This recipe is one that I got in a newsletter from Nickel and Nickel Winery in Napa during our Shelter in Place time, and the recipe wasn’t even a complete typed up recipe. It was more of a narrative on what the vintner had for dinner. All it said was ..
“Last Wednesday I opened a bottle of Merlot and made buttery papparadelle pasta with pork, garlic and braising greens. Short on pork? Caramelized onions make a rich, satisfying substitute.”
In the springtime around here the farmer’s markets bring out some uniquely springtime produce such as tender garlic. These garlic actually look like small pale pink onions. The first time I saw these I had no idea they were garlic. The farm stand vendor explained that sometimes they pull garlic bulbs out in the spring to sell, that if they left them in the ground they eventually become our regular garlic bulbs that we usually use. The flavor of spring garlic is like a cross between garlic and green onions. I know, interesting right! Here’s the other interesting tidbit, tender spring garlic are only available in the spring and that too for a month at the most. Continue reading Spring Garlic and Asparagus Risotto→
Good Thursday everyone. How is your week so far? Quiet and calm? Our week started with everyone working from home and online schooling. The kids are in a routine with their remote learning, although they did grumble that they didn’t like it. They miss school. You know, the silver lining with this stay at home order is that now kids appreciate school a lot more 😀. Even Hitesh had a few sighs of how he misses the social aspect and human touch that work provides. Nonetheless we are staying put at home to ride this out. Continue reading Indian Style Eggs & Parisian Style Sandwich→
Looking for an easy way to turn simple store-bought ravioli into a gourmet restaurant style pasta? Try jazzing them up with a variety of sautéed vegetables all presented in a way that gets a “Wow that looks so good” type of reaction. I made these spinach ravioli for my twins birthday party last weekend and rather than do my usual marinara sauce I wanted to give these ravioli a more sophisticated presentation. To accomplish this I sautéed a variety of spring-inspired veggies such as peas, broccolini, and green onions and tossed in briny olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Continue reading Jazzed up Ravioli with Sautéed Vegetables→
I made this Asian inspired noodle soup for our Sunday evening dinner recently and it was enjoyed by the whole family. With loads of vegetables all seasoned with herbs and spices, this recipe makes a giant pot of vegetable noodle soup floating in a flavorful coconut broth. Continue reading Mint and Lemongrass Sweet Potato Veggie Noodle Bowl→
Packed with nutrients, delicious and decadent, a baked chili relleno from our favorite Mexican restaurant Zona Rosa is what I tried to replicate in this recipe. Just look at the photo of their vegetarian chile relleno!! Doesn’t it look amazing!! In an effort to make something similar to Zona Rosa’s I stuffed my poblano peppers with a similar variety of veggies that included kale, sweet potatoes and squash. I then added quinoa and cheese, and baked the peppers on a bed of black beans. Continue reading Stuffed Chile Relleno with Kale, Sweet Potato and Squash→
There is something about a giant bowl of ramen noodle soup on a chilly evening that soothes the body and the soul. For all you folks who are still in the thick of winter, this one’s for you. This is not a quick eat and go type of meal, but then what ramen bowl really is? Ramen in broth begs to be savored and enjoyed slowly. This delicious hot soup will force you to sit together for dinner and slowly sip the broth, eat the veggies, and slurp the noodles 🍜. Continue reading Veggie Ramen Bowl→
It was a cool February Wednesday evening yesterday and the kids were on break from school. On days like this my twins seem to always ask me to make something “fun” for dinner. I never know what that means, what does make a “fun dinner” mean anyway? In return I always ask them, “What does that mean, a fun dinner?” Well to them “fun dinner” usually means a pasta or risotto for one twin, and for the other twin its usually Asian food. On this evening since the three of us were just lazing around all day I was in the mood for what I call a “lazy meal.” Enter this super simple baked pasta. When I made this pasta I was thinking of making a “fun dinner” with minimal effort. Continue reading Simple Pasta for Lazy Evenings. Baked Pasta with Marinara Sauce→
One of my all-time favorite pasta that my family loves is a roasted veggie pasta that I make very often. I keep the ratio of veggies to pasta very high as more veggies and less pasta equals more good for you veggies in every bite. With roasted veggies in a pasta dish, you pretty much don’t need anything else. Just a little garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and olive oil. That’s it. A wide variety of veggies get roasted for this pasta and release a lovely sweet caramelized flavor that gives the dish it’s wonderful taste. Continue reading Roasted Veggie Campanelle Pasta→
Shitake mushrooms all cooked with garlic, ginger, and cilantro pesto tastes so good that my mouth is watering as I type this. I love these pot stickers! An awesome vegetarian recipe for all you dumpling lovers these shitake dumplings will taste like your favorite Chinese restaurant. What makes these dumplings taste so over the top good is the dried shitake mushrooms that have a strong pungent mushroom flavor that you just cannot get from fresh mushrooms. It doesn’t take a lot of these dried mushrooms to get the unique flavor but trust me when I say those 4-5 dried mushrooms make a huge difference. They give the dumplings that restaurant quality flavor. The other taste I really like in these pot stickers is the pine nut in the stuffing that give a wonderful bite and texture. These are fabulous dumplings that taste amazing, Give it a try! Continue reading Ginger Shitake Pot Stickers→
