Sweet Potato, Pumpkin and Mini Peppers Soup

 

Fall is here, with its cooler days and beautiful colors, which were the inspiration for the following soup’s deep orange-yellow color.

Tomato-Pepper Soup with Clementine and Celery

Despite the fact we recently had a few warm days; the weather has changed to a bit colder again, so a warm soup came to mind. However, since it’s really not that cold, I’ve decided to skip the heavier wintry soups, and make a lighter vegetables based soup.

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.

Vegetables Loaded Tuna Salad and Open Face Tuna Melt

Tuna salad is too often a boring and heavy blend of canned tuna, mixed with too much mayonnaise, a bit of celery and not much else.
The version I have for you here is tastier and healthier:

Caponata

When I’ve found some ripe tomatoes, eggplants and peppers at the farm stand, I’ve decided it’s time to prepare a nice batch of Caponata – a tasty sweet and sour Sicilian eggplant dish.
Caponata is wonderful as a side dish, especially with fish and seafood, but also with chicken and other meats. It is also wonderful as a topping for Crostini, and can also be served as a dip, with crackers or toasted points.

Seven Vegetables Soup with Semolina

Many times when the temperatures drop, a simple rustic soup is all that is needed to feel good. Here is a hearty and filling soup, that is loaded with vegetables and thickened with semolina. It is highly nutritious and just perfect for a cold day.

Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

This rustic dish, of beautifully roasted chicken with potatoes and other vegetables, makes entertaining of a fairly large group of guests an easy task. Everything is prepared in advance, and then roasted in one pan about an hour before serving.

Curried Bow Tie Pasta and Tuna Salad

Here is a very easy and very tasty summer salad, which is a perfect addition to a BBQ lunch, or on its own (think lunch at work, for example).

Pot Roasted Chicken with Celery and Carrots, Sephardic Style

This simple chicken dish, from the fabulous Sephardic cuisine (find explanations about it HERE, or in THIS wonderful blog), is as tasty as it is easy to prepare.

Three Crunchy Celery Salads

Celery is mostly known as an ingredient for flavoring soups and stocks, but in summer, I find myself using it more on its own right, as a base for great tasting fresh and crunchy salads. I just love the salty-sweet-juicy flavor and crispy texture of fresh celery, combined with other vegetables and fruits.
Here are a few of my favorite summer salads. Try them, and feel the crunch. 🙂

Zucchini, Lettuce and Herbs Soup

For those who love lemony soups, this quick and easy soup is just perfect. It’s fresh and has a velvety texture, even though it has no cream or butter in it. The secret for this texture comes from the lettuce.