Homemade Pita Bread

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Apr 30 2015

I know homemade pita sounds intimidating, but this dough is so friendly. Really! The satisfaction of pulling that first pita out of the skillet all warm and golden, is one of life’s simple pleasures. You can let them puff up in the skillet and stay pita-like or you can burst the bubbles that form while it’s sizzling to create a more naan-like wrap for sandwiches, like I did here. You can also serve naan with butter chicken or, you know, let a pat of butter melt on the top, sprinkle it with some salt, roll it up and eat it over the… Continue reading ≻

Miso-Parmesan Shishito Peppers

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Mar 30 2015

Today a group of bloggers are celebrating Emily of The Pig & Quill’s virtual baby shower! She’s having a little girl and we’re celebrating the best way we know how, with delicious food. Emily is a food maven who creates the most unique recipes and I thought she might appreciate this umami-rich appetizer. Our Trader Joe’s just started carrying shishito peppers and I’m already on my 4th bag. They are perfect simply blistered in a skillet of shimmering olive oil and finished with flaky sea salt, but sometimes you want to mix it up. Especially if you’re trying to impress a… Continue reading ≻

Beet Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese and Maple Walnuts

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Mar 24 2015

It took years of ordering beet salads in restaurants to finally realize that I should be making my own dream beet salad at home. If a beet salad is on the menu, I order it. Even though Marc is not a beet or walnut lover, he’s always pleasantly surprised that he likes the combination of beets, soft cheese and nuts. I just want to say duh, but that’s not nice. There are a few components to the recipe, but all are simple tasks that you can do while your beets steam-roast in the oven. After you assemble the salad, the… Continue reading ≻

Vegan Roasted Cauliflower + Tahini Lemon Vinaigrette

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Mar 10 2015

Selden Standard's Roasted Cauliflower + Tahini Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe // www.dulanotes.com @nicoledula

I love eating out. It provides inspiration that I can bring back to my kitchen and I get excited about new flavor combinations. When I took my first bite of the roasted cauliflower at Selden Standard, I tasted the tahini + cumin + the zing of the pickled peppers mingling with the caramelized cauliflower. It was perfect. The dish isn’t fussy, but has layers of flavor. I’d never heard Marc rave about a vegetable dish like he did about this one. Chef Andy Hollyday from Selden Standard was interviewed on a local news show recently and shared how he makes his famous roasted… Continue reading ≻

Cream-Braised Brussels Sprouts

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Dec 9 2014

When my brother and I were kids, we were weirdos and loved brussels sprouts. My Dad hated them and he’d go into a funny speech at the dinner table about how gross they looked and smelled. It made us giggle, but I’m sure my Mom was less than thrilled by his performance. Despite his best efforts, though, we were excited when mom made them for dinner. Nothing fancy, just boiled and minimally seasoned. My love for them only grew when I started cooking and could prepare them in new ways. Roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper was my favorite… Continue reading ≻

Tahini Celeriac and Potato Mash

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Nov 25 2014

I’m really excited for this three day work week. My sister-in-law is hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the first time, which means we’ll have sweet potatoes and I’m really looking forward to that. We’re making Erika’s beautiful recipe. The dinner will begin with growlers of local beer, spiked cider and Mom’s deviled eggs. Then we’ll have turkey, fresh rolls, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, red skin potatoes and pomegranate kale salad. For dessert my mother-in-law is bringing a pumpkin roll and cheesecake. This Thanksgiving gathering will be unique because Marc and I usually go to my Mom and Dad’s while my… Continue reading ≻

Pomegranate Kale Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Nov 11 2014

Pomegranate Kale Salad // www.dulanotes.com @nicoledula

I was going to share this salad next week, but I love it so much that I couldn’t wait. It will be on our Thanksgiving table and it’s been on our dinner table 4 times in the last 2 weeks. It’s simple, pretty and the hearty kale leaves stand up to the dressing, so it lasts for days. It looks like a diva salad, but it isn’t! This is also the official salad of the baby boom of fall 2014. My very first niece is expected to make her debut at the end of this week, a good friend is due next week… Continue reading ≻

Everything Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Oct 28 2014

There’s nothing like a good weekend. This last one was extra good because my sister-in-law Bethany was in town and we ate kimchi fried rice, Jeni’s ice cream and she taste-tested a new kale salad recipe for me. We celebrated my mother-in-law’s birthday and after all of that food, we decided to take a Barre workout class together. I woke up the next day a little sore, but that’s a crazy good workout. I wish I had a batch of these everything roasted pumpkin seeds to share with her, too. If you love everything bagels or everything focaccia or everything anything, these seeds… Continue reading ≻

Watermelon + Heirloom Tomato + Burrata

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Sep 16 2014

Watermelon + Heirloom Tomatoes + Burrata Recipe // www.dulanotes.com @nicoledula

My favorite dinner in the summer is the unfussy, but completely delicious combination of burrata and heirloom tomatoes. I start having it for dinner the minute I get fresh summer tomatoes in my CSA. One afternoon, I had burrata left over and no tomatoes, but some cubes of watermelon and I figured why not? I now like it better than with tomatoes alone, which I can’t even believe I’m even saying. The sweet watermelon, savory cheese, rich olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper together is a food symphony. Give it a try! And if you’re thinking, hey… Continue reading ≻

Raspberry Basil Vinaigrette

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Sep 2 2014

Raspberry vinaigrette makes me think of my first job. I filed documents and was the back-up receptionist in a corporate office. The company wasn’t huge when I started there. Later I found out that I was hired at the end of a merger with only a few key positions moving to Chicago, while the rest of the employees would lose their jobs. This explained the stressed out people and empty cubicles. I met all types of people while I was there, like the petite blonde that was obsessed with the McRib sandwich and the overworked payroll manager that buzzed around… Continue reading ≻

Dula Notes

Seasonal recipes and adventures from Michigan with love

Posts in the category: Sides