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Chocolate zucchini cake / muffins

This recipe from a friend who visited the other day. The kids were over the moon for these muffins, and god knows I've got ten thousand giant zucchinis languishing on my counter. As usual, I'd suggest subbing approximately a third of the wheat flour for oatmeal flour, since this recipe would benefit from the oat flavour. It's hardly necessary, though.  Also of note is that since this recipe uses baking soda as a leavener, you should use natural cocoa powder, not Dutch-processed. You can use the other, but it won't taste as chocolatey. Chocolate zucchini cake 1 3/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup soft butter 1/2 cup oil 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup buttermilk 2 cups shredded zucchini 2 1/2 cups flour 1/4 cup natural (non-alkalised, non-Dutch processed) cocoa powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup chocolate chips Mix together butter, sugar, and oil. Then add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and blend together.  Add all dry ingredients and mix lightly. Stir in zucc...
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Coconut curry ramen soup

This was so incredibly satisfying, but I changed so much of the recipe that I need to write it down. It was kind of "white person curry", but I had more authentic ingredients in my cabinet, so I amped it up a bit. Originally from Pinch of Yum: https://pinchofyum.com/coconut-curry-ramen Tofu: 1 block extra firm tofu 2 tbsp corn starch 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tbsp canola/vegetable oil 2 tbsp hoisin sauce 1 tsp soy sauce Slice the tofu into bite-size chunks. Toss with the corn starch until it's well-coated.  Put the canola oil into a shallow pan, and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the oil's hot, toss in the tofu. Keep it moving around until it's all crispy on the outside. Once crispy, toss in the sesame oil, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce, and mix until all of the tofu's covered in sticky deliciousness. Set aside and keep warm. (Ideally, you'll be cooking both this and the vegetables at the same time.) Broth and vegetables: 2 cups diced mushrooms 3 cups baby bok ...
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Pot Roast

5lb  roast 1/2 tsp thyme 2 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp vinegar 1 clove garlic minced 1 cup strained tomatoes or passata 1 cup chopped onion 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 tsp salt pinch pepper Sear the meat in a large pot. Then add the rest of the ingredients, and simmer for three and a half hours, or until the meat starts to fall apart. For the Instant Pot, sear and then cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Naturally release for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the way. Either way, remove the meat and blitz the sauce with a hand blender. If needed, add a bit of water and corn starch to thicken, or use as-is.
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Egg Roll in a Bowl

I forgot to write this down the last time I made it, and so when I made it again following the original recipe, I didn't do it quite right. THIS IS WHY YOU LEAVE A NOTE. Anyway. 1 pound ground pork, chicken, or turkey 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp grated ginger 1/4 cup light soy sauce 1 tbsp hoisin 1/2 tsp fish sauce Sambal oelek to taste 1 bag coleslaw mix 1 can diced or sliced water chestnuts Green onion to garnish Brown the meat in a pan with a bit of sesame oil. Once the meat is cooked, add the diced onion. Let it cook for a few minutes, then deglaze with soy sauce, and add everything else in. Cook until the cabbage has wilted a little, just a few minutes, and then serve on its own or with rice. For vegetarian/vegan versions, omit fish sauce. Substitute tofu crumbles or lightly fried tofu cubes. Cook the onion on its own, then add in the tofu and everything else.
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It's Not Congee

After several years of being uncharacteristically lucky with Farm Boy's hot lunch bar, I finally ran out of good luck and ate some bad bread pudding. (How could I resist bread pudding? Honestly.) So I spent yesterday wildly ill, and today am finally crawling back into the land of the living. In doing so, I made a very distracted, half-hearted attempt at making some rice and vegetable/kombu broth soup. I ended up not putting enough broth in, and the rice ended up as more of a porridge.  As you do, I tossed a raw egg in, stirred it around until it was kind of also an egg drop soup but not? And then I ate it, and it was good. I also looked up what I'd made, because I figured it was probably named something, somewhere, and it looks a little like congee that hasn't been blended.  So for the next time I get sick, here's a good vegetarian meal that's incredibly delicious and warming.  1/2 cup uncooked rice (I used jasmine, but I think anything would work...
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Quick Biryani Chicken with Cauliflower Rice

I love my regular biryani recipe, but it has two major flaws. First, it's impossible to cook it in such a way that I can make myself a vegetarian option that's any good. Second, it takes a fair amount of time and active effort to put together. Delicious, but not exactly a weekday dinner type of thing. Oh, and third, it's pretty unhealthy. I forgot about that one. I found a recipe on SkinnyTaste , and thought I'd make it for supper tonight. Then I promptly changed it as I went, because that's how I roll, and now here we are. Chicken marinade: 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs 1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek, but it doesn't matter) 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp grated ginger 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp garam masala 3/4 tsp ground turmeric 1/4 tsp chili powder Mix everything together except for the chicken. Then add the marinade to the chicken pieces, making sure each piece is covered. Leave in the fridge for three to six hours. The same thing ...
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Lemon Squares

These lemon squares are a little finicky, since my usual baking tricks don't work with them. Instead of making the same mistakes every Christmas, I'm going to write down the proper way to make them here. This recipe is taken from Pam Collacott's first PamCooks book . A big note: this recipe is for regular lemons. If using meyer lemons, use approximately four lemons' worth of zest. It will also likely take at least that many lemons to make the 1/2 cup of juice that you'll need. Also, reduce the amount of sugar in the filling by 1/4 cup. 2020 Update: I've tried this recipe a few times with Meyer lemons now, and just can't find success with it. It's sweet enough that it really needs the aggressive sourness of regular old lemons. If you wanted to try with Meyer lemons, maybe just use the zest, and then use regular lemon juice for the juice part.  Base: 1 1/2 cups AP flour 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 3/4 cup room temperature butter Filling: 4 eggs ...
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