Most of you won’t have even noticed that my website had a blip. There is so much programming and other stuff that goes on behind the scenes of any website. A few years ago everybody got all uptight about security and all websites were encouraged to pay for SSL certification. More expense. Annually. So I upgraded tastingspoons with SSL security. But it has to be renewed, and every year it’s a pain in the neck. And costly. This year I thought, oh, heck, I don’t do any commerce on this site, why do I need security? But you can’t just decide to do that – I would need to have a programmer go back into the code and change everything (back), AND every time you accessed the site it would tell you – oh this could be a dangerous website because it’s not secure. So, I renewed it. Then that took 24 hours, then even though it was recertified, it wasn’t working. Fortunately there are people to talk to at all hours or day or night, albeit in India, I think. Finally, a few minutes ago my site got re-established. So, my apologies if you tried to get to an old recipe, or something. Hopefully everything will run smoothly now until next year . . . Carolyn T
Archives
Recent Posts
Currently Reading
Here are the tastingspoons players. I’m in the middle (Carolyn). Daughter Sara on the right, and daughter-in-law Karen on the left. I started the blog in 2007, as a way to share recipes with my family. I’m still doing 99% of the blogging and holding out hope that these two lovely and excellent cooks will participate. They both lead very busy lives, so we’ll see.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
BOOK READING (from Carolyn):
Music of Bees, Eileen Garvin. Absolutely charming book about a woman in midlife, lonely, who raises bees, also makes unlikely friends. Heart-warming and very interesting about beekeeping.
A Postcard from Paris, Alex Brown. Really cute story. Dual time line, 1940s and present day about renovating an old apartment in Paris, things discovered.
Time of the Child, Niall Williams. Oh such a good book. Very small village in Ireland, 1960s. A baby is left on the doorstep. The town all whispers and helps. I listened to an interview of the author, which made me like him and his books even more.
Sipsworth, Simon Van Booy. If you like animals you’ll swoon. An old woman who really wants to die finds a tiny mouse in her house and befriends it and finds a reason to live. Utterly charming book.
The Forger’s Spell, Edward Dolnick. True story. For seven years a no-account painter named Han van Meegeren managed to pass off his paintings as those of Johannes Vermeer.
If You Lived Here, You’d be Home by Now, Christopher Ingraham. Could hardly put it down – about a journalist who takes on a challenge to move to small town in Minnesota and write about it. He expects to hate it and the people and place, but he doesn’t. Absolutely wonderful true story.
The River We Remember, William Kent Kreuger. 1950s, Minnesota. A murder and the aftermath. Could hardly put it down. Kreuger has such a vivid imagination and writing style.
How the Lights Gets In, Joyce Maynard. An older woman returns to New Hampshire to help care for her brain-injured son. Siblings and family, lots of angst and resentments.
The Filling Station, Vanessa Miller. Every American should read this book. A novelized retelling of the Tulsa massacre in 1921. Absolutely riveting.
The Story She Left Behind, Patti Callahan Henry. Love this author. Based on a true story. A famous author simply vanishes, leaving her husband and daughter behind. She had invented a mystical language no one could translate. Present day, someone thinks he’s solved the riddle, contacts the family. Really interesting read.
The Girl from Berlin, Ronald Balson. Love anything about Tuscany. An elderly woman is being evicted from a villa there, with odd deed provenance. Two young folks go there to help unravel the mystery. Loved it.
The Island of the Colorblind, Oliver Sacks, M.D. Nonfiction. The dr is intrigued by a remote Pacific island where most of the inhabitants are colorblind. He also unravels a mystery on Guam of people born with a strange neurological problem. Medical mysteries unveiled. Very interesting.
The Bookbinder, Pip Williams. Post 1914 London. Two sisters work at a bookbindery. They’re told to not read the books. One does and one doesn’t. One has visions beyond her narrow world; the other does not. Eventually the one gets into Oxford. Lovely story.
The Paris Express, Emma Donoghue. 1895 on a train to Paris, a disaster happens. You’ll delve into the lives of many people who survived and died in the crash.
A Race to the Bottom of Crazy, Richard Grant. This is about Arizona. Author, wife and child move back to Arizona where they once lived. Part memoir, research, and reporting in a quest to understand what makes Arizona such a confounding and irresistible place.
The Scarlet Thread, Francine Rivers. A woman’s life turned upside down when she discovers the handcrafted quilt and journal of her ancestor Mary Kathryn McMurray, a young woman who was uprooted from her home only to endure harsh frontier conditions on the Oregon Trail.
A Place to Hide, Ronald Balson. 1939 Amsterdam, an ambassador has the ability to save the lives of many Jewish children. Heartwarming.
Homeseeking, Karissa Chen. Two young Chinese teens are deeply in love, but in China. Then their families are separated. Jump to current day and the two meet again in Los Angeles.
North River, Pete Hammill. He always writes such a good story. A doctor works diligently healing people from all walks of life. His wife and daughter left him years before. One day his 3-yr old grandson arrives on his doorstep.
A Very Typical Family, Sierra Godfrey. A very messed-up family. Three adult children are given a home in Santa Cruz, Calif, but only if the siblings meet up and live in the house together. A very untypical scenario but makes for lots of messes.
Three Days in June, Anne Tyler. The usual Anne Tyler grit. Family angst. This wasn’t one of my favorites, but it was entertaining and very short.
Saved, Benjamin Hall. Author is a veteran war reporter. Ukraine, 2022, he nearly loses his life to a Russian strike. Riveting story – he survives, barely.
Grey Wolf, Louise Penny. Another Inspector Gamache mystery in Quebec. She is such an incredible mystery writer.
All the Colors of the Dark, Chris Whitaker. A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each. Could hardly put it down.
Orbital, Samantha Harvey. Winner of 2024 Booker Prize. I don’t usually like those, but I heard the author interviewed and she hooked me. This is not a normal book with a beginning, a story and an end. It’s several chapters of the day in the life of various astronauts at the ISS (Int’l Space Station). All fictional. She’s been praised by several real astronauts for “getting it” about space station everyday life.
The Blue Hour, Paula Hawkins. An island off Scotland. Inaccessible except when the tide is out. Weird goings on. An artist. A present day mystery too.
Iron Lake, William Kent Krueger. A judge is murdered and a boy is missing. Riveting mystery.
Tell the Wolves I’m Home, Carol Ricks Brunt. 1980s. A 14-yr old girl loses her beloved uncle. Yet a new friendship arises, someone she never knew about.
Four Treasures of the Sky, Jenny Zhang. 1880s, a young girl is kidnapped in China and brought to the United States. She survives with many hurdles in the path.
The Boy Who Fell out of the Sky, Ken Dornstein. Memoir, 1988. The author’s brother died in the PanAm flight that went down in Lockerbie, Scotland. A decade later he tries to solve “the riddle of his older brother’s life.”
Worse Care Scenario, T.J. Newman. Oh my. Interesting analysis of what could/might happen if a jet crashed into a nuclear plant. Un-put-downable.
Song of the Lark, Willa Cather. Complicated weave of a story about a young woman in about 1900, who has a gifted voice (singing) and about her journey to success, not without its ups and downs.
Crow Talk, Eileen Garvin. Charming story which takes place at a remote lake in Washington State, about a few people who inhabit it, the friendships made, but also revolving around the rescue of a baby crow.
The Story Collector, Evie Woods. Sweet story about some dark secrets from an area in Ireland, a bit magical, faerie life, but solving a mystery too.
A Sea of Unspoken Things, Adrienne Young. A woman investigates her twin brother’s mysterious death. She goes to a small town in California to figure it out, to figure HIM out.
The King’s Messenger, Susanna Kearsley. 1600s England, King James. About one of his trusted “messengers,” and his relationship with a young woman also of “the court.” Lots of intrigue.
In the Shadow of the Greenbrier, Emily Matchar. Interesting mystery in/around the area of the famous resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
Isola, Allegra Goodman. Hard to describe, survival story on an island in the 1600s.
Save the Date, Allison Raskin. Rom-com, witty, LOL funny. Clever.
The Sirens, Emilia Hart. Numerous time-lines, Australia. Mysteries abound, nightmares, abandoned baby, weird allergies.
Red Clay, Charles Fancher. LOVED this book. Mostly post-Civil War story about the lives of slaves in Alabama during Reconstruction.
Stars in an Italian Sky, Jill Santopolo. Dual time line, 1946 and recent time. Love stories and a mystery.
Battle Mountain, C.J. Box. Another one of Box’s riveting mysteries. Love his descriptions of the land.
Something Beautiful Happened, Yvette Corporon. A memoir of sorts in Greece, tiny island of Erikousa, where the locals hid Jews during WWII. All elusive stories told by the author’s grandmother.
The Jackal’s Mistress, Chris Bohjalian. 1860s Virginia, about a woman who saves the life of a Union soldier. Really good story.
Song of the Magpie, Louise Mayberry. Really interesting story about Australia back in the days when it was mostly a penal colony. Gritty strength of a woman trying to thrive with her farm.
The Boomerang, Robert Bailey. A thriller that will have you gripping the book. About a lot of secrets surrounding the president (fictional novel, remember) and his chief of staff and about cancer. A cure. Such a good story.
Care and Feeding, Laurie Woolever. Really interesting memoir of a woman driven to succeed in the restaurant business. She worked for Mario Batali and then Anthony Bourdain. Gritty stories.
Everything is Tuberculosis, John Green. Maybe not a book for everyone. A real deep dive into the deadly tuberculosis infection, its history. I heard the author interviewed and found the book very interesting.
The Book Lovers Library, Madeline Martin. Fascinating read about Boots’ drug stores’ lending library. And the people who worked in them.
The Arrivals, Meg Mitchell Moore. LOL funny, about a middle-aged couple whose children (and their various family members) return to the family home and the chaos that ensues.
My Life as a Silent Movie, Jesse Lee Kercheval. About grief. A big move to Paris, finding herself a new life with a new set of real blood family.
Escape, Carolyn Jessop. Another memoir about a woman really in bondage in Utah, Mormon plural marriage.
Tasting Spoons
My blog's namesake - small, old and some very dented engraved silver plated tea spoons that belonged to my mother-in-law, and I use them to taste my food as I'm cooking.
Scroll down to the bottom to view my Blogroll
Posted in Soups, on May 12th, 2025.
Some days it’s still cool weather here in SoCal, and a bowl of hearty soup for lunch sounds good.
‘Tis the season when weather is variable. We had a 98°F day on Saturday. Mostly I stayed inside with the A/C on. But today it’s much cooler, and we’re expecting a day under 70° tomorrow. Likely it’s much the same where you live.
After making the Chicken Stew with Fennel Seed a few weeks ago, with the amazing fennel seed from Burlap and Barrel, I’ve been on the lookout for more recipes using fennel. I certainly didn’t realize how much I like fennel until I bought some of theirs. Cabbage and Italian sausage came to mind. I looked in my own recipe collection but didn’t find anything that was quite what I was wanting, so I began searching online. For me, flavor is king – any soup I make needs to be full of flavor. The other day I made a cauliflower soup with all kinds of veggies in it and some bacon, then whizzed it up in the blender. It’s loaded with flavor. So I wanted a flavorful soup for this batch too.
Let’s talk about the sausage – I had a pound of it in my freezer, so I defrosted it and instead of cutting open each link to remove the casing, I used a pair of very sharp scissors and cut little chunks (not coins) of the sausage and dropped them into the simmering vegetables.
I started gathering ingredients – Italian sausage obviously, then onion, celery, carrots, garlic, canned tomatoes, tomato paste and all the various herbs. Oh yes, and the vermouth. You could easily use any white wine you had open, but I didn’t, so vermouth is always in one of my kitchen drawers for just this kind of use. The soup was easy enough to put together. AND I had a Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind in my frig – that has likely been there for at least a year, sealed up in a baggie. Don’t over-cook the soup, as the sausage will lose all of its flavor. This is a quick and easy way to make a hearty soup.
In several of the online recipes a can or two of cannellini beans were included, but since I eat low carb, I left it out. If I weren’t watching carbs I definitely would have included the beans! The soup is better made the day before – as with all soups. I didn’t wait – I made it and served myself a portion with some Italian parsley and some Pecorino-Romano cheese sprinkled on top. Oh, and a little sprinkling of fennel seed.
What’s GOOD: everything about this soup was good. I love veggie soups, but they’ve got to have lots of flavor – that came from the sausage, of course, also from the Parm rind that soaked in the pot, and the various herbs used, including the fennel seed. Altogether delicious and yes, I’ll definitely be making this soup again.
What’s NOT: can’t think of anything – not hard to make, although there is a bit of chopping and mincing to do.
printer-friendly PDF and MasterCook file (click link to open recipe)
* Exported from MasterCook *
Italian Sausage and Cabbage Soup
Recipe: Adapted from several online recipes
Servings: 8
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups yellow onion — diced
3 large garlic cloves — minced
1 1/2 cups carrots — diced
1 1/4 cups celery — diced small
1 pound Italian sausage — sweet or hot, cut into small chunks with sharp scissors
1/2 cup vermouth
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
14 ounces diced tomatoes — fire roasted if available
6 ounces tomato paste — low sodium, if possible
3 inch parmesan rind
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil — or use fresh, several leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried fennel
3 whole bay leaves
1 small cabbage — sliced, then chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried fennel — sprinkled on top when served
Italian parsley and grated Parm for garnish
1. Heat a large Dutch oven over a medium heat and add olive oil. Once shimmering, add onion and allow to sweat until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat if needed so onion doesn’t burn. Add carrots and celery to the pan and continue to cook over lower heat for about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and stir frequently for about one minute. Then add sausage and cook for about 5-7 minutes until the meat is no longer pink.
2. Add vermouth and allow it to simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 5 minutes.
3. Add chicken broth, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, parmesan rind, dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, fennel, red pepper flakes and the bay leaves. Mix well until tomato paste is well incorporated, then bring mixture to a low simmer. Add cabbage and stir in. Press the cabbage down into the brothy mixture. If needed, add more broth to cover the cabbage.
4. Cover the pot, bring mixture to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Remove Parmesan rind and discard.
5. Serve the soup with grated Parm and chopped parsley.
Per Serving: 281 Calories; 17g Fat (53.4% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 39mg Cholesterol; 419mg Sodium; 9g Total Sugars; 0mcg Vitamin D; 72mg Calcium; 3mg Iron; 844mg Potassium; 177mg Phosphorus.
Posted in Desserts, on April 23rd, 2025.
Hmmm. Not exactly the best-est of pictures, but if you’re a pumpkin pie fan, this crustless and sugarless version is excellent. And it doesn’t matter what it looks like!
I come from a long line of pumpkin pie fans. My dad was one, and that gene passed on to me. My son Powell is also a pumpkin pie fan, so it runs in the family. The joke in the family is that if pumpkin pie is on the menu, he’d like to have one whole pie just for himself, and back when he was a young-‘un athlete he could just about eat a whole pie at one sitting. For sure he was eating the leftovers for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving. He’s in his 50s now and given the opportunity I’m sure he’d still try to eat it all.
I’ve made my share of pumpkin pies over the years, always reverting to using Libby’s pumpkin, because I think it’s got the best, consistent taste.
This recipe came from my friend Linda T, and this was on the menu when we spent the weekend at the desert recently. She brought the finished pie with her, and I absolutely LOVED it. We had it for dessert three evenings in a row. No dainty portions, as we cut it into six servings. and I made whipped cream with cinnamon to go with it.
Linda mentioned, I believe, that this came from Weight Watchers, and sure enough, I looked it up and did find the recipe online at WW’s website. It’s super-easy to make – a bowl, eggs, milk, spices, canned pumpkin, pour it into a 9-inch oil-sprayed pie plate and bake for 45-50 minutes. Done. Cool, slice and serve.
What’s GOOD: how unbelievably easy this is to make. I hardly missed the crust. Loved the spices in it. If you’re on WW, it counts as 1 point, apparently.
What’s NOT: nada, nothing!
printer-friendly PDF and MasterCook file (click link to open recipe)
Crustless Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream
Recipe: From my friend Linda T, think it came from Weight Watchers
Servings: 8
2 eggs
1 cup milk — or unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup monkfruit sweetener
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
15 ounces pumpkin puree — Libby’s preferred
Whipped cream for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl whisk the eggs until well blended. Add in almond milk (or regular milk), monk fruit sweetener, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, ginger, salt and pumpkin. Pour mixture into the prepared pie plate. Bake until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into 8 wedges and serve each with whipped cream.
Per Serving: 58 Calories; 2g Fat (36.2% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 50mg Cholesterol; 106mg Sodium; 3g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 58mg Calcium; 1mg Iron; 173mg Potassium; 70mg Phosphorus.
Posted in Soups, Veggies/sides, on April 17th, 2025.
Having always had an affinity for Mulligatawny Soup, this one intrigued me because of the addition of garam masala and the other various vegetables.
I’ve posted a couple of Mulligatawny Soups during the 18 years I’ve been posting recipes on my blog. The first one, back in 2008, was my go-to for several decades of my home cooking routine. Then I had one made at a cooking class, different, have never made it since, so I guess it didn’t hit any marks. How I came across this recipe, I don’t recall, but it’s an Emeril Legasse recipe, and it’s on the Food Network site, so perhaps Emeril prepared it back in the day when he had a show there.
- Mulligatawny is a type of Anglo-Indian soup. It is regarded as the national soup of India. A literal translation from Tamil “pepper water” (‘Millagu’ is pepper and ‘Thanni’ is water). Despite the name, pepper itself is not a vital ingredient. Rice and noodles are commonly served in the soup; the real dish the Anglo-Indians call “pepper water” is closer to Tamilian rasam than mulligatawny. Variations differ very much. Sometimes, the soup has a turmeric-like yellow color and is garnished with parsley and chicken meat, and is more soupy, which takes on its Anglo-Indian adaptation to be a thick, spicy meat soup.
I posted that blurb above, before, about the origin of Mulligatawny. Obviously, it’s an adaptable kind of soup – maybe rice or noodles, maybe turmeric, maybe curry (which is in my original recipe), usually chicken, almost always with some apple and rice, spicy somehow and with veggies. This one adds garam masala, that Indian mixed spice. Emeril tossed the chicken in it, then browned it in a big Dutch oven. Because I love garam masala, I added in more at the end, which is also very common in Indian cooking – it heightens the garam masala flavors to add more just before serving. I really liked how it tasted done that way.
This is a soup with many ingredients and a variety of flavors. The apple is very common, and it’s one of the things I love about Mulligatawny. I suppose it’s the “sweet note” it adds with almost every bite. Lentils are common also, but because I don’t eat many carbs, I reduced the amount in the version I made, although I included the half cup in the recipe below. I also didn’t include potatoes or the rice for the same reason. I did include the sweet potato (because it’s a resistant starch). Add more broth as needed, or less, just so the vegetables are covered with liquid. Adding spinach is a new ingredient, perhaps not at all common to this soup. But I liked it. Except for the peeling and chopping, the soup comes together in a jiffy. And it makes a goodly portion, so now I have a package of it in the freezer and lunch for some days to come. Love that!
What’s GOOD: this is a really delicious chicken and veggie soup/stew kind of thing. Love the Indian flavors with the garam masala, but the soup itself is very complex even with no other seasonings except salt and pepper. Hearty, filling. This may be my new go-to Mulligatawny.
What’s NOT: only that it takes a bit of time to peel and chop all the veggies that go into this. But that’s what makes it taste so good – the variety of textures and flavors.
printer-friendly PDF and MasterCook file (click link to open recipe)
* Exported from MasterCook *
Mulligatawny Soup ala Emeril
Recipe: Adapted from an Emeril Legasse recipe on Food Network
Servings: 8
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs — boneless, skinless, diced
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups onions — small diced
1/2 cup carrots — small diced
1/2 cup celery — small diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoons minced ginger
1 cup apple — peeled, cored, diced (Granny Smith preferably)
1 cup Yukon gold potatoes — diced (optional)
1 cup sweet potatoes — peeled, diced
1/2 cup lentils
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup zucchini — diced
3/4 cup yellow squash — diced
2 cups baby spinach — tightly packed
14 ounces coconut milk — unsweetened
1 cup tomato — seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons garam masala — added at the end steamed
white basmati rice for serving (optional)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, whole — chopped fresh for garnish
1. Set a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat and add butter and oil. Season the chicken with the garam masala and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Once the fat is hot, add the chicken and cook, turning often, until golden brown and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.
2. Add onions, carrots and celery to the hot pan and sauté until lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and apples to the pan and sauté until the apples are caramelized, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and lentils to the pan, along with 4 cups of the chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook the soup until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the reserved chicken, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, remaining 2 cups of chicken stock if you want the soup to be a thinner consistency, zucchini, squash, spinach, coconut milk, and tomatoes. Continue to cook the soup at a simmer until the lentils and chicken are both tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and stir in the garam masala and cider vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. If using rice, place 1/4 cup of the rice in a warmed bowl, and pour 8 ounces of the soup over the rice, and garnish with cilantro.
Per Serving: 537 Calories; 32g Fat (52.3% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 40g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 91mg Cholesterol; 595mg Sodium; 11g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 127mg Calcium; 5mg Iron; 1137mg Potassium; 351mg Phosphorus.
Posted in Appetizers, Chicken, GF or Gluten Free, Healthy, low-carb, on April 4th, 2025.
Get everything ready, at hand, before starting. Once you’re all prepared it takes just minutes to cook and serve. Delicious sauce.
Recently my friend Linda T and I spent the weekend in the desert, and we cooked up a storm. Like we always do. I’ve already posted the roasted salmon with butter that was off-the-charts delicious, that we ate two nights in a row. The third night there Linda brought out these lettuce wraps. Well, she brought out all the various things, ground chicken and flavorings and seasonings to make them. She’d done all the hard work at home – numerous little Tupperware containers with various things in them. She assembled them near the cooktop because once you begin this dish you need to hover, watch, stir, add, stir, watch, adjust the heat, and in a matter of a few minutes it’s ready to eat.
The recipe comes from Linda’s daughter, Kristin, who is a great cook in her own right. (Hi Kris!)
First the red onion was chopped. It went into the pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and was cooked a bit. Then another tablespoon of oil was added to the pan and the ground chicken went in. Linda bought the mix of white and dark meat (more flavorful, I agree!), a pound. Once the chicken is mostly cooked most of the other ingredients go in – garlic, water chestnuts (after she’d added the water chestnuts, Linda realized she’d forgotten to chop them up) red pepper flakes, Gochujang paste (that’s the Korean spicy paste), soy sauce, honey, and Mirin (Japanese sweet white wine). That was stirred and cooked a bit as the sauce thickens. Then Linda added the chopped green onions and the essential (because of the intense delicious flavor it adds) dark sesame oil.
Meanwhile, we’d set the table, gotten out a big plate and I’d prepped some lettuce leaves (head lettuce, inner leaves that are more cupped in shape) for us. Linda quickly spooned the hot chicken into the lettuce cups and we sat down immediately. Linda’s recipe says it serves 3, but I think it could serve 4 if you’re not huge eaters, meaning about 4 ounces of chicken per person.
Linda sent the leftovers home with me, and I ate it for two dinners along with some steamed broccoli. Very filling and just delicious. The Gochujang sauce adds such a nice umami flavor to this – most grocery stores carry it these days, so do seek it out. It keeps forever in your refrigerator. If you’re watching salt, do use low-sodium soy sauce – most grocery stores carry that too, these days.
What’s GOOD: this mixture – chicken, chili, seasonings, is just SO tasty. Healthy for sure, only 2 T oil for the whole dish. It is messy, I’ll give you that, but worth every dribble and drip [napkins, please!]. Very worth making. The green onions add a nice pop of color.
What’s NOT: only that there IS some prep needed – chopping, mincing and a bunch of little measuring of things. That will take 5-10 minutes, I suppose. The liquid things could be combined into a measuring cup and set aside for later to make it easier.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Asian Chicken Chili Lettuce Wraps
Recipe: From my friend Linda T, from her daughter Kristin
Servings: 3-4
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion — finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil — yes, a 2nd one
1 pound ground chicken
2 cloves garlic — minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons Gochujang paste — Korean spicy chili paste
1 can water chestnuts — drained, diced
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons Mirin — Japanese rice wine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 green onions — finely chopped
Lettuce leaves
1. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil, then add the red onion. Reduce heat and cook for 1-2 minutes until onion is translucent.
2. Add the other portion of olive oil to the pan, then add ground chicken and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Reduce heat if it starts to burn.
3. Add minced garlic, red pepper flakes, honey, Gochujung paste, water chestnuts, soy sauce, honey and Mirin. Cook several more minutes until sauce is thickened.
4. Remove from heat, stir in the sesame oil and green onions.
5. To serve, spoon meat into curved lettuce leaves (the inner leaves of head lettuce or small, inner leaves of Romaine) and place on a platter and serve immediately. Steamed broccoli is a good addition to this if serving as a meal.
Per Serving: 403 Calories; 26g Fat (58.5% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 130mg Cholesterol; 440mg Sodium; 10g Total Sugars; 0mcg Vitamin D; 37mg Calcium; 2mg Iron; 959mg Potassium; 312mg Phosphorus.
Posted in Soups, on April 2nd, 2025.
Such a tasty soup or stew, for a cool night. Easy to make, but it’s the fennel seed – to me – that makes this special.
A few weeks ago I was driving somewhere, and listened to a Milk Street podcast. Chris Kimball was interviewing a gentleman from Burlap & Barrel, a small spice/herb company. In the interview he talked about how and where they harvest the very rarified herbs and spices they carry in their online store. I was so intrigued by the stories about the fennel (this blog post) that as soon as I was home I went online and ordered it, plus their cumin and cinnamon. Then to get free shipping I had to add a couple more items. So far I’ve tried the fennel (marvelous) and the cinnamon (the most fragrant and tasty I think I’ve ever-ever had).
So, this blog post is going to highlight their fennel, called Lucknow Fennel. Here’s what the store has to say about it:
Lucknow Fennel is a sweet, grassy variety known for having bright green, small, ridged seeds that can be applied to savory and sweet dishes alike. Ours is grown in the hot, arid northern state of Rajasthan in India on the family farm of our partner farmer, Negi. We love these seeds tempered in oil or ghee with cumin and chili flakes and poured over roasted root vegetables, added to a poaching liquid for fish or crushed and rolled into a shortbread dough.
When I opened the grinder-jar (pictured above) of this fennel, the fragrant scent just wafted over and over to my nose. Smelled so good, and more fragrant than any fennel I’d ever had – seems to me I recall the guy talking about the ridges on fennel seed – I’d never thought about it – ridges? Well, I guess they do have ridges.
Back to this recipe. I’d read about it at the New York Times and since I make a lot of soups, I downloaded it and made it a few days later. The only unique thing about the soup/stew is that it had green beans in it – not a frequent veggie in chicken stew, I’d say. It did have some herbs, which I added, but then I decided to add fennel. Not only did I add it to the soup itself, but I grated some of this new fennel on top when served. In this picture it looks kind of red – that’s from the paprika. I added mushrooms to the soup also, just because I had them, and why not? Chicken stew should have mushrooms, right? I didn’t add potatoes (trying to make this dish lower carb). I didn’t miss them since the mixture is thick with other veggies.
The only other thing I changed was to use King Arthur Flour’s culinary thickener. KAF doesn’t have that product in their lineup anymore, so if you make this, use the flour listed in the ingredients.
What’s GOOD: to me, the fennel from Burlap & Barrel was the star of the show. The soup was delicious, but the fennel just put it over the top. I’m looking forward to trying the other things I bought from them – particularly the cumin, since I use a lot of it in my cooking.
What’s NOT: nothing, really. Mincing and chopping does take a bit of time, but it’s an easy soup/stew to make. Would it be good without the fennel? Yes, but the fennel just makes it better.
printer-friendly PDF and MasterCook file (click link to open recipe)
* Exported from MasterCook *
Chicken Stew with Fennel Seed
Recipe: Adapted from Dan Pelosi
Servings: 6
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion — diced (about 6 ounces)
2 medium carrots — peeled and diced (about 5 ounces)
3 stalks celery — diced (about 3 ounces)
2 cups mushrooms — chopped (cremini or white button)
4 garlic cloves — minced
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour — [I used King Arthur Flour’s culinary thickener]
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts — or skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound baby potatoes — cut into quarters (optional)
2 cups green beans — [I used frozen, the kind cut into pieces]
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped, for serving
Lemon wedges
More fennel seed, ground a little, as garnish
1. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven on medium. Add butter, olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, paprika and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add flour (or culinary thickener) and stir for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and vinegar and stir until flour is incorporated.
3. Add chicken, potatoes (if using), mushrooms, green beans, heavy cream, sage, thyme, fennel, oregano, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Bring the stew to a gentle boil on medium-high and then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer, with the lid partially covering the pot, until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes and vegetables are cooked to your liking.
4. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot, garnished with parsley and crushed fennel, with lemon wedges on the side if desired. Once it cools, store in refrigerator for 4-5 days, or freeze.
Per Serving: 437 Calories; 20g Fat (40.8% calories from fat); 36g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 115mg Cholesterol; 213mg Sodium; 7g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 93mg Calcium; 3mg Iron; 1456mg Potassium; 471mg Phosphorus.
Posted in Fish, on March 31st, 2025.
Oh my goodness, is this salmon the best thing you’ll ever put in your mouth! Well, let’s qualify that .. . maybe you could say the same for chocolate . . . but we’re talking salmon here.
This is a Mark Bittman recipe (New York Times). That I just happened to see one day last week as I perused the recipes at the newspaper. I’ve subscribed – mostly to be able to do the puzzles there (I’m a fan of the daily Spelling Bee), but with my subscription I also got the food section. This past weekend my good friend Linda joined me in the desert, and whenever we get together, we cook a lot. We made this salmon on Friday night with some fabulous thick salmon fillets she bought at a good fish market where she lives in San Diego. She brought enough that we had it again the next night. No, we didn’t want to do a different preparation. We wanted to repeat the same recipe it was SO, SO good.
MAKE THIS RECIPE!! It’s amazing, and I don’t say that about a lot of recipes here on TastingSpoons. I have a few thousand recipes here, and you should know that my favorites are listed on the right end tab (on my main home screen), called Carolyn’s Favs. This recipe is going on there, just so you know.
It’s such a simple recipe – really, there is nothing but salmon, butter, salt, pepper, herbs and some lemon wedges to serve. How easy is that? But it’s how you combine them and how you roast the fish that makes it special. First you make a little foil “tray” a bit larger than the piece(s) of salmon you have. Linda brought decadent, thick fillets, with skin. And Mark Bittman assumes you also have skin-on salmon fillets. The cold butter and some of the herbs (we used dill) go in that foil tray (put the foil tray in a small roasting pan) and that goes into a preheated 475°F oven. That’s one very screaming-hot oven. Watch it carefully as the butter melts. Then you place the salmon on that foil tray, on top of the butter and herbs, skin side up. Into the oven it goes for a few minutes – he recommends 4 minutes at this point. Then you remove it, use a very sharp thin knife to pull off the skin (discard). Then you salt and pepper that side, turn it over very gently in the pan, salt and pepper that side, and back into the oven it goes for a few more minutes. We used an instant read thermometer (IMPORTANT) and roasted it until the fish was 125°F with the probe inserted into the side. That took about 7 more minutes because the salmon Linda had was really thick. Remove it, spoon some of that flavorful browned butter over the top, sprinkle on the remaining herbs, then garnish with lemon wedges and serve.
The first night we had it with steamed and buttered broccoli. The 2nd night I made a Hasselback Sweet Potato (recipe up soon) and a green salad. It was just magnificent. And so simple and easy. The recipe indicated 1 1/2-2 pounds of salmon serves 4-6. Linda bought 1 1/2 pounds, and we ate every morsel over 2 dinners (so it serves 4 people – that beautiful fillet you see in the above picture we split in half. If you’re serving 6 people, you might want more than 2 pounds. Just sayin’.
What’s GOOD: the flavor, the moistness, is just superb. Loved the fresh dill, but it’s the browned butter that gives this salmon the ultimate in umami flavors. For sure don’t forget to spoon that browned butter all over the top after it’s finished roasting. And for sure take it out of the oven when the salmon temp reaches 125°F. I think I could eat this fish twice a week for the rest of my life.
What’s NOT: there isn’t one single thing I can say negatively about this dish. I’ll be making this again, and again, and again.
printer-friendly PDF and MasterCook file (click link to open recipe)
* Exported from MasterCook *
Salmon Roasted in Butter
Recipe By: Mark Bittman, New York Times, 2025
Servings: 6 (maybe)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons minced dill — or parsley
1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet — thick plank, about 1-1/4″ thick in the middle
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lemon wedges
NOTE: If you’re using thinner salmon, the roasting time will be reduced accordingly.
1. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Place the butter and half the herbs in a roasting pan just large enough to fit the salmon and place it in the oven. (For easy cleanup, use heavy-duty foil and make a kind of rectangular tray, just slightly larger than the piece of salmon you’re cooking.) Heat about 5 minutes, until the butter melts and the herbs begin to sizzle. Watch carefully that the butter doesn’t brown too quickly!
2. Cut the salmon into serving sizes. Add the salmon to the pan, skin side up. Roast 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, then peel the skin off. (If the skin does not lift right off, cook 2 minutes longer.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn the fillet over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on the other side.
3. Roast 3 to 5 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fillet and the degree of doneness you prefer. Use an instant read thermometer and remove the salmon when it reaches 125°F. Spoon a little of the butter over each and garnish with the remaining herbs. Serve with lemon wedges.
Per Serving: 204 Calories; 12g Fat (53.9% calories from fat); 23g Protein; trace Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 104mg Cholesterol; 117mg Sodium; trace Total Sugars; 0mcg Vitamin D; 15mg Calcium; 1mg Iron; 489mg Potassium; 323mg Phosphorus.
Posted in Appetizers, Vegetarian, on March 14th, 2025.
Think hummus (the texture) but instead of garbanzo beans, think of butternut squash (soft texture, almost sweet) with all the same flavors.
Recently I was able to borrow a library e-book of Damaris Phillips’ cookbook, called Southern Girl Meets Vegetarian Boy. It’s an interesting read (published in 2017), about her marriage and her valiant effort to find things that she enjoys (she eats meat) that he will eat (he’s vegetarian). And she’s been quite successful at it. I copied a bunch of recipes out of the book, this being one of them. Damaris has become good friends with Bobby Flay and they were on a show together, though I never saw it. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky.
I’m not eating beans mostly (forsaking carbs), but I think an occasional winter squash is perhaps better for me. Anyway, I spotted a package of Trader Joe’s already cubed butternut last week, and ding-ding, I remembered this recipe. I needed a new jar of tahini, and I had za’atar on hand already.
Into the food processor goes the caramelized squash (cooled), some salt, EVOO and tahini. Easy. I boxed it up in the frig to let it mellow a bit, and have served it several times over the last week. Yesterday I ate the remaining serving straight. When I served it to guests, I put out some lavash bread alongside, that I’d cut into triangles.
What’s GOOD: Oh my goodness, this is wonderful. Love the texture, much like bean-hummus, but maybe better. Squash gives it a sweeter taste, but there’s no sugar in it. Loved it on the lavash triangles. It keeps for about a week, or freeze if you have some leftover.
What’s NOT: not a single thing. This is a keeper of a recipe.
printer-friendly PDF and MasterCook file (click link to open recipe)
* Exported from MasterCook *
Butternut Squash Hummus
Recipe: Adapted from Damaris Phillips online
Servings: 6
1 small butternut squash — 1 1/2-2 lbs
kosher salt
1/2 cup EVOO — PLUS 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon za’atar
2 teaspoons pumpkin seed oil — or olive oil
pumpkin seeds, for garnish, if available
Lavash bread or pita, cut in triangles
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Split squash in half, scoop out. Season squash with salt and rub cut surface with the 1 tsp of EVOO. Place squash cut side UP in roasting pan, then pour 1/2 cup water into the pan. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool. (When I made this I bought already cubed butternut squash, so it was easy to pour out onto a sheet pan, drizzle and toss with some EVOO then roasted at 375°F; I didn’t use the hot water, and it took about 30 minutes to reach tenderness.)
2. Scoop squash flesh out and put in bowl of food processor. Add 1/2 cup EVOO and tahini, then process until it’s a nice fluffy puree, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Add cold water a tablespoon at a time, if needed, to get the right consistency. Taste for salt.
3. Spread puree in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with za’atar, and pumpkin seeds if desired, and drizzle with pumpkin seed oil (I used EVOO). Serve with soft lavash bread cut into triangles.
4. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Bring to room temp to serve. Keeps one week.
Per Serving: 227 Calories; 23g Fat (87.5% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 9mg Sodium; 1g Total Sugars; 0mcg Vitamin D; 53mg Calcium; 1mg Iron; 124mg Potassium; 83mg Phosphorus.
Posted in Salads, Vegetarian, Veggies/sides, on March 11th, 2025.
Such an easy side dish – for a brunch or dinner
Awhile back I’d downloaded a recipe from Ottolenghi for a salad much like this. But when I made it, I wanted to make a couple of changes. The “dressing” for this is nothing but plain yogurt and some horseradish. I had Greek yogurt on hand, but it’s not a very tart/sour type – it’s very smooth (Fage) which is why I like it so much for my breakfast. When I tasted the dressing – the yogurt, horseradish, salt and pepper – I knew it needed something. So I added some whole grain mustard and a tetch of red wine vinegar to it. That gave it the extra oomph of tart that I was looking for. Because when you mix potatoes you want/need some acid in it. If you’re using regular plain yogurt (not Greek) you may not need the vinegar. Taste it to determine. Certainly this ended up being different than Ottolenghi had in mind when he created this dish.
I’d also cooked up a couple of slices of bacon – because I thought I was going to use it in the egg dish I made, but changed my mind. So, obviously, the bacon went into the potatoes. Easy.
What I had on hand were small Yukon gold, so I boiled them until they were just tender, and once drained I let them sit briefly to dry the outsides. Then I used a potato masher and very gently mooshed each potato once – JUST ONCE – to smash it. So it left the potatoes in small chunks. Peel on. Then I mixed in the dressing and the bacon, then added some chopped green onions on top and it was ready to eat.
What’s GOOD: this was just delish. I’m not eating potatoes these days, but I did have one very small bite and my guests loved it. I loved that one bite I had and definitely wanted to dip in for more (but didn’t). It was so very easy to make and the dressing took not more than a minute to mix up.
What’s NOT: nothing, really. If you like a pristine look of a cubed-up potato salad, this rustic style might not meet your needs.
printer-friendly PDF and MasterCook file (click link to open recipe)
* Exported from MasterCook *
Hot Smashed Potato Salad with Horseradish
Recipe: Adapted a lot from an Ottolenghi recipe
Servings: 4
2 pieces thick-sliced bacon — chopped
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes — (unpeeled)
2/3 cup yogurt — plain
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tablespoon mustard — whole grain
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
3 whole green onions — chopped, with some of the green parts
1. Cut potatoes into 2″ chunks and cover potatoes with water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are just cooked through. Use a sharp knife to test tenderness. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a skillet cook bacon until lightly crispy. Drain and set aside.
3. In a small bowl combine the yogurt, horseradish, mustard, salt, pepper and red wine vinegar.
4. Drain potatoes, then using a potato masher lightly press it into the potatoes to roughly smash them once, but not to the point they are “mashed.” Pour in the yogurt mixture and bacon and mix thoroughly. Taste for seasonings.
5. Pour into a serving dish and top with green onions and serve hot.
Per Serving: 174 Calories; 7g Fat (34.7% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 15mg Cholesterol; 189mg Sodium; 4g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 73mg Calcium; 1mg Iron; 604mg Potassium; 134mg Phosphorus.
Scrumptious breakfast dish sure to please the palate.
As it happened, daughter Sara and her husband John stopped by my house on their way home from a concert from the night before, so I decided to serve a lunch/brunch.
I did begin with a recipe I’d found online, but I changed it so much, it bears no resemblance to the original, so I won’t even mention it. I’d purchased some beef chorizo at Sprout’s. I’m very picky about where I will buy Mexican chorizo – grocery store blends end up being a gloppy red mess when you try to cook it, but I assumed Sprout’s would prepare something meaty and not loaded with fat. It was. I’d definitely buy it there again.
First I cooked the chorizo in a frying pan, chopping it up into smaller pieces as it rendered some. Once it was mostly cooked I added about 1/2 cup of red onion (chopped) and let it cook until translucent. Meanwhile I’d shredded a bunch of Monterey Jack cheese (more than 2 cups) and mixed up 6 eggs with some salt, pepper and half and half. The chorizo mixture went into the casserole dish, then I dotted the top with cottage cheese (optional), then added a bit more than half the cheese, then poured in the eggs and sprinkled the remaining cheese on top.
The dish baked at 350° for about 35 minutes until the center of the casserole was firm. I sprinkled the top with some fresh cilantro and served it. Alongside, I served a hot (lightly) smashed potato salad – I’ll post that in a day or two. I also served a green salad with lots of veggies in it and a sliced avocado on top.
What’s GOOD: Oh gosh, chorizo in anything is pretty darned good. Loved the combo of chorizo and Jack cheese. My family loved it and I did too. I’d definitely make this casserole again.
What’s NOT: not a thing. Be sure to drain any fat from the chorizo as it’s cooking. Chorizo is very rich; why, I don’t know, but it makes any dish taste particularly fat-forward. Delicious, however.
printer-friendly PDF and MasterCook file (click link to open recipe)
* Exported from MasterCook *
Chorizo and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
Recipe: My own concoction
Servings: 5
1/2 pound chorizo
1/2 cup red onion — finely chopped
1/2 cup cottage cheese — optional
2 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese — grated
6 large eggs — well beaten
1/3 cup half and half
1/4 cup cilantro — for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 inch ceramic casserole or pie plate with non-stick spray.
2. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the chorizo until it’s almost cooked through. If chorizo has oozed a lot of fat, remove with a spoon and discard. Add red onion and continue to sauté over low heat until onion is translucent.
3. Pour the chorizo mixture into the prepared casserole. Sprinkle top evenly with cottage cheese. Add a bit more than half of the grated cheese over the mixture.
4. In a large bowl combine the eggs and whisk until the mixture has no eggy streaks. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add half and half and whisk in.
5. Pour egg mixture over the chorizo mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese on top.
6. Bake about 35 minutes, or until the eggs are set (not jiggly in the center) and the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to sit about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Per Serving: 708 Calories; 55g Fat (70.4% calories from fat); 46g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 365mg Cholesterol; 1234mg Sodium; 4g Total Sugars; 3mcg Vitamin D; 972mg Calcium; 3mg Iron; 400mg Potassium; 768mg Phosphorus.
Leave a Comment!