Category: Recipes

Ultimate Bean & Feta Salad

I started development on this recipe way back in 2004, when it was little more than chick peas and feta cheese, but it has evolved to the following amazingness over time.

It’s a great dish to bring to parties, serve as an appetizer at your dinner party, or to just enjoy as a healthy yet filling and delicious meal during the week.

It’ll keep in the fridge for 5 to 6 days. Feel free to experiment and add or substitute all sorts of new things. Enjoy!

The Ultimate Bean & Feta Salad

Total prep time: 30 minutes of chopping and mixing
Serves 8 to 10

  • beans, 3 x 15oz cans (pick any three: kidney, pinto, red, cannellini, black, black-eyed, white, butter, garbanzo)
  • green beans, sliced, 1 can (alternate: 1 can of corn)
  • red onion, 1 small or ½ large
  • olives, pitted, 1 can (green or black)
  • feta cheese, 6-10 oz (around ½ pound) crumbled
  • parsley, 1 handful, finely chopped (optional addition or substitution: cilantro)
  • roasted red peppers, 1 10-12oz jar
  • garlic, 2-3 cloves, crushed or finely diced
  • olive oil, several dollops
  • balsamic vinegar, several dollops (alternate: cider vinegar)
  • pepper, salt, oregano, paprika, etc (to taste)
  1. Drain and rinse in a colander the beans and green beans (or corn) and add to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Finely dice the red onion and add in.
  3. Drain the olives, slice & dice, and add to the bowl.
  4. Chop up and crumble in the feta cheese. This is a good point to mix what’s already in the bowl.
  5. Dice the roasted red peppers and garlic and add to the bowl.
  6. Chop up the parsley (and/or cilantro) and add in.
  7. Add in the olive oil, vinegar, and any spices.
  8. Mix thoroughly and it’s done!

Kahlúa-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

When I moved out of the dorms and into my own apartment after my Sophomore year of college, I started experimenting with cooking and baking. After all, learning to cook well on my own served to both save some money and give me an excuse to procrastinate more!

That’s why this, and a few of the other recipes posted here originate from the same period—2003 to 2004. There have been many iterations in the intervening years as I’ve perfected the recipe, and the following are almost guaranteed to come out mouthwateringly well. Almost. There’s always room for improvement.

Kahlúa-soaked Raisin Chocolate Chip Spiced Oatmeal Cookies

Total prep time: 15 minutes of heating and mixing
Makes around 30 cookies, depending on how heaping your teaspoons are.

  • raisins, 1 cup
  • Kahlúa, ½ cup (or enough to cover the raisins)
  • butter, 1 cup, softened
  • brown sugar, 1 cup, packed
  • sugar, white, ½ cup
  • eggs, 2
  • vanilla extract, 1 tsp
  • all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups
  • baking soda, 1 tsp
  • ground cinnamon, 1 tsp
  • ground cloves, ½ tsp
  • salt, ½ tsp
  • rolled oats, 2 ½ cups, half blended to powder
  • chocolate chips (alternately: chopped walnuts), 1 cup
  1. Preheat oven to 350℉.
  2. Pour the Kahlúa over the raisins in a separate cup, and heat for several minutes. Set aside to cool and soak while we prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown and white sugars, eggs, and vanilla.
  4. Add the salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves.
  5. Stir in the flour a bit at a time until the mix is smooth.
  6. Add the oats, chocolate chips (or walnuts), and Kahlúa raisins.
  7. Drop heaping teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Keep at least 1 ½ inches apart. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, but don’t overbake.
  8. Let cool for several minutes before moving them into storage.