All posts filed under: Food

Food: Wild Rice, Mushroom and Cream Soup

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Oh it rained so hard last night in San Francisco, that it woke me up, when I heard some sort of dripping happening somewhere over the bathroom. Yikes! Not looking forward to what that could mean. Anyway, I normally announce what I plan to cook for dinner the day before – just to get everyone excited about the menu. But sometimes I decide mid-day the day of, what I’ll be making for dinner – kind of like this soup – I am going to make less the slow cooker (since I don’t own one) INGREDIENTS 1 cup dry wild rice 1/2 sweet onion, diced 6 carrots, chopped 5 cups low-sodium veggie or chicken broth 1 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme + 3 thyme sprigs 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 parmesan rind + 1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream kosher salt and pepper 2 pounds mixed mushrooms, roughly torn 4 cloves garlic, smashed 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter zest from 1 lemon (more)

Food: Dinner Tonight – Salmon Sicilian Style

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Salmon is a must in my household. At least once a week and although I love my simple oven-baked variation with ginger, sliced lemon and olive oil – I occasionally crave a more robust flavored variation – like this wonderful recipe from here: INGREDIENTS 4 salmon fillets extra virgin olive oil, for rubbing juice from 1 lemon 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon paprika kosher salt and pepper 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets 1 cup cherry tomatoes 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano zest from 1 lemon splash of white wine 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives {more}

Food: French Toast, Pumpkin Spice and Cider

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The need for comfort-food season is upon us and with it – this wonderful recipe for a Saturday morning or a Sunday morning breakfast if you saw this post too late in the game for Saturday. Either way oh yummyness: INGREDIENTS 1 loaf brioche bread, sliced into 1″ thick slices 8 ounces cream cheese (optional) 4 eggs 1 1/2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt butter, for greasing CIDER SYRUP 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 1 cup apple cider 2 tablespoons salted butter

Food: Dinner Tonight – Lasagna with a Butternut Squash Twist

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I stocked up on all sorts of Autumn squash, not only for cooking, but for decor. These wonderful vegetables with the hard shells last forever. Although since they are my favorite, I am more than certain they won’t last in my household. For example, like this recipe for butternut squash lasagna for dinner tonight paired with my favorite Cabernet Sauvignon and a simple tossed salad: INGREDIENTS 4 cups butternut squash, cubed (about 1 medium squash) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon honey kosher salt and pepper 6 tablespoons butter 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped 1 tsp dried basil 1/4 cup flour 3 1/2 cups whole milk 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg 1 cup shredded fontina cheese 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated 2 cups whole milk ricotta 2 cups shredded provolone 1 jar (8 ounce) oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, oil drained and chopped 1 box no-boil lasagna noodles 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Food: Dinner Tonight – Pasta, Roasted Butternut Squash and Sun Dried Tomatoes

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I had to run out this morning to get the ingredients for this amazing dish I found here. Paired with the perfect bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon I am good to go for tonight’s dinner INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 pound ground spicy Italian sausage 1/2 sweet onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, smashed kosher salt and pepper 1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash 1 can (28 ounce) San Marzano tomatoes 1/2 cup red wine 1 bay leaf 4 fresh sage leaves 2 fresh thyme sprigs 4 tablespoons butter 1 pound Pappardelle or your favorite cut of pasta burrata cheese and parmesan cheese, for serving

Food: Dinner Tonight – Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Brussels Sprouts are in season and naturally this is the time of year, I make this vegetable in so many variations and just devour a bunch in one sitting.  So you can imagine my excitement when I saw this recipe and of course I had to share. Is your mouth watering yet? INGREDIENTS 2 slices thick cut bacon, chopped 1 pound brussels sprouts, halved 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil kosher salt and pepper 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/3 cup medjool dates, pits removed and chopped 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 8 ounces Halloumi cheese, cubed (continued)

Food: Are You Particular About Your Pasta?

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I ask because I am. I take my pasta very seriously and will only buy certain brands from different grocery stores and a few from specialty stores. I also appreciate how wonderful home/restaurant-made pasta is. So, here’s an article you can read on your train commute home, about pasta and one chef’s list of which to buy and why? Dececco Rummo Rustichella D’Abruzzo Why does quality make a difference? “If you buy better brands of dry pasta, you’ll find you have a much broader window of how long you can cook them,” Easton explains. “They’ll typically take a little bit longer to cook because they have a higher protein content, and just a better strength and gluten development in the pasta… You can overcook them a couple minutes, and they still have beautiful texture and are absolutely al dente.”(more)

Food: Potato and Cauliflower Curry

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Oh heavens above, this is the most amazing dish I’ve yet tried, and as we all know by now, I felt the need to share 😉 INGREDIENTS 1/4-1/3 cup Thai Red curry paste or Khao Soi Paste 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk 2 cups low sodium veggie broth 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (or regular molasses) 1 pound baby potatoes, halved if large 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets 1 cinnamon stick 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds kosher salt and pepper 2 cups fresh spinach arils from 1 pomegranate for serving steamed rice, cilantro, and limes, for serving fresh naan, for serving

Food: Fall Nachos Copied

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Oh my god! I love nachos and probably have it at least twice a month – so when I saw this recipe, I knew I needed to share: Ingredients: 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed12 ounces sliced mushrooms, quartered1 Delicata squash, halved, cleaned and thinly sliced2 tablespoons olive oil1 teaspoon South African Smoke Spice Blend (from Trader Joe’s) Or, mix together the following:1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon pepper1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 12 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated1 bag tortilla chips (I used a mixture of blue corn and sweet potato tortilla chips) {photo credit}