Tag: Vegan

Round Zucchini Stuffed with Couscous

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For some reason, round zucchini didn’t make it into my diet much back home. You don’t see them often in New York, or maybe I just wasn’t looking. As soon as I spotted them in Israel, though, I knew exactly what to do with them. Round zucchini, if you haven’t had them, are the ideal vehicles for stuffing of almost any kind. They’re easily hollowed out with a spoon, and – bonus – they look pretty. They make for neat little packages that are fun and elegant to serve to company or, well, any night of the week. I kept the courgettes (sorry – that’s me slipping into British English there) vegetarian and stuffed them with couscous, but anything you can dream up will work – ground meat, other vegetables, any number of grains – go nuts. Continue reading “Round Zucchini Stuffed with Couscous” →

Smoky Salsa and a Secret Recipe Club

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Well, it’s that time of the month again. Time for a little something called the Secret Recipe Club. Hosted by Amanda over at Amanda’s Cookin’ it’s a great way for bloggers to meet, share, and make each others’ recipes! Each month she assigns each participant a blog and we can make any recipe from that blog. Then, all at once, we reveal our posts! It’s quite fun. Who doesn’t like being in a secret club? Last month I made some excellent lemon poppy seed muffins by way of Connor’s Cooking. This month I was introduced to Darn Near Domestic, another fabulous blog – pause and head over there to have a looksy! Continue reading “Smoky Salsa and a Secret Recipe Club” →

Miso-Glazed Tofu and Eggplant

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Miso is one of my favorite flavors. Sure, fermented soy beans don’t sound like they’d be good, but who can resist a steaming bowl of miso soup or salad dressed with bright, flavorful miso dressing? Typically I use miso when cooking fish – there isn’t a sea creature out there that doesn’t benefit from a nice coating of miso – but this time I used it in a vegetarian preparation. I simply mixed it with a little sesame oil and mirin to thin it ever so slightly and slathered it on slices of tofu and eggplant before broiling it (this would be just wonderful on the grill too). Continue reading “Miso-Glazed Tofu and Eggplant” →

The Israeli Summer, aka Sparkling Limonana

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Limonana – refreshing lemonade infused with mint (nana, in Hebrew) – is the national drink of Israel. It’s sold year round as soda and juice flavors and come summertime this is practically all anyone drinks. Considering how ubiquitous the beverage is in Israel, and how simple and delicious it is, I can’t believe it isn’t more popular worldwide. It is just sweetened lemonade with mint sprigs, and often it is blended with ice to make a frothy bright green drink. Continue reading “The Israeli Summer, aka Sparkling Limonana” →

Homemade Maraschino Cherries

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As a follow-up to my post on flavored simple syrups, today we’ll be making homemade maraschino cherries. You’ve had maraschino cherries before. Those candy apple red, overly sweet, gummy drops sitting in neon syrup, found at the bottom of Shirley Temples and atop ice cream sundaes. Nostalgic, yes. Also full of corn syrup and artificial flavors. I wanted to make my own. When I told a friend I was attempting homemade maraschino cherries, she replied, shocked: “You can do that?!” Yes, you can do that. I know, it’s hard to imagine a homemade version compared to what we’ve come to know as maraschino cherries. I warn you, they taste nothing of the sundae toppers of your childhood. Homemade maraschino cherries are boozy. Grown-up. I like them. Continue reading “Homemade Maraschino Cherries” →

Four Simple Syrup Recipes and a Grenadine to Kick Start Your Summer

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As it gets hot out we’re all reaching for cold beverages to cool us down. Here, four simple syrup recipes to sweeten any drink, from a sparkling non-alcoholic mint lemonade to a boozy Mojito. Plain simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water, simmered until the sugar dissolves. This is crucial for sweetening cold beverages since sugar crystals won’t dissolve easily in icy liquid. Simple syrup is a bar staple, used in ice coffees and cocktails alike. While I’m sure you can buy it bottled at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, it takes just minutes to make at home. Continue reading “Four Simple Syrup Recipes and a Grenadine to Kick Start Your Summer” →

How to Make Pickles: A Primer

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Ever wondered how to make pickles? It’s easy. Making homemade pickles has been on my to do list for some time now. I’m a little behind the times; pickling everything has been a trend that’s come and probably gone and I’ve eaten more pickled foods than I have time to list here. From pickled watermelon rind (my favorite) to pickled fiddlehead ferns, chefs have found that a little bit of something pickled adds nice acidity to almost any dish. I decided for my first home pickling project, I should start with traditional pickled cucumbers. Continue reading “How to Make Pickles: A Primer” →

Garlicky Bok Choy and tofu

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I’ve been missing leafy green vegetables here. I haven’t been able to find kale, and while beets are ubiquitous beet greens are elusive. When I noticed bok choy at the market I snatched it right up. A member of the cabbage family, bok choy is a powerhouse of vitamins. It is low in fat, calories, and carbs and high in antioxidants, vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, calcium and dietary fiber. There’s also some potassium and B6 in there. Plus I happen to think it tastes great. I prepared it in a super simple, garlicky stir fry with tofu and served it with steamed Jasmine rice for a complete meal. Continue reading “Garlicky Bok Choy and tofu” →

15 Pounds of Garlic Later…

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I’ve been a delinquent blogger. I haven’t quite managed to get back on track since returning from our Central European vacation. There was catching up to do, articles to write, an apartment to clean, holidays to celebrate, and a slight malaise to top it all off. Evan has had off this week which means all we want to do is play. The beach was calling. Even now I am coated in sunscreen, ready to hit the shores of Ashkelon despite a looming deadline. Continue reading “15 Pounds of Garlic Later…” →

Health Salad, A Second Avenue Deli Favorite

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It is Yom Ha’atzmaut, or Israeli Independence day, and as I write this fireworks are exploding outside my window. For Israelis this is a major day, something they still remember and actively fight for. Sure the Fourth of July is big in the US, but there’s no one alive who remembers the American Revolution; that’s the stuff of history books. Israel is only 63 years old today. Continue reading “Health Salad, A Second Avenue Deli Favorite” →