‘Almond Custard Tart’

October 11, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.MarthaStewart.com

This gorgeous dairy-free tart is best served with toasted, sliced almonds and some sliced ripe fruit. Depending on the season, you could easily serve the tart in the summertime with fresh berries or later in the year with ripe, sliced figs.  Dealer’s choice!

The beauty of the tart comes from its toasted oat-filled crust which you make with flour, sugar, an egg yolk, the oats and some melted coconut oil; simple to assemble and press into your removable-bottom tart shell.  The filling like I mentioned uses unsweetened almond milk and the usual stirred custard components: egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar and a pinch of salt.  The custard thickens up beautifully and the whole tart comes together effortlessly. (You know what else is effortless? Cutting right on into the chilled tart and treating yourself. Enjoy!)

Pomegranate-Glazed Turkey

October 10, 2025 No comments

Pomegranate molasses is something I highly recommend keeping in your pantry.  A thick, syrupy reduction of sweet yet tart pomegranate juice very often seen in Middle Eastern cuisine, is really gaining traction in everyday recipes like this one.  Juicy turkey tenderloins are seasoned with salt, pepper and a touch of garlic powder before being coated in a simple combination of pomegranate molasses and Dijon mustard. Baked until glazed and cooked through, I like serving the sliced turkey on a bed of greens with some pomegranate seeds to complement its underlying ingredients.

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

‘Roasted Gnocchi & Brussels Sprouts with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette’

October 9, 2025 No comments
Recipe Courtesy of Eating Well Magazine

Recipe Courtesy of Eating Well Magazine

I love gnocchi–those pillowy dumplings from Italy that are perfectly designed for catching an array of sauces. From a simple brown butter and sage sauce, to marinara sauce or even your favorite pesto sauce, gnocchi are a nice side dish or main dish and can liven up any dinner menu.

Before coming across this recipe I had never thought about roasting gnocchi.  The traditional way to cook gnocchi is to drop the dumplings into a pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes until they float. Roasting them in a high heat oven instead is brilliant–they soak up the oil that you drizzle on top of them and get a nice crispy crust as well.  This recipe pairs the roasted, store-bought gnocchi with quartered Brussels sprouts, tart sun-dried tomatoes and a lemon vinaigrette.  Such a unique recipe that I will making again and again!

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/255748/roasted-gnocchi-brussels-sprouts-with-meyer-lemon-vinaigrette/)

Spicy Chicken, Black Bean & Butternut Squash Chili

October 8, 2025 No comments

You can spice this chili up-or-down based on your personal preference on heat.  I like to make my pots of chili about medium-heat (as to not frighten anyone off after one bite…) but I like to serve chili with some hot sauce on the side, as well as some extra chipotles in adobe on the side as well if anyone wants to really add more heat and more smokiness.

This specific chili used shredded chicken, black beans, poblano and yellow pepper, onions, garlic and cubes of tender butternut squash.  With a touch of chicken stock and a large can of fire-roasted tomatoes, the only thing left to add is some fresh cilantro and some tasty dried spices.  The classics I pull from the pantry are ground cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic powder, and a touch of chipotle chili powder.  Feel free to sub in white beans or pinto beans if you prefer, and even pulled pork, ground turkey or even ground chicken here as well.  A bowl of hearty chili on a cold night is just the thing to warm you up, well, any time of year.

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

Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup

October 7, 2025 Comments: 2

It’s becoming that time of year where soup is creeping back into our dinner menus.  A hearty soup like this one satisfies everyone’s cravings, makes for wonderful leftovers, and also freezes quite well.  If you blanched and froze any veggies this summer–anything from greens, squash, zucchini, corn, green beans, you name it–this is the perfect spot for those as well.

For this version of vegetable soup, I used a homemade beef stock, veggies, white beans and cubes of tender beef.  With this kind of soup you can also throw in your favorite whole grain from the pantry, or even orzo, rice or leftover pasta.  (I did get a bit ‘fancy’ with this soup in terms of my meat choice: seared cubes of filet mignon instead of beef chuck; a leaner and pricier cut of meat yes, but it also cuts the cooking time down quite a bit.)

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

Apple & Cranberry Granola Crisps

October 6, 2025 No comments

When I start to see fresh or even frozen cranberries in the market, I always buy a couple of bags to keep in the freezer.  We all know them as a staple in Holiday menus and recipes, but cranberries can add a distinct burst of tang to any recipe you wish to include them in, no matter the time of year.

With crisp Pink Lady apples on hand, I decided to combine some of the frozen cranberries with thinly sliced apples for this fruit crisp.  The cranberries pop in the oven, mixing with the apple juices and squeeze of fresh lemon juice, to make a lovely sauce surrounding the cooked fruit. The topping for this crisp is a sprinkling of store-bought granola and tiny pieces of butter for extra flavor and to help the granola crispy up nicely in the hot oven.

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

Pear-Ricotta Cake

October 5, 2025 No comments

With half of a container of whole-milk ricotta cheese on hand (and a bottle of mead chilling in the wine fridge), I was immediately drawn to this decadent cake. With lemon-soaked sliced pears on top and chopped pears actually in the batter, you are bound to get a taste of ripe pear in each and every bite.

The combination of oil (no butter in sight) and whole-milk ricotta cheese give this cake a springy, golden crumb that is, well, irresistible. The recipe calls for a top coat of warm honey, but I stepped it up a bit and brushed the top of the warm cake with mead, a liqueur made from honey, that if I do say so myself, really gilded the lily. (Oh, and if you aren’t familiar with the source of this early Fall recipe, the phenomenal Bake from Scratch publication, and you love to bake, put it on the top of your list to become a loyal subscriber like I am.)

Happy baking!

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

‘Cranberry-Balsamic Chicken Thighs’

October 4, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Eating Well Magazine

Sometimes all it takes is a handful of simple ingredients to transform an everyday item into something very unique. Take this chicken thigh recipe for example: a mere 4-ingredients (plus the chicken thighs) is all you need to make this sweet yet tangy cranberry-balsamic chicken.

Pan-seared, skin-on chicken thighs are browned in a pan and then cooked with a combination of thawed cranberries, fresh thyme, honey and balsamic vinegar.  This dish comes together in no time at all, is very colorful and flavorful, and if like me, you still have a stock-pile of frozen cranberries in the freezer for the upcoming Holidays…all the better!

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/262105/cranberry-balsamic-chicken-thighs/ )

‘Sauté de Veau Marengo’

October 3, 2025 No comments

Recipe Adapted from 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

Recipe Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

This Sauté de Veau Marengo is a classic Provençal veal stew with tomatoes and mushrooms.  What makes this stew Provencal in nature is the use of flavorful and hearty ingredients common in southern France–ingredients like tomatoes, fresh herbs, white wine, mushrooms and citrus. (Yum is what you are thinking, and yum is exactly right.)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, any dish that involves braising meat until super tender is high on my favorites list, as is anything with Provençal flavors. The orange peel in this dish might sound odd to you, but it actually gives a hint of citrusy brightness to the stew, which is lovely with the tomatoes.  Feel free to use pork or beef cubes in this dish if you prefer, but the naturally smooth and tender taste of the veal is merveilleux.

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

‘Spanish-Style Roasted Potatoes’

October 2, 2025 Comments: 2

Original Recipe Courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

These are no ordinary roasted potatoes! No siree. These perfectly roasted gems are flavored with a fragrant combination of fresh and dried spices and herbs, as well as plump briny olives.  The spices and herbs in question include smoked paprika, fresh rosemary, fresh oregano, salt, pepper and fresh parsley.  And use a quality olive oil here for a robust added richness–this sort of dish deserves quality ingredients because of its inherent simplicity.

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