Once upon a time my husband and I lived in Durham, NC, and had a neighbor who threw a rocking Mardi Gras party on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday every year. He’s the one who introduced us to King Cake — and to a new food tradition. This year, it’s just about time to shake openContinue reading “Traditional King Cake”
Tag Archives: recipe
Go-To Lentil Soup
This recipe is easy. It’s healthful. It’s a quick dinner that can be pulled together at the last minute. It makes for great leftover lunches. It uses garlic, onions, peppers and stock that I’ve put up from my summer garden or made from my Thanksgiving turkey bones. Do my kids love it? No. But that’s whatContinue reading “Go-To Lentil Soup”
Roasted Winter Veggies
Sweet potatoes or butternut squash; parsnips or carrots; onions, peppers, even cabbage. Whatever winter veggies you have on hand, toss them into the pan with a splash of olive oil and these Latin-inspired spices. Your cold winter night just got warmer. Serves 4-6 Ingredients 1 tsp. ancho chili powder 1 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt 1 tsp. freshlyContinue reading “Roasted Winter Veggies”
Red Beans and Rice
Roughly once a week, we eat Latin at our house: tacos or quesadillas, enchiladas, pork with spicy rubs. Although the red rice and beans of New Orleans — the version that most readily comes to mind — is not strictly Latin, rice and beans is a staple eaten throughout Latin America. We often serve itContinue reading “Red Beans and Rice”
Mediterranean Grain Bowl
I am so loving the flexible, tasty, nutritious meal concept that is a grain bowl. I can think of so many yummy permutations: Mexican (cilantro-topped kidney beans and brown rice), Southern (grits and collard greens, with bacon and black-eyed peas), Indian, Thai, Korean. I’ll stop. But the one I’ve been stirring up this summer isContinue reading “Mediterranean Grain Bowl”
Build Your Own Grain Bowl
Think of a Grain Bowl as a dinner jigsaw puzzle, where you can put the pieces together any way you like, as long as you follow a few simple guidelines. A Grain Bowl is a bowl filled with one part grain, one part greens, one part protein. Top that layer with veggies (they can be grilled,Continue reading “Build Your Own Grain Bowl”
Super Creamy Alfredo Sauce
Why is it that some of the seemingly simplest sauces are the hardest to make? I have been stirring up my own Alfredo sauce going on 20 years but it was very hit or miss. It all depended on the kind of cream I used or how finely grated the Parmesan was or how muchContinue reading “Super Creamy Alfredo Sauce”
Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes
I roast and purée and then freeze a handful of farmers market pumpkins every year. I love having the big, beautiful white and golden and green squash around to decorate with in the fall and then, once we’ve moved on to evergreens and holly, it’s time to really enjoy these gifts from the ground. TheyContinue reading “Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes”
Makes Everything Better Cheese Sauce
So, my kids are 14, 12 and 8. Not exactly toddlers. And, you know, they’re not super picky eaters. But they don’t love their veggies. Not like I wish they did. Not like I do. Which means I sigh a lot. And ask for “five more bites” way more than I feel should be necessary.Continue reading “Makes Everything Better Cheese Sauce”
Vegetarian Chili
Since I posted my Warm You Up Chili recipe, I’ve had several requests for the Chili-Cookoff-winning vegetarian version I mentioned. I made a batch of Vegetarian Chili this weekend — it was drizzly and gray and chili was just what the day ordered. It worked its magic as usual — filling the house with the satisfying smells of cuminContinue reading “Vegetarian Chili”