Making a really good red enchilada sauce is an extremely rewarding and messy procedure. Seeing that I order enchiladas at least once a week, I couldn’t go on any longer without paying tribute to this amazing comfort food. When I have my cravings I almost always choose green sauce. However, when my mom sent me…
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Jamaican Red Beans and Rice with Okra
This spin on the classic American Southern recipe for red beans and rice incorporates two key ingredients to give it a Jamaican edge … Scotch bonnet pepper and allspice. I was inspired to cook with okra more often after watching countless African home chefs on YouTube, so this recipe seemed okra-appropriate. Many thanks to Ghanian…
Smoked Tomato Soup with Roasted Eggplant
This tomato soup gives you a good reason to fire up a small grill during the cooler seasons. It captures all sorts of hearty, tomatoey goodness by grilling tomatoes over mesquite chips and sautéeing a tomato paste base over the stovetop. There are only few ingredients to this recipe, but there are a lot of…
Spinach Artichoke “Pesto” with Goat Cheese
This easy “pesto” was born on a day when I was craving spinach artichoke dip, but was really not in the mood for the cream cheese and heavy cream in practically every recipe I could find. So, I took a healthier & lighter approach with fewer ingredients and arrived at this pesto-like mixture (omitting the…
Cucumber Salad with Chili-and-Garlic-Oil
The marinade from this cucumber salad can be applied to any vegetable you prefer, but I’ve found that it works most amazingly with cucumbers due to their absorbent nature. A tangy edge is introduced from fresh lemon juice and if you’re not familiar with freshly ground coriander – which I hear is actually seeds of…
Jollof Rice – Vegan Style
After obsessing over countless Jollof Rice recipes from African cooks on YouTube, I have arrived at this recipe which follows more of a Ghanian method. There is an ongoing culinary debate about how Jollof Rice is prepared between countries; for example Ghanian uses basmati rice and a has lighter, fluffier texture. Nigerian recipes use long…
Coleslaw with Sriracha-Ginger “Vinaigrette”
If you’re in the mood for coleslaw without mayonnaise and enjoy a spicy edge, then consider this vegan alternative featuring Sriracha sauce and grated ginger. I uses the term “vinaigrette” loosely because lemon juice is the acidic stand-in for vinegar this coleslaw recipe, and like most vegetable marinades this side dish gets better as it…
Black-Eyed Pea Dip with Roasted Garlic
Put down the hummus and consider this faster-cooking black-eyed pea dip to impress any vegan and/or Southern/Soul food aficionados you may be cooking for. Roasting garlic is a crucial step you certainly don’t want to skip, as it takes only 20 minutes and ideal to be done in a toaster oven. Once the peas are…
Homefries – Broiler or Skillet Method
These crispy, well-seasoned, oven-made homefries can enhance any meal if you just follow just a few simple concepts. Be sure to briefly boil them (for just a few minutes) prior to seasoning, don’t be shy with the seasonings, and use extreme temperatures. You can achieve similar results using one of two methods — frying in…
Fried Yam Fixings
These sweet, crispy bits of fried yam matchsticks can be an exciting addition to any sandwich, wrap, salad topping, or a snack by itself. No matter if you are vegan, vegetarian, or meat-loving, these fixings work with literally everything. Be on the lookout for a hand-held matchstick slicer (pictured down below), available online or any…