Wandering the World–Food

December 12, 2020December 12, 2020 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

My travels have not only enlightened me personally, but also enabled me to create recipes from my food adventures around the world. Due to the recommendations of friends and family worldwide, I created a cookbook/memoir with stories and recipes. Len Leatherwood, new President of the Story Circle Network, says, “This is a cookbook after my own heart, filled with a wide range of healthy recipes from several cultures that will add flavor, color, and variety to any table.” Jennifer Archer, award winning writer and editor elaborated further, “A feast for the senses…combines colorful stories, poems, and mouth-watering recipes that inspire readers to experience new places, new tastes…from Asia, Africa, Latin America, Scandinavia, and America.”

This would make a great Christmas present for foodies and people who want worldwide food adventures. It can be ordered online from: http://www.dreamcatcherbooks.com and go to Angel Books.

Recipes for the food in the photos above are included in the book. More food photos follow:

Lemon pasta with mixed salad topped with grated asiago cheese.

Many of the recipes feature berbere, a spice used in Ethiopian cooking. The book also includes four different recipes for salmon and many vegetarian and vegan recipes using spices from around the world.

Cod Loin with Fennel and Lemon

July 25, 2018 / Juliana Lightle / 2 Comments

This recipe, one of my favorites, will appear in my soon to be released cookbook full of family and life stories about food, family, and friends. I made this tonight around eight. As usual, I made enough for leftovers for another meal. Makes it easier if you work or are really busy.

Two small cod loins or one large cut in half

3 gloves garlic, chopped

1 poblano pepper, deseeded and coarsely chopped

Fennel essential oil

Lemon essential oil

Vegetables of your choosing cut into bite sized pieces

1 small handful of pepitas

Olive oil

I vary this by using different vegetables, e.g. spinach, Swiss chard, Brussel sprouts, beets, carrots. Tonight I used Brussel sprouts.

Saute garlic in olive oil until golden. If you use beets or carrots, sauce them with the garlic until nearly tender. If you use spinach, beet greens, Swiss chard, add them last.

Add the cod loins to garlic mixture and sprinkle each one with several drops of lemon and fennel essential oil. If you do not use essential oil, sprinkle with ground fennel and add deseeded lemons. If using Brussel sprouts, cut them in slices and add at the same time as the cod. When the cod is half cooked, add the poblano peppers and cook only until cod is done and the peppers are cooked but still bright green. If using spinach, etc., add them just before cod and peppers are done and stir until wilted. Sprinkle pepitas over the rice and vegetables. Serve over pasta or rice.

Note: I have also used fresh fennel for this recipe. If you decide to do this, saute it along with the garlic.

Almost done.

Served over Basmati rice. Salad is red bell peppers, red cabbage, romaine lettuce, radishes, and scallions with roasted sesame seed oil for dressing.

Talapia with Beets, Red Peppers, Swiss Chard and Bebere

November 18, 2014November 18, 2014 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

This recipe makes good sized portions for two people.

2 talapia filets

1/2 red onion, coarsely chopped

1 red bell pepper chopped into bite sized pieces

1 medium sized beet, thinly sliced

2 handfuls Swiss chard–if large pieces, take a knife and separate the middle spine from the leaf part

Chop the spines and add to the onion

Olive oil

Cover the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil. Add the onions, chopped Swiss chard spines, and beets–I cut the beet slices in half. Saute until the onions are somewhat caramelized and the beets almost tender. Add the peppers and 1-2 tablespoons bebere or to taste. When the peppers are half done, add the filets. Sprinkle extra bebere over the filets. When they are almost tender, add the Swiss chard and sauté until the Swiss chard wilts. Serve over rice.

Note: I grow my own Swiss chard in a large pot in the house. This enables be to have my own supply. However, the leaves are tiny compared to the large leaves in the market, making it unnecessary to cut the green leafy part away from the center spine. Bebere is an Ethiopian spice which is slightly hot; it has a wonderful, unique flavor. You can use whatever spices you prefer.