Experiments in recipe posts - I've been inspired by the appearance of 2-3 ingredient recipes on the NY Times Instagram (white fish and scallions ?) to include some simpler food creations here.

Asides

I finally got a microwave steamer instead of using a bowl and a lid. Made broccoli to go with couscous and eggs.

An Indonesian YouTuber referenced "Bunga Salsabila" who is (as best I can tell) a teen presenting Javanese foods in Javanese language.

An author that I follow posted an appetizing okra dish. I never eat okra, but I was inspired to pick up some frozen okra from Whole Foods. Sadly the post was deleted.

Fails

Crispy Rice With Dill and Runny Eggs

I boiled green lima beans for hours for this recipe. The rice attached to my skillet before the oil step, so I didn't get a yummy crispy layer. Maybe if I timed it better?
The egg, feta, and dill (though I didn't add so much dill) rescued the meal, but I would still call it a fail. Maybe with frozen edamame.

Meals

Cheesy Peppercorn Steak Orzo

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBGkUFhI-LQ/

I made steaks for this and another recipe, but ate most of the steak for breakfast. Made this with the last of my whole wheat orzo, leftover baby spinach, heavy cream, and a mix of fresh cheddar and gouda cheeses.

Super Moist Pawpaw Quick Bread

Got my first pawpaws at the farmers market in my neighborhood. After reading up on ripeness, and eating one fresh (I will agree with an online review which describes it as a "vanilla banana"), I decided to make the rest into bread. These recipes are generally based on banana bread. Make a half-recipe for one loaf pan.

Like a mango, you cut and remove the skin for the tasty pulp. There are multiple lima-bean-sized seeds inside. According to this video you could separate the pulp and seeds with a pastry blade on a food processor. I dumped the innards into a colander and mashed things around with a rubber spatula (like you'd use for dough) until mostly the seeds were left. I had made less than a cup of purified pulp from four pawpaws, so I complemented it with a banana (1/2 cup).
Also I added lines of brown sugar and cinnamon to the top of the loaf. Overall effect is a sweeter banana bread? I didn't feel super compelled.

Basics

This NYC breakfast burrito looked super appealing, even without a recipe. I have made burritos before, but this got me to make the eggs separately, and hold the onion. This mix is easier to use as leftovers with freshly cooked eggs.

Two king oyster mushrooms fried with a LOT of garlic then adding Colavita's boxed marinara sauce - excellent! I can't say for sure if it saves any money over jarred sauce, but the mushroom is definitely fresher and less slimy this way.

Duck with dill, hot Japanese mustard (karashi), and a side of rice and oyster mushrooms fried with garlic. It was a weird mix, but I would endorse duck + karashi mustard.

From the Trader Joe's subreddit: square rigatoni, rosatella sauce, and a dab of goat cheese

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