The first time I did was when I blogged a recipe for lasagna stuffed mushrooms back in 2018. It’s a great recipe, and I made it a time or two after my post, but it’s been years since the last time. I have no idea why! It must be that I’m so busy trying new things that some of the old ones are forgotten. Well, I’m bringing back stuffed mushrooms with a vegetarian recipe for Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms. There’s no meat but plenty of cheese, and who doesn’t like cheese? I love the stuff and everything else in this recipe, so I can’t not try it!
Looking for a healthier Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Cap recipe? My 3 Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms are a 6-ingredient hearty vegetarian recipe anyone will love. Grill or oven bake for year-round dinner idea.
Recipe Author: Julie Wunder at Running in a Skirt Get the recipe
The Ingredients
There aren’t too many ingredients in these stuffed mushrooms, and as far as I’m concerned that’s a great thing. A quick pre-shopping check revealed I had olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
That left just a few items to buy, and I found them all at my usual grocery store. No extra strips or special orders are required.
I even bought a wedge of parmesan cheese instead of the pre-grated stuff my hubby prefers. The grated stuff you find in the dairy section isn’t terrible, but it’s just not the same as the real deal.
Making my Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms was so easy! I began by washing and patting the mushrooms dry. Mushrooms tend to absorb liquid and can get soggy if washed in advance and stored.
Next was cleaning the mushroom caps. All that meant was breaking off the stems (they can be tough) and scraping away the gills with a small spoon. The gills taste just fine, but removing them is an aesthetic preference and adds space for the stuffing.
Stemming and scraping away the portobello mushroom cap gills with a small spoon
Once the mushrooms were cleaned I coated them in olive oil and seasoned them with a little salt and pepper. Then it was time to make the stuffing, the best part!
The stuffing was also easy to make. All it took was a little bit of chopping, shredding, and stirring. Then I used a table spoon to scoop the filling into the prepared mushroom caps.
The only thing left was to cook the mushrooms. Unfortunately, my oven was in use (I think I was baking a dessert). No worries though! My air fryer also doubles as a toaster oven and has a bake function, so it was perfect for 2 stuffed mushrooms.
After 10 minutes I had perfectly meaty cheese-stuffed mushrooms with browned edges. A bit more shredded Parmesan and they were ready to serve.
Stuffed portobello mushroom caps before baking
Timing
This recipe lists 15 minutes to prep, 10 minutes to cook, and a total of 25 minutes. Here’s how my times break down:
9 minutes to prep
10 minutes to cook
19 minutes total
I’m guessing not having to wait for my oven to preheat saved me a few minutes.
Since I started this week off with a tasty shrimp recipe, I thought I would continue the theme with Shrimp Burgers with Cilantro and Guacamole. I’ve made guacamole before so that part didn’t phase me. The “shrimp burger” part is what made me scratch my head. I have never heard of such a thing, but once I read the recipe I was down to try it. Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like—shrimp patties on a bun topped with guacamole. Shrimp patties? Well, I love a good burger, and I love shrimp, so I have to try this recipe!
This recipe is a unique twist on a burger. Topped with a delicious smoky guacamole, they’re bursting with interesting, fresh flavors and are great for lunch, dinner, and outdoor summer parties.
Recipe Author: Valentina K. Wein at Cooking on the Weekends Get the recipe
The Ingredients
My pre-grocery shopping check showed me I didn’t have many of the ingredients for my Shrimp Burgers with Cilantro and Guacamole. Salt, pepper, olive oil, and egg were all on hand, and that’s not unusual for me. But I also happened to have a leftover pound of peeled and deveined shrimp in my freezer from making Shrimp Sushi Bowls with Cauliflower Rice.
I found everything else at my usual grocery store. I love Haas avocados, but they’re small. the recipe calls for 3/4 cup of avocado, so I bought 2 to be sure I had enough. It also calls for 8 tomato slices, so I bought 2 of those too.
I can usually find diced chiles in adobo sauce, but I was out of luck on this shopping trip. I had to buy whole chiles and dice them myself, but that was very quick.
Lastly, I chose to buy sesame-seed hamburger buns from the bread aisle. I wanted to buy them fresh from the bakery, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to make this recipe for a few days. The buns would have lost their freshness by then.
Shrimp, spring mix, hamburger buns, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, cilantro, cumin, lime juice, salt, pepper, red onion, avocado, tomato, and egg
The Process
I used leftover frozen peeled and deveined shrimp, so I had to kick things off by thawing them in a bowl of water. I didn’t include that in the time listed below, but it took 10-15 minutes. They did have the tails on, though, and I did include the time it took to remove them (about 1-2 minutes).
Making the Guacamole
Once the shrimp tails were removed I followed the recipe. That meant making the fresh guacamole fist. I bought Haas avocados, and 1 gave me just enough for the guac (3/4 cup). Yes, I measured!
With a little chopping and a squeeze of lime, I had my guac ready to go. I snapped a quick photo, stored it per the instructions, and continued on to the shrimp burgers.
Freshly made guacamole
Making the Shrimp Patties
This is the part I was unsure of. Would the shrimp burger patties really hold together? I was about to find out. First, I tucked about half the shrimp into 1/4 and 1/2 cup measuring cups. That was about half the shrimp. I stepped aside to preheat the olive oil in a large non-stick saute pan then continued with the instructions.
They had me pulse the remaining shrimp in my food processor, add the eggs and seasonings, and pulse until smooth. Then I chopped the remaining shrimp and mixed them with the blended shrimp.
Mixing the shrimp patty ingredients
The pan was ready by this time, so I began pouring the shrimp mixture into the pan with a 1/2 cup measuring cup. I didn’t have quite enough for 4 patties, so I took a little off the top of the first 3 to fill out the 4th. Tip: I recommend using a scant 1/2 cup or 1/3 cup for the patties and adding extra if you have it.
The shrimp patties didn’t hold together like traditional hamburger patties. Instead, it was more like pouring pancake batter in that the hot pan held them in a round shape. I cooked mine for 6 minutes total, but a patty that cracked a little when I flipped it showed me they weren’t cooked through. What I thought was a fail turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I flipped them back to the first side and cooked them for another 90 seconds. Perfect! They were cooked all the way through.
I had toasted the buns and sliced the tomatoes while the burgers cooked, so they were ready to assemble as soon as the patties finished.
Frying the shrimp patties
Timing
This recipe lists a prep time of 39 minutes, 6 minutes to cook, and 45 minutes total. I have to tell you I was exhausted when I made this recipe, so I expected I would meet or go over that time. I completely missed the note saying using already peeled and deveined shrimp would save 15 minutes (and it did). Here’s how my time breaks down:
20 minutes to prep
6 minutes to make the guacamole
12 minutes 30 seconds to prep the shrimp burgers
7 minutes and 30 seconds to cook
2 minutes to assemble 2 burgers
28 minutes total
Not bad considering I had to make the burgers and toppings!
My husband and I both love sushi, but it’s not always in the budget. Our usual order for takeaway rings up at $40+ dollars. It’s a tasty and filling meal, but it’s expensive. That makes it an occasional treat for us because of the price and because I can’t make it. Then I discovered sushi bowls, and suddenly I could make sushi—in a bowl. And as sushi donuts, if I want to get fancy, but bowls are now a regular thing for us. But one thing I have never considered is a sushi bowl without rice. That’s why I decided to make these Shrimp Sushi Bowls with Cauliflower Rice. More veg is always a good thing, right? Let’s find out!
Craving some sushi? Try these budget-friendly, easy and delicious deconstructed shrimp sushi bowls with cauliflower rice!
Recipe Author: Amanda Hickman at Dash of Mandi Get the recipe
The Ingredients
My usual pre-shopping check revealed I didn’t have much for these shrimp sushi bowls. Salt and pepper were a given, and I also had sesame seeds and olive oil. The refrigerator had a couple of carrots in the crisper, and I was delighted to find a bottle of Kepwpie Japanese mayonnaise too.
That left me to show for most of the ingredients. Most were easy to find, and my only question was what type of cucumber to use. Tip: I chose a regular cucumber mainly for the price. It was $1 versus $3+ for a seedless cucumber and $5 for a bag of mini cucumbers. Looking back at the post as I write the ingredient photo looks like mini cucumbers.
I found most of the other vegetables fresh except for the edamame and cauliflower rice. I bought both frozen and thawed them before cooking. The edamame also took a trip to a second store to find.
Speaking of frozen, I had to buy frozen shrimp to get them peeled and deveined. I still had to remove the tails, but that’s quick and easy to do. Much quicker and easier than peeling and deveining them myself.
Lastly, I couldn’t find seasoned vinegar at all. No worries, though, because I found a recipe for seasoned vinegar. All it took was regular rice vinegar (which I did find), salt, and sugar.
Peeled and deveined shrimp, rice vinegar, olive oil, cauliflower rice, edamame, salt, pepper, Sriracha hot sauce, mayonnaise, lemon juice, avocado, green onions, cucumber, carrots, and sesame seeds
The Process
This recipe was a flurry of activity from start to finish. Since I had bought frozen shrimp, cauliflower rice, and edamame, I began by thawing them. The edamame took about 90 seconds in the microwave in a covered dish with a little water. I placed the shrimp in a bowl of water and they thawed in about 10-15 minutes (I did the same for the cauliflower and it thawed almost instantly).
Thawing the riced cauliflower in a mesh strainer placed over a mixing bowl filled with water
I did switch up the order of the instructions so the avocado would not be sliced until the end. No one likes brown avocados! Instead, I made the spicy mayo first, while the edamame and cauliflower thawed.
Next, I cooked up the thawed cauliflower rice while I prepped the rest of the vegetables. When it was done, I decided to mix it with the seasoned rice vinegar in a single bowl before spooning it into the serving bowls. I felt that would mix the vinegar in more evenly.
Next up was the shrimp. They cooked fast at about 60-90 seconds per side. I removed them from the hot skillet when they were done to keep them from overcooking while I assembled the bowls.
Dried medium shrimp seasoned with salt and pepper
I also changed up the order here too. The vegetables went into the bowls over the cauliflower rice then the shrimp last so they would really stick out. I didn’t want to risk them getting covered up with all the fixings. Then I drizzled on some spicy mayo and sprinkled in some sesame seeds onto my shrimp sushi bowls to finish things up.
Timing
This recipe doesn’t list any times for prep, cooking, or total. It went by fast, though! Here’s how my time was spent:
15 minutes to prep
15 minutes to cook and assemble
30 minutes total
By the way, I’m basing the time category of my final review on the cooking time for the cauliflower rice and shrimp since there were no other times listed.
My husband loves to snack on bananas, so we usually have them on the kitchen counter. Most of the time he eats them before they get too ripe, but not always. Recently, he had a few leftovers and suggested I make them into banana bread. I loved the idea and made a loaf of Cream Cheese Banana Bread. It’s my go-to recipe, but that got me wondering what else I could do with banana bread. I found several recipes on Pinterest, but this Brown-Butter Banana Bread really stood out to me. Brown butter is amazing in sweet and savory foods, but what about in banana bread? I need to know!
An upgraded version of one of my favorite treats. The brown butter adds a rich nuttiness and dark brown sugar is used to add a deep molasses flavor to the bread.
Recipe Author: Aaron Hutcherson at The Hungry Hutch Get the recipe
The Ingredients
Banana bread uses a lot of ingredients I typically have around which is super convenient. Sure enough, I had baking powder, kosher salt, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and dark brown sugar in my pantry. I even had 3 eggs in the refrigerator.
All I had to buy was bananas and butter. I normally go for the store-brand butter, but I splurged since butter is a key part of this recipe. I bought a 2-pack of Kerrygold. It was about the same price as a 4-pack of generic butter, but the flavor really is so much better.
Ripe bananas
The Process
I’m no banana bread expert. In fact, I have only ever made cream cheese-filled banana bread a couple of times, but this Brown-Butter Banana Bread recipe didn’t sound a whole lot different. At least the banana bread part.
Browning the Butter
As I mentioned earlier, butter is a central ingredient in this recipe, and browning it is the first step. I used a 10-inch skillet and popped in a stick of butter to brown. I have done this many times, and I got sloppy.
A lot of nothing was happening, and I stepped away from the stove. When I turned around my butter had gone from gold to brown and all the way to black. There were blackened chunks floating in my pan. I’m not gonna lie, it hurt a bit.
I had to dump a whole stick of expensive butter/charcoal down the drain and start again. But I did make sure to watch the pan the whole time. Browning is slow to start, but it happens very fast once it becomes noticeable.
Watch your butter carefully–I burned my first batch
Making the Batter
With the butter safely browned and off the heat, I turned my attention to the banana bread batter. This part was much less risky. All I had to do was mash 3 of the bananas, add eggs, then mix.
Next, I mixed up the flour and other dry ingredients making sure to break up the lumps of brown sugar. I’m glad the recipe said to use my hands because it went fast that way. Once done I combined it with the banana mixture to make the batter.
I used a potato masher to mash the bananas
Once the wet and dry ingredients were combined I added the slightly cooled brown butter to the batter, mixed it up, and poured it into a prepared 8″ x 14″ loaf pan.
A banana sliced lengthwise went on top. Mine was very ripe and soft, so I had to handle it very carefully to keep the pieces from breaking. A generous sprinkle of dark brown sugar was the final step before the pan went into the oven to bake.
The banana bread batter before sprinkling it with brown sugar and baking
I let my Brown-Butter Banana Bread bake for 70 minutes before giving it the toothpick test for doneness. It wasn’t quite done, so I let it bake for another 10 minutes. It passed the second toothpick test, so I let the bread cool before slicing and devouring.
Timing
This recipe lists a prep time of 15 minutes and a cook time of 1 hour 10 minutes (70 minutes), for a total time of 1 hour 25 minutes. However the instructions say to cook/bake for 70 to 80 minutes, and my banana bread took all 80 minutes. Here’s how my time broke down:
16 minutes to prep
80 minutes to bake
1 hour 36 minutes total
I came close to the total time listed even with that extra 10 minutes of baking.
I’ve really been into blueberries lately, so when I found this Blueberry Chia Oatmeal recipe I had to try it. It sounds like an easy and healthy breakfast that can be made ahead and meal prepped for several days. Plus I had a few of the ingredients lying around, and I’m always looking for ways to clean out my way overstuffed pantry. A bag of chia seeds lasts a loooong time LOL. Let’s give this one a try!
Ready in just 15 minutes, this Blueberry Chia Oatmeal is a healthy breakfast that is filled with fiber, antioxidants and omega-3-fatty acids. This blueberry chia oatmeal is the perfect way to start your day!
Recipe Author: Lauren Kelly at Lauren Kelly Nutrition Get the recipe
The Ingredients
I had several of the ingredients for this recipe on hand: the chia seeds mentioned above plus rolled oats, vanilla extract, honey, and sea salt. I also had a lemon for what I assume was supposed to be lemon juice (the recipe lists “lemon”).
That left me to shop for blueberries, chopped walnuts, and unsweetened almond milk. The recipe doesn’t say to use vanilla almond milk, but that’s what I prefer, so I went with it. More vanilla is never a problem for me!
By the way, one package of blueberries was enough for 1 cup to be cooked with the oatmeal plus enough for a garnish.
Make this Recipe Your Own
I can easily see this recipe using other types of berries like raspberries, blackberries, or any other small berry. Even strawberries might work, but I would try it with frozen strawberry halves. They’re already hulled, and the smaller halves are closer in size to the berries I mentioned, so the cooking time shouldn’t be affected much.
Not a fan of walnuts? Change those up too! Lots of nuts are available chopped, so you have tons of ready-made options out there. Almonds, pistachios, pecans, peanuts, etc. are all options. I don’t know about you, but raspberry-chia oatmeal topped with almonds sounds great to me!
Fresh blueberries, rolled oats, lemon juice vanilla extract, unsweetened almond milk, honey, and sea salt
The Process
Talk about simple to make! There was no peeling, chopping, or other prep work involved. I simply added all the ingredients except the walnuts to a saucepan. The saucepan then went onto the stove to boil.
Once my Blueberry Chia Oatmeal came to a boil, all I had to do was turn down the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Yes, there was a lot of stirring so nothing stuck to the bottom and burned, but that was easy.
The oatmeal was thickened after simmering, so I served it up and tossed on a few blueberries and walnuts to garnish. Simple, tasty, and pretty!
All the oatmeal ingredients to a saucepan
Timing
This recipe lists 15 minutes for the cooking and total time. I went a bit over that, and I’m guessing that’s because I was cautious with the heat on the stove. Here’s how my time was spent:
When I was a kid my mom would bring home zucchini muffins from Publix as a treat. I know—”Zucchini in a muffin??” was my first thought too. But they were delicious, and I promise they did not taste like zucchini in the slightest! Kind of like how carrot cake doesn’t taste like carrots. Instead, they were sweet pastries interspersed with bits of walnut, and they never lasted long. So when I saw today was National Zucchini Bread Day, I just had to try making some. And how could I turn down a recipe named The Best Zucchini Bread? Obviously, I couldn’t, so here goes nothing!
An extra moist quick bread recipe with a warm cinnamon flavor (and a handful of nuts if you’d like)!
Recipe Author: Holly Nilsson at Spend with Pennies Get the recipe
The Ingredients
Like the Brown-Butter Banana Bread I made recently, this zucchini bread recipe doesn’t have too many ingredients. I had things like flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract. About half the items.
I had to shop for the zucchini, of course, as well as the eggs and walnuts. I was also either out of or running low on baking soda and vegetable oil, so I added them to my shopping list. Tip: Baking soda is a leavener, so you want to make sure you use a relatively fresh box so your bread rises.
This recipe makes 2 loaves of zucchini bread, so I had to order a second 8' x 14' loaf pan. I could have halved the recipe, but I had a feeling I would want 2 loaves around.
I sprayed the parchment with canola oil after lining the loaf pans
Like most baking recipes, this one starts off with preheating the oven and preparing the pans. I used some unbleached parchment sheets to line both pans after trimming them to fit the length. Tip: Folding the parchment will make it lie neatly inside the pans. I also sprayed the parchment and pan with canola oil after lining them to make sure the loaves would lift right out.
Next came the prep work. I used 3 medium-sized zucchini for this recipe and shredded them with my mandoline (a box grater would also work). I loved that they didn’t need to be peeled first, but I did cut off the ends to make them fit against the flat mandoline.
Once that was done, making this zucchini bread was a familiar process. Mix the wet ingredients in one bowl, mix the dry ingredients in another, and combine (I used a wooden spoon to mix). Then divide between the prepared pans and bake.
I shredded the zucchini with my mandoline fitted with a shredding plate
Timing
This recipe lists 15 minutes to prep, 1 hour to bake, and 1 hour and 15 minutes total time. My zucchini bread came out at exactly that! Here’s how my time was spent:
15 minutes to prep
55 minutes to bake
5 minutes to cool in the pan
1 hour 15 minutes total
Neither time includes cooling on a wire rack once the bread is removed from the pans. I’d guess mine was ready to eat warm in about 30 minutes and completely cooled in 1 hour.
I wanted to continue the Indian theme after those amazing Samosa Wraps, and a quick Pinterest search revealed this Ras Malai Mousse recipe. I have never had Ras Malai, so I had to do some research. There are variations, but the basic recipe is discs or balls of paneer cheese cooked in sweet syrup until they puff up and become spongy. Then they are soaked in a thick sweet milk sauce that is simmered with saffron, cardamom, almonds, pistachios, and rosewater. This Ras Malai Mousse recipe takes the sweet spiced milk part of ras malai and makes it into a creamy mousse dessert. It looks and sounds lovely, and I can’t wait to try it!
Ras Malai with a twist makes a delicious fusion dessert for Diwali. Here’s Ras Malai Mousse that’s light, airy, and creamy. This dessert is eggless and gluten-free.
Recipe Author: Nisha at Honey, What’s Cooking Get the recipe
The Ingredients
I had a couple of items for this recipe hiding in my pantry, but not many. Really it was just the sugar, dried roses, and slivered almonds. I usually have cardamom but I happened to be out of it.
No worries—I found almost everything at my usual grocery store. Milk, heavy whipping cream, pistachios, and cashews were easy to find. And speaking of cashews, I chose raw instead of roasted. My slivered almonds were also raw.
The only item I couldn’t find locally was the vark (edible silver leaf/foil). I had to order that from Amazon and found some for around $5.
Silver (and gold) leaf comes in sheets or flakes. I chose flakes for this recipe, but either would work. Sheets have to be removed from a paper backing first while flakes have no paper backing and come in a jar. Both need to be broken into smaller pieces and applied with tweezers because they will stick to your fingers.
Saffron, dried rose petals, cashews, milk, cardamom powder, heavy whipping cream, almonds, sugar, pistachios, and vark (edible silver foil)
The Process
This recipe is a two-parter, and it begins with making the ras malai liquid. Think of it as a flavoring base for the mousse.
Making the Ras Malai Liquid
It’s a simple mixture of simmered milk with sugar, saffron, cardamom, almonds, and cashews. The author suggests using a wok in her blog post, but I don’t have one. I used a 12' nonstick skillet instead.
I put the milk on to heat while I crushed the nuts with a rolling pin. This technique is quicker and neater than chopping since there are no bits flying off the cutting board.
Heating the milk and saffron in a nonstick skillet
The recipe does give the option of adding extra sugar, but I kept to the amounts listed. The finished mousse was nice and sweet, so I don’t think I would change that if I make this recipe again.
I also kept the heat on the low side to prevent the milk from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan. I use an electric stove and kept it in the 4-6 range, or medium (the heat goes from 1 to 10).
Once my ras malai mixture was done, poured it into a storage container. I let it cool for a little while uncovered before covering and refrigerating overnight. Tip: I also put my stand mixer’s bowl into the refrigerator at the same time so I could skip that step the next day.
I used a rolling pin to crush the almonds and cashews instead of chopping them
Making & Garnishing the Ras Malai Mousse
Making the mousse was even easier than making the liquid. All this portion involved was using a mixer to whip the heavy whipping cream with the ras malai liquid.
The recipe does say to use a hand mixer, but I opted for my stand mixer with a whisk attachment. All I had to do was take the stainless steel bowl out of the refrigerator and add the ingredients as directed.
The mousse was creamy but not as light and airy as whipped cream
While the mousse was mixing I crushed some pistachios and rosebuds. When I was satisfied with the texture I poured it into my smallest dessert dishes. they are 8.1 ounces, so I only got 3 servings instead of 8. To get 8 you will need 3-ounces glasses or dishes.
Believe it or not, I had the most trouble with the garnishes. The silver foil in particular. It was so thin and delicate that I had to turn off the air conditioner to keep it from blowing away.
It also can’t be handled with fingers so I had to find some tweezers to apply it. I just picked up small pieces and touched them to the mousses until they stuck. I’m not sure if that’s the correct way to do it, but it worked for me.
The vark (edible silver foil) needs to be applied with tweezers since it sticks to bare fingers
Timing
This recipe lists 10 minutes to prep, 30 minutes to cook, and a total time of 40 minutes. Here’s how my time was spent:
16 minutes to make the ras malai liquid (prep + cooking)
12 minutes to make the mousse
3 minutes to garnish
31 minutes total
I thought I went slowly and cautiously, but I somehow managed to make my mousse in less time than I thought. I was so sure I would find I went way over the time listed. Perhaps it was because I only had to pour and garnish 3 servings instead of 8? I’m thinking 5 more dishes would have brought me closer to the 40-minute total time.
I love samosas, but I don’t have the patience to make them. Besides, they’re always better in a restaurant or (gasp) ready-made frozen. I literally air-roasted up some frozen samosas last night! That’s why I was delighted to find a recipe for Samosa Potatoes. They’re basically samosa filling and a whole lot less work. I thought they were the best thing ever until I found this recipe for Samosa Wraps. They take traditional spiced potato and pea filling and add a few other tasty goodies inside a wrap. How good does that sound?!
Spiced Potatoes, Chickpeas, Chutney Burrito. Easy Spiced Potato Chickpea Burrito for lunch, picnic or carry out.
I’m not gonna lie, the list of ingredients for this recipe was long. I started off by checking my pantry and found I had all of the spices, even the amchur (dry mango powder). Tip: Amchur is an excellent substitute for lemon or lime juice. Generally, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon is equivalent to the juice of 1 whole lemon or lime
There was even some ginger paste in the freezer. It’s perfect for recipes that call for minced ginger. It has all the flavor with no peeling or chopping required.
I had to shop for the rest, but I found it all. I chose whole-wheat wraps, frozen peas (they didn’t have fresh), and poblano pepper. Poblanos are pretty mild, but the jalapenos were all shriveled up 🙁
My only question was what type of potatoes to use. A quick check told me russet potatoes were ideal for this recipe.
I also bought a few ingredients for the author’s Mint Chutney recipe. I had everything on hand except the cilantro, mint, lemon, and green chiles. Chaat masala is listed as optional so I skipped it.
I started out with the Mint Chutney the day before I made the wraps. It could have been made the same day, but I wanted to give the flavors time to meld.
Making the chutney was as simple as putting all the ingredients into a blender and blending them. The garlic and ginger are optional, but I added both. As I reread the recipe I think it was supposed to be one or the other (oops!). I also adjusted the seasonings to taste with a touch more salt and lemon juice.
I made the cilantro-mint chutney that’s linked in the ingredients list
Making the Samosa Potatoes
The potatoes were the bulk of the ingredients and work for this recipe, although they were not difficult. I began by peeling the potatoes and cutting them into small cubes. Tip: Smaller cubes cook faster.
I boiled the potatoes for 15 minutes in a 4.5-quart saucepan, drained them, and returned them to the pot to be coarsely mashed. The entire process took me 26 minutes. I used the 15 minutes of cooking to prep the rest of the wrap ingredients.
The recipe’s instructions begin with toasting the cumin and coriander seeds then adding the chile pepper. The potatoes, peas, and spices are added in groups during steps 2 and 3, with brief cooking in between the additions.
Tip: This part of the recipe calls for a skillet, but I used a deeper saute pan. I like the high sides for recipes that require a lot of mixing. It also has the required lid to cover the potatoes and chickpeas.
Once finished, I set the completed potato mixture is set aside to allow the flavors to develop. I put them into a mixing bowl and covered them with foil to keep them warm since I wanted to reuse the pan for the chickpeas.
I chopped the potatoes into small pieces so they would cook faster
Making the Spiced Chickpeas
I wiped out the saute pan I used for the samosa potatoes and used it for the spiced chickpeas. This part of the recipe was very simple! Just heat the vegetable oil then add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.
Then add a “good splash of water”, cover, and continue cooking. I used about 1/4 cup of water for this part, and it seemed to work well. It create some steam while cooking and also evaporated so the chickpeas weren’t soggy.
Assembling the Samosa Wraps
Once the chickpeas were done it was time to assemble and eat my Samosa Wraps! This recipe says it makes 4 wraps, but I got several more out of it even with large burrito-size wraps.
I added all the fixin’s including the optional greens. The store was out of arugula so I chose a slightly less spicy mizuna for the greens. Making the wraps was just like a traditional burrito: layer the ingredients and wrap. Tip: I placed the finished wraps with the flap on the bottom to keep them sealed. I did not grill them as it was optional. Two wraps per person made a generous meal.
Chopping the green chili pepper, onion, and tomato
Timing
Here’s how my time was spent on the chutney and wraps:
9 minutes to make the Mint Chutney*
Mashed potatoes**:
8 minutes to prep
15 minutes to cook (I prepped the Samosa Wrap ingredients while they boiled)
3 minutes to mash
12 minutes to make the Samosa Potatoes
7 minutes to make the Spiced Chickpeas
7 minutes to assemble 4 Samosa Wraps
58 minutes total
*The chutney listed a total time of 15 minutes, so I came in well under that.
**The Samosa Wraps recipe lists 10 minutes to prep, 25 minutes to cook, and 35 minutes total. I’m not sure those times include boiling and mashing the potatoes. If I include them I am well over the total time at 49 minutes. If exclude them I’m well under the total at 23 minutes. I’m going to average the rating because I’m not sure which time to compare with the recipe.
Since I started this week with a spectacular recipe that included bourbon—Honey Bourbon Steak Tips—I thought I would keep the theme going. Choosing what to do that with was a challenge since I have pinned quite a few recipes that involve bourbon. I am pretty fond of the stuff! But once I found this Bourbon Pecan Peach Crisp I didn’t look any further. I haven’t made a peach recipe in a long time or ever made or tried a crisp. It reminds me of the Pecan Cobbler recipe I made a few years ago. Let’s find out if it tastes as good as it looks and sounds!
In my humble opinion, the only thing better than peach crisp is BOURBON PECAN PEACH CRISP! Made with brown sugar, fresh peaches, bourbon, and a touch of cinnamon, this is Summer in a baking dish! Serve warm while the fruit is bubbling, with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!
Recipe Author: Ashely Manila at Baker by Nature Get the recipe
The Ingredients
So my pre-shopping check revealed I was out of bourbon but I did have a few other ingredients. Cinnamon, cardamom, cornstarch, and old-fashioned oats were all in my pantry.
I normally have a few other ingredients, but I was either running low on them or was completely out. That meant I had to not only buy the peaches and an orange for zest and juice but a few other pantry staples. Flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and vanilla extract were all on my shopping list.
I decided to do my shopping at Fresh Market since they were having a sale for 20% off all produce. A few things didn’t look so great, but the peaches looked nice on the outside. I’m apparently a bad judge of peaches, though, because they were a bit brown when I cut into them as you can see below.
They turned even browner once they were baked, and I’m hoping that was due to the brown sugar caramelizing. The peaches in the recipe photo were a much brighter orange color, though.
This Bourbon Pecan Peach Crisp may have reminded me of cobbler, but making it was a little more involved. Not too much, though.
Making the Peach Filling
I began by slicing the peaches. This is something I have done before, but it didn’t go as expected this time. I immediately noticed the fruit didn’t release from the pit so I ran to google how to slice peaches.
I found there are two types of peaches: freestone and clingstone. Freestone peaches have fruit that easily releases from the pit. Clingstones are the opposite and the fruit has to be sliced away with a knife.
Apparently, I bought clingstone peaches, but the same article I found that told me about the different types of peaches also told me How to Slice Peaches (both types). I grabbed my paring knife and got to work following the instructions and had the peaches sliced up in 13 minutes.
The rest of the filling prep work was done in a mere 4 minutes. All I had to do was a bit of measuring, zesting, and juicing. Then I added the remaining ingredients to the pan with the peaches and toss them to coat.
Slicing the clingstone peaches with a paring knife
Making the Crisp Topping
The morning I decided to make my Bourbon Pecan Peach Crisp, I set out a stick of butter to let it come to room temperature. It was ready and waiting to be cut into cubes and added to the crisp’s topping.
I added the cubed butter to a large bowl with the other topping ingredients and mixed them with a pastry blender. It took about 8 minutes to blend everything thoroughly, then I added it to the 12-inch cast-iron skillet with the peach filling.
The assembled Bourbon Pecan Peach Crisp before baking
The oven had been preheating while I prepped the Bourbon Pecan Peach Crisp, so I popped the assembled crisp in as soon as it was ready. As usual, I began with the lowest baking time of 40 minutes. The topping wasn’t quite as golden brown as I wanted, so I let it bake for an additional 5 minutes.
As you can see in the photo below, the baked crisp didn’t look much different when it was finished baking. I had to give it a good stir in order to show off the peach slices for the photos. I also added some extra pecan halves and a few scoops of vanilla ice cream.
The bourbon Pecan Peach Crisp didn’t look all that different after baking
Timing
This recipe lists 15 minutes to prep, 45 minutes to cook, 15 minutes of inactive time, and a total time of 1 hour and 15 minutes. Here’s how my time was spent:
25 minutes to prep
45 minutes to cook
15 minutes to settle
1 hour 25 minutes total
My prep time took a little longer than what was listed, but I have a feeling that was because the clingstone peaches were a little more work to slice.
I’m always on the lookout for easy meals, especially for weeknights. I love to cook, but even I have my limits. An elaborate meal after working all day is not on my to-do list. That’s partly why I decided to try this Honey Bourbon Steak Tips recipe. That and I have never blogged a recipe for steak tips. I think I have made steak tips in the past but not for a long, long time. No clue why not, but that needs to change, and I think I have found a good reason with this recipe. Not only are they easy to make, but they will fulfill my periodical red meat and bourbon cravings. Plus mushrooms and a bunch of other tasty things that sound delish. Let’s find out if this recipe is as good as it sounds!
Honey Bourbon Steak Bites are seared in a cast iron pan until charred on the outside but still juicy on the inside. They are both sweet and salty with the wonderful flavor of bourbon.
Recipe Author: Christin Mahrlig at Spicy Southern Kitchen Get the recipe
The Ingredients
A pre-shopping trip pantry check showed me I didn’t have many of the ingredients for this recipe. I normally keep a lot of the ingredients on hand, but I was either out of very low on them. I only had honey, red pepper flakes, garlic, and vegetable oil. That meant I had to top up my light brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, bourbon, and butter.
I also needed to buy mushrooms and steak, and both were easy to find in a single trip. The type of mushrooms isn’t given, so I chose portobello mushrooms. They only came in 8-ounce containers, so I used the whole thing. I also chose sirloin for the meat since it was the most budget-friendly.
Sirloin steaks, bourbon, light brown sugar, honey, garlic, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, baby bella mushrooms, butter, and vegetable oil
The Process
There are 2 parts to this recipe: Marinating the steak and actually cooking it. It marinates for only a few hours, so I was able to do everything in 1 day.
Marinating the steak tips in a ziplock bag
Marinating the Steak Tips
The steak needed to be cut into chunks and marinated for a few hours before cooking. This part was quite easy to do. Tip: I added the marinade ingredients directly to a gallon-size ziplock bag and massaged it to mix them before adding the steak. The recipe says to mix the marinade in a bowl first, but why create a dirty dish when you don’t have to?
The recipe says the steak tips can be marinated for 2 to 4 hours. I split the difference and went for 3 hours. I usually go with the longest marinating time to max out the flavor, but I didn’t have enough time to do that. But no worries, there was plenty of flavor!
Cookin the Steak Tips & Mushrooms
When it was time to cook, I pre-heated a 10' cast-iron skillet for 5 minutes before adding the first batch of steak tips. Then I added the butter right before I began cooking so it would not burn.
Cooking the steak tips in a cast iron skillet
Tip: The recipe doesn’t say what to do with the marinade, but it does mention searing the steak. Searing is done with high heat and just some oil in the pan, and liquid prevents that from happening. I used tongs to remove the meat from the bag/marinade to keep the liquid at a minimum.
I also cooked the steak in 2 batches to avoid crowding the pan. Despite my efforts, a lot of liquid built up in the pan. I can’t say either batch of steak tips truly seared, but they did cook up quickly.
Next came the quartered mushrooms that I prepped while the steak was cooking. At first, they soaked up the excess liquid, but they released it as they cooked some more. I can’t say they were truly browned because of the liquid, but they did absorb the flavors of the marinade and still cooked up nicely.
In the end, I wound up with steak tips that were cooked to medium and soft mushrooms with tons of honey-bourbon flavor. The liquid also ended up thickening enough to use as a dipping sauce which I served on the side.
Cooking the mushrooms in the same cast iron skillet I cooked the steak tips in
Timing
The recipe lists 2 hours to prep, 20 minutes to cook, and 2 hours and 20 minutes total. Here’s how my time was spent:
7 minutes to prep the steak
3 hours to marinate (the recipe lists 2-4 hours to marinate)
7 minutes to preheat the skillet
7 minutes to cook the steak tips
8 minutes to cook the mushrooms
3 hours 29 minutes total
It looks like the prep time listed uses the minimum time to marinate of 2 hours. If I deduct the extra hour I marinated the steak, I’m close to the total time listed—only 9 minutes over.
Easy breakfasts are a requirement for me, and smoothies, as a rule, are pretty easy to make. And that ease makes them one of my favorite breakfasts. That and the variety. I often get into a smoothie rut, though, and make the same recipe for days and days. then I’ll get bored and switch things up. That’s why I am trying this Mayan Mocha Smoothie recipe. My smoothie game has gotten a bit boring, and this baby sounds delish. Let’s give it a try!
This delicious mocha smoothie is smooth, creamy, and full of great coffee chocolate flavor. It’s healthy, vegan, vegetarian, and dairy free.
Recipe Author: Joelle and Cory at Our Sweetly Spiced Life Get the recipe
The Ingredients
This smoothie is loaded with healthy foods! My pre-shopping pantry check showed me I had cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and sea salt. I had to shop for everything else, but I found all the ingredients at my usual grocery store.
The main ingredient of this recipe is coffee, but it doesn’t say what kind. Since smoothies are cold, I bought a bottle of cold brew. It would already be cold when I was ready to make the recipe and it was just plain convenient.
The other liquid component of this smoothie is “milk of choice” so I opted for skim milk.
Milk, Haas avocado, bananas, Medjool date, cold brew coffee, cacao powder, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, cayenne pepper, and sea salt
The Process
The great thing about smoothies is you make them by throwing a bunch of stuff into a blender and pressing a button. This recipe did have a touch more work than that, but not much.
Making this smoothie was as simple as adding all the ingredients to a blender and pushing a button
Bananas had to be peeled, spices measured, and the avocado and date had to be pitted. Pitting and peeling the avocado was the “hardest” part, and it wasn’t difficult because the avocado was very ripe. The peel practically fell off.
But that part still went fast since I didn’t have to worry about making things look good. The goal was to get rid of the pit and skin, not make a pretty garnish. Since I planned to let the blender do all the work I didn’t even chop my avocado.
I also had to pit the date, but, again, it was very easy. I really didn’t even need a knife to remove the pit from the soft fruit. You can buy them pitted, but I couldn’t find that type when I did my shopping.
This recipe made about 5 1/2 cups
With everything prepped, I added the top and pushed the button on the blender. I gave it a minute or so to ensure everything was liquefied. The result was just over 5 cups of Mayan Mocha Smoothie.
Timing
This recipe doesn’t list a total time, but it was super quick. I had mine blended and poured in 5 minutes.
I’m not a morning person, so I need easy-to-make breakfasts. Make-ahead breakfasts like overnight oats are even better. I love the ease of simply reaching into my refrigerator for breakfast. Oh, and coffee. Gotta have my morning caffeine LOL! That’s why this Vanilla Cold Brew Overnight Oats recipe appealed to me. It’s a make-ahead breakfast with coffee in it. It’s also filled with loads of other healthy and tasty things, so I have to give this oatmeal recipe a try!
Coffee and breakfast all in one? These Vanilla Cold Brew Coffee Overnight Oats are the perfect breakfast combination! This recipe is simple, healthy and so delicious–all the fuel you need to start the day!
Recipe Author: Lorie Yarro at Lemons and Zest Get the recipe
The Ingredients
I always do a pantry/refrigerator check before I go shopping to see if I have any of the recipe’s ingredients. This check came up with rolled oats, vanilla extract, maple syrup, chia seeds, and sea salt.
That left me to shop for just a few things. Milk was easy to find, and I opted for skim milk. I also found vanilla almond butter at my regular grocery store. I was thrilled! But I must have grabbed the wrong jar because I ended up with honey almond butter.
The recipe gives the option of using honey as a sweetener, so I figured this flavor would be fine. Also, it tasted great so I decided not to make an extra trip for the vanilla flavor.
Rolled oats, chia seeds, sea salt, vanilla extract, cold brew coffee, almond butter, maple syrup, and milk
The Process
So when I first mixed up this recipe, I made a single serving in the largest mug I have. I expected the oats to expand a lot as they absorbed the milk, so I wanted to give them plenty of room. I found out the next day that they didn’t expand much at all. In fact, the overnight oats only filled the 16-ounce mug halfway.
I made 3 more batches of Vanilla Cold Brew Overnight Oats to photograph. And eat of course! But this time I mixed them up in my 2-cup measuring cup and then put them into 8.1-ounce footed dessert dishes.
Unfortunately, a little milk spilled when I covered the dishes with plastic wrap, but they sure were cute! If I didn’t need to make them pretty for photos, I would have put the oats into my reliable (but less pretty) Snapware containers. They have sealed lids and are stackable to save room in the refrigerator.
Mixing the oatmeal ingredients in a large glass mug
