Roasted & Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Sage Pesto
I have two rather sad-looking sweet potatoes sitting on my counter waiting to be used. I can’t remember what I had in mind for them, but they’ve been sitting there long enough that I need to use them before they totally die on me. We use a lot of sage at Thanksgiving and since the holiday is just around the corner, it’s time to start … Read More...
Roasted Red Pepper & Eggplant Spread
Think of this as baba ghanoush with a Mediterranean twist. This recipe is my mother-in-law’s and it’s one of my favorite appetizers, piled high on a rustic, crunchy slice of bread. Normally, our freezer is packed full with roasted red peppers and eggplants which my in-laws make by the bushel to use all winter. But, horror of horrors, I ran out of … Read More...
Butterbean & Vegetable Soup
On Halloween, Chicago was hit with a freak storm like I’ve never seen. The driving wind from the north felt like a hurricane, there were periods of snow, followed by sheets of ice pelting the windows, and of all things – thunder! I was certain my windows were going to blow out. The storm started around noon and didn’t stop until the next morning. … Read More...
Creamy Potato and Brussels Sprout Soup
Am I a little obsessed with Brussels sprouts right now? Perhaps. But this time, it’s different. If you or someone you know is not a fan of brussels sprouts, this soup is a game-changer. I’m not kidding. It’s sooooo good that it will win over the harshest critics of this humble veg. The secret is in the stalk. Protected inside the tough, … Read More...
Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pine Nuts and Maple Balsamic Glaze
As a child, I acted like I didn’t like brussels sprouts. Isn’t that what all kids are supposed to do – hold your nose and say “Eeeeeewwww!” Truth is, I actually liked them. My mom would doctor them up with salt, pepper and butter and I had no problem polishing them off, though I might have left one or two on my plate in order to maintain the … Read More...
Vegan Nam Sod Salad
At Thai restaurants, we always order Nam Sod. If you haven’t had it, it’s a salad made of ground chicken or pork, loads of ginger and thai chilis, peanuts, and thinly sliced crunchy veggies like red onion and radish. The flavors are incredible but I’ve never seen a vegan version of it, so I decided to give it a try. Most Thai restaurants use fish … Read More...
Lentil & Arugula Salad with Parsley Lemon Pesto Dressing
Although summer is over and there’s a chill in the air, sometimes I just need a fresh, cool salad. Initially, I intended to use these ingredients to make lentil soup, but decided to keep everything raw and see how it turned out. Really good, if I do say so myself! And it’s easy to throw this together quickly. The lentils and carrots give this … Read More...
Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Tomato-Sage and Jalapeno-Lime Purees
When my in-laws visited a couple of weeks ago, they brought a car load of fresh veggies including a butternut squash. It’s been sitting on the kitchen window sill basking in the southern exposure. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it but finally settled on soup. It’s a very typical, cool fall day here in Chicago – perfect soup weather. I … Read More...
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Cabbage & Onions with Arugula
My in-laws visited this weekend and brought with them a trunk-load of veggies from their garden and the farmers' market. As soon as I saw the brussels sprouts, I couldn’t wait to roast them. I never roasted cabbage before, but decided to give it a try along with the onions. I had some arugula in the fridge and before I knew it, I had a beautiful … Read More...
Quinoa Rice & Bean Un-Burgers
What’s an “un-burger”? It’s my version of a de-constructed veggie bean burger. The filling is somewhere between a burger and a sloppy joe, and the sauce is somewhere between ketchup and barbeque sauce. If you read this post about my Spicy Bean Burgers, you’ll know I had some difficulty trying to make a bean burger. It tasted great, but I had a hard … Read More...