Dinner’s in the Oven
Rukmini Iyer
Paprika-Roasted Corn with Scallions, Feta, and Lime
4.5 stars
Incredibly easy, but I did start with preshucked corn. The blend of flavors is well conceived and the smell in the oven while it’s roasting is so good. I’m not sure how it’s meant to be eaten with the cheese and scallions. I chose to cut the corn off the cob. That way I could experience the flavors together. A little extra work but worth it, I think. A solid choice for a veggie side.
Oven-Baked Asparagus and Parmesan Tortilla
3.5 stars
This was a good one and not too difficult to make. Most time consuming aspect is the sliced potatoes. The mix of sweet and yellow potatoes is a good one. The creamy, eggy mixture on top with the asparagus tastes satisfying. Would make again.
Honey-Roasted Figs with Raspberries and Rose Water
4 stars
Once again, I had to sub peaches and nectarines for the figs. Where are all the figs?! The subtle hint of rose is just perfection on the honey sweetened fruit. The warmth of the fruit against the coolness of the crème fraîche feels great in your mouth.
I found figs and made it again. It’s also a solid dessert. Make it either way!
Roasted Chicken with Fennel, Lemon, Shallots, Garlic, and Mustard Mayo
4 stars
Real simple to put together. Mine requires half the shallots the recipe called for and there was still plenty. Paired well with rice. The mustard mayo brings the whole dish together rather nicely.
Oven-Cooked Beet Risotto
3.5 stars
The flavors are so delicate. The texture is soft and creamy thanks to the risotto and goat cheese but also has the crunch of the hazelnuts in many bites. The sweetness of the beets is quite subtle. It’s a very nice meal, but I must confess it takes a lot out of you to make. This meal requires grated beets, so right off the bat, I can’t give it a five start rating. That’s just too laborious a task to claim ease for the project.
Crispy Baked Gnocchi with Tomatoes, Basil, Mozzarella, and Pine Nuts
4.5 stars
Easy to make, great flavors. The toasted pine nuts add such a great texture to the soft gnocchi and wet tomatoes. The basil makes the dish taste so fresh. An excellent side or light lunch.
Roasted Chicken, Squash, and Red Onion with Lemon and Rosemary
3.75 stars
Another simple recipe with solid results. I followed the note on the side that said to cook it longer at a lower temperature and the results were great. The overall flavor is not unique but still yielding good results. A fine choice for meal prep for a busy week.
French Tomato and Mustard Tart with Tarragon
3.5 stars
Incredibly easy to make. Prep time is so short. That being said I don’t think I’m a fan of the mustard/tomato mixture. It’s not bad, just not to my taste.
I tried it again with honey mustard instead of Dijon and I preferred the milder, sweeter flavor of the honey mustard.
Smoky Sausage, Sweet Potatoes, and Red Onions
3.5 stars
Simple to prepare. Provides a lot of servings. There’s a sweetness and a stickiness to the meal. Not bad for a weeknight dinner.
Baked Egg Pasta Florentine
3.75 stars
The instructions are straightforward and honest about the possible difficult aspects like folding in the spinach. Still despite this, the recipe on a whole is not too hard. A bit time consuming but not hard. The result of mixing ingredients such as spaghetti, crème fraîche, spinach, egg, and feta, spiced with nutmeg no less, is a wonderful dish that feels comforting on your tastebuds. Maybe don’t make it on a weeknight though? As I said, it takes time.
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