Homemade – Page 2 – Urban Simplicty

Taboulé d’hiver

Okay, so yup…this is as refreshingly delicious as it looks. Sometimes I need the brightness of summer in the middle of winter. Anyhow, this is a variation of traditional tabbouleh recipe but with more heartier ingredients…mainly lentils and turmeric-poached potato; tomatoes were omitted because of the season and I opted for canned roast peppers forContinue reading “Taboulé d’hiver”

Taboulé d’hiver

Spicy, Baked, and Cheesy (Yum!)

So here is another recipe that is super easy to make but bursting with flavor. It’s really just a sort of Mediterranean-style macaroni-and-cheese. The key flavor techniques are browning the vegetables (making a sort of sofrito), reducing the chicken broth for concentrated flavor, and allowing the pasta to finish cooking in the sauce so itContinue reading “Spicy, Baked, and Cheesy (Yum!)”

Spicy, Baked, and Cheesy (Yum!)

Vegetable Broth!

I’ve been experimenting with vegetable broth recipes for a while now, for days when I choose to not eat meat, which has been becoming more and more frequent. This is not meant to be a vegetarian substitute or imitation of a meat-based broth because nothing can substitute the richness of a well made chicken orContinue reading “Vegetable Broth!”

Vegetable Broth!

Two hummus are better than one…

I really like hummus. There, I said it. But who doesn’t? Okay, there likely are a few people. But seriously, this stuff is good. Especially variations like this that are bursting with so much flavor it’s making me salivate just looking at the photos. The top photo is an artichoke variety and the photo belowContinue reading “Two hummus are better than one…”

Two hummus are better than one…

More Experiments with Bean Curd…Kung Pao Tofu (a variation on a theme)

So this is really a variation on a few levels. One is that it is sort of a variation of this tofu recipe, and another is that it is a variation–or my interpretation–of Kung Pao Chicken. How this recipe is different from the original Kung Pao Chicken is that I of course replaced the chickenContinue reading “More Experiments with Bean Curd…Kung Pao Tofu (a variation on a theme)”

Spicy Bean Curd and Mixed Vegetables (yum!)

Spicy Bean Curd and Mixed Vegetables Yield: 4 servings 4 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 package (14oz.) firm tofu, drained and sliced into 1-inch pieces 1 cup vegetable oil (for frying) 1 small onion, sliced 1 red bell pepper, julienned 1 carrot peeled and sliced 2Continue reading “Spicy Bean Curd and Mixed Vegetables (yum!)”

Sweet and Spicy Almonds!

Ok. So these are so easy to make and so tasty that your going to wonder why you’ve never made them before. They go great with a beer or glass of wine or simply as a snack on their own (or even over a salad). Just make them, you wont be sorry. Sweet and SpicyContinue reading “Sweet and Spicy Almonds!”

Kim-Chi (again)

Okay. So this is one of those recipes that I’ve either posted multiple times or offered different variations of it. It’s just so delicious and so good for you and so easy to make that I feel I have to post it again. All you have to do is mix the ingredients together and waitContinue reading “Kim-Chi (again)”

Whole Grain Sesame Crackers…

These are really simple to make…5 minutes to mix the dough and 15 minutes to bake them. And they are a really tasty and healthy treat with a long shelf life (but they’ll disappear pretty quickly). Anyhow, if you are in the mood for something a little different to make but still easy at theContinue reading “Whole Grain Sesame Crackers…”

Salute the General (or at least his chicken)

I’ve posted this recipe prior but not in some time….General Tso’s Chicken. Yup, that sweet and spicy deep fried chicken that is popular in so many American Chinese takeout restaurants. It’s easy to make at home for a fraction of the cost at a restaurant, and when you make it yourself you can control theContinue reading “Salute the General (or at least his chicken)”

Salute the General (or at least his chicken)

Mixed Vegetables with Twice-Cooked Garlic, Hot Peppers, and Lemon

So as usual this is really easy to make and bursting with flavor. This is really just another variation of an aglio e olio recipe, but in this case the aglio is cooked twice. By slowly cooking the garlic and peppers first–and then straining them out–the oil becomes infused with flavor, which is then compoundedContinue reading “Mixed Vegetables with Twice-Cooked Garlic, Hot Peppers, and Lemon”

Curried Split Pea Soup!

Ok, so here’s another recipe that is super easy, really delicious, nutritious, and also satisfying in a cold day. Yellow Split pea soup with curry. The basic recipe is below but you can also add or subtract to it as you like (it’s equally good without curry, for example, but I happen to like theContinue reading “Curried Split Pea Soup!”

There’s more than one way to cook an egg…

Eggs. They really are incredible aren’t they. They have so many uses in cooking, and they are of course a food itself. There is a lot of lore behind them, including that of the old fashioned chefs toque…which is said to have 100 pleats in it representing the 100 ways a chef knows how toContinue reading “There’s more than one way to cook an egg…”

Das Brot!

Ezekiel Bread. Enough said. This is one of my favorite breads and still one of the most popular reasons people find their way to this little blog. I have a few versions of this recipe but the one below is the one I use most often. For additional directions and pictures of it being made,Continue reading “Das Brot!”

Cook Like Your Great-Grandmother…how to make tallow or lard

Okay. I do realize that this is not the healthiest food in the world, but as an ingredient is it very useful and every cook should know how to make it (and it is so easy to make). My cooking fat of choice these days is olive oil. But I’m spoiled. By this I meanContinue reading “Cook Like Your Great-Grandmother…how to make tallow or lard”