Category Archives: Entrees

Curried Lentil, Rice and Carrot Burgers

Posted on May 6, 2013 | Leave a comment

Lentil Burger

Indian food rarely lacks for flavor.  Packed with exotic spices and chutneys, the dishes brim with colors and culinary delights.  This dish is no different.  And better yet, this dish won’t send you scurrying to exotic markets or stores; all of the ingredients are staples of most pantries and refrigerators.

A vegetarian and Indian take on the classic American burger, this Curried Lentil, Rice and Carrot Burger packs a healthy punch.  Sandwich it between two toasted buns and adorn with a little mayonnaise, and this vegetarian burger is bound to please.  Serve alongside roasted sweet potato fries or, for the sake of regional consistency, prepare a side of Aloo Gobhi Masala.

A word of warning: this recipe Continue reading →

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Whole-Wheat Homemade Pizza

Posted on March 9, 2013 | Leave a comment

Whole Wheat Pizza

Pizza is the ultimate convenience food.  There is the restaurant pizza, ready in minutes, delivered to your table, warm and sliced.  There is the delivery pizza, delivered to your doorstep with the push of a few buttons.  In the freezer section, there are countless versions of the frozen variety, ready to be brought home and baked or microwaved in a manner of minutes.  There are even pre-made pizza doughs and pizza crusts, leaving the harried home chef with some room for creativity and imagination.

To be sure, we’ve tried each and every one Continue reading →

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Beef Tacos

Posted on December 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

Beef Tacos

Caitlin and I have been watching Breaking Bad recently, a show whose plot-lines and premise may be as addicting as the “blue stuff” that plays such a critical role in the show.  Over the last few weeks, we’ve watched episode after episode, pinned to the couch or nestled in bed, watching Jesse and Walter navigate a world of dirty money, secret drops, federal agents, and violent cartels.  As one episode ends, we have increasingly found ourselves reaching for the next, swapping Netflix disks with such speed that we often find it necessary to download an episode or two from iTunes, unable to wait for the return mailer.

While the show has certainly taken over some of our evenings, Continue reading →

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Kasha Varnishkes

Posted on July 10, 2012 | 3 Comments

This is one of those recipes from the old-country, dating back – literally – over a thousand years.  But that doesn’t make it a relic, some phonograph gathering dust in the attic, that’s brought down once a year so that grandchildren can marvel at the sound-machines of yesteryear.  This recipe is nothing more than last year’s iPod, ready to figure into the regular rotation of modern life.

This recipe has all the attributes of a modern meal.  Continue reading →

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Brown Rice Jambalaya

Posted on June 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

In many ways, a recipe is like a fingerprint.  While the basic curves and contours are always the same, each has an identity of its own.  From the portions and ingredients down to the size of the dice and the speed of the whisk, there is always some level of inherent uniqueness to any one recipe.  This individuality may not always be apparent at first-glance – a finger-tip is, after all, a finger-tip – but look close enough and you will find it.

Jambalaya, a New Orleans classic, is particularly well-suited to this individuality.  The basic structure of jambalaya centers around the “trinity” — celery, onion, and peppers.  Rice is almost essential, Continue reading →

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Spaghetti with Homemade Pesto

Posted on May 7, 2012 | 1 Comment

Sometimes the simplest dinners are the ones that shine and surprise.

This dinner was not inspired or born of a late-night epiphany.  Instead, its origins were pedestrian and utilitarian.  It was a question of practicality over originality.  There was no high math.

It was Saturday morning and I was taking inventory in the refrigerator.  I was checking expiration dates, volume levels, and the state of the fruit and vegetable drawers.   Milk was running low and the sour cream was running bad.  There was plenty of fruit, but not enough vegetables.  The cheese still looked strong, but the herbs were getting soft.  Continue reading →

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Sweet Potato Falafel

Posted on March 21, 2012 | 9 Comments

When Caitlin comes to Cincinnati, she often takes a flight right after work, which puts her into CVG around 8:40 P.M.  That means she’s hungry for dinner.  And since I’ve also been waiting until then to have my dinner, it’s imperative that I arrive at the airport with a strategy in hand.  I can be very slightly grumpy when I’m hungry.

One of the problems, though, is finding a fun place that is not winding down at that hour.  In a city like New York, Chicago, or the like, it’s certainly not a problem.  But in a smaller city like Cincinnati, a lot of restaurants are closing shop by 10:00 P.M.

One afternoon, as Caitlin was readying to leave, I spent a few minutes on Yelp, and found my answer.  The Senate Restaurant was open until 11:00 P.M.  Better yet, it was downtown, a convenient location coming from the airport.  And finally, scanning the menu, I knew it had something I would love.  After I sent the menu to Caitlin, she also agreed that it looked good.  We had a plan.

When we arrived at the Senate, Continue reading →

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Vegetarian Tofu Chili

Posted on December 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

As the Holidays come to an end and the weather turns from cool to downright frigid, a warm bowl of chili becomes all the more inviting.

While I was in Cincinnati, I made a version of that city’s namesake chili.  In that effort, I used ground turkey to thicken the chili and give it that hearty depth.

This year, Caitlin and I have been striving to eat less meat, all Continue reading →

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Aloo Gobhi Masala

Posted on November 30, 2011 | 4 Comments

The other day, when I was in the gym, I was flipping through the channels, searching for something to hold my attention while on the treadmill.  After a few clicks, I stopped, landing on the familiar fedora of Indiana Jones.

As Indiana trekked through the jungles on his elephant, I immediately recognized this movie as the second installment in the series, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.  I wasn’t old enough to see the movie in the theaters — I was only four — but I can remember watching the movie as a young teen, perhaps catching the movie on television late one weekend night.

Owing to my young age, Continue reading →

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Weeknight Spaghetti with Roasted Butternut Squash

Posted on November 6, 2011 | 3 Comments

This meal answers that important, incessant, weekday question.

After braving our respective routes — Caitlin, the Red Line, I, the Beltway — we arrive home around 7:00 p.m., tired from the day’s activities.  After a quick moment of reprieve, we often head down to the apartment gym to get some much-needed exercise.

Once we’re back upstairs, the question rears its head.  The question that creeps into our minds every night, demanding an immediate answer.  The question is bandied about Continue reading →

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