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Cookbooks Used

Notes

  1. Pastrami Roast Chicken | Cook This Book (Cook This Book | Molly Baz): I had high expectations for this chicken given all the reviews I've read about it and it did not disappoint. The chicken was perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, and perfect with the onions and garlic. I served it with the Smooshed Salt n Vinegar Potatoes also from Cook This Book and I thought the salt n vinegar sour cream from that recipe was perfect with the chicken! (PITA: 5, Outcome: 9)
  2. Salt n Vinegar Smooshed Potatoes | Cook This Book (Cook This Book | Molly Baz): These are little involved with the boiling, the smashing, the roasting, etc. but so so worth it! And it's really not THAT many steps, and none of them are hard. I ended up adding a lot more salt and vinegar to the sour cream than the recipe called for. It didn't make for great leftovers (the potatoes were dry — you probably need an air fryer or heat them in the oven) but I think I'll make these potatoes any time I make the Pastrami Chicken from CTB! (PITA: 6, Outcome: 9)
  3. Buttered Quinoa with Bok Choy | I Dream of Dinner (I Dream of Dinner (So You Don't Have To) | Ali Slagle): I liked this more than the fish I served it with — the butter and lime took some of the bitterness out of the quinoa, which I appreciated since I generally don't like quinoa. And the bok choy got really tender — overall, it was good! I don't see myself making this again, at least not anytime soon, but it was easy and nutrient dense. (PITA: 4, Outcome: 6)
  4. Soy-Brined Halibut with Mustard Greens | Dining In (Dining In | Alison Roman): This was really easy, but also pretty meh. It's the first Alison Roman recipe that I haven't loved — and it wasn't bad, just nothing special. I used haddock instead of halibut so it's also possible it'd be better with the type of fish she calls for? I served it with the Buttered Quinoa and Bok Choy from I Dream of Dinner, and it made for a filling and super nutrient-dense dinner. Not complaining, but wouldn't make again. (PITA: 4, Outcome: 6)
  5. Shaved Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and Parm | Pass the Plate (Pass the Plate | Carolina Gelen): I feel bad for this recipe because I actually REALLY liked it on its own, but it did not pair well with what I served it with (the garlicky chicken and couscous from the same book). I tried it on its own while the chicken was cooking and was like, "well this is how you can get me to eat a whole head of cauliflower." It was lemony, parm-y, salty, and just good, but all those flavors were too much with the chicken and couscous. So, would make again, but would maybe have it as a snack or have it with something a lot more simple. (PITA: 5, Outcome: 7)
  6. One-Pan Garlicky Chicken Couscous | Pass the Plate (Pass the Plate | Carolina Gelen): Yum!! This had a really rich, garlicky flavor that that was great, and I loved the trick of taking the garlic and smashing it on the chicken skins at the end. I left the capers out of the topping and really liked the dilly / vinegary flavor that it added to the dish — definitely made it more interesting. I served this with the Lemony Cauliflower Salad from the same book, but I would make a more simply roasted veg next time, It hink. (PITA: 5, Outcome: 8)
  7. Chewy Cocoa Brownies | Snacking Bakes (Snacking Bakes | Yossy Arefi): There has not been a single Snacking Cakes / Snacking Bakes recipe that has failed me, and this one is no exception. These are simple brownies, but for the ease — single bowl, no melting chocolate over a bowl of hot water, etc. — these were phenomenal. The brown butter in this adds some depth to the flavor and overall it was just a really, really good brownie! (PITA: 3, Outcome: 8)
  8. Pesto Meatballs with Tomato Salad and Labneh | What to Cook (What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking | Caroline Chambers): This recipe was pretty easy to pull together, but for some reason I couldn't eat it — I'm not sure if it was the pesto or the pesto with ground beef or what, but I just couldn't do it. My partner (who's a huge pesto fan) really liked this. He ate the meatballs the next day but not the salad. I think the saving grace of this one was that I also made Alison Roman's Focaccia recipe to serve with it and that was SO good. Would not make this one again, but would definitely make the focaccia again. (PITA: 6, Outcome: 5)
  9. One-Pan Coconut-Lime Chicken and Rice | Dinner Tonight (Dinner Tonight | Alex Snodgrass): Yum!! This was really limey and coconutty — if you like those flavors, you'll like this dish. It was fairly rich and I wish I had made a veg to serve with it, but it was really good. Not on my "definitely make again" list but I wouldn't be mad about eating it again! (PITA: 6, Outcome: 7)