This week I wanted a fast weekday meal. Fried salmon, a quick starch dish, and a simple salad. This does not mean that I could not be creative. In a burst of inspiration, I came up with a new way of making salad dressing.
Karl’s Carrot and Spinach Salad
with Orange Tarragon Dressing
Filed under California Fusion, Green Vegetables, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
A few weeks ago I had some peaches sitting on the counter in danger of over ripening. Jam was the obvious solution. Jan thought it was “too sweet.” This flaw did not stop her from eating the entire jar in two weeks.
Karl’s White Peach Jam
Filed under California Fusion, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian
I wanted to make a Sub-Saharan side dish to go with my West African chicken stew. I knew I wanted to use garbanzo beans and spinach, but all the dishes I found on-line threw in peanut butter to “make it African.” Since my chicken dish already contained peanut butter, I did not want to use it—two dishes that taste too similar is not interesting. I had to find another way to make my dish “African.”
Karl’s African Spinach Soup
Filed under Side Dishes, Soups, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
I am barbecuing chicken wings for this Sunday’s Dinner and I needed a vegetable side dish. While Jan like corn on the cob, much of what you find in the stores has already gone moldy—pull back the top leaves and take a sniff. My wife will not touch it when it is that state. Fortunately, there is an Summer vegetable stand near us that has really fresh corn.
Karl’s Garlic Lemon Barbecued Corn
Filed under California Fusion, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Usually when you buy radishes from the supermarket—and even from the farmer’s market—the leaves are almost always wilted and sorry looking—good only for compost or the trash bin. Yesterday, a new farmer had shown up at my local market and he had really fresh radishes.
Karl’s Sautéed Red Radishes and Greens
Filed under California Fusion, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Japan has many tsukemono, literally “pickled things.” When my father came back from Japan in the Fifties, he introduced my family to Japanese cuisine. One dish that he learned to make was salt pickled cabbage (kyabetsu shio-zuke; キャベツ塩-漬け ).
Karl’s Salt Pickled Cabbage
with Pickled Ginger and Japanese Chili
Kyabetsu Shio-zuke Tsukemono
Filed under California Fusion, Green Vegetables, Pickles, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Jan grew up eating peanut butter and lettuce sandwiches. Instead of the sugary sweet of jam or honey, she prefers the crunch of the lettuce. She also prefers to toast her bread first, for the added flavor of the Maillard reation. I forgot to toast the bread before adding the peanut butter to both slices of bread, so she had me put them in the toaster oven as is. The bread toasted, but the peanut butter became hot and melted. She thought that it went perfectly with the cool crisp lettuce.
Jan’s Hot Peanut Butter and Lettuce Sandwich
Filed under California Fusion, 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
I needed a vegetable to go with my Middle Eastern Lamb shanks. Stuffed artichoke hearts came to mine as a good and tasty solution. However, after gentle criticism of my tapas dinner, I have tried to move away from my overpowering urge to stuff meat into vegetables.
Karl’s Middle Eastern Stuffed Artichoke Hearts
Filed under Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
I am making a Spanish tapas dinner for this Sunday. This whole meal started because Miriam wanted this cold tomato soup. Gazpacho may be served as a tapas. I made this gazpacho a bit simpler than my last, simply because was making so many other dishes. Jan thinks of this dish as salsa soup.
Karl’s Tapas
Gazpacho
Cold Tomato Soup
Filed under Side Dishes, Soups, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
karllueck
Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 