‘Truffled Parsnip Soup with Hazelnuts & Bacon’

September 12, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Delicious. Magazine

Pairing cooked parsnips and red potatoes in a puréed soup base makes for a wonderfully creamy and smooth bowl of soup.  With their slightly sweet flavor, parsnips are a wonderful root vegetable to make this time of year; great when simply roasted as a side dish, mashed into a purée , or even braised with their orange look-a-like, carrots, you can easily see why parsnips are one of my favorite root vegetables.

This creamy soup uses whole milk and stock, along with crispy pieces of cooked bacon (or cubed pancetta), and crunchy hazelnuts to finish everything off.  Oh, I did I mention that the soup has truffle oil in it as well?  Oh yes, both in the base of the soup and a simple drizzle on top of the warm bowl about to be devoured.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/truffled-parsnip-soup-with-hazelnuts-and-bacon/)

‘Mortadella, Artichoke-Heart & Olive Crostini’

September 11, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Mortadella is a lovely Italian salume hailing from Bologna, that is normally studded with pistachios and black pepper corns. Similar in texture to what we know as bologna, this tasty meat is popular in Italian cuisine on antipasto platters, sandwiches, and even white pizzas.  This lovely appetizer for a crostini topped with mortadella, olives and artichokes hearts is very flavorful.  I had some nice multi-grain bread on hand, so I actually made larger tartine-like open–faced treats instead of smaller crostini. I also added a few roasted garlic cloves to each piece of toasty bread as a flavorful base.

Sorghum Syrup-Glazed Scallops

September 10, 2025 No comments

Have you seen sorghum berries or sorghum syrup mentioned on restaurant menus lately?  Wondering what exactly it is?  Well here is a primer on that-which-is sorghum.  An ancient grain whose tall grassy-like stalks produce not only berry-like grains which can be cooked or even milled to a gluten-free, high fiber flour, but whose end product, sweet sorghum syrup, is making a resurgence in the culinary world.

The sweet syrup, which is similar to molasses or can syrup, is wonderful simply drizzled on pancakes or a buttery biscuit, but also as a glaze on roasted vegetables, meats and even seafood.  Try it in place of your maple syrup in lightly sweetened vinaigrettes, or even in baking in place of molasses or honey.

For this simple recipe I seared jumbo sea scallops until browned, seasoned them with a touch of salt and pepper, and then brushed a touch of sweet sorghum syrup right on top of each scallop.  Served on a bed of your favorite roasted vegetables or cooked grain pilaf, this simple idea is merely a starting point with my brand new bottle of North Georgia-grown sorghum syrup.

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

‘Turkey Meatloaf with Fontina & Mushrooms’

September 9, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.MarthaStewart.com

Fontina cheese is an Italian cow’s milk cheese that melts beautifully. Mild in flavor, it is the perfect choice for a pot of fondue or even as a macaroni and cheese topping.  Adding fontina cheese into meatballs or a meatloaf recipe like this one adds not only a rich flavor, but also a moist texture to the meat mixture.

Not only is shredded fontina one of the meatloaf components, but also bread, eggs, and sauté of cremini mushrooms, leeks and garlic. The meatloaf browns up around the edges for a crunchy topping, while the interior is hands-down, one of the most tender slices of meatloaf out there. I dare you to just eat one slice of this ‘Turkey Meatloaf with Fontina and Mushrooms!’

‘Maple-Roasted Carrot Salad’

September 8, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.FoodNetwork.com

I saw Ina Garten (a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa) make this colorful salad on an episode of her show the other day, and I knew I immediately had to make it!  Peppery arugula greens tossed with caramelized carrots that have been roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper and maple syrup.  Also in the mix are dried cranberries that have been plumped up and flavor-infused with orange juice, creamy crumbled goat cheese, and crunchy Marcona almonds.

The orange juice that the cranberries cook in are tossed right into the salad as well, and to finish things off, a quick drizzle of a sherry vinegar vinaigrette flavored with grated garlic.  Layers upon layers of incredible tastes, that all go so well together!  We adored this early colorful salad and hope you do as well.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/maple-roasted-carrot-salad-3523135 )

‘Sweet Potato Dutch Oven Bread’

September 7, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Bake from Scratch Magazine

There isn’t anything quite like the proud feeling I get when I bake a loaf of bread at home.  And I don’t mean a quick bread; (although I love making those as well!) I mean a yeast-based dough that has to rest for a few hours, then be punched down and kneaded, then rested again before baking in a hot oven.  I know it sounds time consuming and overwhelming, but the hands-on time is actually very minimal and so are the ingredients that you need.

One staple I recommend having if you are interested in learning how to bake from scratch is, well….a subscription to the marvelous magazine aptly named Bake From Scratch.  Filled with all sorts of baked goods from savory breads to sweet breakfast pastries, to even cookies, pies, cakes—it covers the classic techniques you’ll need to become a master home baker, as well as newer techniques so that even the accomplished baker can learn a thing or two.  Take this Sweet Potato Boule for example.  If you aren’t familiar with a boule, it is a rustic, round loaf of yeasted bread. With a crunchy exterior and tender interior, this type of French bread is one of my favorites.  It can be flavored with your favorite herbs, cheeses, seeds, oats, dried fruits—it is quite versatile.

For this slightly sweet and lightly orange-hued version, the star ingredient is mashed sweet potatoes.  The sweet potatoes go right into the dough along with bread flour, salt, yeast, and warm water. And that’s it for ingredients.  After the dough rests at room temperature covered for a couple hours, it then goes into the fridge overnight for its second resting period.  The next day, it gets formed and then rises again at room temperature before being baked in a Dutch oven.  With the lid on the Dutch oven, baking the bread in a super hot oven helps to achieve the aforementioned crusty yet tender loaf of bread.  Such a fun recipe to make!  And like me, you’ll deserve a proud pat-on-the-back when this loaf of bread comes hot out of the oven.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.bakefromscratch.com/sweet-potato-dutch-oven-bread/ )

‘Roasted Squash & Apples with Dried Cherries and Pepitas’

September 6, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Eating Well Magazine

I can’t think of a more autumnal side dish. Roasted acorn squash and apples flavored with olive oil, ground cinnamon, coriander and a touch of allspice—finished off with the sweet addition of plump, dried cherries and the crunch of roasted peptitas. I like to serve a sided dish like this one over baby greens—spinach or arugula come to mind as nice pairings.  A perfect side dish for that next grilled pork chop or roast chicken dinner.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/267652/roasted-squash-apples-with-dried-cherries-pepitas/ )

Orange-Scented Brussels Sprouts with Walnut Vinaigrette

September 5, 2025 No comments

One of my favorite oils I recommend you keep in your pantry is that of walnut oil.  The oil is extracted from shelled walnuts themselves and has a rich, nutty flavor that works well in vinaigrettes, but also in sweet baked goods and even as a flavor agent for proteins.  One of my favorite ways to use it it to flavor a vinaigrette like this one; a touch of walnut oil paired with fresh orange juice and chopped walnuts makes for a delicious addition to a mixed greens salad, but also a plate of roasted veggies like these.  A jar of walnut oil keep for a very long time in the pantry, and is available at most supermarkets these days—so start your tasting!

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

Sorghum-Glazed Delicata Squash with Rosemary & Pecans

September 4, 2025 No comments

Glazing root vegetables before you roast them in a hot oven gives them an added sweetness and slight candied-feel.  When you add nuts into the mix like I did with pecans, the nuts as well get toasty brown, a bit caramelized and candied from the syrup.  This can be done with not only sorghum syrup, but maple syrup and even a touch of honey or agave syrup.  Also added onto the sorghum-glazed delicata squash is chopped, fresh rosemary for an aromatic finish.  And if you can’t find delicata squash? No prob–cubes of butternut squash or even slices of acorn squash work wonderfully here as well.

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

‘Middle Eastern Spiced Lamb Chops with Poached Quince’

September 3, 2025 No comments
Recipe Courtesy of Epicurious.com

Recipe Courtesy of Epicurious.com

At the market this week, I found myself pleasantly surprised to see a basket of quince in the produce section.  Having only cooked with a handful of times before, I was excited to snag a couple of quince and plan a dinner menu around them.  Similar in appearance to a yellowish-green pear, this firm fruit is not eaten raw because of its naturally sour taste, therefore must be cooked.  The most popular way to cook quince is poaching it, but it can also be steamed or roasted.  It is used in both savory and sweet dishes, and can also be found in a paste form which is popular in dessert recipes, or even paired with Manchego cheese as a classic Spanish appetizer-pairing.

I was intrigued by all of the recipes I found online pairing poached quince with lamb.  This is the route I took with my quince: I poached it in a sugar syrup until tender and served it alongside seared lamb chops flavored with ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon.  A lovely entrée that really highlighted the poached quince, and its incredible taste pairing with lamb.  I urge you to buy a couple of quince when you see them and experiment with one of the many delectable recipes that are out there just waiting to be enjoyed!

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/middle-eastern-spiced-lamb-steaks-with-poached-quince-231185)

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