From the category archives:

Legumes and Lentils

Vegetable Tagine

January 28, 2010

In the comment section recently, Leslie asked about eggplant. She’s tired of it drowned in tomato sauce or swimming in oil. Joe Girard of Rouxbe Online Cooking School provided some great answers, but even his professional advice didn’t get me off the hook. I’d promised Leslie I’d look into other ways of cooking it, and [...]

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Slow Cooker Refried Beans Dip

January 13, 2010

There are two problems with refried beans. One: They tend to be very fattening. Two: They look like something that came out the back end of a flatulent donkey.
This slow-cooker recipe solves the high-fat issue. The lovely dish my sister’s boyfriend gave me for Christmas solves the other. Look at the sensual, distracting curves. See [...]

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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

July 15, 2009

Pretty snazzy, if I do say so myself. I wouldn’t be ashamed to serve these at a fancy garden party. You can almost hear the light jazz in the background.
But in reality, this is a simple dip that you can dump in a bowl and serve with tortilla chips. I just bought some new dishes [...]

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Bean Salad

March 24, 2009

For the record, I did very little complaining about winter this year. This is especially noteworthy given the vast amounts of snow and sub-zero temperatures we endured, not to mention the time I had to climb onto the roof and chisel ice out of the satellite dish with the car’s windshield scraper.
I figure this gives [...]

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Roasted Chickpeas

January 29, 2009

When you get a flash of genius for something like, say… caramel coated chickpeas — and can’t find a single hit on Google under the term, don’t take this as a challenge. Take this as a hint. There is a reason no one makes them. I’ve seen the evidence. Right in my kitchen.
The moisture in [...]

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Split Pea and Ham Soup

January 1, 2009

Happy New Year! For those who aren’t hung over and are eager to eat, I’m keeping my resolutions and serving you up a healthy non-dessert. And if Blogger does its job, the post will go up before 9:00 a.m.
No, I’m not up early making the most of the morning sun. I took this shot a [...]

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Black Bean Soup

October 22, 2008

When I lived in Australia, I craved this soup. Really badly.
I’m not sure if it was a classic case of wanting what you couldn’t have or simply a tasty way to make it through the surprisingly chilly Australian winter. All I know is that I wanted black bean soup and couldn’t get it.
I couldn’t find [...]

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Simple Scottish Red Lentil Soup

January 6, 2008

Mike Meyers once suggested all Scottish cuisine was based on a dare. I can see his point when faced with haggis, congealed oatmeal porridge or rock hard oat cakes. But I’d walk a highland mile for good shortbread, a smooth single malt or piping hot scones.
Soup is another dish the Scots do well. Years ago, [...]

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Sparks are flying

December 6, 2007

Winter in Canada brings many wonders. Fresh fallen snow that sparkles like diamond dust. Frosty air that turns your breath into dancing white swirls. And tiny blue sparks of static electricity that sting like an invisible bully’s snapped you with a miniature rubber band. No need to scuff your socks on the carpet to get [...]

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Six Degrees of Separation Black Bean Salad

May 31, 2006

Cilantro is one of those herbs that you either love or hate. My best friend says it tastes like soap, which it doesn’t — and believe me, I should know (see my post on Turkish Delight). While I could eat it by the handful and can’t imagine a bowl of Thai green curry without it, [...]