Sicilian-style roasted cabbage with cannellini beans

We had half of a medium green cabbage in our fridge, and we tried this recipe featuring Sicilian flavors: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1027365-roasted-cabbage-and-butter-beans?unlocked_article_code=1.GVE.83ft.KgNNjUppQSZc&smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share. This was a surprisingly delicious and complex recipe; definitely a keeper. Our modifications: first, we halved the recipe as follows: 1/2 medium cabbage (see Note below), 1 Tbsp avocado oil (for roasting) 2+ Tbsp olive…… Continue reading Sicilian-style roasted cabbage with cannellini beans

Kichidi by Divya’s Kitchen

We tried this recipe from Bon Appetit: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/simple-khichari. We especially liked the addition of quinoa, which we had not seen in other kichidi recipes. Our modifications: first, due to our pantry, we omitted the curry leaves. Instead, we added 1/8 tsp asofoetida, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, and 1 large dried bay leaf to the turmeric.…… Continue reading Kichidi by Divya’s Kitchen

Black-eyed peas, Instant Pot style

We need cooked black-eyed peas for a recipe, so we followed this easy method for cooking 1 lb dried black-eyed peas in the Instant Pot: https://beanrecipes.com/instant-pot-black-eyed-peas/ We followed the instructions for manual timing and manual release (despite warnings to the contrary on the Instant Pot panel). The peas turned out very well: perfectly cooked but…… Continue reading Black-eyed peas, Instant Pot style

Cuban black beans (frijoles negros), vegetarian and Instant Pot style

We have been craving Cuban black beans for a few weeks. We initially planned to follow a traditional recipe (overnight soak, then hours on the stovetop) from a 1973 NYT recipe (see Note 1 below). But then we stumbled upon this Instant Pot recipe for vegetarian frijoles negro on Instagram (we recommend watching the video…… Continue reading Cuban black beans (frijoles negros), vegetarian and Instant Pot style

Italian lentil and escarole soup

We love lentil soup, and we were curious about escarole. So we tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013354-lentil-and-escarole-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share&cgs=c Our modifications: first, we added 2 celery stalks (diced) to the carrots and onion. Second, the recipe didn’t specify the type of lentils, so we used 1 cup French de Puy lentils (small, dark gray), which hold their shape…… Continue reading Italian lentil and escarole soup

Burmese-style chicken and split yellow pea stew (instant pot / pressure cooker)

We tried a Skinnytaste adaptation of chicken dal curry from the Burmese Superstar cookbook: https://www.skinnytaste.com/burma-superstar-chicken-dal-curry/. The Skinnytaste author omitted fish sauce, which we added back in. We also incorporated some tips from her blogpost comments. Our modifications: first, instead of an Instant Pot, we used a stovetop pressure cooker. (We prefer a stovetop over an…… Continue reading Burmese-style chicken and split yellow pea stew (instant pot / pressure cooker)

Mixed vegetable khichdi

We had a craving for a hearty vegetable khichdi that utilized many type of legumes. We tried this recipe: https://ministryofcurry.com/khichdi-instant-pot/ This was a mild, but slightly over seasoned khichdi. Our modifications: first, for the 4 cups of vegetables, we used 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables. We also used about 2 oz of fresh baby spinach,…… Continue reading Mixed vegetable khichdi

Indian stewed whole red lentils (sabut masoor daal)

We purchased whole red lentils specifically to try this recipe by Shubhra Ramineni from her cookbook, Healthy Indian Vegetarian Cooking. We followed the instructions but were unable to keep the whole red lentils intact. Rinse and drain 1/2 cup dried whole red lentils. Place the lentils in a small pot, along with 1 small tomato…… Continue reading Indian stewed whole red lentils (sabut masoor daal)

Korean soybean sprout and beef soup (kong namul guk)

This is a soup from my childhood, and I have been craving it in recent weeks. We followed this recipe: https://www.beyondkimchee.com/beef-and-bean-sprout-soup/ Our modifications: first, we used 1/4 lb center cut ribeye beef (instead of 1 lb beef), but we kept the marinade ingredients and amounts the same (since they also season the broth). We thinly…… Continue reading Korean soybean sprout and beef soup (kong namul guk)

Tuscan-style sautéed Swiss chard with bacon and chick peas

This is an easy recipe with surprisingly complex flavors: https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-swiss-chard-with-garbanzo-beans-249801. The crunch of the Swiss chard steps reminded us of celery without the sharp flavor. Our modifications: first, based on our pantry, we used bacon instead of pancetta. Specifically, we cut frozen, center-cut bacon into matchsticks (3 cross sectional slabs). Second, towards the end of…… Continue reading Tuscan-style sautéed Swiss chard with bacon and chick peas