Category Archives: Challenge Recipes

[15] Wilted Kale with Mushrooms

Cover of The Healthy Kitchen by Rosie Daley and Andrew Weil, M.D.

Thank goodness for days when we can manage to make more than one recipe! This means that, despite our occasional issues with eating dinner at home, we’re not too far below one on the recipes:days ratio. I think 15 recipes in 16 days of challenge is a great start.

It’s really already changing our eating and thinking, I can see. At least mine. I’m much more inclined to try to figure out a way to cook at home these days, already, than to chose to eat out. In addition, I’m much more inclined to find recipes at home that use what I have here at home than to go buy something new.

Unfortunately, that second one isn’t really working out for us as well as I’d like it to.… Continue reading →

[14] The Best Scrambled Eggs (So says Mark Bittman)

Cover if How to Cook Everything, Revised Edition, by Mark Bittman

Really? *THE* best? That’s a pretty strong claim, Mr. Bittman. However, I must say, the idea of having the best scrambled eggs ever is super appealing, especially when you point out that they take so long to cook that they’re great for dinners.

So, that’s what we had for dinner last night. Mr. Bittman’s scrambled eggs. Which were certainly better than my personal scrambled egg “recipe” which involves no specific recipe at all, but they did cause Jessie to miss her bus. Luckily Bill is an awesome guy and walked her home. Unluckily, I could not join them, because we didn’t know when, exactly, our CSA share was supposed to arrive. Further unluckily? It didn’t arrive until after Bill got back, so I could have joined them after all.… Continue reading →

[12] Escarole, White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup

Cover of Cooking for Two: 120 Recipes for Every Day and Those Special Nights by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

Right now, you’re probably saying “wait, didn’t they already make this once? 13 entries and they can’t keep from repeating?” Well, WE CAN’T HEAR YOU, YOUR MICROPHONE ISN’T ON.

I mean, ah… Not exactly. This is a recipe out of a different book. Last time we used spinach instead of escarole, and this one has roasted garlic in it! What isn’t better with roasted garlic[1]?

Natasha made this dinner, but I’m typing it up for her.

h2. Ingredients

3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 T olive oil
2 oz pancetta, finely chopped
1 sm onion, finely chopped
1 small head escarole (~12 oz), cored, shredded and washed, but not dried
14.5 oz can of chicken stock (we used home-made!)
1/4 t rubbed sage (we used whole, kind of chopped up.… Continue reading →

[11] Pasta Bolognese

Cooking for Two: 120 Recipes for Every Day and Those Special Nights

These two authors? I think they are not *quite* as good at writing recipes for two as they claim. HOWEVER, they might be better at it than just about any other “for two” cookbook authors I’ve read. This recipe, like the last one from this book, made over two servings. It made one Bill serving and two Tasha servings, and the second Tasha serving might have been a bit skimpy. When we get to one of my favorite chickpea recipes out of Healthy Cooking for Two Or Just You we’ll hit a recipe that claims to be for two, but seems to make enough for four or so.

The lovely thing about this book so far is that the authors do seem to have a good sense of the timing of their recipes.… Continue reading →

[10] Salade Aux Lardons Salad with Poached Egg and Warm Bacon Dressing

Cooking for Two: 120 Recipes for Every Day and Those Special Nights

Holy cow, guys! We’ve hit double digits in recipes made, and we’re only eight days into June! Admittedly, that’s because we started making recipes on 31 May 2010, but even with that, we’ve made more dishes than days we’ve been tracking. Which is amazing in and of itself, because we like to eat out, but also because we’ve had two nights in these past ten where we’ve had to punt and cook something else (like frozen ravioli). Of course, this is the wonders of having a backlog (and having started the day before the first of June), but I’ll take it.

Editor’s Note: Yes, I’m aware this didn’t get posted until 15 June 2010.… Continue reading →