My Utensil Crock is on a brief cooking hiatus. I will be posting some of my greatest hits during this time. I hope you enjoy! If you have been following My Utensil Crock for a while, you know that I have been a member of a Cooking Club for more than 10 years now, ever since my buddy JBM and I decided that cooking with friends and talking ... view more
Soups + Stews
Ratatouille
Is it even a cooking blog if it doesn't have an "Easy Summer Ratatouille from the Farmer's Market" post? I'm not taking any chances. I didn't even mean to make this into a blog post; I was just enjoying some beautiful produce from the farmer's market... I have truly become a parody of myself. There is a (very) small farmer's market just ... view more
Lentil Cilantro Soup {Easy + Healthy}
We are having an exceptionally rainy spring in Washington, D.C. It may be hot, but rain always makes me crave comforting foods. I can eat warm, filling meals all the time, weather notwithstanding. I mean, it's never that hot inside, right? How did I come to add this Lentil Cilantro Soup to my repertoire? I was digging through my pantry for ... view more
Turkey Chili
This is the winter of Turkey Chili. I feel like it's everywhere! And why shouldn't it be? Turkey Chili is such a great meal - lean meat, beans, vegetables, tomato - so filling, one-pot, easy to make on a weeknight... need I go on? I will. Turkey Chili is easy to carry to work for lunch, and you can always have the ingredients on-hand to ... view more
Take Two Turkey Ragu with Whole Wheat Spaghetti
I could eat pasta with meat sauce every day. One of my first posts was this basic meat sauce. I think it's cute how I ended the recipe with "let it simmer for 10 minutes." Ha! Like I have the willpower to not dig in immediately. This Take Two Turkey Ragu with Whole Wheat Spaghetti has a little twist, and I don't know why it seems so ... view more
Ropa Vieja {Cuban Braised Shredded Beef}
This is a recipe I would have shied away from when I first started cooking. Several techniques, "weird" ingredients, and do I even like "Ropa vieja"? Well, let's smash the why-I-can't list with a meat mallet. Upon further reflection, the "several techniques" were just a few rotations of searing (browning in a pan), and braising (cooking in ... view more