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)”
Tag Archives: Home Cooking
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”
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)”
Whole Wheat-Cheddar Tortillas with Smoked Paprika and Turmeric
Okay, so yes, these are as delicious as they look. And they are just as easy to make. You can add or subtract whatever seasoning you like, or use none at all. Use them for tacos or burritos or just simply as bread to snack on or to scoop up dip. The method is thisContinue reading “Whole Wheat-Cheddar Tortillas with Smoked Paprika and Turmeric”
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”
Lebanese-Inspired Brown Rice Pilaf with Lamb, Vermicelli, and Green Beans
This is a really colorful, fragrant, and delicious rice dish. In the recipe I used lamb, but it could just as well be made with beef or chicken (or vegetarian). The only difference(s) from the recipe pictured and the one listed below is that I also added a pinch of turmeric to the rice withContinue reading “Lebanese-Inspired Brown Rice Pilaf with Lamb, Vermicelli, and Green Beans”
Parmesan and Black Pepper Grissini
Pencil-thin breadsticks…grissini. Beautiful, aren’t they? Easy to make, too. These are coated with Parmesan and black pepper making them even more tasty. But you may be wondering why I am making bread with refined flour (opposed to whole wheat). Well, I do now and again. But the real reason is that I just received thisContinue reading “Parmesan and Black Pepper Grissini”
Two Plus Pi…
I bake bread about once a week, sometimes more frequently. And most often it is made with whole wheat flour. Sometimes the bread making coincides with dinner time, as it did tonight. So after the first rise I will sometimes pinch a piece of the dough off and make a small pizza for dinner asContinue reading “Two Plus Pi…”
Broccoli Falafel with Taratoor (Yum!)
Falafel is of course that awesome and healthy snack food that can become an entire meal when served over a salad or wrapped in flat-bread. And when paired with taratoor (tahini-garlic sauce) it is nothing short of culinary genius (in my humble opinion). This is a variation on the classic chickpea falafel in that itContinue reading “Broccoli Falafel with Taratoor (Yum!)”
A Really Simple (but Superbly Delicious) Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe with Homemade Whole Wheat Noodles
What is it about chicken soup? Even when I go through one of my “very-little-meat” phases I still welcome and crave this simple food. It’s a sort of cultural phenomenon…every culture and nationality has their own version of this humble dish. One of my favorite names for this recipe is “Jewish Penicillin,” making reference toContinue reading “A Really Simple (but Superbly Delicious) Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe with Homemade Whole Wheat Noodles”
Maccheroni al Forno con Quattro Formaggi
That’s a pretty fancy name (referring to the title of this post) for something that translates to American English as Macaroni-and-Cheese (okay, macaroni-and-four-cheeses). The recipe is really, really easy, and really, really delicious. It may not be the healthiest thing to eat, but geeze o’ man is it delicious (did I mention how delicious thisContinue reading “Maccheroni al Forno con Quattro Formaggi”
Kim-Chee!
I’ve posted this recipe in the past but not in quite a while. Today I tasted a new batch of kim-chee that has been fermenting for a couple weeks and it is–I have to say–on of my better batches. Anyhow, the recipe is below, but if you’d like to learn more about kim-chee, sauerkraut, andContinue reading “Kim-Chee!”
Really Simple (and really delicious) Stir-Fry Recipe
This recipe is so easy but it is also equally delicious. Once you have everything prepped it takes a mere 5 minutes to cook. While I used chicken, the recipe is equally good with nearly any other meat, poultry, or seafood; it can also be made vegetarian–sans meat–by substituting the meat with tofu, tempeh, seitan,Continue reading “Really Simple (and really delicious) Stir-Fry Recipe”
A Chicken in Every Pot…
“A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage.” —Herbert Hoover It’s interesting that the above quote is attributed to the 31st president of America, but it is also said to have originated much earlier. And of course I would like it better if it ended with “and a bicycle in every livingContinue reading “A Chicken in Every Pot…”
The Flavor of Curry…
I love the flavor of curry (heck, I love the flavor of most spices in general). I love how spices look, their aroma (how they perfume the house when you cook with them), but mostly I love how they taste and that they can make even the simplest foods into something really flavorful and special.Continue reading “The Flavor of Curry…”
Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#416 & #417), a Brief Story Behind it, and a Simple Recipe
#416 (first photo above)…a canvas bag containing a few books; a double plastic bag containing a cooked turkey carcass, and a few vegetables for mirepoix. #417 (second photo above)…a cardboard box containing 18 pint contains full of still-warm turkey broth. Okay, so here’s the deal. Nearly every year, after our Thanksgiving feast at one ofContinue reading “Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#416 & #417), a Brief Story Behind it, and a Simple Recipe”
Gravy Deconstructed…
The following text was originally published in Artvoice; to see it at its original location, click here. Gravy(grā’vē) n., pl.–vies a. The juices that drip from cooking meat. b. A sauce made by thickening and seasoning these juices. –The American Heritage Dictionary It’s as ubiquitous at a Thanksgiving feast as the turkey itself. Mashed potatoesContinue reading “Gravy Deconstructed…”
Kartoffelsalat mit Speck (German Potato Salad with Bacon)
Ok, so a couple of things. Firstly, while I love and am fascinated by languages in general, I do not speak German…sometimes I can barely speak English. But thanks to Google Translate I can list this recipe in it’s mother tongue. I’ve mentioned in a previous post that while my heritage is half Lebanese, itContinue reading “Kartoffelsalat mit Speck (German Potato Salad with Bacon)”
Urban Simplicty 