Here is an interesting and delicious version of a BLT, where pasta stands in for bread, pancetta replaces bacon and arugula fills in for lettuce. It’s a hearty dish. I suggest that the tomatoes be prepared ahead of time - early in the day or even up to a week in advance. Ingredients: 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 lb. cherry tomatoes, roasted 2 … [Read more...]
Sesame-Garlic Tofu
We eat a lot of tofu dishes at our house. Tofu is so versatile, a great low-fat source of protein, and takes almost no time to cook. This crispy tofu recipe is so tasty that your kids will even love it. Ingredients: 1 package extra firm tofu (14 oz.) 2 Tbsp cornstarch 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil ¼ cup lower-sodium soy sauce 2 Tbsp water 2 tsp. Honey 1 ½ … [Read more...]
How to Make Spaetzle from Scratch
When I lived in New York City, my favorite "big splurge" restaurant was Lutece, the lauded townhouse-turned-restaurant of celebrated chef and owner Andre Soltner. --- Soltner was born in the Alsace region of France, a place where the tiny dumplings called spaetzle is a common side dish at meals. It’s also quite popular in Germany and is terrific alongside … [Read more...]
Chicken Mei Fun
One of my favorite food websites is a great one dedicated mostly to Asian cuisine called The Woks of Life . I recently tried out this Woks of Life recipe for chicken mei fun - a stir-fry chicken and rice noodle dish - and it was a big hit at my house. Don’t let the number of ingredients dissuade you from making this. The dish comes together very quickly once … [Read more...]
A Perfect Halloween Cocktail: Liquid Web Cocktail
If you’re looking for a fun and delicious cocktail to serve to your favorite spooks on Halloween, I recommend the Liquid Web Cocktail, which I first came across on the CountryLiving website. It’s not exactly calorie free, but Halloween is a time for us to indulge in sweet things, right? Despite its sweetness, the Liquid Web is actually pretty light on the palate. … [Read more...]
Chicken Thighs with Black Beans & Rice
This is a terrific one-pot recipe from cookbook author Diana Henry that appeared in the New York Times. The key to success - as with many recipes - is to get everything prepped and ready before turning on the stove. The recipe called for chicken thighs but I used a combination of thighs and legs I had on hand. Give it a try - it’s pretty fabulous. Ingredients: 8 bone-in, … [Read more...]
Tortellini Alfredo
I love fettuccine Alfredo. Who doesn’t? But then, you could really use any type of pasta you like and pair it with creamy Alfredo sauce. I especially like to use tortellini when making pasta Alfredo, since it’s firm and holds up to the thick sauce well. Ingredients: 8 Tbs (1 stick) good quality unsalted butter ½ pint (1 cup) heavy cream 1 package frozen or fresh … [Read more...]
Surf & Turf Fried Rice
Here’s the deal: My wife really likes ham fried rice. I prefer shrimp. The solution: Surf & Turf Fried Rice using both shrimp and ham! It’s surprisingly good - the best of both worlds. Ingredients: Cooked long-grain white rice or jasmine rice — 1 1/2 cups uncooked. I usually cook the rice in the afternoon and let it dry a bit before using it for dinner. Leftover rice … [Read more...]
Chile Con Carne
There are about as many different chili recipes as there are people who make it. This is my favorite. That said, please note that I put beans in my chili. For some people (Texans), that is sacrilege. Different strokes … So, technically this should be called Chile con Carne y Frijoles. Also, I like to use a combination of ground beef and pork in my chili - I think the pork … [Read more...]
Simplified Devilish Shrimp
Most often, recipes for Mexican-style devilishly hot shrimp - camarones a la diabla - involves destemming, deseeding and charring dried peppers, then reconstituting them in water, etc. This version is a quicker, simplified one that uses chile powder rather than dried chiles. Give it a try! Ingredients: 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 3 Tbsp New Mexico chile … [Read more...]