• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • Easy Ideas

Homemade in Astoria logo

  • HOME
  • SHOPPING GUIDE
  • REVIEWS
  • CONTAINER GARDENING
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT

Neo Soul

Defining what Soul food is can be tricky ... and Neo Soul food even more so. I loosely define it as the food of Black Americans prepared in nontraditional ways. It is largely influenced by Southern cuisine, but not exclusive to that region. For example, I'm biracial and my Black family's roots in Rhode Island extend back to the 1700s … directly from Africa. I would say that clam chowder is our family's soul food, not something more classically "Soul Food popular" popular like gumbo. I'm told my grandfather made fried green tomatoes (a Southern tradition, not to mention that frying is an African cooking method, not European) and was a locally famous barbecue pit master in his town of North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

My grandfather working the pit at the annual Saunderstown Barbecue in North Kingstown, RI, circa 1963.

Me and my biological dad in North Kingstown, RI, circa 2001.

Why Neo Soul?

You might think “Why not just call it Soul food?” Well, I never learned how to make traditional Soul Food. I don’t make a roux for my Vegan Gumbo, I don’t make Mac and Cheese the “Soul Food way” (i.e. baked as a casserole), I usually sauté my collard greens and cook them only until they’re bright green and tender, and I use sweet potatoes for sandwiches instead of pie.  Also, I do lots of cultural fusion concepts like Jerk Barbecue Chickpea Tacos, Tabouli-style Blackeyed Pea Salad, and my take on cornbread fuses with a recipe from my family’s Native American tribe by using berry preserves and maple syrup.

Also, newer ways of cooking allows us to cook healthier meals. Traditionally, much soul food was not always the healthiest for our bodies. Now, using smoked turkey instead of a ham hock is quite common, or omitting meat altogether has been a direct result of Black vegan movement. I really enjoy the culinary challenge of not using meat while still delivering exciting flavors with plant-based ingredients ... which is what you will find in many (but not all) of my Neo Soul recipes.

There’s a first time for everything

I’m a firm believer in the concept that there’s a first time for everything. For myself, I actually didn't grow up making Soul food. I was adopted and found my biological family in my early 20s, so my first time making or eating Soul food happened much later in life. Because of this, I had a non-traditional approach when it came time for me to make things. My first time learning about plantains was from Nigerian, Black American/Haitian, and Colombian friends in college and my immediate idea was to bake them. They all looked at me like I was crazy and said, “They’re just plantains, you better heat up some oil!” Being stubborn, I still baked them. While plantains were not new, they were certainly new to ME and that’s what I did with them. Now, twenty years later I found myself kinda baking plantains in my air fryer (aka. convection oven) a couple weeks ago while testing a recipe concept.

Neo Soul food is based on a historical context. As I explore more food of the African diaspora and do extensive research into my own genealogy, I learn about countless ingredients that either came to Black Americans in a variety of ways. These could be ingredients historically grown by us, passed down from slavery, popularized by us, or simply ingredients learned about from the modern ability to watch what different Black home cooks do in kitchens across the world. Knowledge and access to so many ingredients combined with different approaches of cooking sets the stage for countless variations in what Soul food can be nowadays.

Making clam chowder with my bio-dad, circa 2003.

cornbread dressing with clam juice

Maple Cornbread Dressing with Clams

green tomat brown rice

Green Tomato Brown Rice

stewed blackeyed peas

Stewed Blackeyed Peas in Spicy Miso Broth

Blackeyed Pea Salad

Blackeyed Pea Salad, Tabouli Style

Maple Cornbread with Berry Preserves

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 6
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

I’m Ben, a home cook with a less-meat approach to multicultural comfort food, sharing cooking tips and recipes in Astoria, Queens, NYC.

BROWSE ALL PREVIOUS POSTS

  • Cocktails and Beverages (4)
  • Cooking Tips (3)
  • Desserts (5)
  • Easy Ideas (25)
  • Meatless (53)
  • Neo Soul (29)
  • Plant-Based (38)
  • Recipes (65)

Meatless Monday Ideas!

Air Fryer Potatoes with Thai Curry Paste

Cherry Tomato Bites

Thai Curry Eggplant with Lentils

Thai curry eggplant with lentils

Blackeyed Pea Salad, Tabouli Style

Blackeyed Pea Salad

Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette with Honey and Mustard

Maple Cornbread with Berry Preserves

Sweet Potato Dip with Curry and Candied Ginger

Curry sweet potato dip with broccoli

Oven-Dried Tomato Slices

Check out more Meatless Monday inspired posts!

Follow me on Instagram!

  • Instagram
Lots of recipe variations of cashew cream exist, u Lots of recipe variations of cashew cream exist, using just cashews and water as a base. Here are some universal cooking tips that make sure it goes well for ya. 

Full recipe post for this dairy-free plant based Lime Cashew “Crema” is in the Feed. 

1. You must use raw cashews. Not salted or roasted. 

2. Use warm water.

2. Measuring nuts can be imperfect, so you might need to add a little more or less to achieve your desired thickness. I always start with equal volume amounts of water and whole cashews.

3. Great news … no salt is needed! A no-salt condiment is always a good thing!

4. Be patient. It takes quite (5 to 10 minutes) a while of processing in a high speed blender to make it creamy. 

5. Some small cashew pieces might be remaining, just strain them through a mesh strainer if needed.

🍲 Check back for the Lentil Chili.

#cashewsauce #cashewcream #plantbasedrecipe #cashewmayo #cashewrecipes #plantbasedprotein #chilitoppings
Lime Cashew “Cream” is the chili topping to sw Lime Cashew “Cream” is the chili topping to swap with sour cream or Mexican crema. It's plant based, dairy-free, and super quick to whip together with just three ingredients. 

For more easy recipe ideas, browse my Feed’s 3-Ingredient Thursdays as far back as June.

Many cashew cream recipes exist, but here’s my minimalist amounts:
▪️⅔ cup raw cashews
▪️⅔ cup warm water
▪️fresh juice of ½ lime 
▪️1 tablespoon @krasdale white vinegar

All you do is…
1. Purée equal amounts of warm water to cashews to oblivion in a small high speed blender. This takes a while to achieve, but hang in there!

2. Add lime juice and vinegar to taste. Stir them in and give it a few shakes. The amounts really depend on how tangy you want it. I've added ¼ cup lime juice and 3 tablespoons of vinegar before and it all works. 

Yields about 1 cup

🌮 Add it to tacos too. 

A few cooking notes:

The cashews MUST be raw. I’ve tried it with salted and roasted cashews and it doesn’t really work.

Because the measurement of cashews can be irregular, you may have to add slightly more or less water. 

Your cashew cream thicken a bit as it cools. It will be rather warm and loose when taken directly from the blender. Let it rest at room temperature to figure out what you’re really working with. 

#cashewcream #vegancondiment #plantbasedcooking #plantbasedfood #dairyfreerecipe
Cauliflower and Calabaza Pumpkin Curry is my answe Cauliflower and Calabaza Pumpkin Curry is my answer to the pumpkin spice trend. If you’re also not a fan of traditional North American pumpkin, look for Calabaza pumpkins to make a spicy curry with because their natural sweetness balances out with curry spice blends oh so well. 

Check my previous Feed post for the step by step process, and below cast of ingredients for this spicy plant based vegetarian curry...

Main Ingredients: cauliflower (seared) Calabaza pumpkin

Base Ingredients and aromatics: bayleaf, cardamom, cinnamon, green chiles, cumin seeds, red onions, garlic, ginger

Indian Spices: cumin, coriander, turmeric, yellow curry powder, Kashmiri chili powder, kosher salt, water

Stew: tomato purée, water, fenugreek, whole green chiles, cilantro 

#plantbasedcurry #veggiecurry #indiancurry #pumpkincurry #currycauliflower #cauliflowercurry #gobicurry
Learning how to cook Indian curry dishes at home ( Learning how to cook Indian curry dishes at home (thanks to @latifs_inspired ) is super rewarding and once you nail down some basic techniques, you’re on your way to get creative. It’s especially useful if you want more vegetarian cooking options. You can cook ingredient combinations beyond what is available at your local Indian restaurants ... such as this Cauliflower and Calabaza Pumpkin Curry 

Yes there are a lot of ingredients, but most of the work is in the prepping. After all ingredients are out and ready, cooking curry (especially vegetarian curry) goes quite quickly. 

To make the process quicker and easier, here’s my general outline…

👉🏻 Prepping ingredients. 
Dicing (and sometimes puréing) tomatoes and onions, grating garlic and ginger paste, measuring out and combining the spice blend, cleaning your main ingredient

👉🏻 Building base flavor.
Seasoning your oil. This goes quickly. Here, I used a basic Garam Masala combination of cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaf, then added cumin seeds and green chiles. 

👉🏻 Aromatics and spices.
Cooking down onions, garlic & ginger in oil, onion juices, and a little water to bloom the spices (referred to as a bhuna)

👉🏻 Cooking the main ingredient. 
Main ingredients get added and cooked … usually simmered in some type of liquid as the flavors get reduced and more concentrated. Here I used tomato puré and a little water but could also be any type of stock, nut milk, coconut milk, cream, etc

👉🏻 Garnish
Here, green chiles are added for flavor, not so much for heat because they are kept whole. Cilantro always adds a nice lift and sometimes I add finely sliced red onions, pickled mango, parsley, etc..

#cookingcurry #pumpkincurry #currycauliflower #cauliflowercurry #gobi #gobicurry #indiancurry #vegetariancurry
Fava beans deliver that satisfying “meaty” tex Fava beans deliver that satisfying “meaty” texture to vegetarian meals and they’re such a super quick and easy recipe. 

Many recipes for Foul Mudammas exist and after cooking several, the one key cooking tip would be to double the amount of garlic, spices, and salt if you want it to taste like it does from a local restaurant. 

The amounts are completely flexible.
For the beans...
garlic
hot pepper
black pepper
cumin
kosher salt
fava beans
water or veggie stock
lemon juice

For garnish...
parsley
diced tomatoes
fresh garlic

It starts with a base with lots of garlic crushed with any type of hot pepper, sautéed in olive oil with black pepper, cumin, and plenty of kosher salt. 

Add water or veggie stock, then stir in the fava beans only adding just though liquid so theyre barely covered. 

Mash about half of the beans to you desired texture, stir in some lemon juice and top it with parsley, fresh tomatoes, a generous”‘glug” of olive oil, plus adding more fresh garlic REALLY sets it off. 

#favabeans #foulmudammas #beanrecipe #legumes #quickandeasycooking
Here's how you can whip together chocolate truffle Here's how you can whip together chocolate truffles quite quickly, with these three important baking tips…

1. You need to use actual baking chocolate … semisweet or bittersweet. I used 60% cocoa Ghirardelli chocolate.

2. To cool the melted chocolate & cream mixture quickly in an hour (or two maximum), stop heating it as soon as all of the chocolate is melted, spread it out on saran wrapped plate and put it in the fridge. Or even quicker in the freezer if you watch it closely. You want to achieve the texture of play dough. 

3. To avoid chocolatey messy hands, keep a cold wet cloth nearby to dampen your hands frequently. Chocolate won't stick to water and keeping your fingers cold also helps. 

It's such easy baking, a chocolate lovers dream, and way easier than making fudge. The fun part is decided what to roll your truffles is, so get creative… consider using chopped nuts, candy canes, coconut, white chocolate drizzle, espresso powder, sprinkles, nilla wafers, gingerbread, whatever you so desire. 

#chocolatetruffles #chocolatetruffle #simplerecipe #easyrecipe #chocolaterecipes #chocolatelover
Graham Cracker Chocolate Truffles are a festive an Graham Cracker Chocolate Truffles are a festive and super easy dessert idea you can whip together quite quickly … and with only three ingredients! Yup it’s time for my weekly Three Ingredient Recipe.

🍫 All you need is…
▪️4 ounces bakers chocolate (semisweet or bittersweet)
▪️1/2 cup heavy cream
▪️graham crackers

This combination of sweet chocolate made velvety from heavy cream, paired with savory bits of cracker is seductive, keeping you in suspense wanting “just one more”.

👇🏻 Here’s what to do...

1. Melt the chocolate and heavy cream together in a double boiler, stirring constantly. Heat it just enough to make the chocolate melt. Don’t overheat it because you eventually need to let it cool.

2. Transfer the melted chocolate to a plate lined with saran wrap. Spread out the chocolate, cover it, and allow it to cool in the fridge until it resembles the consistency of play dough (an hour or two maximum)

3. Meanwhile, crush the graham crackers either by hand or in a food processor. Sift out the small cracker dust with a mesh strainer so you’re left with larger graham cracker pieces.

4. While still wrapped, roll the chocolate into a log, then cut the chocolate into desired truffle sizes.

➡️ Here's one important tip ... to avoid your hands from sticking and getting messy with chocolate, frequently dampen your hands with cold water.

5. With clean hands (or break out some gloves), roll and/or shape the truffles into circular sizes in a bowl with the crushed graham crackers. 

#chocolatedessert #chocolatetruffles #easybaking #chocolatelover #bakingathome #chocolaterecipe
Here's how to make this Curry Fried Rice with Salm Here's how to make this Curry Fried Rice with Salmon … because fish and rice go together oh so well and it's such a quick and easy recipe!

1. Bring a mixture of 2 tablespoons sesame oil and 2 tablespoons canola oil to high heat.

2. Sauté lots of diced shallots (about 8) until brown with a little kosher salt, then cook with garlic and ginger until fragrant. 

3. Stir in yellow curry powder with some water until evenly distributed. Then stir in cooked and dried-out basmati rice and thick bok choy stems. 

4. Add cooked salmon, peas and carrots, then stir in mixture of 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon fish sauce. 

5. Stir in bok choy leaves, then squeeze in lime juice.

6. The amounts of rice and other ingredients are completely flexible and vary almost every time.

For better homemade fried rice it's best to make less in smaller batches because home works have a hard time getting as hot as restaurant woks (I actually should have added less rice here). Making less helps the smaller amounts get hotter more frying happens instead of steaming. 

#friedrice #curryrice #yellowcurry #ricerecipes #curryrecipes #asianfood #asiancooking #asianfoodathome #friedricerecipe
When making mac ‘n cheese, swapping the macaroni When making mac ‘n cheese, swapping the macaroni with cauliflower is this easy!
Make a white roux, then melt your cheeses (I suggest Colby, Gouda and Gruyere) at low heat. This will be more saucy because cauliflower doesn’t absorb cheese sauce, so serve it alongside some dressing. Don’t even compare it to mac ‘n cheese. Instead, think of it as Cheesy Cauliflower, Cauliflower Cheese Soup, or Cauliflower Casserole.

#castironcooking #skilletcooking #cauliflowerrecipes #cauliflowercheese #cauliflowermacandcheese
Instead of Mac 'n cheese, try this no-carb Cauli ' Instead of Mac 'n cheese, try this no-carb Cauli 'n Cheese side dish by simply swapping the macaroni with tiny bits of blanched cauliflower. 

👨🏻‍🍳 I've always wanted to try this, so here's a few cooking notes. 

🧀 It will be quite saucy because cauliflower releases water, unlike macaroni which absorbs water. To counter this, try topping it with some panko bread crumbs. 

🧀 For the cheeses my standard is Colby (not Colby Jack), Gouda, and Gruyere. Colby has a better melting ability than cheddar but it's hard to find, so I got it from Instacart.

🧀 Take  the time to cut the cauliflower into macaroni-sized pieces. 

🧀 Cauliflower is parcooked just long enough to be brought to a boil. 

Call it what you want … Cauliflower Casserole or Cauliflower Mac n Cheese, or Cheesy Cauliflower Bake … it gives you that mac ‘n cheese-like experience with a lighter feeling afterwards. I could NOT stop eating it!

#cauliflowerrecipe #caulflowercasserole #cheeselover #carbless #nocarbs #cauliflowerbake #cheeserecipes
Here’s some overall baking tips for your Holiday Here’s some overall baking tips for your Holiday baking. 

There are many unwritten rules and industry standards in published recipes that I like to highlight. I learned some of these the hard way … from lots of trial and error since about the age of 8

🌡️ All ingredients should be brought to room temperature first … eggs, milk, butter, cream cheese, etc., and to quickly heat up butter, hit it with a rolling pin a few times.

🥚 The industry standard for eggs in recipes is large eggs. 

🧈 Use European butter (Kerrygold, Plugra, etc.) to achieve fluffier textures because it has a higher fat content. Other butters have a higher water content and result in more dense baked goods.

🧈 Unsalted butter is more fresh, because the salt in butter also acts as a preservative. 

👉🏻 If a recipe says to use cake flour, use it. Swapping it with all purpose flour is not an even ratio.

👉🏻 Check the expiration date on the packages of your baking powder and baking soda. These leavening agents lose effectiveness over time.

🥧 To achieve even baking, rotate whatever you're baking 180 degrees for the second half of baking time, because in most home ovens, the temperature is hotter in the back. 

🍫 When melting chocolate, be careful not to get any water in it, not even a drop, otherwise it will turn grainy.

🍫 Always melt chocolate in a double boiler. You can make one by simply suspending your melting pot over a larger pot with boiling water. 

🍪 For cookies, do not refrigerate your dough for later use. Baking soda (and baking powder) lose effectiveness quite quickly after it is mixed in and reacts with the other ingredients. So buckle down and make the entire batch no matter what.

🎂 For sheet cakes, look for pans with sharp angled edges. Avoid using pans with rounded corners because they create unpleasantly scorched edges. The heat does not get distributed evenly in those areas. 

#bakingtips #bakingathome #holidaybaking #homebaking #ilovetobake
Here’s how to make the Pineapple Cranberry Sauce Here’s how to make the Pineapple Cranberry Sauce in my Feed. It’s literally the easiest holiday side dish  in the world to whip together in 20 minutes with just 3 ingredients.

🍍 The amounts are…
▪️12 ounces cranberries
▪️1 cup sugar
▪️1 cup pineapple juice 

Was initially going for orange juice, but none were really  ripe and juicy. So the pineapple juice swap happened and goes in synch with the Jerk Turkey (also in my Feed).

For more minimalist three ingredient recipe ideas, check my Feed on Thursdays since June, where I share what you can cook with just 3 ingredients (in addition to salt, water, and oil).

#cranberrysauce #sidedishes #simplerecipes #easycooking #holidaycooking #cranberryrecipe #pineapplejuice
Cranberry Sauce is the easiest 3-Ingredient recipe Cranberry Sauce is the easiest 3-Ingredient recipe ever. Using pineapple juice instead of orange juice gives it just a little different twist, especially if you can't find juicy, ripened oranges.

👇🏻 All you need is:
▪️12 ounces cranberries
▪️1 cup sugar
▪️1 cup pineapple juice 

🔪 For more Three Ingredient Recipe ideas, check my Feed posts every Thursday.

The mini-sized 8 ounce pineapple juice are quite convenient so you only use what you need and can store e extra unused cans in your cupboard.

👇🏻 Here's what to do…
1. Dissolve the sugar in the pineapple juice over medium heat, stirring frequently. 

2. Stir in the cranberries, then let them simmer at medium-high heat until they burst, about 15 to 20 minutes. For a smoother texture you can also break them up with a pastry cutter. 

3. Turn off the heat and let the cranberry sauce thicken as it cools. 

#cranberrysauce #holidayfood #holidaycooking #easyrecipes #simplerecipe #simplecooking #3ingredients #thanksgivingfood
🇯🇲 About that Jerk Marinade I posted in the 🇯🇲 About that Jerk Marinade I posted in the Feed … it makes a fantastic Butterflied Jerk Turkey 🍗

👨🏻‍🍳 Be sure to get the marinade up under the skin so it makes direct contact with the breast and thigh meat. Be generous with the seasoning and use the entire 2 ½ cups for an 11.5 pound turkey.

Salt and vinegar are crucial elements to a marinade, so look for @diamondcrystalsalt and @krasdale white vinegar.

👉🏻 Butterflying has it’s benefits …
It cuts down the cooking time. 
Promotes more even cooking. 
Makes it easier to handle the turkey and flip occasionally to create a rotisserie effect

👉🏻 To remove the spine, simply cut along both sides of the spine with a sharp knife. Then open the turkey up like a book and press it down flat, cracking the ribs. I also noticed there were no greasy drippings so it was a cleaner process. 

👉🏻 To create a rotisserie effect … after the first hour and a half, flip the turkey upside down to cook for another hour and a half, then flip it back right-side-up. You can keep flipping it every hour if you're careful enough in handling it, which can get tricky.

👉🏻 Turkey was cooked 4 ½ hours at 350 degrees, then ½ hour at 400 until the temperature gauge pops out. Then crisp as desired at 300 degrees until ready to serve.

#jerkturkey #jerkrecipe #jamaicanjerk #jamaicanfood #spicycooking #spicyfood
It's finally here! The homemade jerk seasoning for It's finally here! The homemade jerk seasoning for Holiday Jerk Turkey. It's a spicy marinade recipe I've been tweaking for over a year now, trying to get it just right to taste like the Jamaican restaurant down the street. 

Here’s the ingredients, and be sure to read below for some key takeaways.

▪️12 scallion stalks
▪️2-3 scotch Bonnet pepper (depending on your spice preference)
▪️6-10 garlic cloves 
▪️4 teaspoons black peppercorns
▪️3 heaping teaspoon allspice
▪️1 cup thyme, loosely packed
▪️4 tablespoons @krasdale white vinegar
▪️2/3 cup canola oil
▪️2 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
▪️1/2 inch slices of ginger
▪️dash of nutmeg to taste
▪️4 heaping teaspoons @diamondcrystalsalt salt
▪️3 teaspoons soy sauce

This Yields about 2 1/2 cups of jerk marinade.

After extensively researching countless jerk marinade recipes from home cooks all over YouTube, I’ve settled on what works for me (and hopefully for you all too), loosely based on the jerk marinade recipe from Chris at @caribbeanpot

👨🏻‍🍳 Here’s a few cooking notes…

👉🏻 Don’t let the color fool you. This marinate will look very green for two reasons. 1️⃣ I go heavy with the scallion and thyme because I like it herby and aromatic. Other marinades have a more brown color because they add extra seasonings and/or more soy sauce. 2️⃣ Jerk marinades in a jar will appear more brown from being stored so long. You’re making it fresh, so don’t add more ingredients just to match a different color.

👉🏻 Take the time to separate the thyme leaves from the woody stems, and treat it as a separate culinary event. The woody stems don’t cook down and can be harmful to ingest. But the soft stems that break apart easily are okay. 

#jerkmarinade #jamaicanfood #jerkseasoning #marinaderecipe #cookingfromscratch
👨🏻‍🍳 Are appetizers also your favorite 👨🏻‍🍳 Are appetizers also your favorite part of Holiday gatherings? Mingling, sipping drinks, and nibbling on finger foods is so much fun that I'm almost full before I make a plate! 

Here's my favorite blast from the past Holiday appetizer recipes from my feed to amp up your holiday snacking. Will be gradually posting links to the recipe posts in the stories. Feel free to message me with any questions.

🍂 Goat cheese and Cannellini Bean Stuffed Peppers ... banana pepper poppers baked with a goat cheese and bean, olive and Calabrian pepper filling.

🍂 Brie cheese and fig jam ... simple cheese and crackers … creamy soft-ripened brie cheese and figs jam pairs amazingly well together.

🍂 Blackeyed Pea Dip with Roasted Garlic ... a spicy, garlicky, tomato based American Soul Food-inspired bean dip featuring blackeyed peas garnished with fresh parsley.

🍂 Shawarma Chicken Wings ... simple chicken wings seasoned generously with lemon juice and homemade Shawarma seasoning.
 
🍂 Baked Pigeon Pea and Cheese Empanadas ... Puerto Rican seasoned pigeon peas baked with cheese in a homemade empanada dough.

🍂 Melitzanosalata and Feta ... a Greek lemon juice vinaigrette-based eggplant salad alongside goat feta cheese on whole wheat pita. 

🍂 Sweet Potato Feta Stuffed Peppers ... banana peppers baked with a filling of mashed sweet potatoes, goat feta cheese, and golden raisins.

🍂 Spicy Cannellini Bean & Eggplant Dip ... an eggplant and bean dip turned slightly spicy with pepperoncini and lifted with fresh garlic, parsley and lemon juice

#appetizers #fingerfoods #holidayfood
👨🏻‍🍳 Here’s a rundown of side dishes 👨🏻‍🍳 Here’s a rundown of side dishes for Holiday cooking you can consider with a less-meat approach to festive eating. 

They’re all blast from the past recipes way back in my Feed, and will be posted in my Stories over the next week or so. I can also make Reel demos upon request.

🍁 Cornbread Dressing with Clams ... maple cornbread rebaked with clams and its juice and Cajun “holy trinity” veggies. Cultural fusion cooking combining American Southern, Rhode Island, and Narragansett Native American cuisines.

🍁 Smoked Tomato & Eggplant Soup ... eggplant and tomato soup inspired by the Sicilian dish Pasta Alla Norma. (pinned to my profile)

🍁 Skillet Mac ‘n Cheese ... elbow macaroni baked in a cheese sauce with Colby, Raclette, and Gouda cheeses.

🍁 Blackeyed Pea Tabouli Salad ... an American Southern take on Tabouli incorporating blackeyed peas and fresh Cajun holy trinity veggies in a lemon vinaigrette.

🍁 Collard Green Tabouli ... a classic lemon vinaigrette-based tabouli salad that swaps the parsley with blanched collard greens.

🍁 Vegan Soul Food Stew ... a hearty and slightly spicy tomato-based stew featuring okra, blackeyed peas, and rice thickened upon serving with mashed sweet potatoes and leeks.

🍁 Lean Collard Greens ... classically cooked collard greens stewed in a garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes broth infused with lean smoked pork chops.

🍁 Smoked Tomato Baked Beans .. navy beans baked in homemade barbecue sauce, caramelized onions and chunky smoked tomatoes. 

#holidaycooking #sidedishes #holidayrecipes #soulfoodrecipes #soulfood
Cauliflower Rice is super easy, and adding shredde Cauliflower Rice is super easy, and adding shredded garlic and minced ginger imparts a neutral aromatic flavor that melds well with a huge variety of sauce-based and/or stewed recipes. 

👨🏻‍🍳 Here are a few cooking tips to make sure you nail cauliflower every time. 

👉🏻 To get the most uniform-sized cauliflower, cut your cauliflower florets into similar sized pieces before you break them down in the food processor. 

👉🏻 Process the cauliflower in small batches, only fill the food processor half way so the cauliflower has room to toss and turn. 

👉🏻 Be sure to pulse the cauliflower so it chops the cauliflower down. Using a continuous power will give you pulverized mushy results.

👉🏻 When cooking, I like to reserve some raw cauliflower to add at the end of cooking to bring some freshness. Also, when you turn off the heat, the residual heat in the pan will keep gently cooking the raw cauliflower. 

#cauliflowerricerecipe #cauliflowerrice #cauliflowerlove #simplecooking #plantbasedcooking #garlicandginger #gingerandgarlic #ricedcauliflower #nocarbfood
Try this simple Garlic and Ginger Cauliflower Rice Try this simple Garlic and Ginger Cauliflower Rice as a carb-free blank canvas of flavor alongside any stewed and or saucy dishes. Ginger and garlic pair well with so many things!

It’s my minimalist cooking Three Ingredient Recipe series where I feature 3 ingredients (other than salt, water and oil) to whip something up with every Thursday.
 
▪️cauliflower, processed into rice-sized bits 
▪️garlic, grated
▪️ginger, finely diced

Canola oil and salt are used at your discretion Here’s a few notes to keep in mind. 

Here's a few cooking notes 👇🏻

You may need more salt and oil than anticipated.

Don’t burn the garlic, otherwise it becomes bitter. Use a medium high heat and just cook the garlic and ginger in the oil long enough to get rid of the raw taste (about 30 seconds should do it) and so their flavors infuse into the oil. 

The riced cauliflower is essentially steaming in its own juices that gets extracted from the salt. Resist the urge to up the heat and get a char on the cauliflower, otherwise the garlic will burn.

#cauliflowerrice #cauliflowerrecipes #gingergarlic #garlicginger #threeingredients
🌶️ For all the spicy food lovers, this Okra a 🌶️ For all the spicy food lovers, this Okra and Potato Vindaloo comes together quite quickly once you get past all the prep. Make a big batch of these spicy potatoes and serve it over some rice or quinoa. It's an oh so comforting meatless option for chilly days!

🌶️ The technique was learned from constantly watching @latifs_inspired on YouTube … he’s a fantastic resource if you want to learn Indian cooking at home.

👨🏻‍🍳 Here’s an outline of the prep work to make the process easier 👇🏻

1. Tomatoes chopped and puréed. This can be done the day before because they keep in the fridge really well.
2. Okra is air fried.  This removes the sliminess.
3. Onions chopped
4. Garlic and Ginger grated and mashed to a paste.
4. Spice blend ground and combined.
5. Potatoes peeled and cubed. Do this last and store them in water to remove some starch and so they don't oxidize and turn brown.

👇🏻 Here’s the Vindaloo spice blend
1 teaspoon mustard seed
3 cardamom pods
6 cloves
½ inch cinnamon bark
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp extra hot chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt

🇮🇳 The most important cooking tip in this whole process and when cooking Indian food in general is to add a little hot water to the sweated onions/garlic/ginger before you add the spices so your spices don’t burn and become bitter. 

#potatocurry #vindaloocurry #indianfood #indiancooking #okrarecipe #potatorecipe #currypotato
#spicypotatoes
Follow on Instagram

Help spread the word on Pinterest!

  • Pinterest

Join my list!

Receive instant notifications on new posts, reviews, and recipe updates.

Astoria Park

Copyright © 2023 Ben Costantino on the Cookd Pro Theme

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT