Category — Vegetarian Recipes

When I was growing up, my mom would often make carrots in the oven cooked with butter and dill. I loved them back then, but after experimenting over the years with different herbs, spices, and fats, the version I almost always make is this one: with olive oil, coarse salt, cumin, and just a hint of cinnamon. The natural sugars in the carrots caramelize and brown a bit in a hot oven, and the sweetness is balanced out by the spice and the salt.

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This blog has been on a serious sweet streak lately – and when I look back, I see I haven’t posted anything savory here since January! Let me get back in the good graces of those who love salt and butter more than sugar and chocolate with these delicious, flaky, buttery scones with cheddar and green onions.

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This recipe has been billed as “the only shortbread recipe you’ll ever need” and I couldn’t agree more. The secret to this Scottish-style shortbread is kind of weird- it’s cornstarch. Lots and lots of cornstarch. And, naturally, lots of butter. But it’s absolutely the best shortbread recipe I’ve tried to date.

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What do you do when you have leftover egg yolks AND a whole bag of way-too-sour clementines? Why, you spend the afternoon making clementine curd, naturally. It’s a little sweet, a little tangy, a little creamy, and a lot addictive. Put it on your morning toast or pancakes, fill a thumbprint cookie or a tart shell, or… just eat it with a spoon.

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The other night, I got home from work around 5:15 and had dinner guests arriving at 5:30. I had this easy chicken dish planned, but very little in the way of side dishes. I knew I had some half bunches of produce here and there so thought I would quickly invent a salad on the fly based on what was laying around.

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If you read this blog often, you will know that I love putting things in the food processor and I also love Tastespotting. So when I saw this super fast and easy recipe on the Tastespotting blog for kale and walnut pesto, I had to try it.

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Eating seasonally in the winter can be tough, because while I can easily eat my body weight in citrus fruits, the vegetables can be less exciting. That is, of course, if you ignore all of the gnarly roots like rutabagas, turnips, and celery root. But don’t ignore those: with the right preparation and enough butter, they can be really delicious. To wit, I present a near-perfect winter side dish: a creamy puree of celery root, cauliflower, creme fraiche, and butter.

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I have been on the hunt for a chocolate cookie that’s crispy on the outside and chewy-gooey-fudgy on the inside. I’ve tried quite a few recipes, but this one is the best I’ve found - I love the crisp, crackly outside that yields to a soft center. All you need is a tall glass of milk.

What’s extra great is that there is no flour nor butter in them, just egg whites for binding, so they are practically health food. (OK technically it would be more accurate to say they are practically candy, since the bulk is made up of sugar and chocolate.)

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This is one of my favorite holiday snacks – crunchy sugar-coated nuts with balancing hits of salt and spice.

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I love broccoli soup, but I get tired of the same old cheese- and cream-laden preparations. I decided to do an Asian-inspired variation with coriander, ginger, lemongrass, and sesame oil – toasting the broccoli at the beginning, to add an extra layer of flavor.

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