Fresh Dill and Parsley

Zucchini Crudo with Dill, Scallion, and Smoked Salmon

 

Sometimes I don't know how recipe ideas come to me. It starts with one ingredient and the rest  sort of naturally follow. On my way home one Saturday, I was wondering what to cook that night.  A recipe with zucchini and chick peas from the famous blog Chocolate & Zucchini came to mind and I liked the idea of zucchini but not the rest of it.  Zucchini goes well with scallion and dill and I figured smoked salmon would make a nice addition. 

Polenta - better know as mămăligă

It was my grandpa who made the polenta every day once he retired at the age of 80. He filled the pot with water, placed it on the stovetop, added the salt and turned the heat to high. He has no patience, my grandma used to say. Polenta was his favorite thing. I've watched my grandpa and others in my family make it time and time again so I never had to read a recipe, measure ingredients, ask how to do it or anything like that. I just do it.

Red Beet and Celery Root Salad

I am the Queen of wastefulness when it comes to food. Believe me, it’s not something I am proud of. It just so happens that my eyes are bigger than my stomach and I overestimate the number of times I can cook in a week. However, in these difficult times, as increasingly more people are unable to feed their families and have to rely on food stamps, I feel my habit is somewhat indecent.  According to the New York Times, the number of food stamp recipients has climbed by 10 million in the past two years. This program now feeds 1 in 8 Americans and, worst of all, nearly 1 in 4 children. This is horrible!

Lentils and Brown Rice Recipe

When the sky is grey, the days are shorter, and it’s rainy, one has no other choice but to seek comfort, comfort food to be exact. Lentils are one of my comfort foods. Usually comfort foods and healthy foods can’t stand each other but lentils and brown rice seem to be an exception. I find lentils to be flavorful and very satisfying. If you are vegetarian or simply want to reduce the amount of meat you consume, lentils are the perfect choice as they are one of the best vegetable sources for iron.  In fact, lentils are popular in many parts of the world for those who adhere to a strict vegetarian diet or cannot afford meat.

In addition to iron, these little green wonders are a good source of protein when paired with rice, grains or nuts, as well as fiber potassium, folate, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, vitamin B3, copper, vitamin A, vitamin B6, calcium, and phosphorus.  Fiber is important  for the health of the digestive system and for lowering cholesterol.  All the more reason to cook up this easy-to-make, hearty, stew-like dish!

Country-Style Potatoes

It is amazing to me how many ways we have come up with to cook the humble yet delicious potato. I don’t think any other vegetable gets as much attention as the potato. If I were a vegetable, I think I would want to be a potato.  Broccoli is definitely not a vegetable I would ever want to be.  Everybody hates you, especially small children who turn their crying faces away. On the other hand, in the interest of longevity, it might be better to be broccoli than potato. This is a very interesting issue. How about you? Which vegetable would you want to be? Which vegetable do you feel suits your personality best and why?

I don’t think I can ever get sick of potatoes. When I read this recipe in a Romanian cookbook given to me by my aunt, I just had to make it, more than once. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.