flaky mushroom goat cheese tarts with truffle and thyme

September 7, 2015 radish*rose 0 comment

Imagine if a pizza and a croissant had a baby. It would be a savory, flaky tart just like this! Puff pastry makes the flaky crust, topped with mushrooms, shallots, and thyme, then drizzled with a bit of truffle oil, sprinkled with goat cheese crumbles and baked till puffed and golden. This was my first time working with puff pastry and it was not as difficult as I had feared – it was actually quite easy. I always thought of it as something akin to phyllo dough, which requires brushing each layer with oil or butter as you use it, but puff pastry was much easier to work with. You just kind of unroll it and use it. What a nice surprise! Continue reading

spiced tamarind lentils

August 30, 2015 radish*rose 1 Comment

I have never met a lentil I didn’t like. They’re a gentle and friendly little legume. You don’t have to presoak them, and they’re generally simpatico with my way of being. In looking for unusual and creative ways to prepare them, I happened across this recipe from the awesomely named Veganomicon. One of the authors of Veganomicon is the author of a cookbook I’ve blogged about before: Salad Samurai. Check out more Terry Hope Romero recipes I’ve tried here and here!

roasted plums with gorgonzola, honey and thyme

August 23, 2015 radish*rose 3 Comments

This is like a next-level fruit & cheese platter for a light, elegant end to your meal. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of black plums, especially with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of flaky sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a few fresh thyme leaves. Once you pull these little guys out of the oven, crumble some gorgonzola on top (or goat cheese if you’re not into the blue stuff), let it melt a bit, and drizzle with honey. Voilá!

hawaiian poke tuna

August 16, 2015 radish*rose 0 comment

Poke (pronounced POH-kay) tuna is tuna sashimi marinated in a flavorful blend of sesame oil, ginger, garlic, lime, and soy sauce, topped with scallions, sesame seeds and nuts. I believe kukui nuts or macadamia nuts are the classic nuts to use, but you can substitute peanuts if you haven’t got any of those lying around. Although it seems exotic, this dish is actually very easy. Perhaps this is obvious, but there is no heat involved, so it’s fabulous for summer. It is usually accompanied by seaweed salad, either mixed in with the tuna or on the side.

roasted chili lime corn on the cob

August 9, 2015 radish*rose 3 Comments

Good summertime corn is a wonderful thing. Growing up in Illinois, “sweet corn” was everywhere, and the taste and scrunchy crunch of corn on the cob held with buttery fingers brings me right back there in my memories. Tastes like summer! All that wonderful Midwestern corn kind of spoiled me, though, and now that I live in the Northeast, good quality fresh corn is a little harder to come by since it doesn’t travel well. The natural sugar in the corn degrades once it is detached from the stalk, and even more so under refrigeration. However, I was fortunate to receive a few ears in my farm share (CSA) box last week — grown in Pennsylvania, just next door. Continue reading

mediterranean zoodle salad with tomatoes, feta, and pine nuts

August 2, 2015 radish*rose 1 Comment

Zoodles seem to be taking over the world. What are zoodles? They are zucchini “noodles” made using a spiralizer, which creates long thin strands out of vegetables. I’m highly entertained by the fact that the British call them “coodles” because they call a zucchini a “courgette”. Coodles, zoodles, whatever you call them – they’re a perfect way to use up those zucchinis / courgettes that are everywhere this time of year. Low-carb fans often substitute zoodles for pasta noodles, but I like to make salads with them since I prefer them cold. This particular salad features a lemony oregano dressing with tomatoes, feta cheese and toasted pine nuts. Just the thing for a hot summer day! Continue reading