sel et sucre

Tag: garlic

  • Whole Fish with Salsa Verde

    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. The resulting dish is definitely refreshing and won’t leave you feeling lethargic on a hot summer day, perfect for my fourth of July meal.

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  • Garlic Scape Stir Fry

    garlic scape stir fry

    I’m always excited to try a new ingredient, so when curly green stalks labeled as “garlic stems” showed up in my usual grocery store, I was intrigued. Apparently, these are more commonly referred to as garlic scapes and are the stalk of the garlic plant (growing above ground from the tasty garlic bulb we are familiar with underground). The taste is spicy and garlicky, but mellows out after a quick cook, and the texture is pleasantly crisp, similar to green beans. A stir fry made perfect sense to me for this unique ingredient, and I thought the salty dried shrimp and spicy sambal oelek (both ingredients you can find at most Asian groceries) complemented the scapes well. I’ll definitely be picking up more garlic scapes the next time I see them!

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  • Three Cup Chicken

    three cup chicken

    Here’s a follow-up to my post on Monday – another recipe that hinges on the unique flavor of Thai basil. This recipe, however, is a popular Taiwanese one. Similar to pound cake and 3-2-1 stir fry, the recipe is in the name here. Three cup chicken was traditionally made using a nearby tea cup to measure out equal amounts of soy sauce, shaoxing cooking wine, and sesame oil for the extremely flavorful sauce. Of course, it’s not just those ingredients that make this dish so tasty. You may notice the seemingly ridiculous amounts of garlic, ginger, and Thai basil called for here and be tempted to cut back. Don’t; you’ll thank me. If you don’t have much tolerance for spice, feel free to cut back on the bird’s eye chiles, but leave the rest be. I was amazed at the tangy, sweet, and spicy (yet not overwhelming) flavor in this dish. Definitely best served over rice (or cauliflower rice) to soak up any extra sauce.

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  • Lemon Basil Chickpea Salad

    lemon basil chickpea salad

    In the past, I’ve often found myself diving enthusiastically into projects and then quickly abandoning them. But I’m trying my best to change that, and it’s amazing what I’ve been able to accomplish. In past years, for instance, I bought seeds and seedlings and got really excited about the possibility of having a great garden, but when it came down to it, I didn’t have the energy for all the upkeep. But this year, I’ve been taking really good care of my garden (with a lot of help from one of my roommates), and it’s really gratifying to see my plants steadily grow. I recently pruned my basil plant and suddenly found myself with a lot of fresh basil to use. I wanted to do something a little different from a traditional pesto and found myself loving this lemon basil chickpea salad. The herbaceous basil plays well with lemon juice, honey, and mustard in an exceedingly flavorful dressing (which, by the way, can be used on all kinds of different salads), and I really enjoyed it over a basic mix of chickpeas and sauteed greens. Great served at room temperature or cold for a little something refreshing on especially hot summer days (and a good option for bringing along to a picnic!). I can’t wait to find more creative uses for all the herbs (and vegetables) I’m growing in my garden this year.

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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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  • Turkish Bean and Vegetable Soup

    turkish bean and vegetable soup

    I recently visited Istanbul, and once there, I quickly fell in love with Turkish food. I booked myself a food tour (through Istanbul Eats who I can wholeheartedly recommend) and spent a good six hours traipsing through the Beyoğlu neighborhood and trying some amazing food. A lot of dishes hinted at the Middle-Eastern food I already know and love, but there were also some completely new flavors. After the tour, I made my way to the spice bazaar, and when I returned home, laden with Turkish spices and nuts (and Turkish delights, of course), I was ready to incorporate Turkish flavors into my everyday cooking. I devised this soup to try out a mixture of dried vegetables I’d purchased at the spice bazaar as well as the spices, and I ended up quite happy with my little experiment.

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  • Tuscan Braised White Beans

    tuscan braised white beans

    I cook a lot of one pot meals so I often feel like my recipe collection is lacking in good sides. These Tuscan braised white beans are a simple but versatile dish that would go well alongside lots of different main dishes. The addition of olives and greens adds something a little unusual for a bean dish and helps to keep this side interesting enough to eat on its own as a snack. I kept the spicing simple with herbs de provence, but using fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregano, if you have them on hand, would work equally well, if not better.

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  • Pickled Sugar Snap Peas

    pickled sugar snap peas

    Every year, I eagerly await the opening of the farmers market near me. The winter can drag on around here, those seemingly endless days when eating locally and seasonally feels impossible, when beets and greens are the best you can do. The farmers market doesn’t open until late May, but that first Sunday when I can stroll down the street (I’m lucky enough to live just a block away) and see the vendors open for business, I feel a great sense of excitement and relief. Excitement, of course, about all the fresh food and the summer season ahead of me, but also relief, as though only this truly cements that the warm weather is here to stay (until fall, at least). Although this market has great meats, cheeses, and baked goods, I always beeline first for the produce. Without a plan in mind, I was seduced by a pint of sugar snap peas, fresh from the vine and extra sweet. I knew I wanted something simple (and almost just ate them plain), to focus on the flavor of the peas themselves, and this pickle recipe was perfect. The sugar snap peas are the star of the show, their crisp sweetness complemented by the acidity of vinegar and flavored with garlic and chiles. I tasted them 24 hours after pickling and immediately regretted not having bought more sugar snap peas (I highly recommend doing the full recipe posted here – my batch was only about half). They’re the perfect little springtime snack.

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  • Thai Corn Salad

    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. It only takes about fifteen minutes to throw together (or maybe a little bit longer if you use cooked corn rather than raw – I recommend grilling if you’re going to cook the corn), so you’ll still have a lot of time to get out and enjoy yourself.

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  • Japanese Curry

    japanese curry

    Japanese curry is an interesting phenomenon – traditional Indian curries twisted their way through the British to Japan and beget this now widely popular dish. Usually served over rice (or sometimes noodles) and often called “curry rice” as a result, Japanese curry adds extra sweetness over its predecessors (from a grated apple in this recipe – sometimes raisins are also added) and is thickened with a flavorful roux. I can’t help but love every incarnation of curry, from Thai to Indian to British, and Japanese curry is no exception. Usually made with humble potatoes, carrots, and peas, I like to switch out the potatoes for cauliflower and add in mushrooms and chickpeas, resulting in a variety of flavors and textures, as well as quite a lot of food.

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