Turnips with Tarragon Butter

April 2, 2025 No comments

Turnips are a flavorful, low-carb alternative to potatoes.  A bit peppery by nature, turnips are great when roasted, mashed, sautéed or even boiled to tender. For a simple side dish I decided to pair tender cooked turnips with a flavorful compound butter.

 What’s in the butter you ask? A mixture of lemon zest, fresh tarragon, salt, pepper and a touch of crushed red pepper flakes.  This compound butter idea would also work well over cooked carrots or steamed baby potatoes.

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

Lemony Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Artichoke Hearts & Leeks

April 1, 2025 No comments

This veggie-packed pasta gets its flavor from a light lemon butter sauce, sliced garlic, and fresh herbs.  A splash of white wine and stock also help the cause, as do flavorful slices of chicken Italian sausage.  The veggies I like to combine in this simple sauce are artichoke hearts, wilted watercress or spinach, and sauteed leeks.

Any pasta shape you have on hand would work fine with this brightly flavored pasta dish, but I love it with spaghetti rigati—spaghetti noodles made with ridges so that whatever sauce you pair with the cooked pasta, whether heavy or light, will capture the sauce in each and every bite.

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

Carrot Ribbon Salad

March 31, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

Something about slicing a vegetable with a veggie peeler into long, ribbon-like strands just adds a certain elegance to a dish.  That, and even just cutting a vegetable on the diagonal.  For this simple and healthy arugula salad, the greens are tossed together with the carrot ribbons, some crumbled goat cheese and some toasted nuts; sliced almonds if you have them, but I had a lot of toasted pistachios on hand this week, so that’s what I opted for. And for a simple dressing?  A fresh combination of lemon juice, olive oil and a touch of honey; the honey helps to bring out to the natural sweetness of the carrots.

‘Lemon-Buttermilk Pie’

March 30, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Joy the Baker Homemade Decadence, by Joy Wilson

This luxurious Lemon-Buttermilk Pie comes from a superb cookbook (aptly named) Homemade Decadence.  The author, Joy Wilson, has compiled a collection of homemade treats; everything from breakfast/brunch treats, fruit treats, cakes, pies, cookies, breads…you name it. All of the recipes are ones that are not overwhelmingly difficult to make and, well, you’ll want to make them all!

The ingredients in this lemon-specked creamy pie are simple: buttermilk, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs, vanilla, and a touch of flour. The pie sets beautifully in the oven and if you have extra buttermilk, she shares a crust recipe that includes buttermilk as well. (I opted however for my favorite whole wheat, organic store-bought crust, but really any crust you love will do.)  I plan to make this pie again in the colder months with its suggested sauce of maple syrup, orange juice and cranberries. But for now while the heat is still around, I simply served the pie with fresh mint and tart raspberries.

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

‘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/)

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