Category: Cilantro

  This is delicious and rich from the pumpkin seeds. It’s wonderful with fish, poached chicken, shrimp or simply over roasted or steamed vegetables with tortillas or rice. If using white fish fillets or shrimp you will add them to the sauce raw, if using chicken, have it poached or pre-cooked in some way and then add—see below.... Read more »

  I grow a couple of Thai basil plants every year for salad rolls and this rice noodle salad specifically. I use it in curries too but I love making these beautiful, fresh rolls for dinner on a hot summer night. Regular basil will work just fine too. And it's a fun project to do with children. My son loves to make and eat them.   ... Read more »

It's hard not to be effusive about this salad. The smokiness of the frikeh (roasted/scorched green wheat--a Middle Eastern specialty) paired with the cold crunch of the cucumber and the lemony dressing and plenty of fresh herbs is just plain a winner. Cookbook author and friend Ellen Jackson gave me the cracked, toasted coriander idea which rounds the dish out perfectly.   The salad would certainly be good with faro, wheat berries or even barley so give it a try even if you don't have frikeh. If you are using a different grain add 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika (pimenton) to the dressing.   While I typically use cilantro, mint, basil, parsley and oregano and even dill would all be good and you can try combinations of herbs as well. You can also vary the vegetables to use what you have on hand. And this salad is just as good (or better) the next day.  ... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_6164" align="alignleft" width="631"] The simple version, sans avocado.[/caption] This is so quick and delicious. The plain version is just tomatillos, onions, garlic, Serrano chilies and cilantro. The second version includes an avocado, blended in for a creamy, deluxe version.... Read more »

  The mint or some tender herb makes this salad vibrant and the yogurt dressing adds a refreshing tang. Scale this as you’d like. If you have a big crowd use a whole head of cabbage.   Serves 4-6  ... Read more »

Chimichurri is a bright, vinegary, herb-packed sauce that originated in Argentina and is served with all that grilled beef. It's a really versatile sauce and a close cousin to the Italian Salsa Verde of which I'm equally fond.   In this version I used the  fresh radish tops that came in my CSA recently to replace some of the more typically used herbs and put the tops to good use. ... Read more »

--adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi   This may seem like a cool-weather dish but I make red lentil curries in the summer and we eat them barely warm with a generous dollop of cool cucumber yogurt topping. The ingredient list looks long but I’ve noted where you can simplify and it does come together pretty easily. It is a bit similar to this red lentil dhal, though this one does not have coconut milk and is a bit thicker. ... Read more »

This takes some time but is well worth it. If you have a slow cooker you can adapt the recipe for it. It makes a good amount and the leftovers are even better. It's delicious with either pork or chicken (pictured above).  ... Read more »

This can be adapted in any way you want. If you like spice by all means add more jalapenos or Czech Black peppers. Feel free to add lots of chopped cilantro and/or parsley.  ... Read more »

This is so delicious and you can use the either or parsley or cilantro or both--maybe my favorite version. Just make sure you toast the pumpkin seeds first. It doesn't have any cheese in it but is rich from the large amount of pumpkin seeds.   I use a food processor for this but if you don’t have one you can make a slightly less uniform version by finely mincing/chopping everything by hand.   You can use this pesto as a spread on crostini or sandwiches or stir it into scrambled eggs. It's delicious mixed with either plain yogurt and/or mayonnaise for a dip or sauce for roasted vegetables, meats or fish. You can dilute it with water, cream, more oil and/or lemon juice) for a dressing for grain or bean salads. …And of course you can serve it with pasta like basil pesto. Be sure to thin it with a bit of hot, starchy pasta cooking water in that case.  ... Read more »

This is a fairly quick and satisfying meal that uses up most any vegetable you have on hand. Once you make it a few times you won't need to look at a recipe and will have fun with whatever version you conjure. If you're using summer squash or other quick cooking vegetables, add them to the curry a bit later since they will take less time to cook and you want them to keep their shape just a bit.... Read more »

  This is a very adaptable salad (template). Substitute vegetables and herbs as you wish just be sure to chop everything quite small. This is a good dinner salad on a warm night especially if you add cooked beans, cheese and/or toasted seeds or nuts or cooked chicken.   This makes a lot of salad so feel free halve the recipe. I load mine up with herbs—mint, parsley, cilantro, chives and thyme. The more the better!... Read more »

--adapted from Bean by Bean by Crescent Dragonwagon   When you next bake some sweet potatoes, bake a few extra. And if you already have cooked black beans on hand or cans in the pantry (or the urge to make a big pot of beans to use for then and freeze the rest) then this will be a very simple dish to pull together. The green beans add color and texture and the combination is just too good not to make. And you'll have dressing left over and it is good on grains, meat, eggs, roasted veggies. . . .   This hearty salad is perfect for pairing with a spicy main dish like jerk-style chicken, tofu or eggplant and it’s a great lunch on it’s own.   Serves 4 to 6... Read more »

This is really just a suggestion of ingredients to combine and a loose technique. You can add sweet peppers, hot peppers, spices, other herbs and/or add cheeses or toasted nuts and even omit the avocado, as in the version above. It's simple to quickly toss together ingredients like this and have a vibrant dish for any time of day.   If you don't have time to roast squash in the oven and have one that's easy enough to peel or doesn't need peeling, like delicata, then you can just sauté the squash in a large, skillet in about 10 minutes.   Quantity is completely up to you, as are the ratios. Just taste and adjust with citrus and other seasonings.... Read more »

  --adapted from my friend Jody Berry   Feel free to halve the recipe or change the ratios a bit--the above photos reflect half of the below recipe.   It's perfect in fish tacos or as an enchilada sauce or just with chips or with beans.... Read more »

I especially love cilantro made into a sauce. I made this one day when I had a bedraggled looking bunch in the fridge and it made the dinner. It's delicious on any grains or fish or with steamed or roasted veggies. It's lovely over roasted or boiled new potatoes and/or carrots with some thinly sliced spring onions. It's a dip, a sandwich spread, and a dressing.   You can substitute parsley for the cilantro for an equally vibrant sauce or mix the two; just discard the parsley stems. You can also vary the sauce by adding fresh hot peppers (jalapeno, serrano, etc.) or a chunk of sweet onion or a pinch or two of cumin. You can thin it with water or cream. You can make it smooth and uniformly green in a food processor or quickly chop it by hand, as above. [caption id="attachment_12470" align="aligncenter" width="660"] A version with parsley instead of cilantro.[/caption]... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_20729" align="aligncenter" width="660"] I actually didn't have leeks for this version and just used 1 1/2 large onions. It was still delicious.[/caption]   For more on this soup see this post. But mostly just make it. If you have cooked (or canned) beans on hand this soup comes together in 20-30 minutes and is a very satisfying one-dish meal.  ... Read more »

This is a smooth, complex and rich soup. Feel free to double this recipe if you have a crowd to feed or want to freeze half for future use.... Read more »

--adapted from Food Matters by Mark Bittman   The lightly pickled carrot garnish/relish adds a really nice, fresh element to this one-pot dinner. It’s better the second day (just keep the carrots separate until you’re ready to eat) and if you have already cooked beans on hand it’s a pretty quick dinner.    Serves 4-6... Read more »

--adapted from Tender by Nigel Slater   This is a very quick, satisfying dinner. It's delicious with regular broccoli but even better with the tender purple sprouting broccoli that shows up in later winter/early spring at markets and year-round CSA shares. If using purple sprouting broccoli be sure to use the stems and leaves as they are part of the charm and are tender and sweet.  ... Read more »