Mediterranean Pasta with chard and olives in a spicy harissa sauce

November 16, 2008 at 4:43 am (101 cookbooks, A (4 stars, love, favorite), Dark leafy greens, Pasta, Quick weeknight recipe, Starches) ()

The photo of the harissa spaghettini on 101cookbooks is enticing. Moreover, the recipe includes both greens and plenty of spice, so I immediately added it to my “to try” list. I can’t find that lovely tender dinosaur kale shown in the photo here in Germany, so I used chard instead. I made a few other adjustments as well, transforming this recipe from a Moroccan recipe to a trans-Mediterranean one.  The pasta and chard and parmigiano represent Italy, the kalamata olives come from Greece, and the harissa paste represents North Africa. Read the rest of this entry »

Permalink 5 Comments

Roasted Okra

November 9, 2008 at 9:46 am (C (2 stars, okay, edible), Quick weeknight recipe, Vegetable dishes, Website / blog)

I came across a recipe for roasted okra online at fatfree vegan kitchen, and decided to give it a try.  The recipe sounded novel yet simple to make, and I’m always looking for new ways to cook okra.  Derek liked the roasted okra quite a bit: he had seconds and then thirds.  I found the roasted okra a little odd, but tasty.  The pods became very soft–so soft you could even eat the tops, which are normally too hard and prickly.  Some okra pods were stringy, and difficult to bite through or even cut through with a butter knife, but they all had that great okra flavor.

Derek: B+

Rating: B-

Permalink 2 Comments