This is my favourite weeknight dinner. From prep to plate, it takes me less than half an hour, and ends up costing me about $10* (when I have to buy the basil).
The original recipe says it serves two, which is true if you like a big-ish portion. I find it turns out three meals for me, which means I get at least one lunch for work.
Do you ever read the recipes that come in the back of your food packaging? You know, the pasta sauce recipe printed on the back of your canned tomatoes, or the cookie recipe on the back of the bag of morsels. If you don’t, you may be missing out on some quick and simple recipes that are ripe for modifications. Continue reading
Back by special request, we are bringing you our latest contest installment: CASSEROLES. You love them, they’re easy, they usually contain some wonderful form of cheese. What’s not to like? But after awhile, you do end up running out of ideas and it’d be great to get new ones to reinvigorate the ol’ repertoire. We only have a few weeks left of winter so why not celebrate the end with homey goodness? Conversely, what better way to celebrate spring with one made with new vegetables? Continue reading
You may have know them as tostones, but in Panama (and a few other Latin American countries), we call them patacones. They are made with green plantains. A plantain looks very similar to a banana, except that you typically eat it cooked. It is a staple of many Latin cultures, and I usually prepare this dish once a week. You can also cook plantains when they are ripe, but that is a recipe for another Sunday. Continue reading
Last Friday night I had the pleasure of attending Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Café in Sanford, FL. This restaurant is an authentic Bavarian spot, with shared tables, giant soft pretzels, 3-liter boots of beer, and lots of schnitzel.
While reading the menu, a dish caught my eye: zigeunerschnitzel. This schnitzel is prepared with a paprika and red pepper sauce. The reason I was drawn to the dish is that, when I was a wee one taking cooking lessons, one of the things we learned to make was zigeunerschnitzel. I have made the dish over the years, and I still have the recipe. I don’t know how authentic it is; all the zigeunerschnitzel recipes I found online had significant variations. This recipe doesn’t have tomatoes or tomato paste, but you could add a can of crushed tomatoes or a small can of tomato paste if you want to experiment. Regardless, it’s a yummy dish that will wow your friends and family. Continue reading
Fact: Unless you are a Patriots fan, Giants fan, or degenerate gambler, Sunday’s Super Bowl holds little direct value for you. You used to get psyched for the commercials, but now you can just watch those all online, for better or worse.
So, you’ve got no skin in the game, and little other reason to stay glued to the TV this Sunday, right? Then why would you even bother dragging over to some acquaintance’s house on a Sunday night in the dead of winter?
The food, stupid. Continue reading
Today, I want to share with you a recipe for Panamanian style Arroz con Pollo, which translates to rice with chicken. The Cuban style of rice with chicken uses whole pieces of bone-in chicken, but in Panama we prefer to shred or cube our chicken, and we will typically use chicken breast or thighs. The recipe has a lot of prep time, but the cooking is This recipe will serve 6, but you can make the whole batch and then freeze a few servings for later. Continue reading
A year ago this week I made a belated New Year’s resolution to only cook with non-processed food. Normally I scoff at the “eat better, work out more” type of resolutions because they seem too negative – like the person is broken and needs to be fixed. So, my resolutions have typically been fun declarations or a goal. For instance, when I turned 28 I decided it was no longer appropriate to use “party” as a verb. When I turned 35 I decided to learn how to play poker. When I was 39 I decided to write a mystery novel. And when I turned 41 my husband joined me in the resolution to give up cooking with processed food. Continue reading
I recently returned from a nice long vacation in my hometown of Panama. There was a LOT of eating, especially desserts. My favorite dessert of the whole trip was the Tres Leches. I had several variations, but my favorite was the one at this great restaurant called Market. The key to this dessert is giving the yellow cake enough time to absorb the cream, and serving it chilled. Continue reading
Years ago, it was the tradition for my family to meet at my mother’s house for Christmas breakfast. With nieces, nephews, and random cousins, we had maybe 20 people around the dining room table. After presents were opened, we served breakfast family style, with dishes passed around the table.
Someone found this recipe in a magazine, we made it, and it was demanded every year after that. It’s super simple to assemble the casserole on Christmas Eve, then pull it out of the fridge Christmas morning, throw on the topping, then put it in the oven for 40 minutes or so. The trick to serving this dish is to let it set for 15 minutes after pulling it out of the oven. The resting time allows steam to escape and the casserole to settle into one delicious mass. Continue reading