Cuisine: Vegetarian
Pimiento Cheese
I grew up in the midwest and one of my favorite things was Kraft Pimento Spread in a little jar that you could use for a juice glass. I loved it with Cheez-its. Yes, I know "very classy", but it's delicious and I still like it! Anyway, I decided to make "real" Pimiento Cheese spread. It's mostly popular in the south. It has a hint of spiciness. This spread is perfect for parties served as an appetizer with crackers or spread it on a sandwich, burger, etc...
By - Prep: 5 mins
- Yields: Makes about 1½ cups
Parmesan Crisps
A friend of mine came over for drinks and brought these delicious Parmesan Crisps. They make a great low carb, gluten-free snack, and are also good as a topping for soups or salads. Here is the ridiculously easy recipe.
- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 5 mins
- Yields: Makes 8 to 10 crisps
Persian-ish Rice with Tahdig
Tahdig is a special Iranian cuisine with a crispy, browned layer of rice at the bottom of the rice pot that everyone wants. The bottom layer of the rice gets pan-fried while the rice above it gets steamed. There are a few ways to make tahdig. The simplest is to use plain rice. This recipe mixes the rice with yogurt to give it a thick, pasty texture before spreading it in the pot. It comes from Samin Nosrat's, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking Netflix episode 4 - Heat.
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 1 hrs 20 mins
- Yields: Makes 5½ cups rice plus one 10-inch disk of tahdig
Rosemary, Almond and Parmesan Cocktail Cookies
These Rosemary, Almond and Parmesan Cocktail Cookies are from Dorie Greenspan. They are absolutely delicious and are a perfect pairing with cocktails. She brings out the flavor of the rosemary in these barely sweet cookies by rubbing the leaves with granulated sugar—a technique she learned from renowned French pastry chef Pierre Hermé.
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Yields: Makes about 5 dozen bite-size cookies
Roasted Vegetable and White Bean Salad
This Roasted Vegetable and White Bean Salad recipe from Samin Nosrat is amazing. She said loves showing people that simple, humble ingredients can be extraordinarily delicious. It's so true!
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 45 mins
- Yields: 8 - 10 Servings
Jacques Pépin’s Criques (Crispy Potato Pancakes)
I happen to LOVE potato latkes. I ate them right before I went into labor with my second daughter Grace. These are incredibly fast and easy to make.
Jacques Pépin is an internationally recognized French-born American chef. He was inspired by the various forms of potato pancakes called criques in the Lyon region of France where he grew up.
The beauty of this recipe is that all the raw ingredients are thrown into a food processor and turned into a pulp then fried in oil to get crispy. Who doesn't like crispy potatoes?!
If you don't have a food processor, Pépin says you could make the batter in a blender, starting with the liquid in the bottom and chopping the potatoes a little smaller.
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings
Corn Medallions with Aioli, Cotija Cheese and Lime
My daughter Zoe made these Corn Medallions with Aioli, Cotija Cheese and Lime. It’s basically Mexican-style street corn sautéed instead of grilled.
It’s the perfect mashup of the balanced flavors that comprise great dishes - sweet corn, garlic aioli, sour lime, and salty cheese.
Cotija cheese is named after the town of Cotija, Michoacán where it originated, Cotija cheese has a strong, salty flavor and mostly used as a topping or mixed into sauces. Feta is a good substitute.
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings
Champagne Vinaigrette
Why buy salad dressing when you can make your own healthy champagne vinaigrette salad dressing recipe right at home? This Champagne Vinaigrette is sophisticated, simple, and yet complex. It's made with extra virgin olive oil and champagne vinegar.
- Prep: 5 mins
- Yields: Makes ¾ cup
Roasted Beets with Pistachios, Herbs and Orange
If you like beets, you will love these Roasted Beets with Pistachios, Herbs and Orange. Beets taste great even when they’re simply roasted with a little oil, but this recipe goes beyond that, topping red and golden beet slices with a lively mixed-herb dressing, pistachios and celery leaves.
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 1 hrs
- Yields: 8 Serving
Tomato, Basil Pesto & Three Cheese Strata
This Tomato, Basil Pesto & Three Cheese Strata recipe is from Julienne’s in San Marino. It is extremely rich and decadent, but worth the calories. I've actually lowered the fat by using half and half instead of cream and 2% milk and made the recipe simpler. The beauty of this recipe is that it can be made a day ahead and sit in the refrigerator overnight.
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 50 mins
- Yields: 8 - 10 Servings
