dinner Archives • Page 2 of 5 • Ant & Anise

Apple Cheddar Arugula Salad

I’ve been craving spa-like cuisine this week. We’re finally into spring, yes, but I think it has more to do with indulging a little too much lately with these little pieces of chocolate evil. I’m talking about Kirkland’s milk chocolate covered almonds, our preferred after-dinner nibble.

Sometimes I think the only reason I pay my Costco membership is to ensure I have a steady supply of these in the house.

But enough was enough. Time to take a break from chocolate almonds and focus on healthier eating, at least for a week or two. So my thoughts have turned to salad.

This is a refreshing salad, with crisp apple, tangy sharp cheddar and peppery arugula. Now, my favorite apple — hands down, no question — is the Cripps Pink, or Pink Lady® as it’s also known….

Mahi Mahi Tacos

Hello there, and welcome to our (mostly) redesigned site. It’s a refreshing, clean look that we love, plus it looks a lot better on mobile devices. A lot better.

(I’m even starting to modify a little code, here and there, all the while praying I don’t blow up the whole site as I tinker away. It’s true, a little learning is a dangerous thing.)

We still have a ton of cleanup to do on the blog. There’s always more to add to Ant & Anise, of course. A better search function for recipes. Maybe an ‘About’ page, where we let you know a little more about Ant & Anise than just a sentence or two. Yep, we’re getting around to that….

Chard and White Bean Ragout

Baby, it’s cold outside.

2014 has been a very cold winter, and I keep hearing we — the collective we in North America — can blame the polar vortex. That sounds nasty, doesn’t it? Like an evil force bent on world, or at least continental, domination.

Not even Vancouverites can escape the polar vortex, although its evilness here is tame compared to what it’s done on the East Coast. Still, this weekend it snowed for a few days straight, a wet, sticky snow blanket that paralyzed the city for, um…. a day or two….

Wow, it is that time of year again. The calendar is running out on 2013, and fast.

I feel like I’ve eaten my weight in sugar in December, from recipe testing and tweaking. With the copious, rich food (savory and sweet) over the past few weeks, I’m happy to take a little time out of the kitchen.

So to close off 2013, here are a few of our favorite posts from this year:…

Chicken madras with minted yogurt

I was craving Indian flavors this week. Something simple and fast to put together and, especially, a meal that wouldn’t leave me clutching my overstuffed belly.

Is that even possible?

I adore Indian food — the bold spices (especially cardamom and cumin), the rich creamy sauces, super spicy pickles, sweet tamarind and mango chutneys and the chewy naan bread. But we always seem to order too much when we go to Indian restaurants. Invariably, I reach that point where I’ve had quite enough to eat but somehow can’t stop myself from having another bite or two. Or five. Another piece of naan? Oh, um, well….sure, go on….

Coconut Curry Squash Soup

I wouldn’t say I hate winter squash, as in the way former president George Bush famously hates broccoli.

It’s not something on my regular grocery list either.

Is it the texture I don’t care for? Partly, yes. I also find winter squash to be, well, stodgy. My tastes in vegetables, even on the dreariest winter day, run to lighter flavors and greener colors. Give me some stir-fried beans or kale any time, especially with a smashed garlic clove and a squeeze of lemon….