This week's cooking experiments

Thanks to Pinterest, I have a renewed interest in cooking.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I  decided to actually act on that interest this week.

First on the list was Enlightened Cooking's Savory Quinoa-Spinach Breakfast "Bars"

Source: enlightenedcooking.blogspot.com via Maura on Pinterest

Verdict:  Pretty good, but a bit dry for my taste.  I used a drier cottage cheese than most commercial cottage cheeses, so that may be why I wanted a bit more moisture.  I'll make these again - but I'll add some milk to the recipe.

Second were these yummy looking Crash Hot Potatoes from Pioneer Woman.

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Maura on Pinterest

Verdict: I over did it on the olive oil, but boy howdy are we going to make these again.  All kinds of yumminess.  Hubby was impressed with the method.  My only complaint about the method is it takes a bit of planning.  But since we do plan most of our meals, that's not such a big deal.

Next was Real Simple's 5 Minute Hummus

Source: realsimple.com via Maura on Pinterest

Verdict:  what's not to like about hummus?  It's becoming a go-to for me.  I ate this with cut up veggies for lunch twice this week.  I'll be making more this weekend.

And lastly, what I had hoped to be a real winner: Korean Beef

Source: elizabethbryant.blogspot.com via Maura on Pinterest

Verdict:  Mixed.  Hubby hated it.  Said the flavors weren't balanced and didn't eat more than a few forkfuls.  At first, I thought it was way too salty.  But I had leftovers today and it didn't seem as salty and the flavors seemed more balanced.  Will I make again? Sadly, no.   But I loved the concept of the recipe and with a few tweaks, could probably make it so that hubby likes it.

Next week will not be as adventurous with cooking.  Probably a spinach quiche, crustless and definitely  more hummus.

I like cooking and with spending less time focused on my weight, I have more time to cook up healthy food and enjoy it.  That's a plus.