Category: Cilantro

This is a wonderful template for vegetables you can grate or thinly slice. Make sure your dressing has enough acidity to balance the sweet vegetables and seeds. This is very similar to this carrot and radish slaw.  ... Read more »

Fragrant, light yet complex, this Indian dish is beloved far and wide and varies from cook to cook. Scale it up or down or vary the ratios as needed. Just be sure to use plenty of garlic and ginger.... Read more »

Whole grains (rye, barley, farro, spelt, wheat, etc. ) take about an hour to cook (if not soaked ahead of time) but the are versatile, flavorful, and nutritious, not to mention a very affordable staple. 2 cups of dry whole grains will yield about 4 1/2 cups cooked grains that can be used in salads, soups or for breakfast with fruit, nuts and a little honey.   In this recipe you steam the vegetables with the already cooked grains.  ... Read more »

This dish came to be one summer day when I had made (very inauthentic) ramen for my son and a friend for lunch and ran out of noodles before I had eaten. I had added sauteed Napa Cabbage to their bowls, below, and I had plenty of cabbage left so I just added lots of cabbage to my bowl of broth, herbs and egg. It was light and delicious. By all means add noodles and reduce the amount of cabbage if you do have them!   This is a very simply, modified ramen broth. Feel free to add mirin, sake, ginger, garlic and/or miso to the broth. ... Read more »

The Tomato Ginger and Garlic Sauce that goes beautifully with meatballs and braised greens, also makes a delicious Asian-inspired chili.  ... Read more »

This dip is a riff on this one and is also inspired by Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sam Tamimi, but employs the nuts in the dip instead of as a garnish and adds lots of fresh herbs to give it its own place in the collection.  Use toasted bread to dip or dollop on hardboiled eggs or spread on a sandwich or in a wrap or eat it by the spoonful or serve it as a side with meat or fish.  ... Read more »

Asparagus, herbs and eggs go together beautifully. Herbs are tender and prolific when asparagus starts popping up and I use them liberally here. Mix and match to your taste. You can of course vary the ratio of eggs to asparagus and herbs based on what you have on hand. It's a very flexible template. I love making frittatas for potluck and picnics because they're best at room temperature, they're easy to serve as finger food when cut into squares and are quick to make and hold up well. And they're a great last minute dish, using whatever random herbs and veg you happen to have on hand.... Read more »

This bright and robust sauce is a variation of this one. Spice it to suit your taste and make it thinner/thicker to taste as well. I like it on the thicker side to top bowls of rice or add to wraps, as pictured, and thin it down to drizzle over roasted vegetables, fish or meat, etc. ... Read more »

This sauce/dressing is delicious on so many things: Slaw, veg (steamed, boiled, roasted), cucumbers, grilled/broiled eggplant, rice, tofu, seafood, meat, rice, etc.... Read more »

This is a fairly quick, flavorful simplified version of a Thai curry paste. You may have everything in your pantry already. I try to keep Makrut lime leaves in the freezer (I stock up if I see them in the store) but you can substitute a little lime and lemon zest for those, here. If you have galangal by all means use it instead of the ginger or use a combination.   The paste keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and adds so much flavor to a quick curry. Use whatever vegetables you'd like and substitute chicken for the tofu, if desired.  ... Read more »

When you have a flavorful pesto or sauce on hand or have a few minutes to make one, it can turn most anything into a delicious dish. This is the pumpkin seed and cilantro/parsley pesto thinned down with plain yogurt, over blanched/boiled (an underrated cooking technique!) or roasted cauliflower, garnished with more toasted pumpkin seeds.   Variations Many different base vegetables can be used such as broccoli, roasted winter squash, cabbage, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. Roast the cauliflower instead of boiling if you'd like.   ... Read more »

This is a flavorful meal, employing the same, simple sauce to cook both the fish and the quinoa (or other grain).   Variations: Substitute different kinds of fish or even shrimp. Substitute basil and/or a small amount of mint for the cilantro and parsley. Substitute rice or other grain for the quinoa. Bake it instead of cooking on stove top and so on and so forth. ... Read more »

This takes 5 minutes to pull together and is so delicious. It's my son's second favorite salad, after Caesar salad. It's similar, but much simpler, to this one. It's bright, spicy from the ginger and garlic, crunchy and fresh.  ... Read more »

This is crunchy and bright and fragrant with herbs. Simplify with fewer herbs, add tofu or chicken or shrimp or cooked for more heft. If you don't have komatsuna you can substitute young bok choi, tatsoi or young mustard greens. You can substitute cashews or even toasted almonds or sunflower seeds for the peanuts--some crunch really balances out the salad. ... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_13715" align="aligncenter" width="660"] This flavorful marinade works well on fairly thin cuts like skirt or flank. The sirloin cap steak I used here is a bit richer and more tender than those but it's always good.[/caption]... Read more »

In the spring when tender herbs are abundant this is one of my favorite things to make. This is particularly quick because there's no need to saute anything first, just fresh herbs, eggs and salt. And leftovers make a delicious sandwich filling!... Read more »

This is a typical lunch for me. I bake whole grain sourdough breads weekly and often toast a slice to dice and toss with whatever vegetables and herbs I have on hand. I like sandwiches but you can be even more creative and cook-with-what-you-have like by tossing them with other bits and pieces. Use this as a template for what you have/like and scale up or down as needed.   Variations Collard raab, blanched and chopped, or 2 cups arugula or other lettuce can easily take place of the kale, in this recipe. Great herbs to include in this salad are parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, and/or mint. Sunflower, pumpkin, or toasted amaranth seeds and/or any chopped and toasted nut, such as walnuts, pine nuts, or almonds. ... Read more »

–inspired by twopeasandapod.com This is delicious as a dip, on toasted bread, as a sandwich filling or just as is. You can adapt this in many ways too—add your favorite hot chilies or hot sauce, different spices or herbs, etc. I particularly like using mint or basil or a combination or tarragon and chives or parsley.... Read more »

Salsify is a delicious, earthy root that can be treated much like other roots. It's delicious here offset by a bit of smokiness and heat and enlivened with fresh herbs. This is a very vegetable heavy frittata, with just enough egg to hold it all together. Feel free to add more eggs if you're feeding more people or just would like a fluffier texture. ... Read more »

Make this your own with whatever cooked beans and/or grains you have on hand. You can keep it simple with just some cilantro and beans and the sauce or add an egg, or lots of vegetables or bacon or other meat, etc.  The sauce is good on noodles, cooked or raw vegetables, plain rice and pretty much anything, and it is inspired by the wonderful folks at Umi Organic (Noodles).   Variations Any cooked grain, such as rice, quinoa, barley, etc., complements this template very well. You can use red, green, napa, and/or savoy cabbage to give this meal a wonderful crunch and flavor. Lovely herbs that give this recipe a great depth of flavor are cilantro, mint, basil, or whatever tender herb you have. ... Read more »