I’ve come across a really good and relatively simple recipe for lentil soup, and thought I’d share it right away before I misplace it! I wish I knew where I got it from, but that information will sadly have to wait until I figure it out and can add it to this post. I made this recipe for the first time on a rainy day in early spring a few weeks back, and was so pleased with the results that I decided to write a post about it. Lentils are a special food, a special type of legume, with all kinds of important benefits for your health. And they taste good. Continue reading
Category Archives: Onions & garlic
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Grains and Greens
This is a recipe that features the grain you feel like eating today*, the greens that are in season, and whatever vegetables you are in the mood to sautè. For this particular version, I chose quinoa, red peppers, and spinach, but you can saunter through your kitchen, gather up your choices, and start chopping. If you get your veggies organized, and do your chopping early in the day, you’ll be able to throw this meal together quickly. And if you make the grains the evening or weekend before, you’ll feel like a pro when everything comes together in just a few minutes. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Red Lentils & Sweet Potatoes
I think that it might be exactly the right time of year to have this recipe in the refrigerator. You can make this recipe over the weekend, and then have it ready to eat on the days between the endless holiday parties, celebrations, after-work stopovers, and other seasonal social events. It’s incredibly flavorful, it’ll give your mind and belly a well-deserved rest, and you’ll be glad not to have to think too much about what to make for dinner. Or lunch. Continue reading
Planning Ahead for the Holidays
This is a very good time of year to begin thinking about what you’d like to make for the upcoming holidays. Especially if you are planning to host vegetarians and/or vegans, but not only. These recipes are amazing no matter what your style.
My kitchen counter is once again covered with pumpkins and onions, and here are two extraordinarily delicious and unusual recipes for your pumpkins and onions. If you have the time, try to get the onion recipe made the day before, because as good as they are, they taste even better the next day! These two recipes are keepers, and they are special enough for holiday celebrations, too, so keep them in mind for the weeks ahead. The pumpkin (in particular) makes a beautiful presentation, and slicing it at the table is a nice and memorable touch. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Sweet New Year Soup
Next week we will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. Traditionally, Rosh Hashanah foods tend toward the sweet and the circular: sweet for a sweet new year, and circular to represent the seasons that run one into the next, year after year, around and around. At this time of year, we even twist our challahs (egg bread) into rounds instead of the characteristic braided loaf we eat all year long.
We eat lots of fruits, especially apples, prunes, pomegranates, dates and apricots. Chosen vegetables might include sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, and leeks (sliced into rounds of course). Dishes made with black-eyed peas and lentils are a frequent addition to the table. And there is always lots and lots of honey, especially for dipping bread and apple slices. Continue reading
Cooking With Heat, with a Recipe for Red Dal
I have learned, mostly over years of reading cookbooks and watching cooking shows with my dad (of blessed memory), that one way to make spices really bloom is to heat them briefly in some olive oil. Last month, I made shakshuka for my entire book group, and I did not skimp one bit on the spices called for in the recipe. A double recipe of this shakshuka meant 4 teaspoons of sweet paprika, 2 teaspoons of cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of the Serrano chili powder I discovered the last time I was in Napa. I mixed together all the spices and, when it was time, I slid them into the frying pan along with five cloves worth of chopped garlic. Continue reading
Cooking with Spice and Heat
I have learned, mostly over years of reading cookbooks and watching cooking shows with my dad (of blessed memory), that one way to make spices really bloom is to heat them briefly in some olive oil. This past Monday, I made shakshuka for my entire book group, and I did not skimp one bit on the spices. A double recipe of this shakshuka translated to 4 teaspoons of sweet paprika, 2 teaspoons of cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of the Serrano chili powder I was lucky to discover the last time I was in Napa. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Chicken with Split-Pea Gravy
This recipe inspires an entirely new approach to gravy. It’s extremely flavorful, the texture is spot-on perfect, and it is impossible to mess up. You should consider it when cooking for company, Friday nights or Sunday dinners, Thanksgiving and other holidays, or any time you want something rich, flavorful, creamy, and cozy, with leftovers guaranteed to keep you satisfied. When my children were elementary school age, it was one of their favorite dinners. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Spicy Stuffed Peppers
You may have noticed that I am working on providing you with a few recipes that warm you up through these winter months. I love heat, so this is a perfect recipe for me. But if your tastes tend more toward the gentle landing, I recommend skipping the jalapeño and reducing the red pepper flakes to 1/2 teaspoon. Or you can just forget both of them altogether. That’s because the chili powder will still provide some spicy excitement. For me though, I’m all in, which means that if my batch of jalapeños isn’t particularly hot, then I’ll happily add an extra one. So if you’re game, I’m going to recommend that you try letting this gorgeous fireworks of color land on your tongue all at once, because if you can tolerate the concert, your tastebuds will sing! Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Red Crockpot Soup
Through the years I have shared quite a number of crockpot recipes with you on this blog. The crockpot is one of my favorite pieces of kitchen equipment, and my family and I have a long history of looking forward to the recipes that come out of it. I even gave each of my children one as a going-away present when they left for college: a crockpot of their own, a simple recipe, a large package of dry beans, and a few small spice packets to allow them to fill their crockpot to feed themselves and friends whenever they chose. Continue reading