tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26438877213461354922024-02-06T23:45:47.755-05:00Essentially CookingLaurie and Peter's essentiallycooking.com :
"Mostly about cooking. Always about food."Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-26029833002599387942019-02-10T14:49:00.000-05:002019-02-10T14:49:43.832-05:00More on the New BlogThe new blog started on January 1, 2019. It is located here:
essentiallycooking.zenfolio.com
February
https://essentiallycooking.zenfolio.com/blog/2019/2/crispy-prosciutto-white-lasagna?customize=3
https://essentiallycooking.zenfolio.com/blog/2019/2/run-with-soup-cafe-bath-maine?customize=3
January
https://essentiallycooking.zenfolio.com/blog/2019/1/shepherds-pie?customize=3
https:/Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-51284690965719596752019-01-08T16:16:00.000-05:002019-01-09T08:01:37.522-05:00Moving the Blog (as of January 1, 2019)I started the new year by moving my efforts to a new essentiallycooking website and blog. It is powered by Zenfolio. The new site/blog will have an index that will link back to the recipes here, until such time that I might move them from the old blog to the new blog... or I might not.
The link to the new blog is: www.essentiallycooking.zenfolio.com/blog. After landing on the new blogPeter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-10677992267819330972018-06-19T20:44:00.001-04:002018-06-19T20:44:53.088-04:00Meatloaf Burgers
As built by Laurie and cooked by Peter. Recipe from Plain Chicken.
I’ve decided that I like these meatloaf burgers better than just plain burgers. It must be all the add-ins (mustard, Ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce, to name a few) that make them so tasty. Cooking them on a charcoal grill also helped.
Interestingly (to me), when I asked Laurie where the recipe camePeter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-44057510469125262262018-06-02T12:52:00.001-04:002018-06-02T12:54:35.445-04:00Simple Salmon Cakes
As cooked by Laurie. Recipe from Eating Well with some variation.
I’m not really much into eating fish… unless you count lobster, clams, shrimp, scallops, oysters and mussels. But I don’t think they technically fit the definition, though “shellfish” does have the word “fish” in it. I have never even tried sushi. (I even had to ask Laurie how to spell it right. I was soPeter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-72028381459520231522018-05-20T17:23:00.000-04:002018-05-20T18:32:50.847-04:00Baked Oatmeal CupsAs made by Laurie. Recipe from thekitchn.com without modification.
I very much enjoyed the batch Laurie made, but I debated for a while whether to post information about these oatmeal cups.
They look a lot like muffins. That's the problem, because they don't taste like muffins. If you are anticipating a muffin that will rival a blueberry or lemon poppy-seed muffin, or some Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-21081904038939085092018-05-16T11:38:00.001-04:002018-05-16T11:38:47.264-04:00Happy Belated "National Chocolate Chip Day"It's horrible! I missed yesterday's National Chocolate Chip Day. So, I figured I'd better celebrate today, belatedly, with a couple of these bad boys: Traditional Toll House cookies.
With Mother's Day having been this past Sunday, Toll House cookies make me think of my mom, who frequently had batches coming out of the oven as my brother and I walked in the door from the school bus. Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-83057172800130276332018-05-09T10:13:00.001-04:002018-05-09T10:13:36.526-04:00Roasted CauliflowerAs cooked by Laurie.
This is such a simple way to cook cauliflower. It takes just a few ingredients, a sheet pan and parchment paper, and the sprinkle of Parmesan cheese at the end we view as a requirement for great taste.
Served for dinner with pan-cooked frozen pot stickers and spinach
What you need:
One head of cauliflower cut into florets
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-38882649063641979472018-04-26T11:24:00.001-04:002018-04-26T11:24:55.183-04:00Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-dried TomatoesAs cooked by Laurie.
This is a colorful looking and tasty meatloaf that can be found at the foodnetwork.com. It's by Giada de Laurentiis. I've provided a link at the bottom.
Meatloaf is one of my favorite meals. In fact, last year when Laurie asked me what I wanted for my birthday dinner I chose meatloaf (not this recipe because we didn't know about it then), roasted Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-4855483327241983092018-04-23T13:28:00.000-04:002019-01-09T17:33:00.907-05:00Crock Pot Balsamic Pork Roast
As cooked by Laurie
The modification Laurie made to this recipe from skinnytaste.com is to use 3 1/2 pounds of "boneless pork butt" instead of 2 pounds of "boneless port shoulder roast". This is the cut of meat the butcher recommended, plus the meat was priced at $1.79 per pound. That's about $6 for this 3 1/2 pound roast!
I really enjoy tender meat that falls apart when you touch itPeter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-15931445489362802032018-04-23T08:03:00.000-04:002018-04-23T08:03:51.336-04:00Turkey Sausage, White Bean, Carrots, Spinach, and Butternut Squash Soup
As cooked by Laurie
This is one of our favorite winter soups. Laurie has made it a lot. The recipe is actually a Weight Watchers recipe. It is hard for me to believe that something with sausage in it, and would taste so good, would be a weight watchers recipe, but so be it.
The combination of the sausage and the butternut squash is what makes it so very tasty in my Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-27129575103297678102018-04-21T13:09:00.000-04:002018-04-21T13:09:06.683-04:00Breakfast Burritos
As cooked by Laurie
I’m happy with a breakfast of cold or hot cereal (with a handful of nuts and crasins and skim milk) for breakfast. But Laurie likes to have something a bit more substantial. Breakfast burritos work for her. We have some store-bought ones from Jimmy Dean or Weight-watchers in the freezer, but these homemade ones are far superior.
These were made as a Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-42224023434346978182018-04-19T20:23:00.000-04:002018-04-26T20:33:58.636-04:00Cheddar Swirl Dinner Rolls
As Cooked by Laurie
The original recipe is called "Cheddar Swirl Breakfast Buns". But when it comes to breakfast, for me at least, swirl buns must have cinnamon and brown sugar through its veins and, hopefully, white drizzle frosting. In other words, they need to be sweet. That’s why I was so happy that Laurie chose to make these as dinner rolls.
To speed Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-9730785250953387802017-05-28T17:02:00.000-04:002017-05-28T17:02:00.225-04:00Jordan Pond House Strawberry Preserves
This is our favorite jam. Actually its called a preserve and frankly I don't know the difference. Either way, I consume quite a few jars of it every year. Unfortunately this is the last jar until we again visit Mount Desert Island sometime hopefully this summer
The only place I have been able to find it is on Mount Desert Island at (1) the gift shop on top of Cadillac Mountain and (2) Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-70199885415564922942017-05-18T08:09:00.000-04:002018-04-26T16:53:28.424-04:00Shepherd's Stew with Dumplings
As cooked by Laurie
Sometimes you just need some comfort food. In this case it was a rainy, dreary, and cold spring day and Laurie felt like soup. What a great variation this dish is on the classic comfort food, Shepherd’s Pie. But in this case the ingredients are magnificently turned into stew.
The ingredients are similar; but what looks like pasta is not. Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-18824567047921190252017-05-05T20:53:00.000-04:002018-04-24T11:19:44.729-04:00Sheet Pan Chili Lime Shrimp (On Fajitas or with Rice)
As cooked by Laurie
Wow. This is my new all-time favorite shrimp recipe. It's a recipe from lecremedelacrumb.com which has been slightly modified.
Yes, it looks pretty unremarkable, with just shrimp, onions and peppers as the food ingredients. But it is the addition of fajita seasoning, chili powder, lime juice and cilantro that really makes it mouth-watering. I know IPeter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-56703310463180465552017-05-05T18:26:00.002-04:002018-04-24T10:51:29.800-04:00Spinach Lasagna Rolls
As cooked by Laurie
This is a great substitute for a traditionally assembled lasagna. It's from skinnytaste.com. This recipe is vegetarian, but there is no reason you can't add Italian sausage or ground beef or whatever.
Each roll is a single serving and easily dished out on the plate, no fuss no muss.
The photos below show a few of the steps.
Place the Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-72033465296437098152017-04-22T15:48:00.000-04:002018-04-24T10:12:13.144-04:00Chicken and Rice Bake
As cooked by Laurie. Modified and somewhat simplified from the recipe at thekitchn.com
This is such a simple recipe that Laurie first found on thekitchn.com. It was designed as a make-ahead, freeze, and cook-later recipe, which she adapted into a assemble-today, cook-today, and eat-today recipe.
The first recipe was made in the wonderful old pyrex casserole dish shown Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-35896037335280373482017-04-20T19:48:00.001-04:002018-04-24T09:46:32.914-04:00Smashed Potatoes: A.K.A. "Grown-Up Tater-Tots" from thekitchn.com
As cooked by Laurie. A.K.A "Grown Up Tater Tots" from thekitchn.com with some slight modification.
These smashed potatoes were a nice complement to our meatloaf dinner. Who doesn't like potato with meatloaf? I think it qualifies as comfort food.
Laurie wasn't particularly happy with how these came out. They were indeed delicious, but she felt she shouldPeter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-60053829237191151292017-04-16T11:06:00.001-04:002018-04-24T09:27:01.276-04:00Bill's Baked Salmon
As cooked by Laurie
A bit more than a 1 lb. Wild U.S. Salmon.
Just out of the oven. Cooking pan lined with parchment paper
Laurie and I decided we’re going to eat more fish. The problem is that while Laurie would be quite happy to have fish once or twice a week, I on the other hand am not a big fish fan. (Even when I go fishing, I am catch-and-release!)
I Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-13590882810281834502017-04-09T14:52:00.000-04:002018-04-22T15:38:55.207-04:00Stonewall Kitchen's Pink Grapefruit Marmalade
As tasted by Peter
We experiment with a lot of Stonewall Kitchen condiments and foods. I’m not sure how widespread are their products, but the home headquarters and company store (with all their products, many free samples, and an excellent restaurant) is located in York, Maine. It’s right off Exit 7 on the Maine Turnpike, so if you are going to Maine plan on a little side trip.
Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-85616412629958539942017-04-02T08:39:00.000-04:002018-04-24T10:34:14.501-04:008 Slow Roasted Chicken Legs
As cooked by Laurie
This slow cooked recipe was perfect for the hunkered down Saturday we spent at home today, working on indoor projects and watching April Fool's Day snow and rain creating a yucky mess outside. What was perfect is the fact that slow cooking makes the house smell so wonderful!
Dinner tonight.
This is actually the first time the recipe has been written down.Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643887721346135492.post-21193297478785933302017-04-01T11:41:00.000-04:002018-04-24T10:32:25.346-04:00Mustard Parmesan Whole Roasted Cauliflower
As cooked by Laurie
Personally, I never seem to know what to do with cauliflower. When it comes to getting fresh veggies cooked quickly (which is my usual style) for dinner, I stick with broccoli and simply steam it. But cauliflower seems blander to me. I think it needs a little "something extra".
When Laurie found this recipe for roasted cauliflower on the Food Peter F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15358240600634062387noreply@blogger.com0