Author: noodlehead

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Recipes Mine

Lunch :: Sweet Potato with Broccoli Cheese

Sweet Potato with Broccoli Cheese. Sometimes I want a vegetarian lunch. Then I go and make it unhealthy with cheese sauce.

This is my recipe so I can share the whole thing here. Note, I had some difficulty here. Suggestions for cooking that damn potato are welcome!

Sweet Potato with Broccoli Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 cup chopped broccoli
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 slice white American cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

Here’s what I did:

Rinsed off the sweet potato and pricked all over with a fork.

Placed the wire insert in the pot so that the potato isn’t touching the water. Poured in a cup of water.

Placed the cut broccoli in a steamer basket and sprinkled with a little salt. Placed it on the potato.

This is where I need help…I cooked it on high for 6 minutes. The broccoli was done but the potato was nowhere near done.

Took the broccoli out and put the potato back in on high pressure for another 9 minutes. Still not done. Another 9 minutes. Still not done. I gave up and microwaved it for 3 minutes.

While that stupid potato was “cooking” I made the cheese sauce.

Melted the butter, added the flour, whisked until no lumps. Added the milk, kept whisking until the sauce was all incorporated.

Broke up the cheese and dropped into the sauce. Stirred until it was combined.

It would normally be done at this point,  but because of the potato debacle, I had to take it off the heat and reheat it with the now cold broccoli.

Scooped out the potato guts and place in bowl, mash up a little. Add the broccoli cheese sauce.

Notes:  Made this October 2, 2020. Once that freaking potato cooked, it was delicious. I made it again a few days later, using a slice of yellow Kraft American cheese and it was also very good.

Sweet potato, broccoli, butter, and almond milk all from Imperfect Foods. Use my link and get $10 off your first box. Full disclosure, I get $10 too.

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Reviews

My first video! Shaker and Spoon box 1, cocktail 1

Abstract DistractionHi friends!

I posted my first video today. It’s an unboxing of the shipment from Shaker and Spoon. This is a subscription service that sends you all that you need to make 3 different cocktails. All you have to buy is the bottle of booze.

This first one was for November and it is Mezcal Month. So I had to buy a bottle of Mezcal Reposado. If you watch the video you can see all the stuff they sent me. But basically, it was:

Barefoot Botanicals White Sage Hydrosol
Dashfire Lemon Bitters
FloraLuna Cherry Vanilla Bitters
Blake Hill Wild Rose Infused Strawberry Jam
Brooklyn Crafted Lemon Lime Ginger Beer
Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade
Demerara syrup
Mother shrub Pineapple
Sage-Agave syrup
Crispy pineapple slices
Rosebuds


We’ve only made one cocktail so far, it’s the Abstract Distraction, which we thought was apt since we were watching election results.

It was delicious. It was slightly sweet with a rose flavor. Very refreshing and light. I would have thought it was more of a summer drink. But since it was almost 75 degrees on this lovely November day, it fit right in.

If you want to try it, use this link and you will get 50% off your first box (they’re normally about $50).
https://www.shakerandspoon.com/refer/Amy-RPKRQYDR

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Recipes Tried

Dinner :: Creamy Tuscan Sausage Gnocchi

Dinner tonight was Creamy Tuscan Sausage Gnocchi from Salt and Lavender. The only change I made was to switch out the sun-dried tomatoes for roasted red peppers.  

I made this once before…sorta….I saw this recipe and wanted to try it, but basically all I had were the sun-dried tomatoes and the gnocchi. So I made, ahem, a few alterations at that time. Let’s just say it didn’t go well. 

But I’m glad I tried it again, actually following the recipe because this was super delicious!!

This time,  I switched out the sun-dried tomatoes for roasted red peppers because I had some on hand. So yummy and comforting!

The gnocchi, and spinach are from Imperfect Foods.

Creamy Tuscan Sausage Gnocchi

Original recipe here: https://www.saltandlavender.com/creamy-tuscan-sausage-gnocchi/

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Recipes Tried

Dinner :: Stovetop Mushroom Lasagna

I made this Stovetop Mushroom Lasagna October 22, 2020. It’s from Bon Appetit, November 2020 issue. I saw the photos and was sold. Then a few days later I got both mushrooms and lasagna noodles from Imperfect Foods. So it was meant to be.

Stovetop Mushroom Lasagna

While I was making this I thought the 2+ cups of milk seemed like a lot, especially because it also called for water. I read the recipe several times because I could not believe that water was included. So I only used two cups milk then I added just enough water at the end, before simmering in order to submerge the noodles.

I noticed later that while the water was in the recipe directions, it is *not* in the list of ingredients. So I think this is an error.

Also, I didn’t have whole milk so I used unsweetened almond milk. Greg noticed and thought I’d added nutmeg! So eww, don’t do that! I thought it tasted OK but I’m sure it’s better with whole milk. Also that would have thickened it better.

In an attempt to thicken it, I added a bunch of shredded mozzarella before putting it in the oven to brown because what is lasagna if it doesn’t have CHEESE?!

I also added some umami seasoning to it at that time because it was bland.

The end result was delicious and I’d make it again for sure, but use whole milk and no water. I see everyone else on the BA site said it’s too soupy and bland too. But using less liquid and some extra seasonings make it really yummy!

Stovetop Mushroom Lasagna

Original Recipe

The lasagna noodles, mushrooms, almond milk were from Imperfect Foods. Click here to get $10 off your first box (and full disclosure, I get $10 too!)

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Recipes Tried

Dinner :: Chef John’s Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

I made Chef John’s Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken. It was delicious!
I thought it was a tad bitter, but it did burn to the bottom a little so I think that was it. I used all the sugar in the marinade, but I didn’t add any in the final steps. It was not too sweet. I also used tomato sauce instead of ketchup because I was afraid of the sweetness.

Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
If you make this, be aware…it’s not really 8 servings I don’t think.
I used only 5 thighs (that’s how many came in the package) but used full amounts for everything else. So I expected to get 4 servings, and that was about right (one of us had 2 pieces of chicken).

I don’t see how the sauce/stew would be enough for 8 people. I would double the sauce for 8 thighs.

Note peppers are not in the list of ingredients, but they are in the instructions. I used the tiny orange peppers from Imperfect Foods.

Original Recipe

Carrots, peppers, green onions all from Imperfect Foods.  Use my link and get $10 off your first box. Full disclosure, I get $10 too.