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Minestrone Romagna Style

Minestrone Romagna Style by John Spottiswood

This is the way minestrone is made in Romagna. It's not a lot of prep time, but you simmer the soup for a long time until all of the vegetable flavors mellow into one mild but delicious soup. The subtle flavors of this soup are even more delicious the next day, so it is a good dish to prepare in advance of guests arriving for a…

14 votes
21619 views
Spaetzle

Spaetzle by John Spottiswood

This is a simple and delicious recipe for Spaetzle. My friend Helmut normally does not add oil to his Spaetzle, but we did last night because it said to on the recipe on our Spaetzle maker. I think it helped make the dough slightly easier to work with and less sticky. Feel free to do without if you prefer.

10 votes
6558 views
Alton Brown Lentil Soup

Alton Brown Lentil Soup by John Spottiswood

I adapted this recipe from one by Alton Brown. I added spinach, potatoes, and scallions and removed grains of paradise. Our whole family really enjoyed this recipe. I made it alongside an Indian curried lentil soup recipe, and while both were good, this was the hands down winner. If you're looking for a tasty, hearty, and healthy…

10 votes
10069 views
Creamy Lentil and Broccoli Soup

Creamy Lentil and Broccoli Soup by John Spottiswood

This is a creamy, flavorful, and incredibly healthy soup. The next time you're in the mood for split pea soup (also very healthy), try this instead. It has a wonderful body and a great hearty flavor. If you haven't had sumac before as a seasoning, this is a great dish to try it with. Sumac is commonly used in the middle east to…

8 votes
4074 views
Yellow Split Peas with Vegetables (Dal Takari)

Yellow Split Peas with Vegetables (Dal Takari) by John Spottiswood

Wow, this is such a wonderful dish and so easy to cook! The keys to this dish are the yellow lentils, fried potatoes, and cumin seed. You can change out the other vegetables (spinach is a nice addition as it adds to the creaminess of the dish). Make sure you fry the cumin seed and potatoes over sufficiently high heat that the cumin…

7 votes
7181 views
Cumin Rice

Cumin Rice by Joyce Leung

This rice is a delicious mix of cumin and cinnamon. It provides a nice, slightly sweet flavor, that is a perfect complement to any middle eastern dish. The only dishes I would avoid serving this with are sweet dishes with dates, figs, etc. I served it with my Braised Lamb with Beans. It was great!

7 votes
20775 views
Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup by Nancy Miyasaki

This is my super easy, staple Lentil soup that everyone eats and enjoys. It's healthy and mild, good for everyone.

7 votes
9600 views
Garlic Ginger Green Beans

Garlic Ginger Green Beans by John Spottiswood

These are an excellent, healthy side dish to any grilled meat. I highly recommend them with the Chinese BBQ chicken recipe below, but honestly these would go well with just about anything. Unfortunately these were tapped out long before our chicken, so make more than you think you need. They are great the next day too!

6 votes
6284 views
Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Turkish Red Lentil Soup by John Spottiswood

I order this every time I go out for Turkish food. It is an amazingly flavorful and wonderful soup. It's always a little different wherever I have it, but it is always phenomenal. This recipe, culled from 2-3 that I found online, is no exception. It's a bit full bodied, almost like a stew, compared to others I have had. I loved…

6 votes
7235 views
Amazing Red Lentil and Tomato Soup

Amazing Red Lentil and Tomato Soup by John Spottiswood

I never thought I would have a red lentil soup that could match the Turkish red lentil soup that I have been served in Turkish restaurants and that I've learned to make. So I had low expectations for this Indian spiced version. It completely destroyed my expectations and was absolutely delicious. It was great last night, and I had…

6 votes
5805 views
macaroni and cheese

macaroni and cheese by Carol Teng

A delicious, easy to cook meal.

7 votes
19525 views
Simple Cuban Black Beans & Rice in a Rice Cooker

Simple Cuban Black Beans & Rice in a Rice Cooker by John Spottiswood

I've loved cuban black beans and rice ever since I lived in Weehawken, New Jersey and ate at the Unica Cafe. This recipe takes some short cuts and uses a rice cooker, but I still think the results are delicious. Try this under any caribbean grilled meat, fish or stew and you won't be disappointed!

5 votes
65067 views
Eggplant and Peas Stew

Eggplant and Peas Stew by John Spottiswood

This recipe was invented by my good friend Brian Bedrosian. He recommends that you "Should drink red wine while cooking and eating for best results." I haven't tried this one yet...but every other Armenian concoction I've tasted of Brian's has been outstanding!

5 votes
4635 views
Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa by Nancy Miyasaki

This is a delicious quinoa recipe that we served with our garlic lime grilled pork chops. This is flavorful enough that you'll want to serve it with a relatively simple grilled dish. It would go wonderfully with grilled fish, chicken, or steak. Or try it with the pork recipe linked below.

5 votes
4473 views
French Rice Salad

French Rice Salad by Nancy Miyasaki

This is a light and flavorful as a main dish or side dish. It's a perfect side for any grilled meat or fish.

5 votes
15746 views