How did I forget about Ras el-Hanout? It was one of those gateway drugs- I mean spices- that got me started with a phase when I was obsessed with *attempting* Moroccan food. It’s been a while, but it’s good that I had it lying around when I ran out of other ideas. What else? Uh……
Grilled Italian Sausage | Smashed Cannellini Beans
There’s a good chance that you’re reading this after a long day– maybe you got up early, worked through lunch, stayed late? All three? Ouch. Sometimes you just need something quick, and filling and those Buzzfeed videos just aren’t hitting it for the day. Don’t lose hope! Look through all the Craving Mad posts under…
Shrimp & Cashew Soup
I learn a lot of food trends from Dani, since I’m usually in my own head coming up with new combinations of things. Remember that vegan lasagna we made a while ago? Well, cashews filled in for ricotta cheese– and it was a pretty awesome match. Aside from that though, I haven’t done anything particularly special…
Black Eye Pea Stew
Simple, slow, and delicious. Sure, no one asked me to summarize this dish in three words or less…but I love a good challenge. I’ve had dried black eye peas in the house for about a year– initially to make akara, a Nigerian fritter that’s delicious…but labor intensive. I’m still craving it, but I am admittedly…
Ọbẹ Ẹ̀fọ́ Elegusi: Egusi Stew
Five attempts…it took me five attempts over about four years to finally get it right. Egusi stew is my favorite Nigerian meal, and maybe one of my favorite foods in general. The problem is that I’ve always had to get it from a restaurant or caterer, so it’s usually a rare delicacy reserved for big…
Stewed Cod
Too easy not to make… right now! The sauce changes each time I make it, but includes different combinations of peppers, tomatoes and garlic. Roast the vegetables until soft, then sautee in olive oil, and cook the fish in the sauce that forms. Cod filets work perfectly for this, since they are firm, and won’t…
Five-Spice Braise
In another post that sounds much fancier than it really is…I give you: braising. Regardless of spices, or proteins, the basic process is the same: sear, then stew. Here, I decided to leave the pre-made 5-spice in the pantry, and try my hand with the raw ingredients. I had everything except Szechuan peppercorns, but I…
Lemon-Rosemary Chicken | Feta Corn
Now that Craving Mad has been going for a while (this is post #114!) there’s been plenty of time for me to run out of new ideas… it could happen to anyone, right? There have been the busy weeks, the uninspired weeks, and plenty weeks with almost no groceries (well, maybe those count as busy…
Roasted Garlic Salmon | Mediterranean Penne
Did I mention that I love fishing? Not in the past few posts, huh? Well…I love fishing. I’ve always loved fish and reptiles, so naturally I used to love watching the 90’s versions of Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, and all those wildlife documentaries definitely left there mark (thanks, Steve). I don’t keep or eat…
Zucchini & Cashew “Lasagna”
Dani took the lead on this one– a dish that is intentionally vegan, keto, dairy-free…well, free of most things, really. Like…take this lentil bolognese, but cut out the wheat pasta, and other natural carbs from the lentils. She deserves a round of applause though; it was delicious! Don’t like zucchini? Try eggplant, or maybe even large…
