After the fairly heavy meals of Thanksgiving weekend, I opted for a lighter, vegetarian dish. As I had some nice fresh leeks at hand, I recalled a simple and tasty dish from the Sephardic cuisine: “Prassa con Arroz”, i.e. “leeks with rice” – and was quickly set on making it.
The dish includes mostly leeks, with very few other ingredients and minimal seasoning, which let the unique fresh, oniony leeks flavor shine. Continue reading
Category: Side dishes
Tri-Color Mac and Cheese with Broccoli and Ham
Mac and Cheese, with its irresistible combination of pasta with a tasty cheese sauce, is one of the ultimate comfort food dishes. Continue reading
Beet and Beet Greens Fritters
Whenever I find fresh beets with their greens, I immediately grab a bunch. Most often, I use the beets and the greens in separate recipes, but this time, however, I decided to use both in the same dish, and came up with the fritters you see here. Continue reading
Sephardic Fried Eggplant with Vinegar Parsley Sauce
The following recipe comes from the Sephardic cuisine*, of which I mentioned here quite a few times. Its name in Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) is “peshkado de tierra” i.e. “fish of the earth”, as the eggplants are cooked in the same manner as fried fish (as shown in THIS post). The dish was served as a vegetarian substitute when fresh fish was scarce, or as the main dish for Friday’s lunch, with the more elaborated Shabbat’s evening dinner in mind, which always included fish and meat dishes. Continue reading
Sephardic Spaghetti and Cheese Bake
Unlike last week’s time consuming recipe, the following recipe requires very little effort or ingredients.
The original bake, which is known in the Sephardic cuisine as “Makarron reynado”, is a simple mix of cooked spaghetti, Feta cheese, eggs and milk, baked until set and golden. Continue reading
Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts Bake
The following tasty vegetable bake, was inspired by Mac n’ Cheese dish, with its cheese sauce and crispy topping. Here, instead of pasta, I used a mixture of steamed cauliflower and fresh, thinly sliced, Brussels Sprouts, for different textures and colors. Continue reading
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pancakes
Roasting sweet potatoes brings out their flavor to the fullest; the process concentrates their flavor, they caramelize at the edges and become a real treat. Continue reading
Eggplant, Mushrooms and Cheeses Bake
Both mushrooms and eggplants have unique texture and mild flavor, that blend beautifully with cheeses. In the dish here, I decided to combine both in one bake, and the result was just what I was hoping for: Continue reading
Pickled Mini Eggplants with Celery and Herbs
Finding these beautiful mini eggplants at the market, my first thought was to prepare my dish of mini eggplants stuffed with lamb (click HERE for the recipe). However, on second thought, I decided to go with a lighter direction, and use them to make quick pickles with fresh herbs. Continue reading
Sephardic Fresh Fava Beans with Onions and Mint
Unlike green/string beans, fava beans are more familiar to most in their dried form. They are also called broad beans for a reason, as they are substantially broader and bigger than green beans. Continue reading
Herbs De Provence Pork Tenderloin with Maple Roasted Red Cabbage
I usually pair pork tenderloin with fruit, but this time, as I also had a nice red cabbage head, I’ve decided to go in a different direction. I roasted the cabbage with only salt and pepper, then poured a bit of maple syrup and red wine vinegar over it, when it came out of the oven. It was delicious. Continue reading