sel et sucre

Tag: gluten-free

  • Mushroom Bourguignon

    mushroom bourguignon

    I think mushrooms are one of those ingredients that can be pretty polarizing. Some people love mushrooms, and others can’t stand them. Personally, I’m a big mushroom fan – they’re just packed with umami! For any other fungi aficionados out there, here’s a great recipe that showcases the meaty, earthy flavor of mushrooms as the main star of a French-inspired stew. As I’m not a vegetarian, I used bacon fat and beef stock to add extra meatiness, but you’ll be just fine with olive oil and mushroom or vegetable stock. I found this bourguignon very satisfying on a rainy day, and it’s sure to make for great comfort food for other mushroom lovers out there.

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  • Layered Fruit Salad with Whipped Coconut Cream

    layered fruit salad with whipped coconut cream

    I have a history of becoming really passionate about something and then letting it fall by the wayside when a new obsession comes my way. When I was really into knitting, for example, I didn’t just knit scarves and hats; I knit complete sweaters, bookmarked hundreds of patterns, and collected boxes and boxes of yarn. And I still have those dusty sweaters, patterns, and yarn, despite not having knit anything for years. So when I started this blog, I was worried that I might lose interest, stop posting, or get sick of food (okay, I never thought that last one could actually happen). But over the past year, I’ve only found myself becoming more and more passionate about cooking. This blog has become extra motivation to keep expanding my repertoire, and I’ve found that not only has my cooking improved as a result, but so has my photography and writing. Yes, this is my one year anniversary – for an entire year, I’ve been posting three recipes a week (not always an easy feat with a full-time job), and although it’s been difficult and stressful at times, it’s also been really really fun. Nothing too fancy today to celebrate, just a tasty and simple fruit salad with a twist. Whipped coconut cream on top adds the perfect amount of richness to this summer dessert, and sliced almonds add a little crunch. I hope you enjoy the recipe and hope you’ve been enjoying my blog! Thanks to anyone who’s reading this, and here’s to another year.

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  • Family Style Summer Salad

    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. By the end of the meal, I hope you’ll feel that lovely glow of an evening well spent.

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  • Homemade Oregano Butter

    homemade oregano butter

    Sometimes I cook for very practical reasons – to stay healthy or save money, or just because I’m hungry. But sometimes I cook simply for fun, to help myself relax and get my mind off my usual worries. At those times, there’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishment at making something especially complicated, unusual, or delicious. Or, as in the case of this homemade butter recipe, making a basic ingredient from scratch. Watching cream transform into butter feels almost magical, and using the resulting spread on bread, fresh veggies, chicken, or steak makes me feel nearly giddy. I’ve been trying to find some good uses for the oregano in my garden, so I added it in here, but you can use any herb (or combination of herbs) you want, or leave out all the seasonings all together (although I recommend keeping the salt – it will help the butter stay good for longer).

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  • Beet, Mushroom, and Blue Cheese Salad

    beet mushroom and blue cheese salad

    I’ve documented a couple different attempts at recreating restaurant recipes on here. But more frequently, instead of trying to make the exact same dish, I’m simply inspired by my favorite restaurant dishes. Like with this beet, mushroom, and blue cheese salad. See, there’s a place just down the street from me that has an amazing burger topped with beets and blue cheese. So I thought I’d take that combination and make it a salad, subbing in some deeply caramelized mushrooms for the burger itself – I know it might seem blasphemous to some, but I’m not always up for a burger. This salad is surprisingly complex and full of intense flavors, with earthy, sweet, and tangy notes. Something I never could have thought of without some inspiration.

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  • Mulligatawny Soup

    mulligatawny soup

    A while back, I posted a recipe for a Japanese adaptation of Indian curry. But by far the most well-known adaptations of Indian cuisine come from the British. These fusions have become so widespread that it’s not unlikely that you’re already quite familiar with some of them – such as chicken tikka masala and vindaloo – from your favorite Indian restaurants (and in fact, they are now prevalent in India itself). Mulligatawny soup is a great example, the name itself a British take on an Indian phrase meaning “pepper water.” There are many variations, but they’re usually a rich yellow or orange color from the spices (if you’re using a curry powder without turmeric, make sure to add some) and often contain meat. This particular version, however, is vegetarian, with red lentils and carrots providing the bulk of the soup, and coconut milk (very popular in Anglo-Indian cuisine) stirred in for extra richness.

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  • Pluot Mint Salad

    pluot mint salad

    I love pluots – a fruit that is the wonderful combination of plums and apricots. I bought some on sale and knew I needed to do something simple but special with them. So I picked some fresh mint from my garden (it’s been growing like crazy!) and squeezed an orange for a tasty fruit salad. Together, the flavors set my mind down the path of Turkish food, so at the last minute, I tossed in a little Turkish red pepper. If you don’t like spice, feel free to omit it though. And if your fruit isn’t sweet enough on its own (and by the way, feel free to try this out with other stone fruits as well), you can add a little bit of honey. I also had this salad with a little yogurt after it had marinated in the refrigerator for a few hours, and it made for an absolutely delicious dessert. Next time I might try it after grilling the fruit first for a little caramelization.

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  • Shaved Squash Salad

    shaved squash salad

    Yet another simple summer recipe – only a few ingredients, but it still feels exciting. This was my first time eating raw squash, and I was pleasantly surprised by the taste, crisp and nutty. Combined with a tart lemon dressing, salty cheese, and the crunch of pistachios, the resulting salad is amazingly flavorful. But it’s still light enough to leave you feeling good afterwards. Great for a quick lunch or to bring along on a picnic.

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  • Raw Kale Salad

    raw kale salad

    In the recent summer heat that has quickly descended over DC, I’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to convince myself to turn on the stove or oven. The prospect of leaving the house to scrounge up a meal is equally unpleasant. So I’ve been eating a lot of simple food – fresh fruit and vegetables, mostly, that require little to no cooking. This raw kale salad has been a great standby, and after having heard so many others rave about raw kale, I finally understand why. The kale has a pleasantly chewy texture here and is packed with nutrients. Add chickpeas, mixed nuts, and avocados, and you have a salad that not only is amazingly flavorful, but also will make you feel truly good after eating it. This recipe is perfect for adaptation. Use your favorite nut variety instead of mixed nuts, add a little dried fruit, use different beans or a different cheese – it’s really hard to go wrong!

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  • Peaches in Basil Syrup

    peaches in basil syrup

    I knew I wanted to combine peaches and basil for a tasty summer dessert, but none of the recipes I came across seemed quite right. I wanted something simple, something that would really focus on these delicious, seasonal ingredients – peaches from the farmers market and basil from my garden. So I created my own easy recipe. Basil leaves pureed with orange juice and honey then poured over peaches (I actually used a mix of peaches and nectarines). You only need a handful of ingredients and a couple of minutes of work to create this delicious concoction – great eaten plain but absolutely fantastic served over strained yogurt (straining yogurt makes it extra thick and creamy, just perfect for desserts). A wonderful little celebration of summer!

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