Tofu Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce and Awards

I’ve mentioned my love of Thai food many, many times on this blog (like here and here) and I continue to miss it in Israel. One of my favorite appetizers to order is chicken satay, and I’ve long wanted to recreate this at home. Finally, it happened. With tofu. And then the next night, because it was so good, with chicken. And the dipping sauce, made with coconut milk and peanut butter, is like crack. Serious crack. I was eating it with a spoon. Then licking the bowl. I want to always have a jar in my fridge. Honestly, it was better than any satay sauce I’ve had. Ever. Continue reading “Tofu Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce and Awards”

Applesauce Cake with Pomegranate Glaze for Rosh Hashanah

The celebrations for Rosh Hashanah, or Jewish New Year, begin tonight. This year we’ll miss having dinner with my family and the in-laws, ringing in the new year together (yes, both sides of the family celebrate together – how cute is that?). Instead we’ll be in Israel, enjoying a small potluck feast with our friends, who become the closest thing to family in a foreign place. I developed this recipe for parve Applesauce Cake with Pomegranate Glaze for the Jew and the Carrot this year and loved it so much that I’m making it again to bring to Rosh Hashanah dinner. Please check out the original article (full of fun facts and information) on the Jew and the Carrot! Continue reading “Applesauce Cake with Pomegranate Glaze for Rosh Hashanah”

Sole with Tomatoes and Basil

You’re not going to believe how easy this recipe is. It takes moments to prepare and just 10 to 15 minutes to cook. And it tastes like pure summertime. Sole is one of the fish varieties readily available here (yes, sadly in the frozen section) so I have been cooking a lot with it (remember the Sole Meuniere?). While I usually pan fry it, I got the yen to bake it. Beth had shared some of her beautiful purple basil with me and I was inspired. Continue reading “Sole with Tomatoes and Basil”

Round Zucchini Stuffed with Couscous

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”

My Summer Vacation, and a Summer Pasta Recipe

I feel like a kid, sitting down to write my first assignment at the start of a new school year. Pulling out a fresh notebook and clean pen, I carefully write my heading: What I Did on my Summer Vacation. Except it’s been more than a while since I was a student, let alone in elementary school. But being a freelancer and having a husband in medical school has its benefits, and that (at least briefly) is a return to summer vacations. I scrambled to hand in articles ahead of time so that I could enjoy every minute of our precious time. And that we did. Continue reading “My Summer Vacation, and a Summer Pasta Recipe”

Smoky Salsa and a Secret Recipe Club

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

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

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”

Mulberry and Sour Cherry Pie

Sour cherry pie is one of my all time favorites. Growing up there was a bakery across the street called Taylor’s that always had sour cherry pie with a crumble topping in the window. I still remember the taste, how revelatory it was, and how I never wanted to stop eating it. I’m not a big baker, but I’ve gotten pretty good at mixed berry pie that I make a few times each summer, usually in the Berkshires. Then last July I saw sour cherries at the farmer’s market and ventured into new territory, with the help of this recipe that our friend Rhonda cut out for me from the New York Times. I skipped most of the steps (no thank you to instant tapioca) but it came out insanely good. Continue reading “Mulberry and Sour Cherry Pie”