Tag Archives: Fennel seed

Week 31, Meal 1: Health food soup

May 1, 2012 Niyaz Leave a comment

Excuse the lack of a “finished product” shot for this post, but I went three days in a row to freakin’ Sprouts for a loaf of French bread and they were sold out each time so we just ended up chipping away at this one until there was nothing left.

For the first meal of Week 31: Souper soups, Chef Brian is going Italian, throwing a whole bunch of healthy ingredients and good-for-you spices into a pot (kale, turkey, lentils, fennel, paprika) and serving it up piping hot. It probably would have been good with the parmesan bread on the side, but at least I saved a couple of carbs.

Prep is fairly simple and if you want to turn this one out fast, you can use store-bought Italian turkey sausage like I did. But we’ve also included Chef Brian’s Italian turkey sausage recipe in the post in case you have the time. I didn’t when I was able to cook this particular time, but I’m going to come up with a different way to use the recipe just so I can try it.

Here’s Week 31, Meal 1: Italian turkey sausage, kale, lentil and tomato soup with parmesan croutons.

Continue reading Week 31, Meal 1: Health food soup →

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Week 19, Meal 2: (Indian) wedding soup

May 2, 2011 Niyaz Leave a comment

I’ve had this curious case of the sniffles for the last week — a reprisal of the yuckies that sidelined me a few weeks back — and it threw off my kitchen game last week.

The whole time I was cooking Week 19, Meal 2: Indian spiced lamb meatball soup with kaboucha squash, kale and wild rice I ran into problems. I couldn’t smell if the spices had toasted enough or taste if the dish had enough salt.

I planned to package the soup up for the following day, but there was a little miscommunication in the kitchen and we ended up leaving the soup out overnight in our comfortably warm condo.

I wasn’t so keen on trying it the next day as the cold hadn’t subsided (it still isn’t gone) and I wasn’t willing to test the boundaries of food poisoning.

So here goes the soup that never was. Continue reading Week 19, Meal 2: (Indian) wedding soup →

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Week 18, Meal 1: Another gussied up fish dish

April 12, 2011 Niyaz 1 Comment

Sure, it’s rewarding to make great-tasting food at home, but there’s always an extra level of satisfaction when I put together something that looks like it belongs on some fancy restaurant menu.

Now, Chef Brian might disagree, but I think he’s at his best when he’s working with ahi tuna. There’s just something about the way he is able to contrast that neon pink flesh against eggplant, cous cous, beets … whatever.

Week 18, Meal 1: Fennel, black pepper, and parsley crusted ahi tuna over eggplant and pomegranate caponata with pomegranate balsamic drizzle is yet another stunner from his repertoire of food that’s both beautiful to look at, and delicious to eat. Continue reading Week 18, Meal 1: Another gussied up fish dish →

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Week 16, Meal 2: Super salmon bowl

March 15, 2011 Niyaz 1 Comment

I love Fat Dude cooking nights where I come away from the kitchen feeling like I put together something that people would pay big bucks for at a fancy restaurant.

Week 16, Meal 2: Fennel Crusted salmon over braised fennel, onion, and carrot with roasted fingerlings is one of those dishes. Though it didn’t take much work to put it together, the sweet, light broth and assertive fennel/pepper mix make this a quick fish dish to keep on hand when you’re looking to impress with both flavor and presentation.

Follow the jump to see how the magic happened. Continue reading Week 16, Meal 2: Super salmon bowl →

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Week 12, Meal 1: Pho with oxtail, flank steak and filet mignon

January 26, 2011 Niyaz 4 Comments

BWHAHAHAHAHAHA! I made stock (for the first time) and then an awesome soup with it!

For the first meal of Week 12, we’re whipping up one tasty bowl of noodles that is as comforting as it is hearty. If you’re a fan of Vietnamese flavors — citrus, spice, heat and fish sauce — this is one dish you won’t be able to slurp down quick enough.

Grab a bowl and some chopsticks, and warm up to Week 12, Meal 1: Pho with oxtail, flank steak and filet mignon. Continue reading Week 12, Meal 1: Pho with oxtail, flank steak and filet mignon →

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Week 11, Meal 3: Orecchiette with lamb ragu and ricotta cheese

January 24, 2011 Niyaz 4 Comments

While Week 11 was all about pasta, really, this meal could do without.

Just ask Wifey Nadia and our guests Jamil and Justine, who, after having a bowl of Week 11, Meal 3: Orecchiette with lamb ragu and ricotta cheese, all grabbed seconds to spoon-gorge on the clove-and-mint spiked, lamb-packed sauce. Continue reading Week 11, Meal 3: Orecchiette with lamb ragu and ricotta cheese →

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Week 1, Meal 3: Grilled herb chicken with sauteed spinach over wild rice and chicken sausage stuffing

November 11, 2010 Niyaz 7 Comments

The last meal of Week 1 was a gentle end to the chicken-and-apple series as it struck the balance between the hard work I put into our first night’s sweet potato/kale/chicken dish versus the relative ease of making night two’s chicken/apple/onion panini.

It was also my first encounter with wild rice which I’ve learned 1) is not rice, but grass; 2) takes about an hour to cook; 3) is nutty, delicious and filling.

Keep reading for the recipe and directions to make Week 1, Meal 3: Grilled herb chicken with sauteed spinach over wild rice and chicken sausage stuffing. Continue reading Week 1, Meal 3: Grilled herb chicken with sauteed spinach over wild rice and chicken sausage stuffing →