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Healthy Turmeric Almond Smoothie

In Dairy-free, Food Around The World, Gluten-free, Recipes | Delicious and Quick Recipes for Real Food by Lisa Soldo-Johnson4 Comments

Turmeric Almond Milk Shake is a quick and easy way to get a delicious dose of healthy turmeric into your diet. Lightly sweet and satisfyingly creamy.  Perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack-time. Most of us are familiar with turmeric. The bright yellow spice is commonly used for color and flavor in curries and other ethnic dishes.  The Chinese have …

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Baked Bananas with Rum Raisins

In Dairy-free, Food Around The World, Gluten-free, Recipes | Delicious and Quick Recipes for Real Food by Lisa Soldo-JohnsonLeave a Comment

     Print Recipe Baked Bananas with Rum Raisins Yum Course Dessert Cuisine Jamaican Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Servings servings Ingredients Baked Bananas 4 ripe bananas3 tablespoons coconut sugar2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 8-pieces2/3 cup orange juice Rum Raisins 2 cups raisins1 cup dark Jamaican rum Course Dessert Cuisine Jamaican Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time …

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DIY Cajun Seasoning

In Dairy-free, Food Around The World, Gluten-free, Recipes | Delicious and Quick Recipes for Real Food by Lisa Soldo-JohnsonLeave a Comment

If you are anything like me, you’ve had those days when you started a recipe knowing that you have all the right ingredients on hand, only to find out that your spice bottle (you know, the one you need at just that moment) is empty. Could anything be more frustrating when you are in a hurry to get dinner on …

Melt in Your Mouth Lemon Butter Chicken

In Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Recipes | Delicious and Quick Recipes for Real Food by Lisa Soldo-JohnsonLeave a Comment

Manny’s Steakhouse in Minneapolis is famous for serving steaks so tender you can cut them with a spoon. That’s tender! I recently took a trip to Florida to visit my friends Laurie for a three-day recipe writing get away. During my stay, Laurie taught me to make a lemon and garlic roasted chicken so tender, just like one of Manny’s …

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Persian Yogurt And Spinach Dip | Borani Esfanaaj Recipe

In Food Around The World, Gluten-free, Recipes | Delicious and Quick Recipes for Real Food by Lisa Soldo-JohnsonLeave a Comment

Borani Esfanaaj is a Traditional Persian appetizer made with Yogurt and spinach. I first tasted this delightful dish at a dinner party hosted by my gorgeous friend, Sohiela, who makes the most wonderful Persian food. The word “Esfanaj” in Farsi means Spinach and “Borani” is the yogurt part of the dip. What I love about Sohiela’s version are the fresh …

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Schloof – Suryani Eggplant Dish

In Dairy-free, Food Around The World, Gluten-free, Recipes | Delicious and Quick Recipes for Real Food by Lisa Soldo-JohnsonLeave a Comment

Last year I visited my friend Laurie in Florida for a long weekend of recipe testing her collection of recipes for my book. That is when I was introduced to Schloof, a traditional Suryani recipe served as an appetizer or side dish. To be honest, I didn’t think the usual combination of basic ingredients found in the many Mediterranean dishes …

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Sichuan Peppercorn Oil Recipe

In Dairy-free, Food Around The World, Gluten-free, Recipes | Delicious and Quick Recipes for Real Food by Lisa Soldo-Johnson10 Comments

In today’s world of global cooking, many recipes call for specialty ingredients and oils that can be hard to find in local grocery stores.  Sichuan Peppercorn Oil is one of those elusive ingredients but is worth having in your pantry. This Chinese oil gives just the right amount of heat to stir fries, sauces, dressings, and more. The challenge of …

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Chinese Spicy Chili Sauce Recipe | 辣椒酱 Làjiāo jiàng

In Dairy-free, Food Around The World, Gluten-free, Recipes | Delicious and Quick Recipes for Real Food by Lisa Soldo-JohnsonLeave a Comment

Sichuan China is known for its spicy cuisine.  Chinese Spicy Chili Sauce is a recipe created by my friend, Rachel, who was born in Sichuan and she brought her technique of creating authentic Chinese cuisine with her when she migrated to the United States many years ago. Rachel created this recipe for her Chinese Sichuan Beef.  A recipe you can find in …

Garlic Sesame Vegetable Trio

In Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Recipes | Delicious and Quick Recipes for Real Food by Lisa Soldo-JohnsonLeave a Comment

Some of my favorite recipe creations happen purely on a whim. That’s how this dish was born. Creating a dish where all the flavors and textures work in harmony takes imagination to pull together. But when it works, it really works. I try to incorporate global flavors into most of my dishes to experience food from a different perspective.  However, …

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Authentic Italian Arugula Salad Recipe with Artichokes and Prosciutto

In Food Around The World, Gluten-free, Recipes | Delicious and Quick Recipes for Real Food by Lisa Soldo-JohnsonLeave a Comment

This fall we hosted an exchange student, Ignacia, from Chile. I admit I was unfamiliar with this South American country. Aside from Chilean Seabass, I was unfamiliar with traditional Chilean cuisine but excited to learn more. In Chile, they make a salad similar to an Artichoke Carpaccio.  The Italians prepare this traditional dish with thin slices of raw beef topped …