Author: Katherine

Garlic Bread Buttermilk Biscuits

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This month I left my Secret Recipe Club recipe until the very last minute – I made it yesterday. I don’t usually leave it to the end like that, but besides having a busy month, I also just couldn’t decide what to make. So many recipes on my assigned blog, Cookin’ Mimi, called out to me. Finally, though, I declared these garlic bread buttermilk biscuits the winner and set to work. These buttery, garlicky biscuits are made almost entirely with pantry staples (I only needed to pick up buttermilk) and are ready from start to finish in about 30 minutes. I totally agree with Mimi when she says that “Piping hot breads and rolls are one of my favorite parts of dinner time.” Besides, garlic bread is one of my husband’s all time favorite foods, so I knew he’d love this recipe.

Garlic Bread Buttermilk Biscuits

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Sweet and Sour Stuffed Onions

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Before I moved to Israel, the extent of my experience with stuffed vegetables was peppers and cabbage, and it was limited even at that. Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine has opened me up to a whole world of vegetables that can be stuffed with a variety of meat or vegetarian fillings and simmered in any number of sauces. Stuffed peppers and cabbages appear, but not nearly as often as stuffed zucchini, eggplant, artichokes, and even carrots. And onions – what a revelation stuffed onions are! They’re not stuffed whole. Instead, the entire, skinned onion is simmered until tender, and the individual layers are separated and wrapped around a savory filling.

Sweet and Sour Stuffed Onions

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Saffron Lasagna ~ Lasagna alla Zafferano from A Family Farm in Tuscany

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As an Italian-American, I’ve eaten plenty of lasagna in my day. But none like this. I’m used to layers of noodles and sauce that are cemented with mounds of cheese. This authentic Italian lasagna, however, relies primarily on a saffron-hued béchamel sauce to act as the glue. There’s no mozzarella, no ricotta. Just grated Parmesan, meat sauce, and a luscious besciamella made with butter, flour, milk and saffron. It’s as decadent and comforting as any lasagna you’ll encounter, and the addition of saffron makes it special enough for any holiday or occasion.

Lasagna alla Zatterano ~ Saffron Lasagna

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Potato Leek Soup

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Potato Leek SoupAs the weather starts to cool down (yes, even in the Middle East), it’s only appropriate that the theme for this month’s World on a Plate is soup. I love soup in all its comforting glory, and immediately began considering what variety I would make. It didn’t take me long to settle on potato leek soup. I know it’s not technically American (I represent the good ‘ol USA in this global community project), but it’s so ubiquitous in the United States today that I think we can safely say we’ve claimed it as our own, along with the Irish, British and French. Continue reading “Potato Leek Soup” →

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups and a Halloween Blog Hop

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Peanut Butter Cup ingredients

It’s hard to believe that it’s already the end of October. Living in a country that doesn’t celebrate Halloween, it’s easy to forget that it’s approaching without the sensory overload of decorations, costumes, scary music and candy. The leaves here aren’t changing color and it’s still a balmy 83F outside. But ever the consummate expat, I refuse to let go of the traditions of home and so got myself in the trick-or-treating spirit by doing something that’s been on my cooking bucket list for a while – I made peanut butter cups. That’s right. Today I’ve got a recipe for peanut butter cups for you. As in Reese’s peanut butter cups, but homemade.

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Vegetarian Fajita Wraps

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Vegetarian Fajita Wraps

Whether you’re looking for simple lunch recipes, vegetarian lunch, or a light supper, these fajita wraps fit the bill. They’re perfect for when you want to quickly throw something together that’s light yet filling, healthy yet delicious. I make variations on this easy lunch recipe often, sometimes adding chicken or tofu, throwing in some avocado or salsa, or even topping it with cheese and making it a quesadilla. Fresh lime, chopped cilantro, chili peppers and tomatoes would all be great additions as well. The charred sweet peppers and onions work perfectly with the rich, almost creamy black beans and a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt brings the whole thing together.

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Beef Rendang and a Beef Blog Hop

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Ingredients for Beef Rendang ~ Malaysian Beef Curry

You know those recipes that immediately pop out at you, that you bookmark or pin on Pinterest and you just can’t forget? Beef Rendang – a Malaysian beef curry – was one such recipe for me. I pinned two different recipes for this tempting, coconut-infused beef curry on my Asian Inspiration board, each with a slightly different method and equally enticing result. It’s just that kind of dish. It had a similar effect on Manu of Manu’s Menu: “When I saw this recipe at Not Quite Nigella’s website,” she wrote in her post, “I knew I HAD to make it.” And so when I saw it over at Manu’s Menu and No Recipes, well, I also knew I HAD to make it. Continue reading “Beef Rendang and a Beef Blog Hop” →

A Burger a Week, And the Best Burger in New York

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When I was home in New York over the summer, I had a standing Monday lunch date with my dad and sister. Although our lunch dates were nothing new, this summer they took on new purpose: We would eat a burger a week and decide which was our favorite. I’m not entirely sure where the idea stemmed from, but once we set our minds to it we stuck to the plan. For eight Mondays. That’s probably about as many burgers as I eat in a whole year.

There wasn’t anything scientific about our “research,” we just went where we felt like going. We ended up mostly in Greenwich Village and Williamsburg, and missed lots of great burger joints. My dad, sister and I had differing opinions on lots of the burgers, and agreed whole-heartedly about others. Price came into play a bit, but mostly we were interested in taste. Is it a juicy, flavorful burger? Is the bun fresh, and does it stand up to the burger? In the end it all came down to personal taste, and whether or not the place was having a good day. Again, the results are far from scientific, but it was a fun summer project.

The hunt for the best burger in New York

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Easy Homemade Pizza and a Pizza Blog Hop

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As soon as I saw this no rise, practically no knead pizza dough recipe on the web I knew I had to try it out (you’ve probably seen it too – it’s got over 84,000 pins on Pinterest!). This easy pizza seemed too good to be true and had an intriguing secret ingredient: Yogurt. I love adding yogurt to everything from baked goods to pasta dishes, and from salad dressings to sauces to make them creamier, healthier, and tastier. But in pizza crust? But wait. It gets better. Besides the yogurt there’s only one other ingredient: Self-rising flour. Two ingredients and five minutes. I had to make it to believe it.

Easy Homemade Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella, Roasted Garlic and Sweet Potatoes

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Pasta with Ricotta and Brussels Sprouts

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Although I didn’t grow up eating Brussels sprouts, as an adult I’ve fallen in love with them. And, while I make them often, I’ve only posted one Brussels sprouts recipe on the blog. I knew I had to change that. Fortunately I came across this easy and delicious pasta with ricotta and Brussels sprouts recipe from Culinary Adventures with Camilla, my assigned blog for this month’s Secret Recipe Club.

When I first got my SRC assignment, I spent a long time going through Camilla’s posts and quickly became enamored with her creative recipes. I love that she includes her two adorable sons in the cooking process, and isn’t afraid to introduce them to new foods. I especially like her international series, Cooking Around the World with Camilla, in which she and her boys are cooking their way through all the countries of the world from A to Z. It’s an amazing way to learn about the world, and is a practice I hope to borrow in the future.

Pasta with Ricotta and Brussels Sprouts

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