Cooking through Pinterest with Claire Watson

Claire Watson of Cape Girardeau has no shortage of recipes to try. She subscribes to several cooking magazines, has a hefty collection of cookbooks and recipe cards and even gets recipes daily in her email.

"I needed another source of recipes like I needed a hole in my head," she says -- but when she discovered Pinterest about a year ago, she was captivated by the photos and recipes for food.

"They say we eat first with our eyes, and that is certainly the case for me," says Claire. "I couldn't help but notice, though, that most of the recipes proclaim to be the 'Best (fill in the blank) EVER!', and all the hyperbole got me wondering how good the recipes really were."

Claire used her Pinterest boards to pin recipes and keep track of which were good -- and which were not. She thought of the movie "Julie and Julia," in which the protagonist blogs about cooking through Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in 365 days, and decided to do her own version, but with Pinterest.

She started a board called "30 Days (More or Less) of Pinterest," where she put recipes to the test and wrote her own reviews to accompany each "pin." It took longer than 30 days -- with her work schedule, there was no way she could try a new recipe every day, let alone forego her family's favorite dishes and the occasional pizza night -- but Claire learned a few things along the way, and added some new favorites to her family's meal rotation.

"When you purchase a cookbook or magazine, recipes have usually been tested in a test kitchen somewhere and there is some editorial oversight," she says. "But keep in mind that anyone can pin anything to Pinterest, so a little extra caution doesn't hurt. Review these recipes just like you would any other, keeping your own family's taste preferences and your level of cooking expertise in mind."

While Claire didn't have any cooking disasters, there were a few flops, like the fried bananas, the doughnut muffins and the "healthy" Fourth of July cake. She recommends clicking back to the website where the recipe originally appeared, because there may be ratings, comments and reviews from other readers.

"Use these to get a better idea of how the recipe did or didn't work for others, adaptations they made with ingredients or procedures, and get ideas for how you may want to tweak the recipe yourself," says Claire. "The main thing is to look beyond the 'Best EVER!' hyperbole and those mouthwateringly beautiful photographs at the actual content."

You can organize your recipes by type -- chicken, casseroles, desserts, and so on -- but remember to go back and note which recipes you liked, any adjustments you made, and delete the ones that were no good, says Claire.

"The main thing is just to have fun," she adds. "I can't sing or draw or dance, so cooking is, for me, a creative outlet and a way to show love. If you take it too seriously or don't have fun with it, it becomes just another chore, and most of us have enough of those already!"

CLAIRE'S PINTEREST FAVORITES

Cauliflower fried rice

"This one was the most pleasant surprise from my experiment," says Watson. "It was delicious, and a great way to cut 'bad carbs' and sneak in a hefty serving of veggies."

Ingredients:

Three cups of grated raw cauliflower (use a cheese grater or food processor)

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup carrots, thinly sliced

3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 eggs (or 4 egg whites) scrambled

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

In a large pan, saute garlic and onions in olive oil on a medium/high heat, until onions become soft and transparent (about 2 or 3 minutes).

Add peas and carrots and cook until carrots begin to soften and peas are heated through, about 3 or 4 minutes.

Stir in scrambled eggs, cauliflower and soy sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 more minutes.

Original source: www.familyfreshmeals.com/2013/03/cauliflower-fried-rice.html

Angel chicken

"I am not usually a fan of dishes with canned soup, or of crock pot meals, but this is SOOOOO Good," Claire wrote on Pinterest. "The chicken was fall-apart tender. But who cares about the chicken? The white wine sauce was so delicious I swear I could eat a whole bowl of it."

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 8-ounce package fresh button mushrooms, quartered

1 6-ounce package fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced (button mushrooms work, too)

1/4 cup butter

1 (0.7-ounce) package Italian dry salad dressing mix

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 of an 8-ounce tub cream cheese spread with chives and onion

Hot cooked rice or angel hair pasta

Directions:

Melt butter in a saucepan, then add in Italian dressing packet. Stir in soup, wine and cream cheese until it combines and melts.

Cut up mushrooms and place at the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with chicken, then pour sauce on top.

Cook on low for five hours. Serve with rice or pasta.

Original source: http://cleverlyinspired.com/2011/02/angel-chicken-slow-cooker/

Make-ahead breakfast casserole

"This one was also delicious, and is one where lots of adjustments and suggestions can be used to tailor the recipe to one's own taste preferences," says Claire. "I made a lot of tweaks myself, which are explained on my Pinterest page."

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups seasoned croutons

1 pound spicy pork sausage

4 eggs

2 1/4 cups milk

1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach -- thawed, drained and squeezed dry

1 (4.5-ounce) can mushrooms, drained and chopped

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

2 sprigs fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Spread croutons on bottom of greased 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish. Crumble sausage into medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain off any drippings. Spread sausage over croutons.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until well blended. Stir in soup, spinach, mushrooms, cheeses and mustard. Pour egg mixture over sausage and croutons. Refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until set and lightly browned on top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve hot.

Original source: www.allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Breakfast-Casserole

PULLOUT

See all of Claire's recipes, and her reviews, at www.pinterest.com/heartlandmom/30-days-more-or-less-of-pinterest/