Roasted Tomato and Garlic Crouton Spaghetti
Feb 2, 2012 Bakery House
It has been nearly three weeks now since Hassan graced our lives and changed our family dynamics forever. We have been busy getting to know one another and I haven't spent as much time in the kitchen as I would have liked to. Instead, I have been busy eating whoesome meals prepared by my Mom and Mother in law.
Yesterday was the first time I prepared a three course meal to celebrate shaving his hair. It is customary to shave the birth hair on the seventh day of a baby's life but since he was still in hospital recovering from jaundice, we decided to do so yesterday. I was quite sad to see his beautiful locks disappear and Maryam was quite alarmed to see his 'curlies chopped off.'
To celebrate the occassion, we ate together with close family and shared a simple meal. My Mom prepared a fragrant cumin scented pilaf with a spiced version of this mung soup. And for dessert- we had a cardamom infused carrot pudding. Lots of butter, lots of pistachios and lots of love. A complete meal with loved ones.
It felt good to be back in the kitchen and even better to be sharing it with my Mom. The best part was getting back to photographing. Doing what I love and enjoy the most- creating and eating good food and photographing it.
Today though, I want to share with you a simple pasta dish I created a few weeks ago for the third issue of House of Fifty. I've been making this version of spaghetti for about two years now, since Maryam started eating pasta actually.
It has evolved as Maryam's palate has become more sophisticated. What started off as mere spaghetti tossed in olive oil has now seen the addition herbs, roasted tomatoes and garlic croutons. When Maryam is going through her picky phases, this is one meal I know she'll relish. Who knows what it will transform into as she gets older.
Head over to House of Fifty for more images as well as a recipe for focaccia. Also, I would like to thank all of you for the lovely comments and messages you left on my last post. Me and Akber really enjoyed reading through each and every single one of them. Thank you!
Click above for printable recipe card
Tags: Cumin, Family Dynamics, garlic, Hassan, Locks, Mom, Roasted Garlic, Spaghetti, Tomato
Garlic Texas Toast
Jan 10, 2012 Bread Bakeries
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Big, thick two-ounce slices of French bread, loaded with buttery garlic, tasty herbs and full-flavor spices. A wonderful, lightly crisped toast popular with hearty southern-style chicken-fried steak or range-style BBQ! Makes a delicious grilled cheese sandwich perfect for dunking into a bowl of tomato soup.….more info
Tags: Bbq, Best Sellers Bread, Chicken Fried Steak, French Bread, Full Flavor, garlic, Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Herbs, Ounce, Southern Style, Spices, Style Chicken, Texas, Texas Toast, Toast, Tomato Soup
On this one, I am not a traditionalist – this green bean casserole tops the expected dish
Dec 23, 2011 Uncategorized
I know I’m a weirdo, but I hate the traditional Green Bean Casserole. It’s mushy and salty and you can’t even taste the green beans. But, that’s just me.
The family loves the casserole so I make it, but for me, I prefer roasted green beans so I look for recipes that make those fiber-licious beans shine.
I found a recipe while surfing the web recently that satisfied my craving for crunchy beans and a crispy topping that beats any mix of canned ingredients by a long shot.
I tweaked it a little bit using walnuts instead of almonds for even more crunch. I added extra garlic for a little more zing. You could probably use orange juice and orange zest, instead of the lemon, but I think my version highlights the natural good taste of the green beans.
See what works for you.
Roasted Green Bean and Walnut Casserole
1 pound of green beans, stems trimmed
6 cloves of garlic, diced
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
Salt and pepper (lemon pepper, if you have it)
1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme
1/4 cup of walnuts toasted and chopped
- Preheat the oven to 425º.
- Toss together the green beans, a tablespoon of the oil, the garlic, the salt and the pepper in a roasting pan.
- Roast it all up until the beans are tender and light golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and stir in the remaining oil, the lemon zest, the lemon juice, the thyme and the toasted walnuts.
- Transfer everything to a serving dish and garnish it all with some more nuts and a twist of lemon.
Vegan
Tags: Almonds, Beats, Canned Ingredients, Casserole Dish, Cloves, Crunch, Extra, garlic, Green Bean Casserole, Green Beans, Licious, Orange Juice, Orange Zest, Recipes, Tops, Traditionalist, Walnuts, Weirdo, Zing
