Recipes Aaron likes to cook
I love cooking, especially for other people. The majority of my cooking is done without recipe. Likewise, a lot of the things I cook daily aren’t here—roasted root veggies, various stir-fries, various egg dishes, various roasted, broiled, or grilled meats—because I don’t really have recipes per se, just ways that I make things, and I tend to use whatever ingredients I have on hand or what looks good at the market. If you want me to show you how to make my family’s food or other day to day stuff, and you know me personally, reach out and I’ll show you how to make them.
Most of the recipes listed here are either found on the web and slightly tweaked, or the result of some experimentation. If it is based on another person’s recipe online, I’ll link to it in the recipe.
Family Italian Recipes
My maternal family’s southern Italian food (from Monacilioni, Molise, Italy). This is an attempt to preserve these recipes for my children, and subsequent generations.
- Casciatelli — Traditional Molisano dessert for Easter. A pastry stuffed with sweet ricotta filling.
- Cavatelli — Hearty little curled fresh pasta typical to much of southern Italy.
- Simple Tomato Sauce, Monacilioni Style — Simple and quick tomato sauce, the way my nonna taught me.
- Struffoli — Traditional Neapolitan dish, typically served during Christmas season
Recipes for Instant Pot
The following recipes are good use of an Instant Pot or similar multi-function electric pressure cooker. Great for a weeknight if you plan correctly.
- Instant Pot Irish Beef Stew — Savory, rich, and satisfying stew for a modern pressure cooker.
- Overnight Oatmeal — Creamy and satisfying slow-cooker oatmeal. Easy breakfast.
- Pressure Cooker Chili Con Carne — Basic pressure-cooker chili. Bean or no bean - your choice!
Sous Vide Recipes
The following recipes are idiot-proof, and make use of an immersion circulator, and ideally a vacuum sealer.
- Chashu Pork Belly — The king of all ramen toppings!
- Chicken Breast “Chashu” — A tasty, healthy, and idiot-proof way to prepare chicken breast.
Healthy Recipes
I count calories, and have lost a tremendous amount of weight, and kept it off. These are my staples for meals I eat by myself. They are also quite tasty.
- Ajitama Eggs — Tasty salty/sweet marinated eggs. Good by themselves, or sliced in half and served as a ramen topping.
- Baked Salmon with Maple Dijon Glaze — Easy, quick, healthy, Friday-friendly dinner.
- Chicken Breast “Chashu” — A tasty, healthy, and idiot-proof way to prepare chicken breast.
- Hummus
Sourdough Recipes
I’ve taken up to making sourdough bread. First, because my daughter likes it, and we didn’t go through the gigantic loaves we got at the store quick enough before they spoiled. Then, because it’s delicious and fun.
- Basic No-Knead Sourdough — Quality rustic sourdough. Very few bakeries make a better loaf.
- Lean Sourdough Dinner Rolls — Delicious and easy dinner rolls, with no fat mixed in to the dough.
- Leftover Oatmeal Bread — Really delicious use for leftover prepared oatmeal. Honestly, better than the oatmeal.
- Sourdough English Muffins — Better than store bought, in both texture and flavor.
Soups, Stews, and Casseroles
Hearty, delicious, warm dishes that are great for the colder months.
- Baked Mac & Cheese — Classic American baked Mac & Cheese
- Bean Ham Bone Soup — Simple and hearty soup. Great way of making a second meal out of spiral-sliced ham.
- Cassoulet — French meaty bean casserole. Warming, filling, and satisfying.
- Chicken Paprikash — Hungarian braised chicken in a creamy paprika sauce.
- Instant Pot Irish Beef Stew — Savory, rich, and satisfying stew for a modern pressure cooker.
- Pressure Cooker Chili Con Carne — Basic pressure-cooker chili. Bean or no bean - your choice!
Breakfast
I actually don’t frequently eat breakfast, but these recipes are great crowd pleasers.
- Apple Pancake — Delicious cross between an apple pie and a Dutch baby pancake.
- Buttermilk Pancakes — Basic buttermilk pancake recipe
- Dutch Baby Pancake — A slightly sweet, eggy popover that's fantastic with fruit for brunch.
- Overnight Oatmeal — Creamy and satisfying slow-cooker oatmeal. Easy breakfast.
Desserts
I don’t make a whole lot of desserts or sweets. Up until my late 40’s, I didn’t really bake at all. But here’s some stuff that’s absolutely worth making.
- Apple Pancake — Delicious cross between an apple pie and a Dutch baby pancake.
- Casciatelli — Traditional Molisano dessert for Easter. A pastry stuffed with sweet ricotta filling.
- Cranberry Bread — Sweat cranberry quick-bread that my mother made every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Perfect Brownies — Delicate, melt-in-your-mouth brownies. Not fugdey, but perfect.
- Struffoli — Traditional Neapolitan dish, typically served during Christmas season
Easter
- Casciatelli — Traditional Molisano dessert for Easter. A pastry stuffed with sweet ricotta filling.
Thanksgiving
- Cranberry Bread — Sweat cranberry quick-bread that my mother made every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Christmas
- Cranberry Bread — Sweat cranberry quick-bread that my mother made every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Struffoli — Traditional Neapolitan dish, typically served during Christmas season
Miscellaneous Recipes
This is a list of recipes I haven’t categorized yet, or don’t make sense in any catagory I have.
Recipes to try
This is a list of things I’ve not tried, but want to:
