Yes, we’re still in January, but I’m thinking spring. That’s not just because I can’t wait to enjoy warmer weather! Hopefully to help you ‘think warm’, I’m sharing some recipes…
Salmon and Potato Salad with Caper Dijon Vinaigrette
More to come, now that we have Internet back, and spring gets ever closer!
Dandies (Vegan) Marshmallows (Photo from website)
I found these marshmallows not because I am a vegan, but rather, my wife needed to find an option to bring for a church gathering. We also brought some of these to a party hosted by some of our friends, one of whom is a vegetarian. My wife did some research online and looked for what was available, since we didn’t really have many ideas about what options were out there. She looked into recipes (somewhat time consuming, and we didn’t really have the right materials/equipment) as well as options and this stood out as one of the few vegan-friendly options. We were able to find some at Whole Foods, but weren’t able to find them at our local co-op.
In comparison to typical store-sold marshmallows, they are a little more firm (but not much), but most importantly, they are quite delicious! My wife also thought they had a nicer (more vanilla) flavor, and they passed the S’mores test at the campfire. They browned well, paired well with grahams and chocolate, and got melty, though they didn’t puff up quite as much. Overall, they greatly exceeded what I thought a vegan marshmallow would be and were a welcome equivalent (my wife, I think, liked them even a bit better than ‘regular’ marshmallows!) Our friends agreed that they were tasty also. I would certainly get them again and recommend them to anyone looking for a vegan (or non-vegan) marshmallow!
Irish Clover Image by George McFinnigan
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all! Whether you are Irish or not or Irish by affiliation (mine is through my wife’s side of the family), be sure to celebrate with good food and beverage. Learn the history of the day, get some ideas for green food, make green eggs and ham with Chef Fabio, or make a classic, like corned beef and cabbage with your slow cooker. Or have corned beef and cabbage made with Guinness® with a glass of Guinness® and enjoy the river dyed green!
This week’s episode of Chow Ciao! has double the Fabio for Chicken Saltimbocca. It looks simple to make, whether you have two Fabios in your kitchen or not!
What better on Valentine’s Day Eve (or national ‘Eat Italian Food Day‘) than to look to a classic Chow Ciao! for some last minute recipe ideas: Drunken Spaghetti! In keeping with the red wine theme, Chef Fabio also offers a recipe for Red Wine Risotto via his website. In either case, you have an excellent meal idea for Valentine’s Day.
Yes, pomegranate in the background…
It’s National Homemade Soup Day! And there are always plenty of ideas and flavors for soup…
I love soup. It’s not the first time nor the last time I will say that on this blog. I enjoy eating different soups as much as I enjoy making soup. I like that it’s easy, aside from much chopping (sometimes)! The above picture is of a curried squash and wild rice soup that I made a little while ago with the last of our squash we had from our Community Shares Agriculture (CSA) share. I often make soups with the abundance of vegetables we get, especially in the middle of summer. It tends to freeze well for winter, when CSA vegetables are nowhere around. I tend to use spices instead of salt, almost to the point of under-salting, though the broth adds much of what I don’t.
The recipe turned out fairly well. I followed some of the comments and caramelized the onions in brown sugar, as well as using tomato sauce for an acid instead of orange juice. I also upped the curry powder a bit. I baked the squash beforehand, which made it easy to mix together and used an immersion blender before adding the rice to cook. We didn’t have any butternut squash left, but some buttercup squash combined with other squash worked just fine and gave it a nice color. The wild rice (from our Minnesota trip) held up well in the soup and added to the texture. It was nicely toothsome even in the tasty leftovers. I would make this again, as we had been looking for some good squash recipes.
You can eat what they had for lunch today at the presidential inauguration! Check out the menu and recipes (with wine pairings).
Need to know how to carve your turkey? Worry no more. Courtesy the New York Times.
What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than with Chef Fabio’s cooking tips and recipes? No matter what you are making, enjoy good food and the company of family and friends.
Stuffing and roast chicken, courtesy of Chef Fabio!
Photograph from recipe
As I’m writing this, my wife and I are finishing up applesauce and baking butternut squash for butternut squash risotto for Thanksgiving. Risotto is one of my favorite thing to make, given that the recipe is so versatile with add-in ingredients. I especially enjoyed my mother-in-law’s response upon tasting it- “How can we make our rice taste like this?” I will often make it with portabellas (with some modifications), but this version with butternut squash is another of my favorites. I love the flavor of butternut squash, as it can savory or slightly sweet, depending on how it’s made. I have made this recipe previously, to excellent results. It doesn’t call for other herbs or spices other than salt and pepper, but it can easily be adjusted. I use a little cinnamon and nutmeg to add a little spice to the recipe. Butternut squash risotto is a nice alternative to cheesy potatoes (though I love cheesy potatoes, as well!) and adds in an extra vegetable with the starch. Happy Thanksgiving!
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