Max Miller recently did a podcast on Anzac Biscuits—Americans would call these “cookies.” We have not had a decent Anzac Biscuit since we visited New Zealand twenty years ago. Wife Jan decided that she really wanted some. Max always strives to use the original ingredients and methods in his show. I have no such constraints, as I always try to make any recipe my own. One problem—with any cookie actually—is that these tasty treats are not exactly diabetic friendly. While I started with Miller’s authentic 1926 Recipe for Anzac Biscuits as a basis, I substituted many of the ingredients to make them healthier for me to eat.
Category Archives: Vegetarian
Karl’s Za’atar Orzo with Spinach and Almonds
When wife Jan went off to Burning Man I wanted to give her some quick, easy, and filling camp foods. Two conditions were that it would cook in a short time and not produce any waste water—throwing old pasta water onto the playa was strictly forbidden. I had settled on the idea of making “box” dishes—like RiceARoni®. A spice packet, pre-measured and mixed ingredients that you just add water to and simmer. My za’atar orzo was very popular with her camp.
Filed under Main Dishes, Pasta, Vegetarian
Karl’s Grilled Corn Salsa
I am making grilled shrimp tacos, so I thought I would grill some corn to make a grilled corn salsa to go with it. Wife Jan really likes corn salsa and when she logged it into the Noom app after dinner, so does Noom. Everything in the salsa was a “green” food.
Filed under Side Dishes, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Karl’s Blue Cornbread with Chilies
Today, I am making cornbread with blue corn meal and Hopi culinary ash—this is in no way a traditional Hopi recipe. I was unable to find any recipes online for making this bread. The first reason for this is that culinary ash is almost impossible to come by outside of the Hopi reservation, so I am adapting my own cornbread recipe to the new ingredients.
Filed under bread, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
Karl’s Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Wife Jan asked for za’atar chicken skewers for Mother’s Day and I thought about what should go with it as a side dish. A Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad came to mind as something I had done before. However, to change things up I decided to throw in some chickpeas—AKA garbanzo beans. My meat marinade used most of a carton of yogurt and—to pair the salad with the main dish—I added the rest of the yogurt to the dressing.
Filed under Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
Karl’s Harcourt Verts with Thyme and Chervil
I am making dinner for Daughter Eilene’s friends and I had decided to have green beans as a side dish. Since my main dish was a French flavored meatloaf, I chose to use French Harcourt Verts with French thyme and chervil—French parsley. While Harcourt Vert simply means “green bean” in French, they are usually picked younger, and are thinner—and tenderer—than the Blue Lake variety that is most popular in the US.
Filed under Beans, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
Karl’s Rice Florentine
I am making broiled salmon for a weekday dinner and I usually make some kind of rice dish to go with it. Recently, I learned a new—to me—way of preparing basmati rice. The rice is par-boiled in a lot of water, drained, and then steamed with any additional ingredients. One of the fondly remembered dishes of my mother Claudia was green rice. Today, I decided to expand on my mother’s recipe by adding spinach—al la Florentine.
Filed under Rice, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian
Karl’s Parsley Potatoes with Slow Roasted Leeks
I was making my birthday dinner and I wanted something to go with my barbecued lamb. I looked on-line for suggested side dishes. I saw some things I liked, but mostly it gave me ideas for what I would make.
Filed under Potatoes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Karl’s Crisis Tortilla Soup
In the past, I have railed against “add can one to can two” recipes. Given the current Covid crisis, I find I must change my opinion on this subject. When you cannot go out shopping every day for fresh food, all you may have are a couple of cans of foods. Needs must!
Filed under Main Dishes, Soups, Vegetarian
Jan’s Peanut Butter and Spice Stuffed Dates
While I am sure that our mothers did not invent the original dish, it was a common holiday treat in both of our house growing up. Sweet Medjool dates stuffed with crunchy peanut butter and dusted with powdered sugar says “Christmas” in our house. These are easy to make, but they do not last long—even when there are no children around. Wife Jan, of course, decided to improve on the recipe this year by adding some spice.
Filed under Desserts & Treats, Holidays, Vegetarian