My own tried-and-true recipes for home cooks.
Feta Buñelos with Honey
This recipe comes from the Truffle and Egg blog. I saw her video go viral on Instagram a couple of months ago, bookmarked it, and finally decided to make them myself. I’m reposting the recipe here to post include Imperial measurements (yay America!) and also I felt like these buñelos needed, nay, deserved a large hit of honey and flaky salt to finish. It’s the sweet-salty-cheese combo between the honey and the feta that’s incorporated into the dough itself that makes these amazing.
Beet Citrus Salad with Sesame Goat Cheese
I love beets. Most people do not. I feel like one of my purposes is to convince people that beets are in fact delicious orbs of vegetable heaven. That means pairing beets with naturally and popularly “yummy” things like oranges, goat cheese, sesame, honey, and lemon. The combination of beets, citrus, and goat cheese though is not necessarily new. So how do you make this combination interesting? I rely on a little warm goat cheese moment to provide the intrigue: coat the goat cheese in a sesame crust, give it a little sear, and use it as a protein-rich-creamy-fatty salad topping. The interplay of the warm goat cheese with the just-out-of-the-fridge citrus is truly heavenly. The beets are there as the foundation.
Brussels Sprout Caesar with Parm Crisps
Now I offer the newest rendition: the Brussels sprout Caesar. Cousin to the kale, Brussels sprouts offer versatility in their ability to both be eaten roasted and raw. Their flavor complements the pungency of a Caesar dressing, which I amplify with Meyer lemons (that touch of spicy mandarin sweetness does wonders).
But the real reason I’m publishing this recipe is for the PARMESAN CRISP HATS! Who knew that a Caesar salad looked so good cranially-adorned? Imagine placing this salad down in front of your loved one, proffering them the exquisitely barbaric opportunity to smash a parmesan crisp right over their Caesar salad.
Roasted Cauliflower and Carrot Salad
Don’t get me wrong, I love cauliflower. But it’s a little one-dimensional on its own. So I paired it up with carrots, a similarly classic dinner vegetable that defies seasonality. The two work magic together, bouncing off of the coriander and cumin like a Mediterranean dream. The fresh torn mint adds a needy and necessary punch of brightness. And the best part—the warmed dates that make the salad “a little naughty”—must not be omitted, of course.
Smashed Potatoes
Each member of my family has a different ideal potato. My mom enjoys the spartan baked potato, with a pad of butter and some salt. My brother opts for potato skins, with a pad of butter and some salt. My dad is an oddball and probably likes to “micro-mince” his potatoes and serve them inedibly to the rest of the family. I, on the other, superior hand, prefer my potatoes smashed—but smashed just enough so that there’s both fluffiness and crispiness, and flavored like a barbeque Lays potato chip. This recipe is, of course, the latter version, since this is my website and alter-ego after all.