I recently tried halloumi for the first time. I have to admit that the first time I heard the name, I wasn’t sure if it was a kind of cheese or fish. As I found out, halloumi is a cheese from Cyprus, and it has a texture somewhat similar to mozzarella (a bit squeakier, though) and a tang similar to feta. Together, the halloumi, tomatoes, and dill create a fresh Mediterranean flavor. I made this ...
Entrées
Chicken Gyros
The first time I had a gyro was in the summer of 2008 when I was studying abroad in Greece. First, I learned that they’re pronounced in a way that is virtually indistinguishable from the pronunciation of the currency, the Euro. Second, I learned that gyros frequently have French fries inside of them. See? ...
Milkless Monday: Green Bean Casserole
Green bean casserole! While this recipe evokes associations with Thanksgiving for many people, my immediate family has never relegated it to a holiday side dish. We’ve never included it on our Thanksgiving dinner menu, nor have we actually eaten it as a side dish. Maybe we’re just weird? Green bean casserole was always one of my favorites as a child. In fact, it was a birthday tradition in our ...
Lemony Avocado Orzo Salad with Lentils
In my opinion, some of the best vegan recipes are ones you don’t even intend to be vegan, but realize after making them that they are. My family wasn’t always semi-vegetarian. When I was about ten or so, we stopped eating beef and pork. To this day, I’m not entirely sure what my parents’ original justification was, whether it was for personal health reasons, environmental concerns, or ...
Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches with Spicy Chipotle-Lime Carrot Slaw
This recipe is another one that I modeled after a favorite sandwich from a café. It’s a great quick lunch or dinner option that packs a ton of flavor in every refreshing yet satisfying bite. I actually prefer the sandwich in its vegetarian form, but I’ve seen it on the menu with sliced chicken as well, which would boost its protein content and keep you full even longer. For the carrot slaw, I ...
Asian Peanut Noodle Stir-Fry
My brother is allergic to peanuts, so until he was away at college, my family had to avoid cooking with them. During the summer between my junior and senior years in college, when I first genuinely became interested in teaching myself to cook, I came across a recipe for noodles with peanut sauce in one of my dad’s cookbooks. With some tweaking and additions, this quickly became a family favorite ...
Vegan Barbecue Quinoa Salad with Peaches, Corn, and Tomatoes
I have grown particularly fond of quinoa this summer. It seems like the perfect food for hot and humid weather, since it tastes great served at any temperature, goes well with a myriad of fresh fruits and vegetables, and doesn’t weigh you down like many summertime classics do (think hamburgers or hearty potato salads). This quinoa salad has become one of my favorites. The jalapeños and cilantro ...
Strawberry Sourdough Grilled Cheese
During my sophomore year of college, I developed a ritual of going downtown to a certain café whenever I had to write a paper. I would order their club panini and outline my paper on index cards while I ate. For a whole year, each paper that I outlined while eating a club panini received an A. The one or two times that I didn’t make it downtown to organize my thoughts, I earned a lesser ...