Spicy Harissa Hummus

Spicy Harissa Hummus

Spicy Harissa Hummus with Olives and Homemade Pitas

I’ve been a fan of harissa ever since my honeymoon in France where we ate Moroccan olives flavored with the Tunisian chili paste. I love how it spices up a dish and gives it a nice, smoky flavor. Today I made a spicy harissa hummus drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with chili flakes. It was amazing!

Lately, I’ve been making more of an effort to incorporate beans into my diet and hummus is a great way to do this. It’s perfect for snacking and is a wonderful way to transform chickpeas into a delicious dip. You can serve it with celery, carrots, fresh pitas, pita chips, or any other tasty chip or vegetable. read more

Sashimi, Seaweed, and Cucumber Salad with Ponzu sauce

Tuna and Salmon Sashimi, Seaweed, and Cucumber Salad with Ponzu Sauce

Tuna and Salmon Sashimi, Seaweed, and Cucumber Salad with Ponzu Sauce

It’s a new year and for a lot of people that means a clean, healthy beginning, because of this I wanted to feature a dish that is simple, fresh, healthy, and most importantly, delicious. This sashimi, seaweed, and cucumber salad is all of these things and appetizing to boot.

My mind always drifts to Japanese cuisine when I think of using fresh ingredients in a pure and simple way. Jiro Ono, renowned sushi chef and owner of the three-star Michelin restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro, says in the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, “Ultimate simplicity equals purity,” and I believe this can be seen throughout Japanese cuisine. read more

Canal House Lentils, Teriyaki Shiitake Mushrooms, and Kale with Sesame Oil

Canal House Lentils, Teriyaki Shiitake Mushrooms, and Kale with Sesame Oil

Canal House Lentils, Teriyaki Shiitake Mushrooms, and Kale with Sesame Oil

Corey wanted us to try incorporating three days of vegetarian meals into our weekly diet in an effort to eat healthier and be more environmentally conscious (fruits and vegetables produce more calories per unit of energy expended in the production thereof). This hasn’t been nearly as challenging as I expected. There are so many flavorful vegetarian dishes out there, and I’m enjoying experimenting with new recipes and styles of cooking! read more

Spicy Pork and Mustard Green Soup

Spicy Pork and Mustard Green Soup

Spicy Pork and Mustard Green Soup

With the recent arctic blast and below-zero temperatures here in Chicago, I wanted a comforting, nutritious soup. Bon Appétit’s most recent cover recipe fit the bill: Rice Noodle Soup with Spicy Pork and Mustard Greens.

When I’m trying out a new recipe I tend to follow it almost exactly, so that I can properly decide what, if anything, needs to change. The first time around, I did reduce the amount of crushed red pepper flakes from 3/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon, as I had a friend over who doesn’t care for spicy foods. read more