Chipotle Tortilla Soup

The weather has turned here in Madrid. And this Chipotle Tortilla Soup is a bit spicy and a lot warming, the perfect hearty, cozy meal to welcome in the cold weather.

Lentil Minestrone with Zucchini & Peas

Happy Summer! I'm celebrating with soup -- a very satisfying garden veggie minestrone. My version is traditional in that it contains pasta. But it's also loaded with other good things such as green lentils, chickpeas, summer veggies, dried herbs and spices. I actually think it's the combination of all these ingredients that make this soup so darn good.

African Almond Stew with Ginger Cauliflower Rice

Years ago, we lived in Swaziland for four months on a volunteer stint. This was pre-food blog days, but even then I kept loose notes on what we were eating and loving, fascinated with the exotic-to-me combination of flavors and ingredients that were staples of the Swazi cuisine. One such staple we often ate for lunch was a vegetable stew with a mild, creamy tomato-based curry sauce. I'm recreating this humble Swazi stew today.

Spanish Cabbage and Butter Bean Stew

There's nothing more comforting in winter to me than a steaming bowl of chunky beans and vegetables in a rich broth. This is a loose vegetarian interpretation of Fabada Asturiana - a bean and sausage stew from the mountains of Asturias in northern Spain. It's a hearty meal that's sure to get us through the final days of winter.

Reflections & Recipes