Zucchini and Eggs
May 5, 2008 | Filed Under Zucchini, Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska, Vegetables, Eggs | 10 Comments
I found this very easy and delightful Greek recipe on Laurie’s wonderful blog, Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska. I already had the basic ingredients (zucchini, eggs, lemons, onions, feta cheese. and bread) so I made it for dinner. With this simple recipe, I was happy I didn’t have to exert a lot of energy in the kitchen after a long day’s work. The only things missing were the olives and a glass of ouzo but my dinner was still delicious. ;-) Perhaps I shouldn’t point this out but the zucchini slices are supposed to be nicely browned but as I was preparing it, I was too hungry to wait for it to properly brown. It still tasted good — brown or not.
Paz
Zucchini and Eggs
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as part of an appetizer spread
Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska
2 medium zucchini (1 pound)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup diced yellow onion, 1/4” dice
4 eggs
Lemon wedges
In the same pan, adding olive oil if necessary, sauté the onions, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, until they soften and begin to turn golden. Add the cooked zucchini and gently mix the zucchini and onion. Spread the vegetables out evenly over the bottom of the skillet.
Whisk together the eggs, and pour evenly over the zucchini. Sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover, turn down the burner, and cook over low heat until the eggs are set. Slide the Zucchini and Eggs onto a serving platter, cut into quarters, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve immediately.
Zafiris serves Zucchini and Eggs with slices of feta cheese, olives, bread, and a glass or two of ouzo.
Oven-roasted Carrots
March 18, 2008 | Filed Under Carrots, Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, Vegetables | 19 Comments
Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once recently made an enticing dish of roasted multi-colored carrots — purple, red, orange, whiteand yellow. When I go to the grocery store, all I ever see are orange carrots. I never knew they came in other colors other than orange. See what I learn from my fellow food bloggers? <very big grin> Well, I didn’t have the other colors but I did have a whole bunch of orange carrots in my fridge. So, I pulled them out to make my own oven roasted carrots. Guess what? I liked it! I really liked it! If I ever find the other colored carrots (maybe at a farmer’s market), I’ll buy them. Thanks, Haalo, for the recipe!
Paz
Oven-roasted Carrots
Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Garlic cloves
Orange-infused olive oil, optional
Drizzle them in a little olive oil, then grind over with salt and pepper - toss them well and then lay them out on a lined tray. Stud unpeeled garlic cloves amongst the carrots - these will caramelise in their skins as the carrots cook.
Bake in a preheated 180°C/350°F until slightly softened - turn them after 20 minutes to make sure they cook evenly. I like to keep a bit of a bite to the carrots but you if you like them softer, just cook them for longer.
You can serve them straight from the oven but I like to add an extra touch - a light drizzle of orange-infused Olive oil just lifts the flavour and adds an appealing citrus note.
Weekend Herb Blogging #106: Very Cheap but Very Good Vegetable Soup
October 27, 2007 | Filed Under Soup/Chowder/Gumbo, Vegetables, Weekend Herb Blogging | 9 Comments
I love the name that Ilva of Lucullian Delights gives this healthy, simple and tasty soup. Love it. I made the soup for a sick family member in the hospital and myself. We loved it. Oh, yeah: And my brother had some. He liked it a lot , too. When I spilled some of the soup on the floor, one of my dogs licked it clean. It seems that she liked it as well. ;-) Thanks, Ilva!
One of the ingredients in this soup, fresh parsley, is such a popular herb. I buy it quite often and would love to be able to grow it on my kitchen window. That would be awesome! I love the fresh green earthy taste of this herb and the fact that it has a lot of health benefits — like it’s rich in vitamin C and A. I like how it can be used in a lot of dishes. Apart from being able to eat parsley, my favorite thing to do with it is to use it as a garnish. That touch of green in my plate makes a big difference to me.
I’m submitting this post for the Weekend Herb Blogging event, which Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen created. This week, Pille of Nami Nami acts as host. Check out her blog for the roundup of other Weekend Herb Blogging posts.
Paz
Very Cheap but Very Good Vegetable Soup
The leaves and stem/trunk of 1 cauliflower
2 big tomatoes
Chopped parsley
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil
- Chop the tomatoes, add these to the pot and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add water until the vegetables are well covered and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Blend until it’s on the smooth side, if it’s too dense you add some more water and heat it up. Check if more salt is needed.
- Serve hot or cold.
Broccoli and Bow Ties - Presto Pasta Nights
June 1, 2007 | Filed Under Pasta, Presto Pasta Nights, Vegetables | 14 Comments
This is one of the very first recipes I tried by the popular T.V. chef, the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten). Oh, the simplicity of it!
Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables. I could eat it forever and a day and never get tired of it. And I like farfalle pasta, although I don’t eat it often.
My favorite part of this recipe is the combination of butter, oil, garlic, and lemon zest prepared and poured over the pasta and broccolli. The smell is delightful and the taste so delicious that I think it’ll appeal to all types of eaters — even picky ones. 
I’d like to contribute this recipe to the Presto Pasta Nights event that Ruth of Once Upon A Feast hosts weekly. If you have a favorite pasta recipe and would like to participate, here are the guidelines. Ruth posts a roundup of the recipes contritubed every Friday on her site.
Continue to have a good week!
Paz
BROCCOLI AND BOW TIES
Kosher salt
8 cups broccoli florets (4 heads)
1/2 pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 lemon, zested
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup toasted pignoli (pine) nuts
Freshly grated Parmesan, optional
Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
In the same water, cook the bow-tie pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli.
Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the pignolis and cheese, if using, and serve.
To toast pignolis, place them in a dry saute pan over medium-low heat and cook, tossing often, for about 5 minutes, until light brown.
Cauliflower, Walnuts and Parsley Salad
May 24, 2007 | Filed Under Salads, Vegetables | 16 Comments
A few things I love: Simple recipes, Ilva’s recipes; Cauliflower, Walnuts and Parsley.
Are there some foods that you sometimes crave? When I first saw this recipe on Ilva’s blog, my body immediately craved cauliflower, walnuts, and parsley. After my first taste, I couldn’t get enough. So far, I’ve made this recipe three times — in one week — once for dinner and twice for lunch.
Ilva prepared her special salad with uncooked cauliflower. However, I wasn’t sure I’d like the uncooked version, so I steamed my cauliflower. The last time I made the salad, I didn’t have time to cook the cauliflower and ended up eating it uncooked. Well, well! Turns out that I liked it. I really liked the uncooked version, too.
Oh! I almost forgot the highlight of preparing the salad was making the herb salt. I was so excited about my herb salt. Yeah, I know. It takes so little to excite me. ;-) My herb salt smelled and tasted divine, it had me doing my happy dance. For the herbs, I used rosemary and thyme. Loved it! Just the thought of my herb salt brings the feelings of a happy dance stiring through my body. Thanks, Ilva!
By the way, Rosa of Rosa’s Yummy Yum Yums is hosting a Sunday Brunch Meme and Event, where participants are asked to blog about the typical meal they have for Sunday Brunch (or your holiday or free day.). The deadline is June 30. If you’re interested in participating, look here for the guidelines.
Paz
Cauliflower, Walnut and Parsley Salad or Insalata di Cavolfiore con Noci e Prezzemolo
A small cauliflower
Walnuts, chopped
Parsle, chopped
Lemon juice
Salt, preferably herb salt
Extra virgin olive oil
- Clean the cauliflower carefully and divide it into quarters.
- Slice the cauliflower finely on a mandolin, slice the’flowery’ part and save the woodier part of the trunk for a soup or something else.
- Put the cauliflower in a bowl, quickly whisk salt, chopped parsley, lemon juice and oil together before adding it to the cauliflower.
- Top with a generous sprinkling of chopped walnuts and serve.
Herb Salt
Fresh herbs, whatever you like, you can make it with different ones or just one.
Coarse salt
- Take a bunch of fresh herbs and remove the woody parts if there are any. Put them in a blender together with a fistful of coarse salt.
- Turn the blender on and let it run until it has become like fine salt. Add more herbs if you want.
- Put it in a jar and use it. Often.
A Day That Really Schmecks!
January 11, 2007 | Filed Under Soup/Chowder/Gumbo, A Day that Really Schmecks, Vegetables, Cookbooks, Beef | Leave a Comment
The Best Vegetable Soup I’ve Ever Tasted (That’s the name of the soup!)
Edna Staebler’s cookbook, Food That Really Schmecks, has been republished. In honor of this occasion, food bloggers are participating in an event called A Day That Really Schmecks. The bloggers will prepare a recipe or two from the book and blog about it. Jasmine of will post a line up of the blogged about recipes on Confessions of a Cardamom Addict on January 15, 2007.
Staebler was an award winning journalist and author. She recently passed away in 2006 at the age of 100. I’m certainly glad that it’s never too late to learn about her and her work.
From the title to its content of Mennonite Country Cooking recipes, I found Food That Really Schmecks appealing. As I read the book on the subway and at work, people who spotted the title made comments. The title alone was a conversation starter. I’m not sure what “schmecks” literally means, but I get the gist that it means something along the lines of “good, great, awesome…” that sort of thing. Anyone out there, please feel free to enlighten me.
I liked how the book is filled with recipes for seemingly everything – from Grape Wine to Milk Toast, sauces for vegetables, pickled eggs, cheese bread, porridge bread, Almond Macaroons, to Angel cake, Sponge cake and more. There are even recipes for candy! I also like that a measurement conversion table is located in the back. And if that’s not enough, there’s also a section entitled ‘A Variety of Things,’ where you can find recipes for sausages, cheese, and home remedies.
Interspersed throughout the book are Staebler’s stories about cooking Mennonites and her family, which I found entertaining. The book really packs a punch and has a lot to offer.
I decided to make the recipe entitled, ‘The Best Vegetable Soup I’ve Ever Tasted’ (another title I like). The ingredients are simple and the recipe uncomplicated.
I’m wondering, though, if there’s a typo in this recipe. ½ cup raw rice is mentioned twice. In any event, I only used the ½ cup rice measurement once and it worked out fine. The soup was light, yet filling.
Best of all, I like how Staebler encourages the reader not to take the recipes seriously but instead have fun with them. “Experiment, improvise, be a little reckless,” she writes. I did have fun and added a little Cajun Spice, which my friend had sent me, to make the soup spicier. Loved it!
There are many recipes, from which to pick. The soup I prepared was a good start and I plan on trying out more of the recipes.
Look, mom! I’m making Mennonite Country food! That really schmecks!
Don’t forget to check out Confessions of a Cardamom Addict, January 15, to see a round up of all the prepared meals that schmeck. Thanks, Jasmine for putting this together.
Paz
Ed. Note: According to Jasmine, “Schmecks” means “tasty” or “tastes very good.” Also it seems that the double posting of the rice ingredient is indeed a typo. The rice ingredient only appears once in the first cookbook printing. So that that means there should only be one listing of 1/2 cup raw rice in the new cookbook version, as well.
The Best Vegetable Soup I’ve Ever Tasted
Food That Really Schmecks – Edna Staebler
When Mother made this mild, thick soup with vegetables, rice and beef, we didn’t need or want anything else. The amounts I give are approximate.
1 large, meaty beef bone (I think it comes from a cow’s leg)
Water to cover the bone with at least 2 quarts left after the boiling
½ cup raw rice
2 medium-sized sliced raw potatoes
½ cup raw rice (Paz Note: I wonder if this is a typo, since it’s already mentioned above)
2 or 3 sliced carrots
½ cupful sliced cabbage
1 cup celery, cut up
Salt and pepper
1 small sliced onion (optional)
1 cup cut-up green beans
½ cup green peas
Lots of parsley
Boil the beef till it falls off the bone. Add the rice and boil for 15 minutes, then add the vegetables and continue boiling until they are tender but not mushy – about 20 minutes. Cut the meat into more-or-less bite-sized pieces, keeping it hot in the soup. Add the cup-up parsley and serve into large, deep soup dishes – again and again.
Makhouda D’Aubergine
December 19, 2006 | Filed Under Vegetables, African Cuisine, Cuisines | 1 Comment
Ever since I’d seen this Makhouda D’Aubergine recipe on The Traveller’s Lunchbox, I was interested in trying it. By the way what does ‘Makhouda’ mean? Can anyone tell me? Months after I’d first seen the recipe, I became even more excited about it because I’ve discovered that I really like eggplants/aubergines. Yum!
This recipe of eggplants, eggs, red pepper, onions, garlic, gruyère cheese, and fresh herbs was another hit in my house. I made it with the intention of saving some for lunch the next day. Well, that didn’t happen because they finished in record time.
The instructions were really straightforward and I had all the ingredients except for one – rosewater. I like that the recipe gave suggestions to replace unavailable ingredients – like using black pepper if you didn’t have the Tunisian spice blend bharat, or cayenne pepper as a replacement for North African hot pepper paste, harissa.
I didn’t have bharat or harissa but I did have their substitutes and they worked out well for me.
The photo isn’t too appealing. While the food baked, I worked on the computer and watched The Lord of the Rings (I and II) on T.V. Caught up in multitasking, I left the Makhouda in the oven a tad bit too long. As a result, the top became a little too dark, but it didn’t mar the taste. Served with salad, the Makhouda D’Aubergine was delicious and very filling.
The Flying Apple made this dish as well and like her, I plan on making it again (and again and again.) It was that good. 
Thanks, Melissa for this recipe. And congrats on your doctorate degree! Yippee!
Paz
Makhouda D’Aubergine
North Africa: The Vegetarian Table
Serves: 4-6 Notes: Serve this as a side dish with sweet or savory tagines, or as a light main course with a fresh green salad. Tunisians also apparently love to stick slices of it inside crusty bread spread with a little harissa and eat it as a sandwich.
1 large globe eggplant
salt for sprinkling
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and diced
8 large eggs
a handful (about 1/2 cup packed) chopped fresh parsley or coriander/cilantro leaves, or a mixture
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz (225g) gruyère cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon bharat (Tunisian spice blend; you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon rosewater)
3/4 teaspoon salt
harissa (North African hot pepper paste) or cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
lemon wedges
Peel and cut the eggplant into 1/4-inch dice. Sprinkle lightly with salt and place the cubes in a colander to drain for about 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and cook the eggplant, onion, and pepper, stirring occasionally until golden and soft, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a colander to drain off as much of the oil as possible.
In a medium bowl, mix the eggs and add the herbs, garlic, cheese and bread crumbs. Add the eggplant mixture. Season with the bharat, salt, and a small spoonful of the optional harissa or cayenne pepper.
Grease a 2-quart soufflé dish. Pour the egg mixture into the dish and bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown and puffed in the center, 40-45 minutes (a knife inserted into the center should come out clean). Let cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto a serving platter (you can also just leave it in the dish). Cut into wedges or squares to serve. Serve hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges on the side.
Aubergine Salad
November 21, 2006 | Filed Under Salads, Vegetables | Leave a Comment
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Aubergine… Eggplant… Eggplant… Aubergine. Until recently, I didn’t know that eggplants were called aubergines elsewhere. Aubergine. It has a nice melodic sound to it. I like the word.
I’ve discovered I like Aubergine salad – a recipe from Domestic Cat. I’ve made it three times this month. Each time, I’ve been too hungry and tired to take out my camera for a photo for my blog. Instead, I’d gobble up the food very quickly. Until now. This time, I was able to spare a few seconds to take a picture.
In addition to the aubergines, the salad includes onions, green peppers, garlic, parsley, and tomatoes. Very simple, don’t you think? The third time I made this salad, I made a less sophisticated version of the recipe but it still tasted really good.
The recipe calls for grilling the vegetables, but I simply put them in the oven after covering them with a little olive oil. The recipe also calls for peeling the vegetables after they’ve been grilled and scooping out the eggplant flesh. I left the skin on and I left the vegetables alone. Also, I included feta cheese – an idea I got from another Domestic Cat recipe called Aubergine Gondolas. I added extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Delicious! I was in heaven! Thanks, Tülin!
To those celebrating Thanksgiving, I wish you a happy holiday!
Paz
Ed. Note: This gets better and better! More names for eggplant/aubergines: Brinjal, Badanekai, Mullugai. Thanks for the info. I love to learn something new everyday!
Aubergine Salad
Domestic Cat
Another classic dish, which can be found under different names across Mediterranean. Some versions includes tahini while excluding tomatoes and other colourful ingredients. Some gives the priority to onion and garlic, and some consists only aubergines, olive oil and salt. Even the most primitive version is delicious. The recipe you will find below is how we make it in our family.
For four persons:
3 medium aubergines
1 medium onion (sliced in rounds, thinly)
3-4 green peppers
1-2 cloves garlic (mashed)
2 ripe tomatoes (peeled and diced)
Half a bunch of parsley (chopped)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
The amount of the ingredients are subject to change according to your preferences. You can omit garlic or the vinegar. But I should say that these are giving the real taste. Start by washing and drying all the vegetables. If you have an outdoor grill, or a stove-top one, that would be best for the smoked flavour. In case you do not have either one, just lay parchment paper on a baking sheet and cook the vegetables under broiler, starting with the aubergines. You can use a preheated oven at 200 C but be careful with peppers, if they get charred too deeply, it will be pretty difficult to peel them. Place grilled vegetables in a container with a tight lid, while they are still hot. Wait 10 minutes. This will make it much easier to peel them. Peel aubergines or cut them lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. Immediately drizzle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Mash them well with a fork. Peel peppers and slice them thinly on a cutting board. Add garlic, parsley and tomatoes. Drizzle with vinegar, sprinkle with salt and blackpepper. Generously drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve warm or cold with a crusty bread. Keep leftovers in the fridge, in tightly closed containers. Enjoy!
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Mawuena’s Spinach Stew
October 11, 2006 | Filed Under Vegetables, African Cuisine | Leave a Comment
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In my childhood food memories meme, I mentioned a spinach stew that my mother used to make. I set out to see if I could recreate it. In The Butterfly Effect meme, I wrote how my efforts were very successful.
Well, here is the spinach stew. There is no written recipe for it. I jotted down some notes as I prepared it. However, I lost them. To give a somewhat proper recipe, I’d have to make the dish again and write down everything.
So, for now, I just give you the ingredients: Frozen spinach, shrimps, canned salmon, tomatoes, tomato paste (I think), onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, hot pepper. That’s about it.
Paz
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Guacamole and Chips
September 13, 2006 | Filed Under Vegetables | Leave a Comment
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I think guacamole and chips are the perfect snack at anytime. I found this “perfect guacamole” recipe on Simply Recipes. It really is perfect!
Paz
Here’s the recipe:
The Perfect Guacamole
Simply Recipes
2 ripe avocados
½ red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
A dash of freshly grated black pepper
1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
Garnish with red radishes or jicama.
Serve with tortilla chips.
Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.
Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more.
Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness. So, start with a half of one chili pepper and add to the guacamole to your desired degree of hotness. Be careful handling the peppers; wash your hands thoroughly after handling and do not touch your eyes or the area near your eyes with your hands for several hours.
Keep the tomatoes separate until ready to serve.
Remember that much of this is done to taste because of the variability in the fresh ingredients. Start with this recipe and adjust to your taste.
Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it. Refrigerate until ready.
Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix.
Serves 2-4
