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The problem with owning too many cookbooks is that there never seems to be enough time to get around to cooking from all of them. For example my copy of Off the Shelf: Cooking From the Pantry by Donna Hay has been sitting there for ages but I have not yet posted a recipe from it. Looking for a low-effort soup this week, I pulled it out and found Cannellini Bean and Fresh Tomato Broth and hea
What did we do before the iPhone? And its many apps of course. How else can you sit in front of the grocery store deciding that it might behoove you to actually think about and shop for the weekly Yotam Ottolenghi recipe at least a few days in advance so as not to have to make yet another trip to the store? (Please do refrain from pointing out that this "advance" planning might better have been co
Maybe I shouldn't refer to this soup by its given name; "The Soup-er Cleanse" on the post title because the words "cleanse" or "detox" can make people turn up their nose at food because they think it might be too healthy or flavorless. In fact, this soup from The Eat Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook by Tosca Reno, has a lot of flavor from the garlic, lemon, parsley, cumin and cayenne. The text
I was firmly convinced that Tyler Florence's Carpaccio of Raw Zucchini was my favorite way to eat zucchini until I tried Ottolenghi's Zucchini & Hazelnut Salad. It is a wonderful combination of roasted zucchini, basil, Parmesan cheese and toasted hazelnuts that I would find easy to enjoy often. It also begs the question, "Why don't I put toasted hazelnuts in my salads more?!" Luck
It's Cinco de Mayo today, a perfect holiday to celebrate over a festive bowl of tortilla soup. Especially good today because it's cool, gray and drizzly here. I wanted to make a vegan tortilla soup version but add something to make it satisfying. Pinto and black beans seemed like a great alternative--as did adding kale to get some healthy greens in there. To make it even healthier, you coul
I have been thinking that I *needed* to make a barley risotto for quite some time. I was intrigued by this Barley Risotto with Marinated Feta from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. It was the idea of the feta, marinated in caraway and olive oil and the combination of aromatics and spices--garlic, shallots, lemon peel, thyme, smoked paprika, chile flakes, and oregano that drew me in. I
I had not seen the "corn lady" parked along the road by my house and selling bags of sweet local corn, for quite some time so I ad to stop and grab a bag. All thoughts went to corn soup and a quick search led me to a Mark Bittman recipe from a New York Times Magazine article on uses for fresh corn. I love the simplicity of Bittman's recipes and the Thai flavors in this soup. I adapted t
"In this house we have chocolate cake for breakfast. We never bother with silly things like bedtimes or brushing our teeth," so says Aunt Francis Owens as she and her sister, Jet welcome their young orphan nieces Sally and Gillian into their home. Practical Magic, starring Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, and Dianne Wiest, is this month's Food 'n Flix pick, hosted by Glennis at Ca
As soon as I saw the name Shakshuka, I wanted to make this Yotam Ottolenghi dish. Just say it out loud--fast, low and throaty... Shaksuka! It's just plain fun to say. This North African dish is also pretty and colorful and tastes delicious. How can you not love a medley of sautéed bell pepper, onions and tomatoes with herbs and spices? The runny-yolked egg carefully nestled in the veggies,
I was looking for a good farro soup, maybe something with beans and I found one in Vegan Eats World by Terry Hope Romero--White bean Farro Soup with Chickpea Parmigiana. Besides the farro, to help use up some of the Trader Joe's quick-cooking farro my mom gifted me, what really attracted me to the soup was the topping--crumbles of golden chickpea flour that is supposed to melt into the warm
I have been looking at the recipe for Na'ama's Fattoush ever since buying Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. This week, I Heart Cooking Clubs features recipes with root vegetables and this salad includes radishes--an under-used root vegetable in my world. I used to dislike radishes until I had them roasted. After that, I gradually began to appreciate them raw, just as long as they are
This Asparagus and Leek Soup is the kind of dish my body is telling me it needs right now. Fresh, healthy, cleansing and full of vitamins. My mind might be saying "sugar!"--but my body is definitely clamoring for the green stuff this week. This is an easy soup that just requires some chopping and simmering and doesn't contain any dairy or fat. It comes from The Beauty Detox Foods, the new boo
Nothing says spring like a big bowl of green--leafy and otherwise. This Spring Salad by Yotam Ottolenghi puts all things green--spinach, asparagus, beans together in a light, sesame-enhanced oil and lemon juice dressing. A great reason to pull out the big wooden salad bowl. Ottolenghi says, "I love dishes that feature the various shades of a single colour, making you stop to check what's in there
I have been craving chowder--thick and creamy, full of corn and potatoes. A Saturday morning trip to the farmers market loaded me up with everything I needed--onions, young garlic, small new potatoes, corn, pepper, carrots and herbs. The smoked fish looked tempting so I added some ahi and marlin. I wanted to keep it dairy-free so I used coconut milk creamer. With the exception of the Earth Balance
I have two stunning Yottam Ottolenghi books, Plenty and Jerusalem, sitting on my table and a plethora of recipes tagged to make as we start cooking with him for the next six months at I Heart Cooking Clubs beginning next week. I have formed a habit of welcoming in our new IHCC chefs with a bowl of soup. I figure if a chef and I bond with a great soup, we will continue to get along well. ;-) Not th
Six months cooking along with the recipes of Indian chef Madhur Jaffrey at I Heart Cooking Clubs comes to an end this week as we move on April 1 to our new chef Yotam Ottolenghi. Madhur and I have cooked together in the past and have always gotten along well. She has plenty of vegetarian and vegan recipes to choose from and others can be easily adapted to fit my needs. I know to cut down the butte
I love a good sparkly chick flick and I really love How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the Food 'n Flix selection for March. I don't own this movie, but it is one that I turn the channel to whenever I come across it on the television. Thus I have maybe watched the entire movie in a sitting only a couple of times but, I have seen the various bits and parts of it way too many times to count.
OK, I am just going to say it now... this Sciuscieddu (Sicilian Egg & Breadcrumb Soup) won't win any beauty contests. It did look better in the photos than I thought it would and that's not saying a lot. The little "dumplings of parsley, garlic pecorino cheese and egg fall apart in the broth pretty easily, but, what it lacks in the looks department, it makes up for in comforting, homey goodnes
Last year I finally saw my first Downton Abbey episode and was immediately hooked, catching up on the first two seasons on Netflix and watching the third season on PBS. (Don't let me get started on my feelings about the Season 3 finale...) The story of the British upper crust Crawley family beginning with the sinking of the Titanic quickly became an addiction. With the season on PBS flying by, I w
Once you have your onions and herbs chopped, it doesn't get much easier than this flavorful flat omelette. Cook the onions and herbs, xix the up eggs and pour them on top in the same pan, then just let it cook, covered until done. These Eggs with Green Herbs have lots of spring flavor as well as pretty color from the herbs, chiles, ginger, garlic and turmeric. Jaffrey says, "This may be serv
Wearing of the green on St. Patrick's Day shows spirit but, eating of the green is even better. With Souper Sundays falling on March 17th this year, I figured I should make a meat-free Irish-themed soup. An email from Vegetarian Times featured a recipe for a spring-green Split Pea, Fennel, and Spinach Soup and I decided to go for the green instead. Split Pea, Fennel, and Spinac
I believe that people who "hate" tofu either hate the whole idea of it or have never had it cooked really well, with enough flavor added to it. In this case, marinated in tandori-style spices and grilled to have a nicely crispy outside while maintaining its creamy center, it becomes almost drool-worthy. Tasked with making a Madhur Jaffrey kebab recipe this week, I couldn't find a veg-friend
My mom brought me a care package of Trader Joe's goodies on her visit. (Always the perfect hostess gift for my TJ's-deprived soul!) ;-) In addition to the always welcome chocolate and Rosemary Marcona Almonds, there were little bags of quick-cooking barley and farro. Perfect for salads and soups like this hearty Mushroom-Barley-Kale Soup. I started with a recipe clipped from the paper (the actual
Butter Chicken used to top my list of favorite Indian dishes--the thick, rich sauce full of butter and cream, is both decadent and comforting. I was first introduced to it in Japan of all places, at a restaurant in the Roppongi district of Tokyo. I spent a fair amount of time in Tokyo for work and always tried to fit a dinner at Moti in whenever I could. When I moved to Hawaii and really started m
Never underestimate the power of scent. According to Eva, "from the longer and more beautiful Evangeline", the main character in Scent of Darkness: A Novel by Margot Berwin, "Human beings are defenseless against scent. They can't from it because they can't see it, or touch it, or hold it. All by itself it crawls into their brains, and by the time they're in love with it, or the person it is coming
I will never hear the name Mulligatawny Soup without thinking of the Seinfeld episode with the "Soup Nazi." This heavily-spiced soup is a favorite of mine in all of its many forms. In this case a took a Madhur Jaffrey recipe and made it a vegan version--swapping out the chicken and replacing it with potato, carrot, celery and peas. (My changes are in red below.) It gets its thickness from th
What a treat to host February's Food 'n Flix and introduce some foodie-movie-loving friends to Today's Special, a great little independent, food-filled film. (You can read about the plot here.) As you'll see in the roundup below, Food 'n Flix participants took inspiration in the delectable Indian cuisine featured in the film.Elizabeth of The Law Student's Cookbook changed up her curry experience b
In Today's Special, a sweet, food-filled independent comedy, one of the characters, Akbar (a taxi-driving gourmet chef) makes a comment about how it is too bad that the French didn't colonize more of India instead of the British, because the merging of those two cuisines would be much better. That was my inspiration for this Indian-Inspired Ahi Nicoise Salad--a marriage of a classic French dish wi
After making Madhur Jaffrey's Asparagus with Romesco Sauce, I was going to use the leftovers on some roasted potatoes but I got to thinking about other ways to use it. I thought the piquant sauce would liven up a bowl of soup and be a colorful topping. In sticking with the Spanish sauce, I decided to continue the vibe with a saffron and smoked paprika-spiked Chickpea & Garlic Soup. I kept the
It might seem early for asparagus recipes but we are lucky to live Hawaii where local asparagus can be found throughout the year. I was craving the tasty green stems and thought this Madhur Jaffrey Spanish-flavored recipe for Asparagus with Romesco Sauce sounded like a great way to enjoy it. Jaffrey says, "Romesco Sauce, a beautiful orange-red, is just perfect with asparagus. Its color contrasts s
Thumbing through my Moosewood cookbooks for some soup inspiration, I found it in Simple Suppers. This Italian Bread & Cheese Soup seemed perfect for a blustery evening--light but cozy and satisfying. And, adding spinach makes me feel less guilty about all that gooey cheese. ;-)Moosewood says, "This is the quintessential simple supper for many Italian families." Italian Bread & Chees
A little mashed potato love for Valentine's Day--whether piled in a bowl or made heart-shaped on a plate. These Madhur Jaffrey mashed potatoes have an exotic Indian flavor from the chile, garam masala and a pinch of cayenne. Jaffrey says, "Indians are always using spicy mashed potatoes to make potato patties and deep-fried potato balls, so it occurred to me that the same mixture could be ser
I had severe soup envy last week. Or maybe severe soup topping envy is more accurate. My Creamy Red Lentil Soup was fine but, it was the Avocado Cream Topping piled on top of Joanne's Chipotle Black Bean Soup that had me drooling. Yes, I wanted that avocado cream a lot--not that black bean soup didn't sound like an excellent foundation for all that avocado goodness. Rather than having spicy b
I finally drug myself to the doctor this week--fully convinced I had the flu and wasn't going to survive it or the ear infection I thought was brewing. ;-) After taking my temp and listening to me snort and hack, they were pretty convinced I had it too. The flu swab (aka giant Q-tip up the nose) said differently though, and instead I wound up with a heavy-duty antibiotic for a heavy-duty sinus inf
This Cream of Red Lentil Soup might also be called "When You Just Don't Have It In You To Care Soup." I succumbed to the flu this weekend big time with all its aches, chills, combination runny nose and stuffed sinuses, cough and fever. Not at all pretty. Leaving the house, heck leaving the couch since Friday has not been an option. I needed something easy and low-effort that I could make from the
It's hard to believe that my last time hosting Food 'n Flix was one year ago! It has finally come around to me again. ;-) This round I am pulling out a cute independent film full of food, family and fun, with plenty of exotic Indian flavor.Today's Special is a 2009 film about Samir (Aasif Mandvi), who toils as sous chef at a fancy New York restaurant. Watching others get promoted to chef over him
I first picked up The Hunger Games a couple of years ago, having heard about it from friends and coming across the paperback version at Costco. I devoured it. When I received a Kindle for Christmas soon after, the first two books I loaded were the other two books in the series. I saw the movie the first weekend it came out, and although it differed in points from the book, I loved it just as well.
I love the pretty golden hue of these simple Pears Poached in a Saffron Syrup from Madhur Jaffrey. Just five ingredients makes for an elegant fruit dessert. Jaffrey says, "These pears, which I first made with the purest saffron from Kashmir, are heavenly. They turn a rich gold color and are suffused with the heady aromas of saffron and cardamom--among the most prized spices in the world." Pe
It's been a "cold" and windy here the past couple of weeks. Of course cold in Hawaii means that the temperatures hit the low sixties at night--so it's all relative. But, it does make it a particularly good time for thick homey soups. I wanted something simple and comforting, so I put together a simple potato-leek soup, enhanced with aromatic rosemary. This one is dairy-free and vegan, but still ri
I seldom make fruit chutneys, buying a bottle on occasion to keep in the fridge and use mostly with Indian-inspired meals. It seems a little silly to buy it when you realize how simple it is to make---all you really need is a little time to let it thicken up. The flavor of this chunky chutney from Madhur Jaffrey is nicely sweet, sour and a little spicy. Jaffrey says, "This superb sweet-and-
I was craving creamy tomato soup this weekend, the perfect time to try this version from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Instead of milk, cream or a non-dairy milk alternative to make it creamy, this recipe uses potatoes. Veganomicon says, "This soup packs a double one-two punch of tomato. Just when you're thinking it's made from regular old tomato--BAM--a sun-dried tom
This is a vegan version of Madhur Jaffrey's Green Soup, a blended creamy pea soup spiced Indian-style with ginger, cumin, coriander, cilantro and green chilli. I used a veggie broth in place of chicken stock and subbed an unsweetened coconut non-dairy creamer for the double cream. Jaffrey says, "This is India's version of cream pea soup. It is delicate and quite delicious." Green Soup100 Weeknight
Our theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week is Appetizers!. I wanted something easy and healthy so I picked the simple cucumber and mint yogurt raita from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking. Cooling and delicious--especially paired with warm nan bread. Jaffrey says, "Here is a cooling yogurt dish that can be served with all Indian meals. It also makes an excellent snack which can be stored in
One of my favorite comfort-soups is Greek Avgolemono--thick chicken-based soup with lemon, dill and egg. Since taking meat and poultry out of my diet, I have craved avgolemono, especially when I am feeling stuffy. Finding a good recipe for a vegan version in Vegan Eats World: 300 International Recipes for Savoring the Planet by Terry Hope Romero, I knew I had to try it. Terry Hope Romero co-a
Is anything more comforting than sweet warm spiced apples? This Indian-flavored version adapted from Madhur Jaffrey adds cardamom to the mix. I made a few changes to the recipe--reducing the sugar and butter, adding dried sweet cherries for extra color, changing the whipped cream topping to sweetened yogurt, etc. My changes are in red below. Jaffrey says, "An easy dessert that can be made w
The craving hit for broccoli-cheese soup and I wanted one without the dairy and the calories and fat it brings. Originally I was going to make my favorite go-to vegan cheese sauce from Chloe's Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli and stir it into a creamy broccoli soup, but when I went to look it up, I found she had a recipe for Cheesy Broccoli Soup in Sourdough Bread Bowls. Since it was easier and faster
Lentils are a staple in my house. They are budget-friendly, warming to the body and soul, and, provide a satisfying alternative to eating meat. This lentil dal recipe uses common green/brown lentils and adds flavor with fresh cilantro, mint and ground coriander and dried chiles. Simple and full of flavor. Jaffrey says, "For speed, I use a pressure cooker, although you could cook the lentils
The January 2013 issue of Real Simple magazine had "10 Ideas for Soup" in their Quick Takes column. The picture of tomato soup with croutons and big shavings of Parmesan cheese on top caught my eye right off. (I am a sucker for good garnishing!) I changed up their recipe sketch a good bit, adding extra ingredients like fennel, garlic and dried basil, and added some bread to the soup base to make i
This Rice with Peas and Dill dish reminds me a little of the Persian rice, lima beans, and dill called baghali polo. My first roommate and I used to have occasionally have dinner at her aunt and uncle's house. Her uncle is Iranian, and used to make a delicious baghali polo with big chunks of chicken. He would often send a container-full home with us with plenty of tahdig--the crispy lay
With my last two soups being on the "fancier" side (Curried Shrimp Bisque and Saffron-Flavored Garlic Soup with Potatoes), I was craving something simple, brothy and full of beans and veggies. A thrown together version of Pasta e Fagioli fit the bill. I had a bunch of leftover herbs to use up, but if you didn't, you could easily used dried, substituting in your favorites. Sometimes I like to
