vegetarian | sel et sucre

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.

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Roasted Pepper Hummus

Posted on August 22, 2012August 22, 2012 by Claire

roasted pepper hummus

I’ve long thought that the hummus my dad makes is far superior to any other hummus. For a while though, since my dad is Lebanese, I thought this just meant that I really liked authentic Lebanese hummus. But then I spent a summer in Lebanon and still found the hummus not to be quite up to what I was used to at home. When I asked my dad about it, he smiled and said, “paprika.” It’s not truly authentic, he admits, but I have to agree that it adds a little something extra. So, even though this isn’t my dad’s recipe, I knew as soon as I set out to make it that I had to add paprika.

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Mediterranean Fig Salad

Posted on August 20, 2012November 28, 2012 by Claire

mediterranean fig salad

When my parents handed me a plate of figs from their neighbor’s tree, I felt like I had to really do them justice. Fresh figs like these, just bursting with natural sugars, taste quite decadent to me, so I wanted to keep the preparation simple. Mint, feta, and walnuts give this fig salad a Mediterranean twist. I didn’t even bother to whisk the dressing together first (although you certainly can, if you’d like), opting instead to simply toss everything together gently, making this salad take mere minutes to assemble. But the jewel-like figs and fragrant mint mean this salad is still impressive enough to serve to guests.

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Cauliflower Blue Cheese Soup

Posted on August 15, 2012August 14, 2012 by Claire

cauliflower blue cheese soup

I’m going to let you in on a secret – most places where people use potatoes, I use cauliflower, and it tastes even better. Cauliflower has lots of edges to get nice and browned when roasting or frying, and it also tastes much sweeter and more flavorful than potatoes to me. Of course, cauliflower is also significantly healthier than potatoes. By contrast to potatoes (the food with the highest correlation to weight gain in a recent longitudinal study), cauliflower is high in vitamin C and fiber and a wonderfully filling and nutritious ingredient. And, really, it tastes delicious. Like in this cauliflower blue cheese soup where it’s pureed with caramelized onions and then mixed with blue cheese and creme fraiche.

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Mushroom Bourguignon

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

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

Posted on August 10, 2012August 9, 2012 by Claire

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).

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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.

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Homemade Oregano Butter

Posted on August 6, 2012August 5, 2012 by Claire

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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Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Posted on August 3, 2012August 7, 2012 by Claire

lemon olive oil cake

I’m a big fan of olive oil. Extra-virgin, of course. It’s my go-to for roasting vegetables, the first thing I reach for when sauteing onions, and the natural base for homemade salad dressings. I even add it to my soap (it’s a moisturizer!). So here is my ode to olive oil, in the form of a cake. Paired with lemon and rosemary, two among many flavors that sing alongside its fruitiness, the olive oil somehow yields a cake richer than if it had been made with butter. This cake is similar to a sponge cake, fluffed up with beaten egg whites and topped with turbinado sugar, and although I found it deflated after leaving the oven, the texture still seemed spot on to me.

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Beet, Mushroom, and Blue Cheese Salad

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

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.

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