sel et sucre

Category: appetizers

  • Cauliflower Rice

    cauliflower rice

    Maybe you’ve already heard of cauliflower “rice,” but maybe not. The idea is to recreate the texture and flavor of rice using grated cauliflower. Seems strange, and I’ll admit to having been skeptical for a long time after first hearing the concept. But I finally tried my hand at it, and not only does this make for an amazing rice substitute when you need something to soak up a curry or stew, but it’s also quicker and more foolproof than cooking rice. I actually found myself preferring the ways in which this cauliflower rice differs from real rice – the slight toastiness lent from pan frying and the slight variety in sizes (unlike uniformly sized rice kernels, the grated cauliflower (depending on how you grate it) has some slightly larger and slightly smaller pieces). In addition to people eating low carb (and other rice-free diets), I’d also recommend this for just about anyone interested in a little change of pace and a great way to incorporate another vegetable into your meal.

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  • Crab and Avocado Salad

    crab and avocado salad

    I’m constantly looking at new recipes. I keep a list of all the ones I hope to one day cook, and some recipes, I get to in a couple days or weeks. But some recipes linger on the list for months or even years. Recipes that I added even though they seemed complicated, recipes that I keep skipping over because they feel outside my skill range, some even that I’ve tried and failed in the past. My most satisfying cooking moments are always when I manage to successfully tackle one of those recipes (like my char siu bao). This crab and avocado salad has been sitting on my recipes list for three years. Serving a whole avocado, crusted with spices and stuffed with crab salad, seemed beyond my grasp, the technique of getting the crab inside the avocado too confusing, the variety of spices for crusting too extravagant. But recently, I found myself with crab and avocado in my grocery cart, and I knew I had to make this. It all fell together as I put my own twist on the recipe, adding in Asian flavors with soy sauce, sesame oil, and masago, using my own variety of seeds and spices, and just having fun making it. Afterwards, cutting into my creation, I felt an amazing sense of accomplishment. Another recipe conquered.

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  • Roasted Curried Cauliflower

    roasted curried cauliflower

    I’ve been trying to fit a lot into my life. All things I feel quite passionate about (this blog included), but sometimes it really makes me crave simplicity. Something that doesn’t require complicated techniques or rare ingredients or constant attention. So here’s what I threw together when I had a head of cauliflower that needed to be used. Nothing too crazy, just four ingredients and a hot oven. And the result, the aroma of curry as the edges of the cauliflower caramelize in the oven, soon ready as a versatile side.

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  • Pomegranate Asparagus Quinoa Salad

    pomegranate asparagus quinoa salad

    Now that it’s spring, I’m weaning myself off of the soups and stews that kept me going all winter. This salad is a perfect match for the transition in seasons. In an homage to all the plants outdoors whose greenery is currently in full swing, this salad is full of green, with asparagus, spring greens, mint, and chives. Quinoa, toasted for maximum nutty flavor, keeps it filling while pomegranate molasses and fresh lime zest and juice add a little tartness and a little sweetness. I love food with a variety of textures, and this salad manages just that – chewy quinoa, crisp-tender asparagus, and crunchy walnuts. This can be served with the quinoa and asparagus still hot or with the whole salad at room temperature or even cold (great for those spring days when the temperature unexpectedly spikes to summer levels) which means it could just as easily be packed for a quick picnic as it could be served as a sophisticated appetizer at a dinner party. Versatile, tasty, and healthy, there’s not really much more I could want this time of year.

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  • Fasoulia (Middle-Eastern Spiced Kidney Beans)

    fasoulia

    Fasoulia is simply Arabic for beans. Many different dishes go by this name, sometimes there’s meat included, sometimes a splash of pomegranate molasses. But the base of beans and tomatoes with Middle-Eastern spices stays consistent. I used kidney beans here, but other beans (including green beans) would also work, and my dad says black-eyed peas are what’s usually used in Lebanon. Traditionally, this dish would be cooked with baharat, a Middle-Eastern spice mix, but I didn’t feel up to making a new spice mix when cooking this, so after looking at the ingredients typically included in baharat (paprika, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom) settled on using a mixture of curry powder and paprika to come close to the same flavor. This combination worked very well, although if you have baharat, that would certainly be best.

    Fasoulia is usually served with breakfast, and I found it tasted amazing topped with a fried egg (or mixed with scrambled eggs) and sprinkled with a little zaatar. But this would also work by itself as a stew for a hearty lunch or dinner. I love how perfectly simple this recipe is while still managing to pack a lot of flavor; it’s really a great reminder how important spices are to a dish, so now is a good time to make sure you’re using fresh spices (ground spices typically don’t stay good for much longer than six months, and you can easily gauge how much flavor is left in your spices by taking a smell – you want a fairly strong aroma).

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  • Homemade Graham Crackers

    homemade graham crackers

    This is probably not shocking to anyone who’s perused this blog, but I can be really ambitious with my cooking projects sometimes. Which is how I found myself in a bind with these graham crackers. I’d committed to making s’mores on an early Saturday afternoon to be the grand finale for the first grill session of the year; I had already invited a couple friends to join and made homemade marshmallows, and I was absolutely determined to make homemade graham crackers for the perfect s’mores. Somehow I easily envisioned myself making the dough on Friday night and baking the crackers on Saturday morning. Of course, I chose not to take into account my full day of work that Friday as well as a party happening at my house that night. The inevitable outcome of which was me frantically making the dough as party guests arrived. But the dough came together surprisingly easily and was soon chilling safely in the fridge for the night while I stayed up, engrossed in conversations. The next thing I knew, I was forcing myself out of bed the next morning with less than eight hours of sleep, because I was absolutely determined to finish these graham crackers. After rolling, cutting, sprinkling on some cinnamon, sugar, and smoked salt (I can’t help myself when it comes to salt and baked goods, and the smokiness seemed like it would be perfect paired with toasted marshmallows), and, inevitably, dropping a few crackers onto the floor (I’ve given up on pretending I’m not a clumsy person), I watched eagerly as they baked and filled the house with an irresistible aroma. The graham crackers were an undisputed success, well worth the frantic stress and lack of sleep (there’s always time to relax and sleep after my stomach is full). And the s’mores? You’ll have to come back on Friday to hear how those turned out.

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  • Tuscan Three Bean Soup

    tuscan three bean soup

    One of the greatest lessons I’ve ever learned about cooking is to be adaptable. Being able to read a recipe and then adjust it to the ingredients you have on hand and to your taste preferences will help you enjoy cooking more and yield some amazingly delicious results in the kitchen (even if there are a few disasters now and again). Take this soup, for instance. When I set out to cook it, it was intended as a chickpea soup. While I’m normally quite good about gathering all my ingredients before starting to cook (another valuable lesson), I somehow didn’t realize until halfway through cooking this that I didn’t have enough chickpeas. No matter, though, I quickly grabbed a few different cans and changed this to a three bean soup. That kale about to go bad in the fridge? Might as well toss that in too! The end result was hearty, tasty, and, dare I say, probably even better than what I’d have made if I’d had enough chickpeas in the first place!

    Although the ingredient list looks long, they’re mostly basic ingredients that you probably have around (or am I the only one who has a cupboard filled with cans and cans of different varieties of beans?). And if you happen to have a different set of beans in your cupboard, feel free to adapt and use whichever beans you like best (although if you’re looking at a whole lot of black beans, I think you’ll be better off with my chipotle black bean soup). The flavoring in this soup is fairly traditional: mirepoix (onion, carrots, and celery), garlic, thyme, rosemary, and balsamic vinegar to finish it off. You’re going to want a really large pot to hold all of this soup. Great if you’re trying to feed a hungry family (with all the beans in there plus the kale, it’s sure to fill everyone up) or just want to have enough leftovers for a week or two.

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  • Candied Bacon

    candied bacon

    Today marks a special milestone for my blog. For more than six months, I’ve been posting here three times a week every week, and this post right here is my 100th post. I struggled trying to come up with the absolutely perfect recipe for this occasion. I wanted something I was really proud of, something unique and delicious, something salty and sweet. And when I came across this recipe, I knew it was the one. Candied bacon. Could anything be more perfect? The combination of salty, sweet, spicy, and smoky is unbelievably decadent and addictive. Not too difficult to make but certainly not an every day recipe (because it’s not every day that you use a whole pound of bacon). Only five ingredients, but still customizable – you can change the spices, use all brown sugar, or use all maple syrup for some great variations. Thanks to everyone who’s encouraged me along the way, by cooking the recipes and giving me feedback, taste testing my experiments, or just reading the blog! I can’t wait to put up another 100 posts.

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  • Vietnamese Shrimp Salad

    vietnamese shrimp salad

    We’ve had an exceptionally mild winter in DC this year (which, as someone with a very low tolerance for cold, I’ve actually enjoyed). At the beginning of March, temperatures suddenly shot up in the sixties and seventies, and it’s been feeling like spring ever since. With trees bursting into bloom and tulips out in full force right outside my front door, I just can’t bring myself to keep eating the same hearty soups and stews I’ve been relying on all winter. So when the recipe for this Vietnamese shrimp salad found its way into my inbox, I immediately set about cooking it. Crisp carrot, cucumber, and daikon radish tossed with fresh herbs and a ginger-lime dressing, then topped with shrimp and peanuts makes for the perfect refreshing dish for spring. Most of the work here is with chopping the vegetables and herbs, and once that’s done, the salad comes together really quickly. This made for a great weekend lunch all by itself, but it could also work as an appetizer.

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  • West African Peanut Soup

    african peanut soup

    Despite my love of bacon, I’ve recently found myself cooking a surprising amount of unintentionally vegan food. Meat is sadly quite pricey (especially if you’re like me and have qualms about eating factory-farmed meat with hormones and antibiotics), so I’m turning more and more to filling meals using fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans, and lentils. And I’m surprised at the great flavors I can develop using these ingredients. Take, for example, this West African peanut soup. Mostly basic ingredients, but somehow combining peanut butter and tomato paste with aromatics and curry powder yields a nearly irresistible soup. Vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike rave about this soup. And this could be a great base for a number of variations – sweet potatoes or other root vegetables would be a natural fit in here, as would chicken (if you can’t resist the urge to add some meat).

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