cilantro | sel et sucre

Harissa

Posted on August 29, 2012December 1, 2012 by Claire

harissa

This recipe for harissa, a Tunisian chile sauce, is seriously spicy. Okay, I’ll admit, my spice tolerance is not quite unbeatable, but it’s pretty high, certainly higher than most people I’ve met. I lap up the spiciest Indian and Thai curries like nobody’s business, toss chili peppers in everything, and liberally sprinkle my food with hot sauce. I’ve never once used gloves when chopping hot peppers. Jalapenos (barely spicy to my palate!), bird’s eye chiles, habaneros, I’ve practically rubbed them all over my hands with no ill effect (okay, the occasional burning eye, admittedly).

Well, that all changed when chopping up the rehydrated chiles for this particular recipe.

… Read the rest

Mushroom Black Bean Patties

Posted on August 27, 2012August 27, 2012 by Claire

mushroom black bean patties

I remember when I had my first homemade bean burger; I was shocked at the amazing flavor and texture. Those frozen patties are, I’m sorry to say, a poor imitation. Perhaps the mistake is trying to mimic meat as closely as possible when, in actuality, you can get much more creative with bean burgers. This version, while a little more time consuming than most (which often only involve blending together a variety of ingredients), uses caramelized onions and mushrooms to add extra depth of flavor, alongside cumin, paprika, and chipotle pepper. This versatile mix can be used not only to make burgers, but also for “meat”balls or even to replicate ground beef (cook loose in a pan, letting sit until browned and then stirring).

… Read the rest

Avocado Salsa Verde

Posted on August 24, 2012August 23, 2012 by Claire

avocado salsa verde

I love making my own condiments; many, like this salsa verde, are quite easy to whip up, yet still manage to be much more flavorful than their store-bought cousins. Here, all you have to do is a little chopping and a little blending, and suddenly you have something perfect for topping tacos or dipping chips. The avocado is a great twist, too, adding extra creaminess and richness. And, one of my favorite parts of making these sort of things myself, you can easily adjust everything to your taste with minimal extra effort – adding extra jalapenos here, for instance, if you like things spicy, or omitting the jalapeno altogether for a mild take.

… Read the rest

Summer Fajita Bowls

Posted on August 17, 2012August 16, 2012 by Claire

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.

… Read the rest

Family Style Summer Salad

Posted on August 8, 2012August 7, 2012 by Claire

family style summer salad

Food, I believe, is meant to be shared. Sitting down with family or friends (or ideally both!) over a good meal, home-cooked or otherwise, always fills me with a great feeling of joy and belonging, often reinforced by enthusiastic anecdotes, spirited debates, and unbridled laughter before the end of the meal. This recipe combines my love of good company with my recent love of salads. Perfect for a midsummer get-together, this salad can be thrown together in mere minutes and is easily adapted to the tastes of whoever you happen to be eating with. Use fresh seasonal vegetables from your garden or farmers market, add chicken or steak for extra protein, or make it interactive by inviting everyone to bring their favorite ingredients.

… Read the rest

Whole Fish with Salsa Verde

Posted on July 11, 2012July 10, 2012 by Claire

whole fish with salsa verde

I did something a little blasphemous for the fourth of July this year. I hosted lunch, and I didn’t start up the grill or serve any red meat. It was really hot – the middle of a record-breaking heatwave, as a matter of fact – and I wanted a refreshing seasonal meal. I plucked as many herbs as possible from my garden and served up cucumber mint agua fresca, roasted vegetable quinoa salad, black bean burgers, and this fish (okay, and a little dessert I’ll be posting about on Friday). Nearly any type of fish will work in this simple preparation, packed with flavor from cilantro, scallions, and lime.

… Read the rest

Roasted Pepper and Refried Bean Soup

Posted on June 13, 2012June 12, 2012 by Claire

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.

… Read the rest

Thai Corn Salad

Posted on May 25, 2012May 25, 2012 by Claire

thai corn salad

As we move into summer, I just don’t have the patience to spend a long time next to a hot stove or hot oven to cook. And I certainly don’t feel like eating anything too heavy or rich. So this easy Thai corn salad is perfect for a light lunch or as a side to a lazy summer dinner. A dressing of fresh Thai basil and cilantro along with lime, honey, and ginger perfectly complements the sweet corn that will soon flood our markets and makes this a lot more exciting than your usual corn salad. And since the salad tastes great cold, at room temperature, or even a little warm (and there’s no dairy to spoil), this is the perfect dish to bring along to a picnic.

… Read the rest

Crab and Avocado Salad

Posted on April 27, 2012April 27, 2012 by Claire

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.

… Read the rest

Vegetarian Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)

Posted on April 25, 2012April 24, 2012 by Claire

vegetarian feijoada

If you are Brazilian or have been to Brazil and eaten authentic feijoada, let me apologize right now. Traditionally, feijoada is a stew of black beans with a variety of cuts of meat, so I’m sure I am being completely blasphemous by creating this vegetarian version. In place of the meat, I’ve used mushrooms and quinoa (a new favorite of mine) to add a variety of textures and flavors. If you’re like me and not totally vegetarian (I eat mostly vegetarian for health and cost reasons), feel free to use beef broth in place of vegetable broth and bacon fat in place of olive oil to add a little extra heartiness and smokiness, but you should also fare just fine without it.

… Read the rest