Harissa: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

I first heard this word in Paris while eating at a Tunisian restaurant.  Because harissa looks like ketchup, I tried it and discovered it has a fiery taste.  That’s not surprising because one of its key ingredients is chili peppers.  Unless you love extremely hot food, you might want to use just a few drops—at least when you first taste it.

In many North African countries, harissa is as common as olive oil is in Italian restaurants.  In the U.S., harissa (sometimes called harissa paste) is widely available on the Internet but not necessarily found at supermarkets.  Tubes of harissa paste can cost as little as $5.

That little tube could last for a year or, if you are a spicy food fanatic, it could be squeezed out in a week.  I shook a few drops of harissa onto leftover mashed potatoes the other evening, and it added an interesting dab of flavor. 

Why Not Try an Antipasto Lunch Plate?

Whenever my brother decides it’s time to lose weight, he does two things.  He eats less, and he makes himself an Antipasto Lunch Plate.  When he first told me about his routine, I asked for the Lunch Plate recipe.  I wasn’t looking to lose weight, but I liked the idea of having something new to eat in the middle of the day.

Here is what’s on the plate in the above picture: lettuce, a sliced hard-boiled egg, slices of salami, several large olives, anchovies, cut-up cheese, a cucumber, cherry tomatoes, broccoli and Italian dressing.

For those not dieting, some French bread would be a handy addition.

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You Can Put Anything in Tortillas

I grew up on sandwiches, mostly tuna but sometimes deviled ham.  My mother must have gotten sick of making them, but every school day morning there was a nicely prepared sandwich on white bread in a brown bag in the fridge.  Occasionally a dried-up carrot or other undesirable item would be there too—my father’s joke contribution.

Chard: What Is It and How Do I Cook It?

  

Chard, also known as Swiss Chard or Red Chard, is a leafy green vegetable with prominent veins and ribs as thick as celery.  Sometimes Chard is sold with the ribs still attached to the base, like celery.  Other times the stalks have been trimmed slightly so that the leaves are separate, and they are bundled together with a twisty tie.  Choose a bundle that is shiny and firm, not limp with a lot of brown spots.

Red chard has large, dark green leaves with red veins and a red stalk.  Swiss chard has similar large, dark green leaves, but its veins and stalks are white.

Question for Mom

Now that uncooked boneless chicken breasts often weigh more than 1 pound each, I’ve been wondering what’s the best way to prepare them.  Do they need to cook longer than smaller breasts? –Evelyn K.

One large chicken breast can feed a family of 4, especially if you cut the meat into stir-fry pieces and supplement with some fresh vegetables.  Spices would help provide flavor because this size breast is pretty bland.  Cooking time would be a few minutes longer because of the greater amount of chicken, but you could get a meal on the table in 30 minutes.

Spice Up the Day with Bean Dip!

I try not to eat a lot between meals, but that’s a problem when my homemade Bean Dip is in the refrigerator.  If my stomach rumbles, I immediately begin thinking about visiting the fridge for just a small spoonful.  Pretty soon none is left.