Over the last several months I've been falling back in love with Excel spreadsheets. I started one back in July to track all my spending, and I feel a little silly being so enamored by it, but it's the only thing that's worked for me after trying out every other free budgeting method (the envelope/cash-only system, Mint, etc.). Then last week, after surveying my living room and all the cookbooks spread out everywhere, undoubtedly after a desperate search to find something that sounded good for dinner, I started a new spreadsheet. It's called Recipe Adventure and it's going to be one of those never-completed, long-term projects for which I could easily lose steam. But at the moment, I'm charging through like a mad woman.
How I'm doing it: I'm going through my cookbooks page by page and indexing all the recipes I would like to try someday, categorizing them by estimated but realistic time (knowing that prep takes longer than a recipe normally specifies), course/occasion, general category (like casserole, stir-fry, cookie, pie) and the key ingredients that stand out - particularly those ingredients I would classify as "occasional" that I either have and need to use up, or don't have and would need to add to my standard grocery list. This is a representation of how I look through my cookbooks, always searching for what I can make with the time and/or ingredients I have, and what I can make with just a little more planning. And because it's such a simple Excel process, I can now sort based on any of these things without hauling out all my cookbooks. If the weekend's coming up and I want to try something a little more involved, I have a whole list of ideas. Or if Joel's making a main dish and I want to contribute a side dish, all the easier. I even have a sub-category called "desperation dessert" which is a sweet treat I can make in 30 minutes or less. These are important things.
How I'm doing it: I'm going through my cookbooks page by page and indexing all the recipes I would like to try someday, categorizing them by estimated but realistic time (knowing that prep takes longer than a recipe normally specifies), course/occasion, general category (like casserole, stir-fry, cookie, pie) and the key ingredients that stand out - particularly those ingredients I would classify as "occasional" that I either have and need to use up, or don't have and would need to add to my standard grocery list. This is a representation of how I look through my cookbooks, always searching for what I can make with the time and/or ingredients I have, and what I can make with just a little more planning. And because it's such a simple Excel process, I can now sort based on any of these things without hauling out all my cookbooks. If the weekend's coming up and I want to try something a little more involved, I have a whole list of ideas. Or if Joel's making a main dish and I want to contribute a side dish, all the easier. I even have a sub-category called "desperation dessert" which is a sweet treat I can make in 30 minutes or less. These are important things.
Meatballs in Tomato-Chipotle Sauce, from My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss.
This was a nice way to use some leftover chipotle chiles in adobo and ground pork from a recipe earlier in the week. I also like that it doesn't call for white bread to bind the meatballs (because I rarely have that on hand) and instead uses zucchini to add moisture (I'm okay with buying a zucchini since I used up the whole thing here). Fresh tomatoes are used in the sauce, though if I make it again I'd probably use whole canned tomatoes since they have more flavor in these winter months. A solid weeknight meal that, for 2 people, made for nice leftovers as well. Recipe posted here.
Recipe grade: A
Teriyaki Stir-Fried Beef with Snow Peas and Mushrooms, adapted from The Science of Good Cooking by America's Test Kitchen (theirs calls for green beans and shitakes)
My complaint about ATK recipes is usually that they're slightly on the fussy side and use a million dishes, but their stir-fries (and almost everything else) turn out every time. And this is one of those recipes you really can make on a weeknight with a variable marinating time - as little as 30 minutes while you prep all the other ingredients. It was a little on the sweet side, but such is the case with teriyaki. Recipe posted here.
Recipe grade: B+ (just because of the sweetness)
What a delightful project. :)
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