Aloo Gobi (Cauliflower and Potato Bhaji)
Gather round children. I know that Indian food seems really scary. All those spices are intimidating to cook with. And if you don't have them already, expensive to purchase. But since your local Indian buffet has shut down (remember those?), you've been wanting your fix. The good news is that Indian food is never as hard as it seems like it would be. Those expensive spices? …
Spicy Pork Bulgogi that’s perfect for summer.
We've been working our way through what we have in the freezer, trying to stretch our grocery trips. It's rough. I'm used to going grocery shopping once a week and getting whatever I want and need for whatever recipe I want to try. Now I'm trying to stretch everything two or even three weeks. We smoked a pork shoulder a couple weeks ago, and we had …
The world’s fudgiest brownies
Does it sound like I'm throwing down the gauntlet? Maybe I am. I am claiming to have knowledge of the world's fudgiest brownies. I dare ANYONE to find fudgier (please do and send me the recipe! Unless it's a family secret, some things are made to be shared!). My husband doesn't like things that are too doughy. You will discover most of his food dislikes begin …
Sourdough Waffles using Discard
When you have sourdough starter around the house, you end up with a ton of discard. While it may sound yucky, it can be the thing missing that will take (some) of your baked goods to the next level. It doesn't work so great with a dutch baby FYI, but it still tasted really good. And that's all that matters right? The taste I mean. Your …
Goddess Bowl for when you’ve had enough meat
To my husband's utter dismay, my goddess bowl starts life as my chole recipe. Let me explain. The chickpeas get soaked, then pressure cooked in tea and vegetable broth (or chicken broth if that's what I have. Seriously, the kind of broth doesn't matter. Just use broth). My husband sees the chickpeas soaking, smells the tea and broth cooking, gets his mouth ready for chole… and …
Lentils and Broccoli; a love story
Don't be afraid of the lentils. They are your friends. I'm not exaggerating about lentils and broccoli being a love story. I had never eaten a lentil until I met my husband. At least, not knowingly. Growing up, sometimes rice would show up (yuck), sometimes oats (packets). We didn't eat a ton of beans that I can remember. I do remember a lot of potatoes, but …
Overnight Oats are the easiest oats ever. Fight me.
I have a confession to make. Contrary to what must now be popular belief, see my previous oatmeal post, I don't like oats that much. At least I didn't when I was a child. Oatmeal came from a packet, was always microwaved, and it tended to be brown sugar-flavored. Blech. It was weirdly sweet, and always gooey and gloppy in the worst way. Enter: overnight oats. …
Collard Greens are a delicious excuse to eat more meat.
Collard greens are just an excuse to eat meat with your meat. THERE I SAID IT. I am very brave, give me my medal. All jokes aside, if you cook collard greens long enough they get buttery soft and the meat falls off the bone. And the pot liquor is so luscious, you'll want to sop it all up with something (maybe biscuits?). It doesn't matter …
Sausage Gravy (to go with them biscuits!)
Remember in the biscuit post I talked about my love for sausage gravy? No? Go read that recipe and then come back to this one. I'll wait. Done? Good. Hopefully, you went ahead and made the biscuits while you were over there and are now dying for something delicious to smother them with. Well, you are in luck! Behold. Delicious. Not one for the faint of …
Homemade Biscuits are nothing to be scared of.
I love homemade biscuits. And when you add sausage gravy? Like, love it love it. It's a great breakfast to make on the weekends, where you arguably have plenty of time to get it done. Don't get me wrong, canned biscuits work too, but there is something about making your own from scratch. Y'all, I lived in the south for (mumble mumble) years. It should not …
Whiskey Bacon Maple Syrup is what you need.
Whiskey bacon maple syrup. Can you think of anything more perfect for this weekend? Try it on waffles or pancakes. The french/dutch baby (see post for picture)! Drink it straight (don't). It's not healthy. It doesn't pretend to be. Because if you're annnnything like me, this has become a time for self-improvement, to go with my self-isolating. So while during the week I am running and …
Dutch Baby? More like French Toast Baby!
One of our favorite breakfast recipes is the dutch baby. It seems like every blog has a version, but the one I based my recipe on came out of a catalog. While it could have been Williams Sonoma, the true origin is lost to time. Have you ever seen a dutch baby? It's the stuff of dreams. Warm and crispy, kind of fluffy, with a rise …
Is it Naan or Pita? Baby, it’s both!
This recipe is heavily modified from a couple of different sources. I was looking for something that would be really versatile whether I was serving Indian or Mediterranean. I use the exact same recipe if it's naan or a pita. The difference is for naan I brush it with ghee and sprinkle it with garlic powder. It sounds nuts, but don't knock it until you try …
Egg Bhaji is the new breakfast for dinner.
Boiled egg bhaji is unapologetically and unironically one of the easiest meals I have ever made. It is great as a last-minute, I don't know what to make for dinner-dinner. This dish always feels for me a little like having breakfast for dinner since it's eggs, but my husband is happy to be getting a bhaji. There is not a ton of prep, and nothing to …
Green Chile Cheese Sauce
Growing up in New Mexico, the best part of the year was the fall. The heat finally broke a little bit, there were a ton of events, and the green chile was being harvested. Everywhere you go you can smell roasting green chile. Grocery stores sell huge bags of chiles and have roaster drums set up outside. The drums go round and round, blistering the chiles. …
Choux-rros (Get it?)
While I love to bake and cook, I hardly ever fry anything. It smells up the whole house and I never know what to do with the leftover oil. How long does it keep? How many times can I reuse it? Questions that neither Google nor Reddit has the answers for. When I fry it better be worth it. And boy were these worth it! Sweet …
Vanilla Caramel
Making caramel can be tricky. Anyone that tells you otherwise is a liar. If the sugar is undercooked the caramel will come out grainy. And the margin of error between perfect, gooey caramel sauce and an acrid tasting burnt mess is hair fine. If you've never made caramel before and it doesn't turn out the first time, just be patient and try again. I have made …
Caramel Apple Oatmeal for when it’s cold.
It's been so cold. Like, highs in the low 50's and rainy. But not soothing, open the windows and curl up with a book rain. Nope. Cold, spitting mist. I cannot believe it's almost May. When this first started, I assumed we would be back to work by mid-May, and now who knows. At least I can work from home, and I'm taking full advantage of …
World is ending? Cook chickpeas.
One of my husband's favorite meals is chole, AKA channa masala, AKA chickpeas that have been bhajied. While it is a pretty simple recipe, it took me a while to find something he liked and sufficiently reminded him of home. But let's be real, who is going to turn down a home-cooked meal of any kind right? I have not tested this in an instant pot, …