Jennifer's Spaghetti with Artichoke and Tomatoes

I love that this recipe was so simple. I had to double the recipe, because I had a lot of people to feed. I substituted skim milk for the heavy cream, because my dad doesn't like rich, creamy foods. The amount of milk was reduced to half of what the recipe required, because the sauce was already looking a bit watery. In an attempt to thicken the sauce, I cooked the sauce for an additional 15 minutes. I don't think it helped much, but it wasn't a big problem because the dish was given good reviews (by my family and Andrew). Also, I used fresh basil instead of chives since I had that on hand and added some sauteed shrimp. Next time, I'd add more salt... I didn't listen to PW when she said specifically not to undersalt the sauce. I figured the cheese would add some salt to the dish, but I figured wrong. However, it was quite a success. My dad, who is very picky about his pasta, even asked for seconds! Andrew ate thirds or fourths...

Kathleen's Herbed Chicken with Spring Vegetables

I'm sorry but doesn't my chicken look exactly like a turtle?!?! HA HA How did that happen? Anyway, I made the chicken and I don't know if was the skin or the thyme or what, but there was something I didn't like about it. It could've been all the changes I made. Where do I start? After reading Judy's post, I stuck with all dark meat. I was too cheap to buy fresh thyme and parsley so I used dried. And even though I made a special trip to Whole Foods, I couldn't find cippolini onions anywhere so I just used a regular onion cut into big fat pieces. Mushrooms are the enemy so none of those. Oh, and I got those stupid baby carrots with the green tips but when I was washing them, I noticed that they were kind of nasty so I ended up cutting them off. What a waste! Also, I totally forgot to add the garlic so I just smushed some on top of each piece of chicken before I put the pan in the oven. The garlic got nice and toasted and tasted pretty good (that's the yellow crud on the turtle's back there). I think I successfully ghettofied another Giada recipe. All in all, it tasted okay but I will probably not try to make this again.

Judy's Herb Chicken with Spring Vegetables

I modified this recipe 3 different ways. First, I used boneless skinless chicken because I wanted to use the chicken I already had in my freezer. Trusty kitchen friend and fellow BSC member Kathleen suggested I used bacon in place of the skin that was suppose to be on the chicken because how else would I get the herbs in the chicken?! So I place the herbs on the chicken, then rolled it up and wrapped it in bacon and tighten with a toothpick. Confused? Sorry, this just goes to show that it would have been much easier if I used skin-on chicken. :/ Second modification, I used yellow onions instead of cipollini onions because TJ's didn't have any. Third modification, I omitted the mushrooms. In fact, I even decreased the amount of carrots and snap peas to use because it was a lot for the Mister and I to finish. The recipe suggested cooking the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes after it was pan-cooked. It was more like 30 minutes for me. I think if I pan cooked it longer, it would've been 15 minutes in the oven.

I asked the Mister if he wanted the chicken with pasta or rice and he chose rice, thus I served it with pasta. The verdict? Me, I had the white meat and it was meh. The Mister had the dark thigh meat and said it was real tasty. I think it was just too herb-y, I know it's called "herb chicken", but I think you could maybe skip the parsley and just use the thyme. However, the veggies were really yummy and tasty! So if I were to cook it again, I would probably use only dark meat, less herbs and half the recipe!

Lisa's Steak Tacos

I really liked the simple ingredients and simple prep work for this dish. I followed the recipe pretty closely except that I used canned corn instead of frozen. I like getting the box of canned corn from costco, so I always use that. And rather than serve the steak with tacos or tortillas, I made Spanish rice. The hubs liked it and so did I. I was very generous with the salt though....about 5 pinches...heheh...I left my camera at work so unfortunately, no picture. It looked very similar to everyone elses. I'll definitely cook this meal again because of the simple ingredients and the fresh produce that is involved...yummy red bell peppers and red onions. I think I liked this one better than the the pork carnitas also.

Kathleen's Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

After meeting the Pioneer Woman last week, I didn't think I could love her more. But I was wrong. This pasta was super yummy and easy to make! I added chicken to make it a more hearty meal because pasta isn't hearty enough, right? (see directions here). And instead of heavy cream, I used water and dry milk powder. I think I love that dry milk as much as I love PW. Last, I used regular spaghetti instead of thin spaghetti because I think thin spaghetti is stupid. I read somewhere on her blog that PW hates thick spaghetti. I forgive her.

Judy's Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

I thought this was good, but I felt like it was missing some "umph" and after pondering and pondering, I think the "umph" that was missing was some sort of protein! I need my protein! Next time I will probably add some chicken to the spaghetti and then it will be awesome! I used all the same ingredients except I used regular spaghetti and parmesan reggiano cheese. I also omitted the nutmeg. I wasn't feeling like some nutmeg. I also broke up the artichoke hearts and realized after looking at the PW's fabulous picture step-by-step, I wasn't suppose to. oops. But I don't know if it made a difference or not-- probably not! And for the Mister, he said it was good and it was like the chicken spaghetti I cooked for BSC awhile back!

Judy's Miso Salmon

I ventured to my local Mitsuwa for the ingredients of this recipe. Everything was easy to find except the miso paste- I had a no idea what it looked like and where it would be. Thank you Mitsuwa worker for helping me! I followed the recipe exactly except I omitted ginger because I didn't have any. I also bought the salmon at Costco and cut it into my own fillets. The Mister actually cooked it for me on the BBQ so I can't take any credit for that! We probably should lower the heat just a tad, not much, to prevent burning. I was going to serve it with rice and spring salad mix that I bought from Mitsuwa only to open and find mold- yuck. So rice and fish it was and it tasted pretty good! I will probably cook this again because it tasted just right! Not too sweet, not too salty, just right!

Judy's Steak Tacos

What's not to like about this recipe? It tastes good and it's EASY and QUICK! That's a definite plus in my book especially on days when work is just crazy, crazy, crazy. I followed the recipe exactly. Next time I would be a little more generous on the salt. The Mister thought the meat was very tender and I agree as well. I served it with flour tortillas, guacamole and cheese. Would definitely cook the meat again but for burritos with rice, not tacos. :)

Jennifer's Miso Salmon

I made this on Mother's Day. It was pretty easy to make and I already had most of the ingredients at home. I marinated it for about 45 minutes - for timing reasons. I also cooked it on the pan for more than 3-4 minutes each side because my salmon pieces were pretty thick. The salmon came out moist, but the soy sauce (I thought) was overpowering. Next time, I'd take it out completely. My brother even asked, "Is this teriyaki sauce?" =( Ok, so it wasn't really THAT soy saucy (I only put in 2 T, not 3) but I wanted more of a miso-y taste. All in all, I liked it!

Jennifer's Steak Tacos

I'm not a big red meat person so rarely use it when cooking, but this steak taco was pretty good! I used yellow onions instead of red, because Trader Joe's had ONE bag of red onions left and it didn't look too good. (Yes, I could've driven to Ralph's which is right across the street, but I had a tiring day at work and just wanted to go home.) I added more chili powder than called for since I like spicy foods. The topping choices we had were cheese, sour cream, and pico de gallo. I had both corn and flour tortillas. My brother and Andrew made HUGE burrito-looking creations and ate it that way; they actually each had 2 or 3 which means it's a thumbs up (they're not the type to eat something they don't like just out of courtesy). Andrew even commented that "they taste just like Chipotle" which I'll take as another compliment because I love Chipotle!

Kathleen's Steak Tacos

Great Mexican food is hard to come by in Florida, as opposed to Southern California, where you can find amazing Mexican food practically on every corner. But after making PW's yummy enchiladas a few weeks ago and these tacos this week, I think I'm okay with it. These tacos are really good and super fast and easy to make. I didn't make any changes to the recipe except that I salt and peppered the steak before I cooked it, rather than adding salt and pepper to the whole mix. Oh, and I didn't cook the corn. I just defrosted it. And I'm proud to say that I actually remembered to buy and add the cilantro. Woot woot!

May Recipes

The month of May houses two important holidays: Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day. Cinco de Mayo is important because Mexican food is so damn good. Mother's Day is important because our mothers are important! Anyway, the first recipe is in honor of important holiday #1, and the second recipe is a great one for our mothers (Jennifer's mother in particular!). May you all enjoy the May recipes! I will stop now.

Steak Tacos - May 2-8

from Kathleen's Gonna Want Seconds Cooking Blog

(btw, I totally wish this was my blog)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium red onions, thinly sliced

2 red peppers, thinly sliced

1 flank steak (1 pound), sliced into 1/4 inch strips, across the grain

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, cooked according to package directions, drained

1 jalepeno without the seeds or ribs, finely minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

warm flour or corn tortillas

shredded cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce, guacamole

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the onions and the peppers. Saute until very tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add steak to skillet and cook until it is no longer pink, about 1 minute. Add jalepenos, corn, reserved onions and peppers, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until jalepenos have slightly softened and flavors have melded. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Serve with warm flour or corn tortillas and any taco fixings you like.

Chosen by Kathleen.

Miso Ginger Marinated Grilled Salmon - May 9-15

from Foodnetwork.com

1/4 cup white miso (fermented soybean paste)

1/4 cup mirin

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons minced green onions

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

4 salmon fillets, 8 ounces each

salt and freshly ground pepper

Yuzu juice, for drizzling, optional

Whisk together the miso, mirin, vinegar, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Place the salmon in a baking dish, pour the marinade over, and turn to coat. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Heat grill to high. Remove the fish from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Grill the salmon, skin side down, with the cover closed, until golden brown and a crust has formed, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the salmon over and continue grilling for 3 to 4 minutes for medium doneness. Drizzle with a little yuzu juice, if desired, and serve.

Serves 4.

Chosen by Jennifer.

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes - May 16-22

from the Pioneer Woman

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 whole medium onion, finely diced

1 can artichoke hearts (14.5 oz quartered or whole), drained

1 can diced tomatoes with juice (14.5 oz)

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup chicken broth (more as needed)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

salt and pepper, to taste

1 pound thin spaghetti

1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

2 tablespoons fresh chives (or other herbs), chopped

Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt!). Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.

Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

Serves 6.

Chosen by Lisa.

Herbed Chicken with Spring Vegetables - May 23-29

from Foodnetwork.com

1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 boneless, skin-on chicken breasts

3 bone-in skin-on thighs

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

6 cipollini onions, trimmed and peeped

8 ounces baby carrots, peeled and trimmed, but leaving on a bit of green tip

1 cup chicken broth

6 ounces snap peas, trimmed

4 ounces morel mushrooms

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl combine the thyme, parsley, garlic, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the chicken pieces on a work surface. Gently loosen the skin of the chicken and push the herb mixture under the skin. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down, when the oil is hot. Cook until the skin is crispy and golden, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook the same way on the other side. Turn the heat off the pan and reserve. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish, skin side up again, and finish cooking in the oven, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile return the same pan to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the butter has melted add the cipollini onions and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until tender and golden in places, about 7 minutes. Add the chicken broth and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the snap peas and mushrooms. Simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Remove the chicken from the oven. Spoon the vegetables onto a serving platter along with the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Chosen by Judy.