White Cheddar Polenta with Sauteed Greens and Garlic-roasted Portobellos

November 7, 2009

Ever since my first try at making polenta a couple weeks ago, I’ve been craving another taste of it and wondering if it was only beginner’s luck that made it so delicious. How had I cooked on a daily basis for so many years without using this staple ingredient? Since last night was a work […]

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Pumpkin Seed and Panko-crusted Salmon with Quinoa-stuffed Squash

November 6, 2009

We’re still eating pumpkin seeds from last week’s Halloween pumpkin carvings. They’re a great snack when roasted and salted and also lend a nice nuttiness to savory dishes. As you can tell by the side dish, our quinoa obsession continues. This dish was tasty when paired with the salmon but would also make a lovely vegetarian […]

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Layered Tortilla-Tomato Casserole with Greens and Melted Cheese with Black Beans

November 5, 2009

I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a Rick Bayless groupie. I love that he cooks food that tastes like what I ate while I lived in Oaxaca. I love that he lives in the same neighborhood and attended the same yoga studio that I did while I lived in Chicago. I love that he was […]

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Pork with Sweet and Sour Sauce, Jasmine Rice, and Nieman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

November 4, 2009

Until this summer, I considered sweet and sour pork to be an almost inedible mess of sickly red syrup, mushy pineapple and fatty pork. This Thai version couldn’t be farther from my Chinese take-out fears. Like all good stir-fry dishes, it’s loaded with crisp vegetables and lean meat, with a light yet savory sauce. Though […]

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Curried Pork Stew with Potatoes

November 3, 2009

I felt especially domestic yesterday as I whipped up my butternut squash lasagna and made this curried pork stew at the same time. The stew came together in a flash. There is minimal prep time; the vegetables are roughly cut and you use a curry paste instead of mincing and measuring a long list of […]

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Butternut Squash Lasagna and Steamed Green Beans

November 2, 2009

Butternut squash lasagna is my ideal comfort food. Savory, cheesy, noodle‑y, but still delicate and with some veggies to ease the guilt. The first time I made this lasagna I followed the directions exactly. This time, I experimented with some shortcuts (pesto, hand-held blender), lightened the recipe some, and also added turkey sausage for texture […]

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Maple Chicken and Ribs with Bourbon-Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

November 1, 2009

I love Nigella Lawson and have all her cookbooks. When Nigella Express was published two years ago, I even went to the bookstore on the day it was released to get my hands on a copy hot off the presses. The first thing I made was the instant chocolate mousse, which was perfectly fine (though […]

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Pumpkin, Feta and Cilantro Quesadillas and Lentil-Rice Salad with Chorizo

October 31, 2009

Sitting down to think about what to say about pumpkins, the first thing that popped into my head was the time my dad took me to the record store at the mall for my sixteenth birthday and let me pick out a CD as a present. I chose Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins, which […]

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