Three Recipes and a Cookbook (Weekend Cooking)

Happy Saturday! In today's post, I'm sharing some recent successful recipes and one new cookbook.

In my never-ending quest for interesting lunches (see last week's post), I came across a recipe for a deconstructed egg roll. It looked easy to make and delicious. In just about a half hour I was able to meal-prep this dish, divide it into four portions, and pop into the refrigerator for lunches. It reheated beautifully in the microwave, and Mr. BFR and I agreed I should make it again. The Egg Roll in a Bowl comes from the site Sweet Peas and Saffron (hit the link to get the recipe).

I made one change: I don't keep monk fruit in the house and decided to just omit the sugar altogether. We didn't miss it. At the end of the recipe, you'll find some options/variations: I used ground beef, broccoli slaw, and tamari. Note that in step 4, I made sure the slaw mix didn't get too soft; I knew we were going to reheat the dish, and I didn't want it to lose its crunch completely. Also, I sprinkled on the garnishes once I divided up the portions, just as a matter of convenience and so I wouldn't have to remember to do so later. This was a win.

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During this past fall I had a hankering for sausage rolls. I used to make them all the time, but they slipped off my radar. When looking for a recipe online to double-check baking time and temperature, I came across Spiced Sausage Rolls from Indian for Everyone by Hari Ghotra (click for the recipe). Although I've made many a sausage roll without a recipe, I thought I'd give this one a try.

Here's what I did: I used olive oil instead of rapeseed. My green chili was a jalapeno. I used pork sausage and added the optional chili powder. Next, I interpreted the "large pinch" of coriander leaves as a few sprigs. Note that salt is mentioned in the directions but doesn't appear in the ingredients.

I use Trader Joe's all-butter puff pastry when it's available. It comes in two portions; I worked with one at a time, rolling each out to the correct thickness, but not measuring. I divided the meat mixture in half and rolled each puff pastry sheet into a log, placing it seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. After refrigerating, I cut each roll into 8 pieces, spread them around the pan, and then brushed with the egg wash. I baked 40 min, rotating the pan halfway through.

When I make sausage rolls for lunches, I let them cool completely before refrigerating, and we eat them cold for lunch. Puff pastry doesn't always heat up well. Note that you can use whatever ground meat you have on hand and mix in any spice or seasoning combo you want. Use the linked recipe for baking instructions.

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Right after the new year, I was looking through our meat freezer and saw a boneless pork roast that I needed to cook up. I decided to make one of my all-time favorite dinners, chile verde. I don't have a go-to recipe, but remembered that Alpana from GypsyPlate (she used to participate in Weekend Cooking) had a Chile Verde recipe on her site. I followed the pressure cooker instructions, but Alpana includes slow cooker and stove top directions too. I didn't change a thing in this recipe, except I used Wegman's roasted salsa verde instead of making my own. This was incredibly good. I now have a go-to chile verde recipe. Seriously, give it a try. (I forgot to photograph mine).

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Finally, the nice people at America's Test Kitchen sent me a copy of their Complete Guide to Healthy Drinks. I make a smoothie almost every day, and I'm really looking forward to giving some of the recipes in this book a try.

As it says on the cover, the cookbook includes all kinds of drinks: smoothies, juices, teas, tisanes, fermented drinks, flavored water, shrubs, spritzers, hot drinks, homemade non-dairy "milks," and broths. As you'd expect from ATK, there is also a section on equipment, so you can feel confident when buying. Don't miss the sections on ingredients and storage and the many very helpful features on techniques.

Here are some drinks I've marked to try: watermelon-lime agua fresca (I bet that's so refreshing in the summer), cafe mocha smoothie (with avocado and cocoa powder), old-fashioned mulled cider (hello, fall!), orange creamsicle smoothie (with carrots and yogurt), and spicy mango smoothie (dairy free but with a bit of cayenne). If it's America's Test Kitchen, you know it's good!

Shared with Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker)