This is a cozy and comforting fall soup that is thickened with coconut milk making it extremely smooth and creamy. You can top them with some almonds, roasted chickpeas, extra coconut milk, fresh herbs, or even some toasted bread croutons to complete the meal. The flavors in this are really simple so you can really taste the carrots and parsnips in it and if you’re like me you don’t need to blend it 100% of the way and leave a couple of nice chunks of vegetables for extra chew. Serve piping hot with some bread.
Continue readingCategory: side dishes
Recipe: Scarpaccia
This very simple Italian flatbread is just made from zucchini, onion, and flour and it has a dense chewy texture that makes it a great side dish that is perfect for dipping in soup. You can add some garlic or herbs or sprinkle a little cheese on top towards the end of baking to give it some punch but otherwise it’s a nice replacement for crackers or bread because it kind of sits in the valley between those two things.
Continue readingRecipe: JoJo Potatoes
I’d never had Jojo potatoes until I moved to Seattle and then I forgot they existed for 10 years but actually they’re really good and easy to make. I’m sure the original ones are fried but this baked version is easier and just as good. You simply shake wedges of potatoes in flour, fat, and spices and cook until the inside is fluffy and you get jagged flavor edges that really hold on to sauce well. Definitely worth the very minor extra effort it to shake up your oven potato routine.
Continue readingRecipe: Pumpkin Scones
These scones are extremely squash / pumpkin forward and deeply savory so they’re perfect as a side for soup or with some tangy soft goat cheese or cream cheese. I put pumpkin seeds inside of them to give them a little bit of textural interest but feel free to replace that with walnuts, sunflower seeds, or even dried cranberries would be interesting. Since these are scones they come together extremely quickly in one bowl so they’re perfect for a slow morning brunch but you can also make them ahead and they’ll stay fresh for several days in air tight container.
Continue readingRecipe: Paratha
If you want to impress someone you can make this absolutely wonderful, buttery and flaky paratha. While it doesn’t take that much time overall you’ll need to plan ahead because this has to sit and rise twice. It’s worth the wait because you get so many deliciously pull apart layers that make eating this kind of like eating a flattened croissant. If you can, use ghee but if you don’t have any on hand butter works very well. You can easily fill these or use flavored butter to make the experience extra decadent.
Continue readingRecipe: Grilled Nectarine and Bean Salad
This bright bean filled salad is filled with all sorts of things that it actually has a fun texture and the taste works pretty well. Since there are beans and chickpeas it kind of acts as a reverse bean bowl but also that means it is actually quite filling as a main dish. The dressing is just a nice acidic lemon vinaigrette but a creamy sour cream based dressing wouldn’t be amiss either, if you skip the acid in the dressing though maybe add some tart tomatoes or spinach to off-set the sweetness of the grilled nectarines.
Continue readingRecipe: Orzo Salad
I don’t post a lot of salads on this site because I think salads are barely a recipe but this one is just specific enough that I think maybe it’s time to post a few of these. This pasta-based salad features no mayo but instead a healthy mix of vegetables, chickpeas, feta, and a very basic mustard-lemon vinaigrette. You can make this within 30 minutes including the dressing while the pasta cooks. Delicious hot or cold this is a great summer food but it’s also really to eat a warm salad in the winter too.
Continue readingRecipe: Dalamánky
These rye rolls have a delicious rye flavor that is off-set with just enough white flour to make them soft and fluffy. You can top them with more caraway or other seeds for an extra crunch as well. I love them with soups and stews or even as a great breakfast roll that you break in half and add some butter and jam or cold cuts and cheese. They take a fairly short amount of time to come together and they freeze really well both before and after baking.
Continue readingRecipe: Sour Cream Biscuits
These biscuits are easily the best I’ve ever made and super easy. They come together with very little effort within a half hour. This recipe make 8 very large biscuits so feel free to make them smaller but remember to adjust the cooking time down a few minutes if you do that. These are great with jam, cream, soups, or even plain and they come out tall, soft, and flaky just like any proper biscuit should.
Continue readingRecipe: Yorkshire Pudding
You may look at these and ask yourself what the difference between a Yorkshire pudding and a popover is and the answer is honestly, not much. The puddings use oil (or dripping) and popovers use butter and I think that might be the entire list of differences. You can interchange your fat of choice to make these more or less savory but either way they are absolutely fantastic with a roast beast and gravy or even with a thick soup as a kind of extremely puffy roll replacement. Since they only take minutes to make with 10 minutes of pre-prep they’re great if you need a bread side dish right away.
Continue reading