Jun 11, 2025 | Appetizer, European, Soup, Starter, Vegan, Vegetarian
Gazpacho
Jessica Wilson, United States
Gazpacho is a favorite summertime dish my family enjoys when we eat out back in the hot weather. I love the delicious, refreshing vegetable blend. I've seen how some people blend it and drink it, but I prefer to chop it all and eat it chunky with a spoon.
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes minutes
Chilling Time 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 45 minutes minutes
Course Appetizer, Drinks, Salad, Soup, starter, Vegetarian
Cuisine European
- 6-7 medium tomatoes Choose your preferred favorite type of tomato and adjust the amount according to their size.
- 1 (each) red, green, yellow, orange sweet peppers
- 1 cucumber
- ½ white, red, or yellow onion I grab whichever I'm in the mood for that day.
- 1-2 clove(s) garlic Depends how garlicky you prefer it.
- 3 cups tomato juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup sherry or white wine vinegar
- salt and black pepper to taste
Wash and dry the vegetables. It's your choice to remove any peels or not.
Chop all vegetables into small cubes.
Peel and mince the garlic.
Add all chopped ingredients to a bowl and mix.
Mix in the tomato juice, olive oil, and vinegar.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.
Season to taste.
Serve cold in glasses or in small bowls garnished with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of Kosher salt, or with other optional toppings. (I've read that some people like to add things like basil, Granny Smith apples, marinated cherry tomatoes, avocados, tart cherries, nectarines, strawberries, red onions, red bell peppers, cucumbers, croutons, or even hard boiled eggs.)
Keyword appetizer, soup, Spanish, vegetarian
Apr 24, 2025 | Americas, Dessert, Fusion & Jewish
Sweet Kugel (Noodle Pudding)
Jessica Wilson, United States
This is one of my favorite dishes that my mom used to make. I've added my own twists to it that have gotten rave reviews from friends.
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Jewish
- 1 cup raisins I prefer golden raisins, but black are also commonly used.
- 16 ounces wide egg noodles
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups sour cream
- 8 ounces cottage cheese For this recipe, I like to use cottage cheese with pineapple in it.
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened - OR farmer's cheese crumbled (1 cup)
- 1 cup applesauce optional, but I love it to enhance the sweetness
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt if desired – I don't use it.
- Cinnamon or nutmeg for dusting
- Nonstick cooking oil spray
Place a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Cover the raisins with hot water and let them soak to plump while you prepare the other ingredients.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles to the pot, bring back to a boil, and let them cook until tender (not overly soft), about 5 minutes. Drain and return the cooked noodles to the pot.
Either in a food processor or blender, OR by hand, blend together the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, applesauce, sugar, melted butter, and salt.
Pour the egg mixture over the cooked noodles in the pot and stir until well combined.
Drain the raisins. Stir them into the noodles.
Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking oil. Pour the noodle mixture into the dish.
Bake the kugel for about 60 minutes, until the center of the kugel is set and the tips of the noodles turn golden brown. Remove from the oven.
If desired, sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg on the top for some flavor and nice color.
Let the kugel rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing. Kugel can be served warm or cold.
One year I decided to make kugel for my coworkers. I prepared it the night before and stuck the uncooked mix into the fridge. In the morning, first thing, I put it in the oven to cook while I showered and dressed. When it was done, I reached into my alphabetized spice cabinet for the cinnamon. I said to myself, "I'm going to use a lot because it's the holidays and cinnamon is nice, and isn't that a really red batch of cinnamon coming out of the jar!" Turns out, I accidentally used cayenne pepper instead. A lot. So don't do that.
Keyword Jewish, kugel, noodle, pudding
Apr 24, 2025 | Americas, Dessert, Latin American
Pudim, or Brazilian Flan
Cleise Caetano, Brazil
My family's favorite dessert
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Latin American
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 5 yolks
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
- ½ cup whole milk (half-and-half or 2% milk may be substituted but do not use skim milk)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Disaronno liquor
- ½ teaspoon salt
Caramel
Stir together the sugar and ¼ cup water in a small heavy saucepan until the sugar is completely moistened.
Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook, without stirring, until the mixture begins to turn golden.
Gently swirling the pan, continue to cook until sugar is a honey color. Remove from the heat and swirl the pan until the sugar is reddish-amber and fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds.
Carefully swirl in 2 tablespoons of warm tap water until incorporated – be careful as the mixture will bubble and steam. This whole process should take less than 10 minutes.
Pour the caramel into an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan; do not scrape out the saucepan. Set the pan aside.
Other Ingredients
Whisk the eggs and yolks in large bowl until combined.
Add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, vanilla, Disaronno, and salt and whisk until incorporated.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl to remove any bits of egg; then pour the strained custard into the pan over the caramel.
Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
Baking
Place the pan in the center of a 9x13-inch baking or roasting pan (preferably with high sides) to make a water bath.
Place the nested pans in the oven; then, using a tea kettle or pitcher, pour hot water around the loaf pan until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the pan.
Bake for 90 minutes. Very carefully pull back the foil (there will be steam that has accumulated under it) to ensure the custard is set around the edges but still a bit jiggly in the center.
Carefully remove the pans from the oven. Remove the foil and leave the flan in the water bath for 1 hour to cool.
Remove the loaf pan from the water bath and wipe the pan dry.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight or up to 4 days.
Unmolding the Flan
Carefully slide a sharp knife around the edges of the pan.
Invert a platter with a raised rim (to contain the liquid caramel) on top of the flan and turn the pan and platter over.
If the flan doesn’t release immediately, let it sit inverted for a minute and it should slide out. If it still doesn't come out, try running the knife around the edges again.
When the flan is released, remove the pan.
Keyword brazil, dessert, flan
Apr 24, 2025 | Americas, Caribbean & Atlantic Islands, Latin American, Soup
Potaje de Lentejas (Cuban Lentil Soup)
submitted by Diana Alvarez Amell
A hearty Cuban lentil one-pot soup that’s easy to prepare without soaking the lentils overnight (recipe from "A Sassy Spoon" by Jamie Silva)
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes minutes
Total Time 50 minutes minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Caribbean, Cuban, Latin American
- 2 cups dried lentils
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 8 ounces smoked ham cut in pieces
- 2-3 large Spanish chorizo links sliced
- 5 cups chicken broth or water
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 medium carrots peeled & sliced
- 2 medium Russet potatoes peeled & quartered
- Salt & pepper to taste
Lay the lentils on a clean work surface and remove any stones. Wash and rinse until the water runs clear. Set aside.
In a Dutch oven, heat oil at medium-high heat. Saute the onions, green bell peppers, and tomatoes for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Saute garlic for 30 seconds. Stir in the oregano, cumin, and salt + pepper to taste. Cook for another 1 minute. Add the ham and chorizo. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lentils with the rest of the ingredients in the skillet. Add 5 cups of chicken broth and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the carrots and potatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low heat. Cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the lentils and veggies have softened. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Remove the bay leaves. Serve by itself or with a side of white rice.
Keyword Cuba, Latin American, soup
Feb 7, 2025 | Entree, European, Main, Vegetarian
Palacsinta
Ann Szipszky, United States
This is Hungary's answer to the crepe. I have loved these since I was a kid. My mom would make them a lot, especially during Lent when you cannot have meat on Fridays.
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes minutes
Course Main Course, Vegetarian
Cuisine European
Palacsinta
- 3 eggs
- 1-1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Crisco to cook them in
Filling
- Cottage Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Cinnamon
- Sugar
- Raisins
For the Palacsinta
Mix all wet ingredients together, then add the flour and salt. Batter should be smooth and lump free, consistency of really thin pancake batter. I use an immersion blender which works perfectly.
I have a crepe pan I use (my dedicated palacsinta pan that I use for nothing else) but a non-stick frying pan will work well too. Put some Crisco in the pan, make sure it’s hot. I have a small ladle I use and it’s about two ladleful's of the batter. If I had to guess, maybe about a quarter cup or so. Just swish around in the pan and make sure you have a thin layer covering the surface.
Flip after the first side is cooked (if any of the area is wet it is not ready for flipping). I have this wooden paddle/stick thing (almost looks like a paint stick) I use to flip them but a spatula works fine. Just be careful if you are using a nonstick pan because a metal spatula will do not nice things to your pan. Sometimes the first one will come out a little wonky but after that you’ll be good to go.
When done put on a plate, add your favorite filling (directions for my favorite filling is below), roll and enjoy. Jam is also a great filling. You can also use things like Nutella and fresh sliced strawberries and/or bananas and then sprinkle some powdered sugar or even some lemon zest.
For the filling
- This is my favorite, but you can use jam or whatever else you might like. This is not exact as I eyeball everything:
- 3:1 ratio cottage cheese to sour cream. Cinnamon, sugar and raisins to taste.
Keyword crepe, entree, Hungarian, main course, vegetarian
Feb 7, 2025 | Americas, Dessert, North American
Perfectly Chocolate Cake
Erica Russomanno, United States
This chocolate cake has won me blue ribbons in baking contests. I make this cake for all occasions, especially birthdays.
Prep Time 1 hour hour
Cook Time 35 minutes minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
- 2 cups sugar
- 1-3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3⁄4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
- 1-1⁄2 tsps baking powder
- 1-1⁄2 tsps baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cup eggs
- 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Heat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
Stir together 2 cups of sugar, 1 3/4 cups of flour, 3/4 cup of HERSHEY’S Cocoa, 1 1/2 tsps baking powder, 1 1/2 tsps baking soda and 1 tsp salt in large bowl.
Add 2 eggs, 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil and 2 tsps vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup of boiling water (batter will be thin).
Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
Chocolate Frosting
- Melt 1/2 cup of butter.
- Stir in 2/3 cup of HERSHEY’S Cocoa. Alternately, add 3 cups of powdered sugar and 1/3 cup of milk, beating to spreading consistency.
Keyword America, cake, chocolate, dessert
Feb 6, 2025 | European, Pasta, Side, Vegetarian
Grandma's Spaetzle
Christopher A. Kaiser, United States
Growing up, I spent a tremendous amount of time with my Father's Mother (Grandma Kaiser). When she made a Goulash, Chicken Soup, Creamed Chicken, among other main dishes, she inevitably would whip up a bowl of spaetzle. Warm, drizzled with butter or added to the main, a deliciously comforting treat.
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Course Pasta, Side Dish, Vegetarian
Cuisine European
- 1 cup Flour Your choice of brand
- 1 Egg
- 1 dash Salt
- 1 dash Pepper
- 1 pot Boiling salted water To a rolling boil
- Water Depending on how smooth you want the batter
Sift 1 cup of flour in a bowl.
Add egg in bowl.
Whisk in water until smooth consistently (like cake batter).
Use a cutting board and place a little on the board.
Cut (using a knife) a bit at a time and let fall into boiling water.
When that board is done stir Spaetzle in the water.
When they rise and float, take out and put in a bowl.
Begin next batch.
Spaetzle is very forgiving. You can eat in soups, like noodles, or as a side dish with butter or plain. Many cultures call these dumplings, noodles, pasta. Try many times and have fun. Even your mistakes will be good.
Dec 17, 2024 | Americas, Caribbean & Atlantic Islands, Latin American, Soup, Vegetarian
Frijoles Negros
Yolanda Izquierdo
Receta de Nitza Villapol, Cocina criolla (Recipe by Nitza Villapol, Cocina criolla)
Prep Time 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes
Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Cuba, Latin American
- 1 lb Frijoles negros 1 lb. black beans
- 10 tazas Agua 10 cups of water
- 1 Ají grande 1 large pepper
- ⅔ taza Aceite de oliva 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1 Cebolla grande 1 large onion
- 4 dientes Ajo 4 cloves of garlic
- 4 cdtas. Sal 4 tsp. salt
- ½ cdta. Pimienta 1/2 tsp. pepper
- ¼ cdta. Orégano 1/4 tsp. oregano
- 1 hoja Laurel 1 bay leaf
- 2 cdas. Azúcar blanca 2 tbsp. white sugar
- 2 cdas. Vinagre 2 tbsp. vinegar
- 2 cdas. Vino seco 2 tbsp. cooking wine
- 2 cdas. Aceite de oliva 2 tbsp. olive oil
Lave los frijoles y póngalos a remojar con elagua y un ají. (Wash the beans and soak in the water with the large pepper.)
Cuando estén bien hinchados póngalos a cocinar en esa misma aguahasta que se ablanden–aprox. 45 minutos. (When they swell cook them in that same water until they are tender–approx. 45 minutes.)
En una sartén caliente el aceite. Sofría la cebolla y el ají picaditos y el ajo machacado. (Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the chopped onion and pepper and the crushed garlic.)
Eche una taza de los frijoles en la sartén y aplástelos bien. (Add a cup of the beans to the pan and squash them.)
Échelo todo en la cazuela con el resto de losfrijoles. (Add all this to the pot with the rest of the beans.)
Añádales sal, pimienta, orégano, la hoja de laurel y azúcar. (Add salt, pepper, oregano, the bay leaf and sugar.)
Déje los hervir aprox. una hora más. (Boil for one more hour.)
Añádales luego el vinagre y vino seco y cocínelos afuego lento durante otra hora para que cuajen bien. (Add the vinegar and cooking wine and simmer for approx. one more hour.)
Al servirlos les puede añadir 2 cucharadas de aceite y cebolla cruda picadita. (When serving them you can add 2 tbsp. olive oil and minced raw onion.)
Dec 17, 2024 | European, Salad
Julia Child's Salade Niçoise
Peter Shoemaker, USA
You can make it with a few fresh ingredients and what you have in your cupboard. It can easily be adapted for the ingredients on hand. Great dish for summer, and healthy.
Prep Time 45 minutes minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine European, French
- 1-1/2 pounds Green beans
- 1-1/2 pounds Small red potatoes
- 2 tablespoons White wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup Cold water
- 2 tablespoons Minced shallots
- 3 tablespoons Olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 head Boston lettuce About 1-1/4 pounds, leaves torn into pieces
- 6 Hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
- 1 cup Halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 (8-oz.) can Tuna Preferably oil-packed, drained
- 1 (2-oz.) tin Anchovy fillets, drained
- 2 tablespoons Drained capers
- ½ cup Pitted and chopped black olives, such as Nicoise or Kalamata
- 1 tablespoon Minced parsley
- Vinaigrette
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon White wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons Minced shallots
- 5 tablespoons Olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
Prepare Green Beans
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.
Add green beans and boil until beans are just tender, about 3 minutes.
Immediately remove beans from pot and transfer to a bowl of water and ice.
Once beans are chilled, transfer to a bowl, pat dry, and refrigerate.
Prepare Potatoes
Place potatoes in a steamer basket in a saucepan containing 2 inches of water and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to moderate, cover tightly and steam for 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through.
When potatoes are just cool enough to handle, peel (if desired) and cut them into quarters or slices, then place in a bowl.
Mixture for Potatoes
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together vinegar, water, shallots, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Pour mixture over warm potatoes, gently tossing with potatoes without breaking up potatoes.
Vinaigrette
Whisk Dijon mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, shallots, and olive oil in a bowl until emulsified.
Season with salt and pepper.
Bring it All Together
Toss lettuce leaves in 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette, and arrange on a large platter.
Spoon potatoes over lettuce, arrange eggs alongside, and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette over both.
Toss green beans and tomatoes in 1 tablespoon of dressing and arrange on lettuce.
Add tuna, anchovies, capers, olives, and parsley on top.
Pass any remaining vinaigrette at the table.
Dec 11, 2024 | Americas, Caribbean & Atlantic Islands, Dessert, European, Latin American
Arroz con Leche
Khalil Crumes, Puerto Rico
Arroz con leche is a creamy, comforting rice pudding made with milk, sugar, and spices like cinnamon, often with a hint of citrus. I love how simple yet satisfying it is, offering a perfect balance of sweetness and warmth, whether enjoyed hot or cold.
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes minutes
Total Time 55 minutes minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Latin American, Spanish
- 1 cup White rice or Jasmine rice
- 3 cups Whole milk
- 1 cup Water
- 4 tablespoons Ground cinnamon or cinnamon stick
- 2 boxes Raisins
- 1 cup Sugar — adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch Salt
Start by rinsing the rice under cold water.
In a medium pot, add the rinsed rice and 1 cup of water.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice has absorbed most of the water and is just tender.
Add the milk and cinnamon the pot with the cooked rice. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
Once the milk is simmering, add the sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring frequently, or until it looks fluffy and the rice is soft and creamy. Be sure to stir often to prevent the rice from sticking or burning. Add raisins (if used).
Once the pudding has thickened to your desired consistency, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Discard the cinnamon stick (if used). Serve the arroz con leche warm, or let it cool to room temperature.
Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top for garnish.
For a creamier version, you can use half-and-half or add a bit of coconut milk.
If you prefer a thicker pudding, let it cook a little longer, stirring more frequently.
Some variations include adding other dried fruits, which you can stir in during the last few minutes of cooking.
Keyword Arroz con Leche, dessert, Latin American, Spanish, vegetarian
Dec 11, 2024 | Entree, European, Main, Pasta, Vegan, Vegetarian
Vegan Spinach Lasagna
Nicole Paternoster, United States
This lasagna is a great comfort food and an awesome replacement if you cannot eat dairy or choose not to.
Prep Time 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes
Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Course Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine Italian
For the Ricotta:
- 1 16 ounce container of vegan ricotta Tofutti, Kitehill
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
For the Lasagna:
- Ricotta
- 1−2 pounds fresh spinach lightly steamed
- 8 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles
- 7 cups pasta sauce of your choice or make your own
- ¼ cup soy parmesan or vegan parmesan I like "Follow Your Heart"
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To make the spinach, steam at least 1 pound of fresh spinach (I preferat least 1 and 1/2 pounds) for about a minute or two, just until slightlywilted.
Drain well, the mix the spinach into the ricotta.
To assemble the lasagna, spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Then cover the sauce with a layer of noodles.
Next, spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, and top with2 more cups of the sauce.
Add another layer of noodles, the rest of the ricotta, 2 cups more of the sauce, and the rest of the noodles.
Spoon the remaining 2 cups of sauce over the noodles (make sure youcover all the edges), and sprinkle some parmesan over the top.
Cover with parchment paper and then with foil.
Bake for 60 minutes and remove parchment and foil for last 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 15-30 minutes.
Keyword vegan, vegetarian
Dec 11, 2024 | Appetizer, European, Starter
Farinata
Bibiana Artesi, Italy
A savory and custardy chickpea pancake
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Resting Time 3 hours hours
Total Time 3 hours hours 35 minutes minutes
Course Appetizer, starter
Cuisine Italian
- 150 grams Chickpea flour
- 400 ml Water
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt For table salt, use half as much by volume
- 60 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper Optional
- Picked rosemary leaves For sprinkling (optional)
Mix chickpea flour with water and rest it for almost 3 hours,
Add salt and EVOO, and mix,
Place the mixture in a baking pan, previously oiled.
Bake in a preheated oven at 485 F for 20 minutes.
Once cooked, add black pepper (if you like).
In step 2, if you want you can add thinly sliced red onion or you can add rosemary. I usually prepare the two variants (one plain and one with onions), and then I cut them into squares (2'' x 2'') and arrange them on the dish in an alternating way. I leave the black pepper near the dish so if anyone wants, they can add it to their square.
Keyword chickpea, vegetarian
