Rainy Days & Spicy Soba Noodles with Shiitakes

Looking at the sunshine-y weather today, you wouldn’t believe that just a couple of days back, I was bundled on my couch surrounded by a huge, fluffy comforter, dreading walking out. Friday brought along stormy, gloomy and dark weather in Austin. A day made for some serious soul-searching and writing. Since I did plenty of the former last year (the results of all that soul-searching are still pending), I spent my time writing …

This spicy soba recipe would be great on such rainy days. The dish has a soul satisfying feeling to it without any of the fat and calories; and it is quick to boot! The real star of this dish is the shiitake mushroom. The earthiness and chewy texture of the mushroom complements the dish extremely well. And the hot pepper paste adds a subtle spiciness that won’t sting your tongue :)

Devilish Chicken Thighs & Braised Leeks

It’s been sometime since I’ve blogged. So, to make it up to you all, I’ve got a great recipe today.

 

These devilish, baked chicken thighs are delicious! It’s a relatively easy recipe but a little tedious. And the braised leeks tasted just fabulous, absorbing all the chicken flavor and acting as the perfect bed for the fowl to lay on. The pictures didn’t come out too well…because we were too busy eating and drinking to bother :) But I couldn’t wait to make this again and take better pictures before sharing this with you. So here it is….bad picture and all.

Chicken thighs are marinated overnight in vermouth, herbs and chillies. They’re then slathered with a mustard mixture and topped with fresh breadcrumbs; placed on a bed of leeks, that have been quickly browned in a saute pan, and baked off in the oven. Voila!

Intro to Sumac & Spinach Fatayer

Growing up in Kuwait, “fatayer” were one of my favorite snacks. They are bread-like pastries filled with a variety of fillings like lemony spinach, feta cheese or spicy ground beef. Making these makes me want to go back home and eat all the yummy street food. We have shawarma and fatayer stands at every corner in Kuwait.

Blood Orange Crostrata

I know, I know…I seem to have disappeared for the last couple of weeks. Well, I’m still alive, just busy with work (yeah…I have job! You wouldn’t think so with all the cooking I do).  But I hope to redeem my absence with this awesome Blood Orange Crostata recipe.

A few weeks ago I bookmarked a recipe I saw on smittenkitchen for a Blood Orange Tart. It was more of a “if I ever move to a bigger city with a farmers market that might sell blood oranges, I’ll definitely make this!” bookmark and didn’t think I would be making this any time soon. Somehow all the stars and planets decided to align just right, and on my next trip to the grocery store, I saw huge bin full of blood oranges. I couldn’t believe it! Had it always been there at this time of the year, and I had just never noticed it (as you’ll find out, I’m not very observant)?? Maybe I registered it because I had just seen a recipe using this amazing citrus fruit? Whatever it is…I am glad…because the blood oranges gave way to a gorgeous, caramelized, burnt red, flaky, rustic tart! Is your mouth watering yet? :)

Fennel & Citrus Risotto with Seared Scallops

I saw a recipe online for a citrus risotto and it just intrigued me. Cooking orange segments with rice didn’t seem natural to me….but I threw caution to the wind, and decided to give this a try. And it was so worth it! Totally exceeded my expectations.

This recipe included three firsts for me – the first time making a risotto, the first time cooking with fresh fennel and the first time cooking with oranges instead of just eating them raw. I’ve usually shied away from risottos because they tend to be too creamy and often fattening. But the citrus in this risotto really helps lighten the dish and the fennel gives it a subtle anise flavor which elevates the dish to a whole new level. Once the orange has been supremed (segmented), this dish comes together pretty quickly.  And in between stirring the risotto, you sear the scallops, which takes no more than 2-3 minutes. All in all, this dish was a great success, and I can’t wait to try other variations…..you can try this with any citrus (blood oranges, grapefruit, tangerines).