sesame kabocha soup with crunchy maple topping

November 29, 2015 radish*rose 0 comment

Feeling like making something a little lighter, yet still comforting? Soup is your friend! Or maybe you’re looking for something to do with a random squash, like a kabocha, in your possession, and you’re ready to go beyond simple roasting. Here is a lovely and light, low-fat yet filling soup for your winter nights. Don’t skip making this topping – it is SO GOOD. It kind of reminds me of those little Asian sesame stick snacks which are my absolute favorite snack of all time – in fact, I can’t keep them in the house! And it does all this while being naturally vegan, darling. We had this with avocado toast on the side. (For avocado toast: Take a slice of hearty, whole grain toast, mash 1/2 avocado on top, and lightly salt & pepper to taste. Eat with everything!) Continue reading

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.

kale salad with apples, walnuts and gruyere

June 21, 2015 radish*rose 2 Comments

My office recently moved to from midtown to downtown Manhattan, and I’ve been having a lot of fun exploring the neighborhood. One day my foodie friend and I were wandering around TriBeCa looking for a place to have lunch. We passed by a spot called Tiny’s, located in a 3-story pink townhouse built in 1810 – and she said “Hey! I hear their kale salad is famous.” Sold! We happily ordered it, while enjoying Tiny’s decor, which includes exposed brick walls, original tin-tile ceilings and a Masonic-themed copper-and-marble bar. The salad was crunchy, delicious, and refreshing on a super-hot day, with slightly mustardy, slightly gingery dressing, and an umami accent from the aged gouda grated over the top. Since we both love to cook, we kept puzzling over what might be in the dressing and whether there was a way to recreate the goodness at home. Luckily, she found a take on it by The Bari Studio (they must be as obsessed with this salad as we are!), so I used their recipe as my starting point. But don’t worry, Tiny’s, we’ll definitely be back for your original version! Continue reading

vegan palak paneer

December 6, 2014 radish*rose 1 Comment

Do you love curry spinach with cheese cubes at Indian restaurants (palak paneer) but wonder just a little about the amount of butter and cheese involved, given its obvious deliciousness? Me too. Or maybe you avoid animal products. Either way, isn’t it great that Mark Bittman has our backs? Here’s a healthy version of palak “paneer” using tofu, with only a little oil. You will not miss the butter and cheese! Continue reading

ginger soy butter mussels

August 10, 2014 radish*rose 2 Comments

Ginger, soy sauce, and a touch of butter make an irresistible Japanese-influenced East-West broth for these mussels. The original recipe was for clams, but I haven’t quite gotten the hang of cleaning those yet, so I substituted mussels since I know what to do with those (and so will you, read on!). Also, did I mention that mussels are one of the most sustainable types of seafood? Yay for mussels! Continue reading

refreshing shrimp and ginger glass-wrapper spring rolls

July 21, 2014 radish*rose 2 Comments

Crisp, cool, gingery and refreshing. Plus a mystery solved! How do restaurants make those beautiful glass-wrapper rolls? IT’S SO EASY. If you can roll a burrito, you can do this. Promise! We have even made this on a work-busted Monday night (we did make the Asian slaw on Sunday, a good make-ahead trick because that stuff gets better when it sits). This post is a little photo-heavy because I wanted to show you how to do it. Please comment to let me know what you think about having more process photos! Continue reading