Duck Prosciutto, Take 2

Ah, so I bet you were wondering what I did with that other duck breast. Well, I didn’t just leave it alone in the fridge to roast. I didn’t cure it the same way, either. I found a completely different recipe for duck prosciutto and experimented with that one. No, I did not confuse the two breasts hanging in my fridge at the same time (Zeke was quite confused, I might add). I liked this recipe because it called for a bunch of different spices and I got to use my mortar and pestle. I love that tool (those tools?). Continue reading

Meatless Mondays: Mushroom Rice

A version of this dish is a staple in my mother-in-law’s kitchen. When we go there for barbecue on Sunday nights, we always have this delicious mushroom-y rice that she made using leftover Shabbat rice (Syrians make a lot of rice). I decided to duplicate this dish in a non-leftovers way and used brown rice to make it a little healthier. You can try it with your favorite kind of rice. Continue reading

Meatless Mondays: Spanach Jibben

We just hate all those commercials about how gross vegetables are that they have to hide them in gross fruit drinks! We love vegetables, so here’s a traditional Syrian way to eat them. It’s an easy way to get spinach into your diet, even for those picky eaters, and a great Meatless Monday dinner! Continue reading

Kibbe Mushroom

Kibbes are our version of little meatballs, and are a staple in the Syrian household. We cook them with peas, cherries, sour soup and many other savory dishes. Let’s just say it’s not Friday night without a kibbe (or many) at the table. Now don’t confuse these little kibbe meatballs with the bulgur-shelled and meat-stuffed kibbe torpedoes. They’re completely different. If that made no sense to you, continue reading this blog, we’ll definitely explain more about these middle-eastern staples soon! Continue reading

Cedar Plank Salmon

Technically, grilling season is almost over. But I’m not ready to start cooking inside just yet…you’ve never been in my kitchen in the summer. It is just too hot! So I spent a lot of the summer in the yard cooking. I figured out that meat and chicken aren’t the only thing you can cook on the grill. I decided to change it up a little and make some salmon using cedar planks I picked up from Whole Foods. I’ve never actually eaten plank salmon, and I don’t really like strong smokey flavors…talk about an impulse buy. But since I bought the planks, I had to try it. Turns out, the salmon was great! It wasn’t too smokey, but definitely tasted different and stronger than if it was just cooked in the oven. There was no fishy flavor, and the simple topping imparted the perfect amount of spicy sweetness. I’m definitely going to be using these planks a lot this grilling season. Continue reading

Soba Noodles with Vegetables

This was served as the side dish with my broiled tofu, which Martha Stewart suggested as a meal. Well, I will always listen to Martha, because this was a great meal! Maybe I would have considered this the main dish and the tofu the side dish, but I served them on the same plate at the same time, so whatever. It’s delicious nonetheless.

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Meatless Mondays: Broiled Black Pepper Tofu with Ginger Lemon Dipping Sauce

Soooo remember when I was freaking out about that almost-exploding tofu package? I had been preparing to make this meal. And I made it anyway, but I bought a new package of tofu, because I didn’t want to risk anything.

Think you don’t like tofu? That’s probably not true; I’ve made a slimy tofu before, but you just have to cook it the right way and it’s great! And it’s as easy as broiling it for less than 10 minutes. This is a great start to a Meatless Monday meal!

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Mushroom Risotto

Risotto has a reputation of being impossible to make. You have to sit there and stir constantly, your arm tired and burning over the hot stove. Well, I’m here to tell you that this is not the case! Making risotto can be easy, and doesn’t take so long. I thought I was taking on a much harder project than it turned out to be.

I found this Cheese Guy brand kosher Parmesan cheese at Fairway supermarket. It’s expensive stuff, and I think I used too much of it. I’m not a big cheesy person, so I halved the amount of cheese the original recipe called for and I still thought it was too cheesy. I trust you know your own taste buds and will adjust accordingly. Next time I think I’ll make a vegan risotto. Is there such a thing?

Risotto con Funghi Recipe, with a tiny change, from In Jenny’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped fine
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup Italian short-grain rice
  • 3 cups vegetable or mushroom stock
  • 4 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, cleaned & sliced 1/8-inch thick
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Melt half of the butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion until it begins to turn color, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add the rice and stir to coat, then slowly add the wine. Bring it to a boil and cook until the wine is reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Add 1 1/2 cups of stock and let simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes, until liquid is almost absorbed.
  4. As the liquid absorbs, add the remaining stock 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently. The risotto should be creamy and the rice should be al dente.
  5. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet and add the mushrooms. Season with salt and  pepper. Saute until they release all of their liquid and turn a golden brown color. Set aside.
  6. Stir the last tablespoon of butter and the cheese into the risotto.
  7. Serve the risotto topped with the mushrooms, or mixed in. Enjoy with a glass of the same wine you used to cook with!

Spicy Tuna Tacos

I have been wanting to make fish tacos for a long time; it’s always what we order at Mexican restaurants! We often have Mexican-style dinners at home, but they’re usually either chopped meat-based or bean/vegetarian tacos. This recipe was slightly more work than our typical taco night, but was much more fun and delicious. Plus, I had been meaning to use the frozen tuna steaks I bought at Trader Joe’s.

The fun in this meal is that you put all of the taco components on the table and then you build your own dinner. Continue reading