Recipe - Part 8

Boneless Buffalo Wings and a Game Day Blog Hop

February 3, 2012February 12, 201761 Comments

I’ll be upfront: I am not a football fan. But I am brimming with New York pride (Go Giants!) and, although I can’t follow a game, I love the Super Bowl. Just not for the football. For me, Super Bowl Sunday is all about the food. And, let’s be honest, one food in particular: wings. Or, as my husband and I like to call them, wangs. Our love of wangs (as well as us calling them that) dates back to college. He was in an improv comedy group and after every show they’d blow the proceeds on wings and beer. The wings were always boneless (i.e. chicken tenders coated in wing sauce) and were, without fail, devoured in minutes. And so, somehow, boneless wings have become a sort of comfort food for us. Continue reading “Boneless Buffalo Wings and a Game Day Blog Hop” →

Fruit, Nut, and Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

February 1, 2012February 12, 201759 Comments

It’s been cold and rainy all week. In New York I knew how to deal with the rain, had no choice. But there I had proper rain boots, an underground train system to transport me through the dry belly of the city, more than one umbrella. Here, in Be’er Sheva, my wardrobe is now suited to the desert I live in. When it rains it takes all my energy to get out of pajamas, let alone leave the house. But therein lies the beauty of working from home – I don’t have to! And on days – more like weeks – like this, I crave warm, comforting dishes that I can curl up in. Yes, I literally mean curl up in. The other night, freezing in my poorly insulated apartment, I told my husband I wanted to make a stew just to bathe in it. I was only half kidding. Continue reading “Fruit, Nut, and Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette” →

Mediterranean Pasta with Pine Nuts and Feta

January 30, 2012February 12, 201756 Comments

My feta obsession continues with this recipe for flavorful Mediterranean pasta with pine nuts and feta. It’s another quick and easy meal that comes together in about the time it takes to cook the pasta. And, because it has cheese, vegetables, nuts, and carbs it’s a filling main dish (although a side salad never hurt anyone). I was originally inspired by this recipe from the March, 2011 issue of Cooking Light Magazine. The ingredients are basically the same, but the quantities are all different and I omitted basil while adding lemon juice and balsamic for a bit of acidity. I also used fresh red peppers instead of roasted, and I enjoyed the bite that it gave to the dish. Finally, instead of toasting the pine nuts separately, I just added them in with the onions and peppers, which allowed them to get a nice golden brown. Continue reading “Mediterranean Pasta with Pine Nuts and Feta” →

Turkey Enchiladas and a Mexican-themed Blog Hop

January 27, 2012February 12, 201763 Comments

Oh how I miss good Mexican food! Israel is a food lover’s paradise, but reasonably enough Mexican is not one of the country’s culinary strengths. As a friend of a friend once said, “Why we should have Mexican food? We are not Mexican.” Point taken. So that leaves it up to me and my kitchen, where I’ve managed to produce some satisfying alternatives. I first saw the recipe that inspired me on Pinterest, and was immediately sold on the idea of a chipotle sour cream sauce. While I had yet to find chiles in adobo (I just did in Tel Aviv and am so excited!), I had brought back some chipotle powder from the States and was excited to put it to good use. Continue reading “Turkey Enchiladas and a Mexican-themed Blog Hop” →

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 23, 2012February 12, 201753 Comments

Chances are you’ve seen these cookies. I am, in fact, a full two years behind the buzz. See, when Kim Boyce came out with her Good to the Grain cookbook in 2010 the blogosphere went nuts for these whole wheat chocolate chip cookies. Orangette was sold. Marisa of Food in Jars raved about them. Sweet Amandine called them home. And me? I kept making my old Martha Stewart standbys like a sucker. Typically baked goods that call for whole wheat flour still use half all purpose flour to keep the texture in check. But these little daredevils use 100% whole wheat flour. Would that really be good? Wouldn’t they be dense little pucks? Continue reading “Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies” →

Halibut with Zucchini en Papillote and a Fish Blog Hop

January 20, 2012February 12, 201753 Comments

If your new year’s resolution had anything to do with a healthier diet, then this simple, elegant dish is a good place to start. I absolutely adore halibut for its delicate, clean flavor and firm texture. And its nutritional benefits are through the roof – super low in fat and calories, halibut is an excellent source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, vitamin b12, and more. Cooking en papillote – or in a parchment paper bundle – is a great way to seal in these nutrients without introducing a lot of extra fats to your meal. You simply put whatever you’d like to cook, along with a bit of liquid and flavor if you like, into a pack made of parchment, seal it, and bake. The result is a healthy meal that is more flavorful than simply steaming but just as healthy. Continue reading “Halibut with Zucchini en Papillote and a Fish Blog Hop” →

Sriracha Turkey Meatballs

January 18, 2012February 12, 201751 Comments

When I saw Martha Stewart’s recipe for Asian Turkey Meatballs, I didn’t just bookmark them, I made them immediately. Like that night. I’ve been obsessed with turkey meatballs lately and make these at least once a month. But these had something else going for them: Sriracha. I was thrilled to find a bottle of the real stuff in the Asian specialty store in Jerusalem since my husband puts it on everything, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This simple but genius recipe calls for Sriracha in the meatballs along with bread crumbs, fresh cilantro, scallions, fish sauce, and sesame oil. The result is a super flavorful meatball with a nice (but not unbearable) kick. Those needing more can put additional Sriracha on the meatballs. My husband did! Continue reading “Sriracha Turkey Meatballs” →

Miso Butternut Squash Ramen

January 16, 2012February 11, 201768 Comments

One of my favorite things to eat in New York come winter is a big, steaming bowl of ramen (and not the package stuff that you subsisted on in college). A few years ago ramen became the trendy food du jour and, lucky for us, ramen spots popped up all over the city. In Israel it’s one of the foods that I find myself missing, especially when the weather gets chilly (yes, that happens here) or when I have a cold. Although I have yet to visit Japan, from what I understand every region of the country has its own version of this comforting noodle soup. Continue reading “Miso Butternut Squash Ramen” →

Tofu Tacos and a Tofu Blog Hop

January 13, 2012February 12, 201754 Comments

I know, tofu can be a sensitive subject. Every time I’ve posted a tofu recipe I’ve had multiple comments saying “looks good but I/my spouse/my children don’t like tofu.” Here’s the thing: tofu is what you make of it. It doesn’t have all that much flavor on its own, but is great at absorbing the flavors of whatever it’s cooked in. If it’s a texture thing, tofu comes in a variety of textures from silky to extra firm so you should be able to find one that suits your mood. I’m just saying, give tofu a chance. This coming from a meat eater. An avid one, in fact. But I think we all know that we should be cutting down on our meat intake for a variety of reasons, which will help the environment and our health. Continue reading “Tofu Tacos and a Tofu Blog Hop” →

Easy Greek Salad

January 11, 2012February 12, 201742 Comments

I’ve been waiting for some time to share this simple, wonderful recipe with you. I’ve mentioned that my husband’s favorite food is salad, and one of his favorites has always been Greek salad. But it wasn’t until our trip to Rhodes in October that I realized just how good a Greek salad could be. Since then I’ve become not just a convert, but a full on addict. I’d say that, along with Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki, we’ve eaten it just about every week since. It’s so easy to prepare, but just packed with flavors that sing of the Mediterranean. As with anything this simple, quality of ingredients is key. Fresh vegetables and the best feta you can find will elevate this salad from good to outstanding. Continue reading “Easy Greek Salad” →