Simple roasted acorn squash

Preheat oven to 375 (see Note below). To prepare the squash, microwave for 2 minutes (to soften the rind), cut it in half vertically, and remove seeds. Place each squash half cut-side down on a cutting board, and then cut into ¼ inch slices. Place on a olive-oil sprayed cookie sheet (we used two). Drizzle… Continue reading Simple roasted acorn squash

Hawaiian spam musubi

Recipe from: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/04/tutorial-how-to-make-hawaiian-spam-musubi-sushi.html. In terms of spam seasoning, I combined ½ tsp sugar with 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce and 1 Tbsp mirin, but used only about half of it. I also used Spam Lite, and I couldn’t tell the difference from the original version (at least in this preparation). If you tightly wrap each… Continue reading Hawaiian spam musubi

Artichoke steamed in flavored broth

This was my first time making artichokes at home, and we tried this recipe by Tyler Florence:   http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/steamed-whole-artichokes-recipe.html.  This recipe calls for chicken broth, but you can make it vegetarian by using water or vegetable broth instead.  We made a dipping sauce from a separate recipe, which I write about here:  http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/119235761636/artichoke-dipping-sauce-we-made-this-sauce-to-go

Afghan stewed pumpkin with yogurt and mint (kudu bourani)

This is one of my favorite Afghan appetizers when I eat out, and I finally made it at home.  I used the remaining half of my pumpkin (from the Aruban soup) for this.  Remove rind from pumpkin and cut into slices (as my friend Mary J advised, I microwaved the pumpkin for a few minutes… Continue reading Afghan stewed pumpkin with yogurt and mint (kudu bourani)

Roast beef and beet salad with horseradish dressing

Roast beef and beet salad.  We had some leftover steak from Ray’s the Steaks, and we decided to make a salad inspired by our friend Laura’s Waitrose recipe.  Line a large serving plate with mixed baby greens, then layer 8 oz pickled beets (cut into quarters), thinly sliced roast beef (here, we used our leftover… Continue reading Roast beef and beet salad with horseradish dressing

Barley pilaf with artichoke hearts and chick peas

We first tried this recipe in 2007 when our friend Sandhya served it at a party. The recipe is here: https://www.food.com/recipe/barley-pilaf-with-chickpeas-and-artichoke-hearts-301799 Our modifications: first, we halve the amount of marinated artichoke hearts (to a 6 oz jar), drain, and slice them vertically in half. Second, for the pesto, we prefer Safeway private label brand or… Continue reading Barley pilaf with artichoke hearts and chick peas