Lentil Meadow Pie

The first time my sister made it, we almost started a fight over the last piece. Since then we always make it in large quantities, and it frequently appears at holidays and parties, since it’s a delicious dish that’s easy to make ahead and vegetarian – yet also appealing to picky eaters.

Rhubarb Pie Bars

Rhubarb is one thing we grow lots of in our garden – when we were asked to bring treats to a garden training, I though it was a good excuse to try this recipe, which uses a lot of rhubarb to feed a lot of people in one dish. The recipe included a very sweet nut topping which I think I might leave out next time, though it did dress it up nicely.

Corn Salsa Flapjacks

I’ve been making these flapjacks for years. They’re a family favorite recipe, easy to make with pantry ingredients and cooking up quickly. My only problem is not eating half the stack hot off the griddle before I serve them for dinner.

Tomato Rosemary Muffins

These muffins are a nice contrast to heavier, earthy soups. The tomato sauce in the batter keeps them tender with a slight tang and also gives them a lovely golden color.

Cheeseburger Soup

This is definitely Midwestern American “comfort food”: a hearty potato soup fortified with hamburger and American cheese and other ingredients that make it rich and satisfying, if not the healthiest recipe in my repertoire. Perfect for cold nights when you’re craving something warm and familiar.

Pita with Za’atar Spices

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend of thyme, sesame, sumac, and other spices that can be eaten with flatbread for a quick snack or side dish. I like to spread it on pitas and toast them quickly in the oven to make them easier to serve and eat.

Moroccan Orange and Date Salad

This is one of the most attractive and unusual salad recipes I’ve found. It goes well with a number of Mediterranean dishes and only takes a few minutes to have ready. I’ve tweaked the recipe to take out the only part I found labor intensive.

Psari Plaki – Greek Fish with Tomato Sauce

My brother made this dish for our Mediterranean dinner yesterday – it was a new recipe for us, but one that stood out, even among some favorite recipes, as one to try again soon. With the help of a food processor, the sauce came together very simply, then the fish went into the oven while the rest of the meal came together and was done very shortly.

Mediterranean Menu

This meal was designed for a friend visiting from out of town – I began with a few favorite Moroccan recipes (vegetarian and very quick to put together) then added in some new Greek recipes to round out the menu. One new recipe was controversial, the other one a big success. The tried and true favorites still stood out and I’ll be filling in recipes for most of them shortly.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

A friend at church today told me her favorite dessert is the peanut butter chocolate cake at Whole Foods. I don’t have a recipe for that exact cake, but I do have a picture of the first cake I baked, from Betty Crocker’s ©1969 cookbook. I will now try to combine my friend’s request and my ~20 year old memories to create a recipe that might just serve the purpose.

Ingredient Note: Rice

Rice, of course, is a primary staple in many areas of the world. It’s cheap, it’s healthy, and it’s easy to start cooking (especially with a $20 rice cooker from Target). Last winter I woke up one morning and decided to catalog my rice. In this post, I’ll go over some tips and tricks about different types of rice I’ve learned to appreciate in my exploration of different cuisines.

Roasted Red Pepper Risotto

Risotto requires a bit of patience, something I’m usually in short supply of on a Monday night. But a last week – when I first said I’d be “restarting this blog” – I came home on a cold dark evening to find no one would be home for a while. I was hungry and felt…

Read More