Jan has a potluck today and most of the other people signed up for meat dishes. Jan thought that there should be at least one vegetarian option. I suggested saag paneer, greens with cheese.

Karl’s Saag Paneer II
Jan has a potluck today and most of the other people signed up for meat dishes. Jan thought that there should be at least one vegetarian option. I suggested saag paneer, greens with cheese.

Karl’s Saag Paneer II
Filed under California Fusion, Side Dishes, Vegetables, Vegetarian
I am doing a Hanukkah dinner and Miriam asked for Brussels sprouts as the vegetable. I was making a lamb meatloaf that would be using the oven and I wanted a way that I could shorten the time it would take to roast the sprouts. My solution was to half steam my vegetables, so that I could quickly roast them in the oven at the last minute after I took the meat out to rest.

Karl’s Lemon Thyme Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Filed under Broiling, California Fusion, Holidays, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
I wanted a green vegetable to go with roasted turkey and stuffing. The traditional American side dish involves overcooked green beans, canned mushroom soup and fried onions. Some people actually look forward to this dish every year.

Karl’s Garlic and Chive Harcourt Vert
Filed under Holidays, Side Dishes, Steaming, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Adapted from a Washington’s Green Grocer recipe
What is a Thanksgiving turkey without the sauce? Jan read recently that while many of the ingredients of an American Thanksgiving feast had a New World origin, the culinary aesthetic was definitely Old World. The serving a tart fruit sauce with greasy roasted meats comes straight from the (European) Middle Ages.

Jan’s Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce
Filed under California Fusion, Holidays, Sauces and Spices, Vegan, Vegetarian
What is a Thanksgiving feast without pumpkin pie? Although I recently made a similar pie for Jan’s new brother, there is always room for improvement. I found real pumpkin for this one and I decided to stir in the crystallized ginger, instead if just sprinkling it on top.

Karl’s Pumpkin Pie
with Grand Marnier Whipped Cream
Filed under Desserts & Treats, Holidays, Pies & Tarts, Vegetarian
This is Eilene’s birthday week, so she got to choose Sunday’s dinner. She wanted spicy chicken and pan fried noodles. While this is a meal in itself, I thought that a cold, vegetable salad would be a nice addition to the meal.

Karl’s Sichuan Pickle Salad
Filed under Pickles, Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian
We were meeting at a friend of Jan’s place for lunch to be introduced to her new half brother—long story, but the friend has know him for most of her life and Jan first found out about him two months ago. My job was to bring the bread and dessert, I decided on pumpkin pie without the crust.

Karl’s Crust-less Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie
Filed under California Fusion, Desserts & Treats, Pies & Tarts, Vegetarian
The kids are gone for the weekend, so Sunday dinner is just Jan, Eilene and myself. I decided to make a roasted chicken and I wanted to do something different than roasted sweet potatoes or a simple mash to go with it. I thought that a savory, crust-less, sweet potato pie would fit the bill as a starchy side dish.

Karl’s Twice-Cooked Sweet Potatoes
Filed under California Fusion, Potatoes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
On Christmas morning my family likes to go out for dim sum (点心; snacks), Chinese small plates. Frequently we go to Tai-pan in Palo Alto. In addition to the many and varied flavors, Tia-pan’s presentation is always impeccable—no chopped vegetables sloshed on a plate. Of the many excellent dishes we had, one was the one we always order is Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce.
Filed under Green Vegetables, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
I am making corn chowder for Jan’s birthday dinner. Chowder calls for oyster crackers. I adapted some techniques from Serious Eats.
Filed under bread, California Fusion, Side Dishes, Vegetarian