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Tag: Recipes

The Times Leader Cook Book: Recipes from NEPA and around the world.

Look closely and you might be able to pick out the pistachios, pecans, cashews and pieces of the all-important dates in my double batch of ‘Chewy Fruit and Nut Bars,’ waiting here to be cut into pieces. Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader Photo

Chewy Fruit and Nut Bars provide energy on the trail

Mary Biebel -
The potatoes and meat concoction in two separate pots, waiting to combine to ‘shepherd’s pie’ one evening of a hiking expedition last year. Mark Guydish | for Times Leader

Camping for Memorial Day? Try a fire-friendly shepherd’s pie

Times Leader -
Tomato soup puts the ‘Tomato’ in Macaroni Tomato Bake.

Facing a cold, damp day? Macaroni Tomato Bake will warm you...

Mary Biebel -
These fries, which started in cold oil, were so good I made them three times within a week or two, the second two times just for myself. It did, however, take three tries before they came out so well. The first try came out nearly burnt, the second were at least edible but still too crisp. Turned out thickness matters. Mark Guydish |for Times Leader

“Cold start” French fries and an old “Veg-O-Matic”

Mary Biebel -
Black-eyed pea soup is a new venture for our test cook, who saw it as a way to use up a ham bone. Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader

Black-eyed peas, ham bone combine in a savory soup

Mary Biebel -
This single-pan kielbasa and potato dish got rid of some sausage left over from Easter, as well as a half-bag of frozen corn in our freezer Mark Guydish | For Times Leader

Leftover kielbasa melds with seasoned potatoes

Times Leader -
For decades I skipped this traditional Easter dish in our family, red beets flavored with horseradish, vinegar, sugar and salt and always accompanied by a few eggs. But after marrying into a family where the condiment is enjoyed, I grew to like it in select settings. But I made it for the first time last week for a simple reason: We were hosting Easter dinner, and I wanted to have all of my Mom’s traditional offerings on the table. Mark Guydish | For Times Leader

Embracing a long disliked Easter tradition: Red beet horseradish

Times Leader -
Soft pretzel bites, with optional cheese sauce. Using coarse sea salt allows guests to pluck some off if they want less seasoning, a feature appreciated by several Times Leader Taste Testers. Mark Guydish | for Times Leader

Soft pretzel bites for belated St. Paddy’s day

Times Leader -
Here is some leftover pork covered with barbecue sauce made from the assembled array of ingredients — which include garlic, apple cider vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, yellow mustard, onion powder and brown sugar. Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader

MT whips up just enough barbecue sauce

Mary Biebel -
A bit of work, but this recipe for Chickpeas and vegetables steamed in peanut sauce was loaded with flavor. Mark Guydish | for Times Leader

On another Lenten Friday, “Who misses the meat?”

Times Leader -
Potatoes! Onions! Garlic! Tomatoes! Chickpeas! Olives! White beans! Capers! Wine! Throw in a little cheese and this vegetarian dish is packed with healthy ingredients and, more importantly, great taste. If you are abstaining from meat on Fridays for Lent, this is an easy alternative. Mark Guydish | For Times Leader

Taters, beans, onions and more make flavor-filled vegetarian meal

Times Leader -
Our test cook made this batch of Quinoa Patties almost bite-size, suitable for an appetizer as well as a taste test. Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader

Quinoa Patties might remind you of potato pancakes — or tacos

Mary Biebel -
Here are two servings of the Carrot and Red Beet Soup, with some pistachios and a dollop of plain Greek-style yogurt added as toppings. Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader

Carrots and beets pair in a nutritious soup — adjust seasonings...

Mary Biebel -
Valentine’s Day dinner for MT and her mom: Lobster tail, twice-baked potato and a green bean casserole made from scratch (no canned soup or plastic packs of “crispy fried onions”) Mark Guydish | for Times Leader

Revisiting green bean casserole, this time from scratch

Times Leader -
The cup on the left is filled with homemade hot chocolate, and the cup on the right contains hot chocolate topped with a dollop of homemade whipped cream (that is quickly losing its shape) and a few chocolate morsels. Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader

‘Creamiest hot chocolate’ just might please Goldilocks

Mary Biebel -
From scratch sponge cake makes a great base for some strawberry shortcake with a little (unsweetened) whipped heavy cream. It was dessert following a Valentine’s Day dinner of lobster tail, twice-baked potatoes and a green bean casserole also made from scratch (sure to be a future test kitchen article). Mark Guydish | for Times Leader

Simple from-scratch shortcake makes a sturdy base for strawberries

Times Leader -
Some very delicious beef-filled tortillas, including a simple and tasty cheese sauce. The recipe actually calls for using two tortillas, one smaller than the other, creating a sort of saucer shape. I wasn’t about to go that far for a simple reason: I picked the recipe to use seven tortillas left over from MT”s sweet potato soup test kitchen last week. Mark Guydish | for Times Leader

Left over tortillas lead to delicious beef filling

Times Leader -
Besides looking good, the seasoning for this chicken quesadilla recipe tastes the part, so much so that while salsa or sour cream would be fine complements if that’s your thing, I suggest trying it as is first. Mark Guydish | For Times Leader

Chicken quesadilla: It’s worth making yourself

Times Leader -
As garnishes, shelled pistachios and baked flatbread strips add crunch to this Sweet Potato Soup. Some drizzles of yogurt are a third garnish. Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader

Toppings add crunch, eye appeal to Sweet Potato Soup

Mary Biebel -
Loaded with chickpeas, grapes, pickled cauliflower and some browned Halloumi cheese on top of a mix of green leaf lettuce and radicchio, this salad goes the extra distance with two dressings. MT and I really enjoyed it as a meal unto itself. Mark Guydish | For Times Leader

Layers of flavor in a salad suitable as entree

Times Leader -
MT’s chocolate rolls are similar to the cinnamon rolls she made a few weeks ago, but the filling is different. Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader

Chocolate rolls ‘hit the spot’ on a cold, wintry day

Mary Biebel -
My first-ever homemade ravioli, including the dough, thanks to the new pasta maker equipment I gave MT for Christmas. Mark Guydish | For Times Leader

Putting the new pasta-machine to work: Homemade Ravioli

Mark Guydish -
While it does include ham, this homemade soup is rich in vegetables. You can add noodles, but I think there’s plenty to enjoy without them.

Good to the bone: Ham and vegetable soup from leftovers of the...

Mark Guydish -
A sauce-free pizza light on the cheese with loads of bell peppers and onions. It was much tastier than I initially expected. Mark Guydish | Times Leader

Sauceless, meatless and delicious: 3 Pepper Pizza

Mark Guydish -
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