Meals

Buffalo Cauliflower - Erewhon Copycat

https://moribyan.com/buffalo-cauliflower-erewhon-copycat/

Returning to Moribyan for recipes. This worked pretty well compared to a previous attempt at buffalo cauliflower.

Served with a can of 'Delhi saag' (which I can use to make Indian spinach dishes) cooked with paneer.

Creamy Lemon Orzo

It was nicely lemon-y and the chickpeas turned out good, but combined with the veggies it was a texture combination ick for me. I probably need to use the freshest possible asparagus and spinach.I buy it and then forget to use it. Maybe I can get canned ones (like I do with chickpeas).

Similar recipe with asparagus and breadcrumbs, no chickpeas: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021068-lemony-orzo-with-asparagus-and-garlic-bread-crumbs

Creamy Miso and Mushroom Pasta

https://theyummyvegan.com/blog/creamymisoandmushroompasta

Mushroom cooked with miso and chili crisp, which I mixed into spaghetti and Alfredo sauce

Creamy Mushroom and Black Beluga Lentil Stew

https://rainbowplantlife.com/creamy-mushroom-and-black-beluga-lentil-stew/

Another miso/mushroom combination, and my first time cooking the black lentils. I'd say this was kind of a texture issue for me as well.

Grilled Cheese Burrito - Taco Bell Copycat

https://moribyan.com/grilled-cheese-burrito-taco-bell-copycat/

Another Moribyan hit. I haven't been to a Taco Bell in recent memory, but I tried to emulate the rice + meat + spicy mayo + crunch burrito. Modifications: leftover chorizo instead of marinated ground beef, canned chipotle in adobo.

Manakish with Cheese and Za'atar

https://www.hungrypaprikas.com/manakish/

This is a Lebanese dish which I made while attempting to make a dish which I get at a local place. Manakish came out kind of like large crackers with cheese or sesame zaatar smeared on top, there is a little flatbread puffiness but not soft like a naan or paratha.

Moroccan Couscous

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3qUJFhvNjS/

This was a good use of the smaller grain couscous, and meatballs. You need the yogurt to be mixed in for flavor. Next time I might try cooking the couscous in chicken broth.

Peanut Butter Crunch Pie

https://spicysouthernkitchen.com/peanut-butter-crunch-pie/

My first time using the pie pan at my house! This worked pretty well considering everything. I don't think that there is a clean way to unroll the pie crust from a box and into the pan.

Pesto Pasta With White Beans and Halloumi Recipe

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022548-pesto-pasta-with-white-beans-and-halloumi

I was working from dry beans, so that took time to prepare. I'm happy with the end result, though the pasta, halloumi, and pesto had most of the appeal.

Salmon Edamame Rice Cooker Meal

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6RBldZOnvQ/

Had to go to Whole Foods for the frozen edamame. I decided to make this without the eggs and took the salmon skin off first. Another recipe suggests marinating the salmon and adding other ingredients: https://www.reddit.com/r/RiceCookerRecipes/comments/1eweeb4/salmon_and_rice_lunch_inside_rice_cooker/

Fails

Buffalo Potato

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3_NvuOxNch/

Did this recipe, without their vegan substitutions. In the oven long enough to have a black crisp, I should have checked in halfway through.

Asides

Instagram made the rice paper croissants look good, but other reviews make me think it's not worth it. I went to a local French bakery twice and was pleasantly surprised by their chocolate-almond and apple-almond croissants.

I used leftover chorizo to make breakfast tacos. Tried something with Beyond Beef crumble and it was terrible, I think this was discontinued.

After the odd merger and embarassing surprise closure of Chicago's bougie grocery stores (Dom's and Foxtrot) in April, a group backed by the old CEO has reopened their first Foxtrot location. This led to spirited and angry comments especially around the old company's failure to pay employees and suppliers for their deliveries. The company's strategy has been to say it's prioritizing them for future jobs and orders. There is an Instagram account collecting stories for a podcast, but I'd wait to see if it comes out.
The new company also has no plans for Lakeview and a few other prominent storefronts, which still have lights on and items on the shelves, which seems like more of a retail rent and assets issue but just leaves bad vibes. I noticed a few people would still sit on their cafe seating until that was removed. Today I saw someone in a walker standing there for shade.

A Dom's location a few blocks away is getting replaced with a Fresh Market, which may open in late September. This should be uncontroversial and a welcome change here.
Meanwhile, I needed to pick up sour cream while running errands and dropped into the city baby Target. They have ricotta, chili crunch, Jeni's ice cream, and are not that bad for a grocery.

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Recipes 2024 #8