Perfectly cooked rice is a thing of beauty. 90% of the time, I serve it unadorned alongside some other dish I’ve spent time on (like this crispy tofu and brussels hash!). But every so often I’m reminded that rice itself can be the star.
A recent picture on Yotam Ottolenghi’s instagram feed was just the inspiration I needed to dress up a pot of jasmine rice this week.
Continue reading “SPICED RICE WITH CRISPY SHALLOTS, TOASTED ALMONDS AND YOGURT”
With all the buzz around grain bowls over the last few years, I’ve gotten away from making grain salads. But what is a grain bowl after all than a grain salad with its parts disassembled?
One could certainly argue that grain salads are better. In fact, I might be arguing it? When you mix ingredients, flavors meld. Every bite has a little bit of this and that without you having to gather ingredients from around your plate.
There are also times when photo ready grain bowls just aren’t practical. Are you a new parent, cradling a baby in your arms while trying to shovel something nourishing into your mouth? Are you eating while driving your kids to soccer practice or doing work at your computer? Do you want to prep something ahead to easily pull from the fridge throughout the week? Grain bowls are pretty but they take work to assemble and eat. Of course, the ideal is to mindfully dine at our kitchen tables with no distractions but that is not always practical. Enter, the grain salad.
Continue reading “FARRO, CHARRED BROCCOLI AND CASTELVETRANO OLIVE SALAD”
I have a real love affair going on with full fat Greek yogurt. Yes, I like it like everyone else with granola and fruit or blended into smoothies, but my favorite way to enjoy it is in savory preparations.
I spoon a thick layer of it across the bottom of a platter and heap atop highly seasoned roasted vegetables like eggplant or the Romanesco here; a fresh salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and plenty of mint; dressed grains, or simple olive-oil fried eggs dusted with smoked paprika. The smooth Greek yogurt has a way of both carrying and mellowing out flavors. It adds richness to whatever you put with it, making it feel decadent and filling. Continue reading “ROASTED ROMANESCO WITH PICKLED SHALLOT, CILANTRO AND GREEK YOGURT”
There is a lot of inspiration behind this dish. This picture on Sprouted Kitchen’s Instagram sent me on a hunt for Bon App’s method of twice baking these crispy, irregular shaped potatoes. Rather than pairing the butter/honey/cider vinegar bathed beauties with coconut yogurt and harissa like Sprouted Kitchen, I piled them on a generous bed of tahini yogurt and finished them off with a mix of herbs, nuts and seeds. I’ve made this dish countless times, a rare testament to how good it is. The recipe is long but not nearly as hard as it looks.
Continue reading “TWICE BAKED SWEET POTATOES WITH TAHINI YOGURT AND POMEGRANATE”
I rarely cook the same thing twice. Recipe ideas are like a scratch I need to itch. Once satisfied, I move on.Yet I’ve come back to this spiced roasted cauliflower and crispy chickpea dish twice since I first made it a few weeks ago. Its flavors are assertive – the earthiness of the cumin, coriander and turmeric balanced by the brightness of the lime juice and fresh herbs. Each bite is a textural experience – soft cauliflower, crunchy chickpeas, and thick Greek yogurt married together on your fork and in your mouth.