sel et sucre

Tag: bell pepper

  • Summer Fajita Bowls

    summer fajita bowls

    When I was a kid, I remember feeling annoyed when my parents would proclaim some fresh vegetable to be “as sweet as candy!” It seemed like such a blatant falsehood that I couldn’t believe these people who had so impressed on me the importance of being honest could dare to utter it. But maybe my taste buds have changed because I could’ve sworn this sweet corn I roasted tasted just like candy. Alongside other fresh summer produce – squash, bell peppers, onion, and jalapenos – also roasted until caramelized, it added a wonderfully savory sweet touch to these fajita bowls, rounded out by black beans and chorizo. Of course, you can also grill all the vegetables, if you’d like. Either way, this recipe is perfect for all that overflowing summer produce that’s currently at its peak!

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  • Crispy Tilapia with Spicy Thai Basil Sauce

    crispy tilapia with spicy thai basil sauce

    Usually when I go out to eat, I love sharing. It makes the meal delightfully communal and also means that I get to try a variety of different dishes. But every once in a while, I encounter a dish so spectacularly tasty that I need to have it all to myself. The crispy tilapia with spicy basil sauce at my neighborhood Thai restaurant, Beau Thai, is one such dish. When it first showed up on their rotating specials, my boyfriend and I thought we’d give it a try. We were amazed by the perfectly cooked fish, crunchy fried crust, and fragrant and flavorful sauce. Luckily, it has since been moved onto their regular menu. These days, we’ll stop by for dinner, take a look at their menu (as though we might order something else), and then each get an order of this. So finally I decided I had to try my hand at recreating the dish. I did a simple panko-crusted and fried preparation for the fish itself and modeled the sauce off of my Thai basil stir fry. The end result was like hitting jackpot – now I can get my fill of this dish at home! And maybe I’ll finally try some new dishes the next time I’m at Beau Thai.

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  • Korean Cold Noodles and Vegetables

    korean cold noodles and vegetables

    I haven’t even finished posting recipes for food I cooked during the last heatwave, and DC is already in the grip of a new one. Yesterday, it reached 100 degrees for the sixth time this year, and we may very well have the seventh time today. This, after only having five 100-degree days in 2011 and four in 2010 – and 17 total in the entirety of 1993 to 2009. Weather, like food, is something I feel passionately nerdy about. And they go all so well together. Even in this time of air conditioning, I find myself gravitating towards weather-appropriate recipes. Although this recipe does involve using (a single burner on) the stove for the noodles, these refreshing cold noodles and vegetables, tossed in an amazingly flavorful sauce is another perfect dish for hot days. And in addition to being delicious, this plate packs a powerful visual punch. The vegetables are easily adaptable to whatever you happen to have around, and you can even omit the noodles, if you want – I had a simple meal of broccoli in this sauce one night, and it was still delicious. The original recipe calls for the Korean herb perilla, but I wasn’t able to find any (and admittedly, in this heat, I didn’t feel like exerting myself much in searching), and it was just fine without it. If you can find it, feel free to add it in. Hopefully, this recipe can help you stay nice and cool, however you decide to adapt it.

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  • Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

    roasted vegetable quinoa salad

    This quinoa salad feels just perfect for summer so long as you can brave turning your oven on (although the vegetables can also be grilled). Not only does it take advantage of the overflowing summer vegetables, but it’s delicious served at room temperature or cold, so it makes for a refreshing side or meal on a steamy summer day. You can use whatever herbs you have around (either basil and mint, both so notoriously prolific, would work here, and I used a combination of thyme and oregano), and feel free to add a little goat cheese, feta, or parmesan, too. Easily adaptable and full of flavor, this is a versatile recipe that’s definitely worth having up your sleeve.

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  • Roasted Pepper and Refried Bean Soup

    roasted pepper and refried bean soup

    Some days, I feel like I cook so many soups that I should just rename this blog to “Sel et Soupe.” But there’s good reason for my love of soups – they’re quick, easily adaptable, healthy, and delicious. Maybe I’m inspired by my mom, who first started feeling confident in her cooking when she discovered soups. Whatever the reason, here is another soup recipe. I was feeling a little playful and wanted to do a take on refried beans, so I cooked down pinto beans and pink beans (feel free to use just one or the other) and roasted a few bell peppers to add in as well. The result was thick, smoky, and quite tasty, especially when topped with sour cream and cheddar cheese (as pictured) or with a fried egg for a twist on huevos rancheros (my breakfast the day after cooking this). But even served plain, this soup is worth making – and maybe it’ll convince you to love soups, too.

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  • Ratatouille

    ratatouille

    It feels like we are positively barreling into summer. I love watching the gardens in my neighborhood steadily grow, plants spreading out and reaching high. Of course, my focus is always on the food, and I can’t help but smile as I start to see the tangled squash vines (not in my garden, unfortunately, as I can’t bring myself to plant them again after watching them take over and then subsequently die by root disease before producing a couple years ago) and the small fruits forming behind the wilting flowers on tomato and pepper plants. In anticipation of the most prolific summer days, when the produce is cheap and overflowing, here is a great simple ratatouille recipe to make the most of some of those delicious vegetables. I’ve left eggplant out of my version here, but feel free to include it (make sure to salt the eggplant and let it sit before using), and I’ve chosen to include mushrooms instead, which are a little less traditional, because I like the meatiness they add. Oven roasting adds a little extra depth and brings out the natural sweetness of the squash and bell peppers. This stew can be a great side or vegetarian (vegan, actually!) entree. I served mine with Tuscan braised white beans – I know, mixing my Italian and my French food here, but it was a great combination.

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  • 3-2-1 Stir Fry

    3-2-1 stir fry

    So you’ve probably heard that pound cake was thus named because it was once made from a pound of butter, a pound of flour, and a pound of sugar? Similarly, Cantonese 3-2-1 sauce is a recipe in a name. Only, unlike pound cake, this is a recipe I use regularly. Three parts soy sauce, two parts oyster sauce, and one part sesame oil yield this amazing basic sauce, full of umami and perfect for stir fries. I’ve mentioned my obsession with umami on here before, right? Officially recognized as one of our basic tastes (the others being sweet, sour, salty, and bitter) just 27 years ago, it’s that rich hearty flavor that makes steak, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese so addictive. Thinking about how to pack your food with umami can really make a difference in your cooking. 3-2-1 sauce is a great source of umami, so it’s a simple way to make a very flavorful dish. In this 3-2-1 stir fry, I use a combination of some of my favorite vegetables – beech mushrooms, broccoli, and bell peppers – but you could easily swap these out for some of your favorites.

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  • Roasted Chickpea Fajitas

    roasted chickpea fajitas

    I’ve long loved roasting vegetables, but it’s only recently that I discovered how tasty roasted chickpeas can be. By coating them in spices and roasting, you can easily turn these healthy beans into your new favorite snack. Here, chickpeas are flavored with chili powder and cumin to form the perfect base for vegetarian fajitas. In case you can’t tell from my photo, my favorite part of fajitas is loading them down with toppings. I piled cilantro, lime wedges, salsa, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and diced avocado on mine, but these would even be good without extra toppings. I haven’t tried roasting beans other than chickpeas yet, but I can’t see any reason why this wouldn’t be equally delicious using black or pinto beans.

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  • Ginger Shiitake Salmon

    ginger shiitake salmon

    Growing up, I never liked salmon. Coming from a kid who loved lima beans and chicken liver, this probably seems really strange, and I can’t say exactly why I had bad associations with this classic fish. Perhaps I’d had it overcooked or under-seasoned, but whatever the reason for my previous dislike, I’ve since changed my mind. Salmon is a delicious and easy to prepare fish, and this particular method is no exception. The salmon is sprinkled with coriander (which seemed strange to me at first, but I quickly realized the lemony notes are the perfect pairing) and then broiled before being topped with a glaze including bell pepper, mushroom, ginger, and honey. The flavors work wonderfully (I can never resist anything Asian influenced!), and since the whole dish only took about half an hour to throw together, I could easily see myself serving this up for guests. And it doesn’t hurt that it looks gorgeous too!

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  • Roasted Pepper and Mushroom Paprikash

    roasted pepper and mushroom paprikash

    Paprikash is a Hungarian stew, usually made with chicken, where the spicing comes entirely from paprika. As a paprika lover, this stew is naturally a favorite of mine. I’ve made a more traditional version using chicken before, but was recently inspired to try out this vegetarian version. The sweetness of roasted peppers and earthiness of cremini mushrooms is a great match with the paprika (I think I’m going to start adding both to my chicken paprikash!), and I tossed in some lentils to make it a little heartier.

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