I've been dairy-free and mostly grain-free for a while now. I was in the mood for some Chicken Alfredo, but I couldn't have it made with dairy cream. I was afraid that my family - who are not dairy-free or grain-free - would reject the dairy-free version. It does have a coconut flavor, of course, but I made sure that it had ample garlic, … [Read more...]
Green Bean and Beef Stew in the Instant Pot
I have to admit this here - like a huge chunk of the population, I fell for the hype and got an Instant Pot this past November. After I got mine, I found out that it fit into my kitchen routine quite nicely. It paid for itself within weeks of buying, just by allowing me to get food ready quickly on and not having to resort to takeout. You can … [Read more...]
Meatless Monday – Holiday Dishes – Cruzan Potato Stuffing
This is a very delicious potato dish that is served on holidays in the Caribbean. This is a reblog of an earlier post (posted exactly one year ago, in fact), simply because I like this picture so much better. This was taken when I cooked this year's Thanksgiving dinner. It was much sunnier than last year. I love this spicy/sweet West Indian … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Kofta (or converting a kofta recipe to a crockpot recipe)
This past weekend, my brother was visiting. We wanted to go out, yet have a home cooked meal and not resort to just getting takeout on the way home. I had already planned on making Kofta with Tomato Sauce (Mediterranean Meatballs with Tomato Sauce), so I thought that I would put my dusty, neglected slow cooker to good use. I made the kofta … [Read more...]
Italian Flat Beans with Fresh Tomatoes
We went to the local farmer's market, a favorite activity for the kids, because they love the fresh peaches and the grape tomatoes. I spied some broad bean pods and thought they were fava beans for a second, but on closer inspection, found them to be Italian flat beans. If you haven't tried them yet, you should. They have a delicate sweetness … [Read more...]
Lemony Dandelion Greens
It is common in the Levant region to forage for wild greens like Chicory, Dandelion, Watercress, and Purslane. So, when I saw that I had a couple of pretty lush dandelions outside, I thought to myself...."hmmm, I should pick those and cook them". Then, cooler heads prevailed (my husband's cooler head, to be exact) and reminded me that we don't know … [Read more...]
Saturday Brunch – Bakdounsiya – Parsley Dip
Bakdounsiya is a common sight in a Levantine mezzeh spread. It is typically eaten with pita bread, just like hummus or any of the other mezzeh dips. It goes very well with grilled meats. If you thin this out a bit more, it would be a good sauce or dressing to drizzle on top of grilled kofta, kabobs, fish, or falafel. Bakdounsiya - … [Read more...]
Hummus with Parsley
16 ounce canned Chickpeas, drained, reserving liquid 1 small clove garlic 2 tablespoons Tahini 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil Juice of half a lemon 1/2 cup parsley salt to taste More extra virgin olive oil for serving Pour chickpeas into blender. Add reserved liquid, to half the level of the chickpeas. Add garlic, tahini, olive oil, lemon … [Read more...]
Artichoke Msaka’a/Moussaka
This is a layered baked dish of frozen artichoke bottoms, spiced ground beef, and tomatoes. I know of some people who get fresh artichokes, trim and de-choke, then get on to the recipe. However, when I get fresh artichokes, I prefer to steam them and eat them leaf by leaf . I am very happy to be able to use frozen artichoke bottoms for a dish like … [Read more...]
Beef and Potato Green Bean Stew
When your son asks for green bean stew, you make green bean stew. He's actually been asking for a couple of days in a row, but I was too sick to go shopping. Today I realized that we were too low on everything but I am still not well enough to go shopping, so I ordered grocery pick up, including.....green beans! I previously posted a vegetarian … [Read more...]