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WTM Cook-Along #1 -- Grilled Cheese & Spring Veggies

WildflowerMom

By WildflowerMom,
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livetoread

livetoread

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I did a simple spring veggie soup the other day that was good. No recipe because I kind of made it up but easy without one. I sautéed a couple of leeks in olive oil then some minced garlic, and then added about six cups of light broth (I use a vegan chicken broth). I added diced new potatoes with the skin on and simmered for about 10 min. Then dumped in frozen petite peas, lots of fresh chopped dill and some lemon juice for brightness. It was yummy.

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wisdomandtreasures

wisdomandtreasures

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Totally amazeballz grilled cheese recipe I made up...

Whatever bread you prefer...

Mushrooms sauteed in a little olive oil or butter with garlic, salt, and pepper

Mashed avocado

Slice or 2 of provolone cheese

Slice or 2 of pepeprjack cheese

Butter the bread. Spread avocado on one piece. Add slices of cheese. Add mushrooms and other slice(s) of cheese. Do it in this order so the whole thing doesn't just fall apart. Top with buttered bread. Cook until crispy on both sides. Oh my goodness, it is so yummy! 

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WildflowerMom

WildflowerMom

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10 minutes ago, wisdomandtreasures said:

Totally amazeballz grilled cheese recipe I made up...

Whatever bread you prefer...

Mushrooms sauteed in a little olive oil or butter with garlic, salt, and pepper

Mashed avocado

Slice or 2 of provolone cheese

Slice or 2 of pepeprjack cheese

Butter the bread. Spread avocado on one piece. Add slices of cheese. Add mushrooms and other slice(s) of cheese. Do it in this order so the whole thing doesn't just fall apart. Top with buttered bread. Cook until crispy on both sides. Oh my goodness, it is so yummy! 

That does sound really good!    Thank you!  

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mmasc

mmasc

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, WildflowerMom said:

I plan on doing a quiche tonight to use up our Easter ham.   I hope it turns out ok.   

This is my absolute favorite quiche recipe ever. Much more creamy vs spongy, imo. I think she has one for ham and cheese quiche as well!

Edited by mmasc
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Clarita

Clarita

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Posted

So last night I made grilled cheese sandwiches. I had leftover oil/grease in the pan from browning the bacon wrapped filet-mignon we had for Easter dinner. So mayo on the outside, cheddar and chives on the inside fried in bacon/beef grease. The mayo and the bacon grease really made a difference to the sandwich. Chives was a good add.

The only downside was I used a crusty high quality bread for the sandwiches and my kids complained it was too crunchy. 

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Minerva

Minerva

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6 hours ago, livetoread said:

I did a simple spring veggie soup the other day that was good. No recipe because I kind of made it up but easy without one. I sautéed a couple of leeks in olive oil then some minced garlic, and then added about six cups of light broth (I use a vegan chicken broth). I added diced new potatoes with the skin on and simmered for about 10 min. Then dumped in frozen petite peas, lots of fresh chopped dill and some lemon juice for brightness. It was yummy.

Oh my gosh, this sounds so good. I have everything but the peas in my fridge. Feeling inspired! 

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WildflowerMom

WildflowerMom

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58 minutes ago, Clarita said:

Also I made stir-fry mizuna topped with tangerine and tangerine vinaigrette (tangerine, balsalmic vinegar and sesame oil) for Easter lunch. I plated it but the kids dug in before I could get a good picture in.

That sounds awesome!  I had to google mizuna.  I’ve never seen it.  

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KungFuPanda

KungFuPanda

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My plan: Make chicken quesadillas with spring onions and oregano from the garden, photograph the results, and post it here. 
 

My reality:  DS didn’t WANT a quesadilla, he wanted nachos instead. I ended up making myself pupusas.  They came in a box from Costco and I just had to heat them in a pan for a few minutes on each side. 

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WildflowerMom

WildflowerMom

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15 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Tonight I made the world’s ugliest spring rolls (which I cut in half to make them easier to eat. ). Ingredients:  grilled chicken, cucumber, carrots, cabbage, various colored bell peppers in a spring roll wrapper. Thai peanut sauce for dipping. 
 

https://imgur.com/a/ckygBAo?s=sms

I love all the colors!   I’ve never had spring rolls.   What is the wrapper made of?    

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AmandaVT

AmandaVT

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Posted
32 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Tonight I made the world’s ugliest spring rolls (which I cut in half to make them easier to eat. ). Ingredients:  grilled chicken, cucumber, carrots, cabbage, various colored bell peppers in a spring roll wrapper. Thai peanut sauce for dipping. 
 

https://imgur.com/a/ckygBAo?s=sms

They look delicious! I love spring rolls. 

I made roasted veggie pasta. Zucchini, summer squash, sliced onion, garlic, and halved grape tomatoes - toss w/ olive oil, salt and pepper. Roasted in oven. 

While they were getting all roasty and happy, I cooked up orecchiette pasta and wilted some baby spinach. Tossed everything together once the pasta was cooked (added a little veggie broth) and topped with shredded parm. It came out great! 

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cjzimmer1

cjzimmer1

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Posted
33 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Tonight I made the world’s ugliest spring rolls (which I cut in half to make them easier to eat. ). Ingredients:  grilled chicken, cucumber, carrots, cabbage, various colored bell peppers in a spring roll wrapper. Thai peanut sauce for dipping. 
 

https://imgur.com/a/ckygBAo?s=sms

Oh man that sounds so good right now.  So good in fact that I just went and put some sprout seeds in water to soak.  By the end of the week, I can make my spring rolls with fresh sprouts.  

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Spy Car

Spy Car

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Posted
47 minutes ago, WildflowerMom said:

I love all the colors!   I’ve never had spring rolls.   What is the wrapper made of?    

Spring rolls are really fun.

When you purchase them they come in a round stack of thin dried translucent discs with a basket-like pattern embossed.

Then you rehydrate them under running water (happens quickly). They turn nearly transparent, which makes it a great wrapper for colorful ingredients.

Very easy. And fun.

Bill

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WildflowerMom

WildflowerMom

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I fixed a quiche with our leftover ham, asparagus, yellow onion.   It is really good, but not pretty.  At all.  🤣  I was in a rush to get somewhere and I still haven’t left yet.  I mixed two different recipes and used three types of cheese to use up little bits I had leftover in the fridge.   
Next up this week is grilled cheese, actually maybe two!  I’ll try to get a photo! 

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ScoutTN

ScoutTN

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Posted
On 4/10/2023 at 11:09 AM, livetoread said:

I did a simple spring veggie soup the other day that was good. No recipe because I kind of made it up but easy without one. I sautéed a couple of leeks in olive oil then some minced garlic, and then added about six cups of light broth (I use a vegan chicken broth). I added diced new potatoes with the skin on and simmered for about 10 min. Then dumped in frozen petite peas, lots of fresh chopped dill and some lemon juice for brightness. It was yummy.

This sounds great!

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ScoutTN

ScoutTN

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Posted
22 hours ago, happi duck said:

April 12 is National Grilled Cheese Day!

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-grilled-cheese-sandwich-day-april-12/

Ok, this just re-ordered my meal plan for tomorrow.  We will eat late bc Ds has a game, but grilled cheese is fast and everyone likes it. I will save all my carbs for the day to have a half-sandwich and some salad. 
 

Pondering ideas and combos. I am thinking to do several different ones and share. 
 

Sharp white cheddar, bacon, tart apple slices, and arugula on sourdough.

Havarti and ? on ?

Swiss and ? on ?

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cjzimmer1

cjzimmer1

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27 minutes ago, popmom said:

I have a dumb question.

What qualifies as a "spring vegetable"?

Well I'm sure everyone will have their own definition but I'm going to count the cucumbers and sprouts that I'm having later this week as both being "spring" vegetables because I grew them myself and picked them this "spring".  I might even have some "spring" carrots depending on how they look when I dig down into their pot and I definitely have "spring" potatoes because I saw one poking out of the dirt in the bucket they are growing in in my basement.  So hopefully no one will mind my liberal interpretation of "spring" but I'm just so happy to be eating fresh veggies from my indoor gardens!

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popmom

popmom

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2 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

Well I'm sure everyone will have their own definition but I'm going to count the cucumbers and sprouts that I'm having later this week as both being "spring" vegetables because I grew them myself and picked them this "spring".  I might even have some "spring" carrots depending on how they look when I dig down into their pot and I definitely have "spring" potatoes because I saw one poking out of the dirt in the bucket they are growing in in my basement.  So hopefully no one will mind my liberal interpretation of "spring" but I'm just so happy to be eating fresh veggies from my indoor gardens!

you need to come on over to the April gardens thread and tell me all about this indoor potato set up!

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Drama Llama

Drama Llama

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51 minutes ago, WildflowerMom said:

My quiche was horrific, like a crime scene, when I cut into it.  Next time I'll take a photo *before* I cut into it.    I'm making 2 grilled cheese this week!   I promise photos!  💛

Well that's more fun to look at.  If we want to look at nice looking food we can just use google!

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Drama Llama

Drama Llama

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Just now, WildflowerMom said:

Well it was tasty.  Dh ate almost all of it!   I should've posted the pic anyway.   I promise I'll post the ugly photos, too! 

Ugly but tasty is the best!  Beautiful but nasty is the worst!  Remember that food photographers do things like use lard instead of ice cream, so you can feel superior to them!

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WildflowerMom

WildflowerMom

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8 minutes ago, BandH said:

Ugly but tasty is the best!  Beautiful but nasty is the worst!  Remember that food photographers do things like use lard instead of ice cream, so you can feel superior to them!

Ok, that's gross.   I know in my head the food on commercials is fake, but 🤮.   🤣

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marbel

marbel

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1 hour ago, WildflowerMom said:

My quiche was horrific, like a crime scene, when I cut into it.  Next time I'll take a photo *before* I cut into it.    I'm making 2 grilled cheese this week!   I promise photos!  💛

I burned my quiche. I checked it when the timer went off and it was clear it needed a few more minutes. But when the few minutes were up, the top was overly browned and much of the crust was charred, despite my using a pie shield. 

I was so angry I flung my potholders onto the floor while my husband stood there looking confused. Yes, that was childish of me. I have made countless quiches and have never charred one before! 

Once it cooled down a little and I broke off the charred bits, we found it was quite edible, delicious even. My son also ate some for breakfast. 

Beautiful food really isn't all that. 

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Danae

Danae

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4 hours ago, popmom said:

I have a dumb question.

What qualifies as a "spring vegetable"?

In my head it’s the veggies with a super-short seed to harvest time and/or that can survive a light overnight frost.  Also the ones that like cooler temps and bolt in hot summer weather.

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livetoread

livetoread

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Posted (edited)
On 4/10/2023 at 8:43 PM, AmandaVT said:

 

I made roasted veggie pasta. Zucchini, summer squash, sliced onion, garlic, and halved grape tomatoes - toss w/ olive oil, salt and pepper. Roasted in oven. 

While they were getting all roasty and happy, I cooked up orecchiette pasta and wilted some baby spinach. Tossed everything together once the pasta was cooked (added a little veggie broth) and topped with shredded parm. It came out great! 

That is one of my favorite summer meals. I add portobello mushrooms to the roasting pans along with everything you named and then add fresh sliced basil and some lemon juice at the end. So, so good. I hadn't thought of adding some broth and will try it next time. Sounds like a good addition.

ETA and of course it could be a favorite spring meal, too!

Edited by livetoread
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WildflowerMom

WildflowerMom

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9 hours ago, happi duck said:

I don't think I have the energy to try this recipe but it sounds amazing: honey butter grilled cheese with jalapeno relish 🤤

https://www.plantoeat.com/blog/2023/04/honey-butter-grilled-cheese-with-jalapeno-relish/

Omg, honey butter???   That could be awesome for the outside.  Savory and sweet.   😋😋😋

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marbel

marbel

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I made a grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast this morning. Cranberry walnut bread, Cabot 3 year white cheddar, a bit of strawberry jam and a drizzle of honey. Used mayonnaise for the outer fat. Pretty calorie dense breakfast but it'll be lunch too since I'm having some dental work done today which means I'll be skipping lunch. So it was brunch!  

Anyway, it was delicious! 

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Harriet Vane

Harriet Vane

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Okay, time for me to come clean. My foray into the realm of artichokes was an epic disaster. I pride myself on my awesome cooking and I am fearless about diving into weird ingredients and cuisines from around the world. But artichokes did me in.

I wanted to do artichokes because an acquaintance was raving about the stuffed artichokes of her childhood. She told me what to do and I thought I remembered, but when faced with actual artichokes I felt I couldn't remember her instructions very well after all. I headed over to YouTube, where I became unaccountably lost and confused. It seemed like everyone had a different method. Some warned that it was essential to take out the center spikes. Some simply snipped the leaf edges and cooked. One sliced it in half wholesale, drizzled oil, and roasted.

I decided to go with what I had been told (or so I thought), which was to cut the top off, spread out the leaves, and stuff with a combination of cheese, breadcrumbs, and spices. Dh would have the cheese and breadcrumbs. I would do my own gluten free, dairy free mix of pine nuts (because hey, they're Italian) and spices and a little fake cream cheese to "glue" it all together.

It was a fiasco.

I chopped off the tops and the tips of the outer leaves. I reached in to start spreading out the artichoke to prepare for stuffing and found myself suffused with pain. The middle part is spiky and hairy and bites you!!! It reminded me of that sand monster Jabba the Hutt tried to feed Luke Skywalker to. I watched some more YouTube videos and decided to steam them plain a little bit to soften them up, then use a spoon to scoop out the part that bites you. But first I used scissors to trim off some of the spiky inner leaves, because one of the YouTubers did that so who knows maybe that's the Actual Procedure. Then I threw them in a pot with some water and set them to steam for fifteen minutes.

While steaming, I made the stuffing. Shoot, not quite as much shredded parmesan as I would have liked (for dh). And the pine nuts seemed big, so I smashed them up and toasted them and in so doing, burnt them. Tried to mix in the garlic to the nuts in one pan and the bread crumbs in the other and burnt that too. I should have let the pans cool a bit longer.

When I pulled the artichokes out of the steamer, the middle stuff scooped out more easily. At this point, I was completely stressed out about how much time this was all taking. We had somewhere to be later and time was tight. I kept scooping and scooping, and the awful hairy stuff seemed never ending. And the hairy stuff was prickly, so even though I felt like I got out most of it I was sooooo stressed out by the hairy threads I could see yet still glistening inside, displaced by the action of the spoon and the tight space. Then the artichoke literally fell apart. I must have steamed it too long or scraped too deep or all of the above. It just sorta opened under my hands and then the leaves started lightly slumping over and falling off. This was the last straw. There was no way to stuff this decompensated pile of leathery artichoke leaves. The kitchen smelled hideous and those prickly thistle threads were all over despite how careful I'd been. I had thistle threads in my fingers and in my mouth. How, I don't know. I decided artichokes are of the devil.

Dh came in the kitchen right about then, rubbing his hands gleefully and shouting joyfully about artichokes. I threw the artichokes in the garbage, ranting about food that attacks you. Threw everything away. Dh open-mouthed and horrified. ("No...stop... maybe we can salvage...okay, there, there...")

I feel like I should learn how to do this but I don't have the will to figure it out just yet. If anyone can vouchsafe for the Correct Method that leads to pain-free artichoke nirvana, I'm all ears.

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WildflowerMom

WildflowerMom

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@Harriet Vane, your foray into the land of artichokes sounds like me every time I cook.  🤣🤷🏻‍♀️   I have a jar of artichokes in my pantry and that's as close as I'm getting to actual artichokes.     I saw something on food network, maybe it was Chopped, where they were talking about those fine hairs getting in your throat and that was it.   Never will I attempt doing anything with a fresh artichoke.  Hats off to you for giving it a go!   

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Minerva

Minerva

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@Harriet Vane Your artichoke fiasco was hilarious, and reminds me of an episode of The Little Rascals where one of the characters declares, "It might choke Artie but it won't choke me!" I have been a life long lover of artichokes and also grow them in my garden. Our family's preferred method of eating is steamed and then dipping each deadly leaf in butter. Simple and delicious. I no longer eat butter and have yet to find a vegan substitute that gives me as much pleasilure. 

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Clarita

Clarita

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2 hours ago, Harriet Vane said:

I feel like I should learn how to do this but I don't have the will to figure it out just yet. If anyone can vouchsafe for the Correct Method that leads to pain-free artichoke nirvana, I'm all ears.

I don't know if it's totally pain-free. Here's how I dispatch an artichoke (if I'm not lazy and just going to let the eaters handle it) for roasting.

  1. I cut 2-3in off the top of the artichoke (flower part). This reduces the number of leaf/petal spikes you have to snip off.
  2. Snip off the rest of the outer spikes with scissors.
  3. Trim off stem as desired. Method 1: cut off stem until just 1-2 inches are left. Method 2: Take vegetable peeler and peel off a bit of the exterior of the stem. Method 3: Do nothing. The eaters can handle it themselves. (I usually do 1 or 2.)
  4. Cut Artichoke in half.
  5. Locate hairy spikes in the middle and identify boundary between hairy spikes and yummy center. Take a paring knife make a cut where hairy spikes attach to solid yummy center (estimate roughly where you will start to meet the petals. Use a spoon to scoop out spikes from the paring knife cut. Repeat until all hairy spikes are removed.
  6. Stuff the center (where you removed hairy core) with flavorful things, for example melted butter and garlic, etc.
  7. Drizzle fat (oil/melted butter), salt and spices in between leaves.
  8. Wrap in foil and roast. I want to say 425F for 20-30min, but I just kind of check for doneness after 20min, I may also use a lower temperature to increase the time depending on when I want them done.

If I'm steaming them I just do step 1-3 and steam. For plating I either plate the artichoke whole and the family can peel off the leaves and dip into flavored butter or cut in half cut side down family can deal with hairy spikes themselves. You can also flavor the steaming liquid to flavor the artichokes a little.  

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Drama Llama

Drama Llama

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Posted
5 hours ago, Harriet Vane said:

Okay, time for me to come clean. My foray into the realm of artichokes was an epic disaster. I pride myself on my awesome cooking and I am fearless about diving into weird ingredients and cuisines from around the world. But artichokes did me in.

I wanted to do artichokes because an acquaintance was raving about the stuffed artichokes of her childhood. She told me what to do and I thought I remembered, but when faced with actual artichokes I felt I couldn't remember her instructions very well after all. I headed over to YouTube, where I became unaccountably lost and confused. It seemed like everyone had a different method. Some warned that it was essential to take out the center spikes. Some simply snipped the leaf edges and cooked. One sliced it in half wholesale, drizzled oil, and roasted.

I decided to go with what I had been told (or so I thought), which was to cut the top off, spread out the leaves, and stuff with a combination of cheese, breadcrumbs, and spices. Dh would have the cheese and breadcrumbs. I would do my own gluten free, dairy free mix of pine nuts (because hey, they're Italian) and spices and a little fake cream cheese to "glue" it all together.

It was a fiasco.

I chopped off the tops and the tips of the outer leaves. I reached in to start spreading out the artichoke to prepare for stuffing and found myself suffused with pain. The middle part is spiky and hairy and bites you!!! It reminded me of that sand monster Jabba the Hutt tried to feed Luke Skywalker to. I watched some more YouTube videos and decided to steam them plain a little bit to soften them up, then use a spoon to scoop out the part that bites you. But first I used scissors to trim off some of the spiky inner leaves, because one of the YouTubers did that so who knows maybe that's the Actual Procedure. Then I threw them in a pot with some water and set them to steam for fifteen minutes.

While steaming, I made the stuffing. Shoot, not quite as much shredded parmesan as I would have liked (for dh). And the pine nuts seemed big, so I smashed them up and toasted them and in so doing, burnt them. Tried to mix in the garlic to the nuts in one pan and the bread crumbs in the other and burnt that too. I should have let the pans cool a bit longer.

When I pulled the artichokes out of the steamer, the middle stuff scooped out more easily. At this point, I was completely stressed out about how much time this was all taking. We had somewhere to be later and time was tight. I kept scooping and scooping, and the awful hairy stuff seemed never ending. And the hairy stuff was prickly, so even though I felt like I got out most of it I was sooooo stressed out by the hairy threads I could see yet still glistening inside, displaced by the action of the spoon and the tight space. Then the artichoke literally fell apart. I must have steamed it too long or scraped too deep or all of the above. It just sorta opened under my hands and then the leaves started lightly slumping over and falling off. This was the last straw. There was no way to stuff this decompensated pile of leathery artichoke leaves. The kitchen smelled hideous and those prickly thistle threads were all over despite how careful I'd been. I had thistle threads in my fingers and in my mouth. How, I don't know. I decided artichokes are of the devil.

Dh came in the kitchen right about then, rubbing his hands gleefully and shouting joyfully about artichokes. I threw the artichokes in the garbage, ranting about food that attacks you. Threw everything away. Dh open-mouthed and horrified. ("No...stop... maybe we can salvage...okay, there, there...")

I feel like I should learn how to do this but I don't have the will to figure it out just yet. If anyone can vouchsafe for the Correct Method that leads to pain-free artichoke nirvana, I'm all ears.

My recipe for pain-free artichoke nirvana starts with “look in freezer section of the grocery store”.  I also like the marinated ones.  
 

Wanna be lazy like me?

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