Middle Eastern green salad with herbs and radishes (marul salatasi)

We roughly followed a recipe in Faye Levy’s cookbook, Feast from the Mideast. First, we tossed together: 4 romaine lettuce leaves (cut into bite-sized cut into 2 inch pieces), 6 red radishes (cut into ¼ inch half moons), and 2 Tbsp each chopped Italian parsley and spearmint. Second, we whisked together the juice of 1… Continue reading Middle Eastern green salad with herbs and radishes (marul salatasi)

Roasted cauliflower bulgur pilaf with tahini sauce

We tried this recipe, which originally called for a grain called freekeh: https://cookieandkate.com/2014/roasted-cauliflower-freekeh-tahini-sauce/ Our modifications: first, we used 1 cup coarse bulgur, following proportions here: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/08/health/nutrition/08recipehealth.html Second, oven-roasted the cauliflower pieces and a few sliced shallots for 30 mins, following these directions: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/144070024406/armenian-style-roasted-cauliflower-with-tahini Third, in the mean time, we sautéed the ¼ cup slivered almonds… Continue reading Roasted cauliflower bulgur pilaf with tahini sauce

Wheat berry hot cereal

We tried this recipe: https://www.aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com/wheat-berry-cereal/ Our modifications: first, we halved the recipe to ½ cup wheat berries (kernels), 1 ½ cups water, and sprinkle of salt. Second, following a time-saving tip, the night before, we placed the wheat berries in a stainless steel pot, poured in boiling water, and sprinkled a little salt, and placed… Continue reading Wheat berry hot cereal

Oven-roasted skirt steak with Korean flavors

We marinated 1 lb skirt steak in my grandmother’s bulgogi marinade (we halved the marinade recipe): http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/164274307806/halmonis-bulgogi-we-made-my-beloved. Using a metal skewer, we poked tiny holes in the whole steak and marinated the steak in the fridge for 2 hours. We preheated the oven to 450. We cut the steak in half and then placed it… Continue reading Oven-roasted skirt steak with Korean flavors

Healthier eggplant parmesan

We tried this Cookie & Kate recipe, which uses oven-roasted, non-breaded eggplant slices: https://cookieandkate.com/2017/italian-eggplant-parmesan-recipe/ Our modifications: first, we doubled the amount of sauce because we prefer saucy casseroles. Even so, we almost ran out of sauce for the final layer (we had three layers of eggplant). Second, we did not have a 9x9” baking dish,… Continue reading Healthier eggplant parmesan

Sheet pan coriander chicken with sweet potato, shallot, and bell pepper

We tried this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019161-sheet-pan-chicken-with-sweet-potatoes-and-peppers Our only modification was to place the chicken thighs (skin side up) on a lightly oiled baking sheet first and then surround the thighs with the sweet potato-pepper mixture. (Feb. 2018) Note: The second time we made this, we skipped the onion vinegar topping. The dish is fine without… Continue reading Sheet pan coriander chicken with sweet potato, shallot, and bell pepper

Spanish-style chicken, potato, and tomato stew

We tried this recipe, which uses eggplant and tomato purée: https://pinchofyum.com/one-pot-spanish-chicken-potatoes but made significant modifications. First, we increased the boneless chicken (cut into large bite-sized pieces) to 2 ½ lbs, the potatoes to 3 Yukon potatoes (but a better ratio may be 2 potatoes), and the tomatoes to a combination of 4 hothouse tomatoes, 14.5… Continue reading Spanish-style chicken, potato, and tomato stew

Oven-baked soy-marinated salmon fillet

Following these instructions, we preheated the oven to 425: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-salmon-in-the-oven-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-204559We drizzled about 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp mirin, and 2 tsp honey, and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper over 1 ½ lb salmon fillet (see Note below). We let the salmon sit for about 10 mins while we prepped the side dishes (such… Continue reading Oven-baked soy-marinated salmon fillet

Bon Appetit simple roast chicken with lemon and garlic

We tried this recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/no-fail-roast-chicken-with-lemon-and-garlic We used ¼ cup melted butter, as directed. Our modifications: first, we added 1 lb fingerling potatoes and 5 shallots (peeled and rough-cut) to the roasting pan along with the half-lemon and garlic bulbs cut crosswise. We drizzled the vegetables with olive oil and lightly seasoned with salt and black… Continue reading Bon Appetit simple roast chicken with lemon and garlic

Cheddar cauliflower casserole

We tried this recipe: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cauliflower-casserole-with-cheddar Our modifications: first, instead of parboiling the cauliflower florets, we tossed them with a little olive oil and oven-roasted in a baking sheet at 400 for 30 mins (tossing midway). Second, for the sauce, we replaced half (4 oz = ½ dry cup) of sour cream with ½ dry cup… Continue reading Cheddar cauliflower casserole