Split pea soup with smoked turkey (+ potato), version 2

Split pea soup always reminds me of my childhood, when one of my mom's good friends made the soup from scratch (and it took hours). We had a craving for an old fashioned split pea soup, but we were searching for one that didn't use ham or a ham bone. We tried this recipe, which… Continue reading Split pea soup with smoked turkey (+ potato), version 2

Pakistani mildly spiced chick peas (chikad chanay)

I carry a lot of food memories. I recently craved a delicately spiced chick pea side dish that we had enjoyed at a local Afghan kabob place many years ago. While I couldn't find that exact recipe, I stumbled upon this Pakistani recipe: https://sabihaskitchen.com/chikad-chanay/ Our modifications: first, after soaking the 1 lb dried chick peas… Continue reading Pakistani mildly spiced chick peas (chikad chanay)

Italian pasta and bean soup (pasta e fagioli )

We had an incredible homemade pasta e fagioli over the holidays, and we felt inspired to try a recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/pasta-e-fagioli Our modifications: first, instead of a ham hock, we browned 1 oz center cut bacon cut into match sticks. We also used 2 parmesan rinds. Second, we did a quick soak of 8 oz dried… Continue reading Italian pasta and bean soup (pasta e fagioli )

Mild kichidi (Indian mung bean and rice porridge)

We are feeling under the weather, and we craved a mildly seasoned version of kichidi. This fit the bill, and it was comforting and tasty. https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-khichdi-rice-lentil-porridge/ We halved the recipe: 1/2 cup basmati and 1/4 cup moong dal (but see Note below); 1 Tbsp ghee, 3/4 tsp cumin seeds, 1 bay leaf; 3 cups water,… Continue reading Mild kichidi (Indian mung bean and rice porridge)

Middle Eastern style lentil and split yellow pea soup

We were craving a legume-based soup and tried this recipe: https://thishungrykitten.com/2013/03/26/middle-eastern-delight-lentil-and-split-pea-soup/ This was comforting, earthy, and tasty. Our modifications: first, we don’t have a slow cooker, so we made this on the stovetop. Second, we increased the ground cumin and supplemented with ground coriander. Specifically, after sauteeing the onion, we added 2 tsp cumin and…… Continue reading Middle Eastern style lentil and split yellow pea soup

Persian lentil soup

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

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)

Cajun red beans and rice

We tried this Bon Appetit recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/red-beans-and-rice-recipe. Our chicken andouille sausage (a 6 oz link) was raw, so we sliced it and browned before adding to the stew. This yielded a well-seasoned stew, but the broth was too soupy. We added 1 1/4 cups frozen okra in an attempt to thicken it, and this helped… Continue reading Cajun red beans and rice

Lebanese lentils and bulgur with caramelized onion (mujadara hamra)

We had a craving for mujadara, and we tried this version with bulgur instead of rice: https://www.maureenabood.com/lebanese-mujadara/ We followed the instructions pretty closely. Our minor modifications: first, we cooked the onions in our Ultimate pan, and we found that it took more time (35 mins) and more canola oil (about 1/2 cup total) to properly…… Continue reading Lebanese lentils and bulgur with caramelized onion (mujadara hamra)

Egyptian fava beans, version 3 (ful mudammes)

We tried this recipe for a quick lunch: https://moribyan.com/ful-medames-vegetarian-fava-bean-stew/ We followed the instructions, except we used 1 tsp smoked paprika instead of regular paprika. This was a mistake because the smokiness overpowered the dish. The next time we will use regular paprika and may reduce to 1/2 tsp. (June 2023)