I like strong flavors. I’m always doubling (um, tripling) the garlic, adding more herbs, throwing in a little extra spice. A lot of soup recipes are disappointing because I find them too bland. Maybe that’s why I don’t make much soup.
Roasted Cauliflower and Rosemary Soup
Posted by Joanna on January 24, 2012
http://meatlessmostdays.com/2012/01/24/roasted-cauliflower-and-rosemary-soup/
Cardamom and Sesame Cookies
I’ve been an enthusiastic and dedicated reader of food blogs for quite a while. I used to very occasionally imagine what it would be like to start my own but always landed on the assumption that it would be more trouble than it’s worth. Then I graduated from college and moved and started a job. Suddenly, instead of running around campus, I just went to work five days a week. When I wasn’t at work I could do whatever I wanted. It felt quite odd.
Just when I was thinking that I could really use some hobbies, I read about this cookie swap for food bloggers. The timing couldn’t have been better. After spending a few hours trying to come up with the perfect blog name (I never did) and a major camera upgrade, Meatless Most Days was born.
Posted by Joanna on December 13, 2011
http://meatlessmostdays.com/2011/12/13/cardamom-and-sesame-cookies/
Barley Risotto with Pumpkin and Sage
To make a rich and creamy risotto, you stand around carefully ladling broth and stirring for a while. Then you add some butter. It’s a great system and I don’t even mind when my arm gets tired in the last five minutes (I am an obsessive stirrer). But this isn’t really risotto.
Posted by Joanna on December 9, 2011
http://meatlessmostdays.com/2011/12/09/barley-risotto-with-pumpkin-and-sage/
Spiced Cocktail Nuts
I dropped the ball on Thanksgiving recap posts last week (well, actually I dropped the ball on posting at all after last Monday), so I’m trying to make up for lost time. Thanksgiving is as big a deal as holidays get for my family. We have the same people over every year and my mom makes lots of food. She does it all, from soup to nuts. Though there isn’t actually any soup, and the nuts came with the hors d’oeuvres. Nuts to pie would be more accurate.
I wasn’t planning on making the trip to the West Coast, but the more I thought about it the stranger it seemed to not be with my family for our favorite holiday just because it was a bit inconvenient. I saw friends, made Lebanese stuffed eggplant (which my dad deemed delicious but not yet blog-worthy, due to their too-dense filling) and acted as Thanksgiving sous chef.
We spent the morning cooking and most of the afternoon and early evening eating. Everything was delicious. I couldn’t believe how full I felt. I barely had seconds at dinner and finishing two tiny pieces of pie (would you make yourself choose between pumpkin and apple?) was a struggle.
Posted by Joanna on December 7, 2011
http://meatlessmostdays.com/2011/12/07/spiced-cocktail-nuts/
Carrot Slaw with Citrus-Mustard Dressing
When I think cranberries, I think cranberry sauce. This may not seem like the most exciting revelation but when I was planning to make this carrot slaw, I kept imagining it with vague holiday associations. When I went to write about it, I realized that I was being completely silly. People eat dried cranberries and drink cranberry juice all year.
But maybe since it’s the holiday season, all food has a right to be, by default, holiday food. It doesn’t have to be all about lots of butter and cream and sugar this time of year (not that I’d mind). Read the full post »
Posted by Joanna on December 5, 2011
http://meatlessmostdays.com/2011/12/05/carrot-slaw-with-citrus-mustard-dressing/
Apple-Filled Acorn Squash Rings with Curry Butter
Thanksgiving is over, I’m back at work and it’s officially the holiday season. It was approaching 80 degrees when I left LA on Saturday and it’s 65 in DC right now, but that’s not the point. As a southern Californian, I was trained to mark the seasons without much regard for the weather. It’s officially time to start indulging in the festive spirit. Cookies, lights, trees, wreaths, ornaments, songs — bring it all on.
Posted by Joanna on November 28, 2011
http://meatlessmostdays.com/2011/11/28/apple-filled-acorn-squash-rings-with-curry-butter/
Asparagus with Feta and Roasted Garlic
I didn’t mean to make this dish. It was kind of an accident. But, looking back, it’s easy to connect the (really delicious) dots.
First, when I got to the register at Whole Foods I realized I was a few dollars short on spending a $20-for-$15 Living Social deal, so I dashed off and grabbed a bunch of asparagus (there was some sort of colorful sign so I think they might have been on sale but it all happened so fast I can’t be sure). Then, I discovered four bulbs of garlic sitting on the counter, which seemed a little excessive, so I roasted one on a whim and put it in the fridge. And finally, I bought way more feta than I needed for stuffed bell peppers with basil sauce. Read the full post »
Posted by Joanna on November 23, 2011
http://meatlessmostdays.com/2011/11/23/asparagus-with-feta-and-roasted-garlic/
Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers with Basil Sauce
After more than a few attempts at writing this paragraph, I’ve decided that it’s best to just not mention that thing that is happening on Thursday. The same thing that happens every year on the fourth Thursday in November. So now that I’ve set this rule for myself, I think I can go on. It’s not that I don’t love that thing on Thursday because I do (so, so much) but so do lots of other people (especially ones with food blogs). And this post is about stuffed peppers. And if I’m not careful I will mention that thing in every post for the next two weeks. It’s all about moderation, right?
Posted by Joanna on November 21, 2011
http://meatlessmostdays.com/2011/11/21/quinoa-stuffed-peppers-with-basil-sauce/
Oven-Dried Tomato and Walnut Pesto
This pesto is the kind of thing I love to make. It takes hardly any time or effort and is incredibly delicious. You can make it on a whim, throw it in the fridge and it will be waiting when inspiration (or hunger) strikes — ready to transform, say, a post-work snack of cheese and crackers into something so good that making a real dinner suddenly seems completely optional.
Posted by Joanna on November 16, 2011
http://meatlessmostdays.com/2011/11/16/oven-dried-tomato-and-walnut-pesto/
Sweet Potato Galette
I did it. I made the Galette of My Dreams. It was even better than I thought it would be. And so photogenic.
It all started with this picture from Cook’s Illustrated. I immediately wanted to make what I interpreted as a giant potato-chip-crusted potato pancake. I had never heard of pommes Anna or a galette that wasn’t a free-form tart, but that didn’t stop me. And good thing, because my intuition hadn’t failed me in the least.
I already knew about the magical combination of sweet potatoes, garlic and sage from this fantastic recipe from Mark Bittman. It’s how I first fell in love with sweet potatoes. I don’t remember eating them before then and I still haven’t tried them in the apparently popular, marshmallow-topped casserole. I’ve never wanted them to be any sweeter than they are.
Posted by Joanna on November 15, 2011
http://meatlessmostdays.com/2011/11/15/sweet-potato-galette/