‘Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake’

April 23, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Eating Well Magazine

What makes this pound cake on the healthier side of traditional pound cakes is the use of whole wheat flour, a minimal amount of butter, and a ton of fresh blueberries. The cake itself is very moist, thanks to the use of part-skim ricotta cheese, and gets its added flavor from lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract and a drizzle of a tart lemon glaze. I added some sliced almonds to the top of the cake for crunch and I can also see a few poppy seeds added into the batter itself being a nice addition to this luscious cake.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/251419/blueberry-lemon-ricotta-pound-cake/ )

‘Turmeric-Almond Dressing’

April 22, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.Epicurious.com

Voilà! My new favorite dressing is served. Obsessed lately with anything involving fresh turmeric, I searched online for a homemade salad dressing involving the gorgeous orange-hued root. This dressing appealed to me the most: roughly chopped pieces of peeled turmeric, peeled ginger and peeled garlic are blitzed in the blender of mini food processor along with lemon juice, a touch of honey, a smidge of salt, and some natural almond butter. (I actually had sunflower seed butter on hand, so that is what I used, but I think a natural peanut or cashew butter would be just as grand.)

With just a touch of water added into the dressing to achieve a smooth, yet slightly thick texture, the flavors of this healthy dressing are amazingly rich thanks to the natural nutty richness of the nut butter.  And its really cool to watch the dressing over time, it slowly starts to turn a gorgeous deep yellow color as you blend away.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/turmeric-almond-dressing-51264440 )

‘Pomegranate & Chicken Stew’

April 21, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Delicious Magazine

This Persian-inspired stew was simply marvelous. A quick sauté of shallots, garlic and carrots in a pat of butter, followed by chicken thighs that are then surrounded by a mixture of chicken stock, pomegranate juice and a touch of pomegranate molasses.  The stew itself does  not turn out sweet, but rich and flavorful.  The stew cooks for a bit until the chicken is cooked through and tender, then you finish the pot off with fresh parsley, cilantro and a sprinkling of tart pomegranate seeds.  Lovely when served over white rice or even a warm scoop of cous cous.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/pomegranate-and-chicken-stew/)

Balsamic-Roasted Broccolini with Coppa Ham

April 20, 2026 No comments

My favorite way to serve broccolini spears is roasted.  The stems stay crunchy, but the hot oven crisps up the floret section of the veggie and infuses the entire dish with the olive oil and seasonings added on.  Simply salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and olive oil are the additions to the broccolini pre-roasting,  a drizzle of balsamic vinegar once the broccolini come out of the oven, plus some tender capocollo ham wrapped around each bundle for a salty touch.

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

‘Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken’

April 19, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.FoodNetwork.com

This very well could be the most flavorful roast chicken recipes I have ever tried. The origin of the recipe?  The incomparable Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) of the Food Network and cookbook fame, who if you follow her show, you know that she cooks a roast chicken for her husband, Jeffrey just about every Friday night.  Perhaps not the same version every Friday, but each version she suggests that I have tried has been equally easy and wonderful.

This ‘Friday Night chicken’ for example is first spatchcocked, which sounds strange, but simply put it means that the back bone of the chicken is removed and the chicken butterflied so that it lays flat.  This way, it cooks quicker in the oven seeing that it has more surface area in the pan. Next, you make a rub for the chicken made with olive oil, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and fragrant fennel seeds. The flavored chicken is then laid in an oven-proof skillet over sliced onions, garlic and lemon slices.  Everything is roasted for a bit, then some white wine is added to the pan for added moisture and flavor.

Once the chicken is fully cooked, you squeeze it with lemon juice and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes.  The chicken itself is so moist and tender, and the sauce underneath…incredible. The lemons become so caramelized and juicy that you can eat them just as they are.  Such a lovely lemony chicken that I look forward to making again and again.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/skillet-roasted-lemon-chicken-3517965 )

‘Iceberg Salad with Italian Dressing’

April 18, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine

Iceberg lettuce doesn’t have the best of reputations.  Most people associate its crunchy texture and cheaper price with bad salad bar experiences and bland school lunches.  But I guarantee that a traditional wedge salad, a tasty chopped salad, or a crisp Italian salad like this one will forever change your mind about iceberg.

Here, crunchy shreds of iceberg lettuce are served with sliced red onion, mozzarella and provolone cheeses and pickled pepperoncini.  I added some ripe wedges of tomato to the salad as well, which goes perfectly with the easy homemade Italian dressing. The dressing gets its tang from white wine vinegar and a touch of sugar, along with oregano and a creamy touch of mayonnaise.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/iceberg-salad-with-italian-dressing )

‘Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies’

April 17, 2026 No comments

I thought I had already discovered my husband’s favorite cookie recipe (a sweet and salty peanut-toffee chip variety), but Good Housekeeping‘s recipe for ‘Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies’ might be a close second. With their meringue-like texture and rich chocolate flavor, these gluten-free cookies are, simply put, a chocoholic’s dream.

Made simply with confectioner’s sugar, chocolate chips, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, toasted walnuts, pure vanilla extract and eggs, they bake until cracked on top, a bit crunchy on the outside, but chewy and chocolatey on the inside. The key to their texture is to let them rest before trying to remove from the pan so that they properly set-up; a difficult task to accomplish with the confections’ warm, chocolatey smell in the air!

Zucchini & Mushroom Pizza with Olives & Fresh Basil

April 16, 2026 No comments

This pizza pie is, well, a slice of heaven. (pun intended)  Technically a white pizza because of its lack of tomato sauce, I started with my favorite store-bought pizza dough, then topped it with olive oil, sliced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, fresh mozzarella cheese and then some yummy sliced veggies.  Zucchini and cremini mushrooms to be exact, as well as some briny black and green olives and some sweet fresh basil leaves.

The beauty of homemade pizza has to do with its endless possibilities—have extra marinara sauce on hand? Slather it on!  Have leftover roasted broccoli or asparagus? There are your veggie toppers!  And a variety of cheese work well, too; not just fresh mozzarella, but ricotta, goat or even feta.  In other words….get creative!  Your taste buds and family with thank you.

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

‘Seared Scallops with Celery & Golden Raisins’

April 15, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.MarthaStewart.com

When cooking something extremely simple like seared scallops, the best accompaniments to the scallops need not be complicated. Take this easy and fresh recipe from MarthaStewart.com for example: seared jumbo sea scallops served over a crunchy and flavor-filled salad of raw celery, fresh herbs, golden raisins and a light lemon-Dijon vinaigrette.  The decadent, tender texture of the scallops pairs wonderfully with a crisp, raw salad like this one.  A nice addition to the salad could also be diced, sweet apples and even a few walnuts or pine nuts.

Carrot & Orange Soup

April 14, 2026 No comments

Carrot Orange Soup

I always have a big bag of carrots in the fridge; whether to eat with a bit of hummus as a snack, to chop and add into a salad for lunch, or include in a nice soup like this one. Carrots are so good for us, have a great sweet flavor, and really add a nice brightness to whatever you are making.

With a bottle of carrot juice leftover from a previous carrot dish I made, I decided to make a lovely carrot soup flavored with a bit of orange zest and orange juice for a ‘pop’ of flavor, as well as a bit of ricotta cheese for creaminess.  (It’s not necessary to buy a bottle of carrot juice just for the soup, but it really does add a nice richness and intense carrot flavor to the soup itself!)  I like to top this soup with fresh dill because in general, dill and carrots are a match made in culinary heaven.

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

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