Mezcal is an alcohol made from roasted agave plants. Tequila is technically a type of mezcal since it is also made of agave, but when you buy liquor labeled specifically as mezcal it has a smoky flavor from the roasting. I like the extra smoky element it adds to drinks. We used to have aContinue reading “Mezcal Margaritas”
Author Archives: alifranzen
Carnitas Tacos + Taqueria Red Salsa
I think I have mentioned before that we are a bit obsessed with tacos. Especially taqueria style tacos. We used to live in California and had access to some amazing taquerias there. When we first moved east, it was hard to find similar food here. Thankfully now there is a lot more popping up inContinue reading “Carnitas Tacos + Taqueria Red Salsa”
Quick Chicken Soup with Garlic Chili Oil
This is another quick and healthy dinner recipe, but with a tasty twist. The quick chicken soup comes together really fast. I used this great ingredient I have recently added to my cooking arsenal to get great chicken flavor in a short amount of time. Have you heard of this Lee Kum Kee chicken powder?Continue reading “Quick Chicken Soup with Garlic Chili Oil”
Carrot and Couscous Salad
I decided to make soup for dinner tonight and wanted a vegetable side dish to serve with it. When I made Thai red curry tofu the other day, I cooked the carrots before adding them to the curry by pan frying them in a tiny amount of oil until they were slightly tender. We reallyContinue reading “Carrot and Couscous Salad”
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs with Polenta
My teenage son got a job and is working in the evenings several days a week. I like to feed him something before he goes to work if I can, so I have been trying to make more quick dinners. If you have been following my blog for very long, you know I love aContinue reading “Chicken Parmesan Meatballs with Polenta”
Thai Red Curry Tofu
Thai red curry tofu is a quick, easy and healthy dinner you can make in about 30 minutes. The store bought red curry paste adds tons of flavor with basically no effort. You can use the Thai Kitchen red curry paste they sell at most grocery stores in the Asian section, or you can useContinue reading “Thai Red Curry Tofu”
Homemade Gyros Meat + Gyros
We have always been big gyros fans. They are such a quick, fresh, tasty option when eating out. It always seemed impossible to make them at home, since in restaurants they cook the meat on a huge rotating skewer. Then at some point I found this recipe with a method for making gyros meat atContinue reading “Homemade Gyros Meat + Gyros”
Soft Wrap Bread
I have been making this soft wrap bread for years for gyros, or to use as pita bread with hummus or other dishes. I also cut it into squares and fry in butter to use as a crunchy element on top of street cart chicken and rice. I typically have some in my freezer toContinue reading “Soft Wrap Bread”
Bologna Pie
Ok, I know how bologna pie sounds. Trust me on this though, this dish is delicious! If you like bologna. If you don’t, I’m probably not going to convert you. Anyone else grow up eating bologna sandwiches? My most common packed lunches for school or camp were liverwurst or bologna sandwiches and I still loveContinue reading “Bologna Pie”
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Before I get to the roasted cauliflower soup, if you haven’t checked out my eCookbook page, I have created a pdf mini cookbook with five fantastic fall cookie recipes available for purchase. It includes 5 recipes with color photos and instructions in an easily printable format. Check it out here. This is a really easyContinue reading “Roasted Cauliflower Soup”