ATK recipe #74: weeknight Bolognese

It’s been a while since I posted a recipe review!  Husband and I still do a lot of cooking, but for whatever reasons, we’ve not made too many new recipes from these cookbooks in the past few months.  We have been going back and re-making favorites from the books, though!  In February, we tried this new one, and then we also made the ATK Pot Roast recipe (twice!!  it’s that good, we had to share it a couple weeks later with friends).  I forgot both times to take photos of the Pot Roast, because I was so excited about eating it 😉   But back to the recipe a hand…

Recipe:  Weeknight Bolognese from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013, (page 259; affiliate link)

• when did we make this? Friday, February 26, 2016 for supper.
• did we change anything?  Nope.
• what did we like?  This is truly a weeknight recipe!
• what didn’t we like?  It’s worth it for the flavor, but it’s not my normal routine to buy the ground meat mixture called for in the recipe.  However, it’s such a good recipe that I probably should make it a freezer staple to have on hand!
• will we make it again (any changes in the future)?  Absolutely.  And I would serve it with a plainer pasta than the tricolor rotini that I chose.  I wanted the sauce’s flavor to be the star, and the spinach pasta competed.

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SK Recipe #22: mustard milanese with salad

I’m renewing our challenge from 2013 to make at least one new recipe from our two newer cookbooks each month.  There’s a category on the blog for these posts called “recipe review 2016.”

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Recipe:  Mustard Milanese with Salad from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook (affiliate link; pages 169-170)

SK Mustard Milanese with Salad

• when did we make this? Thursday, January 7, 2016 for supper.
• did we change anything? I used only one clove of garlic in the mustard dredge.  Also, I couldn’t find just plain arugula (bummer, since I LOVE arugula), so I used a spring greens mix that included arugula instead, and I left out the fennel, because I don’t like it.
• what did we like?  The chicken was crispy and delicious, and it stayed moist.
• what didn’t we like?  The salad dressing was very, very sharp.  So sharp that we added a teaspoon of sugar before dressing the salad.  It was still so sharp that when I had a bit more of the salad, I added even more sugar to take away some of the intensity.
• will we make it again (any changes in the future)?  If we make it again (the chicken was delicious…), I will change the dressing to make it a lot less harsh.

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ATK recipe #73: key lime bars

I’m catching up on our challenge from 2013 and 2014 to make at least one new recipe from some of our newer cookbooks each month.  There’s a category on the blog for these posts called “recipe review 2015.”

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Cozy evening. ATK key lime bars while watching TV and enjoying the glow of the Christmas tree 🙂

Recipe:  Key Lime Bars from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013, (page 590-591; affiliate link)

• when did we make this? Saturday, December 5 for consumption on December 6 and following!
• did we change anything?  Nope.  (We might have reduced the amount of zest, but I can’t exactly remember).
• what did we like?  The recipe is straightforward, and the results are amazing!
• what didn’t we like?  Nothing.
• will we make it again (any changes in the future)?  For sure!  In fact, we did make it again already for a family Christmas gathering.  And even though a certain Husband forgot to pre-bake the bottom crust (hee), they still turned out amazingly well!

 

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ATK recipe #72: cream biscuits

I’m catching up on our challenge from 2013 and 2014 to make at least one new recipe from some of our newer cookbooks each month.  There’s a category on the blog for these posts called “recipe review 2015.”

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Recipe:  Cream Biscuits from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013, (page 546)

• when did we make this? Monday, October 19, 2015 for supper (with chicken ala king).
• did we change anything?  I was just shy on the amount of heavy cream, so I made up the balance (less than 1/4 cup) with whole milk.
• what did we like?  The recipe is simple (in terms of ingredients as well as method).  The biscuits are light, fluffy, rich, and delicious!
• what didn’t we like?  It’s a bit messy to make…at least, when I made it!  But it wasn’t a big deal to clean up.
• will we make it again (any changes in the future)?  Absolutely.  I think I might like them better than the other biscuit recipe I had been using regularly!

 

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ATK recipe #71: Hungarian beef stew

I’m continuing our challenge from 2013 and 2014 to make at least one new recipe from some of our newer cookbooks each month.  There’s a category on the blog for these posts called “recipe review 2015.”

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ATK Hungarian Beef Stew

Recipe:  Hungarian Beef Stew from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013, (pages 65-66)

• when did we make this?  Saturday, September 12, 2015 for supper
• did we change anything?  Nope.
• what did we like?  It was especially good with sour cream on top.   I liked the subtle sweetness from the combination of paprika, onion, and carrot.
• what didn’t we like?   Nothing.
• will we make it again (any changes in the future)?  Yes.

 

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ATK recipe #70: summer peach cake

I’m continuing our challenge from 2013 and 2014 to make at least one new recipe from some of our newer cookbooks each month.  There’s a category on the blog for these posts called “recipe review 2015.”

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Recipe:  Summer Peach Cake from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013, (page 607)

• when did we make this? Friday, September 4, 2015
• did we change anything?  Nope.
• what did we like?  Oh wow, did it taste good!
• what didn’t we like?   Even though I baked it for the maximum amount of time, and the toothpick came out clean, the cake was still underbaked in the middle.  This was NOT a problem in terms of taste, but it meant that we couldn’t bring it to a party (it would have been hard to serve).
• will we make it again (any changes in the future)?  Yes!  It’s a wonderful way to eat delicious summer peaches.

 

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ATK recipe #69: stir-fried chicken and zucchini with ginger sauce

I’m continuing our challenge from 2013 and 2014 to make at least one new recipe from some of our newer cookbooks each month.  There’s a category on the blog for these posts called “recipe review 2015.”

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Recipe:  Stir-fried Chicken and Zucchini with Ginger Sauce from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013, (page 387)

• when did we make this? Tuesday, August 11, for supper.
• did we change anything?  I used white wine instead of sherry.
• what did we like?  I love ginger, so I especially liked the sauce.  Husband agreed that it was a delicious dish.  I love that I have yet another way to use zucchini from my garden!
• what didn’t we like?   Nothing,.
• will we make it again (any changes in the future)?  Yes!

 

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ATK recipe #68: zucchini parmesan

I’m continuing our challenge from 2013 and 2014 to make at least one new recipe from some of our newer cookbooks each month.  There’s a category on the blog for these posts called “recipe review 2015.”

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Recipe:  Eggplant Parmesan, made with zucchini from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013, (page 295-296)

A friend of mine told me that she’d made this substitution recently, as we discussed the prodigious output of my zucchini plant.  As soon as she mentioned it, I knew I just had to try it!  I was not disappointed!

It was so much work to make the tasty little breaded zucchini rounds that I just had to stop and take a photo before I covered up the layers with the final sprinkling of cheese!

• when did we make this? Saturday, August 8, for supper.
• did we change anything?  Well, the most obvious thing is that I substituted zucchini for the eggplant.  It was amazing!  So much better than eggplant.  I also added a little bit of sugar to the sauce, because I thought without it, the tomatoes were too bitter.
• what did we like?  Oh my, this dish is delicious!  I loved the slight spice of the sauce paired with the cheese and the amazing oven-fried zucchini slices.  I think the zucchini makes it more delicate than with eggplant, and I love that I have another way to enjoy the bounty from my garden.  
  
• what didn’t we like?   Wow, this is a time-intensive and work-intensive recipe.  This is certainly not a weeknight meal!
  
• will we make it again (any changes in the future)?  Even though it was a LOT of work, I think we’ll be making this in the future, but for special occasions!

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ATK recipe #67: skillet chicken and rice with broccoli and cheddar

I’m continuing our challenge from 2013 and 2014 to make at least one new recipe from some of our newer cookbooks each month.  There’s a category on the blog for these posts called “recipe review 2015.”

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Recipe:  Skillet Chicken and Rice with Broccoli and Cheddar from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013, (page 58)

• when did we make this? Wednesday, August 5, 2015, for supper.
• did we change anything?  I didn’t have enough long-grain rice, so I supplemented what I did have with some sushi (medium-grain) rice.  It didn’t make any noticeable difference to the cooking time or the taste!
• what did we like?  This dish has fantastic flavor.  It’s definitely not bland!
  
• what didn’t we like?    Nothing!
  
• will we make it again (any changes in the future)?  Yes!

 

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ATK recipe #66: skillet curried chicken and rice

I’m continuing our challenge from 2013 and 2014 to make at least one new recipe from some of our newer cookbooks each month.  There’s a category on the blog for these posts called “recipe review 2015.”

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Recipe:  Skillet Curried Chicken and Rice from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013, (page 58)

ATK Skillet Curry Chicken and Rice– super YUM

• when did we make this? Friday, June 26, 2015, for supper.
• did we change anything?  No.
• what did we like?  Wow, this recipe is so delicious!  We just kept raving about it, and we had to work out a sharing agreement for the leftovers! 🙂  The combination of the curry spices, the sweetness of the raisins and peas, and the savory, moist chicken was amazing.  I think this is our favorite of the chicken-and-rice skillet recipes.
  
• what didn’t we like?    Nothing.
  
• will we make it again (any changes in the future)?  Absolutely!

 

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