a little salty, a little sweet
I’m beginning to realize how much roasting cauliflower adds to its flavor. The caramelized edges of roasted cauliflower here help to elevate this simple combination with chickpeas, fresh mint, and homemade zaatar. The next time I make this, I think I might mix in a little tahini, or maybe some yogurt, for extra creaminess. This salad makes a great side dish or light lunch and can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold, depending on what you’re pairing it with, the weather, and your mood.
Food has always resonated with me, in part because of its amazing cultural weight. Growing up in America with a Lebanese father and a Polish mother, I’ve long felt most connected to my heritage through food. Eating pizza and hamburgers makes me feel like a true American, while pierogies and kielbasa are standard inclusions for special occasions, and my dad almost always manages to sneak hummus, tabouleh, fattoush, or kibbe into our meals. And DC is a truly global city so I’ve been peering into other cultures through their food for my whole life. So I feel excited to post this recipe for zaatar, a simple Lebanese spice mix, and share a little bit of my culture with you.
I recently decided that I don’t cook enough seafood. I love all kinds of seafood, and it is usually surprisingly simple to prepare. This Mediterranean tilapia is a prime example; with only a few ingredients (most of which I nearly always have on hand) and less than an hour, I can have a delicious dinner in front of me with the classic flavors of herbs de provence playing very nicely with tomatoes, olives, and white wine. This dish can be a light meal in and of itself or you can serve it with a few sides for something a little heartier.
I’m always looking for lazy side dishes, and these roasted leeks are absolutely perfect. They take very little work, and you can concentrate on the main course while they’re roasting in the oven for about half an hour. The result is tender and slightly caramelized, with a sophisticated flavor from the aromatic herbs de provence. Of course, you can use different spices to switch up this dish and make it the perfect side to whatever your main course may be.
Chinese five-spice is a strange beast; many of the flavors here are usually associated with sweet applications, but the resulting spice mix is traditionally used in savory dishes to amazing result. The five spices referenced in the name are usually star anise, fennel, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and cloves, but some variants include ginger root, anise seed, cumin, and white pepper. I stick with the traditional here, but the amounts used are flexible and can be adjusted to your tastes. This is a great mix to have on hand for adding to stir fried vegetables, upping the flavor in soups, or including in dry rubs for chicken, pork, or duck.
When I started looking for a slow cooker pulled pork recipe, I thought at first that I was doomed to heavily douse a pork shoulder in barbecue sauce and call it a day. But then I found this amazing recipe which instead uses a spice rub and only a minimal amount of liquid, with outstandingly flavorful and tender results. There’s even a little smokiness from the smoked paprika (using smoked salt in the rub and/or a dash of liquid smoke in the slow cooker could get you even more). And there’s all the slow cooker beauty here of getting it started in the morning and coming home to a fragrant house and dinner ready to be served.
Chicken adobo is a Filipino dish where chicken is marinated and then cooked in a combination of vinegar and soy sauce. I like the flavor from apple cider vinegar (although I’m pretty sure it’s not traditional), and you’ll also want to make sure to use good quality soy sauce. I typically marinate in the same pot I’m planning on cooking it in (if your pot is a temperature-sensitive material, remember to let the pot come to room temperature before putting it on the stove to avoid damaging it with the heat difference) which also makes this an astoundingly easy meal. Chicken adobo is traditionally served over rice to soak up the sauce, and I’ve found I’m also a big fan of peas as a side (as pictured here).
Inspired by breakfast flavors, this salad is tasty at any time of day. Bacon and eggs are, of course, crucial elements here, where they play quite nicely with bell pepper, pickled jalapeno, and preserved lemon. A warm bacon vinaigrette pulls the whole salad together. This salad can be easily adapted – I think sundried tomatoes would be a great addition (or substitution), as would fresh diced avocado.
This vegetarian chili is packed with different beans and grains; the combination of lentils, barley, bulgur wheat, black beans, and kidney beans means that you won’t even miss the meat. Pumpkin puree helps create an extra rich texture, and hefty amounts of garlic, ginger, hot peppers, and chili powder lend a lot of flavor here. I especially loved having this chili topped with an egg for breakfast, but of course, it makes a great lunch or dinner too. I like topping my chili with cheese and sour cream, but if you forgo the dairy toppings, this chili is actually vegan.
I’ve found that making fresh spice mixes is surprisingly easy and yields incredible flavor – much more than with store-bought mixes. This recipe for chili powder can be adapted to your tastes; it currently uses equal amounts of three dried chiles: guajillo, ancho, and arbol. Like your chili powder a little smokier? Add more ancho chiles, toss in some dried chipotles, and/or add extra smoked paprika. Like your chili powder on the milder side? Use more ancho and guajillo chiles and less arbol chiles, and discard the seeds before toasting. Or, conversely, like your chili powder extra spicy? Up the number of arbol chiles.