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)

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

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)

Cottage cheese pancakes

I first heard about cottage cheese pancakes from a NYT interview of renowned food editor Dawn Davis. We decided to try this recipe: https://www.acouplecooks.com/cottage-cheese-pancakes/ This was delicious. We cooked the pancakes in ghee (instead of standard butter). We served this with a simple fruit salad (summer fruit tossed with honey and lime juice). (July 2023)… Continue reading Cottage cheese pancakes

Moroccan chick pea and lentil soup (harira)

We have made harira before, but we were intrigued by this recipe's use of two different types of lentils (red and green) plus chick peas: https://www.feastingathome.com/harira-soup/ We followed the recipe pretty closely, and it turned out well. Our minor modifications: first, instead of cayenne pepper, we used 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili, a lower heat ground… Continue reading Moroccan chick pea and lentil soup (harira)

Vegetable and pasta soup with chicken broth

I am feeling under the weather, so we tried this soup: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/vegetable-noodle-soup-recipe-1928029 We made some modifications: first, we doubled the broth, aromatics, and pasta. Second, for the vegetables we supplemented the carrot and celery with a medium Yukon potato (diced) and 1/2 cup frozen sweet peas. Finally, we added juice from a large lemon, which…… Continue reading Vegetable and pasta soup with chicken broth