Author: Lori Lynn

Great New Side Dish: Brown Rice Fusilli and Green Beans, Tahini Sauce, Crispy Rice Topping

Brown Rice Fusilli and Green Beans Side Dish, Lemon Garlic Tahini Sauce, Crispy Rice Topping

Brown Rice Fusilli and Green Beans Side Dish
Lemon Garlic Tahini Sauce, Crispy Rice Topping

Composed of equal parts brown rice fusilli and haricots verts, this tasty side dish is a “twist” on “rice & beans.” It is dressed with lemon garlic tahini, a fabulously creamy sauce with a deep roasted sesame flavor.

The playful topping is a take on the classic dish from Southern Italy where pasta is tossed with toasted seasoned bread crumbs – here, crispy rice cereal is toasted in butter and seasoned with salt and cayenne pepper for a crunchy spicy rice-based accent. It can be made into a vegan dish by simply exchanging olive oil for butter in the crispy rice topping.

For a refreshing addition to your side dish repetoire, serve this as a side to roast chicken or roast beef, or on a lunch or dinner buffet. It has wide appeal as a vegetarian dish with creamy and crunch textures and bold flavors, is gluten-free and mighty nutritious.

Brown Rice Fusilli and Green Beans Side Dish

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Fluke Crudo, Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Fluke Crudo, Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Fluke Crudo, Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Dragon Fruit, Meyer Lemon, Parsley, Mint, Borage

Our fluke crudo with Korean picked radish, nasturtium, and gochugaru vinaigrette was such a hit, we had to share another. A member of the flounder family, fluke has a clean, delicate, fresh taste that is excellent served raw (known as hirame sushi). While dragon fruit also has a mild flavor, it has unique visual appeal, esoteric charm, and a cool name. The taste is enhanced by the delightful Meyer lemon sweet-tart vinaigrette. Together, fluke and dragon fruit make a stunning raw dish.

Borage, my favorite edible flower, is very versatile as a garnish due to the light cucumbery flavor that can be paired with either sweet or savory dishes. And the striking blue color and star shape make every dish pop. Borage grows like a weed in my Southern California garden. I simply sprinkle seeds in a sunny spot, water regularly, et voilà!

growing borage for edible flowersMeyer lemon rinds are soft and edible. This lemon’s texture and lemony-orange flavor pairs wonderfully with the fresh fish. Cold fish and warm weather – an uncomplicated dish with fresh ingredients is simple, harmonious, and spring-pretty.

meyer lemon recipe

Fluke Crudo, Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe

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Fluke Crudo, Gochugaru Vinaigrette

Fluke Crudo, Gochugaru Vinaigrette

Fluke Crudo
Gochugaru Vinaigrette, Korean Pickled Radish, Bird’s Eye Chili
Luxardo Cherry, Scallion, Nasturtium

Its texture is firm and smooth and the taste is mild, fluke is an excellent fish to serve raw, Italian style – with oil, acid, and salt.

An intensely flavorful vinaigrette of olive oil and toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar and mirin, is enhanced with gochugaru, a Korean red chili powder. The coarsely ground powder is definitely spicy – but also has a balanced fruitiness, slight smokiness and depth of flavor from the sun-dried red peppers.

Korean yellow pickled radish, danmuji, brings sweet, sour and crispy notes while dark Italian Luxardo cherries add a dense, chewy sweet-tart unexpected counterbalance to the fish.

Finished with whimsical scallion curls and petite peppery-green nasturtium leaves, this Korean-Italian raw fish dish has delightful visual appeal and complementary global flavors.

Fluke Crudo Recipe

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How To Wake Up Your Oatmeal

How To Wake Up Your Oatmeal

Oatmeal Breakfast Bowl
Sunnyside Up Fried Egg, Avocado, Salsa Roja, Feta
Pepitas, Radish, Jalapeno, Cilantro

Would it not be a shame to behold a glorious sunrise, then turn to a boring bowl of beige oats for breakfast? Let’s fix that.

Sunrise Over the Port of Los Angeles

Sunrise Over the Port of Los Angeles

How To Wake Up Your Oatmeal

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Dove’s Luncheonette Crispy Breakfast Hash

Dove's Luncheonette

Dove’s Luncheonette
Red Potato and Shishito Pepper Hash

We sat in a Chicago luncheonette
Sipping a Mexican cola
And snapping pics as the countertops were bussed

His style was lusty, drawing inspiration from bygone diners
It was bold and gutsy

(a nod to Hall & Oates)

The 41-stool luncheonette sits next to the Damen “L” Station in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. A gem of a diner serving Southern inspired Mexican cuisine, it has all the charm of lunch counters of yesteryear – an original tin ceiling, earth-tone hexagon floor tiles, vintage wood paneling, antique fixtures with separate hot & cold faucets reminding me of the bathrooms in the Chicago Public Schools in the 60s.

But charm isn’t the main reason to take the “L” or Uber over to Wicker Park. Come to Dove’s for the soulful food, friendly neighborly vibes, and gracious hospitality.

Shortly after our visit to Dove’s, I was thrilled to find the recipe for Red Potato and Shishito Pepper Hash in Bon Appétit. I’ve already served it a few times here in LA, with rave reviews. Editor Julie Kramer says, “People accuse me of having a bias toward every food made in my hometown of Chicago. But I defy you to find a crispier, more satisfying breakfast hash than the one at Dove’s Luncheonette.”

Dove’s Luncheonette Crispy Breakfast Hash Recipe

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