Tuna with Braised Onions (Atún Encebollado)
A pretty simple and tasty dish served in small “cazuelas” in almost every tapas bar in Spain. I like to add a touch of salsa verde on top of it. Not traditional but downright delicious.
Braised Monkfish in Red Pepper Almond Sauce
A quick Spanish recipe that presents beautifully. If I am pressed for time I use good quality roasted red peppers in a jar rather than roasting them myself. The result is quite similar. Monkfish flesh is covered with a gray membrane that needs to be removed as it shrinks when cooked and looks unpleasant in contrast to the whiteness of the fish.
Spicy Thai Chicken and Asparagus Soup
This soup is not only a feast for the eyes but flavorful as well. A happy contrast between hot and creaminess. If you find it too spicy add a bit more sugar. If you think it is too bland and needs a bit more zing, add a dash of soy sauce or a squirt of lime juice.
Ravioli Salad with Marinated Feta and Asparagus
A super easy salad that is anything but spartan. It can be made ahead for up to 3 days. Bring it to room temperature before digging in.
Patatas Bravas
In Spain, Patatas Bravas is a key tapas dish. The pan-fried potato cubes are traditionally served with Salsa Brava, a fiery sauce flavored with smoked red peppers from La Vera in the Extremadura region. Instead of frying, I roast the potatoes. It’s less of a hassle in the kitchen.
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Stir-Fried Vegetable Salad
Tender roast pork and a brightly colored vegetable salad with a sweet and tangy homemade dressing. A bit of work, beforehand but the result is worthwhile. After all, this is not your average salad.
Grilled Chicken Breasts with Orzo and Avgolemono Sauce
Avgolemono sauce is a classic Greek sauce. It is lemony, silky and can be served with just about anything. It takes a few minutes to make and it turns a simple dish into an elegant one.
Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad
A healthy salad which is great as a side dish or as a main. The base is quinoa with its nutty flavor. Add crispy roasted broccoli, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, tangy feta, and toasty almonds. A touch of fresh green herbs and voilà, a tasty and protein-laden meal.
Polpo (Octopus) alla Luciana
Polpo alla Luciana is one of the simplest and most delicious ways to prepare this exotic seafood. A traditional recipe from Borgo di Santa Lucia, a picturesque district next to Naples’ port. Buying pre-cooked or frozen octopus really helps as it cuts down the preparation time considerably to about 45 minutes. Even in the US pre-cooked octopus is now more readily available in some supermarkets, like Costco.
Pappardelle with Chanterelles and Asparagus
Pappardelle con Finferli e Asparagi is a dish to enjoy when chanterelles are in season. They are often available in supermarkets from June to early fall. In the US, chanterelles are commonly found along the Pacific Northwest Coast, places with abundant summer rain.
Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese, Cranberries and Balsamico Vinaigrette
A spinach salad that will give you accolades instead of ho-hums. Sweet and tart cranberries, toasted almonds, piquant goat cheese, and a balsamic vinaigrette with a touch of honey to crown it. Quick pickling raw red onions reduces the pungent taste and makes them tangy and crisp.
Spicy Sardine Pâté
A can of sardines is often a cupboard staple that can be easily forgotten. You can turn it into a spicy creamy spread in 10 minutes. A fork and a bowl are all you need as kitchen utensils. A food processor is not required unless you prefer it really smooth. I personally prefer it with a bit of texture. Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes are excellent to “mascarade” the fishy taste of the sardines and to give the pâté an appealing orange/red color.
Eggplant and Crispy Tofu with Sweet and Sour Sauce
Stir-fried eggplant and tofu is a delicious meatless dinner loaded with lots of flavors and quickly put together. Tofu’s crispiness is an important step when assembling this dish. It should not be overlooked, even if you are in a hurry. Start by pressing tofu down first, according to instructions. Every bit helps and splattering of oil will be greatly reduced when stir-frying. Serve with Jasmin rice.
Salmon and Puy Lentil Salad with Creamy Honey Mustard Sauce
Serving a lentil dish on January 1 is a tradition followed in many countries. The theory behind this custom is that you start New Year with a humble dish. Those of us, who have summer temperatures in January, surely don’t crave lentil soup to “warm us up “. A lentil salad is a definite answer in this situation. Elegant enough to be served at a New Years’ party and surprisingly delicious. Sockeye salmon with its vibrant color is a perfect match. The creamy honey mustard sauce livens up the contrast.
Crispy Fish Balls with Sweet and Spicy Sauce
Very popular throughout Southeast Asia, the perfect quick bite dunked into a piquant sauce. Serving fish balls on a bed of crispy bok choy elevates this humble street food into something special. Bok choy’s hint of spicy bitterness and its fast cooking properties is my stir-fry choice to go with.
Chicken Breast and Leeks in Dijon Mustard Sauce
An impromptu elegant dish is done in 30 minutes and in one skillet. Orzo pilaf, a simple stovetop dish is a perfect sidekick to it. Dinner is served in no time.
Indonesian Baked Tofu with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Crispy baked tofu and spicy peanut sauce is a rather fortuitous combination. Tofu straight out of the package doesn’t have much taste, but it’s ideal to absorb flavors like the rich and spicy sauce in this recipe. I use Sambal Oelek, the famous Indonesian spicy sauce so popular in Southeast Asia and the Netherlands. This dish rewards you with amazing flavors and instant gratification.
Spinach and Cranberry Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
A pork tenderloin recipe with a delicious and festive twist. Pork tenderloin is very tender meat found under the topside of the pig’s backbone, not to be confused with pork loin. Oven roasted potatoes pair perfectly with this dish.
Mahi-Mahi with Spinach and Mushroom Orzo
An appealing entrée, with lots of different flavors and textures, fish, pasta, and veggies. Spinach and mushroom orzo is a meal on its own and can be prepared in advance if needed.
Rigatoni with Roasted Eggplant
Roasted eggplants are an excellent pairing with pasta. Sun-dried tomatoes enhance this vegetarian dish. An easy recipe, yet extremely gratifying. You can substitute Rigatoni with Penne.
Cauliflower and Green Bean Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing
A great make-ahead salad bursting with fresh flavors. The cherry tomatoes give this recipe a colorful contrast and the easily prepared cilantro lime dressing provides the character. Simple to put together and delicious to eat.
Tagliatelli with Scallops, Chorizo and Asparagus
An almost one-pot meal with style and easy to prepare. Springy green asparagus, delicate scallops, and spicy Spanish chorizo for a kick. Served with pasta. A real weekday meal treat. No big cleaning afterward.
Salt Cod and Potato Bake
A traditional salt cod recipe from Northern Portugal, Bacalhau a Moda do Minho. Each family has its own recipe passed down for generations, but I bet they all have a common denominator, namely potatoes. This recipe is from my 1930’s Portuguese cookbook.
Noire de Caromb Fig
The “Noire de Caromb”, the dark Caromb fig is a very sweet, juicy fig that is firm when it is ripe. It”s much sought after in France during the summer. The first crop, in July, is a larger fig that is long and dark red outside and red inside. The second crop, in September, is more round and dark purple outside and red inside.
Faiselle
Eating out in France you will sooner or later find Faisselle on the menu, often served as a light refreshing an alternative to the cheese plate as dessert. Especially authentic is the Faisselle de Chèvre, with soft curd and fresh light sour flavor.
Grilled Octopus with Roasted Peppers and Potatoes
This classic of the Spanish and Portuguese cuisine is still a culinary curiosity in the US. Long hours of low and slow cooking or hitting it on a stone until tender are things of the past. A good brand of precooked octopus offers the same quality as a fresh one with the added bonus of less time in the kitchen.
Peruvian Shrimp Chowder
In Peru, Bolivia and Chile “chupe” means stew, a word from the Quechua language. Chupe de Camarones is a specialty from Arequipa. The key ingredient is Aji Amarillo paste (aji=pepper, amarillo=yellow) available nowadays in most US supermarkets, your Latino food store or online. It balances its medium heat, which you’ll feel in the middle section of your palate, with a bit of fruity flavor, a very agreeable sensation.
Tomato and Cucumber Couscous Salad with Roasted Pistachios
The ubiquitous couscous salad comes in many varieties. In my recipe I combine couscous with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers. Adding a few shelled roasted pistachios gives it a salty kick. A refreshing dish to be used as a salad or side and it only takes 20 minutes.
Tahini Sauce
This tasty recipe, based on the famous Tahini paste, can be used as salad dressing or as a sauce to enhance roasted chicken, roasted vegetables or simply as a dip for a warm pita bread.
Roasted Cauliflower and Peppers Shakshuka
Traditional shakshuka features poached eggs in a spicy tomato and pepper sauce. There are many different recipes, I prefer mine with roasted cauliflowers.