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Dinner - Blog Posts
feeling like Hannibal Lecter after I turned random ingredients I threw together in my head into a delicious, edible meal with a nice presentation
Delzoun "Tide-Me-Overs"
“While these are customary consumables at Hornmoot, the traditional human-dwarven trading festival that marks the dawn of Spring, there isn’t a holiday on the eventful dwarven calendar that doesn’t feature these scrumptious meats on the menu.” - Heroes’ Feast, p. 90
Personally, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more dwarven food than the good old-fashioned meatball.
Heroes’ Feast’s Delzoun “Tide-Me-Overs” bring dwarven kitchens to life with these extremely tasty and juicy meatballs! Leagues better than anything you’d buy at the grocery store, I would absolutely suggest making these yourself.
This recipe is also ridiculously forgiving. Once, I doubled nearly all the ingredients by accident, aside from the meat, and they still came out amazing!
If you don’t eat pork, no worries! They’re just as tasty using only beef!
Check out below for tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep: 15 mins Cook: 1h 30 mins Total: 1h 45 mins
Ingredients:
¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream*
1 egg
2 slices dark bread (such as rye), crusts discharged, remainder torn into pieces**
3 tbsp. (43 g) unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt
¼ tsp. (2 g) ground allspice
8 oz (225 g) ground pork
8 oz (225 g) lean ground beef
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. (8 g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (350 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. (4 g) light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. (7 ml) soy sauce
½ tsp. (2 ml) fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp. (12 g) finely chopped fresh dill or parsley
* I’ve used both heavy cream and half-and-half with no issues.
** I used Vienna-style Pumpernickel Bread, cut into standard ½ -inch sandwich slices at the thickest part of the loaf.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cream and egg (top-left).
Add the bread, mix well, and set aside, stirring occasionally, until the bread is softened, about 20 minutes (top-right).
Using a fork or sturdy spoon, mash the bread into a paste and set aside (bottom).
NOTE: Apparently, the bread is not what binds the meat/other ingredients together, but works with the milk to give the meatballs moisture and texture! The eggs are the only binding ingredient.
In hindsight, this makes sense, since in baking eggs are a binder…
Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp. (14 g) of the butter. Add the onion and ½ tsp. (3 g) salt and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes (left).
Add the allspice and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 40 seconds (right).
Remove from heat and let them cool to room temperature. Laying mine in a single layer in the skillet, it took about 10 minutes.
TIP: Don’t be afraid to eat some of the onions to see if they’ve softened enough.
TIP: Cooling my onions in a single layer in the skillet took about 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 475℉ (245℃) with a wire rack in the middle of the oven. Coat a large wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and set it in a large, rimmed baking sheet.
Add the cooled onion mixture, pork, ground beef, baking powder, 1 tsp. (5 g) salt and ½ tsp. (1 g) pepper to the bread paste and, using a large spoon or your hands, mix until well combined and uniform.
TIP: To save yourself time when doing the dishes, line the baking sheet with aluminum foil so you don’t need to scrape any burned bits off.
NOTE: Personally, I didn’t run into this problem while making mine, but it’s important to only mix the meat mixture until everything is just combined. Overmixing will result in stiffer, tougher meatballs.
With moistened hands, form the mixture into generous 1-tablespoon-sized balls (left).
Arrange the meatballs on the rack in the baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through (right).
NOTE: I had to make double the amount of pork/beef meatballs since 8 oz packages of each ground meat were not available. Expect about half the amount of meatballs that you see here if making this yourself.
NOTE: The meatballs will sag through the wire rack a little bit when placed, this is fine!
NOTE: The ones shown above are the size Heroes’ Feast recommends. I wanted them to be a little bit larger the second time I made them, so I went for golf-ball sized. The cooking time stayed the same, but I found the weight of them might have been a bit too much and they lost way more structure than the smaller ones.
However, that was also the time I accidentally doubled all the ingredients aside from the meat, so I’m sure there was more at play there. Just something to keep in mind. They still came out great though! In fact, they’re the ones shown in the final picture.
Wipe out the skillet used for the onions to remove any stray onion bits, set it over medium heat, and melt the remaining 2 tbsp. (28 g) butter. Stirring constantly, cook until fragrant and a shade darker, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes (top-left).
Switch to a whisk and, whisking constantly, gradually add the broth. Continuing to whisk often, cook for about 2 minutes (top-right).
Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, and ¼ tsp. (0.5 g) pepper and continue to whisk and cook until thickened, about 2 more minutes (bottom).
NOTE: The Heroes’ Feast “cook’s notes” mentions that the sauce will thicken quickly as it cools, and to add extra chicken broth to loosen the consistency.
They’re absolutely right! It’s more obvious in the next pictures but the sauce thickens a lot. It’s also a lot darker than what’s shown in the preview image in the book, so I’m not sure how much extra broth they had to add, but it seems like quite a bit.
Add meatballs to the sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 4 minutes (left).
Stir in most of the dill or parsley and taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if necessary (right).
Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with remaining dill or parsley, and serve hot.
Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. It was a little daunting since the ingredients list was so long, but once I got started making the meatballs it was actually remarkably simple! They’re really juicy, have great texture, and the allspice-seasoned onions are so tasty!
The sauce is a little awkward to make, but it does add amazing flavour. But, again, the meatballs retained so much moisture you don’t really need a sauce to enjoy them!
Honestly, if you have the time and are sick of store-bought meatballs, definitely give these a try.
Finally, as I mentioned earlier, you can totally make these with only beef (shown in the final picture above)! They’ll still retain quite a bit of moisture and be super delicious.
One Pot Meal
A zero-effort dinner with great flavour and fast cook time.
Simple and nutritious meals are an important thing to have in your back pocket, especially as a student. In a previous post, I shared The Ultimate Sausage Pasta, a quick and easy recipe from my housemate’s friend.
This time, we’re looking at the One Pot Meal, one of my favourite zero-effort dinners to make when I just really don’t feel like cooking. Minimal ingredients (two of which can sit in your cupboard until you need them) and an under half-hour cook time make this the perfect meal for when you’re tired or need a break from the kitchen.
As an added bonus, the Italian sausage adds great flavour on its own, so you don’t need to worry about whether you have the right spices or not!
Check out below for the recipe!
Prep: 5 mins Cook: 20 mins Overall: 25 mins
Ingredients:
1 pack (500 g) mild Italian sausage*
2 tbsp. (30 g) unsalted butter
2 cans sliced potatoes
2 cans cut green beans
* I prefer Johnsonville brand.
First, slice the sausages into ½ inch (1 cm) pieces.
Next, melt the butter in a large wok or high-rimmed skillet with a lid on medium heat.
Add the sausage and cook until cooked through, about 10 mins, stirring frequently.
NOTE: If you’re using the sausage from frozen, you’ll need at least an extra 5 mins to the cooking time.
Drain the canned beans and potatoes, discarding the liquid. Add them to the wok or skillet and stir in with the sausage.
Turn the heat to low and cover with the lid. Let cook until the potatoes and beans have warmed up, about 8 mins, stirring occasionally.
Once everything is heated up, divide and serve!
Overall, I give this a 5/5. It’s simple, tasty, and low effort - truly a fantastic meal for after a long day.
Bruschetta Grilled Cheese
You're welcome.
Welcome to the only recipe for grilled cheese ever.
Don’t like tomatoes? Doesn’t matter. Get lost in the sauce of basil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and cheese.
I don’t remember who thought of this first, me or my housemate, so I'm giving us shared credit for this invention. All I know is that we were hungry, had bruschetta mix left over from the night before, and are both apparently geniuses.
Now, enough talking, onto the recipe.
Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 15 mins* Overall: 30 mins
* Can be longer based on if you want to marinate the mix or how many you want to make.
Ingredients:
1 dry pint (312 g) grape or cherry tomatoes, diced
4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
4-5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tbsp. (60 ml) balsamic vinegar*
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sourdough bread, sliced into sandwich slices**
Butter
Mozzarella or Swiss cheese slices
* Can vary based on how much dipping sauce you need.
** I used Vienna style sourdough bread for aesthetics but any style works for this as long as it's the thickness of a sandwich slice.
Add the diced tomato, basil, and garlic to a medium-sized mixing bowl (top-left).
Then, add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste (top-right).
NOTE: You’ll want to add more balsamic vinegar depending on how many sandwiches you’re making so that everyone has dipping sauce!
Mix everything together until all of the tomatoes have been coated in balsamic vinegar.
NOTE: You can totally eat this mix right away, but leaving it to marinate overnight gives extra depth to the flavour!
Heat a large, non-stick pan over medium heat. While it heats, butter two slices of the sourdough bread on one side.
Place one of the sourdough slices butter-side down in the pan once you can start to feel the heat radiating from the pan. Immediately add the cheese slices (top-left).
Add some of the bruschetta mixture on top of the cheese once you hear the butter start to sizzle (top-right). Make sure to leave as much liquid in the brushetta bowl as possible so it doesn’t make the bread too soggy!
NOTE: Definitely add the cheese before the mix. I’ve tried making this and adding the mix before the cheese and it just makes the bread soggy while you’re waiting for it to toast in the pan.
Add the top slice of bread butter-side out once you’ve added the bruschetta mix (top-left) and carefully flip the sandwich.
The structural integrity of these bad boys isn’t so great at this stage, so you’ll want to hold onto the top slice of bread until the last moment while you flip.
Repeat the flipping process until both sides are a nice golden brown (top-right).
TIP: To add some extra flavour to the bread, lightly drizzle both slices with some of the liquid from the bruschetta mix as they toast. Only do this once they’ve toasted for a bit on each side though or it’ll just make the bread soggy!
Now you’re ready to enjoy the best grilled cheese ever! Don’t forget the sauce!
As a side, I’ve found that carrots are a nice veggie snack to go with these since their sweetness compliments the sweetness from the tomatoes.
NOTE: I’ve found the bruschetta mix can be kept up to three days in a tupperware in the fridge before the flavour becomes just a little too overpowering.
Traveler's Stew
“This earthy, slow-cooked concoction consisting of beef (or rothé), carrots, potatoes, and onions in a dark beef-infused broth is served in eating establishments everywhere, from the Green Dragon Inn and the Yawning Portal to Ellfate’s Eatery and the Inn of the Last Home.” - Heroes’ Feast, p. 7
The first recipe in Heroes' Feast and certainly deserving of it! Traveler’s Stew makes for a hearty lunch or dinner capable of being customised based on which stout or dark beer you chose.
I’ve tried it with a couple different beers now and so far the almost chocolaty Cowbell Brewing Co. Draught Nitro Stout has been my favourite. Its flavour adds extra depth and richness to the broth without altering how you’d expect a stew to taste too much. Experiment on your own to get the flavour you like best!
The biggest difference between this stew and most that I've had in the past is the broth is much more watery. Personally, I liked the change, but if you prefer a thicker consistency, mash up a couple of the cooked potato chunks and stir them in - the starch will thicken it up.
See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep: 10 mins* Cook: 2h 50 mins Total: 3 hours
* Cut down on prep time by chopping up the vegetables while the beef simmers.
Ingredients:
¼ cup (~30 g) all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ lbs. (1.35 kg) beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch (~2.5 cm) pieces
1 tbsp. (15 ml) vegetable oil, plus more as needed*
1 cup (~240 ml) dark beer**
4 cups (~945 ml) low-sodium beef broth***
1 tsp. (2 g) sweet paprika
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (~1 cm) rounds
3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch (~2.5 cm) pieces
¼ cup (15 g) chopped fresh parsley
* I was out of vegetable oil and substituted extra virgin olive oil - no noticeable change in taste
** The dark beer pictured is not the chocolaty stout mentioned and recommended in the intro. The Waterloo Dark will add a licorice-like taste to the broth of your stew.
*** A carton of broth will be short on the amount needed by about ~¼ cup (45 ml). Use extra beer to make up the difference.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 tsp. (6 g) salt, and several grinds of pepper. Add the beef and toss to coat well.
Warm the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add one-third to half of the beef - do not crowd - and cook for about 5 minutes, turning to brown all sides evenly (top-left).
Transfer the browned beef to a plate and repeat to brown the remaining beef, adding more oil, if needed, between batches (top-right).
Pour the beer into the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits.
Return browned beef to the pot and add the broth and paprika. Adjust the heat to low (or 1 on a 10 heat dial), cover, and cook at a simmer until the meat is very tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Add the onion, carrots, and potatoes to the pot and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. It was super easy to make, had great flavour, and the broth was a nice change-up from what I was used to.
Definitely do try out different beers to see which background flavour you like best!
Elven Marruth
“Sometimes reductively referred to as “root pies” by dwarves and humans, marruth are incredibly hearty closed-faced canapés that are filled with spiced and herbed mashes of vegetables (carrots, potatoes, and carrots) and then lightly baked in a flaky, buttery crust.” - Heroes’ Feast, p. 64
Eating seasonal foods is a popular option because it helps local growers, tastes fresher, and makes you feel more connected to the season. Now, this is all well and good if you live in a climate with longer or all-year growing seasons; but what can you expect to be growing when you’re knee-deep in snow?
Believe it or not, there are winter seasonal vegetables! (rip fruit, you’ll be missed until spring)
Elven Marruth from Heroes’ Feast is a great use of hardy winter-season produce. The small pastries make for a great snack alongside a warm bowl of soup or, thanks to their nutritious filling, a great meal on their own!
These small pastries also hold a special place in my heart for being the first recipe I ever made from Heroes’ Feast (alongside Underdark Lotus with Fire Lichen Spread on p. 93)!
Check out below for my process in creating the house and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep: 15 mins + pie crust, if making Cook: 2h 30 mins
Total: 2h 45 mins
Ingredients:
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped*
1 small Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped*
2 cups (300 g) packed finely chopped green cabbage*
3 tbsp. (44 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. (3 g) finely chopped fresh thyme, plus 1 ½ tbsp. (4 g) picked whole thyme leaves**
¾ tsp. (4 ml) soy sauce
¼ cup (4 g) chopped fresh dill
All-purpose flour for dusting
Pastry for 2 double-crust pies, thawed if frozen
1 egg
* To cut down on prep time, roughly chop the onion, carrot, and cabbage and then process them together in a food processor. You’ll need about 15 pulses get them all finely chopped.
** To pick the whole thyme leaves, pinch a stem of thyme and run your fingers down the opposite way the leaves are pointing.
First, preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃) with the racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle of the oven. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick (silicone) liners.
Then, in a bowl, combine the onion, potato, carrots, cabbage, and olive oil and toss to coat the vegetables with the oil (top-left). Add ½ tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper and toss to distribute (top-right).
Transfer the mixture to one of the prepared baking sheets, spreading it into a thin, even layer (set the bowl aside) (top-left).
Roast the vegetables on either rack until tender, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring and turning the vegetables two or three times (top-right).
NOTE: I misread the instructions so I spread the mixture over both sheets.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, add the chopped thyme, and stir to incorporate it. Spread out the mixture and allow to cool to room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Leave the oven on for more baking and return the cooled veggies to the now-empty bowl. Stir in the soy sauce, dill, ¾ tsp. salt, and pepper to taste. Adjust the seasoning as necessary, and set aside until needed.
If making the filling ahead of time, turn off the oven, transfer the cooled mixture to a tupperware, and put it in the fridge until needed.
Replace the parchment paper on the baking sheet or wash the non-stick liner and return it to the baking sheet. Have a small bowl of water handy.
Dust a large piece of parchment paper or a clean work surface with flour. Working with one ball of homemade pastry at a time, or one sheet of store-bought pastry, roll the dough into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle (top-left).
Sprinkle half of the whole thyme leaves evenly over the pastry, cover with a piece of parchment paper, and roll lightly to help the thyme stick (top-right).
Flip the pastry over so the thyme leaves are on the bottom, and set aside. Repeat with the remaining pastry and remaining whole thyme leaves.
With a 4-inch (10 cm) round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut at least six circles out of each pastry round.
TIP: To keep the pastry as chilled as possible for maximum ~flakiness~ while baking, work with and cut out circles from one ball of pastry at a time. Place each cut circle on a plate covered with cling film and put in the fridge until needed.
Keep the scraps from the first dough ball in the fridge and combine with the scraps from the second dough ball. Roll out the combined scraps for extra circles.
NOTE: My pie crust recipe gives quite a bit of dough, so you’ll end up cutting out way more than the six asked for by Heroes’ Feast.
Working with as many of the pastry circles as you feel comfortable with to keep the dough chilled, place 1 ½ tbsp. (one slightly rounded tbsp.) of the vegetable mixture in the center of each round, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge.
Working with one piece of pastry at a time, moisten the edge of the pastry circle and fold over the pastry over the filling to make a half-moon shape. Press out any trapped air, press the edges firmly to seal, and crimp the edges using a fork to secure the seal.
Transfer the crimped pastries to a separate plate and keep in the fridge until ready to cook.
Repeat with the remaining pastry rounds and filling.
Once all of the pastries are ready, transfer them onto the prepared baking sheets.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tbsp. water and brush the tops and sides of each marruth with the mixture (top-left).
Bake until the marruths are light golden brown and crisp, about 25 minutes, rotating the sheets 180 degrees and switching racks halfway through baking (top-right).
Set the baking sheets on wire racks, cool the pastries for about 5 minutes, and serve hot.
NOTE: Despite the recipe only being supposed to make 12, I’ve always gotten somewhere between 18-22 marruths from the filling.
NOTE: You’ll notice the BIG marruth I’ve made on the tray. I was trying to see if I could make a larger version of this recipe since I’d made smaller ones of the Hand Pies (p. 21). However, the consensus was that the smaller ones were better. Expect 4-5 more marruths than shown if not making the big one.
Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. I’m usually not a huge fan of vegetable-based dishes, but these veggie turnovers are awesome. I’ve made them for weekend lunches and many a movie night and they’re always a massive hit!
The vegetables really work together with the soy sauce and herbs to create a great flavour with a texture reminiscent of a spring roll. If you’re looking for a more savoury turnover, this one’s for you.
MAKE SURE TO EAT THEM WARM though. It might just be me, but they don’t really work if they’re any colder than room temperature.
I would also recommend making the filling and pie crust on one day and assembling them the next day. It makes the cooking time a lot less daunting and not eat up your free time :)
P.S. You can make these for someone who doesn’t like onion by leaving it out. I’ve made them like this before and they said they were great!
2021 Tumblr Year In Review
For auld lang syne, my dear For auld lang syne We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet For auld lang syne
- Auld Lang Syne, Dougie MacLean
First year actively making content on the internet and it’s been a lot of fun so far! I’ve definitely learned a lot and would like to think I’ve improved since I started haha
According to Tumblr, my two most popular tags were #homecooking and #heroes’ feast!
As for posts, my top five are:
The Ultimate Sausage Pasta
Hand Pies (including small, snackable pies!) from Heroes’ Feast
Baked Feta Wrap
Hot Cocoa Broth from Heroes’ Feast
Soul Cakes and Halloween Costumes
The “slogan” I chose for 2022 is: Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss
Dragon Salmon
“[...] the Aundair River is famous for the seafood that half-elven anglers bring back to the markets of Fairheaven. The traditional preparation of the enormous salmon that spawn in that river, like much else in Aundair, relies heavily on sauces: in this case a butter and dark wine reduction.” - Heroes’ Feast, p. 75
Packed full of healthy minerals, fats, and vitamins, fish is an important part of a healthy and balanced diet. However, the cost of fresh fish can reach astronomical prices in places where it isn't readily available. So, why not make the most of the fish you buy when splurging for it?
The Dragon Salmon from Heroes’ Feast is a great, easy recipe to get anyone started on pan-searing salmon while making it look like it came straight out of a Michelin star kitchen. With a flavour combo to die for, it’s sure to make the mouths water of even the pickiest seafood eaters!
BONUS: See the results section for suggestions on vegetables that will add a colourful flare while plating up!
See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep: 10 mins Cook: 25 mins Overall: 35 mins
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds (1.5 kg) skin-on salmon fillet, pinbones removed if necessary, cut crosswise into 4 equal pieces, and blotted dry*
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. (30 ml) neutral-tasting oil (such as vegetable, canola, safflower, or grapeseed)
2 tbsp. (28 g) unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp. (1 g) minced fresh thyme
⅔ cup (160 ml) fruity, medium-bodied red wine (such as Pinot Noir, Côtes du Rhône, or Zinfandel)**
½ cup (80 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ tbsp. (5 g) minced fresh chives, for garnish
* I’m usually not a believer in organic foods. However, I found using organic salmon for this recipe really increased the flavour.
** Don’t use the cheapest wine for this recipe, you can really taste it. Instead, opt for a 14-16$ bottle. I recommend Bolla Valpolicella.
NOTE: Be careful if using dried thyme instead of fresh thyme since dried spices have a much more concentrated flavour. Use one-third of the amount of fresh thyme called for in the recipe if substituting for dried.
First, preheat the oven to 200℉ (93℃) with the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Next, after blotting the fillets with paper towel, sprinkle them with salt and pepper and lightly massage it in.
TIP: Blotting both sides of the fish helps prevent it from sticking to the pan while it cooks.
Warm oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (I set mine closer to medium) until shimmering.
The general trick with pan-frying fish is to use high heat and to give the fillets enough time to cook on both sides while only flipping them once.
To achieve this, place the salmon fillets flesh-side (pink side) down and cook, undisturbed, until the bottoms of the fillet start to turn opaque (like a golden band around the bottom) and the sides of the fillet have lost their vibrant pink colour, 3 to 4 minutes.
Gently flip the fillets using either tongs or a spatula so they are now skin-side (silver side) down. Again, cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes until the fillets have lost all translucent properties on the inside and the flesh flakes apart when checked with a fork.
NOTE: The timings for my fish really depended on their thickness. It sometimes took me 5 minutes a side to cook!
TIP: A downside of frying fish in a pan is that the oil will splatter as it cooks. To save yourself some clean up time (and your arms and hands), place splatter guards over the skillet to catch most of the flinging oil.
TIP: Pan-frying any kind of fish will cause your house/apartment to smell like fish. To help with this, open your windows before you begin cooking. If available, turn your fumehood on high.
Once the fillets have cooked, transfer them to a heatproof plate or baking tray lined with aluminum foil. Place the fillets in the oven to keep warm while the sauce cooks.
TIP: Like @afinickyguide found, the fillets tended to dry out if left in the oven too long. To keep them moist, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the fillets before putting them in.
TIP: Let this picture be a lesson in why you never want to overcrowd a pan. I couldn’t find the tongs and had to use a spatula to flip and get them out of the pan. Disaster!
Reserve the oil used for cooking in a separate bowl for later. Then, wipe out the skillet.
After, melt 1 tbsp. butter in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, thyme, and ¼ tsp. salt and cook, stirring constantly, until the shallots soften - about 1 minute.
Heroes’ Feast says to add the wine and the chicken broth then adjust the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer to cook until reduced by two-thirds. However, I’ve found that simmering the sauce on medium-high reduces it too quickly, and simmering on low (as simmering usually works) reduces it too slowly.
Instead, for more consistent results, add the wine and broth and simmer on medium for 6 minutes (for the sauce to reduce by two-thirds). Stir occasionally and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any stuck browned bits. Add the reserved oil halfway through.
TIP: Like @afinickyguide, I found there was barely enough sauce for all four fillets. I recommend doubling the amount of ingredients for the sauce to have enough.
Reduce heat to low and add the remaining 1 tbsp. butter, ¼ tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Stir constantly while the melts and incorporates into the sauce. Taste the sauce and, if necessary, adjust seasoning with salt.
Pour or spoon sauce over or around the salmon fillets, sprinkle with chives, and serve hot.
TIP: If you don’t like skins on the bottom of your fish, they can be easily taken off after cooking by turning the fillets on their sides before plating and gently prying them away using a fork while a spatula keeps the fillet in place.
Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. Fish is a staple in my house and I’m happy to say that this recipe has replaced our traditional one - it’s truly outstanding! The sauce is a perfect balance of flavours and choosing the right red wine provides excellent body and depth to the meal.
As mentioned earlier, I only have two gripes with this recipe: the fillets can dry out easily if left to warm in the oven too long and that you may need to make double the amount of sauce, depending on your tastes. However, both are easily fixed by tenting the fish with aluminum foil before placing it in the oven and doubling the amount of ingredients for the sauce.
BONUS: For extra flair when serving, plate the fillets with green veggies like broccoli, peas, or green beans for a colourful contrast!
Baked Feta Wrap
I’ll make a better pub night, with chicken and feta! - Me
Who doesn’t love a night with friends after a long week? Whether you’re meeting up with a large group or settling in with a few close friends, it’s always nice to take some time to unwind and catch up. You know what we all don’t love? Expensive prices at bars and pubs. So, why not bring the vibe of pub night home and save some cash!
Popularized on TikTok back in 2020, the original tomato-feta sauce took the app by storm and spawned a whole batch of variations. Although I can’t find it anymore, the most interesting, to me, was from a woman roasting her cheating SO while turning this tasty sauce into a wrap (disguising the elastic as olives? Oof).
So, as midterm season comes to a close (or reaches its penultimate), this recipe is sure to make some great, easy snackables to kick off either a study sesh or a night out. Or, make your friends jealous by bringing it with you to school for an eating-out-style lunch without having to spend the cash!
Cheating SOs dni.
VEGETARIAN? No problem! Check out the results section for how to make this recipe work for you!
(Adapted from Rachael Ray’s recipe and the TikTok mentioned in the intro)
Prep: 5 mins Cook: 1h 30 mins Overall: 1h 35 mins*
* Will take 1h 15 mins time if not allowing the sauce to fully cool.
Ingredients*:
½ cup (118 ml) olive oil
2 pints (550 g) cherry tomatoes
One 8-ounce (225 g) block feta
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ tsp. (0.5 g) red pepper flakes
4 large fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 handful of smaller ones)
Salt and pepper
1.5 pounds (750 g) chicken strips
1 box (142 g) baby spinach
24 medium (not mini) whole-wheat tortillas
* Makes enough for ~24 medium wraps (8-12 servings).
To start, preheat oven to 400℉ (204℃) and move the oven rack to the middle.
In a baking dish, toss the olive oil, whole cherry tomatoes, salt, and pepper until all tomatoes are coated (above-left).
Next, add the feta to the middle of the baking dish. On top of the feta, add a splash of olive oil and some pepper (above-right).
Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
NOTE: I used 2 blocks of feta so I put olive oil and pepper on each block and stacked them.
While the tomatoes and feta bake, prepare the chicken.
To remove extra juices on the outside (and prevent the strips from sticking to the skillet) blot both sides of the chicken strips with a clean paper towel.
Then, sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper and lightly massage it in.
Next, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken strips to the pan and allow to cook for 4-5 minutes a side until the inside is no longer pink and the internal temp reads 165℉ (74℃).
After cooking, remove skillet from heat and move the chicken to a plate to rest.
After 30 minutes in the oven, increase the heat to 450℉ (232℃) and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the tomatoes and feta have browned.
Once everything has browned, remove the baking dish from the oven and add the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Break apart the feta block and stir so the residual heat cooks the garlic and incorporates the flavour from the red pepper flakes.
Unlike the pasta recipe, your goal here is to make sure everything is incorporated and has cooled down a little before assembling the wraps. It will take ~10 minutes to incorporate the sauce and then another ~20 minutes to cool. I recommend placing the baking dish on a wire rack to help it cool faster. If you’re in a rush, you can make the wraps with the warm sauce right after incorporating everything but it will be much harder to roll the wraps.
You’ll know the sauce is ready when you don’t see large streaks of olive oil while stirring or clinging to the sides of the baking dish.
NOTE: I recommend placing a kitchen towel or paper towel under the baking dish as you stir. I’ve made this several times now and always manage to stir a little too hard and spill some olive oil. Best to cut the spillage mess off at the pass.
TIP: Take the time when the sauce is cooling to clean the dishes created in earlier steps!
Stir in the chopped basil leaves once the sauce has cooled and everything has been incorporated.
To assemble the wraps, place a medium tortilla on a clean surface and layer a handful of spinach leaves on one side. Spoon ~1 tbsp. of sauce over the spinach and spread it out a little using the back of the spoon. Place a chicken strip over the sauce (above-left).
To wrap it up, fold the edge with the filling tightly around the chicken. Push in the corners and fold in the top and bottom edges. Continue to wrap everything tightly and fold in the corners that are created as you roll (above-right).
Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. Served warm or cold, the infamous sauce lends itself really well to being used in wrap form.
Although you may feel a little impatient while incorporating the sauce, the flavour is absolutely worth it (as is not just taking a bite of pure olive oil). Don’t skip the spinach either! The sauce is very rich and, although just using 1 tbsp. helps a little, the greens are really what stops it from becoming overbearing.
VEGETARIAN? The chicken inside can easily be substituted for Beyond Meat alternatives. However, if you’d like to change it up, reduce the amount of sauce used and pack the wrap with your favourite bagged salad! I’ve done this a couple times now and it’s tasted great!
Feywild Eggs
(w/ my favourite add-ins)
[Feywild Eggs are] a delightful presentation of creamed, herbed, and fluffed eggs, completed over even heat for a golden crisp finish. Some have even claimed this simple recipe descended from the leShay, an immortal breed of fey “elves” with incredible, godlike powers. - Heroes’ Feast, p. 58
Eggs are one of the most versatile foods around. Scrambled with cheese, added to rice, mixed with greens - there’s nearly no limit to the variations. Easy to pick up the basics, they make a great introduction food for anyone looking to start their cooking journey. The only trick to these eggs is to make sure you have the proper pan for the job!
The Feywild Eggs frittata in Heroes’ Feast makes a great base for any number of combinations you can think of, anytime of the day. Due to all of the possibilities, I couldn’t possibly cover all options in this post. So, I’ll be covering the base recipe through the post and will discuss my favourite add-ins and how I cooked them in the results section!
For a complete feast, eat them with the Yawning Portal Buttermilk Biscuits (p. 31) and Otik’s Skillet-Fried Spiced Potatoes! (p. 20)
See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Overall: 45 mins*
* Will take longer if you are preparing and cooking add-ins.
For the ingredients:
9 eggs
¼ cup (23 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup (20 g) finely chopped mixed fresh herbs (ex. parsley, basil, dill, mint, tarragon, lovage, or celery leaves
½ tsp. (3 g) kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
5 oz., about ½ cup, (140 g) Fontina, Colby, Monterey Jack, Havarti, or Gouda cheese, finely diced*
* If looking to reduce the fat content, feel free to use half the suggested amount of Parmesan cheese and cubed cheese.
Warning: Make sure the skillet you use is oven-safe to 400℉
NOTE: The cook’s note in Heroes’ Feast gives suggestions for veggies and meats to use with the frittata (asparagus, sautéd bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, etc. and cooked crumbled bacon or sausage). The only point of concern is to make sure they have all been seasoned and cooked through in the pan before adding the egg mixture.
First, I preheated the oven to 400℉ (204℃).
Next, I beat together the eggs, Parmesan cheese, herbs, salt, and some pepper until the mixture was uniformly blended.
After combining the egg mixture, I heated my 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and warmed the olive oil until shimmering. Then, I added the onion and let it cook, stirring frequently, until it softened - about 3 minutes.
REMINDER to cook all of your add-in veggies and meats in the skillet before adding the eggs! See the results section for my favourite add-ins and how I cooked them up.
Once the onion softened, I added the egg mixture to the skillet and let it cook, undisturbed, until the edges began to set and bubbles appeared in the center - about 1 minute (upper-left).
Then, I sprinkled the diced cheese evenly over the eggs (upper-right).
After assembling, I transferred the skillet to the middle oven rack and baked the frittata until the center had set and it puffed up - about 14 minutes.
NOTE: The frittata will puff a lot in the oven, so make sure your oven rack is in the middle!
After taking the skillet out of the oven, I ran a flexible nonstick spatula around the edges of the frittata to loosen it for transfer onto a serving plate.
I let it cool for about 15 minutes then cut it into wedges. It can be served warm or at room temperature.
NOTE: Don’t panic when it deflates as you loosen it from the skillet and transfer - it’s meant to do that!
Overall, I would give this recipe a 3.5/5 on its own and a 4.5/5 when you include add-ins. As stated in the introduction, the base Feywild Eggs recipe is a great starting point to build on but really needs the extras to not taste bland.
For my personal favourites, I used Italian parsley, 1 cup (130 g) chopped asparagus, and 1 cup (70 g) sliced mushrooms. Like the original recipe, I mixed in the finely chopped Italian parsley with the eggs. To cook veggies, I heated 2 tbsp. olive oil on medium heat until shimmering and then added the onion, asparagus, and mushrooms at the same time. I seasoned them with salt and pepper in the pan then cooked, stirring frequently, until the asparagus softened and the onions were a translucent golden brown - about 5 minutes.
The Ultimate Sausage Pasta
“This is the best pasta I’ve ever had” - Everyone who’s tried it
Living with other people is a valuable experience for any young person - especially when you get the chance to share meals and recipes. It’s amazing what kinds of foods you can add to your cooking arsenal and this pasta is one of them!
Originally introduced through the friend of my housemate, I can say with absolute confidence that this is the best pasta I, and everyone who's tried it, has ever had. The best part? It only takes half an hour to make!
With it’s quick cooking time on consistent heat, easy steps, and simple ingredients, it makes for the perfect meal for everyone from an on-the-go student looking for a cheap, filling meal to a busy professional.
VEGETARIAN? No problem! Check the results sections for tips on changes to make the recipe work for you.
Prep: 5 mins Cook: 25 mins Overall: 30 mins
For the ingredients:
Half a bag (450 g) Rigatoni pasta
500g mild italian sausage, sliced into 3/4-inch pieces (I recommend Johnsonville brand, if available)
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp. sundried tomatoes in oil, sliced
2 tbsp. oil from the jar
1 cup (250 ml) low-sodium chicken broth*
1 block (150 g) chopped frozen spinach**
½ cup (125 ml) heavy cream (35%)***
* Feel free to use any homemade chicken broth or stock you have for a deeper flavour! If you store your homemade broth in the freezer using ice-cubes, you’ll need about 8 for a cup.
** If you’ve got the chopped frozen spinach that comes in little cylinders it’s about 3 of them. If you only have frozen whole leaf spinach (like I did here), take it out of the package and stick it in the microwave on a plate until it starts to defrost. Then, chop it up!
*** Feel free to use either 35% “cooking cream” or “heavy cream”. I’ve used both and haven’t noticed a difference. Do not use lighter creams as substitutes. You will end up with a cream soup instead of a cohesive sauce.
Start by boiling your pasta according to the directions listed on the package - straining it about 1 minute before it reaches al dente.
Next, heat up a high-rimmed skillet on medium heat and add your sausage. Allow it to fully cook through, about 12 minutes (internal temp of 160℉), stirring occasionally.
After the sausage has fully cooked, add the garlic, sundried tomatoes, and oil. Mix it with the sausage and cook until the garlic starts to turn a golden colour (2-3 minutes), stirring frequently.
TIP: After finely chopping your garlic, use the flat side of the knife to crush it. This will allow more flavour to release from the garlic.
Add the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits that got stuck. Allow the broth to come to a boil.
Add the frozen spinach to the boiling broth, breaking it up as it thaws. Allow it to cook until no frozen chunks remain, about 3-4 minutes.
NOTE: At this stage, you’ll probably start to think that there’s too little sauce in the pan, but resist the urge to add extra broth.
Add the heavy cream and stir. Allow it to come to a boil and incorporate, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
You might need to add a little more cream as it cooks. Ideally, you want the sauce to have taken on the lighter colour of the cream but still be able to see the darker colour of the broth.
NOTE: This was made with homemade chicken stock - giving it a deeper colour when the cream is mixed in. You’ll find your sauce to be much lighter if using store-bought broth.
Finally, keeping the heat on medium, add your strained past. Stir until you can see the sauce clinging to the noodles and making them shiny, about 2 minutes. There should only be a little sauce remaining at the bottom of the pan.
Overall, I would give this pasta a 5/5. I’ve honestly never made a recipe that everyone unanimously agrees is a hit with no changes. It’s so quick and easy that I make it almost every week without fail. In fact, I'm making it tomorrow!
As I’ve mentioned in the introduction, I would highly recommend this to anyone who is just starting to learn how to cook. The entire meal cooks in 30 mins on the same heat and is extremely forgiving. Perfect for those starting to venture past instant noodles and freezer meals!
EATING VEGETARIAN? No problem!: I’ve made this dish vegetarian several times and although you do lose some of the flavour, it’s still amazing.
To substitute the sausage, I’ve either taken it out completely or I’ve used Beyond Meat sausage. Personally, I would recommend leaving the BM sausage out as it has a strange texture. If you enjoy BM and want to add it, add 2 tbsp. of neutral oil to the pan while heating it. Add the sausage and cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently.
You can substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth. I would also recommend adding ~1 tsp. italian seasoning with the broth (like the one used in the dwarven flatbread, but maybe skip the marjoram). This should make up for the loss of spicing from the sausage.
Hand Pies
(Includes small, snackable pies!)
“The variety [of hand pies] presented below, made famous at Cuttle’s Meat Pies located in Waterdeep’s Trades Ward, is flavored with bacon and leeks and is extremely popular across the Heartlands, the Dales, and even the Savage Coast of Faerun, where hungry adventurers simply can’t get enough of them.” - Heroes’ Feast, p. 21
I think we can all agree that pie is one of the best foods ever (take that cake lovers). But, why should its awesomeness only extend to fruit, pudding, or whatever olden times had going on?
The Hand Pies in Heroes’ Feast are a great, filling meal to close to a long day. Packed with awesome carbs, proteins, and spices, they’re hard to resist!
I was really interested to see if there was a way to turn the traditional, larger pies into snackable finger foods that could be brought to school or made for a party. After a little bit of testing, I found that they could! Since my main goal for this post was to create the snackable ones, I will be incorporating my process into the main body of my review instead of just keeping it to the notes after each step.
Although not the fastest meal to make, there are several ways to speed up the process and give yourself less work!
See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2h 40 mins Overall: 3 h
* See results section for how to cut down vegetable prep time
** Prep time will increase if you’re making your own pie crust
For the ingredients:
6 slices thick-cut bacon*
1 large (about 8 ounces) Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 leeks, white and light green parts, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 tbsp. (3 g) finely chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound (500 g) ground beef**
2 tbsp. (16 g) all-purpose flour
⅔ cup (160 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh parsley
Pastry for 2 double-crust pies (about 1 ½ pounds), thawed if frozen
1 egg
Ketchup, grainy mustard, or steak sauce to serve (optional)
* I couldn’t find any thick-cut bacon at my grocery store, so I used double the amount of regular cut bacon instead.
** I used medium ground beef.
Preparing the Filling:
I cooked the regular cut bacon in batches in order to avoid crowding the pan. Because I was using thinner bacon, I had to cook the bacon all the way until crispy instead of just slightly browned.
I didn’t have enough rendered fat after cooking for the 2 ½ tbps. required in the next steps. To make up for it, I supplemented the missing amount with a neutral-tasting oil (like vegetable, canola, safflower, and grapeseed).
For the vegetable mixture, I first cooked the potatoes in 1 ½ tbps. of the reserved fat over medium-high heat. This took about 7 minutes, stirring frequently (above-left image).
Next, I added 1 tbsp. reserved fat, leeks, thyme, and ½ tsp. salt to the potatoes and cooked them for about 4 minutes. Then, I added the garlic and stirred it in until fragrant - about 1 minute.
Finally, I transferred it to a bowl, wiped out the pan, and returned it to medium-high heat.
For the beef mixture, I cooked the ground beef until it started to lose its pink colour (4-5 mins). You want to make sure you’re breaking up any large clumps as it cooks.
Next, I turned down the heat to medium and added the flour, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. After, I added the broth and ¾ tsp. salt, scraping the skillet to dissolve anything that got stuck to the bottom. The above-right image is what the beef mixture looked like after cooking it for 2 minutes. It shouldn’t be super liquidy.
Above is what the hand pie mixture looked like when I combined the vegetable and meat mixtures. After combining, I allowed the mixture to cool for about 20 minutes (barely warm).
When the mixture cooled, I incorporated the crumbled bacon and parsley. Finally, I covered it with cling wrap and put it in the fridge.
NOTE: To adjust the seasoning at this point, I would recommend only using pepper. I found the mixture was plenty salty.
Constructing the Pies:
First, I preheated the oven to 375℉ and lined two baking sheets with parchment paper. You could also use nonstick silicone liners.
Since I was using a homemade pie crust, I divided my dough into quarters then rolled them out on a lightly floured work surface until I could see the surface through the dough. I lightly floured the top of the dough and my rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking to it. Follow the same method if using store-bought dough.
To prevent the dough from breaking while chilled: start by rolling it out a little in one direction, rotate 90°, roll it out a little, and repeat. This way, you’re not just stretching the dough in one direction.
As you work with the dough, try not to let it get too warm! The chilled butter is what gives the pie crust a flaky texture. If you feel the dough start to warm up too much as you work with it, cover it with a clean, damp kitchen or damp paper towel and place it in the fridge for a few minutes before continuing.
If you notice any tears appear while you roll out the dough, overlap a bit of the dough in that area and roll over it using the rolling pin. If the tear is too large to do this, patch it up with some dough scraps and roll over it to seal it.
To create envelopes for the filling, I used a stencil to create 10 by 8-inch ovals for the large ones and used a ~3 ¾-inch diameter circular cookie cutter.
From my dough, I was able to get two large pies and 15 smaller ones (not using all the dough scraps will net you about 12).
NOTE: A bench scraper and/or a thin metal spatula is your friend while working with the dough. To make the pies easier to fold and transfer, make sure to go around and lift up all of the dough from the work surface.
For the large pies, I placed one cup of filling on the bottom third of the dough and left ~1 ½ inches for the border (above-left).
For the small pies, there are a few changes I would make with how I constructed them (above-right). Although using only a ½ tbsp. of filling made them easier to handle, you should absolutely use between ¾-1 tbs. instead. You may not get as clean of a seam, but it will help the pies stay juicy and have a better dough-to-filling ratio.
Also, I would consider using a slightly larger cookie cutter (4-inch diameter) and shaping the dough to be more like an oval. I think this would help with the difficulties when using more filling.
Finally, be mindful of how much filling you’re making/using. The amount of filling called for in the recipe is great when making four large pies but significantly less is needed when constructing the smaller ones. Out of the 15 made, adjusting for the recommended increase in filling would mean just barely 1 ½ cups is needed!
To ensure minimal food waste when only making the mini-pies, either make 2.5 times the amount of dough or make ¾ the amount of filling.
Put the filling for the little ones on the bottom half of the circle/oval leaving room for sealing and crimping.
To seal the pies, I started by dipping my finger in water and going around the seam to moisten it. Next, using my bench scraper, I folded the dough over the meat filling. Finally, I used a fork to crimp the edges closed.
If you notice any breaks in the dough while you’re folding/crimping, don’t worry! Use any spare scraps of dough to cover the tears. If a tear appears when crimping the edges, cover it with scrap dough and crimp it down.
Each regular-sized hand pie took about 8 mins to assemble from rolling it out to sealing it. So, it will take you around half an hour to do all four (at least the first time).
The snack-sized pies took about 8 minutes for 4 of them. Therefore, it will take you just under half an hour to make 12 of them. When I put together all of my dough scraps for the little ones, I was able to make 3 extra snack pies - 15 in total.
Always use your bench scraper or flat metal spatula when working with or picking up the pies.
TIP: Because each pie takes time to construct and because we want the pie crust to stay cool, place each fully constructed pie in the fridge after sealing it. For the smaller ones, place each batch of 4 in the fridge as you finish them.
TIP: If you’re running out of space in your fridge for the baking sheets, use a cooling rack to place one tray on top of the other.
TIP: Wait until the pies have chilled in the fridge to score the X. It’s much easier to cut into the firm dough than the softer one.
Above is what the pies looked like before and after baking in the oven for about 40-45 mins. Be generous with the egg wash to give each pie a nice golden brown colour.
Above is what the pies looked like as they cooled - about 5 to 10 mins. Be mindful when transferring the large ones to the wire rack. They are very easy to break.
Overall, I would give this recipe a 4.5/5. Both the regular and the snack sized hand pies were delicious. Although, I would recommend eating the larger pies with a fork. They were a bit too flimsy to be eaten by hand. However, the filling to pie crust ratio was perfect.
As mentioned in the filling step, the only changes I would make to make the snack pies better would be to use a slightly larger cookie cutter and use more filling. Other than that, they were amazing. Everyone in my house agreed that they would make for great appetizers or finger foods for a party because “you can eat them and just feel like you’re snacking”. You can even turn the assembly into a fun activity (or pass off the work to guests who like to arrive early)!
I would highly recommend not making this a one-day event. As the longest hands-on recipe so far, I would split up the work as follows:
Make the filling the day before
Make the pie crust and construct the pies the day of
Not only will this division of work make the recipe less daunting but it will allow the filling to chill completely - making it much easier to handle.
TIP: Although the prep time seems a little daunting, you can save time by completing certain parts of it while cooking. For example:
Cut up the potatoes and leeks while the bacon cooks
Chop up the thyme while the potato chunks cook
episode twelve: honeyed ham 🍖🍽🗡
Potato Leek Soup (w/ Smoked Turkey)
Served year round, this dense and nutritious vegetable blend is perfect for warming the limbs and souls of dwarves subjugated to the unrelenting cold of damp subterranean life. - Heroes’ Feast, p.97
There’s something very comforting about a rich, creamy soup on an overcast day. Whether rain or snow, its warmth gives you a sense of homely comfort and raises your spirits.
I’d never tried potato and leek soup before attempting this recipe and was skeptical at first; how good could some leeks and potatoes be? However, I was blown away by taste! Delicious and filling, this Potato Leek Soup is sure to satisfy your hunger while giving you those reading-a-good-book-on-a-rainy-day vibes. Make sure to dip a thick slice of sourdough bread from your nearest bakery in it for an even more knock-your-socks-off taste!
As an added bonus, this soup is easily made vegetarian! See the results sections to find out how.
See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep Time: ~30 mins Cook Time: ~1h 30 mins Overall: ~2 hrs
For the ingredients:
2 slices thick-cut bacon*
3 leeks, white and green parts, thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream**
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
* I substituted the bacon for smoked turkey.
** I substituted the 35% heavy cream for 18% table cream.
I use the following conversions in my cooking:
1 lb. russet potatoes = 500 g
4 cups chicken broth = 900 ml chicken broth + 50 ml water
1 cup heavy cream = 240 ml
NOTE: Be careful if using dried thyme instead of fresh thyme since dried spices have a much more concentrated flavour. Use one-third of the amount of fresh thyme called for in the recipe if substituting for dried.
TIP: 4 cups of chicken broth is ~950 ml (~33 fl oz.) and a carton of chicken broth contains ~900 ml (~30 fl oz.). Don’t bother buying another carton of chicken broth for the extra 50 ml (~2 fl oz.)! Use up one carton and make up the difference with water.
I didn’t use bacon for this recipe, but still wanted to infuse the broth with the flavour. Luckily, smoked turkey has an extremely similar taste and texture to ham! Just be sure to use extra smoked turkey because it doesn’t release as much fat - which is needed for the flavour.
Above is what the smoked turkey looked like after cooking for 15 minutes (flipping halfway through). It won’t get as crispy as the bacon, but it will still have all of those awesome flavours.
NOTE: Like turkey bacon, smoked turkey doesn’t have enough fat to fry itself. Make sure to add a little bit of neutral-tasting oil to the saucepan, like vegetable, canola, safflower or grapeseed oil, to fry it.
The fried smoked turkey will not crumble like the bacon would. To sprinkle it onto the soup, I diced it into small cubes.
Above is what the vegetables looked like before and after they softened. This will take ~5 mins and they will take up around half of their original volume in the saucepan.
Above is what the soup looked like after cooking. Letting the potatoes simmer on low heat to soften will take forever. Instead, bring the soup to a boil on high heat then turn it back down to medium to simmer.
It will take about 10 minutes to bring the soup to a boil and it will need to cook on medium for 30 minutes in order for the potatoes to soften enough to blend.
Above is what the soup looked like after blending. I used a magic bullet since I don’t have a proper blender. It took 7 batches filled slightly less than halfway to get through all of it.
Be careful when using a magic bullet to blend the soup - it will be extremely hot! Use a kitchen towel to hold the magic bullet when opening it to avoid burning yourself.
Also, you will need to rinse off the blade attachment each time you blend a batch of soup. The extra soup will prevent a proper seal from forming.
Above is what the soup looked like after I added the cream. I found that 5 minutes was plenty of time for it to thicken.
Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5 - my grandmother even asked me to teach her how to make it! It has easily put itself on the rotation of dinner meals.
Also, don’t get discouraged by the time it takes to make! Most of the cooking time is hands-off and the prep time can easily be halved if you have someone helping you.
VEGETARIAN: Forego the bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. The taste will be more vegetable-heavy but it doesn’t take away from the tastiness of the soup.
Pan seared fish with tomatoes & olives
6-ingredient healthy baked eggplant parmesan
Day 21: Potato-gratin with bacon cubes
Shit looks good
Ingredients:
1,5kg firm boiling/ waxy potatoes (I don't know the word, sorry)
Butter/Oil
100g bacon
1 Stick of leek
150g melting cheese (?), Salami flavour
200g cream
3 eggs
Salt, Pepper
Herbs of your choice
Recipe:
Peel the Potatoes, wash them and cut into 4mm thick slices. In Saltwater barely cooking (not done) and then put them in an oiled up baking form.
Cube the bacon, clean the leek and cut it into rings. Sauté in hot oil for 5 minutes while stirring. Spread over the potato slices.
Whisk 100g of the cheese, cream, eggs, salt and pepper and herbs. Spread over the Potatoes also.
Bake in preheated oven at 200-225°C for 40-45 minutes, adjust if needed.
After 25 minutes, add the rest of the cheese in small blobs.
Enjoy!
Currently imagining a bat family dinner where all the batkids are going “pass me the Bat-salt” “sorry, I dropped my Bat-fork” “amazing Bat-soup, Alfred!” “I don’t want to see anymore Bat-photos of your dog on your Bat-phone, Damian”
Meanwhile Bruce has his head in his hands cursing the day he decided to get everyone to come to dinner.
I haven’t posted in a long time. Makes me sad. I’m sad. I want to eat beef wellington to cope with my sadness. Anyone wanna eat beef wellington with me?
*mafia voice* i like~a the art challenge~a @m-chromatic high effort for what? imaginary points, duh! more and the most horrible at the end
points= 6, a knight (k pronounced)
on a whim I made a palette game dedicated to…. UNUSUAL color palettes. feel free to participate in any way you’d like
anyways send me some requests and a palette combo and i’ll try to draw stuff for my own challenge lmao (though i might just draw stuff on my own idk)
#dragon #dragonfly #photography #photo #garden #nature #art #artist #wings #details #ocean #dinner #bugs #inspiration #insects #plants #people #daylight #evening #sunday #tuesday #mountains #grace #closeup #distance https://www.instagram.com/p/BztUcY9gsiH/?igshid=1maed3szueb5e
Mexican-Inspired Chicken Thigh and Rice Skillet - Chicken Thigh In this one-pan, stovetop meal with Mexican influences, chicken, rice, and vegetables make the ideal trio. It's quick to prepare on a busy weeknight.
Shellfish - Cheesy Shrimp Alfredo Bake The cheese, sun-dried tomato pesto, and vegetables bake up in this quick and simple penne shrimp Alfredo.
doing something I hate (making rice) so I can do something I love (delaying my inevitable demise)