easy rice crackers

February 21, 2016 radish*rose 0 comment

I had to find out if this super-simple method for making rice crackers works. It sounds so ridiculously easy! It couldn’t possibly work, right? But it does! All you need is some leftover rice, a food processor, a baking sheet with a silpat, and about 2 hours, and you can have your very own homemade rice (or any grain) crackers. And they’re fun, crunchy, and delicious! And as a bonus, you know exactly what’s in them – no preservatives, no cross-contamination from nuts or other grains if you’re worried about that for yourself or your kids, or other unwanted ingredients. Of course, the fact that there are no preservatives means you’ve got to eat them pretty much right away, but I don’t think you’ll find that very difficult.

parsnip soup with sherry

February 15, 2016 radish*rose 1 Comment

Parsnips deserve more love. They’re kind of like giant white carrots, and I am quite fond of them. Having acquired about 4 good-sized parsnips, I was casting about for something to make with them aside from roasting, so I decided to consult my Rose Elliot book, and happened upon a very simple recipe for parsnip soup. Parsnip soup? How delightfully Downton-Abbey-esque! I was intrigued. I made it even more aristocratic by adding cream and dry sherry, but the original recipe doesn’t use them so if you’re not feeling particularly titled today, feel free to leave them out.

cauliflower cheese with smoky crumb topping

February 7, 2016 radish*rose 0 comment

Low carb comfort food? Sign me up! Upon finding myself in possession of a generous amount of cauliflower, I looked through a few cookbooks and blogs for inspiration, and one of my all-time favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen, came through with a great idea for cauliflower cheese. It’s kind of like mac and cheese, only with cauliflower instead of macaroni. Doesn’t it sound delicious? I thought so! So here’s my version. I’ve adapted Smitten Kitchen’s recipe by using Gruyére instead of Cheddar, adding some extra Dijon mustard, and topping it with some smoked paprika and crunchy panko (breadcrumbs). (But you can leave those off if you are avoiding all carbs, or substitute sliced almonds.) Continue reading

tamari butter tempeh with shredded brussels sprouts

January 31, 2016 radish*rose 1 Comment

There is something magical about the combination of butter and soy sauce. I didn’t even make this up – the New York Times agrees with me. It’s kind of an East-West flavor bomb. So when I found a recipe in Heidi Swanson’s Near and Far cookbook featuring butter, soy, and tempeh, I had to try it! Crispy shredded brussels sprouts finish the dish. You can serve it over rice or just eat it up! I prefer the strong flavor of tamari in this dish instead of soy sauce, but you can try it and decide for yourself. Did I mention that this is an extremely quick dish to make? Perfect for your Meatless Monday.

sesame soy eggplant with soba noodles

January 24, 2016 radish*rose 0 comment

I love eggplant, and am always looking for fresh ways to cook with it. Steaming the eggplant turns it into a soft and silky sponge ready to soak up a flavorful Asian-inspired marinade. This recipe is inspired by one from the New York Times for a cold summer salad, but since it’s winter where I am, I’ve adapted it to be a lovely topping for nutty, hearty buckwheat soba noodles instead, which can be enjoyed warm, room temperature, or cold, and I’ve added baby spinach to the overall dish instead of serving it atop greens. But if you like, you can go with the original recipe’s plan of serving it over baby arugula, or perhaps over zoodles (zucchini noodles made with a spiralizer) if that’s your thing. How’s that for versatility? Continue reading

colorful baked rice with mint, feta and pomegranate

January 19, 2016 radish*rose 0 comment

Sometimes a recipe just catches your fancy and you want to make it immediately. I saw this baked rice recipe on bonappetit.com and added everything to my shopping list right away so I could make it that same night! It’s so colorful and has many flavors I love – salty, sweet, tangy, minty. Oh, and there’s some butter. That always increases the deliciousness factor! I also was curious about this baking method for rice. It worked perfectly and now I plan to try it using other herbs – like maybe some dill, and then you could serve it with some delicious salmon, and… I’m getting carried away. Continue reading