A few Martha recipes with reviews

Last week, in an attempt to sway karma in a positive direction (which ultimately FAILED), I went all out in the kitchen, trying new recipes.  They all came from the March 2009 issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine.  And though my karma still sucks, these recipes sure don't.

First up was the Moroccan Spiced Chicken Stew with Carrots.  This was super easy to make, since it used one of my favorite appliances ever, the slow cooker.  I used chicken breasts instead of thighs, which made the meat a little drier, but I think healthier.  And, I omitted the cilantro leaves because we didn't have them on hand.  However, this meal mostly uses common ingredients, which means no half-empty condiments that have no other use hogging my fridge space!  Overall, the taste was okay... didn't knock my socks off.  But it was pretty good and I would make it again.

Next up was Emeril's Turkey Bolognese.  Holy amazingness, this was fantastic!!  I could have eaten the entire batch.  Hubby wasn't as blown away as I was... perhaps it's the italian in me that loved this so much.  Super easy and pretty healthy, if you omit the turkey bacon, which is what I did.  I will make this again and again and again, and give it five stars for ease, taste (including leftovers taste... because let's face it, not everything reheats well), and healthiness.

Last came the Linguine with Spring Vegetables.  I subbed the green beans for chicken to ramp up the protein content (and it really didn't detract from the nutrition of the dish, since it also contained asparagus and zucchini).  I also used half and half for the heavy cream, which decreased the fat and also used up the half and half from the turkey bolognese.  Adding some parmesan cheese also adds flavor and thickens the sauce.  Overall, this was the fastest of the three meals to prepare and it tasted really good- Hubby approved, so it's a keeper! 

If you're looking for something new to make, I would recommend these, especially the turkey bolognese (so delicious and comforting on a freezing cold day). 

What's been cooking in your kitchen??