sel et sucre

Tag: garlic

  • Chicken Adobo

    chicken adobo

    Chicken adobo is a Filipino dish where chicken is marinated and then cooked in a combination of vinegar and soy sauce. I like the flavor from apple cider vinegar (although I’m pretty sure it’s not traditional), and you’ll also want to make sure to use good quality soy sauce. I typically marinate in the same pot I’m planning on cooking it in (if your pot is a temperature-sensitive material, remember to let the pot come to room temperature before putting it on the stove to avoid damaging it with the heat difference) which also makes this an astoundingly easy meal. Chicken adobo is traditionally served over rice to soak up the sauce, and I’ve found I’m also a big fan of peas as a side (as pictured here).

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  • Breakfast Salad

    breakfast salad

    Inspired by breakfast flavors, this salad is tasty at any time of day. Bacon and eggs are, of course, crucial elements here, where they play quite nicely with bell pepper, pickled jalapeno, and preserved lemon. A warm bacon vinaigrette pulls the whole salad together. This salad can be easily adapted – I think sundried tomatoes would be a great addition (or substitution), as would fresh diced avocado.

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  • Chili Powder

    chili powder

    I’ve found that making fresh spice mixes is surprisingly easy and yields incredible flavor – much more than with store-bought mixes. This recipe for chili powder can be adapted to your tastes; it currently uses equal amounts of three dried chiles: guajillo, ancho, and arbol. Like your chili powder a little smokier? Add more ancho chiles, toss in some dried chipotles, and/or add extra smoked paprika. Like your chili powder on the milder side? Use more ancho and guajillo chiles and less arbol chiles, and discard the seeds before toasting. Or, conversely, like your chili powder extra spicy? Up the number of arbol chiles.

    I would highly recommend making a double batch of this recipe; a single batch makes enough for about four regular batches of chili (about 4 servings each) or two extra-large batches of chili (about 8 servings each) – I love making extra-large batches and having lots of delicious hearty leftovers. If you make a single batch of this recipe, you’ll have just enough chili powder for the two amazing extra-large batch chili recipes I’ll be posting on Wednesday and Friday: a delicious vegetarian chili packed with lots of different beans and grains on Wednesday, then a mouth-watering pot of chile con carne with all the special touches on Friday.

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  • Kaddo Bourani

    kaddo bourani

    We’re approaching the end of pumpkin season, so I’ve been posting my very best pumpkin recipes last week and this week. Luckily, pumpkins keep well for a couple months (and my pumpkin puree will keep good for 6 months or more when frozen) which means after you buy up those last pumpkins, you’ll have ample time to cook these delicious recipes!

    Kaddo bourani is a delicious Afghan dish that plays around with very unusual flavor combinations. Sweet pumpkin mingles here with cinnamon, topped with mint garlic yogurt and a coriander-laced tomato sauce. This seemingly disparate combination manages to come together seamlessly. Traditionally, the tomato sauce has ground beef in it, but I’ve done a vegetarian version here, substituting with a can of kidney beans. This dish also works as an appetizer without the tomato sauce.

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  • Stuffed Pumpkin

    stuffed pumpkin

    We’re approaching the end of pumpkin season, so I’ll be posting my very best pumpkin recipes this week and next week. Luckily, pumpkins keep well for a couple months (and my pumpkin puree will keep good for 6 months or more when frozen) which means after you buy up those last pumpkins, you’ll have ample time to cook these delicious recipes!

    This recipe manages to be both simple and impressive. Placing a whole cooked pumpkin in the center of the table is sure to elicit compliments from your dinner companions, and the combination of cooked pumpkin flesh with bread, cheese, bacon, spinach, and apple is perfect for fall. This stuffed pumpkin would make a great Thanksgiving side but can also serve as a complete meal. Feel free to get creative when choosing what to stuff your pumpkin with; cooked rice or another grain can be used in place of bread, you can use whatever cheese you have on hand, and nearly any of the ingredients can be omitted or replaced and still result in a delicious dish. You can even cut a butternut squash in half and stuff the halves if you can’t get your hands on a pumpkin.

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  • Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad

    butternut squash and chickpea salad

    Around this time of year, I find myself unable to resist the gorgeous butternut squashes piled high at grocery stores and farmers’ markets. I always buy a few, tempted by vague thoughts of meals with the squash’s sweet richness and autumnal orange hue. Then I find myself at home trying to come up with the best ways to actually use my newly acquired ingredient. This warm salad is a somewhat unusual combination of flavors, with chickpeas, allspice, and tahini as major players alongside the butternut squash. The result is fantastically addictive and a great alternative to the more common recipes using butternut squash. This salad works equally well as an appetizer or main course.

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  • Bagna Cauda

    bagna cauda

    Although I often go over the top when cooking, sometimes I rein myself in and appreciate the simplicity of combining a few high quality ingredients. Bagna cauda, a traditional Italian dip, is an excellent example of when something simple can yield impressive results. With only four ingredients (and please, use the best quality of these ingredients that you can find), this dip manages to keep you coming back for more. It’s incredibly versatile, going well with bread, fresh vegetables, or even tossed with pasta.

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  • Thai Red Curry Paste

    Thai Red Curry Paste

    Anyone who’s a regular reader of this blog has probably figured out that I cook quite a lot of Asian food. I’ve long been a lover of the flavors found in Asian cuisine, and I somewhat recently began doing most of my shopping at an Asian supermarket (H&A Supermarket in Langley Park for anyone who’s in the area) and thus have easy access to many rarer ingredients for ridiculously cheap prices. When I discovered this store, I knew immediately what I had to make first: Thai curry. Thai food plays around a lot with mixing salty, sweet, and sour, and this curry paste is the first step in building a delicious curry with those flavors. For those of you who’ve cooked with fish sauce before, you know how intensely pungent it can be – but be prepared for the shrimp paste used here as it is even stronger. Trust me though, the flavor it adds is necessary.

    This recipe makes enough curry paste for six or more curries, and I like to freeze it for later use – to make it easy on yourself, freeze it into 3 – 4 Tbsp chunks (enough for a 4-serving curry recipe) as you can then just grab a chunk out of the freezer the next time you’re ready to make curry. Come back on Wednesday for my recipe for Thai red curry using this paste!

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  • Moo Shu Vegetables

    Moo Shu Vegetables

    This recipe has a lot going for it: it’s quick (or, at least, quicker than many of the meals I cook), it’s easy, and it’s got some of my favorite vegetables (mushrooms, carrots, and cabbage!). I also love Asian flavors, and the flavors of the ginger, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce here are a great way to showcase the flavors of the veggies. The moo shu pancakes are surprisingly easy to make, even though I was initially suspicious of the technique of rolling out two pancakes together (with oil inbetween) – it worked out perfectly, and I had no problem peeling the pancakes apart after they’d cooked. And if you’re feeling a little lazier, you can buy moo shu pancakes instead of making your own, use tortillas, or even make lettuce wraps (making these a little lighter and adding a nice crispness).

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