Okay. So this is really delicious. How delicious is it, you may ask? Well if you notice in the servings I wrote that it makes either four small or two large portions. When I first put it in the oven I looked at it and thought it would easily serve four, but when it cameContinue reading “Baked Macaroni with Caramelized Cauliflower and Two Cheeses (yum!)”
Tag Archives: Mediterranean Diet
Baked Macaroni with Caramelized Cauliflower and Two Cheeses (yum!)
Okay. So this is really delicious. How delicious is it, you may ask? Well if you notice in the servings I wrote that it makes either four small or two large portions. When I first put it in the oven I looked at it and thought it would easily serve four, but when it cameContinue reading “Baked Macaroni with Caramelized Cauliflower and Two Cheeses (yum!)”
Lebanese Flavored Brown Rice with Chickpeas and Vermicelli
This is a recipe that is not unlike moudardara, I suppose, and it is a good example of how a recipe is basically a thought or an idea and not necessarily a blueprint or carved in stone. Anyhow, this is really delicious and easy to make, and it’s also a one-pot recipe so cleanup isContinue reading “Lebanese Flavored Brown Rice with Chickpeas and Vermicelli”
Lebanese Flavored Brown Rice with Chickpeas and Vermicelli
This is a recipe that is not unlike moudardara, I suppose, and it is a good example of how a recipe is basically a thought or an idea and not necessarily a blueprint or carved in stone. Anyhow, this is really delicious and easy to make, and it’s also a one-pot recipe so cleanup isContinue reading “Lebanese Flavored Brown Rice with Chickpeas and Vermicelli”
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
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”
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!)
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!)”
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…”
Kibbeh (cru et cuit)
Ok, so to some this may be a bit odd…raw meat. Yup, that’s what one version of this famous Lebanese dish is; raw lamb and bulgar wheat (pictured above). In it’s raw form it is referred to as kibbeh nayeh; think of it as a sort of Middle Eastern steak tartare. When I was aContinue reading “Kibbeh (cru et cuit)”
Fish Balls!
Ok. So I can hear you snickering. And also wondering…why fish? Well the simple answer is that I don’t eat a great deal of meat–almost never at home–and I really like fish. Anyhow, these are really delicious. I’ve posted other variations of these here (the tuna and chickpea meatballs are one of my favorites). Anyhow,Continue reading “Fish Balls!”
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”
Lebanese Plate (yum!)
Sometimes I just have to cook for myself. I really do. I cook all day for others and sometimes it just feels food to cook for me. Anyhow, this is what I had for dinner tonight (click any of the highlighted words for recipes)…moudardara with lamb (rice with lentils and vermicelli), hummus, labna (yogurt cheese),Continue reading “Lebanese Plate (yum!)”
Apple (the fruit, not the corporation)
Image found here. “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” ~Hippocrates I love apples. Well, ok, most fruits. But this wasn’t always the case. It’s something I’ve really grown to enjoy as an adult…these days a meal without a piece of fruit is not complete. Fruit, of course, is good (really good)Continue reading “Apple (the fruit, not the corporation)”
Polpette di ceci (senza carne)
So I’ve mentioned before on this blog that while I am not a vegetarian I do not eat a great deal of meat, and there are plenty of days when I simply do not want any. Today was one of those days. These chickpea balls are definitely not a replacement for meatballs because they tasteContinue reading “Polpette di ceci (senza carne)”
Lentil Soup with Vegetables and Lebanese Spices
This is a variation of my more traditional Lebanese Lentil Soup recipe; in this version I added many more vegetables. This is super easy to make and yes it tastes as good as it looks. The vegetables I added are simply suggestions (it’s what I had on hand), use whatever you like. This is easilyContinue reading “Lentil Soup with Vegetables and Lebanese Spices”
It’s amazing what a little oil and garlic can do…
Okay. So you’re likely wondering what’s with the picture. Right? It’s not much to look at, and what is it anyhow. Simple…spaghetti squash cooked with aglio e olio, or with garlic and oil (and a few other things. As simple as this photo looks the squash is bursting with flavor. It’s amazing what a littleContinue reading “It’s amazing what a little oil and garlic can do…”
Toum! (an interpretation)
So this is a variation of a variation of a variation…but geeze ‘o man is it good. What, you may wonder, am I talking about. Garlic mayonnaise and it’s many variation. The south of France (and Italy and Spain) have Aioli (the French word for garlic is ail), in the Middle East there is theContinue reading “Toum! (an interpretation)”
Pesto!
Pesto is similar to sofrito in that it is both an ingredient and a stand-alone recipe. It can be eaten as is–as a dip or spread–or added to recipes as a flavor enhancer. The word loosely translates from the Italian as “pounded,” because this was originally made with a mortar and pestle. But with theContinue reading “Pesto!”
Sofrito!
Sofrito is both an ingredient, a seasoning, and a recipe all by itself. It is a simple method of simmering onion, peppers, garlic, and tomatoes in olive oil. But the flavor it imparts can be transformative to a dish. The key here is long slow cooking…it really brings out the flavors. But is often theContinue reading “Sofrito!”
Urban Simplicty 