‘Chicken & Cabbage Salad with Basil, Cilantro & Cashews’

March 29, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Fine Cooking Magazine

A simple vinaigrette of rice vinegar, fish sauce, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes really livens up this Asian-inspired salad.  With a base of thinly sliced, crunchy red cabbage and sliced scallions, I decided to also add in some matchstick carrots and peppery watercress greens for extra nutrition and color.

  Shredded rotisserie chicken make the salad super simple to assemble, as do store-bought roasted cashews for an undeniably buttery crunch. Serve this crunchy chicken and cabbage salad with lime wedges for a last minute squeeze of fresh citrusy magic, and a quick mix-in of fresh basil and fresh cilantro leaves.

‘Ginger Roasted Salmon & Broccoli’

March 28, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Eating Well Magazine

This teriyaki-inspired glaze gets it syrupy richness from a surprise ingredient: molasses. Combined with rice vinegar, tamari or soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil, the glaze adds a flavorful Asian-inspired kick to both the roasted salmon fillets and the broccoli florets.

The roasted salmon is served with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, and if you are so inclined, the broccoli can be amped up with some roasted sliced hot peppers as well. I served this one-pan dish with a brown rice pilaf flavored with curry powder, toasted cashews, and some thinly sliced carrots and cabbage. I think it would also be lovely served over tender rice noodles as well.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/267640/ginger-roasted-salmon-broccoli/ )

‘Grilled Tomatoes with Burrata & Parsley Salad’

March 27, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Fine Cooking Magazine

The main reason this recipe is works is because of the mixture of textures.  You start with thick, grilled slices of ripe tomato that are covered in bread crumbs and fresh herbs; the tomatoes become smoky and tender on the grill, while the bread adds a nice crunch to it all.

The side dish is then topped with briny capers that ‘pop’ with salty flavor, as well as creamy, dreamy burrata cheese.  You can sub fresh mozzarella in for the burrata, but I wouldn’t dare…the cream-filled center of the burrata melts beautifully and adds an unforgettable richness to the entire dish.

Cacio e Pepe Roasted Potatoes

March 26, 2025 No comments

It’s fun to take your favorite combination of flavorings from a classic dish and transfer those flavors over to another dish.  For example, are you a fan of pasta Puttanesca? Well try using the classic ingredients from that dish (tomatoes, anchovies, capers, olives, herbs) on your favorite grilled fish instead of pasta. Or do you just adore veal or chicken Piccata?  Use those same flavorings in a compound butter perhaps to melt over a grilled steak of your choosing.

I decided to get creative with the classic Italian pasta dish called Cacio e Pepe.  A simple, go-to pasta idea made with olive oil, black peppercorns, and grated Pecorino Romano cheese. But this time, over roasted potatoes not pasta.  This simple combination of ingredients is also wonderful mixed in with soft scrambled eggs, or even a fluffy white rice pilaf.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

Warm Goat Cheese Toasts with Castelvetrano Olives

March 25, 2025 No comments

These beautiful warm goat cheese toasts are reminiscent of a French tartine.  If you aren’t familiar, a tartine is simply an open-face sandwich that can be topped with whatever cheese, meats, or veggies that you wish.

This particular toast is made with a crunchy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside Tuscan boule loaf that I cut into thick slices.  Then, I top each toast with crumbled goat cheese, sliced Castelvetrano olives (my fav) and some rose-hued and flavored pink peppercorns.  Bake for a mere 5 minutes or so, until the bread is warm and the cheese a bit gooey, these toasts are perfect alongside a main course salad or bowl of soup.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

‘Super-Moist Carrot Cake’

March 24, 2025 No comments
Recipe Courtesy of www.SallysBakingAddiction.com

Recipe Courtesy of www.SallysBakingAddiction.com

The first few words that come to mind when describing this homemade carrot cake are mmmmmmmm and oh my.  Aptly named super-moist carrot cake, every bit of this rich cake is just that– and also perfectly sweet and did I mention easy to make?

Studded with the classic, lovely combo of grated carrots, pecans and golden raisins, the warmth of spices here is remarkable as well.   Simply ground cinnamon and nutmeg, but the combination of all the cake’s ingredients really make it the best carrot cake I’ve ever tasted.  And of course, topped with a creamy, gooey cream cheese frosting flavored with vanilla just makes the cake that much better.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/03/11/super-moist-carrot-cake/)

‘Striped Bass en Brodo’

March 23, 2025 No comments
Recipe Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens Magazine

Recipe Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens Magazine

Cooking anything en brodo simply means you are cooking it in a flavorful broth.  In Italy, this type of cooking is popular for seafood and also small stuffed pastas like tortellini.  The key here is simplicity–take this specific fish en brodo recipe for example.  You start by creating a simple broth to not only cook the fish in, but to also serve it in.

The broth is made from a combination of water, white wine, olive oil and salt.  Next into the pot is sliced shallots, fresh thyme and sliced tomatoes.  All of these ingredients warm up together and while they do so, their flavors come together beautifully.  Next you add in your fish (the recipe called for striped bass, but I used snapper instead) and allow the flavors of the broth to infuse the fish while it cooks.  Such a beautiful presentation as well; I like to serve this type of dish in a deep bowl with a piece of toasted garlic bread for dipping.

Green Peas & Cucumbers with Tarragon Butter

March 22, 2025 No comments

Two of my favorite herbs to pair with veggies are fresh dill and fresh tarragon.  They both add a bright note to a variety of vegetables–everything from potatoes, to carrots, radishes, or even a nice sauté of green peas and sliced cucumbers like I did here.  Whether tossed into a salad of freshly chopped veggies, used in a pickling brine, or torn and thrown into a sauté like this one, pairing either herb with a pat of butter and then any of these veggies adds a real depth of flavor.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

‘Blueberry Buttermilk Pie’

March 21, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.SpicySouthernKitchen.com

With leftover buttermilk in the fridge and a ton of fresh blueberries on hand, I went searching for a creamy, fruit-filled dessert.  My search ended with this recipe for a luscious buttermilk pie with blueberries.

Simply a flaky pate brisée pie crust filled with the fresh berries and a simple custard mixture made with buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla, sugar and a touch of flour, melted butter and eggs. The flour and melted butter in the filling add a thick texture and richness which pairs wonderfully with the fresh berries; simply to make yet over-the-top decadent, this pie doesn’t need any accompaniments—just a fork and that sweet tooth of yours.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://spicysouthernkitchen.com/blueberry-buttermilk-pie/)

Haricots Verts and Mushrooms with Caramelized Onions & Prosciutto Chips

March 20, 2025 No comments

I like to keep a variety of onions in our pantry at all times: Vidalia for their sweetness, white for their punchy oniony-ness, shallots for their delicate flavor, and red for their brilliant hue. Thanks to the amazing natural sweetness of Vidalia onions, this particular variety of onions caramelizes very well.

To caramelize anything means just what you think it does; cooking something long enough to where its natural sweetness shines through and the finished product has a lovely, deep brown color.  Think of when you sear a piece of meat in a non-stick pan; if you cook it long enough and over the right heat, you get that tasty brown crust; same with seared scallops, roasted acorn squash, the topping on a homemade upside down cake….and the list goes on and on.

With my Vidalia onions this week, I decided to make a big batch of caramelized onions cooked low-and-slow in my Dutch oven along with some olive oil, butter, salt, pepper and fresh herbs.  A splash of white wine towards the end to release any brown bits from the pan and voilà: caramelized onions are born.  For this dish, I served some of the onions underneath roasted green beans, along with some mushrooms and some crispy prosciutto chips. Caramelized onions freeze very well, so that next time you are craving a bowl of homemade French Onion Soup, or even a simple side for a roast chicken or stuffing for a pork tenderloin, defrost away and enjoy!

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

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