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Roasted Vegetables with Tomato Pulp and Avocado Herb Mayo
I prepared this for a weekend lunch when I wanted to use up all the veggies in my fridge. The avocado cream from my kibbeh post and the cooked tomato pulp (remains from a tomato sauce that I had prepared from the night before) were a great accompaniment to serve with some toasted pita pockets. [...]
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I prepared this for a weekend lunch when I wanted to use up all the veggies in my fridge. The avocado cream from my kibbeh post and the cooked tomato pulp (remains from a tomato sauce that I had prepared from the night before) were a great accompaniment to serve with some toasted pita pockets. [...]
I will be taking a little break before my beautiful girls start school, but wanted to leave you with something before I part. Hope you enjoy and have a great week ahead! —————– I was feeling adventurous at the wrong time of the day. It was after work, no dinner yet… I wanted to make [...]
I have a great news to share with everyone. My one and only brother Jean had his first baby girl this weekend. I became an auntie to a beautiful baby girl Alicia. She is so tiny but yet so perfect and precious in every way. To welcome baby Alicia home, I decided to make some [...]
I am sure most of you have heard of Heidi Swanson and her famous blog 101cookbooks.com, but if you have not, it’s worth taking a browsing trip to her land of beautiful photos and delicious recipes. This is a recipe she had posted recently and it looked so great that I had to make it. [...]
This was our weeknight dinner when my husband’s sister, Isabelle told me she was coming over to see us. I was inspired to make a dinner with figs from my Trader Joe’s visit at my work lunch. It does involve many steps, but it’s not very time consuming. I don’t feel like writing a whole [...]
I made this salad as a a side when I prepared lentils pilaf known as “Mujedereh.” Sorry don’t have any pics of the Mujadereh since I did not take any pictures the first time I made this… I will share it one of these days. We normally make cabbage salad on the side [...]
I sometimes feel drained from work that I am toooo tired to think of what we are having for dinner. However, sometimes when I feel rushed is when I start making up a recipe as I go. Here is quick dinner idea that turned out well. I used frozen Alaskan salmon that can be [...]
In addition to my food blog and cookbook dose, I also love subscribing to cooking magazines. I have always looked forward to my issue of Bon Appetit magazine. My favorite section is their R.S.V.P section, where readers request their favorite restaurant recipes and Bon Appetit requests the recipe on their behalf and publishes the recipe [...]
This is a super fun and easy salad to make. I think it’s perfect when it’s hot outside and you don’t really want to go near the oven.
I have been wanting to make this recipe since last year’s season of Food Network Star aired. In this episode, Aarti’s challenge was to prepare a dish for a culinary legend to re-invent a dish of the best thing he ever ate. Unfortunately, I do not recall the name of the culinary legend. All I [...]
My dear friends… It’s been quite some time since my last post. I really missed you and I am really sorry for not blogging for some time – I just could not make myself come back. I have been having some personal problems and could not leave them aside. Hopefully everything will slowly settle down [...]
I recently realized that I have some commonalities with Gwyneth Paltrow. Maybe not the height, or the beauty, or her acting ability, but I am happy to admit that we both enjoy food/cooking, we value family and kids, we appreciate fashion, love blogging and last but not least watching Glee – actually probably my favorite [...]
Before I share my recipe I wanted to let you know how much I adore and support Jamie Oliver. I am very excited about his 2nd season that will be premiering this week. His Food Revolution takes place in Los Angeles… in my city. “So what?” you may say… Well since I do reside in [...]
Yes, these taco bowls were crafted by me. Want to know my secret? Not so hard to do, even a 2 year old can help you make these…. not considering the oven part… but yes, they are that simple. I found this recipe many many ions ago, when I was still very much of baby [...]
Soba noodles? Say what? How’s this stylish? What are they anyway? Soba noodles are made from buckwheat and are much more beneficial to your health than wheat pasta. I even think they are tastier than wheat pasta, but I will let you be the judge. You can find out more information in the eHow article [...]
Okay… this is the last of the Parsley Garlic Butter Sauce from my Turkey dinner post. I have been able to use it for a yummy pasta dish and now some great tasting garlic bread. Our family can’t have enough of carbs and we all love some good garlic bread. The buttery herb sauce was [...]
Do you remember the Parsley Garlic Butter Sauce from my previous post? I was able to sneak it into my pasta dish and make another meal for my family. I was not planning on sharing the recipe, but my husband really liked it and the only way I will remember to make it again is [...]
Turkey for Spring? What am I thinking? Not sure… I guess I got inspired by Taste of Beirut’s recipe for Apple Chutney that she posted last week and thought of the turkey that was sitting in my fridge. I instantly thought of pairing the turkey with apples. Why not chutney? I did not want to [...]
If you love having butternut squash, then you need try it in a soup topped with fried sage leaves and pita chips… yum. It’s light, refreshing… I made this soup sometime ago, but have not had the chance to post it. I apologize for the delay. This is a Jamie Oliver recipe and you can [...]
I love pasta! I love it for its convenience, versatility and friendliness. I can have it pretty much every day, but I try to limit to once a week. If I am running low on time, or when I am trying to save items from the fridge, pasta can act as my savior. If you’re [...]
Here is a fun way of having chicken – with tandoori bbq sauce. I was inspired to make this dish because my hubby loves tandoori chicken. I am glad I made it since he really enjoyed the flavors of the sauce on the chicken. My only comment is that you can totally skip the blinis [...]
At times I feel like I have become vegetarian when I really have not. I think I have just become more conscious on my meat intake. I am not sure if this is a temporary state, but on the upside I am trying to expose my family into eating more grains, beans, veggies and exploring [...]
“Frigidaire and Jennifer Garner are teaming up to inspire families everywhere to roll up their sleeves and get cooking together. People can join in the Frigidaire Kids’ Cooking Academy ( www.maketimeforchange.com) to get great recipes, how-to videos and tips, all designed to help involve kids in the kitchen. When they do, Frigidaire will donate $1 [...]
Knock. Knock… Hope you have not left. I missed all of you very much. It’s been too long since my last post. I have lots of reasons why it took me too long to come back… shopping, holidays, New Year, family, kids, work, stress, laziness, sadness, confusion… should I say more? Happy New Year even [...]
Before I start with the next wave of holiday festivities, I have to think a little about my eating habits. I need to save up some of my pigging out between Christmas and New Year. This soup is just the perfect choice for the season. It’s super simple, healthy and super tasty… oh not to [...]
On my previous post I also said that I will be sharing my Jeweled Rice recipe. I just love having this rice for the holidays, so I enjoy making it during this time of year. It’s the perfect side and the perfect way of dressing and making the holidays feel a little more special. The [...]
I was tasked on preparing a beet salad and jeweled Persian rice for my mom’s Thanksgiving party. I will share the jeweled rice on another post… My mom said all I had to do for the beet salad is combine cooked beets and pomegranates and top them with walnuts, lemon juice and olive oil. This [...]
This Thanksgiving I decided to change up the usual cranberry sauce by adding just a few more ingredients such as lemon, orange, apples, cloves and orange liquor. I think the combination of the added ingredients helps to bring down the bitterness of the cranberries and makes a perfect side to serve up with Turkey.
I happened to be at an Armenian bakery last week to pick up some dessert for my kids’ doctor. I wanted to thank her for her last month’s generosity –by taking her office some sweets and to thank her for treating my cold last month free of charge. Can you believe it? She did not [...]
I do not like repeating dishes… but at times I do take special requests. Since my hubby just celebrated his birthday I thought to surprise him with his favorite pasta dish. This recipe was created years ago when I had an “accident” in the kitchen. I don’t quite remember how but something went wrong following [...]
This was a quick weeknight meal… I decided to make this last night because it was quick, kid-friendly, healthy and most important tasty. But before I share the recipe, I want to share with you some Halloween artwork. As I was uploading my recent pics from our camera, I came across some photos of my [...]
I made this last Friday after my grocery shopping trip… It was too late for dinner so instead I wanted to have something that my husband and I can munch on for a late night “dinner.” How did I arrive to my conclusion of making Armenian Bruschetta? Well, I wanted to use the Armenian loaf [...]
I love butternut squash and I look for ways to incorporate them in my food preparation. When I came across the risotto recipe in Giada’s book, Giada’s Kitchen, I was intrigued by the addition of vanilla bean and really wanted to try it. I added the recipe to my recent shopping list and thought [...]
I invited my Mom for dinner over two weekends ago and decided to make Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Mango BBQ Sauce. The reason I picked out this dish was because we both saw it air on Aarti Paarti and were salivating over how good the pulled pork was. I thought it would be fun [...]
Recently Seneca Snacks asked me to develop a recipe using their Crisp Onions for a Super Bowl Entertaining Challenge. Since I love onions so much, I wanted to not only try their crispy onions but also go for the challenge. And guess what? I was the 2nd runner up on their challenge. I wanted to [...]
Many of you know what an avid fan I was watching the Next Food Network Star this season. Originally rooting for a friend to win, after her departure I then became totally and madly in love with Aarti Sequeria, known as Aarti Paarti. Her Indian inspired dishes with a twist have given me a new [...]
My girls started school few weeks ago and I have been meaning to write a post to share their experience. My feelings and emotions have been exciting and stressful… Exciting… because it’s a new year that celebrates a new milestone. Stressful… because Ariana (my 5 yr old) broke her arm few days before starting kindergarten. [...]
I love cooking with chickpeas. This dish is healthy, kid-friendly, quick and tasty and very filling. Everyone in the family loved it! It is perfect for lunch – filled with lots of flavor, fiber and energy! The best part is that you can make this anytime you want a meatless dish, or do not have [...]
Today was another day that I had to rush dinner after work. I opened the fridge and started thinking what can I make that can be quick and family friendly? I started pulling leftover ingredients from not so replenished fridge… I had a 1/2 bottle of Giada Basil tomato sauce and did not want it [...]
An update to everyone that was helping me advance on Project Food Blog… I have some good news and sad news. Good news: I met so much more foodies such as myself participating in the challenge. Sad news: I did not make it far. I will be routing for my friends throughout the competition. I [...]
Please got to my Project Food Blog voting page to cast your vote! You have until 9/23. Thank you! Before I get started on my first challenge I wanted to say Happy Anniversary to my husband! We’ve been happily married for 11 years and can’t wait for more wonderful years ahead. I love you hogis! [...]
Since most nights I don’t get home from work until 6:30/7:00 pm, I usually try making my dinners the night before for the next day. However, there are also nights that I am too beat, or lazy to be prepping dinner at 9:30pm. I rather be blogging, reading, or watching some television. Here is what [...]
I was super excited when I bought my tickets to attend the LA Times affair on Saturday, September 5th – “The First Annual LA Times Food & Wine Celebration”. My excitement was mostly to get a chance to see Aarti again. (See my earlier post on my first encounter with Aarti.) This time around, I [...]
Growing up, I was a very picky… I mean a VERY picky eater. Looking back, I feel like I made my mom struggle so much to make sure I get proper nutrition in me. However, I do remember loving her green been stew, also known as Fassoulia. My favorite part of the dish was the [...]
I took a little break last week to spend some time with my beautiful girls, family and friends. Even though I did not have enough time to blog, I definitely found time to cook and eat. I will try to find the time to catch up and post some of my recipes and food ventures soon. In [...]
Do you ever find yourself opening your cupboards, or refrigerator looking for something that would help you pass your “hunger” stage? Well, that seems to happen to me often and usually I try to munch on something healthy. Since I am a moody eater, I can crave either salty, sweet, or fresh things to much [...]
My dish, Zesty Zucchini Ribbons, Artichokes, Mixed Beans with Wheat Fettuccine not only made it to the Top 9 List on Food Buzz last month, but now it also comes with a real painting. Please go check out the painting at Lunch Box Project. It is designed by Lisa Orgler, designer & illustrator of The Lunch Box [...]
I am obsessed on having Fire Roasted Artichokes with Spicy Vinaigrette & Garlic Dip every time I am at Cheesecake Factory. I feel like I mostly go there to get me some artichokes. It is offered as an appetizer, but there has been times that I have just ordered a whole plate just for me. [...]
Lately I have been in the mood for trying new flavors and ingredients. Although, I enjoy Italian, French, Mexican, Spanish… well, what I mean is anything that tastes good… I have been really fascinated by Middle Eastern/Armenian (my background) and Indian cuisine. This dish is a combination of flavors that combine the two together. [...]
I recently gained a beautiful sister-in-law from Ukraine. She really enjoys cooking and gardening, so it’s a plus when I can share my interests with her. She was sweet and thoughtful enough to save some of her beautiful grown tomatoes for me. I think that’s a sign that she really likes me… at least I [...]
This was a quick weeknight dinner when I found out my brother-in-law and sister-in-law wanted to stop by. They did offer to bring food with them, but I had an itch to create something quick. Besides, sometimes ordering food, or stopping by to get food can take longer than when you try making something at [...]
You might be wondering what does a Costa Rican Tilapia taste like… I was too, when I saw this recipe posted on Food Network’s site by Ingrid Hoffmann. (host of the Food Network show, Simply Delicioso) Every 3 months, my hairdresser cousin comes over on a weeknight, when my kids are already asleep to get [...]
In celebration of summer, I am in the mood for salads more than usual. I wanted to make a Chinese Chicken Salad and Bobby Flay’s version with Red Chile Peanut Dressing sounded like a great idea. I really was attracted to the combination of the napa cabbage and the lettuce leaves in the recipe. Also, [...]
At times I feel more Armenian than others. When I have Watermelon accompanied by Armenian Lavash wrap with feta cheese, it definitely ranks me high up there on the Armenian list. Even though I have resided in Los Angeles, California for most of my life, I was born and raised in Armenia until the age [...]
I chose to make this soup for its simplicity, interesting ingredient list and spices that I already carry in my pantry. It is another recipe from Aarti Sequeria of the Next Food Network Star. The soup is not only healthy, but it’s full of unusual flavors that come together so nicely. When I began [...]
When I decide my menu for the week, I go thru a very selective process. Questions such as the following start popping up in my not so big brain. Is it healthy? Will the kids eat it? Can I prep in advance? Will it be costly? Am I familiar or have access to the ingredients? [...]
If you like portobello mushrooms, then you have to try it as a burger. This is one of my favorite recipes that I make over and over because it’s so simple and yet so tasty… that’s of course if you like mushrooms. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal. I have adapted this recipe from Rachel [...]
This is another dish that I grew up having over and over. My mom always made this dish for our family ever since I can remember. I think she would make this because it was healthy, quick and budget friendly. It’s perfect for a busy weeknight meal. The most difficult part of this recipe is [...]
I was on a rush Saturday lunch-time to get something quick, but healthy in front of my kids. This pasta came to be a savior as I decided to pull things from my fridge and start prepping while my pasta came to a boil. Not much thinking was involved, except to put the ingredients that [...]
I was pretty bad this morning and had to indulge myself to this colorful miniature size donuts from Krispy Kreme – very tasty way to start my morning – Chocolate glazed with colorful sprinkles on top. I am not sure if I want to know the nutritional info, but it was well worth it for [...]
If you are looking for a healthy, creamy, limey, garlicky soup, this is such a simple and flavorful soup. It was 9pm. I had just put my 2 girls in bed. I was tired and out of energy to start preparing food for the following night. But I knew I had to save my veggies [...]
Growing up, I have always had Okra and Meat Stew that my Mom makes. After many trials, I acquired and started to like the taste and texture of okras. I still have her stew whenever she’s had a chance to make some for her and my Dad. Okra stew is not really an entertainment dish; [...]
I wanted to make something healthy, tasty, quick, budget friendly, kid proof and vegetarian – that’s too much requirements when planning my menu for the week. This recipe from Martha Stewart‘s delivered what I wanted in all aspects. I followed the recipe pretty close with some minor changes. The description of the stew is as [...]
I was asked to bring a potato salad for a family July 4th party. Well, not really asked… It’s more like I volunteered to bring something and my friend suggested that I bring a potato salad. But because I am such a difficult person, I could not settle for just buying one from the store. [...]
I bought some fresh mozzarella from Trader Joe’s and was thinking what I can cook with it. I really loved the way it was packaged. It was already pre-sliced and ready for sandwiches, or frying. After opening the package, I transferred the contents (including the water) into a tupperware. Then I did some recipe [...]
Growing up in Armenia, Tabbouleh was one of the common salads that my paternal Grandma would make for our family. I remember her making a huge batch not only for us, but for her neighbor friends as well. Even though for me, it was just Tabbouleh, but for her friends, it meant a lot more. [...]
[wABar: 0375508910?aligncenter] I got an invite from my friend to attend a congrats party for her close friend – Doreen Fang, one of the 12 finalists for the Next Food Network Star. I was exhilarated with joy. My friend thought I would want to promote our e-commerce site, monogiggle.com by helping with some door prizes. [...]
There was a peanut recipe contest on the Food Network Magazine. Although I did not enter in the contest, I thought it would be fun to think of a recipe that will have that crunchy, peanut-y taste. I started asking myself the following questions: Q: What type of food do I enjoy peanuts with? A: [...]
Welcome to My Tasty Handbook
Welcome to My Tasty Handbook. For months of sitting on the idea of having a blog, I have finally decided to post and talk about my food ventures. I hope you like your stay and enjoy my posts.
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