Cooking Challenge: Week 3 Review & Week 4 Recipes

Going out of town caused me to fall a bit behind of my recipe testing. Better late than never, right?

I try not to keep all of the recipes I've tried- there are so many recipes to try that I figure it's really only worth keeping very good recipes. When I'm determining if a recipe is worth keeping, I look at a couple of factors:
* is it really good? (ok doesn't make the cut)
* was it worth the time and effort of cooking it?
* is it healthy enough that I can serve it without feeling like I need to warn people about an imminent heart attack?
* were any of the ingredients cost prohibitive?

Recipe 1: Simple Clam Chowder, from Cooking Light January 2008
This recipe was simple, but called for some ingredients I've never bought before (clams and clam juice). It resulted in a creamy, tasty soup that I would absolutely make again. It really helped to have some bread to dip, and I'd recommend halving the recipe- it makes a lot.

Recipe 2: Chicken Cacciatore, from Cooking Light October 2009
This recipe came together quickly, and was very filling with pasta and cheese. All the reviews at the table were good, but I honestly felt like it wasn't an especially notable meal. It might be worth repeating if you tweaked the herbs, but without doing that it felt a little flat.

Recipe 3: Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallot Soup, from Cooking Light November 2008
This was an easy recipe that I was able to pull together out of odds and ends in the fridge and freezer. For that alone, it might be worth keeping around. It was better topped with parmesan cheese, and would be good for dipping a nice crusty bread. But this is still my favorite butternut squash option.

Week 4 Recipes:

Recipe 1: Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup, from FiveHeartHome
Recipe 2: Asian Style Veggie Rolls, from Cooking Light August 2010
Recipe 3: Roasted Cauliflower Soup, from Cooking Light January 2013