Daughter Miriam is coming over to work on an article with her mother. She is on a soft food diet for her TMJ and is suffering from an illness that prevents her from eating anything in the leek family. Her sister, Eilene, just had a dental implant, so she is on a soft food diet as well.
Karl’s Soft Food Chicken Orzo Italiano
Filed under California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Pasta
I had decided to make Moroccan chicken tajine for this Sunday’s dinner. Couscous is an obvious side dish—especially since some of my diners are on a low carb diet. The chicken would be well spiced so I thought that the side dish should be a bland-ish canvas for the flavorful sauce.
Karl’s Moroccan Couscous II
Filed under Pasta, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian
Several month ago, Eilene asked me to make Mac and Cheese sometime when her friends came over. While I have made this dish several times for her friends, this time she wanted something different. She wanted me to use pancetta, brie, apples, and almonds—instead of the usual cheddar or Emmentaler cheese. She also did not want me to use macaroni, but some kind of spiral pasta. Since, I am always sneaking in more vegetables, I also added some leek to the mix.
Karl and Eilene_s Brie and Pancetta Mac and Cheese
Filed under California Fusion, Main Dishes, Pasta, Pork
Jan’s favorite dish, when we go to a Japanese restaurant is kitsune udon. Udon is a thick wheat noodle that is a standard for a large variety of Japanese soups—both hot and cold. While kitsune refers to a fox, the distinguishing ingredient in this dish fried tofu—apparently the favorite food of the magical, Japanese, shape-shifting foxes.
Karl’s Kitsune Udon
Filed under Main Dishes, Pasta, Soups
I had decided to make Moroccan chicken wings for this Sunday’s dinner. Couscous is the obvious starch to go with them. Since I was using Ras el Hanout—a Moraccan spice blend—for the chicken, I thought it would also work well with the pasta.
Karl’s Moroccan Couscous
Filed under California Fusion, Pasta, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian
Lamb calls out for a starch of some kind—potatoes, rice, or couscous. Since I am doing Middle Eastern lamb shanks, I decided I would use ptitim. This Israeli couscous was invented in the 1950’s as a substitute for rice.
Karl’s Israeli Couscous With Almonds and Mint
Filed under Pasta, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian
Eilene is having some friends over. I decided to make their favorite Mac & Cheese. When she and her friends make this for themselves they, of course, use the “orange stuff in a box.” This is just starch, fat, and chemicals, not a meal.
Karl’s Mac & Cheese with Bacon & Leek
Filed under California Fusion, Casserole, Main Dishes, Pasta, Pork
After living in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, my family has always really loved garlic—a lot! I had an idea that popped into my head about a side dish to go with my Moroccan lamb—large chunks of roasted garlic floating in a sea of fluffy couscous. My thought was that as you took a bite of couscous you would get a burst of roasted garlic goodness.
Karl’s Roasted Garlic Couscous
Filed under Pasta, Side Dishes, Starches, Vegan, Vegetarian
I am making Surf-and-Turf for Miriam’s birthday dinner this weekend. I am making a Tunisian salad and I thought lemon couscous would be a good compliment. I have made lemon couscous before, but I thought I could improve it.
Karl’s Lemon Saffron Couscous
Filed under Pasta, Side Dishes, Starches, Vegan, Vegetarian
Dàn dàn miàn (担担面; “peddler’s noodles”) are boiled noodles with a spicy sesame/peanut sauce poured over them. The story goes that lunch peddler’s would carry a dàn dàn—a shoulder pole with a bucket on either end—with the cooked noodles in one bucket and the spicy sauce in the other. When you bought your lunch you were expected to provide your own bowl and the seller would put in some noodles and splash some of the sauce over them.
Karl’s Dàn Dàn Miàn
Sichuan Peddler’s Noodles
Filed under Main Dishes, Pasta, Pork
karllueck
Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 