I’m glad I dared myself to make this somewhat spartan dish. The “chickpea batter” produced a pie that was less dense than a bread pudding would have been. I baked this pie for 60 minutes. The tang of sun-dried tomatoes was evident, and my youngster liked this. So there you go.

Another easy dish was the “Whole Grain Bulgur Salad with Mango and Walnut,” from angiesrecipes. blogspot.com. I don’t believe I’ve ever shied away from any grain. Here, bulgur wheat shows off with its hearty bite in a cool salad. Get distracted by the winning flavor combo of sharp onion, sweet mango, crunchy walnuts, and bulgur. I even dabbled, for the first time, in avocado oil. I found this healthy oil to be pleasantly neutral. You can easily become selfish with this salad, and eat all of it yourself (but do share it if you can).

PRICES
Baby Spinach (5 oz.) = $3.27
Zucchini (4.8 oz.) = .93¢
Bulgur (4.6 oz.) = .46¢
Mango (8.9 oz.) = $1.28

RECIPES: a surprisingly sincere terrine and a right-on grain salad
PREP TIMES: the terrine needs to bake for 60 minutes; bulgur cooks in 20 minutes, then salad needs to chill
TASTES: spinach + zucchini + tangy sun-dried tomatoes are held together by the power of chickpea flour; bulgur plays nice with mango and walnuts

Next time, I will cook the “Shanghai Stir-Fried Pork with Cabbage,” from the January 2012 issue of Food & Wine. See my magical meal when you come back to my site soon.

I marinated my chicken thighs for more than eight hours. Spreading out the chicken, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and shallots on a single baking sheet was too easy. After “deeply browning,” my chicken was still moist. Oddly, there was no evidence of the Dijon mustard in the flavor. I added the bacon and parsley to my heap of stew, though they may have been unnecessary. This recipe was an easy way to make a big pile of food.

I also made the “Fresh Asparagus Soup with Parmesan Crisps,” from the May 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. How are you with asparagus? I figure, if you like it, you like it. That’s me and my family. Asparagus need not do any backflips to impress us. This recipe was so easy to prepare (forget the blender, use an immersion blender). The allure of asparagus could not be overlooked, here. My youngster couldn’t keep away from this soup.

The hint of lemony flavor always works smartly with asparagus. And the parmesan crisps? How simple and grand to show off with these cheesy crunchy wafers.

PRICES
Chicken Thighs (2.92 lbs.) = $6.80
Sweet Potato (.79 lb.) = .81¢
Parsnips (1.40 lbs.) = $2.79
Shallots (4 small) = .69¢
Onion (1) = .55¢
Asparagus (2 lbs.) = $5.75

RECIPES: “deeply brown” your chicken and serve with sweetly roasted vegetables; asparagus, how do I love thee?
PREP TIMES: after marinating for hours, the chicken and vegetables need an hour to roast; enjoy the soup after less than an hour of prep and cooking
TASTES: moist, browned chicken thighs are pleasant with the warm sweetness of sweet potatoes, parsnips, and shallots; asparagus + lemon in a smoothly blended soup is delightful

Next time, I will showcase a vegetarian meal. I want to cook the “Mediterranean Crustless Chickpea Flour Quiche,” from tastespace.wordpress.com, along with the “Whole Grain Bulgur Salad with Mango and Walnut,” from angiesrecipes.blogspot.com. Come back to my site soon, to see how this plays out.

This recipe requires pacing: defrost the sheet of puff pastry; soak the dried mushrooms (I used chanterelles instead of porcinis); slice and simmer the potatoes (I used waxy red potatoes, as the recipe’s author suggested); fry the fresh mushrooms in butter (I used criminis); fry the onion slices in more butter; fry the garlic, thyme, and rosemary; simmer those rehydrated mushrooms with the onions/garlic and now cream. Exasperating? Perhaps.

My chosen cheese was taleggio and it never disappoints me. I sprinkled in some cooked bacon to my pie filling, as well as 3 tsp. kosher salt. I did glaze the top of my puff pastry with beaten egg, so it browned beautifully. After baking for 30 minutes, the wonderful pastry had a great bite. Thyme and parsley were strong players in this pie/casserole game. My casserole was a bit wet at the bottom (mushroom liquid + cream), but I permitted this moisture as a lovely gravy. Show off with this potato pie.

Next, I got to use my favorite leaf in the “Escarole Salad with Provolone, Warm White Beans and Prosciutto Crisps,” from threemanycooks.com. I like the bite of escarole better than all the rest (for now!). Each element of this recipe is an easy winner for me: prosciutto, cannelinis, olives, provolone.

Crumbling and crisping prosciutto is such a cheap thrill, really. Then, the warmed beans and garlic will brilliantly wilt the escarole leaves; you just might gasp in amazement. Once you assemble and taste this salad, you will then dress it perfectly. I added 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. The kalamata olives, provolone, and red onion provide such heightened flavors to the mix. Make this salad and you will want to eat mountains of it.

PRICES
Red Potatoes (2.28 lbs.) = $1.71
Crimini Mushrooms (.88 lb.) = $2.88
Onion (1) = .55¢
Taleggio Cheese (7 oz.) = $3.18
Prosciutto (3 oz.) = $5.44
Cannelini Beans (15oz. can) = $1.68
Escarole (1 head) = $3.05
Red Bell Pepper (1 small) = .40¢
Red Onion (1 small) = .22¢
Provolone Cheese (3 oz.) = .71¢

RECIPES: admit your love for the good things: pastry, potatoes, cheese, mushrooms; lose yourself in escarole’s delights
PREP TIMES: set aside two hours to prep and cook the potato pie; once you put the assembled pie in the oven, you can make the escarole salad
TASTES: thyme, parsley, and mushroom intensities are enhanced by a creamy broth, blanketed by the best pastry crust; the rewarding leafy luxury of escarole is co-starred with crispy fried prosciutto, creamy beans, and sharp kalamata olives and provolone cheese

Next time, I want to cook the “Burnished Chicken Thighs with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Parsnips,” from the February 2006 issue of Fine Cooking, along with the “Fresh Asparagus Soup with Parmesan Crisps,” from the May 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. Come back to my site soon, to see my meal.

Frozen spinach, ricotta, and parmesan make an appealing stuffing for these pizza rolls. The herbed garlic oil that you’ll brush over the tops of your assembled balls smells so great as these bake in the oven. The extra parmesan sprinkled on top is magical, too. After puffing and baking for 30 minutes, the balls are slightly crisp, like pizza edges. Easy to eat and perfect dipped in tomato sauce. Have a party with these.

PRICES
Pizza Dough (15 oz.) = $1.43

RECIPE: another fun thing to do with pizza dough
PREP TIME: have your pizza-roll party after less than one hour of prep and cooking
TASTE: inhale garlicky pizza dough, while you bite into satisfyingly cheesy spinach

Next time, I hope to make a champion meal. I will make the “Potato, Cheese and Mushroom Pie,” from thedailyspud.com, along with the “Escarole Salad with Provolone, Warm White Beans and Prosciutto Crisps,” from threemanycooks.com. Come back to my site soon, to see my big meal.

This indulgent recipe requires pacing throughout your day. My only shortcut was to use canned pineapple instead of fresh. I marinated my pork pieces for an hour or more. You’ll need at least 64 oz. of oil to deep-fry in (I used safflower instead of peanut), and you’ll need to measure its temperature (375 degrees) to fry perfectly. After coating the chunks of meat in the gluey batter, you must toss the pieces into the oil one at a time (or else they will clump together, and you don’t want that to happen). So take your time with this.

I served this fantastically fried pork over fregola pasta, which has a bite that’s heartier than Israeli couscous. The sweet-and-sour sauce (rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, pineapple juice, cornstarch, soy sauce: simmered until thick) was all you could ever want or need in a sweet-and-sour sauce. And the bell peppers and pineapples were excellent, here.

I am a staunch supporter of the well-intentioned green bean casserole. I would never make nor eat one that’s half-heartedly prepared with canned vegetables, canned soup, and canned fried onions. Blech! It’s a casserole joke that’s just not funny. Instead, I reached for the recipe for the “Green Bean & Mushroom Casserole,” from whatwouldcathyeat.com (authored by veggienumnum.com). Fresh vegetables, nuts, and crunchy cereal flakes save the day.

Red onions are lovely and I hope I always have them in my life. I tossed them with corn flakes instead of quinoa flakes, and this was fine. I soaked my walnuts over night, then blended them with tahini and dairy milk. As I stirred my “mushroom soup” mix, I included smoked paprika instead of cayenne pepper, and added 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper.

There’s satisfaction in assembling a handsome casserole, and this one turned out surprisingly flavorful, with its walnuts, marjoram, and red onions. Quite “creamy” and enjoyable.

PRICES
Pork Tenderloin (1.10 lbs.) = $9.49
Green Beans (1 lb.) = $1.89
Button Mushrooms (8 oz.) = $1.76
Red Onion (1) = .61¢

RECIPES: if you dare to deep fry, this is how you should do it; if you dare to commit to a proper green bean casserole, this is how you should do it
PREP TIMES: set aside your day for marinating, battering, and frying pork; the casserole’s walnuts need to soak overnight, while various steaming, sauteeing, simmering, and baking will take an hour or more
TASTES: sweet and tangy peppers, pineapples, and pork; flowery marjoram and delightful red onions kiss the green beans and mushrooms that have been coated in nutty creaminess

Next time, I will be a little silly and make the “Spinach Pizza Rolls,” from the December 2011 issue of Everyday Food. I’ll get to work with pizza dough again! Come back to my site soon, to see what happens.

I doubled the amounts in this recipe, to make four servings. I replaced the marinade’s red chili with sweet bell pepper, in the interest of my young child’s palate. This was my first cooking experience with pork shoulder butt, which was a fatty piece of meat that I bought on its bone. It was easy enough to slice the pieces of pork steak away from the bone, with a sharp serrated knife. I marinated my pieces of pork for 2 hours.

The pork and its very wet marinade, once added to the frying pan, eventually dried and turned brown (be patient here). Enjoy the sweet/tart smells. I added 1/2 tsp. kosher salt at the end of the stir-fry. Dave and I liked this, though it was too tangy for my youngster, after all.

Again, I sing the farro love song. The “Farro with Broccoli,” from umamigirl.com, is a smooth celebration of farro and shiitake mushrooms. Farro tastes and feels like barley + rice, and it never fails me. I unashamedly used an amount of frozen broccoli in this recipe. I added 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper at the end. Everyone shall eat this and be happy.

PRICES
Pork Shoulder Butt (1.51 lbs.) = $12.55
Onions (2) = .72¢
Lime (1) = .29¢
Red Bell Pepper (1) = .56¢
Lemongrass (2 stalks) = .40¢
Red Onion (1) = .51¢
Shiitake Mushrooms (15) = $3.41

RECIPES: pork is easy to marinate and easy to stir-fry, while farro is a sturdy winner
PREP TIMES: marinate the pork for an hour or more, but then stir-fry quickly; the farro needs at least an hour to soak, boil, and saute the various components
TASTES: fatty pork pieces grip the tangy tartness of lemongrass + lime juice + fish sauce; farro’s ample bite is cloaked smoothly in silky red onion, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, and parmesan cheese

At the risk of becoming “pork weary,” I will work with the pig again. Next time, I want to cook the “Sweet and Sour Pork,” from thekitchn.com (using a pork tenderloin). I will also spin around and make the “Green Bean & Mushroom Casserole,” from whatwouldcathyeat.com (authored by veggienumnum.com). Check out my meal when you come back to my site soon.

Duck is special. It’s only an occasional treat for my family. Its flavor–dark, rich, fatty–sets it far apart from the meals I typically serve. Since I shy away from butchering whole birds, I have yet to prepare a whole duck. I can’t even fathom it, at this point. But this recipe let me use whole leg/thigh combos, which I simmered for 1 hour 39 minutes, until the meat was tender enough to fall off the bones. You can’t have it much easier than that.

My darling Dutch oven championed this meal. My dry red wine, a 2009 Valpolicella, smelled tart and grapey in the pot. Fresh sage is always wonderful. After all the simmering, I added another 1/4 cup of chicken broth and 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt. The recipe asks to “discard” the garlic cloves, which I couldn’t bear to do. I wouldn’t think you could ever convince an Italian to “discard” the garlic. Come on! The duck ragu was a triumph, very easy to assemble and simmer. And it was indeed lovely served over pappardelle.

I’ll always eat a stuffed mushroom, I’ll always make stuffed mushrooms. And I’ll always remember my mom’s prototypical mushrooms–perfect and simple with breadcrumbs, garlic, olive oil. Still, I prepared the “Classic Stuffed Mushrooms,” from simplyrecipes.com, and was pleased to find the recipe supplied the perfect amount of stuffing, nicely minced into a paste. The recipe asks for 2 small shallots, but less than a single shallot was enough for my 2 Tbsp. Dave enjoyed these mushrooms, but I yearned for more garlic and more oiliness. Oh well, my quest continues.

See other stuffed mushroom recipes I’ve tried:
Amazing Shrimp-Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed Mushrooms
Pesto Portobellos

PRICES
Duck Legs & Thighs (4) = $23.56
Onion (1) = .62¢
Carrot (1) = .83¢
Canned Chopped Tomatoes (28 oz.) = $2.31
Cremini Mushrooms (22) = $4.61
Shallots (2 Tbsp.) = .30¢

RECIPES: if you’ve been thinking about duck, this is the easiest way to do it; do you obsess about stuffed mushrooms the way I do?
PREP TIMES: set aside more than 2 hours for the duck ragu; mushrooms may need an hour of assembly and baking
TASTES: duck ragu is rich and sweet, red wine and sage become perfume; a slightly nutty paste fills mushrooms ably

Next time, I want to make the “Lemongrass and Honey Pork Stir-Fry,” from pigpigscorner.com, along with the “Farro with Broccoli,” from umamigirl.com. Sounds wonderful. Come back to my site soon to see this meal.

My sweet potatoes baked for 1 hour 30 minutes, before they were “completely tender,” although this amount of time was admittedly overkill (they were a bit too soft?). I cooked my sweet pork sausage (with fennel!) for four-and-a-half minutes, until no longer pink. After mixing my mashed sweet potatoes with all the other fillings, I was surprised to be able to fit all the stuffing back into the eight potato shells. It “mounded” in perfectly.

And how did this finally taste? Well, my first bite was a bite of “Wow!” I was blasted by the fantastic flavors of sausage, leeks, sour cream, Gruyere. The sweet roasted potatoes were magical. Were they twice as nice having been twice-baked? Well, maybe…

I was also happy to cook the “Milk-Braised Zucchini,” from injennieskitchen.com. I don’t believe in fussing too much with zucchini, and this recipe was a borderline effort for me, since it asks to cook the zucchini for 30 long minutes. It was very easy, though, to let the zucchini sit and cook in its generous pour of milk. The resulting creamy dish was buzzed by nutmeg. It was no problem.

PRICES
Sweet Potatoes (4) = $3.50
Leeks (1 lb.) = $2.00
Zucchini (24 oz.) = $4.10

RECIPES: sweet potatoes twice-baked with leeks and sausage and cheese won’t make a fool of you, while zucchini slowly simmered with milk will surprise you with creaminess
PREP TIMES: the long bake time for the sweet potatoes means you won’t enjoy them until at least 2 hours pass; the zucchini is edible in an hour
TASTES: every player in the sweet potato game is a winner: sweet sausage, leeks, sour cream, Gruyere, fresh sage and thyme; zucchini and nutmeg were made for each other

Get ready for another great meal. Next time, I will serve the “Duck Ragu,” from the October/November 2011 issue of Fine Cooking, atop pappardelle noodles. And I’ll also make the “Classic Stuffed Mushrooms,” from simplyrecipes.com. See my display when you return to my site soon.

I used double the amount of fish filets than the recipe asks for (I used six), so I also doubled the butter and the coating. The recipe asks for “fish rub,” so I reached for my Old Bay Seasoning. As for “homemade tartar sauce,” Dave instructed to me to mix mayo with some chopped pickles. Perfect.

Being an unabashed aficionado of kale and all of its delicious, life-enhancing qualities, I also made the “Tuscan Kale with Shallots and Crisp Salami,” from finecooking.com. I adore shallots and salami. The recipe asks to wilt the kale in a big pot of water, but why go to the trouble of heating/washing another pot? Instead, I “steamed” my chopped kale in a plastic bowl in the microwave for 3 minutes. That was too easy. Fried salami is an incredible indulgence: a perfectly crispy snack. Once all the components of this dish were combined, it was interesting mix of complex flavors: minerally and a little tart. I recommend it, for mature audiences.

PRICES
Tilapia Filets (6) = $20.26
Lacinato Kale (1 bunch) = $2.07
Shallots (.33 lb.) = $2.09

RECIPES: moist, mild fish and tart, tangy kale
PREP TIMES: once coated, fish bakes in 30 minutes; use your microwave to cook the kale and you can it eat this after less than 30 minutes
TASTES: soft almond meal and sharp parmesan make a warm blanket around moistly buttered tilapia; pungent kale faces sweet shallots and a honeyed dressing, with a tickle from crispy fried salami

Next time, I will cook the “Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Leeks and Sausage,” from the December 2011/January 2012 issue of Fine Cooking, along with the “Milk-Braised Zucchini,” from injennieskitchen.com. See this winning meal when you come back to my site soon.

I doubled the amounts in this recipe, to make 4-6 servings. I actually went “over” my amounts for the chicken, mushrooms, and tofu, and later realized I should have tripled the amount of marinade, because I would have enjoyed a saucier dish. And my marinade needed some salt or some soy sauce. I marinated my ingredients for 4 hours 30 minutes. I did not search for a tube of Japanese egg tofu, and instead used a block of super-firm tofu. I also replaced the Shaoxing wine with 4 Tbsp. of a 2009 Argentinian Torrontes, although I should have used a marsala instead. I did use a chicken-bouillon/gravy powder. The oyster sauce and the toasted sesame oil definitely contributed to my great steaming scent.

I was clever enough to serve this dish with some fried rice. There’s something to this “steamed meat/veggie/tofu” thing. It deserves more attention.

PRICES
Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts (1.10 lbs.) = $5.96
Shiitake Mushrooms (.72 lb.) = $5.57
Super-Firm Tofu (20 oz.) = $2.92

RECIPE: steam your marinated meat and vegetables
PREP TIME: marinate for an hour or more, but cook in less than 30 minutes
TASTE: the condensed oyster flavor of oyster sauce is boosted by the intensity of toasted sesame oil and wine, to embellish the moist chicken, mushrooms, and tofu

Next time, I’ll make the “Almond and Parmesan Baked Tilapia,” from kalynskitchen.com, along with the “Tuscan Kale with Shallots and Crisp Salami,” from finecooking.com. See my meal when you come back to my site soon.