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
Got tomatoes? Me too! Nothing tastes so much like summer as a beautiful, ripe tomato. Now, I do love a caprese salad (tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella) as much as the next person, but you might not want all that cheese at times. (I know, I can’t believe I said that. OK, maybe you just don’t have fresh mozzarella on hand right now. I bet you have an onion, though.) Anyway, regardless of the reason, here’s a flavorful, healthy dairy-free option that will delight your tastebuds! Continue reading
Here’s a snappy, crisp, and refreshing summer salad which can become a main course with the optional addition of some protein (I used sliced hard-cooked eggs, but you could use whatever you like, such as sliced grilled chicken or shrimp, or even marinated, grilled tofu).
I used a spiralizer to make the “zoodles” (zucchini noodles), but you can also use a vegetable peeler to make long, fettucine-like ribbons of zucchini. Once you get started with zoodles, it’s kind of hard to stop. You’ll think of all kinds of dressings and toppings and sauces to put on them. This is the time of year when zucchini is abundant, so knock yourself out!
Confession: I wasn’t even sure if I liked zucchini due to a watery experience with cooked zucchini in my childhood, but prepared raw this way, it’s crisp and fresh-tasting. Continue reading
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
Those little orange bubbles are salmon roe caviar, which you may have had before on top of sushi rolls. Each bubble is a burst of salty, fishy goodness! A small container is not very expensive at the Japanese or Asian market (I paid $4.50 for enough to make 20 crackers). The trick is to rush it home, well-chilled if possible (my shop provides free ice, but you could also bring your own cooler, or buy some frozen items and make sure they’re in the same bag). When you get home, put it directly in the fridge, then eat it the same day. I’ve borrowed from the Russians to create this fun East-West fusion appetizer. And IT’S SO EASY. Impress your guests, or just yourself!
Let me explain what I mean by borrowing from the Russians: A Russian way to eat caviar is on blini (buckwheat crepes) with sour cream, red onion, and diced hard cooked egg. We had this in a restaurant and loved it. Inspired, but knowing making blini is an involved process, I came up with sesame rice crackers, sour cream, and chopped green onion. If you feel like sprinkling on some finely-diced hard-cooked egg too, by all means. It’s swell! Continue reading
This is one good-looking and delicious chilled soup. We could not stop eating it. A most excellent light and guilt-free appetizer for your summer nights. Serve it in martini glasses for guests – and it’s great for guests because there is a nice make-ahead trick. Also, you can pretend you’re in Spain because it’s from a super-awesome Spanish cookbook. What’s not to like? Continue reading