Meals – Page 9 – The Kitchen Tourist

Quick & Easy Indian: Chana Masala

A deliciously tangy chickpea curry that’s easy to make with canned ingredients and tastes great hot or cold.

Ben’s Favorite Chicken

This dish is an example of American pantry cooking at its finest, a hodgepodge recipe that looks like it was invented by going through cupboards and grabbing condiments and spices seemingly at random – yet somehow, it works: Sure, it’s sweet and salty and has its share of fat – all the usual markers Americans…

St. Patrick’s Day: Corned Beef and Irish Soda Bread

This meal displayed both the strengths and the weaknesses of our family’s approach to food. It was successful in that we planned ahead and the results were tasty, healthy, and visually appealing. Unfortunately we all were depending on inexplicable telepathy to make the preparation details clear to my sister, who who was left to execute…

Christmas Feast #2: Tropical Salad

If I saw this recipe in a fru-fru cookbook or trendy cooking magazine I probably would not have tried it. I sometimes suspect recipes like these of being designed by a food editor to photograph well without much thought for the flavor combinations. But I’ve tried several unusual salads from this cookbook before and always found…

Indian Dinner – Stuffed Plantains

I normally associate plantains with Puerto Rican cooking, where they are served with most meals as tostones, fried twice to soften their starchyness and mashed flat the final time so they can be crispy all over and – if they’re at their best – smeared with a bit of mashed garlic, salty and crusty and…

Applesauce Chemistry

I love homemade applesauce – it’s one of those simple things that most people miss out on because it’s so easy to just buy, but the flavor of homemade is completely different from anything you’ll find in a jar at a store. Using this family recipe, you’ll find the secrets to the perfect texture, color,…

Indian Dinner – Coconut Dhal

Dhal is a staple side dish in both Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines, as simple and ubiquitous as mashed potatoes in the US. I like this Sri Lankan version because the coconut milk adds a lot of creamy richness to it and it includes several versions for people who like it spicy or mild.

Indian Dinner – Spinach Raita

Raita is a standard side dish designed to offset the spiciness of many Indian dishes. It can be made with fruit or vegetables, but the base is always yogurt. It’s like a savory version of the whipped topping & marshmallow “salads” you find in American church basement dinners – it’s creamy and light, but not…

Indian Dinner – Aubergine Mushroom Curry

One of my top favorite curries that’s got lots of rich veggies and tastes even better when made ahead – cooking the eggplant in the oven brings out a lot of flavor with little bother.

Quick & Easy Side: Scallion Mini-Muffins

These muffins come together without any trouble, a quick counterpoint to earthy soups. Their rich, buttery flavor is balanced by a light sweetness and the hint of sharpness from the bright green scallions.

Remnants of Christmas: Split Pea Soup

One of my favorite things about holidays are the leftover carcasses. Because I love soup and nothing makes a better soup base than leftover roast meat. This recipe for split-pea soup is a family favorite that usually follows a few days after Christmas or any other time we eat a full ham.