On a typical Friday night, Caitlin and I will head to Mi Rancho, one of our favorite local spots, where we’ll greet Albino and take our seat in the covered, outdoor patio. If that’s our typical spot, then our order is equally typical – the mixed fajitas.
We love our tex-mex.
For us, tex-mex is just one of those hearty meals, the kind of meal that makes you smile at the end of dinner, satisfied and happy….
Every so often, I like to treat myself to a steak. During the week, I often settle for a cold sandwich of almond-butter and jelly, chicken salad, or sliced turkey. Lunch is unabashedly dull. If I have the energy, I try to make something more exciting for dinner: fish, perhaps, or even arepas, the Venezuelan corn cakes that I recently discovered.
Fish and arepas are appealing because they are quick and easy to cook. But so is steak and so is couscous (provided I don’t make it more complicated than necessary). And unlike a broiling fish, there’s a certain pleasure in hearing the sizzle of the steak, as the hot iron meets the cool, raw side of the meat. After a quick flip and a few minutes in the oven, the steak is cooked, leaving you five minutes of eager anticipation, as the steak cools and cooks under its foil tent.
If you remember to marinate the …
When I think of apple sauce, I can’t help but thinking back to those plastic cups, sold in packs of six, filled with what looks to be nothing more than puréed apples. Apple mush. Bland, flavorless, apple mush.
This recipe is not a …
It’s no secret that I love sweet potatoes. I’ve featured them mashed, baked, and grilled. I’ve also folded them into phyllo dough, and into a bundt cake.
Out of all these variations, one of my favorite ways to prepare sweet potatoes happens to be one of the simplest: sliced and roasted.
As the days start to darker and the weather cooler, these sweet potato fries are a quick remedy. Simple and quick to make, these warm and healthy fries are the quintessential comfort food, a sizzling side, and an awesome appetizer.
Last week, I …
After making the healthy carrot cake, I had several carrots left over. It didn’t take me long to put them to a suitable use. After a few turns in olive oil and a quick spell in the oven, I had a delicious and colorful side dish. And it was that easy. This dish takes five minutes to prepare, and twenty-five minutes in the oven.
I have a tendency to cover my baking sheets with foil or parchment paper – to help avoid sticking, and for ease of clean-up. But if you really want that nice roasted color for the carrots, it pays to do without.
Finally, my loyal readers may…