Pasta with fragrant dried herbs and a variety of vegetables is perfect comfort food on a cool fall-afternoon. Fresh herbs from my garden are what I reach for when making pasta but on this Sunday afternoon it was my daughter Sri who was making lunch and rather than take the few extra steps into the garden for fresh herbs she just reached into my pantry for my homegrown dried herbs. I have to say I was surprised how different dried herbs taste from fresh herbs. I would even say that dried herbs have a stronger flavor profile giving pasta a real kick of herb fragrance. In this oreccheitti pasta Sri used veggies that I had at hand which happened to be asparagus, mushrooms, and tomatoes. With a pinch of chili flakes and lots of garlic, this pasta tastes amazing with fragrant dried herbs and fresh vegetables 😋. Continue reading Oreccheitti Pasta with Dried Herbs & Vegetables
Tag Archives: international flavors
Bok Choy Fried Rice
Bok choy fried rice is a dish I had at a cute little Asian restaurant in San Francisco called Chubby Noodle. We got the recommendation for this eatery from one of my daughter’s friends who lives in SF and suggested we try their weekend bottomless brunch. With two locations in the city, the one we were told to head to was the Chubby Noodle in the Marina District on Lombard Street Chubby Noodle Marina. Folks, this is an awesome place for awesome food. The decor is eclectic, space intimate, and the wait staff super friendly. Sprinkle in family and friends and it’s absolutely perfect. Awesome food, awesome service, awesome decor – what more does one require for a great eating out experience? If you are looking for a fun place to grab a long 90-minute brunch with friends and family give this Asian restaurant a try – Chubby Noodle. Continue reading Bok Choy Fried Rice
Creamy Goat Cheese Fettuccini with Spinach and Leeks
Here is a quick and easy weeknight pasta with baby spinach, leeks and fresh garden tomatoes, all tossed in a delicious creamy goat cheese sauce. This is the ultimate comfort food that is packed with good for you veggies and warm feel-good pasta. I love spinach and have started to really like leeks a lot too. I grew up with Mom making spinach often, and it’s to the point now that I miss it if I haven’t had any it in a few days. Any opportunity to use spinach I am all for it – in rice, quinoa, daal, curry, salads, and of course pasta! I especially love spinach in pasta, it wilts into the warm pasta so delicately and always tastes great. Try this gourmet tasting easy to make pasta with spinach and leeks and creamy cheese sauce for a stay-at-home Thursday night dinner or a Friday night dinner or on any night really. Continue reading Creamy Goat Cheese Fettuccini with Spinach and Leeks
Roasted Veggie Enchiladas
Can I just start off by saying I love, love, love roasted vegetables! I love the way how caramelized, sweet, and nutty vegetables become when roasted, adding a dimension of flavor that you can’t get any other way. What roasting does to vegetables is something magical and I can’t get enough of them. In fact so much veggie flavor is enhanced in this process that I like to keep the herbs and spices to a minimum when I cook with roasted veggies, which allows us to enjoy the rich complex delicious flavor of roasted veggies. I mean look at this photo? Isn’t it a beautiful assortment of roasted veggies? Roasted vegetables taste great in anything – in omelets, pasta, couscous, rice, quiche, curry, salads, soups, tacos and enchiladas. Continue reading Roasted Veggie Enchiladas
Chanterelle Wild Mushroom Risotto
Last week I went shopping for produce at Costco and came across these gorgeous looking wild mushrooms called chanterelles. Usually I find wild mushrooms to be pricey at the grocery stores and even at the Famer’s Market, but at Costco for a large carton of about 4-5 cups of chanterelle mushrooms it was just more affordable and they looked so fresh too. I picked up a carton and decided to make wild mushroom risotto that same night. Gorgeous golden colored chanterelles look and taste amazing in a creamy risotto. Continue reading Chanterelle Wild Mushroom Risotto
Cauliflower Sauté with Peppers and Tofu
I picked up this recipe from watching an episode of Ree Drummond’s Food Network show Pioneer Woman which was focused on quick AND healthy 16-minute meals. Of the three meals she made, two were vegetarian! One of the vegetarian dishes was a hummus wrap with roasted peppers, artichoke hearts and feta cheese with a tossed green salad – Yum 😋. The other vegetarian dish was a cauliflower sauté with Asian flavorings. The dish I chose to make right away was the cauliflower sauté. This dish has loads of cauliflower and easy to find store-bought Asian sauces. I modified the original recipe by adding bell peppers and tofu to amp up the vegan protein and served this outstanding cauliflower sauté with royal rice made with coconut milk, garlic and onions. Give it a try. Continue reading Cauliflower Sauté with Peppers and Tofu
Royal Rice. A fusion of Mexican and Indian flavors.
An issue of Food and Wine magazine arrived in the mail and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was completely dedicated to the cuisine of Mexico. In this issue the two recipes that got me intrigued were vegetarian dishes that combined Mexican and Indian flavors. One of the recipes was for a dish called royal rice and the other one was for Indian pakoras made with chickpea flour, Mexican herbs, and Mexican lager beer. The rice dish is really interesting because it is a blend of Indian and Mexican flavors all mashed up into one main dish that can be had with yogurt raita or as a side with fish or chicken. Continue reading Royal Rice. A fusion of Mexican and Indian flavors.
Pastini Di Mandorla. Maltese Almond Cookies
Pastini Di Mandorla are popular almond cookies that are a specialty of Malta. These almond cookies were introduced to me by my friend Georgina who is from Malta. Georgina has been dropping off her almond cookies for over a decade, every time my Dad visits us here in California. Once Georgina figured out how much I too loved her almond cookies, she started gifting them for my birthday as well. Honestly, I never bothered to ask her how to make these cookies since I was getting my supply about twice a year. Continue reading Pastini Di Mandorla. Maltese Almond Cookies
Rigatoni with Asparagus Leeks Zucchini and Kale
This light and delicious pasta is packed with good for you veggies like asparagus, kale, zucchini and leeks and is the perfect healthy weeknight dinner. With a touch of garlic and black pepper and topped with Parmesan cheese, this simple pasta tastes outstanding, and even takes care of the veggie quota for the evening. Continue reading Rigatoni with Asparagus Leeks Zucchini and Kale
Eggplant Parmesan & the Dinner Request That Nudged Me to Make It
Eggplant Parmesan is such an indulgent Italian dish that I always order it at restaurants. Deep fried breaded eggplant patties baked with gooey cheese and marinara sauce, what’s not to like with this combination? It hits the fried food craving, cheese craving, and Italian food craving, all in one dish. Continue reading Eggplant Parmesan & the Dinner Request That Nudged Me to Make It
