It's week four, and I was sick this week!
Here’s what I made:
Puffy pillow pancakes
Pureed split pea and rutabaga soup
Chocolate zucchini bundt cake
Puffy pillow pancakes
I'd make these again, but I'm not a huge pancake person
I made 0 substitutions
This would freeze fine
I made these a bit out of necessity this week. Because I was sick, I did not feel like going to the store when my groceries ran low, and I ended up having everything I needed for this recipe on hand.
I did also have some blueberries that were on their way out, and some nuts that needed to be used, so I added those plus some lemon zest to part of this pancake batter. It was good! This recipe uses A LOT of baking powder to get the lift in the pancake. I couldn't taste it, but you'll definitely want to use non-expired baking powder for these to turn out well.
Pureed split pea and rutabaga soup
I'm not sure I'd make this again
I made 0 substitutions
This would freeze fine
This was another recipe made out of necessity this week as I was afraid my little rutabagas were going to spoil before I got better. This is a really easy soup to make though, so it was good for a week where my energy was low. It's also the third (and I believe last?) recipe in Isa Does It that calls for star anise! I've really put that little bag to work.
The reason I'm not sure I'd make this again is because I think I'm realizing I'm not a huge fan of puréed soups. If I had some bread to go along with this, maybe I'd like it better. But while the texture is pretty one note (I also strained it because I didn't think the bits of rosemary would be great to eat) the flavor is complex for a lentil soup.
And speaking of the pureeing process...this soup exploded from my blender. It was not a good moment. I knew it was too full, but my sick brain said, "Just turn it on, it will be fine!" It was not fine. There was soup everywhere. I'm still finding it in my kitchen. Don't overfill your blender with hot soup, my friends!
For those curious about my little bowl cozy, that's exactly what it is! It goes around hot bowls (like from reheated soup) to keep your hands from burning. It was a Christmas gift this year, thanks Casey!
Chocolate zucchini bundt cake
I would make this again and try some tweaks
I made 0 substitutions
This freezes well!
I made this on Saturday, with the intention of taking it to church for coffee hour on Sunday, and then I woke up sick. Ugh. That is how I know that it freezes wonderfully (I just wrapped it in plastic wrap then put it in a plastic bag) and you can just take a slice when you need it.
The texture of this cake is wonderful, but I felt like there was something missing. It needed a brightness, like maybe just some flaky sea salt on top, or a pop of extra chocolate on the inside from some additional chocolate chips. The batter seems really dry and then you add the zucchini and it balances out perfectly.
I also made this cake with the non-expired baking powder and it was at least an inch taller than the last Bundt I made. Who would have thought?!
Weekly Reflection
This week was not great! Each day I kept thinking, I must be feeling better tomorrow, and then some weird new symptom would come up. I think I'm finally on the mend now on Friday.
That said, the fact that I made two of these recipes (with success outside of the blender incident) while sick is in part a testament to the ease of this cookbook. I had the ingredients on hand already and that helped as well.
Also, it's the end of my first month of this experiment, and I've cooked 16 new recipes! I still have a handful of curries/stews to make, so I'll probably be doing more of that upcoming before it gets too warm!
Stay healthy out there, everyone!
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