Here is a simple recipe for a tasty snack to nibble on: oven-roasted chickpeas with za’atar. Za’atar is a traditional Middle Eastern seasoning blend usually made with oregano, thyme, sumac, marjoram, toasted sesame seeds and salt. You can find it in most supermarkets. Ingredients: 2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained if using canned ones 1 Tbsp extra-virgin … [Read more...]
Memorial Day Rosé-Rosemary Chicken
At our house we usually grill on Memorial Day and this grilled chicken with flavors of rosemary and Rosé wine is one of my favorites, and not just for Memorial Day. I suggest serving it with the same Rosé wine that goes into the marinade, such as a nice, sunny Rosé from Provence, in France. Ingredients: 1/2 cup olive oil 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 2 … [Read more...]
Low-Oil No-Fry Enchiladas
Typically, recipes for enchiladas require quickly frying the corn tortillas in oil, which can make quite a mess and also adds unnecessary fat to the enchiladas. So I recently devised a way to make the enchiladas pliable so they don’t break or tear, but without frying them. Rather than frying the tortillas, I spray one side lightly with vegetable or canola oil cooking spray and … [Read more...]
Sichuan-Style Asparagus
Here is a spicy veggie stir-fry side dish featuring asparagus prepared Sichuan-style. The portions here are for 2 servings, but you could double or triple the amounts to serve more people. Ingredients: 10 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 small yellow or red onion, peeled and thinly sliced A handful of dried red chile peppers such as … [Read more...]
Poke Tuna Recipe
One of my fondest food memories is of eating store-bought poke salad (also spelled "poki") with my wife on a Maui beach during our honeymoon, accompanied by Salon Champagne. Poke salad - which is typically made using raw tuna - is as commonplace in Hawaiian grocery stores as potato salad is here. It's delicious and very easy to make. There's no cooking involved; it's … [Read more...]
Zesty Sloppy Joes
Here is my spicy take on the traditional Sloppy Joe. I like to make them extra zesty by adding cayenne, Louisiana Hot Sauce, chili flakes and such. Don’t let the number of ingredients dissuade you from trying this recipe. Once you get everything gathered and prepped, it only takes about 20 minutes to cook. Ingredients: 1 lb. lean ground beef (I use a 90/10 ratio - who … [Read more...]
Cajun Spiced Shrimp
This Cajun-spiced shrimp recipe is my take on the blackened redfish that the late, great chef Paul Prudhomme created back in the 1980s. It’s super quick and simple if you use store-bought Cajun seasoning. Ingredients: 1 lb. uncooked large or jumbo shrimp, peeled & deveined 2 Tbsp melted butter 1 Tbsp butter for the pan Cajun spice seasoning such as Cajun’s … [Read more...]
Chicken Paprikash
Chicken paprikash - called paprikás csirke in Hungarian - is derived from the liberal use of paprika, a spice commonly used in Hungarian cuisine. The preferred type of paprika for this traditional dish is sweet paprika, not hot or smoked. Chicken paprikash is typically served with egg noodles or dumpling-style noodles called nokedli, which is similar to … [Read more...]
Pork Tonkatsu
A very popular dish in Japan is tonkatsu: deep-fried pork cutlets drizzled with katsu sauce. It’s typically served with plain steamed white rice, although I tend to serve pork tonkatsu with sesame noodles, udon, or something a little more flavorful than plain rice. It's also traditionally served with shredded cabbage (preferably Napa) alongside. Ingredients: 4-6 boneless … [Read more...]
Duck Fat Bucatini Carbonara
When I make pasta carbonara, I normally begin the sauce by sizzling bacon bits in olive oil. However, it occurred to me recently that using duck fat in place of some of the oil would kick up my carbonara considerably, and I was right. I urge you to try this hack to improve your pasta carbonara at home. In addition, it might sound strange but I found that using Niman Ranch … [Read more...]