Tag: Vegetables

Southwest Quinoa Salad, with black beans, corn, red pepper and cilantro, in a white serving dish in the garden.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Colorful and delicious, Southwest Quinoa Salad relies on kitchen staples plus a few fresh herbs and vegetables to create a crowd-pleasing and protein rich side dish for easy entertaining.

Bourbon Baked Beans in Casserole with serving spoon

Bourbon Baked Beans with Bacon

Dijon mustard, dark brown sugar and a splash of bourbon give these baked beans a spicy sweet edge.  Baked for a long while, until good and thick, they are the perfect complement for a traditional backyard barbecue.

Moroccan Chickpea and Barley Salad on a a square plate with antique silver serving spoon.

Moroccan Chickpea and Barley Salad

Ras al hanout is the potent ingredient that makes this salad special. It is a blend of various spices used to flavor meals in the middle east and Africa. Rather than a set blend of a few spices, ras al hanout can have dozens of spices in the mix and which spices it contains varies depending on the source…

Smashed Sweet Pototoes with Ginger and Honey on an autumn cloth served in a white bowl .

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Ginger and Honey

Roasted sweet potatoes are easily taken from basic to special when smashed with a few simple additions from the spice drawer. A drizzle of honey also adds an interesting dimension. With these spare embellishments Smashed Sweet Potatoes become completely irresistible.

Parsnips and carrots are honey roasted and served in an oval ceramic dish.

Honey Roasted Parsnips

At the heart of a parsnip’s flavor there is a hint of citrus. It complements subtle notes of green grass and fresh herbs. Roasting further develops these appealing attributes lending a caramel-sweet nuttiness. A touch of honey deepens the complexity and adds a glossy finish to Honey Roasted Parsnips. Add a few carrots, if you like, to enhance the visual contrast in this simple side dish.

A bowl filled with Lentil Soup.

Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup requires little in the way of advanced planning since the lentils are small and cook quickly. As is, this humble soup tastes warm and healing. The addition of a roasted spice blend, including panch phoron, coriander seeds and Chile pepper, adds a more exotic flavor and visual interest.

A serving of Quick Collard Greens with Cranberries on a white plate.

Quick Collard Greens with Cranberries

I have spent most of my life avoiding collard greens. From early on I took the view that they just didn’t sound good. On the produce aisle, gathered in bunches, dog-eared and dirty, they didn’t look good. In the kitchen, cooked at length until they were ladled out in dark […]

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries with Pecans

Discoveries on the Produce Aisle Last week I found stalks of Brussels sprouts for sale in the produce section of Sprouts market. A generous quantity of individual sprouts adorned each stout central stalk budding out from the base where each leaf had grown. It caught me by surprise. I don’t […]

Plain Old Fashioned Mashed Potatoes

This recipe is for the kind of Mashed Potatoes we prefer in my family; fairly thick and with the occasional rustic lump of unmashed potato or bit of potato skin. Flavor with salt and pepper, along with butter, for an indulgent side dish to serve alone or with gravy. Writing […]

A serving of Hominy Au Gratin Casserole served on a small blue plate beside a serving basket

Details, Details: Hominy Au Gratin

Much like Macaroni and Cheese, Hominy Au Gratin is a straightforward casserole that speaks of comfort and satisfies big appetites on a budget. Even if you don’t have fond childhood memories of hominy, I think you’ll enjoy this introduction to nixtamalized corn à la Julia Child.

Cauliflower and Green Beans with Buttered Nuts and Crumbs on a plate with Chicken and Rice Pilaf

Cauliflower Medley with Buttered Crumbs

Testing Tradition With traditional meals and family favorites on my mind it can be a real challenge to think of new ways to add variety to the menus of the season. Recently, updating my Thanksgiving Menu Planner, I felt like I was in the company of old friends. Would they […]