Cold nights long call for hearty, warming meals the way birthdays call for cake and snow days call for pajamas and steaming cups of hot cocoa. We’ve been having our share of snowy, cold weather here since late fall, and along with it plenty of bean, fish, chicken, and beef soups and stews. Mike and I really are soup people, and meals like this always seem to hit the spot…but the fact of the matter is, we’re easily in for at least another three months of cold (and more likely than not, snowy) weather, and if I’m going to last the winter without going stew crazy (that would […]...
Christmas Dinner for Two: Vanilla-Maple Glazed Cornish Hens, Spiced Yams, and Braised Red Cabbage with Cherries
I absolutely love everything about this time of year…the festivities, the family time, the food. I’ve noticed that when it comes to holiday feasts, it doesn’t matter whether you’re making a banquet for a group of twenty friends or an intimate meal to enjoy with your love; the truly magical thing is getting to share a beautiful meal with someone special. A dear friend of mine recently asked me to put together a Christmas dinner for two; I happily agreed (developing recipes and menus is pretty much my all-time favorite thing to do!) and Cornish hen immediately came to mind. Specifically, I thought of Cornish […]...
Braised Beef & Vegetables
Mike and I divvy the household chores pretty evenly based on what each of us is good at. I do all the cooking, except on occasions few and far between. On the rare off night that I don’t feel like cooking or going out, I ask Mike to cook. He typically responds that me asking him to cook is like him asking me to engineer a computer network. Since there’s truth to that, I let it go and those are typically the nights we order in or eat eggs....
Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Stew
Rich and flavorful Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Stew is a wonderfully delicious nourishing comfort food that’s perfect for warming up with on a cold evening. When I was thinking of making this dish it started out in my mind as Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Stew with Quince. Until Mike informed me that he doesn’t like quinces, with the too-similar resemblance in flavor and texture they bear to apples (yes, he doesn’t like apples either). So I improvised and added potato and carrot (both Mike-approved) instead. We both enjoyed the end result so it was worth the substitutions I made; Mike said it reminded him of a Kuwaiti dish he used to […]...
Sausages & Sauerkraut
Have you ever planned an entire meal around a condiment? Sometimes I’ll crave ketchup, for example, and then I’m left looking for a food vessel to eat it on (I wouldn’t just sit down with a bottle of ketchup and a spoon…now that would be weird ;) ). (In case you’re wondering, my ketchup cravings are usually satiated with scrambled eggs…yes, I eat ketchup on scrambled eggs, lol. But never on eggs with runny yolk.) The other day I was at a grocery store – not my normal grocery store, mind you…and you know how much fun it is to look around at new grocery […]...
Golden Raisin Chermoula Chicken with Bulgur Pilaf
Chermoula is a marinade or sauce used in Moroccan and other North African cuisines; it is typically used on seafood, but also may be used to flavor chicken and other meats.* Chermoula usually contains garlic, oil, herbs (frequently cilantro), lemon (I’ve seen both pickled lemon and/or lemon juice used), and spices (such as cumin, paprika, and/or cayenne pepper). The bright, fresh flavors in chermoula add a vibrant, refreshing quality and punch of flavor to whatever dish it’s used in. I made a few changes to the traditional chermoula to really make this lovely condiment my own. I added golden raisins for a little sweetness and instead […]...
Jäger-Schnitzel with Sweet & Sour Cabbage & Thyme-Buttered Noodles
Out of the blue, I’ve been seriously dying for sweet and sour red cabbage and I had the idea to incorporate it into some kind of Oktoberfest-inspired meal. The other day at work I was musing about whether to make Wiener or Jäger Schnitzel when the Lady in Red (who is a friend/co-worker, not Chris de Burgh’s long-lost love), who lived in Germany for some time, came to my rescue. She gave me some fabulous inspiration and together we came up with this lovely meal. Everything was a big hit, even with Mike who claims to not like German food, so thank you, Lady in […]...
Eggplant Pizza
What to do with one small lonely eggplant? That was the question in my mind before I found this recipe. I don’t know of many recipes that feed four people, only call for one small eggplant, and still allow the eggplant to be the star of the dish. Of course I had to make something else for Mike (who doesn’t like eggplant or cheese – aaahhh!), but it worked out well since we have tons of leftover biryani. ;) Eggplant Pizza (Adopted from Epicurious) (Yield: 4 servings) Pizza: Dough (see below) 1 small eggplant (about 1/2 pound), thinly sliced into about 1/4-inch rounds 3 small-medium […]...
Ramadan, Recipe for Pilaf-Style Biryani, & Giveaway Winner!
The Islamic fasting month of Ramadan is upon us again! This is a time for prayer, reflection, giving charity, and fasting. During Ramadan, fasting includes not only abstaining from food and water, but it also includes abstaining from swearing, gossiping, arguing, etc. During Ramadan fasting is done from sunrise to sunset to teach you patience, discipline, and empathy for others who aren’t as fortunate. Each day at sunset the fast ends with prayer and then the fast is broken with dates and water. This is followed by a meal called iftar, which usually starts with a first course of soup (traditionally Red Lentil Soup) and […]...
Pierogi-Style Ravioli
As you probably can tell, I really enjoy cooking. For me it’s a great creative outlet and means of expression, and when I’ve had a long day at work cooking can also be a great way to relax and unwind. But I’ll admit there are some nights when I’m just too exhausted to even cook. On nights like that, it’s a meal like this paired with a simple salad that I love. As part of the Tastemakers program, I recently received a coupon for a package of Buitoni ravioli from Buitoni and Foodbuzz. I love ravioli but Mike on the other hand, not so much. […]...
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