Serious Eats' Turkey Paitan Ramen

What to do with ample leftovers? Turkey broth right?! When the temptation to grab the carcass just because it's offered leaves you with waaaay too much turkey broth you have to be inventive to think of ways to use it up.

After some research I found Serious Eats' recipe for Turkey Paitan Ramen which sounded delicious! Crispy turkey with more Brussels - why not!

Yay or Nay: Yay

I simplified the recipe a little by boiling the carcass with kombu, ginger, garlic, spring onion, onion and dried chinese mushrooms to take the western flavours out of the roasted turkey. I took a portion of the broth and added tahini, miso and soy for the ramen base. Then I roasted the brussel sprouts, boiled the egg and chopped some spring onions. Next, I shredded the turkey and cooked it until it was crispy. Assemble it all under a bed of ramen and then pour over the broth. Optional, I added some sesame oil and chili oil to finish!

This was tasty and you definitely couldn't taste the turkey flavour in the broth - which is what I was worried about. Everything came together nicely and it didn't feel like we were eating leftovers - I think this might become a tradition!

Bon Appetit's Best Eggplant Parmesan (October 2016 issue)

I love flicking through Bon Appetit magazine for its up-to-date food trends and inspiration, however they can be slightly unreachable due to the hard-to-find ingredients or time involved in making them. In an effort to get The Hubby to eat more veg - especially veg he doesn't like has been hard. I knew the cheese would be a major swaying factor, and even though I have cut out cheese from my diet, it would be worth it to convince him.

I chose Bon Appetit's Best Eggplant Parmesan recipe as on the surface it didn't require a gazillion ingredients and it seemed simple enough to follow. No fancy techniques or blowtorches needed - plus I've never made anything like this before. We usually go to his parents for Italian after all!

Yay or Nay: Yay on taste, Nay on workload!

This was delicious and was given a huge thumbs up from The Hubby. I just did not anticipate the amount of work required - it took two hours from start to finish! I mean, I had to make the marinara sauce from scratch, it was worth it for the taste and it was pretty easy, but it added to the washing up pile which I definitely did not enjoy! I guess you could use store bought marinara and do the rest of the recipe and it would still be tasty. 

I ran out of flour so used cornmeal instead but it just added to the crispiness, also I didn't have enough basil from my now, dead, winter garden so just used parsley in the cheese mixture and it didn't take away from the recipe.  In addition to these subs and changes, I couldn't be bothered to make three layers or properly encourage the water out of the eggplant but again, it was still delicious!

Real Simple's Fish Packet

In an effort to eat more fish I had spotted magazine Real Simple's recipe for Kale, Lemon, Artichoke and Caper Fish Packet and immediately knew I'd make it. I have seen similar versions with spinach instead of kale but it's pretty much the same thing. Choose a fish you'd like to steam, add lemons, green leafy greens, artichokes, capers and wrap it up in parchment paper. The best thing, not a dirty dish in sight!

I paired this dish with crash potatoes which I have made from Pioneer Woman's recipe online which you can find here.

Yay or Nay: Yay

I've made this a bunch of times, even before the blog started so I know it's a fail-safe recipe. It's a great light supper that you can prepare ahead of time and delicious to boot!

Donna Hay's Lamingtons

I can't recall when I first came across lamingtons, it wasn't when I travelled to Sydney, it wasn't when I made friends with Aussies nor was it when it was Australia Day! It kind of came into my consciousness and then I saw them in unlikely spots like browsing through London's Borough Market. What's not to like, coconut, chocolate icing and a victoria sponge-like inside!

When I last went back to London, I somehow craved these as a co-worker (an Aussie) posted her home-made lamingtons on facebook. After searching all the local artisan/farmer's markets I found a version at Crosstown Donuts, however they were in donut form as opposed to the traditional squares - either way it was delicious!

Donna Hay is an Australian a cookbook author and I came across her books years ago so I know I can rely on her for simple, straight forward recipes. 

Yay or Nay: Nay

So much time spent but not much in return!! I was so disappointed in this recipe as so many things did not turn out how I expected. I only halved some ingredients yet it yielded waaaay less or waaay more than I needed. The batter was anemic looking, the icing was too runny, the coconut messy and complicated and the mess! The MESS! Not worth making again, I will be buying them instead or do without them unless I really really really want them.

What Katie Ate Next's BBQ Ginger Ale Ribs

When I loaned the book What Katie Did Next (from food blogger and photographer What Katie Ate) I had already flicked through it to see if it was worth borrowing in the first place. I definitely had my eye on this recipe for Barbecue Ginger Ale Ribs. It didn't call for a million ingredients and was simple enough to follow. Plus you didn't need a smoker or a billion hours to make it.

 

Yay or Nay: Yay

I must admit that this didn't have the same finished as promised in the book - shiny and sticky. I followed the recipe to a T and made sure I basted every 15 minutes and yet no stickiness! It wasn't a complete fail as it did taste amazing and fell off the bone so it wasn't the method...the only thing I can think of is the ginger ale. The recipe needs 'good quality' ginger ale and I couldn't find any so used store brand which may have been to my detriment!