We had a craving for lentil soup and were intrigued by this recipe: https://girlandthekitchen.com/persian-lentil-soup/ Although we used chicken broth (4 cups unsalted, 4 cups Better Than Bouillon), this recipe easily could be vegetarian if made with vegetable broth. Although we try to use no-salt canned tomatoes, we used stewed tomatoes (which are seasoned and contain…… Continue reading Persian lentil soup
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Middle Eastern 7-spice blend (baharat)
We couldn’t find baharat at our local supermarket, so we tried this recipe: https://www.food.com/recipe/baharat-spice-blend-224763 Interestingly, the most challenging part of this recipe was manually grinding black peppercorns (all of our other spices were already ground). We will use the baharat as an ingredient in a Persian lentil soup that we’ll post about separately. (Oct. 2023)
Pumpkin walnut bundt cake, version 2
We tried this recipe from Food Network Kitchens: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pumpkin-bread-recipe-1957866 Our modifications: first, instead of making two loaves, we poured the batter in a bundt pan (with extra batter for a mini-loaf), each of which we lightly coated with ghee and a dusting of flour. Second, we added 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (lightly coated in 1…… Continue reading Pumpkin walnut bundt cake, version 2
Tuscan bean soup (ribollita)
We craved a plant-forward soup with beans and leafy greens, so we made this: https://www.feastingathome.com/ribollita-recipe/ We followed the recipe pretty closely, and this was very tasty. We omitted the bacon / pancetta, but we used chicken broth (4 cups unsalted, 2 cups Better Than Bouillon). For the white wine, we estimated a "splash" to be… Continue reading Tuscan bean soup (ribollita)
Blistered green beans
We are still at the beach with a limited pantry. We tried this simple recipe using 1/2 lb string beans, 1.5 Tbsp canola oil, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and juice from 1/2 a lime. As the recipe notes, the key is maintaining medium-high heat and letting the string beans sit, untouched, for a few mins.… Continue reading Blistered green beans
Pico de gallo
We had planned to make guacamole, but due to not-great avocados, we quickly had to switch gears. We don't have cilantro in our beach pantry, so we made this cilantro-free version that uses ground cumin instead: https://poshplate.us/salsa-no-cilantro/ Our modifications: first, we combined 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 finely minced small shallot, 1 finely minced jalapeño… Continue reading Pico de gallo
Simple summer melon salad
We are still at the beach. A local olive oil merchant recommended this simple recipe: peel and cut cantaloupe and watermelon into bite-sized pieces, then drizzle with peach-infused white balsamic vinegar and basil-infused olive oil (in a 4:3 ratio). Lightly toss, then serve. This was refreshing and delicious. If we were home with our full… Continue reading Simple summer melon salad
Simple powdered sugar icing
We are at the beach, without access to our normal pantry or kitchen tools. We baked a boxed devil's food cake, but we didn't want to use prepared frosting. We tried this simple recipe for icing: https://www.culinaryhill.com/powdered-sugar-icing/ We used 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2.5 Tbsp half and half, and 1 Tbsp… Continue reading Simple powdered sugar icing
Ghanaian eggs with tomato relish (kosua ne meko)
I am a huge fan of Ghanaian cuisine. We decided to try this intriguing recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024548-kosua-ne-meko?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share The dish is delicious, with layers of complex, briny, and refreshing flavors. It also is very simple to make, using humble ingredients. It would make a wonderful appetizer for a summer dinner party. Our modifications: first, because we didn't… Continue reading Ghanaian eggs with tomato relish (kosua ne meko)
Indian minced chicken with peas (keema peas)
We tried a Madhur Jaffrey keema peas recipe using minced chicken (but we skipped the samosa): https://bigsislittledish.com/2011/01/03/turkey-or-chicken-keema-baked-samosas/ This turned out OK, but we prefer Shubhra Ramineni’s keema recipe (and there, we used minced turkey). Our modifications: we used 1 lb (not 1 1/4 lb) mince and increased the peas to 1 cup. We also removed…… Continue reading Indian minced chicken with peas (keema peas)
Cooking Adventures 