Salmon with Asparagus and Herb Dressing (CCTC p. 178)

On Tuesday, April 12, I made "Salmon with Asparagus and Herb Dressing" from America's Test Kitchen's "The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook" (p. 178).

The Process: This recipe was very quick. I over-seared the salmon a bit, and the smoke throughout my house was a bit extreme. Perhaps this was partly due to the fact that I only made one salmon filet, but I believe it's mostly due to too much oil and too high a cooking temperature. Next time I make this I should start the frying pan on medium, then reduce to medium-low when cooking the other side of the filet, and also check the salmon earlier in the process. I will try using a different skillet as well. I also was not a fan of making asparagus this way. I understand they caution against using asparagus that is too thin, as it will over-cook. But even if I cook thicker asparagus for a shorter period of time, I still don't think I'll like it prepared this way as much as just basic steamed or grilled asparagus. So I will make that change next time as well.

The Verdict: 8 out of 10. I need to make it again and improve upon it.

The Cost: approx $8 for 1 serving.

6-ounce skin-on salmon filet

Patting the salmon dry with a paper towel

Seasoning the filet with salt & pepper

Searing the underside of the filet in a little olive oil over medium-high heat

Trimming the asparagus

Preparing the dressing while the filet cooks, starting with some olive oil...

Squeezing fresh lemon juice for the dressing

I seared the salmon for a minute less than instructed, but it was still a bit over-seared.

After setting aside the cooked salmon, I added butter and a little olive oil to the hot pan

Adding the trimmed asparagus to the pan

Washing and drying the fresh basil

Mincing the fresh basil

Mincing half a shallot

Mixing together the dressing

Close-up of the salmon -- although I obviously over-seared both sides, the flavor was delicious

The finished dish, complete with a side of mashed potatoes

Cross-section of the salmon

Italian Vegetable Stew (CCTC p. 51)

On Monday, April 5, 2016, I made "Italian Vegetable Stew" from America's Test Kitchen's "The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook" (p. 51).

The Process: This recipe took nearly 2 hours, but I wasn't moving quite as efficiently as I could have.

The Verdict: 8 out of 10. It's a good solid recipe, and I will definitely make it again, but it's not gonna blow anyone's socks off. 

The Cost: approx $XX for 3 servings.

Getting the ingredients together.

Heating olive oil in the dutch oven.

Cutting the eggplant into chunks.

The recipe called for 8 oz of eggplant, so I'm a bit over here...

Adding the chunks of eggplant to the hot oil.

Peeling and cutting up one gold potato.

The recipe calls for 8 oz of potato, sliced into chunks.

I've browned the eggplant and just about to remove it from the dutch oven.

Adding some olive oil to the potato just before softening it up in the microwave.

Getting ready to add the whole peeled tomatoes.

I separated out the liquid here and set it aside for later.

Adding the tomatoes to the hot dutch oven.

Mincing the garlic. 

It's such a shame opening an entire can of tomato paste when the recipe only calls for 1 tsp.

Cooking the tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, salt & pepper.

Getting the vegetable broth ready to add to the dutch oven. 

Slicing the zucchini into chunks.

The browned eggplant and raw zucchini, ready to be added to the stew.

The tomato mixture just before I added the broth and vegetables.

Adding the vegetable broth to the dutch oven.

Adding the reserved liquid from the canned whole tomatoes.

The stew, just after it came to a simmer and just before I partially covered it.

Partially covering the stew and letting all the ingredients heat up and the zucchini soften.

Washing the basil.

Chiffonading the basil. 

Chiffonade of basil, before I sliced up the ribbons some more.

Just after having added the basil to the stew.

Preparing to grate the pecorino romano cheese.

The finished product! Italian vegetable stew!

Chicken Pot Pie (CCTC p. 122)

On Monday, October 26, I made "Chicken Pot Pie" from America's Test Kitchen's "The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook" (p. 122).

The Process: This recipe took a very long time! This took about 3 hours to make, inclusive of the time to make the pie dough, plus another 45 minutes of wait time while the dough chilled in the fridge. I wound up doubling the recipe because I already had on hand double the amount of chicken called for on the recipe. So instead of making two pot pies in 12-ounce ramekins, I made three pot pies in 20-ounce stoneware soup bowls.

The Verdict: 10 out of 10. I can't really think how this could be improved -- certainly the best chicken pot pie I've ever had.

The Cost: approx $12.60 for 3 servings.

Whisking flour, sugar and salt together for the dough.

Cubing the chilled butter. Ice water is ready to be mixed into the dough.

Grating the frozen butter into the flour mixture.

Cutting the grated butter into the flour mixture.

Sprinkling the ice water into the mixture.

Stirring and pressing dough with spatula.

The final dough, just before shaping into disks.

Halving the dough and shaping each half into a disk.

Wrapping the disks in plastic wrap before refrigerating for an hour.

Chopping the carrots.

Chopping the onion.

Chopped onion.

Rolling out the dough.

Cutting rounds of dough slightly larger than the circumference of the bowls.

The three rounds.

Folding under the edges of the rounds.

Crimping the edges and slicing vents into the rounds.

Slicing the celery.

Adding onion to melted butter.

Adding carrots and celery to the onion & butter.

Mincing the garlic.

Taking the parbaked crusts out of the oven.

Preparing the thyme.

Adding the thyme and garlic to the mirepoix.

Adding flour to the mixture.

Adding chicken broth.

Adding the heavy cream.

Trimming the chicken breast fillet.

Placing the chicken in the sauce.

Chopping the parsley.

Making sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Shredding the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces.

Adding the parsley and frozen peas to the sauce.

Adding the shredded chicken back to the sauce.

The final sauce.

Filling the 3 soup bowls in preparation for baking.

Filling the 3 soup bowls in preparation for baking.

Adding the pastry crusts to the top of the filled bowls.

The pot pies, fresh from the oven.

Letting the pot pies cool a bit before eating.

The finished product!

The finished product!

The finished product!