Almost two winters ago, I exchanged comments on food photos of several dishes shared by a man named Dirk from Germany on Google+. He commented on photos of the foreign foods I shared and mentioned that many of the ingredients I posted were unavailable to him. Thinking back to my penpal days as a child, in which…
Tag: paleo
Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce and 5 Ways to Use It
It started out as soup. It decided it wanted to be sauce. Tomatoes are starting to come in in many places and you maybe, just maybe, are about to have more than you can eat. If Roma’s happen to be on your list, here is a great way to put them to work that can…
Ginger Carrot Soup
This 5-ingredient ginger soup with fresh orange juice and a gingery zing is a vibrant, fresh starter. 5-ingredient Ginger Carrot Soup November 10, 2012 by Stormy Category Soups Vegetarian Recipes (All) Ingredients 1 ½ pounds raw carrots, peeled 1 small onion, cut into fourths 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced Juice of 2 oranges (~1 cup) 2-3 cups vegetable…
Eating Indian Food + Pumpkin Masala Recipe
I distinctly remember the first time I ever ate Indian food. I was 19 and had still not been exposed to many of the world’s cuisines; my tastes were pretty mundane and the spices and heat were just so foreign. It wasn’t until I met my future husband, Will, a few years later that I…
A Mexican Wedding Feast and 5 Tips for Feeding Groups
Last weekend, I hosted a wedding. The bride, of Mexican heritage, wanted food reminiscent of her childhood. The groom, a meat and potatoes kind of man, has milder tastes in food. As I was in charge of the kitchen, I opted for a happy medium that was gluten and dairy-free, without being obviously so, and…
Easy & Elegant Orange-poached White Fish
Some days I don’t feel like cooking. At. All. You probably know the days – the ones when you’re tired, it’s hot, and you lack motivation to do anything in the kitchen that will take much effort, but you also want to eat something that is relatively healthy and light. Today was one of those…
The Joys (and how-to’s) of Shopping at Ethnic Food Markets
The first time I walked into an Indian grocery store, I couldn’t tell coriander from my elbow. It took years of reading, being introduced to ethnic restaurants, and cooking experiments to build up familiarity and confidence with coriander and the multitude of other spices and flavors this world has to offer. Today, I not only shop…
Spiced-rubbed Sichuan Roast Pork
I have a recipe for you. It’s not my own. But it is pretty delicious and inspired by the Sichuan peppers I ran across on my recent trip to China. Sichuan peppers, if you haven’t had them, are an interesting experience. I won’t say interesting flavor, simply because flavor is too simple a word for what…
China – A Feast for the Senses, But Especially Our Taste Buds
A year ago, my husband and I were invited to join some of our favorite traveling companions on a journey to Tibet. We planned, did some research, and prepared ourselves for a trip that would include both spiritual (Buddhist monasteries and culture) and adventurous (Mount Everest basecamp) experiences. Two weeks before we were scheduled to…
Broadening the Idea of Breakfast: Not just your typical morning meals
I’ve been out of it – focus, sleep, the internet, even the country. Hopefully, it didn’t really seem like I was gone. But, I was….to the farthest reaches of China near the Mongolian, Russian, and Kazakh borders. It was an amazing trip, that I will be sharing over the next couple of weeks. The only…
Yummy Honey, Seed & Nut Power Snack Recipes
Last week I talked about tasting honey. In my opinion, honey can be overpowering – rich, sweet, even palpitation-inducing – on its own and tastes best in combination with more savory ingredients…like tea, or nuts, or meat. The very different flavors balance and enhance each other. And, honey is a great binding agent for pulling together…
Super Simple Stir-fry Formula
My first recipe experiments were in a shared dorm hall kitchen during my freshman year of college. Unfortunately, those meals were mostly forgettable. What I do remember is that my neighbor, homesick for her native Korea, thought I made the perfect taste-tester. She would cook dishes that were unfamiliar and exotic to my rural Utah…
Carlos’ Charro No-Bean Chili for Cinco de Mayo
My grandpa Carlos was quite the hipster in his day. He owned a nightclub called El Matador, drove a corvette, and loved his bling. Of course, this came later in life – after years of working hard for others.Less flashy, more family, he was also the cook in the house. Two of the recipes my…
Batches of Green Chile Garlic Burgers + Evening Rituals
My husband and I have a Monday-evening ritual that involves cooking up the same thing each week and tuning in to the latest episode of House. It’s not exciting. In fact, it is completely comfortable and relaxed – a way of easing back into the week. But, it is something we both look forward to….
Super Simple Hummus – With or Without the Chickpeas
Every time I think about posting a recipe for hummus, I stop. It seems like it is one of those things that everyone covers just because it is so darned simple. And the core ingredients of lemon, cumin, garlic, and olive oil – and even the distinctive tahini sesame paste – can be mixed with…
How to Make Your Own Ghee / Clarified Butter
I’ve been on a food book binge lately: biographies, non-fiction overviews of specific foods, recipe books, etc. One that I picked up is called Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages by Anne Mendelson. It’s a strange selection for me – I don’t drink milk. In fact, I have avoided milk for several years…
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Quick Marinara
Brussels sprouts have become a favorite around our house this winter. We buy several pounds at a time. I suspect that if one wants to gorge themselves on vegetables, it is probably ok. At least, I hope it is, because that’s what inevitably happens. There’s nothing quite like the salty crunch of the outer leaves…
Colorful Mango Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
For those of us still on the edge of winter, this recipe will add color to dreary days. Want to see how to cut a mango? Check out this post here. Lime juice vinaigrette for chicken salad -add a little garlic or chili flakes for kick Colorful Mango Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps March 8, 2012…
Smoky Bacon-wrapped Turkey Meatloaf with Water Chestnuts & Dates
As a kid, I hated meatloaf. I think it was the ketchup. I had a bad experience with it and avoided it well into my 20s. Unfortunately, it meant I never developed a taste for dishes that included it. This week, I decided to test my taste buds and pulled out an old copy of…
Crock Pot Pork Carnitas with Cabbage Lime Garnish
Cubes of pork shoulder marinated over-night in milk and quartered oranges. A 5-gallon pot with pounds of lard and the pork chunks heated to the brink of boiling, and stirred every so often by a 3-foot, home-made wooden paddle. Pork that is extremely tender, has a slight crisp to the outside, and can easily broken…
Reeled in by a Fish – Poached Salmon and Egg
On my way home from the gym the other night, I had to pick something up at the Whole Foods grocery next-door. I replayed my list in my head. I was on a mission. But, when I walked through the front door of the store, I quickly realized my mistake. I had broken cardinal rule…
Powerful Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Hey, it’s national pumpkin month! I had planned to offer up my pumpkin pancake recipe, but a recent technical failure caused me to lose all recent photos… (UPDATE: Here’s the pancake recipe now.) So, I made a pumpkin pie smoothie instead. It is so good, I’ve been drinking one nearly every day, and almost prefer it…
Car Camping and the Next Day Frittata
My husband and I love camping, and eating well while camping. Back in the pre-GFDF days, this meant we ate a lot of home-made garlic, cheese bread cooked in the coals at dinner, bagel sandwiches and granola bars for long hikes, and pancakes and eggs for breakfast. These days, the food may be even better….
Light and Easy Nectarine, Fresh Green, and Pistachio Salad
I am excited about all of the summer fruit and vegetables that have been making an appearance lately. I’m not so excited by the heat. So, I’ve been making a lot of refreshing salads. They are perfect for a light supper out on the porch. My recent favorite is filled with fruit, nuts, and fresh…
Easy Paleo Tomatillo Enchiladas
I found a bottle of home-canned garlic tomatillo salsa at the market a couple of weeks ago. It was in a quart-sized Mason jar with a raffia bow and a simple hang-tag for a label. I knew what I’d use it for when I bought it; I’ve just been waiting for the craving. And tonight,…
Spicy Pumpkin Tomato Soup
Finding fresh produce in the dead of a rural, Moldovan winter is almost impossible. Almost. When I served in the Peace Corps many moons ago, the one winter vegetable – aside from onions and garlic – I came to rely most upon was pumpkin. It was readily available, sweet, and delicious. And I bought one…