Tag: ginger

Vietnamese Shrimp Salad

Posted on by Claire

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.

… Read the rest
Read more

West African Peanut Soup

Posted on by Claire

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.

… Read the rest
Read more

Vegetable Korma

Posted on by Claire

vegetable korma

Although Indian food is one of my favorites, I’ve often faltered when it comes to recreating my favorite curries. So after a friend of mine cooked up a very tasty vegetable korma, I knew I had to grab the recipe and make it my own. The use of cashew butter as a thickener adds some extra decadence (and protein) here, and I used my homemade Madras curry powder to make sure the flavors were fresh and strong. Ever since I’ve discovered the magic of roasting cauliflowers and carrots, especially when adding them to stews, I can’t resist so that’s what I’ve chosen here, but this curry would go well with any vegetables you have around (or with chicken or lamb, if you so desire).

… Read the rest
Read more

Curried Carrot Soup

Posted on by Claire

curried carrot soup

I cook so many complex recipes that sometimes it’s nice to put together a simple dish. A dish with less than ten ingredients (even including the basics like olive oil, salt, and pepper!). This curried carrot soup builds on the natural sweetness of carrots, enhanced by oven roasting. The trick to the best flavor here is letting the carrots caramelize in the onion while caramelizing onions on the stove top. Using fresh curry powder is crucial (and freshly-ground homemade curry powder is ideal).

Related Posts:

… Read the rest
Read more

Chinese Broccoli with Five-Spice Sauce

Posted on by Claire

chinese broccoli

Although I’m pretty sure this dish isn’t authentic (due to the inclusion of butter), it tastes exactly like what I’ve eaten at dim sum restaurants before and is really simple (and fast) to make. The sauce, given a kick from garlic, ginger, and five-spice, is a great match to Chinese broccoli, but should work wonderfully on other vegetables as well. It’s not often that I find something that only takes about 10 minutes to make and still tastes delicious, so I know I’ll be coming back to this recipe.

Related Posts:

… Read the rest
Read more

Gingerbread Waffles

Posted on by Claire

gingerbread waffles

Spices and molasses come together in these gingerbread waffles to make the perfect winter breakfast. For extra decadence, serve topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream and maple syrup. Berry preserves would also work well here, as would a dollop of yogurt to cut the sweetness. If you don’t have a waffle maker, I think this batter could be easily used for pancakes. My suggestion is to make the full batch, even if you’re only planning on eating a couple waffles (or pancakes); probably my favorite part of making these waffles was freezing the leftovers. Now, whenever I’m feeling particularly lazy, I can quickly toast up a couple of these and have a delicious breakfast (or dessert!).

… Read the rest
Read more

Pumpkin Risotto

Posted on by Claire

pumpkin risotto

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!

I can see why pumpkin (and butternut squash) risotto shows up on a lot of menus around this time of year. This restaurant darling is fairly simple to make and packed with flavor, and the risotto easily takes on a beautiful orange color from the pumpkin puree.

… Read the rest
Read more

Pumpkin Pancakes

Posted on by Claire

pumpkin pancakes

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!

These subtly orange pancakes are quite easy to toss together and have the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor alongside traditional pumpkin pie spices. They’re great for when you have some leftover pumpkin puree but not enough for most recipes, since you only need 1/2 cup for this recipe.

… Read the rest
Read more

Moo Shu Vegetables

Posted on by Claire

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.

… Read the rest
Read more