Before I talk about the recipe I have to make a few other comments. You may be wondering why on earth this guy would be posting a recipe for soup in the middle of summer, or at least early summer. Nonetheless, it’s hot outside. Well, the answer to this is twofold…one is that it wasContinue reading “Mulligatawny!”
Category Archives: cooking as therapy
Farfalline with Asparagus, Tomatoes, Chicken Broth, Saffron, Garlic Confit, and Fontinella
This is a continuation of a previous post regarding garlic confit…here’s an example of a recipe in which I used it. I made this for staff lunch at work yesterday. At first glance this may look complicated but it is really very simple…and really delicious. Other than the chicken broth this recipe is meatless butContinue reading “Farfalline with Asparagus, Tomatoes, Chicken Broth, Saffron, Garlic Confit, and Fontinella”
Put some stuff on it! (or, Pizza: history in every bite)
Pizzas Pictured (from front to back): Za’atar and shanklish; Margherita; boursin cheese with smoked trout and smoked salmon; pesto and portobello mushroom (click the image for a larger view). One of the aspects of food that I have always found interesting—besides cooking and eating it—is its history. And to study food history is in aContinue reading “Put some stuff on it! (or, Pizza: history in every bite)”
Crispy Baked Tofu Marinated in Yogurt and Spices
So I have to start off with what has become a sort of mantra for my recipes on this blog…this is really easy to make and super delicious. It is so delicious, in fact, a carnivore or someone who says they do not like tofu would like this (really). It’s probably pretty good for youContinue reading “Crispy Baked Tofu Marinated in Yogurt and Spices”
Spiced Potato, Chickpea, and Asparagus Pancakes with Roast Red Pepper Coulis
Okay, so you’re probably looking at these pictures and recipes and thinking a few things. (1) This looks really delicious…they are. (2) They and their sauce look really difficult to make/use a lot of pans, etc. to prepare….these are really simple to make and require only a knife, skillet, bowl, and hand grater to prepare.Continue reading “Spiced Potato, Chickpea, and Asparagus Pancakes with Roast Red Pepper Coulis”
Tapenade!
Tapenade. Mmmm. Delicious. I haven’t made this in a while but it once was a staple on multiple restaurant tables where I was chef. And I made this for a dinner I served this evening. It is basically an olive puree seasoned with anchovies, capers, and lots of garlic. It’s of Southern French origin andContinue reading “Tapenade!”
Shanklish!
Okay, so you’re going to love this. It’s a type of homemade Lebanese cheese that is easy to make and super flavorful. It is different from labneh (which is simply strained yogurt) in that it is cooked. It’s more along the lines of a homemade Italian ricotta or Indian paneer, only instead of being madeContinue reading “Shanklish!”
Two Mediterranean Inspired Recipes
These two recipes are both easy to make and really delicious (but don’t I say that all the time). And, other than boiling the pasta for the stew and caramelizing onions for the rice, these are both made in a single pot (easy cleanup). The stew (ragu) that is pictured below (second recipe) was madeContinue reading “Two Mediterranean Inspired Recipes”
Whole Wheat Chickpea Turmeric Bread (yum!)
I haven’t posted this bread in a while, in fact I haven’t made it in a while, but here it is. Delicious and healthy, it is also easy to make. Like any of the Ezekiel Bread Recipes or other whole grain recipes, the chick peas basically dissolve (or get mashed) into the dough as itContinue reading “Whole Wheat Chickpea Turmeric Bread (yum!)”
A Creamy and Delicious "Ice Cream" Recipe that Takes Just Five Minutes to Make and Contains only Two Ingredients.
Okay…so a bit of clarification. This is not ice cream in the classic sense in that it does not contain cream, but it is without doubt delicious. And while it may only take you a couple minutes of prep time it will actually take longer than five minutes because it has to freeze. But, onContinue reading “A Creamy and Delicious "Ice Cream" Recipe that Takes Just Five Minutes to Make and Contains only Two Ingredients.”
Pan-Roast Spiced Chicken with Golden Beets, Potato, Asparagus, and Orange…
There really is nothing more satisfying to me when I cook at home than being able to do it all in one pot or skillet. This (pictured) is something I made for my son and I for dinner this evening. And this post is really more about a method rather than it is an actualContinue reading “Pan-Roast Spiced Chicken with Golden Beets, Potato, Asparagus, and Orange…”
Shawarma Chicken!
So of course I always say how easy and delicious the recipes that I post are (at least most of them) but this time I really mean it. This is a play on the classic shawarma chick (or beef or lamb) that you find at any Middle Eastern or Turkish restaurant. It is basically chickenContinue reading “Shawarma Chicken!”
A Really Easy Five Minute Recipe To Make Cauliflower Taste Delicious
Okay, so maybe this will take more than five minutes, but not more than ten. And while I made this with cauliflower this could easily be adapted to other vegetables as well. The key factors are onion, garlic, spices, and caramelizing the vegetable. It is really easy, and this is how I made it. SliceContinue reading “A Really Easy Five Minute Recipe To Make Cauliflower Taste Delicious”
"Buffalo Style" Chicken Balls…
Okay…laugh if you will, but these tasty little nuggets are delicious. But I’m already getting ahead of myself. So by now you likely know that I am typing from Buffalo, hometown of Buffalo Wings (which of course are simply called wings in Buffalo). Anyhow, chicken fingers are also exceedingly popular here, as they are inContinue reading “"Buffalo Style" Chicken Balls…”
Spicy Lebanese-Style Whole Wheat Spinach and Toasted Walnut Pies (Yum!)
This is a variation on the classic Middle Eastern fatayer (savory pie). These are slightly different in a few ways. One is that rather than using white refined flour for the dough I used 100% whole wheat (delicious). I also used an egg wash on the dough and added sesame seeds. And in the fillingContinue reading “Spicy Lebanese-Style Whole Wheat Spinach and Toasted Walnut Pies (Yum!)”
Hummus with Fresh Herbs, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Seven-Spice Chicken
This is something I made for an employee meal today. It is really, really delicious (I ate so much I wished I had a bed to take a nap afterwards) and of course really simple to make. It is basically a hummus recipe layered (loaded, actually) with all sorts of good things. But the prize,Continue reading “Hummus with Fresh Herbs, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Seven-Spice Chicken”
Chickpea and Haricots Verts Falafel with Spicy Roast Pepper Taratoor Sauce (Yum!)
So yes, these little vegetarian/vegan nuggets are as good as they look (bet you can’t eat just one). And yes (as usual) they are really simple–exceedingly simple–to make. They are not only a play on the classic falafel and taratoor sauce (chickpea fritters and sesame-garlic sauce), they are actually a variation of an earlier postContinue reading “Chickpea and Haricots Verts Falafel with Spicy Roast Pepper Taratoor Sauce (Yum!)”
A Recipe for Spring (whether it feels like spring or not)
So yes it is officially spring, but no–like much of the country–it does not feel like it. Nonetheless, I’m cooking as if it is. This is a really simple and really delicious recipe for stove-top braised asparagus. It’s really just a variation of any of my aglio e olio recipes…but with a couple more steps.Continue reading “A Recipe for Spring (whether it feels like spring or not)”
Spiced Fish and Potato Strata (recipe, photos, and directions)
Yes, this is as delicious as it looks. And again–even though it may seem complicated to make at first glance–it is really quite simple. I used spices that I enjoy, but if you have an aversion to heat simply tone them down or omit them all together…it will still be delicious. Strata takes it’s nameContinue reading “Spiced Fish and Potato Strata (recipe, photos, and directions)”
Pan-Roast Salmon with Cauliflower, Sweet Potato, Lemon, and Hot Pepper
Okay…so I know I say this all the time. But this is really easy to make (one step, really) and is as delicious as it looks. The recipe below is just a guide, use whatever seasonings or vegetables you like. There are a couple key things to remember though. One is to make sure theContinue reading “Pan-Roast Salmon with Cauliflower, Sweet Potato, Lemon, and Hot Pepper”
Urban Simplicty 