Chicken Sausage, Kale & Pesto Pizza with Roasted Red Peppers

May 5, 2026 No comments

Making a homemade pizza doesn’t have to be daunting; especially when you can use quality, short-cut ingredients like store-bought pizza dough, your favorite store-bought pesto, and jarred roasted red peppers.  On the other hand, if you have the time, you could also make all three of those ingredients yourself. Dealer’s choice.

The combination of Italian flavors here is simply lovely: the sweet flavor of the roasted red peppers pairs very well with the saltiness of the basil pesto; the fennel seeds in the Italian chicken sausage is a nice addition as well.  For added color and nutrients I decided to also include some blanched kale to the pizza, along with torn fresh mozzarella cheese which you can tell by the picture, melts beautifully over top of all the luscious Italian ingredients.

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

Kohlrabi, Apple & Fennel Salad with Dilled Crème Fraîche

May 4, 2026 No comments

If you aren’t familiar with kohlrabi, it is cabbage-related vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked. Its texture is similar to a crisp apple, and its flavor mimics that of broccoli stems or green cabbage.  I love pairing thin slices of the crisp veggie with fresh fennel as well as sweet apple—hence, this salad was born.  The crunchy fruit and veggies are then flavored with a creamy vinaigrette made with crème fraîche, white wine vinegar, a touch of Dijon mustard, fresh dill and olive oil.  Creamy, crunchy and fresh: try this lovely salad as a substitute for your next batch of coleslaw or potato salad.

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

‘Strawberry Cake’

May 3, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.FoodNetwork.com

Searching for a warm weather cake just perfect for entertaining? Well search no more! This simple yellow cake batter is vanilla-scented and moist-as-can-be thanks to the addition of Greek yogurt and a touch of melted butter.

And the best part is that you get to incorporate the freshest, tastiest berries of the season.  Suggested with sliced strawberries (which I highly recommend…) this cake would work well with any fresh berries you have on hand this time of year. The jammy consistency the berries take on throughout the batter helps make for a picture-perfect treat.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/strawberry-cake-5288316)

‘Spring Salad with Herbed Goat Cheese’

May 2, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

This lovely salad is a picture-perfect showcase for all of Spring’s finest vegetables. Baby greens, asparagus tips, crispy radishes, sweet green peas…they are all in the mix.  Flavored with a simple lime vinaigrette and served with rounds of tangy goat cheese coated in a mixture of fresh herbs, this salad is a wonderful introduction to early Spring’s bounty.

Quick Pickles

May 1, 2026 No comments

It’s that marvelous time of year where we find ourselves with an abundance of peak-season fruits and vegetables. A colorful array of tomatoes, peaches, okra, squash, and fresh herbs seem to be coming out of the woodwork (with no complaints from me!); whether from our own gardens, our meal kit deliveries, or even our beloved CSA boxes.

One of my favorites to have ‘too much’ of is cucumbers. Doesn’t matter if it is a hot house, American, Kirby, or even the smaller cocktail variety of cucumber that is on hand, they are all a welcomed addition to a simple summer salad, tasty tabbouleh, or my favorite, a simple jar of quick pickles. My Mom always made pickles this way during the summer when I was growing up. Just a quick slice into a mason jar, seasoned with salt or celery salt, and topped off with white distilled vinegar. No recipe to follow here, just experiment with a teaspoon or so of salt to begin with, and you can always add more. Some other additions that I tend to gravitate towards in my quick pickles are fresh herbs like dill, basil or tarragon, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, and a touch of crushed red pepper flakes. Let the pickling begin. (Oh, and by the way, this quick pickling method also works well with yellow squash and zucchini…)

Peach & Raspberry Granola Crunch Pie

April 30, 2026 Comments: 2

I am filled with glee each year when I see the first ripe stone fruits in the market!  This week, I saw the first batch of small, sweet Georgia peaches and my mind starting going to work with dessert ideas.

What I came up with was a fresh peach and raspberry pie topped with some sweet, crunchy granola.  The granola is a butter pecan variety that is perfectly toasted and crispy; those flavorings along with the pure vanilla extract and squeeze of lemon juice in the pie filling make for a decadent warm weather treat.

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

‘Roasted Tomato Walnut Chicken’

April 29, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.walnuts.org

I love the California walnut ads in food and lifestyle magazines—they always have a lovely spread of photos and recipe ideas for buttery, crunchy walnuts.  This simple roast chicken breast recipe starts with seasoning the chicken with dried Italian herbs and garlic powder, then roasting them with a touch of oil, salt and pepper until cooked through.  Cherry tomatoes coated in white balsamic vinegar are roasted alongside the chicken breasts for a flavorful and colorful topping.  A topping that of course also includes walnuts and snipped, fresh basil.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://walnuts.org/recipe/roasted-tomato-walnut-chicken/ )

‘Roasted Celery & Garlic Soup with Crispy Prosciutto’

April 28, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Fine Cooking Magazine

This incredibly smooth and satisfying soup has two unique ingredients: celery seeds and sherry vinegar. Both of which are added to a roasting pan chock full of sliced celery, garlic cloves, and olive oil.  The celery and garlic roast in the oven until tender, and then are pureed along with chicken stock and heavy cream until smooth and irresistibly creamy.  A topping of crispy strips of prosciutto as garnish, as well as some celery leaves, elevate this soup to restaurant status.

Balsamic-Macerated Cherries with Sweetened Ricotta

April 27, 2026 No comments

When you see the word macerated in a recipe it simply means you are tossing an ingredient together with a liquid in order to slowly break the ingredient down, soften it, and ultimately bring out its natural sweetness. Macerating fruit in this way is a wonderful no-cook solution for a quick-and-easy dessert; macerating onions or shallots is also a lovely way to quick-pickle the alliums and impart them with a tangy flavor.  Acidic liquids like wine, citrus juice and vinegar are wonderful macerating liquids.

With sweet, dark red cherries on the brain for a dessert idea this week, I decided to macerate them for about 15 minutes in a mixture of cherry-flavored balsamic vinegar and a touch of brown sugar.  A decadent topping for vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, Greek yogurt and even a lightly sweetened base of ricotta cheese like I decided on.

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

Roast Chicken with Sweet & Tangy Radishes & Onions

April 26, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Edna Valley Vineyard

With countless options for roast chicken recipes floating around out there, it might be hard to choose which one will be just right for this Sunday night’s dinner table. Well search no more! Take my word for it, this recipe takes the cake.  An organic chicken is flavored simply with lemon juice, salt and pepper before roasting in a high heat oven surrounded by sweet onion wedges, halved radishes, and whole garlic cloves.

  A touch of stock in the pan is just one way to ensure the chicken and veggies are super moist and tender; the other way is coating the entire roasting pan’s components with a flavorful sauce made with sherry vinegar, brown sugar, butter and olive oil. The sauce adds a lovely agrodolce/sweet-sour flavor to everything, and that combined with the chicken fat and juices is remarkable.  The vegetables melt in your mouth…and so does the flavorful, moist chicken meat.  Serve this with a smooth glass of red wine, a simple salad, and your favorite cooked whole grains. Hands down, this roast chicken recipe just scooted its way to the top of my favorites list!

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

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