This salad is delicious. At the very least you must try the roasted cauliflower. If you forget the rest of the recipe (but don’t, you really should try it), you will be very pleased with the roasted cauliflower alone as a side dish…
Archive | Recipes
Grilled Garlic Rosemary Shrimp
On the Central Coast of California, grilling season doesn’t really exist. It’s always a good time of year to grill!
This shrimp is really tasty and stands alone as a main dish, makes a great filling for tacos, or would be a really nice appetizer. Shrimp only take a few minutes to cook, so I recommend having everything else ready to go so they can go right to the table. I use a grill basket to grill shrimp, but if you don’t have one, use wooden skewers or rosemary stems.
Have a great week!
French Lentils
Served warm, this dish is tangy and satisfying. It makes a great side kick to chicken, fish, or a hunk of crusty bread. It would also be delicious as part of a composed salad that included grilled vegetables, feta cheese and greens. Lentils are a legume, low in fat and high in fiber. The dark green French lentils called for in this recipe, commonly called “Le Puy” lentils, take a little longer to cook than other varieties, but they hold their shape well. I use milder brown lentils for soup, stew and other side dishes. Read more for recipes!
Lunchtime! Mediterranean Barley Bowl
This is my latest favorite thing to do. For lunch, I take whole grains and toss them with whatever veggies, cheese, and protein I have on hand. This is a great way to use up leftover brown rice, quinoa, or in this case, barley. I buy pearl barley. It cooks faster than whole groat barley and is more typically found at the store. I use it in soup a lot. This Mushroom Barley Soup is a favorite! I digress. Back to my lunch. It was so good that I decided to make it a post so you can enjoy it too. Please forgive the lack of specific amounts in the recipe. Everything is to taste here. This is less about measuring and more about creating a delicious lunch from refrigerator and pantry staples…
More Polenta, Please!
Polenta is basically medium-grind cornmeal boiled in water and/or milk and salt. It becomes a thick, porridge-like mixture. Incredibly quick and versatile, polenta can be served creamy, like mashed potatoes. Add grated Parmesan cheese to the mix and some fresh herbs – oh my. Or, you can spread it out in a sheet pan and chill it, then slice it and grill it with a little olive oil and salt. It can also be spread into thin layers like lasagna noodles (a great gluten-free alternative!). Read more for the recipes…
Pure Vegan: Garbanzo Bean and Tomato Soup
This recipe comes to you from Pure Vegan, a cookbook written by Joseph Shudliner. Joseph is a culinary whirlwind, running a farmer’s market, creative directing marvelous new food spaces, and directing the Institute of Domestic Technology. That’s where I met Joseph. He was teaching a class on Fall Preserving that had nothing to do with preserves. It was a wonderful twist on using fall’s bounty to make apple sauce, grenadine, and dried fruit rolls. The Institute offers courses on Foodcrafting, Breadcrafting, Coffee Roasting, Cocktail Crafting, and Bread Camp (just to name a few!). I was thoroughly taken by the historic Zane Grey estate, the resident cat Thomas, and the little goats snuggling with one another out back. I was also thoroughly taken with Joseph, a creative mind, a fine cook, and a generous spirit. I hope you like his soup – I love it!
From the Archives: Black Bean Burgers
A few weeks ago, a Flagstone Pantry friend sent in a question about my recipe for Black Bean Burgers. I had managed to not specify the quantity of black beans. Sheesh. She’s been making them for years anyway, playing around with quantity. I am so glad she contacted me (thanks, Jen!), and invite any of you to send feedback, questions and requests for recipes using the contact form or comment box below each post.
Since it had been a while, I made them this week and was reminded how tasty and satisfying they are. I skipped the bun and served them topped with guacamole and accompanied with grilled vegetables and brown rice. Rice and beans – a complete protein combo for the ages. Delicious!
Cooking with Quinoa
Since I published my recipe for Superfood Salad, I’ve gotten quite a few inquiries about quinoa (pronounced keen-wa). Quinoa is an ancient (gluten-free!) food, more closely related to spinach than rice. Widely available these days, quinoa is treated like a grain and is one of the few vegetarian sources for complete protein. When cooked, the grains “unravel,” triple in size, and become translucent.
This week’s post includes instructions for cooking one cup of quinoa and a collection of recipes showcasing its versatility. Enjoy!
Power to the Lemon
My little tree out back is loaded (and I mean loaded) with big delicious Meyer lemons! Sweeter than other lemons, intensely aromatic, and thin-skinned, Meyer lemons are great for cooking. I am making everything lemon — lemon vinaigrette, preserved lemons, roast chicken with lemons, lemon herb cheese, and this totally fabulous lemon curd. Read more for recipes!
UPDATE: Our New Location
Last week, we were on the job site at the Santa Barbara Public Market placing electric receptacles and switches, discussing lighting, and swooning over our gorgeous new hood. Things are coming right along and we are still aiming for an opening this Spring. We’ll keep you posted!