I have a feeling you’re looking at the title of this post with some skepticism. Easy paella? Isn’t that an oxymoron? We all know paella as a complicated dish so time-intensive that many Spanish restaurants ask you to call your order in ahead of time. Well, thanks to Mark Bittman’s wonderful cookbook The Best Recipes…
Sweet Potato and Green Chile Quesadillas with bonus recipe: Spanish Brown Rice
I must give credit for this recipe, or at least for its outline and method, to my boss (and friend), Angela. It came up during the office lunch break a week or two ago. As so often happens in conjunction with eating, we were talking about food. I’m not sure how sweet potatoes came up….
French Cabbage Soup with Blue Cheese and Cream
Well, here they are: the January doldrums. It’s cold – at least, it’s been freezing in Albuquerque for the last couple of weeks. I need new gloves. Anyway, it’s cold outside. And while it’s no colder than usual in the refrigerator, winter bleakness has settled in there as well. What’s in the crisper? Cabbage. Carrots….
Pumpkins Stuffed with Everything Good
You probably don’t need to hear any more than the name to know that this would be a great vegetarian holiday entree. The “everything good” in the vegetarian version is bread, cream, cheese, garlic, and herbs. Not looking for a vegetarian option? By all means add a few slices of cooked bacon – not to…
Quick and Simple Mussels with White Wine, Garlic, and Tomato
My love affair with mussels started in earnest when I went with Arne on a business trip to Europe. His business was in Luxembourg, so we took some time to travel the Benelux countries – Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. We started in the Netherlands, visiting the canals of Amsterdam and the windmills of Zaanse…
Seared Scallops in Orange-Scented Caramel Sauce
It’s been almost two weeks since I posted, and I apologize. I was sick last week. It’s no fun to be sick on Thanksgiving! Sore throat, stuffy nose… trouble swallowing, reduced sense of taste… just not a blast on the great eat-a-thon of Turkey Day! But I’m back. And not just back, but back with…
Creamy Peanut Butter and Maple Oatmeal
There was a point where I was posting an awful lot of oatmeal recipes to this blog. But since I haven’t put one up since last March, I hope you’ll indulge me if I can’t resist adding one more. Because this one is really special. Why is it so special? Bang for the buck, baby….
Curried Winter Vegetable Soup
This recipe wasn’t meant to be delicious. That was an accident. What it was meant to be was simple, speedy, and vegetarian. You see, it was Vegetarian Week. Arne and I had competing meetings that would prevent us from having dinner together, and my first thought was just to grab a bite out or eat…
Pappardelle with Quick and Luxurious Lemon Cream Sauce
Okay, my friends, here it is: This is the kind of recipe you’re here for. It’s truly luscious, sensuous with cream and bright with tangy lemon. But even better, it is dead simple. The shopping list for this luxurious lemon-cream sauce? Butter, cream, and lemons. I often read in Italian cookbooks that a simple…
Crispy Vietnamese Rice-Flour Crepes with Nuoc Cham
I live near Albuquerque’s International District, which means there are probably 20 Vietnamese restaurants within two miles of my house. I have by no means tried them all, but of those I’ve tried I have three favorites: Banh Mi Coda, an addiction, which I reviewed rapturously here; Banh Mi’s big sister, Cafe Trang, with its…