Hits & Misses, April 2012

[RebelYell18]

I hope everyone had a great April!

Excellent
Sunflower Butter Cookies (Baking Bites blog via Pinterest)
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (Recipe Girl blog)
Strawbanana Bread (Pass the Plate blog via Pinterest)
Orange Chipotle Chicken w/ Cilantro Rice (Clean Eating magazine) (Chicken was great! Rice, as written, looked boring so I made my own version of it)
Chipotle Chicken Skewers w/ Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce (Joe's blog/CI)

Very Good
Fun & Fiesty Zucchini Cups (Peas and Crayons blog)
Skinny Strawberry Romanoff (Skinnytaste blog)
Oatmeal Cookie Dough Overnight Oats (Peanut Butter Fingers blog)
Banana Peanut Butter Refrigerator Oatmeal (The Yummy Life blog)
Banana Cocoa Refrigerator Oatmeal (The Yummy Life blog)
Chicken Souvlaki Salad (CLBB-peachesncream/CL 06/2002)
Sesame Noodles w/ Chicken & Peanuts (Cook This, Not That)
Spaghetti w/ Roasted Red Peppers, Walnuts, & Goat Cheese (Fitness magazine 03/2012)
Minestrone w/ Pesto (Cook This, Not That)
Grilled Rosemary Chicken (The Novice Chef blog)
Avocado Chicken Parmesan (Cuisine Paradise blog via Pinterest)

Good
Not-So-Sinful Brownies (Quaker Oats)
Creamy Vegetable Soup (400 Calorie Fix)

Tried & True
Sriracha Glazed Chicken
Banana Pancakes

[erin elizabeth]

Good

4/1 Chicken Sausages Roasted with Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts (BA01/01) Good, love the method. Thyme/lemon flavor did not come through. Less oil, less time to bake.

4/6 Pan-Fried Pork Chops (Cook’s Country) Good—what do you do after you pull them from pan? Drain? How could a pork chop fried in bacon fat be bad?

4/6 Lemon-Blueberry Drizzle Bread (Ladies Home Journal) Good—did without all the drizzles to keep neater. Up blueberries a bit?

4/8 Carrot Cake Cupcakes (BC Parties) Good, light carrot cake. Greasy cups—reduce oil? Good frosting—2/3 was plenty. Try 1/2?

4/8 Leek Gratin (Everyday Food) Excellent flavor for so little investment. Broil at the end?

4/19 Lemon Cloud Tart with Rhubarb Compote BA 4/06 Very good. Would have preferred colder. Light, but layered lemon flavor. Fold crème fraiche and lemon curd less.

4/23 Pork Chops with Warm Black-Eyed Pea Salad (Real Simple) Would have been better if beans had been softer. Good flavor. Try with cannellini beans?

Eh

4/6 Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free Banana Bread (box) Texture was a bit gummy. Flavor was OK, but not mouth feel.

4/18 Teriyaki Stir-Fried Beef with Green beans and Shiitakes America’s Test Kitchen Not thick enough, OK flavor. Just no need to make again.

4/30 Stovetop Chicken Teriyaki CI newsletter Too salty, no other real flavor to speak of—just a basic Asian sauce.

[mamakjoy]

This is my favorite part of the boards but I've never posted before, here goes:
Excellent:
Roasted Chicken and Bow Tie Pasta Salad – Cooking Light
Sweet Potato Hash – Cooking Light
Mushroom and Bell Pepper Omelet with Fontina – Cooking Light
Coconut Layer Cake – Bon Appetit
Peach and Blackberry Cobbler – Cooking Light
Arugula, Watermelon & Feta Salad – Barefoot Contessa
Shrimp-and-Apple Curry with Golden Raisins – Cooking Light
Oatmeal Pancakes – Cooking Light


Good:
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili – Betty Crocker
Italian Pork Chops – Betty Crocker
Sesame Tofu Stir-Fry over Rice – Betty Crocker
Moroccan Chicken with Almond Couscous – Cooking Light
Carrot & Parsnip Soup – Kraft
Mixed Roasted Vegetables & Pasta – Eat Better America
Parmesan Chicken Sticks – Barefoot Contessa
Monkey Bars – Cooking Light


Won’t Make Again-
Piña Colada Cupcakes – skinny Taste
Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole – Southern Living
Pork Chops with Sweet-and-Sour Cider Glaze - Gourmet
Vegetable Pad Thai – Martha Stewart


T&T
Au Gratin Potatoes & Ham – Pillsbury
Curried Couscous with Broccoli and Feta – Cooking Light

[Andrea_2]

I keep forgetting to write mine down, but here are some that I remember.

Excellent
Lime Mousse Cake (BA 7/00)
Beef Pot Roast in Red Wine (BHG Italian Fall/Winter 2007)
Chicken Fajitas (CI)
Penne with Shrimp, Asparagus, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (BA 2/99)

Very Good
Maple-Glazed Rutabaga (CL 11/02)
Cod Chowder (wholefoodsmarket.com)
Steamed Clams with Fennel and Spicy Italian Sausage (BA 12/08)
Asian Coconut Rice (AR)
Rib-Eye Steaks in Red-Wine Sauce (Gourmet 11/07)
Jasmine Rice Pilaf with Sweet Peas, Chives, Lemon Zest, and Toasted Almonds (Fresh Every Day)
Balsamic Marinated Pork Tenderloin (CLBB)

Good
Creamy Parnsip Puree with Shallots (CI 1994)

[RebelYell18]

This is my favorite part of the boards but I've never posted before, here goes:

Yay! Thanks for sharing with us! The Sweet Potato Hash is something I've had my eye on but haven't yet made - glad to know that it was good!

[RebelYell18]

Thanks for sharing your lists everyone! Looks like some delicious cooking happened in April

[cookieee]

I'm here, I'm here

This is why I gave a pep talk on another thread. Gotta up my game.


VERY GOOD

Houmus - Lebanese Cooking
Green Mayonnaise - Lebanese Cooking
Mince Kebabs - Lebanese Cooking
Lemon Sage Spaghetti Squash - Weight Watchers/clbb/dibranchia
Quick Moroccan Chicken - PBS.ORG EXTRA
Moraccan-Style Low-Oil Vinaigrette Dressing - ?
Balsamic/Alaga Vinaigrette - Alaga website

GOOD

Ham Steaks with a Citrus Sauce - Weber
Pan-Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Browned Butter - ATK

OK

Charmoula-Marinated Pork Chops - Weber

T & T

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake - Penzeys
Ground Beef Cuban Creole Style (Picadillo) Badia Pamplet

[RebelYell18]

Thanks cookieee! Yum yum yum

[CookinginMaine]

Short list this month, but here goes:

Excellent
Panko-Crusted Chicken with Maple-Mustard Pan Sauce, BA via Joe's blog
Pig Pickin' Cake, Paula Deen
Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle, mine

Good
Vegetable Lasagna, ATK
Asparagus, Spinach & Feta Quiche, Two Peas and Their Pod
Mexican-Style Skillet Vermicelli, ATK Best of 2007
Marinated Flank Steak, Pioneer Woman
Fusilli with Kale and White Beans, ATK Healthy Family Cookbook

Tried n' True
Lentil Minestrone, Deborah Madison (Veg. Cooking for Everyone)

[peachesncream]

Very Good:

Sweet and Sour Green Beans (southernplate.com) I used whole green beans, cooked separately; and thick Applewood Bacon. We loved the old-fashioned flavor of these beans!

Penne Frittata with Basil and Ricotta (Martha Stewart Living Jun 2010)

Good:

Lemony Sugar Snap Peas with Avocado (myrecipes.com). Loved the vinaigrette with the avocado. But I would cook the sugar snap peas next time; we didn’t like them raw.

Applesauce Raisin Spice Cake (The Everything Freezer Cookbook)


OK:

Texas-Style Enchilada Casserole (myrecipes.com)

Crispy Breaded Chops with Milk Gravy (southernplate.com)


Tried and True:

Tee's Corn Pudding (Southern Living) An Easter tradition.
Sunset's Blueberry Muffins
Better Baked Ziti (Mr. Food)

[peachesncream]

Rebel, can you post the Minestrone with Presto?

I'm always up for a new minestrone recipe!

[RebelYell18]

Rebel, can you post the Minestrone with Presto?

I'm always up for a new minestrone recipe!

I love minestrone soup! The addition of the pesto is really what made the soup, so try not to skip it! I hope that you enjoy it

Minestrone with Pesto
Cook This, Not That (350 calorie version) by David Zinczenko & Matt Goulding

1 Tb olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minces
8 oz Yukon gold or red potatoes, cubed
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
8 oz green beans, ends trimmed, halved
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
8 cups low-sodium chicken stock (or a mixture of stock & water)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 can (14-16 oz) cannellini beans (Oops, just realized as I was typing this that I used the entire can...which I recommend)
Pesto
Parmesan for grating

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and green beans. Season with a bit of salt and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes to release the vegetables' aromas. Add the tomatoes, stock, and thyme and turn the heat down to low. Season with salt (if still needed) and pepper to taste. Simmer for at least 15 minutes, and up to 45. (Depending on how long your veggies take to soften.)

Before serving, stir in the white beans and heat through. Serve with a dollop of pesto and a bit of grated Parmesan.

Makes 4 servings.

[LeaHamm]

I love minestrone soup! The addition of the pesto is really what made the soup, so try not to skip it!

This is very similar and very good - from a recipe given to me by my friend, a Gourmet Foods teacher.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Pistou for Minestrone

4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons dried basil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Blend the garlic, tomato paste, basil and cheese, add the olive oil drop by drop.

2. When ready to serve, blend 1 cup minestrone into the Pistou, then pour into the soup pot.

Her serving suggestion: Double the recipe and serve half, at the table, along with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

[Choctini]

Cooking in Maine, can I ask how you make your PB brownie trifle?

Thanks,
Rina

[peachesncream]

Thanks, Rebel!

I will definitely be trying this soup.

I have some Pesto in the frig right now, and I'm looking for ways to use it up.

That pistou sounds intriguing, Lea. Thanks for posting it.

[CookinginMaine]

Cooking in Maine, can I ask how you make your PB brownie trifle?

Hi Rina! I used a boxed brownie mix (two boxes of Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownies) for one of the layers.

For the second layer, I made what is essentially a peanut butter pie filling---I whipped together about a cup and a half of peanut butter, a block of cream cheese, maybe a cup and a half of confectioner's sugar, thinned it all out with some milk, and folded in a small tub of whipped topping.

Then, for the third layer, I whipped together about half a block of cream cheese, some confectioner's sugar, and a large dollop of marshmallow fluff (this is clearly NOT a low-sugar creation!), then folded in a tub of whipped topping.

I repeated the layers twice, then topped with chopped mini Reese's PB cups.

It was very sweet, but VERY good. I brought it to a big potluck cookout, and it was the only dish, out of many, that was literally scraped clean by the end.

[amyvn]

Coconut Layer Cake – Bon Appetit

Was this the Southern Comfort coconut cake from the February issue? It looked really good to me! Do you have any comments or cook's notes? Your review may motivate me to make this sooner rather than later .

I'm looking forward to participating in these threads again - they're one of my favorite parts of this board. Right now I'm on an extremely limited diet because it appears my little guy has some allergies .

Amy

[mamakjoy]

Was this the Southern Comfort coconut cake from the February issue? It looked really good to me! Do you have any comments or cook's notes? Your review may motivate me to make this sooner rather than later .

I'm looking forward to participating in these threads again - they're one of my favorite parts of this board. Right now I'm on an extremely limited diet because it appears my little guy has some allergies .

Amy

It was an old one from December of 1999. I made it for my Easter dessert. The only issue I had with it was the frosting was a little soupy but I put it in the fridge for 15 minutes and it hardened up enough to frost the cake.

[Choctini]

Thanks CookinginMaine!