Browsing Category

Dinner

Dinner, Lunch, Pasta

Mac & Cheese + Chili = Cheesy Chili Mac

Need to get some comfort food on the table in under 45 minutes? This might be the thing to try. I was really in the mood for Mac & Cheese, but had all the ingredients for Chili in the house, so ended up combining the two recipes. Turns out, it was much faster to make than one would think, and it’s a decadent (in a low-brow kind of way) and rich “sure to fill you up” kind of meal. It’s fairly mild, in terms of spice, but feel free to amp up the chili powder or add a dash of cayenne. Recipes serves 4 people, more if you make a nice salad to accompany it.
Continue Reading

26. January 2016
Dinner, Lunch

Spinach Mushroom Lasagna

Cold and Snowy outside? Comfort food inside! Spinach Mushroom Lasagna to the rescue!

Note: as often is the case, the recipe is for a “full lasagna” (like about a 9 x 13 casserole dish), but pictured is a somewhat smaller version… you know, being single and all, and while I love lasagna, I don’t want to eat it for a week!

Note Two: Greater Boston got virtually no snow that hit the Mid-Atlantic. I was just looking for another excuse to make lasagna. [grin]
Continue Reading

24. January 2016
Appetizers/Starters, Breakfast/Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Savory Snacks

Zwiebelkuchen (Onion Tart)

The atypical traditional German Zwiebelkuchen (Onion Tart). OK, that sounds rather contradictory, eh? Here is the thing: the recipe is traditional. Onions, Speck, Paprika and Nutmeg. And yes, while it looks a little like a quiche, it only has one egg in it. In Swabia (the Southwestern part of Germany nearest to the French and Swiss borders), this Zwiebelkuchen is often eaten in the fall and is a great accompaniment to new wines.

But why atypical? Well, my presentation, actually. While it certainly is possible that a cast iron pan was used at some point in the history of Zwiebelkuchen-making, it is more often made in a tart pan with a removable bottom or even as a square on a regular Backblech. Also, I am quite sure that no one bothers to cut out many little leaves, cut patterns in them and then glue them to the edge. So there. Typical German recipe. Typical me presentation. All good. Well, would have been better if that one side of the crust didn’t decide to take a nose dive into the filling, but imperfection is perfection.
Continue Reading

5. January 2016
Dinner

ATK’s Chinese Braised Beef, with Broccoli

Taking photos of some of my savory dishes is hard. I mean, this is just shredded beef short ribs, so not exactly the prettiest thing to take a picture of. But Oh-My-Goodness are they amazing. This is an America’s Test Kitchen recipe and it takes hours to make in a really low-and-slow braise, but it is sweet and savory and really yummy. Broccoli is options, but also pretty yummy. In fact, you could stick this in a burger bun and make a really fine shredded beef sandwich, Asian-style. Note: This is pretty much a verbatim recipe from America’s Test Kitchen. Have to give props where props are due.
Continue Reading

14. October 2015
Dinner

Wild Boar Ragout (Wildschweingulasch)

One of the things that I love about Germany (or I guess lots of places other than Boston), is that you have better access to wild game in restaurants. I love boar and venison (and bear, and elk, and moose, though you can get out west in the Rockies and such). And when I was just in Munich last week, I had a great Wild Boar Goulash. This is my version of that and it is really really good. Time consuming, as most stews are, but that was just an excuse to smell it all afternoon.
Continue Reading

11. October 2015