North African Spiced Carrot Soup
Posted on | November 13, 2008 | No Comments
It’s fall, and even here in the land of no real seasons, the temperatures are dropping and the nights are getting colder. And that means one thing–soup season! I love soup, it’s one of the ultimate comfort foods.
I first threw together this soup about a month ago when my husband was gone on a business trip and I thought I’d be the good wifey and surprise him with some tasty soup when he got home. Of course, that was before I realized that he doesn’t actually like carrot soup. But he did like this one, enough that he even asked me to make it again.
This soup is a little different, with it’s flavors of cinnamon and ginger. I’ve been on a major North African kick with my cooking lately–I just love the combinations of sweet and savory and the rich spices.
Israeli Salad, Easy and Adaptable
Posted on | November 6, 2008 | No Comments
When I need a colorful, simple and quick dish that’s just a little bit different and liked by everyone who’s tried it, this is the dish I turn to. It’s easy to make (just requires a lot of chopping) and very healthy. In Israel, every chef has their own variation of this salad and there’s some friendly competition to see who can chop the finest. I, however, am not usually that ambitious.
The great thing about this salad is that it’s just rough parameters–you can throw pretty much watever veggies you have on hand and it will still be great. Eggplant? Sure! No cucumbers? No problem. Big fan of carrots? Toss them in. Want a more substantial dish with protein? Throw in a can of chickpeas. Love cheese? Mix in some feta. Get the idea–it’s very adabtable and always tasty.
Oh, and to give credit where credit is due, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my trusty sous chef–my dear husband. He loves this salad enough to help with the chopping, which cuts down the prep time even further. Plus, I can be sneaky and make him chop the onion!
Our New Favorite Green–Chard
Posted on | October 30, 2008 | No Comments
I’d always been a little wary of chard–never quite sure what to make of it’s brightly colored stalks and dark green leaves. But when I started hearing about it’s health benefits (chock full of antioxidants, calcium, potassium, vitamin C and all sorts of other good stuff), I decided to give it a try…and it was good! Even more surprising, my husband loved it, and now requests new chard dishes all the time!
This recipe for Chard and Red Pepper Gratin is adapted from the one at the New York Times and it makes for a tasty, albeit a bit fiddly, dinner side. I totally cheated and served it with a roasted chicken from Henry’s, but that made it a do-able weeknight dinner.
Welcome! (aka Another Food Blog??)
Posted on | October 30, 2008 | No Comments
Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the interwebs. Yep, it’s another food blog, just what the world needs. But with a unique perspective, wide ranging tastes, and a huge stack of cookbooks just begging to be used, I hope this blog will add a bit of extra flavor to the world of food blogs.
I hope you’ll come back often to see what’s new and try out some new recipes and enjoy some good food. To me the best thing about cooking is being able to share it with friends–both virtual and in person. So let’s get cooking!