief, and OH SHOOT! realized that I had left the cornstarch out of the filling. I grabbed it out of the oven (the butter in the topping had already started to melt), scooped the topping off, sprinkled a bit of corn starch around the remnants of topping still stuck to the filling, dumped the topping back on the crisp and put it back in the oven. A half hour later it was a sad sight when I pulled it out of the oven. Brown goop (no crisp here) on top of delish looking strawberry rhubarb filling. I scooped the topping off, mixed up another batch and threw just that new batch of topping in the oven on a cookie sheet. When it was done, I broke it into chunks over the top of the crisp. I don't know that I'll ever go back to making crisps the usual way! The topping was nice and crunchy, not soggy at all, and was a nice counterpoint to the warm filling. A little but like cinnamony shortbread cookies with strawberry rhubarb compote, but much less fuss. If only all my cooking mishaps would turn out so well.

[Kristal]

I mainly stayed with T&Ts this weekend, but I did try two new salad recipes from the latest Barefoot Contessa cookbook.

Bibb Salad with Basil Green Goddess Dressing Barefoot Contessa at Home
This was really delicious. The dressing has a lot of onion flavor (1 cup of spring onions plus a few raw cloves of garlic) and a beautiful green color from the fresh basil. My only change was to use lightened sour cream instead of regular. I'll definitely make this recipe again.

Tomato Feta Salad Barefoot Contessa at Home
This wasn't bad, but I probably would not make it again. I felt the feta cheese overwhelmed everything else, and I even used less feta than the recipe called for. I think this would be much better with a fresh mozzarella or a mild goat cheese.

[jtoepfert100]

I mainly stayed with T&Ts this weekend, but I did try two new salad recipes from the latest Barefoot Contessa cookbook.



Tomato Feta Salad Barefoot Contessa at Home
This wasn't bad, but I probably would not make it again. I felt the feta cheese overwhelmed everything else, and I even used less feta than the recipe called for. I think this would be much better with a fresh mozzarella or a mild goat cheese.

Thanks for the reviews. I have this book and haven't made anything from it yet. With regard to the Tomato Feta Salad, I thought it called for A LOT of feta. The picture of it is really pretty but I guess I'll skip this one.

I made a few new things over the weekend:

Cold Soba Noodles w/ Cilantro-Miso Pesto - AYIAVK - this was so much better than I expected it to be. I'm not always a big cilantro fan but I liked that this recipe was low fat and I had most everything in it on hand. The flavor it outstanding and you can't tell there is no oil in it. Great way to use up leftover cilantro

Pizza with Mushrooms and Leeks - WW Annual 2003 - Nothing too exciting here but if you like mushrooms and leeks, you'll like this pizza. The crust was a bit on the dry side but I did like that it was a recipe that only made one crust so I might experiment with it next time I make pizza.

Toasted Coconut Tapioca - CL 09/00 - this was okay but had kind of a strange texture. I think mine didn't thicken up as much as it was suppposed to. Probably won't repeat.

Buffalo Chip Cookies - Old Fashioned Cookies - this was a bargain book I got at the bookstore that is ripe with errors but these cookies turned out really good. They are gigantic! These would make great bake sale cookies, chock full of pecans, coconut, cornflakes, chocolate chips, etc.

Pita Crisps - Lean & Loving It - what do I always forget that I can make my own pita chips that taste just as good as Stacey's for a fraction of the cost? These were a good basic recipe. Note to self - do not add more salt to a recipe BEFORE tasting it. I thought the amount of salt seemed low on these but I was mistaken.

Glazed Turkey Tenderloin - Best Kept Secrets of Healthy Cooking - very simple, very tasty recipe that would be perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Very flavorful!

Orange-Glazed Carrots & Onions - CL 12/03 - I'm not sure why I missed this one before but this is a great carrot recipe with ingredients that most of us probably always have on hand. A sauce of chicken broth, soy sauce and marmalade boils down to a yummy glaze. The recipe calls for baby carrots but I think it is better for those older carrots you have lurking in the fridge.

[RD chef]

Can you please post the recipe for the cold soba noodles with miso cilantro pesto. I have miso, cilantro and some soba noodles to use up. Also, maybe the glazed carrots as well, if you get a chance.

TIA!

[Terrytx]

Cold Soba Noodles w/ Cilantro-Miso Pesto - AYIAVK - this was so much better than I expected it to be. I'm not always a big cilantro fan but I liked that this recipe was low fat and I had most everything in it on hand. The flavor it outstanding and you can't tell there is no oil in it. Great way to use up leftover cilantro

These sound good. I don't know why I don't cook out of that book more often. Every recipe I have tried has turned out good.

and here's the recipe RD chef-


* Exported from MasterCook *

Cold Soba Noodles with Cilantro-Miso Pesto

Recipe By :Jack Bishop
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Pasta Vegetarian


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leasve
1/4 cup white miso
1 1 inch piece gingeroot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder, or to taste
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
12 ounces soba noodles
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise,
seeded, and cut into very thin strips,
about 2 inches long
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced

Serves 4 as a main course

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot for cooking the noosles.

Place the cilantro, miso, ginger, garlic, wasabi powder and rice wine
vinegar in a food processor and process, scraping down the sides of the
bowl as necessary, until smooth. Adjust the seasonings, adding salt if
necessary, Set the pesto aside for 10 minutes so the wasabi flavor can
develop.

Add 1 tablespoon and the noodles to the boiling water and cook until al
dente. Drain and rinse the noodles under cool water to remove excess
starch. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl.

Scrape the pesto into the bowl with the noodles and toss until the noodles
are coated evenly. Divide the noodles among 4 individual bowls. Arrange
the cucumber strips over each bowl and garnish with the scallions. Serve
immediately.



Description:
"Adjust the amount of wasabi to taste-with 1/2 teaspoon, the noodles
are fairly spicy."
Source:
"A year in a Vegetarian Kitchen"

[Linda in MO]

OMG, Linda, are there any of those "surprise" cakes left? Could you send one to me NOW?

The only real recipe I made was from the April Bon Appétit, Fettuccine with Morels, Asparagus, and Tarragon.

I would gladly trade you a few cookies for a portion of your fettuccinie, but my family wiped out the last 5 cookies yesterday.

MissFood, could you share the recipe for the Caramel Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp?

[jtoepfert100]

Thanks, Terry for posting that recipe. Just a note - I used the full amount of wasabi and it wasn't too spicy at all, in fact I may have added more since I only made 3/4 of the recipe. Also, I just chopped the cucumber but I had issues with them all sinking to the bottom. I'm not entirely certain the cucumber is essential here.

Here's the carrot recipe. It went great with the Turkey Tenderloin as they both used similar ingredients in their respective glazes:

Orange-Glazed Carrots and Onions
From Cooking Light

"The sweetness of the carrots in this recipe really accentuates the flavor of the onion." --CL Reader

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 pound baby carrots
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in marmalade, salt, and pepper. Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup (about 30 minutes), stirring frequently.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 63(7% from fat); FAT 0.5g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 1.8g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 28mg; SODIUM 381mg; FIBER 2g; IRON 0.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.9g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2003

[pilgrim719]

Gorgeous weekend here, so I was out a bunch, but still managed to try a few things.

Maple Sugar Biscuits, BHG Annual Recipes 2000 -- Really delicious! I used my maple sugar in them (the recipe did offer a sub for it, though), and they were maple-y and not overly sweet.

Spaghetti Pepperoni Pie, Family Circle 4/1/04 -- Easy to make and very tasty! I made a veggie version using faux pepperoni slices, but they still taste like pepperoni so I didn't lose that flavor. Great comfort food, and it really holds it's shape when you cut pie wedges out of it.

Body-Building Porridge, Oxygen magazine -- This was good and very filling. It's a combo of whole grains (oats, barley, rye, flax) all cooked together until you have a thick, creamy porridge. Then you add any fruits, sweeteners, etc that you want. It was tasty, but I only tried it cold and not warm at all. I made it at home, took it to work to heat up for a snack, but I was so hot at work I just ate it cold. Still good, though, and it helped to cool me down!

Kari