Recipe: Tex Mex Casserole

This is a really great and easy meal that is very customizable. What really took this casserole over the top was adding some crushed nachos on top for a great texture difference and a nice little pop of salt but you could put anything on top to change the texture and taste. This is also surprisingly good the next day so it might be better as a make ahead meal where you just heat it up and place extra toppings on it before serving.

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Recipe: Oven Baked Chana Pulao

I love a good pulao. It’s basically a mixed rice dish with whatever you want in it and this one takes pulao to even higher heights with it’s set it and forget method in the oven and frozen vegetables. This is my favorite type of meal because the only thing you really have to do is chop an onion which I know is a big ask for some people but for me personally, is a 30 second task. This dish is super flavorful, very filling on its own and can easily can scaled up for a crowd plus it’s vegan! Feel free to add whatever types of vegetables you like or have on hand and play around with the spices.

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Recipe: Thai Basil Chicken

This extremely simple one pot recipe is fantastic for a really hearty lunch or dinner. It all cooks in one skillet and it reminded me that I should make coconut rice more often because it’s such a lovely addition to this dish. You can add in whatever vegetables you have on hand and if you don’t have Thai basil, then using regular basil will give you a slightly different but still delicious dish. I served this in lettuce cups but it’s fine on its own too.

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Recipe: Enfrijoladas

For my first attempt I didn’t quite get the sauce as smooth as I wanted it but it still came out really delicious. This isn’t authentic at all, and I can’t get many of the leaves, seasonings, chilies, and exact cheeses here in Estonia but I like to think it’s got the spirit of enfrijoladas. In an ideal world you would soak beans from scratch and cook them in a big pot yourself but I often can’t get dried black beans here either, just the cooked one. I might try a different bean or different fillings in the future but it’s always good to get a baseline for your food first I think.

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Recipe: Tom Yum Tofu

This is absolutely the opposite of authentic Thai food but I was able to find some really great tom yum soup base. I would tell you the brand but it’s literally only in Thai on the label and unfortunately I don’t read Thai. However, you can use whatever ready tom yum soup base you’re able to find though they do all taste different. This comes together pretty quickly and would be great with lots of extra vegetables especially corn or bamboo shoots and greens of any type.

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Recipe: Vegetable Kadai

Technically I did not make these in a kadai which is a rounded bottom pot that is about halfway between a wok and a skillet with high sides but if you have a wok or a kadai it would be even better. This is a really great recipe that makes really delicious, unctuous vegetables in a thick creamy gravy. It’s great over rice or with most types of roti, naan, or other forms of bread. I topped mine with yogurt but feel free to use cream or coconut cream if you’re feeling luscious.

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Recipe: Ginger-Turmeric Chicken and Rice Soup

If you want a delicious winter soup that is easy and hearty and kind of feels like it heals you upon the first bite then this is the one. In the original recipe the ginger is in chopped chunks but in future versions I started grating it finely because the texture is a little strange to me but you can go either way depending on your personal preference. If you have leftover cooked chicken on hand this is one of those really easy recipes that doesn’t take much time or energy and the rice makes it hearty enough to be a full meal by itself.

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Recipe: Sformato

This recipe contains celeriac and arugula but a regular sformato is basically half way between a spinach quiche and a spinach souffle so feel free to replace the celeriac with other root vegetables you like and the arugula with spinach or other greens to taste the idea is easy enough. This froze really well and like many egg dishes is very stable in the fridge for a few days and perfect for a make ahead breakfast or dinner if you want to really impress someone.

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