My favorite, and easiest, recipee for the chicken is the Tandoori-Style Roast Chicken with Curry and Green Peas. 1 4.25 pound chicken 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1 tbsp olive oil 1 clove of garlic, minced 1/4 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp paprika 2 tbsp curry powder sea salt and fresh cracked pepper 4 tbsp unsalted butter 1 large head of broccoli, trimmed and chopped 2 cups frozen peas Marinate chicken with yogurt, garlic and curry powder. Let marinate for an hour or more, even overnight. Brush chicken with olive oil. Grill over medium-high heat for 15 minutes per side. Reduce heat, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes to really crisp the skin. Serve with a side of broccoli and frozen peas. And be sure to sprinkle cumin on it to mask the fact that it’s not 100% authentic. The Roasted Vegetables with Creamy Parmesan Dip is another good one for beginners. It’s really simple to put together and goes nicely with any of the Mediterranean-Style dishes. You can also make a side-dish of bread with olive oil, sea salt, dried oregano and a tiny bit of olive oil in it and cut it into slices. Serve it with the roasted vegetables and bread for a wonderful appetizer. This month’s Recipe of the Month is the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Sunflower Seed Parmesan Croutons! This one has become a family favorite! It’s simple, quick, easy and really makes the house smell so good. To roast brussels sprouts, trim off the bottom of each sprout. Cut the stalk into 4 pieces and tie them together. Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt and roast at 375 degrees for about 30-45 minutes. While they’re in the oven, prepare the croutons. Mix together 1 cup of cubed bread (use any kind you’d like), 1/4 cup of plain flour, 1 tbsp of garlic, 1 tsp. of oregano, sea salt and olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. And for a fun side dish that even kids will enjoy, try the Warm and Savory Lentil Salad. I added peas in place of green peas. Lentils are great because they’re not starchy like some beans can be. The combination of flavors that are in this salad—olive oil, garlic, cumin and parsley—go so well with the mellow flavor of the lentils. Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cumin and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add lentils and 1 cup of water and cook at a medium boil, stirring often. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. If needed, add more water (1/4 cup at a time). Mix the yogurt and a few dashes of the salt and pepper together in a bowl and add to the lentils. Serve over salad greens with a garnish of parsley. Enjoy! Don’t forget to join us the first Sunday of every month at 4 pm, from January through November, to enjoy our popular potluck dinners, featuring a different country or region each month. The weather is getting colder each day, and that means it’s time to eat comforting soups. Nothing warms you up like a good bowl of soup, especially when it’s hot and muggy outside. Last week, I shared with you the recipe for the classic Borscht. In keeping with the Russian theme, I decided to make another soup from Russia this week: the Cold Soba Noodle Soup. While I don’t think I’m very adventurous when it comes to flavors (besides, I can’t taste very well), I’m a real foodie when it comes to recipes. I love new, unusual, weird, but very delicious foods. This soup had all the above qualities. I have a friend who loves pasta. He comes over on the weekends for dinner with us, and I ask him how he’s feeling each week before I make something special. Last week, I made my son’s favorite: “pasta”. I took an 8 oz package of pasta of his choosing (we use linguini, rigatoni, rotini and penne) and cut it in half. Boil it for 10 minutes, drain it and place in a large bowl. (I like to boil the pasta in a separate pot because I think it cooks better in hot water than in cold.) Heat the butter over medium-low heat and add onion, carrot and garlic. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add heavy cream, salt and pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir in pasta and serve it in bowls with a side of grated Parmesan cheese. My daughter likes to eat hers plain. Here’s the recipe for the Cold Soba Noodle Soup: 1 package of soba noodles (3 ounces of dry) 2 quarts of vegetable or chicken broth 1 package of chiffonade salad greens, or use spinach and cut it up to make it easier to eat 1 tablespoon of miso squeeze of lemon Directions Cook noodles according to package directions. Combine chicken broth with miso, hot water and lemon. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thick. (This could take a few hours, so set it aside to cool.) Add noodles and heat. Add a dollop of mayo and serve over the salad greens. The most time consuming part of this recipe is finding soba noodles. They are Japanese noodles and can be found at most Asian markets. They aren’t very expensive, so if you don’t have them, you can substitute another kind of noodle. Make sure you save the broth that the noodles cook in to add flavor to the cold soup. When I was growing up, we ate all sorts of food from other cultures. We would never have thought that any of it would have been good for us. As a child, my mom and dad would tell me how many calories were in the food that I was about to eat, in the hopes that I’d get a clue about how much it would affect my weight and self-esteem. Today’s children are growing up in an era where they eat so many foods from other cultures that are good for you! This month, I’m sharing with you a couple of Greek recipes. I know that most people consider Greek food to be European, but I think of it as a totally different culture. Greek food is very healthy, colorful and absolutely delicious! These recipes are very simple to prepare and don’t take long to make. You can enjoy this food with your family and friends any day of the week, whether they are in the mood for one of these recipes or not. Chicken and Rice Salad. My favorite, and easiest, recipee for the chicken is the Tandoori-Style Roast Chicken with Curry and Green Peas. One of my best features is my sense of taste and smell, so when I tell you that this salad is out of this world, that’s why! Here’s what you need to make it: 1 pound (about 2 cups) baby spinach leaves 2 cups cooked chicken 3 green onions, chopped 2 cups cooked brown rice (I make mine in a rice cooker) 4 tbsp Greek Vinaigrette 1 tbsp curry powder 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 1/2 cup crumbled feta 1/4 cup chopped green olives salt and pepper to taste I am also sharing the recipe for my favorite dressing for this salad. I have only ever found it in Greek restaurants, but we make it in the kitchen to use when we don’t feel like cooking something elaborate! Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld. Serve chilled. This salad is good hot, too, but it will be a little spicy. Refrigerate any leftovers. They are great warmed up the next day and served with rice. Grilled Cheese with Hummus. My mouth is watering just thinking about this one! It’s a very simple dish that you can prepare, and enjoy with your favorite sandwich. Use whole wheat bread and serve with a side of salad greens. 1/3 cup hummus 2 slices of whole wheat bread 4 pieces of cheese of your choice 2 tbsp olive oil, butter or margarine 2 tbsp herbs (dill and mint work best) 3 pieces of tomato, sliced in half 3 green onions, sliced into rounds salt and pepper to taste I’ve never been too wild about the idea of eating a grilled cheese sandwich. I always thought that one could never make a good grilled cheese sandwich. But, with all the good food in this recipe, it doesn’t matter how bad the sandwich is! You can simply ignore the rest of the ingredients and enjoy the sandwich for what it is—a filling, delicious meal. It’s cold outside, but it’s not too cold to stay indoors. Make yourself a nice dinner and