April - 2016

Barbeque Kale Chips

The first time I ate a kale chip, I thought, “What’s the big deal? This is what people are raving about? It tastes like kale and salt!” I avoided kale chips for awhile…until I remembered that I really enjoy barbeque potato chips. I thought, “Why not throw some smoky-sweet goodness on these chips?” That's when I became a convert. The first time I made these kale chips, I ate the whole batch. I hope you like them as much as I do! 1 bunch of curly kale, washed and dried 2

Ingredient Spotlight: Paprika

When T. Rex and I were first married, I made deviled eggs and I sprinkled the top of them with paprika. I thought the rusty orange flecks against the pale lemon yolk were pretty. T. Rex devoured the eggs (you know, because he's a T. Rex) but then he said, "The next time you make these could you not put paprika on them? Every time I see paprika, I think it's just covering up rotten food.” He had a point. Too many times when I've stood in front of a meat counter full of dub

Spicy Blueberry Cheese Dip

The inspiration for this comes from two places: my blueberry sauce which I normally serve over cheese blintzes and my mom’s pepper jelly and cream cheese appetizer. The blueberry sauce gets a little heat from red pepper flakes and the cheese is whipped with lemon until it is light and airy. I serve it with grissini—pencil thin Italian breadsticks—in both rosemary and sesame seed varieties; they go incredibly well with this tangy, sweet, spicy, cool, and creamy concoction. A

Cauliflower, Carrots, Coconut & Coriander over Coconut Basmati Rice!

Cauliflower is a misunderstood vegetable that rarely seems to shine. Sure, it takes its place on vegetable trays or as a stand-in for mashed potatoes, but too often it’s the last resort of the vegetable world, like, “All we have is cauliflower, so I guess we’ll have to eat that.” It’s kind of sad. But it doesn’t have to be. Cauliflower actually has two flavors. The florets have the tiniest bit of delicious cruciferous bitterness (say that three times fast!) while the stal

Ingredient Spotlight: Coriander

In the United States, coriander is known by its more common name: cilantro. This name exchange can be a bit confusing, however. In most supermarkets, cilantro is sold as a leafy green herb in the produce section while its dried seeds (fruits, really) are in the spice aisle labeled as coriander. That’s how I differentiate between the two: cilantro is fresh while coriander is dried. While they come from the same plant, coriander seeds and cilantro are different in what they

Two Versions Tortilla Casserole

This is an easy, slightly spicy casserole that has a lot of flavor for both vegetarians and meat-eaters. You can put it together ahead of time, cover it with foil, and store in the refrigerator for a day before baking. It uses my Salsa Verde recipe but you can just as easily use jarred salsa verde. Each version makes 4 large servings but you can double or triple the ingredients. Veggie Version 4 soft corn tortillas 1 – 2 TBS neutral-flavored oil like grapeseed, canola, or ve

Salsa Verde

Salsa verde (“green sauce”) is often made with tomatillos. A member of the nightshade family, tomatillos look like green tomatoes but are more closely related to Cape gooseberries and other groundcherries. Their skins are covered with an inedible papery husk and a sticky residue that must be washed off before use (just use a little baking soda and water or commercial veggie wash). Tomatillos are beautifully tart and add a slight acidic kick to dishes. While you could certa

Ingredient Spotlight: Chili Peppers

Jalapeño, dried cayenne, and candied habanero peppers. I grew both the cayenne and habaneros. When I was 19 and still pretty dumb, I had a jalapeño eating contest with one of my co-workers. We ate pepper for pepper so it seemed a pointless exercise until some genius (me) suggested we drink the juice for the win. I drank the juice. I have very few regrets in life but chugging that jalapeño juice is one of them. While the peppers themselves were a bit hot on my tongue when

Garden Journey 2016, Part 1

Four kinds of tomatoes that I seeded a week ago. How exciting that they're popping up! For the last several years, two months before planting season, I’ve turned my guest bedroom into a temporary grow room. The bed and antique ice box and sewing cabinet that serve as nightstands are replaced with a plastic folding table, a fluorescent light hanging from the ceiling, and a circulating fan and space heater. My goal is to create a lovely and warm environment to sprout vegetabl

Ingredient Spotlight: Happy Chicken Eggs

This dozen comes from my "egg guy", a hobbyist who raises about 24 hens in his yard. The egg on the left side of the plate comes from one of his chickens while the one on the right is produced commercially. You can see that the egg from the happy chicken has more white and a darker yolk than the other one. The yolks will become even richer and deeper in color as the weather warms and the chickens have more insects to eat. Another benefit of getting eggs from happy chicken

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