Changing Up The Recipe

 The same old recipes can be boring. Luckily you can ease some for the mid winter blues by changing up your recipes. Add new ingredients. Switch up the spicing. Create something that s equally delicious and different.

One of the most intriguing switch ups is a fusion of Indian and Italian  - curried pasta. This is taking curry powder and cream instead of the usual tomatoes and tomato paste and coming up with a totally disparate take on traditional spaghetti or penne. There is still onion, garlic and olive oil for the sauce's body but curry powder and heavy cream give it a bright yellow color and creaminess. You could also add turmeric for more color brightness along for a boost of flavor.Curried meatballs is another switch up made with either ground turkey or chicken. This is served ina rich curry sauce as well,  redolent with tomatoes , onions garlic and ginger.Instead of pasta serve it with fragrant steaming basmati rice. Another idea for a different kind of pasta sauce is combining mushrooms and spinach in a hot oil sauce Add garlic and hot pepper flakes for some zing,Keep in mind this also would be great over chicken breasts or steak too. Berbere spice is usually reserved for Ethiopian dishes . Imagine using it in the most English of dishes  - shepherd's pie. You can easily spice up a beef or lamb filling with it and also do a light dusting of it over the mashed potato topping.

Stuffed veggies are always a good winter's dish whether on a week night or a week end. Most go for peppers stuffed with everything from ground beef and turkey to more veggies. Have you considered stuffing onions instead? This Piedmontese specialty varies from household to household in the frigid Alps northwest of Torino. Some add raisins to the mix of chopped meat and breadcrumbs. I usually made my own vegan version, using Impossible ground meat and a mix of oregano , salt pepper and just teeny pinches of both onion and garlic powders.Keep in mind that the onions should be parboiled first for a few minutes. This is just boiling the onions for a few minutes, letting them cool and then stuffing them. They're topped with breadcrumbs for a crispy finish and then placed into an air fryer for thirty minutes at four hundred degrees Farehneit.Can you do this with turnips? Yes! This winter root veggie is perfect for filling with the same tasty stuffing.It's the same method as with the onions with the eparboiling before stuffing. They do have to be peeled and hollowed out though. YOu can fill with with lamb too along with pomengranate molasses for a Middle Eastern flair.

Think outside the recipe with you cook. This provides a fun spin on classic dishes.It makes for a yummy new take and an exciting meal.

Hearty Quick Meals For Dinner

 Everything is more or less back to normal. There are no more vacation days where everyone is home. Yet it's still cold. Everyone needs a hot dinner to come home to. This is where hearty and quick come in.

A hot dinner is a comforting relief when everyone comes home from a full day of school and work. Yet there's always not enough time to create a full  meal. This is where frozen food and shortcuts come in handy. Take advance of your frozen food section. Frozen lasagna comes in handy and it can be heated up quickly in the microwave. There are two types. the red with meat and the white ,usually with veggies. Lidl has both and both are great for an enjoyable hot supper. Stouffer's is the classic that everyone grew up on and it doesn't;t disappoint. ut;s still meaty and saucy. For a more authentic taste then buy Rao's which comes format eh restaurant of the same name. Have hot rolls and butter along with a simple tomato and lettuce salad as sides. Chili is another hearty and quick meal that just requires a few opened cans and a crockpot. This also can be made with it's to red, depending on taste. The white is usually made with turkey or chicken while the red is almost always made with beef pork or even plant based meat. Add a few beans such as kidney and red for a tasty spoonful. Tomato sauce is always needed for the red. You can add a can of fire roasted tomatoes too.

An easy hot stew can be rustled up in a few minutes thanks to a crockpot. Pick your meat. Toss in a few veggies along with broth and spicings and  in a few hours you have a great ,hot meal with leftovers that can be heated up for the next day. A beef one is especially rib sticking.Use  a good cut such as sirloin or brisket cut into cubes. Sliced Yukon potatoes are a great addition because they thicken the sauce. Carrots and peas add not only color but nutrition and flavor too.As for flavoring a dash of garlic powder does a lot but you can also add a chopped white onion, first sauteed in butter and oil. Again a simple salad is a great side and have warmed up slices of sourdough bread for dipping into your bowls. Chicken stew is an easy make .It's the same as the beef except you add some chicken stock.If you want a thicker stew then make a slurry of cornstarch and water. Add some homemade dumplings which is a simple mix of flour, baking powder, milk and butter.The dough is added to the top of the stew where it' bakes over the bubbling stew.The dumplings  are ready when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. This stew doesn't;t need bread or rolls but consider a salad on the side.

Hearty and quick are the requirements for January dinners. They provide nutrition and flavor while keeping stomachs filled and bodies warmed. They are perfect for these chilly nights ahead.

A Family Classic Pumpkin Soup

 This is the season for pumpkin and soup. Why not combine them in  a comforting  dish that symbolizes what autumn is all about. Nothing beats a creamy, flavorful soup,

I made my bisnonna's or great grandmother's Piedmontese pumpkin soup. It was just a perfect dish fora cold, rainy day. It's a pretty easy cook. You do need two sixteen ounce cans of Libby's pumpkin puree(DO NOT get the one that's meant exclusively for pie filling.It's loaded with pumpkin pie spice)along with half a white onion, and veggie stock.

The onion is halved and then cut into little pieces. It's sauteed with a mi of olive oil and Country Crock plant butter.

Saute the onion pieces until they;re translucent (about five to ten minutes)

I like a rich, buttery flavor so I put two large tablespoons of Country Crock plant butter/

It was then adding the pumpkin and then briskly stirring it into the onions. This needs to be thinned out.I used two cups of Lidl's Veggie stock (Which is excellent and I'll be using it in other  homemade soups too)

For creaminess I added a quarter of a cup of almond milk(whole cream is usually added in the nin vegan version) This gave the soup a lovely light caramel color.

Pumpkin can be bland tasting hence the reason for highly spicing it. I added two or three dashes of salt and freshly ground pepper along with a sprinkle of garlic powder.

Rice is also important in Piedmontese pumpkin soup. I used Lidl's instant rice which only takes two minutes to cook.

This was the most amazing soup. It was creamy and rich in flavor. The onion and pumpkin were the perfect marriage together ,creating a smooth texture with some crunch to it.

It's fall.It;s pumpkin season. Make this delicious soup to celebrate the two . It's a wonderful way to welcome in  a chilly season with a hot bowl of goodness.

Le Cuisine Pour Ete

 it is Bastille Day , the French Independence Day/while some are enjoying steake Diane and pomme frites in Paris cafes there are many who have escaped the city and headed to the country side. There are also the suburbs throughout the country where there are fresh gardens and fresh summer eating. The French do know how to do summer eating right. There are so many savory and sweet dishes, perfect for anywhere in the world.

One of the most famous French dishes is ratatouille. This is made all year round but it takes on extra freshness in the summer. This is when gardeners harvest eggp;ants,onions bell  peppers and tomatoes. The recipe can be varied,with zucchini being subbed in for the eggplant. THis is Avery tasty variations because the squash adds a sweetness that the other doesn';t have.Also you can use cherry tomatoes along with onion powder for a whole onion. It can be created in a skillet for a quick dinner and served with a crusty baguette to soak up the garlicky ,buttery sauces or juices. The other classic French summer dish comes from Prpvence Salad Nicoise reminds people of sun drenched days in Marseilles or San Tropez, leisurely eating this lush salad before taking a dip in the Mediterranean .This is a fun and easy make.It si a regular salad but has tuna and hard boiled eggs added in. There are also small boiled potatoes and green beans too.Olives give it that salty tang while a lemony vinaigrette adds citrussy bright notes.Some add in chickpeas and artichoke hearts too. That's up to you.It may be too crowded and too overwhelming with all the flavors.

The French aren';t really known for ices and gelati like the Italians yet they do have some good summer desserts. You could easily make rich French vanilla ice cream. This is a custardy recipe that has six whole egg yolks, heavy cream and whole milk.It's sweetened with three quarters of a cup with sugar  ,It cooking on the stove top creating a thick custard that will be put into an ice cream maker. You could use this as a filling for eclairs and cream  puffs if you feel like making a choux paste.Choux paste should be made on a humidity free day  - which can be rare depending where you live. French style ice cream goes well with galette, those free style pies with the rolled crust. The dough consists of all purpose flour sugar and eightt tablespoons of butter along with orange zest and cold milk. A pinch of salt adds flavor as well. Use good Kerry Gold which is the closest to French butter in s or grab a few sticks of Pluegra if your grocery sells it. You want a buttery  crust that works well with whatever fruit you use. Most use strawberries at this time but a plum galette would be equally delicious as well. Serve it with a side of creme fraiche or the homemade French ice cream.

France has some great summer time recipes. ENjoy them, whether they're a bowl of ratatouille or a scoop of ice cream. They're tres delicioux.!!

Diferent Juneteenth Fare

 Today is Juneteenth and that means strawberry sodas to drinks an red velvet cake to enjoy.Yet there are other recipes that give a different spin to this important holiday, Like the red food that sympolizes the blood of the enslaved these foods also symbolize the memories of the homeland and adaptation of a hard life in a new world.

regular contributor Korsha Wilson wrote about these in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section.These recipes show the varied histories of Blacks that travel through the Caribbean and the American South.Chef Lana Lagomarsini along with chefs Deborah Jean and Nana Araba Wilmot have created dishes beyond the usual barbecue fare of hamburgers and hot dogs.Chef Lagomarsini is cooking oxtails braised with tamarind and guava paste, ingredients a nod to her time in the Caribbean and tomato chow chow , a recipe she picked up in the American South.others also vary their Junteenth menus. Tonya Abari adds her husband's Nigerian heritage to their menu.There is the classic and delicious jollof rice along with hibiscus tea to drink. last year sh and her ten year old and three year old daughters made ice cream sandwiches using red velvet cake. warren Lucket, the founder and managing partner of Houston;s Black Restaurant week creates a meal of vegan ,Caribbean and west African dishes while still serving the classics for watermelon, beef brisket, sausages and crawfish.

The recipes are easy to recreate. it takes about seven pounds of oxtails to create the oxtail dish.It does take several washes in cold water before prepping them.They should be seared first in a Dutch oven, working in batches.Onion ginger and garlic is added then seasoning. whole black peppercorns are used along with the guava tamarind and dry white wine.The oxtails are then removed from this and the sauce is created.Molasses is added to the remaining braising liquid.Brown, sugar, molasses, Worcester sauce and vinegar are added.This is simmered until it's thickened for twenty-five to thirty minutes. and poured onto the oxtails. The chowchow is three medium sized green tomatoes mixed with chopped red and green bell peppers, onions and cabbage.These are salted or brined and then left to chill in the fridge for two hours.afterwards drain  and then place ina dutch oven. Add the vinegar, turmeric,sugar , mustard and celery seeds and cumin. This is boiled and then simmer for ten minutes. The chow chow is cooled and then placed in freshly washed and dried canning jars .Lids are quickly placed on the jars and then let to cool at room temperature.It can last for up to two months in the fridge.

JUnettenrth is about family and the family recipes that define them. These can be from the Caribbean ,west Africa and the American South. All together they give dishes that reflect heritage and heartache.

Dolmades A Tasty Treat

 The best mezzo or snack is dolmades or dolmas. These are grape leaves stuffed with rice and meat. These are a great way to be introduced to Greek and Middle eastern food.

YOu can easily make or buy them.I've found Eradanous brand grape ;eaves at my local Lidl. They also make vine leaves (Basically dolmades) stuffed with rice and pomegranate syrup.

This was a tasty snack but with a salad could make for a good, refreshing dinner.

Dolmades ca be made at home. Most stores do sell them but they also can be bought on Amazon too.A simple stuffing is rice but you can add leftover minced lamb or ground beef. Chopped onions are  another ingredient that will add more flavor to them. Uncooked rice and the other ingredients are placed atop whole grape leaves ,then rolled into little parcels. They're steamed in water for thirty to forty five minutes. They  can be eaten hot but they  r'e also good chilled , marinated in olive oil.

Dolmades are the perfect snack,appetizer or dinner. They 're bursting with flavor . Make them for a different kind of meal.

Squash All Ways

 November is a time for squash dishes. The chill weather calls for hearty yet healthy dinners. Nothing beats a warming pumpkin soup or a stuffed acorn squash. Best of all squash is an ingredient to use. Even novie chefs can create tasty dishes with it.

Even though Halloween is over you can still make tasty pumpkin dishes. The Piedmontese create a tasty pumpkin soup that rich with flavor. Can you use your Halloween pumpkin?Yes! Make sure the inside is scooped out (you can toast and salt the seeds in the oven)  and that the pumpkin is roughly chopped.If you prefer canned then it's a must that you use canned pumpkin puree  and not pumpkin pie filling. The last already has sugar and spices in it. It needs to be just pure pumpkin. it starts with caramelizing a chopped onion (this will give the soup a  lot of flavor) in a mix of olive oil and plant butter - or real butter. It's then adding the pumpkin and about a cup of broth. Add salt and pepper. As it's cooking slowly stir in any kind of milk (unsweetened almond works well) and then simmer for twenty minutes to half an hour. You can still in cooked rice later and serve with a splash of milk for more creaminess. Roasted pumpkin is another tasty way to enjoy it. It's just cubing a sugar pumpkin , one of the smaller ones and then first microwaving it. This softens the flesh and makes it easier to cut apart. Slice into half moons and then cubed.Toss them first in olive oil and then a mix of garlic powder and salt and pepper. Roast about thirty minutes in a 450 degree oven. This is the perfect side for chicken or turkey.

Acorn squash is another great fall vegetable. it's a great side easily microwaved and served with scoops of butter. It;s excellent stuffed and you can have fun with the stuffings. Try a turkey one mixed with ground turkey, baby bella mushrooms and diced apples. Season with fresh rosemary and garlic powder along with salt and pepper. A vegetarian version would be quinoa cooked with mushrooms,sage and a pinch of cinnamon. Stuffed acorn squash is usually roasted for half an hour in a 425 degree Farenheit oven. This is the perfect hearty dish served with a salad and crusty warm bread. Butternut squash is also another fall favorite. It can be the main or a side dish to any autumn Sunday dinner. Roasted butternut squash is usually cubed and then tossed in olive oil before roasting. You could add a variety of different spices but these can mask the earth sweet flavor. Just season with freshly ground pepper and season salt before roasting in a 400 degree Farenheit oven for about twenty-five to thirty five minutes. Keep in mind that any kind of squash makes for a good ravioli stuffing. The sauce can be a simple cream one or a butter and sage mix.

Squash is a delicious main dish or side to be served during these nippy days. It can be a side or a main dish. Try any of the varieties for good fall eating.

Dip Dictionary

 This is the weekend for dipping and double dipping. What dip goes well with chips? Shrimp? Chicken wings? what's the easiest one to make and store? Don;t worry .There 's a guide to help you.

Surprisingly dips are relatively new , coming into popularity in the 1950's.It started with the ever classic onion dip and evolved into all sorts of sauces from around the world. The aforementioned onion dip or California is an easy make. Most just take a powdered onion soup like Knorrs  and stir it in to a tub of sour cream. You cna also buy this already made. However if you want to step up your dip game, then try adding caramelized onions. You can also had a splash of white wine and Worcester sauce in a mix of sour cream and cream cheese. Yellow onions work the best here. Another fun crowd pleaser is guacamole. Use ripe avocadoes in this mash of them, tomatoes and onions.   You can sub in onion powder and garlic powder m because fresh onions may be too strong and overpower the avocadoes mild flavor. Also a little olive oil drizzled in will give the dip a smooth silky texture. Add lemon to the leftover to make sure the guacamole doesn;t turn brown in the fridge.Salsa is another fun one, perfect with tortilla chips. yes you can buy a wide range of already made bottled one but fresh made tastes the best. Use fresh tomatoes, green peppers and onions tossed in lime juice, garlic and cumin.

One of the most famous and most popular is the artichoke one. This starts with a mix of sour cream, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and mayo.  Once these are thoroughly folded together add artichoje hearts and their oil along with dillweed. Pour into a baking dish, sprinkle on more Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 degrees farenheit for twenty minutes or until bubbly. You can add spinach too if you want. Serve in a hollowed out bread bowl (go to Panera for this) and use the scooped out bread chunks for dipping. You can also eat the bowl for later. If your'e having a sea -cuterie platter then you'll have to have a yummy butter sauce for dipping those shrimp ,crab and scallops. Cook sliced garlic in a good amount of butter for a couple of minuets. Add a bit of lemon juice and zest along with dill.  Serve in little ramekins . Microwave them for a few minutes if the butter starts to solidify. Pizza sauce is another great hot dips.It's excellent for garlic knots and mini calzones.Take a can of diced toamtoes and cook with tomato paste, crushed garlic, oregano and basil. Serve piping hot in bowls.

Dips are as vital to the Superbowl as the football itself.There are so many to make and enjoy. Choose a few for a tasty day of fun snacking.

Piedmontese Onions Done Right

 sometimes a recipe allows you a do over. That's what happened when the Piedmontese onion recpe turned out a disaster.Luckily it was amended and to delicious results.

I started out with a vegan version of my Nonna's and Mom's stuffing recipe.

I used a combo of Beyond Meat , breadcrumbs, some of the onions chopped  Vitalife mozzarella, cheese and Melt Butter.

This is BeyondMeat I used about half about ten ounces

A quarter cup of bread crumbs were added to this

Chopped onion and two tables spoons fo microwaved Melt were added to this to moisten it. I didn't have any Just Egg for binding but the Melt seemed to do the trick.

 The onions were were unstuffed and re cut to fit the stuffing Tge vegan mozzarella was also added to.

You can see it's bigger ,and more cone like to fit the stuffing.

They were then stuffed and microwaved for about six to seven minutes in the microwave

The end resukt was a much tastier version of what I had first made. I realzized II took the easy way out.

The filling was a mix of crunchy and tender while the onion was exquisitely tender.

Some recipes you can do over. This is the case with Piednmontese onions. They were perfect thanks to a more tradditional and classic recipe.

Mrs Humphris Swedish Meatballs

 Can a classsic meat based recipe be turned vegan. Yes. Traditional Swedish meatlballs lend themselves to this.They can now be easily made with Impossible or Beyond Meat.

I used mybest friend forever Deb's mother's recipe. Although Mrs. Humphris is Finnish she is known for her Swedish meatballs. I wondered if I could take that delicous take and turn it into something even vegans could enjoy.

I subbed in Beyond Meat for the real thing and Just Egg for egg.I kept Mrs Humphris or Janice's half cup of bread crumbs.

Spicing is very important in making Swedish meat balls. Janice's recipe calls for two tablespoons of grated onion. I felt this may be too strong and I wanted the nutmeg to stand out more. I subbed in onion powder . I did keep the nutmeg which is really what makes the  meatballs unique.

It was then mixing everything together. I used  four tablespoons of of Just Egg to get the right conistancy.

It took a lot of mashing and blending to get all the ingredients moist and t the same time solid enough to form balls. Yet it was pretty easy to create meatballs.

It was then airfrying them for an easier cook. Janice bakes her in a 350 degree Farenheit oven. I wanted something quicker. I looked on line at various Beyond Meat sites. I found a good temp and time. it was five minutes at 400 degrees Farenheit.It produced the perfect meat ball,cripsy crunchy exterior with a soft tender and juicy inside. 

The gravy was amother matter.I wanted tomakeone that's perfect for the meat balls. I took from a variety of different recipes and added my own twists My one mistake was this:

I saw the ads for this, Better Than Bouillon on TV.I thought can I sub it instead of veggie broth. However it was super salty. The recipe called for two cups of veggie broth, three tablespoons of butter and flour. The butter and flour are cooked together to form a roux., I then added the entire jar of the bouilion. It was pure salt. I had to add more butter and double the amount of almond milk. Even an added glug of maple syrup couldn;t temper the saltniness. I also threw in about five tablespoons of nutmeg for that Swedish flavor.

The sauce looks creamy and amazing but it took a lot of extra almond milk and Melt plant butter to temper the intense salinity. with the meatballs and egg noodles added , it turned out to be not that bad.

I love Mrs Humphris' Swedish meatballs. I plan on making them again but with a milder gravy or just plain. They and the egg noodles were perfect, a wonderful dinner for a chill May night.

Thank you , Janice and Deb for giving me this great recipe. I plan on making this many more times.It's the perfect meal with the perfect flavor.

Easy Veggie Meals

 This is the season of grilling and meats. The problem is home chefs can fall into the rut of barbecuing steak and chicken all the time. A refreshing change up is having vegetables only  dishes. They're easy and tasty,plus being good for you.

One of my summer favorites is ratatouille. This is not the traditional one, with roasted in the oven veggies.

Mine has five Roma tomatoes cooked with one  diced green bell pepper and one sliced zucchini.It should have an onion in it which you can add. It can be intense though so I added a good sprinkling of onion powder along with garlic powder. The veggies were sauteed and simmered in a mix of Miyoko's  Creamery oat butter and olive oil. 

It was an easy fifteen minute simmer which was delicious with a brioche roll on the side. Another easy veggie dish is salsa cruda. Again this is a delicious and easy make, with just pasta to cook. The sauce is just sliced Roma tomatoes mixed with the cherry kind. Chopped onion can be added (or omitted depending on your taste) along with olive oil and fresh basil. Make it super simple by just buying pre cooked pasta. A really chill summer veggie dish is gazpacho. This favorite Spanish dish is a cold soup of blended tomatoes, cucumber garlic and green bell peppers. It's blended with a cup of olive oil and about three tablespoons of red wine vinegar. This is the perfect meal on a steamy hot day. It's refreshing and flavorful , each mouthful a summer harvest. I usually like to serve with slices of Italian or French bread dipped in olive oil.

A meal of fresh summer, veggies is a refreshing turn away from the usual barbecued meats. It's a nice way to enjoy summer's bounty with easy recipes. They're perfect for these sweltering days.

A Very Stout Burger

 Can a burger's taste be improved? The answer is most definitely yes. Surprisingly even a drop of alcohol can do wonders to add to the meaty and unami flavors.it does'r have to be a teaspoon of ground onion.

I recently discovered the stout burger during a visit to Paragon Tap and Table in Clark New Jersey. To be honest I was kind of hesitant to go in, expecting the brew house to have a limited menu. It didn't with an abundance of choices. One item from the menu caught my eye.

Their stout burger. This was something to be tried and it didn't disappoint. This was a thick patty served on a buttery brioche bun.A huge slab of bacon along with sauteed  and fried onions(!!) mushrooms and a stout aioli graced it but it was the burger itself that stood out. The waiter was kind enough to give me the recipe.

The stout is Guiness , that  famed creamy velvety brew from Dublin, drizzled onto already made patties and cooked quickly on a hot grill. Instead of the stout's flavor being mixed in and absorbed by the meat as in other stout burger recipes, it stood out on it's own, hence the purer flavor. It was really wonderful, marrying with the beef perfectly. The kitchen used just the right amount  as to not smother the hamburger's own taste. Even without the extras a  plain stout burger  on its' own with just the bun  and an onion would be good. Paragon also offers hanger steak and filet mignon. I wonder how those cuts would taste with a quick splash of stout. Their lamb burger with red wine sounds good too and I may try that on my next trip there.I am planning on using their stout recipe for my Beyond Burgers just to see how the drink holds up against plant based proteins. Will they taste the same?Or have a different taste vibe because real meat wasn't used.

Beer and burgers are always good together, Burgers with a splash of stout added to them are way better. Try one  today on a fun trip to Paragon Tap and Table.

Paragon Tap and Table is located at 77 Central Ave, Clark NJ. It shares the same parking lot as the Clark Target and Marshalls. It's right off the Clark Exit 135 on the Garden State Parkway South.

The Savory And Sweet Side Of Passover

 Like any holiday Passover has a savory and sweet side. The recipes can be classic but there's always room for new ones. They can be for the main course or for dessert afterwards.

Both Melissa Clark and Joan Nathan had interesting dishes for celebrating in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The holiday starts April 15th,next Friday and ends Saturday April 23rd. These dishes can be made any of the days and even taken to Passover pot luck dinner. Ms. Clark gives the recipe of a pomegranate baked rice and onion casserole in her Good Appetite column. This is huge in the Ashkenazi sector because they were forbidden to eat rice , along with chickpeas, corn, beans and spices.This is the first change in the Passover diet in over 800 hundred years The Sephardic Jewry has always allowed it , with their holiday recipes featuring rice stuffed vegetables. This  casserole comes from Shimi Aaron, an Israeli chef and owner of  EliaMIa, He is more known for his gold dusted babka but this recipe has the same amount of oomph. It's candied onions that have been roasted in a bath of pomegranate juice, laced with honey ,olive oil and dill.It's served on a bed of pine nut speckled rice. The onions are a mix of yeloow, purple and white ones fanned out over the layer of rice. Greek yogurt can be served with it.

Joan Nathan has a sweet Pass over recipe based on the famed Easy Toffee Bars that were reimagined into a Passover treat by Marcy Goldman. The original recipe called for Saltines but as Ms. Goldman found out matzoh also works just as well. It also called for using chocolate .Ms. Nathan subs in kosher for Passover peanut butter for a different spin. These too have been okayed by the Ashkenazi however have been used by the Sephardic for decades.It's first cooking butter and molasses into a syrup and then pouring over a layer of matzohs. This is then baked in a325 degree Farenheit oven for twenty minutes. Warmed  for twenty seconds in the microwave peanut butter is then poured over this,A layer of chopped peanuts and a good sprinkling of flaky sea salt is added. Brittle is best chilled so pop in the fridge right away.It should be there for about thirty minutes or until the peanut butter firms up. This makes for a nice gift if you're invited to someone's house.

Passover has room for both savory and sweet. Make these recipes for the celebration. They are tasty and a new spin on classic dishes that are sure to be favorites.

Mardi Gras Every Day

 Today is Mardi Gras ,a time of "Laissez le bonne temps roulez" in the city of Mardi Gras, New Orleans. There are also sorts of delicious savory and sweet dishes that are not only perfect for tonight's festivities but every day of the year. The good times and flavors can roll anytime you crave Creole or Cajun foods.

There are two key factors in New Orleans cooking. One is roux , a simple mix of butter and flour cooked over a low flame and whipped into a creamy sauce. It reflects Louisiana's deep French roots (if you're into French cooking you'll know that roux is used constantly to thicken sauces such as bechamel) and comes three ways, white, blonde and brown. White is the least cooked, while blonde takes a minute or two longer until it's a light golden color. The flavor is slightly nutty. There is the brown which is cooked anywhere from ten to thirty minutes. Gumbo usually requires a dark brown roux for both flavor and color. The other key factor in the cooking is the holy trinity - onions, bell peppers  and celery. Cooked together these impart a deep flavor that make Cajun and Creole cooking pop. Keep in mind that you can add this to your chicken soup and soup stocks for a wonderful vegetal flavor. Again it's taken from the region's Gallic roots. In France it's known simply as mirepoix and used frequently to flavor coq au vin and lamb stew. You can also use it in any kind of stew from chicken to beef along with gravy for homemade pot pies. 

New Orleans is known for its' seafood , namely shrimp. Shrimp gumbo will undoubtedly be on many a party menu tonight but it also makes for a tasty week night dinner. It can be easily made in the crockpot so you don't have to worry about coming home from work and prepping like crazy. Of course you'll need the holy trinity  of onions celery and bell  peppers but these can be cut up the night before. It's then adding tomato , shrimp cornstarch and  chicken broth along with a variety of herbs and  hot sauce to the mix. There's no roux to be made, The cornstarch thickens it. Po' boys, those delicious sandwiches can be made any time of the year and they're perfect for barbecues. You can just grill shrimp or chicken and place it on French bread with lettuce , tomatoes and pickles. Slather a homemade remoulade sauce on this for an authentic NOLA flavor. A remoulade sauce is simply mayo mixed with pickle juice or chopped pickles, mustard, horse radish, and garlic along with paprika for color. It's also good topping burgers and crab cakes. Add a touch of olive oil and vinegar for a spicy salad dressing. Mardi Gras ends with the sweet King Cake . Without the traditional green purple and gold icing , it's just a cinnamon roll bread that can be made for any brunch. 

You don't have to wait until Mardi Gras to enjoy its' fun and flavorful foods. They can be made throughout the year, giving zing and zest to any meal. Let the good times roll whenever you want.

Warming Up The Winter With Alco Eats Spices

 Nothing warms up a chilled body than a bowl of spicy food. It's so easy to create a flavorful bowl of veggies and meat, zinged with a variety of spices. Alco Eats knows this and have created the perfect blend of them for cooking and fiery treats for snacking.

This India based company has created a wide variety of Indian blend spices made from mixes of dried veggies and fruits spiked with such spices as turmeric, ginger, cardamon and white pepper. Dried onion, tomato and even muskmelon round it out. Each spice bottle has a recipe for such Indian classics as butter chicken.

This is great for those home chefs wanting to  dip into South Asian cooking. They could start out with sauteed veggies with the spice designed for them if they don't want to make an entire meal.These are great to make and serve with rice  but also with oven warmed naan. Also consider incorporating a few bottles in a holiday basket, with basmati rice and naan bread.

The company also Funny Nuts. These are cashews coated in biting black pepper and fiery peri-peri sauce.

I love any kind of cashew and these were amazing. The black pepper had the right bite while the peri-peri had the right amount of heat. There is also masala mirch and sour cream and onion. These are perfect stocking stuffers as well as being a good snack for hikes and picnics.They also would be a zingy addition to any holiday buffet table. 

Alco Eats has some amazing spices mixes plus a tasty selection of Fun Nuts. Try any of them for a tasty way to warm up this winter. Their fiery heat is delicious both as a meal and as a snack.

Air Fryer Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

 One of the best comfort foods is a stuffed pepper. It makes for a perfect meal - a tasty mix of proteins, grains and veggies. Yet making a few of them for dinner can be a bit too much if you use the oven. That's when the air fryer comes in.

A friend gave me autumn peppers from her lush Princeton garden. 

They were perfect for stuffing and I knew the easiest way to cook them . Their tops were cut off and minced to be added to the stuffing. They were easy to core too.

I used the recipe from Air Fryer Fanatic's blog.. I tweaked it a bit and made it vegetarian - with the addition of Morningstar Farms crumbles. These were sauteed with minced onion and garlic.  with about two good glugs of olive oil.

                      I used the entire package because I wanted to use the filling as a leftover dish  for tomorrow.

 The original recipe called for sage and Italian seasonings. I preferred dried parsley and rosemary for the ultimate flavor.

As for the tomato sauce, I added a cup and a half  a half cup more than required but again, I wanted extra.

I used Stop & Shop's brand .

This was simmered for about fifteen minutes. It was then cooking the rice. I made three cups of it.

It was time to stuff the peppers.

The filling should have been mixed but i decided to layer them. It was a base of  two to three tablespoons of rice followed by two to three tablespoons of the sauce. 

The recipes calls for cheese or breadcrumbs.I opted for the breadcrumbs with a dollop of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter to get the topping nice and crispy.

Set your air fryer at 360 degrees Farenheit for five minutes. Check on them during this interval.

Then lower the heat to 350 degrees Farenheit and cook for another seven to eight minutes until the topping is browned.

                                                     This is the green pepper. the topping is perfectly crisped.

                                                          This is the red pepper dug into.

I was never a big stuffed pepper fan but these turned out good. I loved the crunchy topping and the still fresh taste of the peppers. The sauce and rice was good and I liked them combined on their own. The mix will make a nice Sunday lunch tomorrow.

This is the time for comfort food. Make these air fryer stuffed peppers for a cozy meal on a nippy day. The flavor alone will warm you to your heart.

A Classic Redone

 The vegan celery soup from  blog The Simple Veganista is  now a classic go to recipe. It's a easy boil and simmer of chopped celery , onions, potatoes and garlic in Not Chick'n broth. However change was needed. The onion was a bit too overpowering so I went with another recipe suggestion  - chopped leeks.

Leeks are a wonderful addition and have the most subtle, sublime flavor. They're an allium which puts them as a cousin to garlic and onions. Yet their taste isn't overpowering  - which is perfect for the soup.

The other ingredients stayed the same. There were four to five cups of coarsely chopped celery.

Then the leeks which are about two cups here.

Keep in mins you don't have to cook them first as you do for other classic leek dishes like leeks on toast. They are washed, chopped and added to the pot to be sauteed with the celery.

I usually saute the veggies in a mix of olive oil and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. I decided to switch out the olive oil and sub in vegetable oil. It does make for a lighter flavor, perfect to bring out the sublime of the leeks.

Both were cooked until they were bright green for about eight to ten minutes

The original recipe calls for five garlic cloves but I used three fat ones, finely chopped.

Then two cans of diced potatoes. You could follow the recipe on the website and use white or Yukon Golds. Adding the canned ones was easier.

Then it was five cups of water and two Not Chick'n cubes and simmered for another ten minutes. It was then blended with an immersion blended for a creamy texture.

The taste was perfect, lighter and fresher tasting than the onion version. It's the perfect Spring soup and a great first course at an Easter dinner. I love the leeks in it and how they don't overpower the celery. The flavors work in tandem with each other. They also don't overpower the potatoes or the garlic.

The vegan celery soup is a classic recipe can be varied. Subbing in leeks for the onion is inspiring, creating a flavorful new taste. It's perfect for the days ahead.