This is my take on the traditional Mexican soup, a tomato-based broth that’s made super aromatic by garlic and onions, plus a little heat from jalapeños. It’s hearty enough to fill you up, but it’s not going to bog you down for the rest of the day. This soup is simple enough for a weekday meal, but it’s also a fun dish to entertain with because you can set out a big spread of toppings such as chopped onion and scallions, sliced radishes and jicama, Homemade Tortilla Chips (recipe below) —or store-bought— guacamole or sliced avocado, a variety of grated cheese—you get the idea! It’s especially perfect as a lighter option when having people over to watch a big game on TV. If you are going to be serving this for a crowd, you can leave out the chicken and use veggie broth instead to make this vegetarian-friendly. Then add shredded chicken (or short ribs or pulled pork) to your toppings bonanza for the meat eaters.
Besides being gorgeous, this dish is incredibly complex. The pomegranate, yogurt, and herbs play up each other’s hidden floral notes, while the lactones in the chicken blend seamlessly with fruity lactones and esters in the pomegranate. If you’re feeling bold, try substituting duck breast or boneless quail for the chicken in this recipe.
I used to miss my dad’s curried egg sandwiches until the guys at Thug Kitchen gave me the idea of using chickpeas in place of eggs in my sandwich.
You can put whatever you like in this as long as it’s green—kale, Chinese leaf, small zucchini, raw young peas, fava beans, whatever. You can reduce the range, too, so you don’t have to use all the herbs. Take care with the dressing. It needs a good sweet-sour-salty-hot balance, so taste and adjust it as you go before tossing with the vegetables.
Something about the temperature contrast of the hot, salty dog and cold, bracing sauerkraut, and the thick layers of intermingling fat in the form of avocado and mayo, just clicks.
If I ever open a restaurant, this will be one of the top items on my menu.
We keep stalks of sugarcane in a galvanized bucket on the table in front of the wood-burning stove, using them to flavor a roast the way other restaurants might use a few sprigs of thyme or rosemary.
This is a regular lunch or supper at casa mia.
Sitting in my kitchen back in London with the holiday blues, I devised this recipe as a way of transporting me back to the exotic, calming world that is Sri Lanka’s southern coast.
Quinoa is a fun, flavorful, and gluten-free alternative to traditional brown rice in sushi rolls.