Culinary Freedom – Page 4 – Urban Simplicty

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”

How to Make a Really Flavorful Vegetable Soup in Twenty Minutes (seriously!)

Okay, so it may take longer than twenty minutes to cut all the vegetables, but if you have them cut (or in my case–being the chef–have someone else cut them for you), this is a really quick and simple process. What is a soup anyway? Just some chopped up stuff cooked in broth, right? Well,Continue reading “How to Make a Really Flavorful Vegetable Soup in Twenty Minutes (seriously!)”

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)”

Ezekiel French Toast with Pineapple Syrup and Caramelized Mango (recipe and pics)

Sometimes it pays off (for my son) to have a professional cook for a dad. French toast is his favorite breakfast and I make it for him every couple of weeks. I’ve posted many variations of this but this particular one is one of my favorites (to see other versions of this, including more pics,Continue reading “Ezekiel French Toast with Pineapple Syrup and Caramelized Mango (recipe and pics)”

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”

How to Make Edible Parmesan Cheese Baskets in Three Simple Steps with just One Ingredient (the Cheese!)

These are so easy to make. They take just a few minutes and you will add the “wow” factor to a salad. The only ingredient you need is the Parmesan cheese, and only three basic tools are required: a pan (I used non-stick, but steel or cast iron would work as well), a spatula (eitherContinue reading “How to Make Edible Parmesan Cheese Baskets in Three Simple Steps with just One Ingredient (the Cheese!)”

Tuna and Chickpea Meat(less) Balls

Is it just me or are foods that are ground, seasoned, and then shaped into balls or patties really delicious. Versatile, too. These are a play on the classic fish meatballs found in Mediterranean countries; in this recipe I substituted half the amount of fish with chickpeas. And I have to say the outcome was/isContinue reading “Tuna and Chickpea Meat(less) Balls”

Two Loaves and a Pie…

This evening I made a couple loaves of honey-whole wheat bread, and as is sometimes the case–like tonight–I pinched off a piece of the dough to make a pizza for dinner (some believe that this was actually the origin of pizza…the bakers made themselves a little something to eat while the rest of theContinue reading “Two Loaves and a Pie…”

Verdure aglio e olio (due ricette)

Okay. By now–if you’ve been to this blog before–you know that I like things cooked with olive oil and garlic. A lot. I could eat it in variation nearly every day…and I almost do. I posted a similar recipe about a month ago but this combo was too good not to share…whole wheat penne withContinue reading “Verdure aglio e olio (due ricette)”

Middle Eastern Inspired Fried Chicken

This is a variation on traditional American-style fried chicken in a few ways. Firstly, there are no bones in the chicken legs (they cook quicker with the bones removed and are much more flavorful than the breast). Also, the chicken is first marinated in yogurt, herbs, and spices, then dredged in whole wheat flour, whichContinue reading “Middle Eastern Inspired Fried Chicken”

Turkey Meatballs with Red Pepper, Green Onion, Jalapeño, and Feta

These tasty little nuggets are a variation on a theme…I used turkey for this recipe but they can be made with nearly any protein you like (meat, fish, or fowl). They are really delicious but the best part is how easy they are to make…mix everything together and cook them. Simple as that. Turkey MeatballsContinue reading “Turkey Meatballs with Red Pepper, Green Onion, Jalapeño, and Feta”

Spicy Vegetable Ragout (or a really hearty soup)

So a few things about this recipe. The first is that it is really delicious (really, really delicious). Another is that it–like most recipes that I post on this blog–can be tailored to suit your needs or cravings. I am not by any means a vegetarian–though I have flirted with the idea–but sometimes I simplyContinue reading “Spicy Vegetable Ragout (or a really hearty soup)”

Baked Lamb Ragù with Macaroni and Three Cheeses

So I have to start this post off with a word that comes to mind…Yum! Geeze o’ man is this delicious; I made this tonight for dinner for my son and myself. This is the type of recipe that can be tailored to your own tastes. It would work equally well, for example, with beefContinue reading “Baked Lamb Ragù with Macaroni and Three Cheeses”

Two Recipes Made for Each Other…

I made these tonight for my son and myself…Penne and Halibut Fra Diavolo and Spaghetti Squash Aglio e Olio. How was it, you may be wondering? Let’s just say there is not much left 🙂 Delicious. Both recipes are really easy to make and bursting with flavor. If you want more pic and the historyContinue reading “Two Recipes Made for Each Other…”

Egg Strata: Layers of Textures and Flavors

Strata < Latin strātum literally, a cover, noun use of neuter of strātus, past participle of sternere to spread, strew, equivalent to strā- variant stem + -tus past participle suffix Okay. Firstly, let me explain what this is. And by this I don’t mean classically (in the culinary world) but what it was to me;Continue reading “Egg Strata: Layers of Textures and Flavors”