Sub Categories in Vegetables

Category of: Vegetables

Braised Napa cabbage and red lentils with roasted baby potatoes

March 31, 2016

I have been cooking red lentils for a long time but never thought of cooking them “dry” meaning, without boiling them in water. Who knew? The other day I came across an image on the internet that looked intriguing. I followed the links to a blog called A Brown Table and found the recipe for braised cabbage and red lentils. The blogger, Nik Sharma comes from a North Indian and Goan family and offers wonderful... View Article

Thai coconut-vegetables soup with brown rice

March 24, 2016

Thai cuisine is one of my favourites after everything Mediterranean. I don’t have a large repertoire in Thai dishes and the few things I make are simple and we tend to enjoy them now and then. This is a simple soup with abundance of fresh vegetables suspended in a lime flavoured coconut broth. you can serve it on its own or spoon it over brown rice in a soup bowl. Top it with Thai basil,... View Article

Eggplant spread with roasted pepper

March 17, 2016

This is one of my favourite ways of using eggplant – roasting and combining the flesh with tahini paste to make a traditional mediterranean style salad, or I call it a spread or a dip. Get a shiny, plump eggplant without bruises. Make a few cuts on top for steam to escape and place in the oven on a foil lined baking sheet. Roast for a while (30 minutes or so) at 400F until it... View Article

Radish salad rolls

March 10, 2016

These were inspired by an image I saw somewhere on the web a few days ago. Of course trying to find it the second time is impossible with so much going on the net. They were beautiful and colourful and stuck in my mind. The other day I was slicing a bunch of colourful radishes for a salad and remembered the image, so changed course and made a few salad rolls for lunch. If you... View Article

Pasta al forno (baked pasta) – pasta shells with rapini

March 6, 2016

There is something about pasta al forno that is very comforting and satisfying. Maybe it’s the slightly charred bits on top, or the creamy sauce around the pasta, or the melted cheese. Whatever it is, I sometimes crave the flavours and texture of a pasta that is cooked just below al dente, then mixed with a a sauce and baked in the oven until crispy on top and slightly charred here and there. I tend... View Article

Fennel and orange salad

March 2, 2016

If you haven’t been using fennel in your cooking I encourage you to try it. It has a crisp texture and anise-like flavour that may take getting used to but once you do, it’s very attractive. Fennel makes a beautiful base for a salad and pairs well with citrus, pomegranates, olives, celery, Belgian endive and a few cheeses, such as parmesan, pecorino and mild blue cheese. For a salad I like to slice it thinly... View Article

Baby potatoes and green beans salad

February 27, 2016

Small potatoes and tender green beans pair well in this easy salad for a lazy day in the kitchen. I made a big bowl of it and kept it out of the fridge for a help yourself lunch or snack for the day. A drizzle of olive oil, splash of white wine vinegar (optional) and liberal sprinkle of pink Himalayan sea salt is all this salad needs for a dressing. Of course you can embellish... View Article

Roasted asparagus with orange sauce and hard boiled eggs

February 22, 2016

One interesting thing I observed in Italy is that they do not mix foods on a plate. Vegetables, at least in restaurants, are served on separate plates and generally brought to you in sequence, not all together. I am told by my Italian “crew” here that in private homes they do serve more than one thing on a plate, but not in restaurants. So, trying to extend our Italian adventure right here in my kitchen,... View Article

Grilled Radicchio di Treviso with Balsamic drizzle

December 24, 2015

The radicchio here in Italy is a completely different experience than the compact round ones we get in Canada. I have been buying them and indulging in salads of all kinds and also grilled them a few times. The radicchio rosso di Treviso, the elongated one resembling a Belgian endive, is what you find here right now at the markets. If you don’t have the Treviso type use the regular radicchio but perhaps but it... View Article

Flatbread with olive oil and homemade za’atar

December 24, 2015

Zaatar is the sine qua non of middle eastern cooking. It’s indispensable for its flavour and versatility. Zaatar, meaning thyme in Arabic, refers not to thyme but to a slightly tangy, intensely aromatic  spice blend that can be used to flavour many dishes, middle eastern or not. As with all things culinary, there are many versions of zaatar with ingredients ranging from thyme, oregano, minty hyssop, tangy sumac, marjoram and sesame seeds and I have... View Article

Risotto with white truffles from San Miniato

November 24, 2015

The truffle I bought at the San Miniato truffle festival was enough for just two dishes: soft scrambled eggs with truffles and risotto with truffles. It was a fun and short lived, I need to find another white truffle before we leave Tuscany. we are off to Florence in a few days and are staying there long enough to do some cooking, looking forward to that. The truffled risotto is easy to make, simply make... View Article

Scrambled eggs with white truffle from San Miniato

November 20, 2015

Some things feel luxurious and truffles are certainly among them. We are in Italy right now at the height of white truffle season and just returned from the white Truffle Festival in San Miniato, still overwhelmed by the abundance of truffles and array of truffle products that were available. We tasted truffles in several dishes, mostly with pasta, risotto, cheese and on crostini, but one of the simplest ways it was served and to me... View Article