triedin2015

[triedin2015]

I grabbed some corned beef a few days after St. Paddy's Day and decided to make it on a weekend day. Unfortunately, I forgot that the last recipe I chose required hours and hours of cooking. So, with my family being hungry and my time being short, I decided I'd do the corned beef in the IP.

I decided I'd do mashed potatoes rather than putting them in the IP, but I did carrots and cabbage in there. Looking through the tips and the recipe comments, I didn't put the carrots in with the corned beef, and I cut the beef's cook time down by 10 minutes to make up for the extra time it would cook with the veggies.

At 80 minutes, the beef wasn't fully cooked and looked a little pale on the top side. I added about 2 lbs carrots and cooked for 7 minutes. Then I added the cabbage and cooked for 3 more minutes. The extra time helped the meat finish cooking and the carrots and cabbage were a good doneness for me.

I liked the oven-cooked version better but this worked in a pinch.

#corned beef #caggabe #corned beef and cabbage #potatoes #carrots #st. paddy's day #st. patty's day #dinner #recipe #instant pot #IP

[triedin2015]

We hosted a New Year's brunch today that was a mix of breakfast and lunch foods. We did fresh waffles with berries and cream, a variety of baked goods (Michaela's banana bread and a white Bundt cake she made with a sugar glaze), black eyed peas and rice, ham, and these potatoes. Because who doesn't like cheesy potatoes?!?

I thought these were great, and Michaela said she really liked them. So much so that she cheered when I told her I have enough ingredients to make another batch.

I used white potatoes and omitted the parsley, and added paprika to the milk and potatoes before putting in the baking dish (as well as sprinkling some more paprika on top before baking). All in all, it was easy to make and served nine of us perfectly. Will make again!

#recipe #side dish #side #scalloped potatoes #potatoes #parmesan #parmesan scalloped potatoes #lets dish recipes #letsdish #triedin2024 #tried in 2024

[triedin2015]

The last recipe I tried in 2023!

I knew I wanted to make black eyed peas for New Year's Day but I also wanted to make them enough in advance that I could take some to my dad on NYE. That was all well and good, but I didn't have time to soak the peas (which are actually beans) overnight. Instant Pot to the rescue!

I made some changes to this recipe: used way more garlic and 3 celery stalks instead of 2, left out the jalapeno and the bacon, used two small ham hock-type things instead, and used kale instead of collard greens. I cooked it for 16 minutes. When it was done, I pulled out the hocks, cut up the meat and discarded the bones, then divided out a portion for my dad and put the rest in the fridge for reheating the next day.

This was extremely flavorful... Way more than traditional black eyed peas. It was so good that I served it over brown rice (not white) and there were no complains. And it was so popular at our new year's brunch today that wo of my guests asked for the recipe, which is always a good sign.

Happy new year!

#tried in 2024 #triedin2024 #recipe #side dish #side #black eyed peas #good luck #good luck food #lucky food #simply happy foodie #simplyhappyfoodie

[triedin2015]

I wanted to use some fresh green beans as a side for yesterday's dinner, but I hate steaming them on the stove and didn't have time for any kind of baked dish. "My InstantPot," I thought. And indeed, it turned out to be a super easy way to make them.

I followed the recipe exactly for steaming, then tossed some butter in on sautéed mode and added salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. My family enjoyed and I will definitely do this again.

#recipe #green beans #instant pot #IP #instant pot recipe #instant pot recipes #side #side dish #steamed green beans #triedin2023 #tried in 2023

[triedin2015]

I made this for Christmas brunch and it was a hit! The taste was good, the veggies were nice on a day/in a season full of sweats, and it was easy to make for a crowd.

Will definitely make again!

#recipe #breakfast #brunch #baked eggs #eggs #spinach #tomatoes #florentine #holiday food #feed a crowd #triedin2023 #tried in 2023 #budget bytes #budgetbytes

[triedin2015]

Michaela really wanted something with wild rice. I didn't want to make soup or a salad with wild rice in it (although I do have a great recipe for that). I decided to make risotto, which isn't the same but is a rice dish. ;)

This was very easy to make and came out well. I accidentally bought pancetta that was already cooked and that definitely was a bummer for this recipe. It was good, but it would have been better with the right pancetta.

This was easy to make (thanks, IP!) and Michaela liked it. I'll make it again!

#skinnytaste #skinny taste #recipe #triedin2023 #tried in 2023 #risotto #instant pot #instantpot #instapot #peas #pancetta #dinner

[triedin2015]

This soup was sooooo good!

You know I love soup. It's easy to cook, it's packed full of veggies, it makes a lot so you don't have to cook as often... What's not to love?

The other day, I was talking with a friend and he said he was craving tortilla soup and that idea got lodged in my head, so I decided to make some. My brother was coming for dinner, I was at the office and knew I wouldn't have much time to cook, so I thought the InstantPot would work well. And boy did it ever.

I Googled for "IP tortilla soup," looked at star ratings (thanks, people who leave reviews!), and decided on this one.

I used chicken breasts, not thighs. I used two cans of chicken broth, which is nearly 4 cups (so more than the recipe called for). I also used regular diced tomatoes but threw in two of our roasted green chile hockey pucks. I used more corn, because corn is delicious. Oh, and I tossed in a zucchini with the onion because I had it on hand and it was on the verge going bad (again, soup is great for veggies!).

Otherwise, I made this pretty much as the recipe says. Everyone loved it. Michaela said next time I make it, I should throw some wild rice in there. I won't be doing that, but it's an interesting thought.

Will definitely make again!

#soup #instantpot #instant pot #dinner #recipe #tortilla soup #chicken tortilla soup #triedin2023 #tried in 2023 #thekitchn #leftovers

[triedin2015]

I had bananas that were brown and a big zucchini a friend gave me from her garden. What choice did I have but to make this?

I made this as-written except I halved the sugar (two cups just seemed like too much) and added about 3/4 cup of chocolate chips.

I took it out of the oven after 45 minutes, underbraking it slightly, resulting in a delicious moistness when I served it (still warm after 10 minutes of resting in the loaf pan).

Will make again if the ingredients line up that way!

#recipe #sweet bread #bread #banana bread #banana zucchini bread #zucchini #banana #bananas #taste of home #tasteofhome #triedin2023 #tried in 2023

[triedin2015]

I'm constantly thinking about going plant-based, at home at least. So when I saw this, I decided to give it a try as a Father's Day dinner. I made penne and steamed broccoli and topped it with this sauce.

I made it with the butter and regular milk, so this wasn't vegan. But I think it would be good vegan, too.

Mike and Michaela said they could tell there was cauliflower in it, but I think that's because I didn't blend it as well as I should have. Next time I might go so far as to put it in the blender, to get it really smooth.

Will definitely add to the options for when I want to make a healthier pasta dish.

#recipe #dinner #cauliflower #alfredo sauce #vegan #chocolate covered katie #chocolatecoveredkatie #pasta sauce #triedin2023 #tried in 2023

[triedin2015]

My dad asked if we (Mike and I) would make corned beef and cabbage for St. Paddy’s Day. I hadn’t ever done it before but figured I could manage that. So we had my dad and brother, plus one of Michaela’s friends, over for dinner last night.

I originally planned to do this in Instant Pot but we had so much meat and so many veggies that I decided the oven would be better. And boy am I glad I did that! I ended up, when it was time to put the veggies (cabbage, potatoes, carrots) in, pulling the meat into a cast-iron skillet and adding some chicken broth in addition to some of the veggies, and then filling up the Dutch oven with the rest of the veggies.

The corned beef I bought was already seasoned but I did do the mustard rub on top. I did 2 lbs of carrots, a whole cabbage, and about 1.5 lbs of potatoes.

But the end result was delicious. The meat was cooked well, the veggies were PERFECT, and we all enjoyed eating this. I think this may become a tradition!

#corned beef #dinner #cabbage #carrots #potatoes #baked corned beef #st. patrick's day #st. paddy's dad #recipe #triedin2023 #tried in 2023

[triedin2015]

Another recipe for the Oscars party we went to.

I like buffalo sauce but I’m trying to be healthier, so I thought this would be a good option. I nearly fell over when I saw that cauliflower was $6.89 a head at my local market! Nevertheless, I persisted.

Made this exactly as the recipe says, and it came out well. Will make it again!

#buffalo sauce #buffalo #buffalo cauliflower #cauliflower #low carb #recipe #whats gabby cooking #whatsgabbycooking #side dish #appetizer #triedin2023 #tried in 2023

[triedin2015]

I planned to make this for an Oscars party we went to this weekend. What’s not to love about feta dip?

I ran out of time so asked Michaela to make it for me and to pop it in the fridge so we could enjoy it cold with pita chips.

When I opened it up to try it, she told me, “It tastes like cottage cheese.” And you know what? She was right.

The texture was off. It felt grainy. Maybe because I used dry feta, not feta packed in water (which I’ve never seen...)? Or maybe because she didn’t blend it long enough in the food processer? 

It was fine, especially once I added more lemon zest and dill. But I won’t be making this again.

#feta dip #dip #appetizer #feta #whipped feta #skinnytaste #tried in 2023 #triedin2023 #recipe

[triedin2015]

Mike is sick so chicken noodle soup seemed like a good idea. And a Thai-inspired one sounded even better to me. 

I made several modifications of this recipe:

I didn’t have any curry paste (I know, I know! That’s the main thing! But I was also feeling too lazy to go to the grocery store, so I subbed a teaspoon of curry powder instead. Totally different flavor but still good.)

I used red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, since that’s what I had.

I used stir-fry rice noodles, which I cooked separately as the recipe suggested.

I used a block of tofu instead of chicken.

I used more ginger than was called for (probably 1.5 or 2 tablespoons), and more garlic.

I topped it with cilantro and extra lime juice; Mike added sriracha to his, Michaela added soy sauce (don’t ask me why).

I wish I’d bought peanuts to chop and put on top. But otherwise, I would say this came out really well. Michaela asked for seconds, which doesn’t often happen when I cook. (LAME.)

Today, when I warmed some soup up for Mike’s lunch, I added crispy jalapenos to it (like the French fried onions used in green bean casserole, but jalapenos) and that added a delicious crunch and extra spice.

#soup #chicken soup #tofu soup #chicken noodle soup #thai inspired #coconut milk #curry soup #gimme some oven #gimmesomeoven #recipe #dinner #tried in 2023 #triedin2023

[triedin2015]

Cooking meat confounds me.

I made these exactly as written. Never got them up to 145 and I think I dried them out trying to.

They tasted like Shake n Bake in some ways, which I adored as a kid.

We had a giant Costco pack of porkchops so I ended up making eight of these. I should have made four and let Mike cook the rest. ;)

#pork chops #baked pork chops #baked #meat #pork #the endless meal #theendlessmeal #tried in 2023 #triedin2023 #recipe #dinner #protein

[triedin2015]

Another dessert recipe! 

We were invited to a friend’s for dinner and asked to bring dessert. The entrée was Mexican so I wanted to bring something in that vein. One of the diners is lactose intolerant so that threw out my tres leches idea.  Mike and Michaela bought me a set of empanada presses for Christmas, so I decided to do that.

We had bananas on hand, so I combined 4 mashed bananas, 2/3 cups chocolate chips, and 2/3 cups chopped walnuts for the filling.

I was really nervous about the dough. I don’t make dough! Mike is our baker and maker of all things dough. I asked him to read the recipe and give me tips (one was yes, I could use the KitchenAid and one was add the eggs last). And you know what? This came together really easily and really well!

I was so proud of myself when I rolled out the dough and it worked!

I used just a little less than a half cup of sugar. And I used four tablespoons of cold milk.

I stuffed each empanada with about 1/5 tablespoons of filling. When it was time to bake them, I did an egg wash and sprinkled them with turbinado sugar.

This yielded 21 medium-sized empanadas. (I didn’t have enough filling for all those, so I stuffed four of them with cranberry goat cheese. Those were also quite tasty.)

Next time, I would use slightly more filling. And I’d serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

But I’ll definitely make these again!

#dessert #desserts #recipe #empanadas #postre #postres #triedin2023 #tried in 2023 #sweet empanadas

[triedin2015]

This cake was so good!

“Olive oil cake” sounds weird, but - as someone who doesn’t bake a lot - I was intrigued by how simple this looked. Plus it seemed dessert-y but not way too sweet. So when we decided to host some friends for dinner on New Year’s day, I decided I’d serve this to end the meal.

It truly was easy to make. I used oranges off a neighbors’ tree (yay!) and the batter was delectable. The finished cake was light and moist and felt really sophisticated (which two of the picky tweens who joined us for dinner didn’t necessarily appreciate). Will definitely make again... for a dinner of just adults.

#cake #rosemary #orange #olive oil cake #olive oil #dessert #recipe #cup of jo #cupofjo #triedin2023 #tried in 2023 #hetty mckinnon #rosemary olive oil cake #orange olive oil cake

[triedin2015]

I loved glazed carrots. Love them! They’re sweet, they’re bright, they’re just the best.

Except I’m trying to eat less sugar.

We were having dinner, needed a veggie on the side, and we buy giant packs of whole carrots at Costco and therefore always have carrots on hand. So I decided I’d make glazed carrots in the IP and just try them with less sugar than the recipe called for.

I’ll be honest-- adding paprika and garlic to glazed carrots seemed really weird to me. But since I wasn’t trying to make them super sweet, I went with it.

Instead of the 1/4 cup of brown sugar, I used maybe 1/8 cup. Due to my having whole carrots, I sliced them into rounds and adjusted the cooking time down, from 4 minutes to 3.

In the end, I thought they were really good. Mike said I should have cooked them even less (I’ll try 2 minutes next time) and Michaela said I put in too much garlic (I did go heavy on it, as I always do). But I love that I could have tasty carrots in just a few minutes, versus the time it takes to roast them.

#carrots #glazed carrots #instant pot #instantpot #side dish #vegetable dish #veggie dish #recipe #triedin2022 #tried in 2022