Cuisine
International dishes from around the globe.
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Thai Hot & Sour Shrimp Soup {Tom Yum Goong}
International food flavors have grown in popularity over the past several years. As the foodie movement sweeps through cities and small towns alike, eaters are looking for ‘different’ dining options. College Cafeterias are becoming International Eateries as young foodies seek out fresh flavorful options. Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Asian Markets are as popular as ever with home cooks like me, offering expansive and diverse ingredients.
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North African Lamb Kebabs {with Cilantro Mint Pesto}
North African Lamb Kebabs sounded so intriguing to me. Traditionally we think of kebobs made up of ‘hunks’ of meat and/or vegetables. These kebobs are made with ground lamb that’s blended with heavenly herbs and spices. I came across a recipe in one of my cooking magazines and the ingredients list was right up our alley (and mostly on hand): cumin, coriander, paprika, fresh cilantro, mint, oregano, ginger, garlic…..can’t you just smell it.
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Mexican Chicken Soup {Share the Love}
Mexican Chicken Soup has become a comfort food staple for my family. Every time we have it, whether at our favorite Mexican cantina or at home, we’re reminded how wonderfully delicious this soup is. I realized recently that comfort food didn’t have to come in the form of a casserole or laced with chocolate (although for me personally those are way up there on my list). And that chicken soup didn’t have to include noodles for it to warm your soul. With a short list of ingredients, starting from scratch, you can have it on the table in 15 minutes or less. A wonderful Monday evening bonus!
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Fresh Tomato Salsa
Tomatoes, tomatoes everywhere!! Homemade Fresh Tomato Salsa is so quick and easy to make and oh so much better than the jar variety. Fresh from the garden tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, sprinkle of cumin, salt & pepper….where are the chips?!
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Baba Ghanoush {Eggplant Dip}
While the recipe is delicious, I have since discovered a much easier and equally tasty version. Check out my Easy Baba Ghanoush recipe here. Eggplant was the abundant ‘on sale’ item in the fridge today. I had bought two varieties at the Farmers’ Market but had yet to come up with a plan. While fresh picked eggplant is one of the most beautiful fruits of the garden, once cooked….is not always as good looking. I did a quick Internet search for ‘pretty images’ of eggplant recipes and came across several for Baba Ghanoush. I’d heard of it, maybe even enjoyed it in a restaurant, but certainly had not made it from scratch. I decided to try…
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Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Stuffed Poblano Peppers. A picture is worth a thousand words….or at least the twenty or so it would take to describe each step of this dish. I’m going to stick to the bare minimum and encourage you to finish the story with your own words (ingredients).
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Oregano Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken
Oregano Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken. One night every week we cook a whole chicken for dinner. Sometimes we work hard to create interesting and different flavors by changing up the fresh herbs or marinade or even cooking style. Sometimes we just sprinkle her with salt & pepper and roast her until she’s done…on these days it’s not uncommon that we also stand at the counter hand picking our way through dinner.
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Chicken Marbella
We were first introduced to Chicken Marbella at a dinner party. Not just any dinner party, but a monthly affair that revolved around a different theme chosen by the host couple. We were each assigned a course and often a specific recipe to bring together to share.
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Vietnamese Pork Tenderloin
Fish Sauce. No wait…don’t run away. I will admit that fish sauce is a little scary, at first. However it is the star ingredient in this dish and when combined with the many other powerful flavors it just gets happy. I found this wonderful Vietnamese Pork Tenderloin recipe in my July Cooking Light magazine. It’s well worth the 30 minutes or so of prep and all 25 ingredients.
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Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Without a doubt my favorite foods are finger foods, which explains why my “served with with fingers or forks” appetizer category has so many posts. Let’s add skewers to the list of favorite food delivery vehicles. Random thought….it has been at least 20 years since I’ve ordered a Pu Pu Platter from a Chinese restaurant, not even sure if they’re still popular and on the menu. Some day soon I may have to try and recreate this fantastic appetizer (along with a flaming Scorpion Bowl). For now we will focus on Chicken Satay.
