Kalyn's Kitchen Picks: Williams-Sonoma Garlic Chopper

Thanks to my friend Margarethe who gave me this garlic chopper that I've come to love!

 When I posted the recipe for Julienned Zucchini Spaghetti with Quick Sausage, Tomato, and Basil Sauce I showed some minced garlic and hinted at a handy garlic chopper I'd gotten as a gift from my friend Margarethe.  Now that I've had the chopper a bit longer, I am completely in love with this little tool, so I decided to officially make it one of my Kalyn's Kitchen Picks.  Of course, chopping garlic by hand is no big deal and it's something I never minded doing before I had this handy gadget.  But this little chopper goes from garlic clove to perfectly chopped or sliced garlic in about two seconds!

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Recipe for Curried Sauteed Cauliflower

This Curried Sauteed Cauliflower is called Gobi TakTakin in India, where it's sold on the street.

(Updated with new photos and better instructions, October 2011.)   Back in the early days of my blog I did a whole series of recipes adapted from Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World.  This international cookbook has dishes that Bittman traveled around the world to sample, and I think I've liked every recipe I've made from the book.   This dish of chopped cauliflower sauteed with red onions, cumin seeds, and curry powder is called Gobi Taktakin in India, suppposedly because of the "tak-tak" sound made by knives of the street vendors when they chop up the cauliflower as it cooks.

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Recipe for Kale and Romaine Caesar Salad

I would make an entire meal of this Kale and Romaine Caesar Salad

I promised I'd try to have meatless dishes on the blog for Meatless Monday mornings, and when I made that promise I was thinking about meatless main dishes like the Mediterranean Tostadas I featured last week.  But then I made this Kale and Romaine Caesar Salad with my nephew Jake, and we absolutely could not stop eating it.  The idea of combining kale and Caesar dressing came from Tuscan Kale Caesar Slaw from Bon Appetit Magazine, and it wasn't until we were about to make it that I thought of combining thinly-sliced romaine lettuce with sliced kale in the salad.  I loved the way the romaine toned the kale down just a bit and the combination of dark-green kale and lighter romaine was pretty too.  I'd consider this a meatless recipe but it's not vegan because the dressing has a tiny bit of anchovy paste and the salad has Parmesan.  (If you prefer you can substititute soy sauce for the anchovy paste.)   I loved this Caesar dressing recipe with no raw eggs, but Jake and I both agreed that even if you cheat and use my favorite bottled Caesar Dressing (or your own favorite vegan Caesar dressing) this will still be an amazingly delicious salad.  And when I make this again (soon!) I'll just eat a huge bowl of it for a meal, which I've decided entitles it to be in the spotlight for Meatless Monday.

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Five Things on Friday (10-7-11)

Photo of Flower Power Eggs from Apron Strings

It's been a while since I've shared a Friday collection of internet wanderings and this was definitely an emotional week on the web, with the loss of a true American genius making many of us reflect on just how computers have impacted our lives.  Keep reading for the latest collections of links I think are worth a click sometime this weekend.

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Recipe for Sausage and Lentils with Fried Sage

This classic dish of Sausage and Lentils with Fried Sage is a meal I'd always find comforting!

(Updated with better photos and added to Recipe Favorites, October 2011)  I first made this comforting dish of Sausage and Lentils with Fried Sage back in 2006.  That recipe definitely needed an update, so recently Jake and I made it again to take new photos and we also enjoyed eating it!  The recipe was inspired by one in The Silver Spoon, a classic Italian cookbook that I think every serious cook should own.  The addition of fried sage was my idea after seeing it on restaurant menus, and the fried sage was a wonderful addition to this dish.  Sage is something I have growing abundantly for most of the year, and when you fry it the sage flavor intensifies just a bit as the leaves are transformed into crispy morsels of sage-flavored goodness.  But if you like Italian Sausage and Lentils but don't have fresh sage, this dish would still be very good without the sage. 

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Recipe for Mediterranean Tostadas with Hummus, Feta, and Kalamata Olives

I've decided this Mediterranean Tostada is my new favorite thing to have for lunch!

Earlier this year I served hummus at a wedding shower, and it quickly become evident that we have both hummus lovers and hummus haters in the same family.  Of course I love hummus, so I'm the biggest cheerleader for the hummus lovers.  I can't imagine a hummus variation I wouldn't like, but most often I just have my favorite hummus from Costco, and I can easily make a lunch out of a generous scoop of hummus, some pita bread, and a green salad.  When I'm infatuated with ingredients like I am with hummus, sometimes recipe ideas swirl around in my head and a good one comes out, and I think these Mediterranean Tostadas with Hummus, Feta, and Kalamata Olives are one of my best recipe ideas ever!

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South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes Round-Up for September 2011 (Low-Glycemic Recipes)

Kalyn's favorite Phase One Recipe for September 2011 was Julienned Zucchini "Spaghetti" with Quick Sausage, Basil, and Tomato Sauce.

Every month I do this round-up of the Phase One Recipes I've posted or spotted on other blogs during the month, and every month it seems hard to believe a whole month has already gone by.  That feeling is even stronger this time as the calendar switches from September (the month of perfect weather in Utah) to October (which seems just a little too close to the actual arrival of winter.)  I trust I am not the only one who has this feeling of life zipping by too quickly?

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