Other times, new recipes are in big fat FLOP, nothing comes together as planned, your hubby drenches the dish in Tabasco, Ketchup, or soy sauce to keep from tasting the real deal.
You get the picture.
So here on the Huebel Hammock, I only post recipes which we have tried and tested ourselves to hopefully save someone else the pains of a dead-end recipe. (And believe me, we have whipped up some duds). BUT, I fully recognize that my favorites may not be your favorite. I know my palate is ever evolving because pineapple, coconut, and kalamata olives have crept their way into my heart after 20+ years of loathing...
Here's a couple recent recipes we've tried and our "house verdict":
Rick Bayless Black Bean Soup
Verdict: AWESOME!! Unfortunately I didn't manage to take any pictures, but this soup was a real winner. We cut some corners by using canned black beans and using Ross's venison sausage rather than chorizo. Because you emulsify everything in a blender before serving, you really don't have to do any precise chopping, which saves a lot of time.
Chicken with Coconut Lime Peanut Sauce
Verdict: So good, we've had it 3 times in the past month. That's really saying something for us because we really don't repeat recipes all that much. This is such a hearty meal with great asian flavors. I steam lots of extra veggies and have some great leftovers for the next couple days. The last time, I also added some Soba noodles and it was delish!
Slow Cooker Chicken Pho
Verdict: I was only partially satisfied with this dish. But, I will say that the grocery is really hit or miss in Alaska and I wasn't able to find a couple key ingredients for the slow cooker chicken broth (mainly, star anise and chicken parts). However, this dish was quite satisfying on a cold winter night and was different flavors than we'd had in awhile. I would like to try another Pho recipe, I think this one can be improved upon.
Rick Bayless Mexican Paella
Verdict: It was good, but it was NOT a traditional Spanish paella and I think that's what we were wanting more of. The rice on the bottom didn't caramelize and get all crusty (trademark of a paella), but that is probably due to us cooking on a new paella pan (thanks Kelley!!). I also have issues with mussels. There's no logic behind it, but they scare me.
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