‘Baked & Sautéed Spaghetti Squash on Spinach’

June 2, 2025 No comments
Recipe Courtesy of Cooking.NYTimes.com

Recipe Courtesy of Cooking.NYTimes.com

With a brand new container of sumac on hand from my trip to the local spice shop last week, I did an internet search of my favorite food websites for unique ways to use this Middle Eastern spice. With its deep red color and slightly lemony taste, sumac is a wonderful spice to keep in the pantry for a number of dishes.  Take this dish for example from the NY Times Cooking website.

You start with baking a spaghetti squash until it is tender; you then sauté a bed of baby spinach with garlic (I added in some sliced, sweet red peppers as well), then you return the cooked squash strands to the sauté pan with some breadcrumbs for added crunch (and a touch more garlic.)  The spaghetti squash at this point is flavored with some of the ground sumac, and served with the sautéed spinach. But wait…we’re not done yet!

The entire dish is flavored with grated Parmesan cheese, buttery walnut pieces and the rich flavor of walnut oil.  Such a surprisingly wonderful combination of flavors!  (The only change I made  to the presentation itself was to reverse the plating order; I topped the spaghetti squash with the spinach sauté instead of the other way around.)

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017075-baked-and-sauteed-spaghetti-squash-on-a-bed-of-spinach)

Potato & Zucchini Tian with Basil

June 1, 2025 No comments

A classic French tian is not only the name of an actual ceramic baking dish, but also a baked vegetable side dish like this one. Very Provençal in nature, for this tian I used sliced rounds of potatoes, red onions and zucchini–drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper, and finished off with fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese. Baked until the cheese is browned and the veggies very tender, feel free to use this recipe as a base recipe for any seasonal veggies you have on hand.

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

Swiss Chard & Turkey Bacon Quiche with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

May 31, 2025 No comments

Swiss Chard, Turkey Bacon & Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche

With farm fresh eggs always in the fridge along with pre-made pie crusts almost always in the freezer, a homemade quiche is an easy breakfast, lunch or brunch idea that comes together in no time at all.  Similar to a pizza or pasta dish in that the add-in ideas are endless, for this quiche I added some sautéed Swiss chard from the garden, sun-dried tomatoes and chopped turkey bacon.  The base of any quiche is simply eggs, milk or cream, seasonings and a touch of cheese if you wish–I used a grating of salty Pecorino on this yummy version.

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

Pecan-Crusted Scallops with White Bean & Watercress Salad

May 30, 2025 No comments

An easy way to coat seared scallops with chopped, toasted nuts is to dip them ever-so-slightly into Dijon mustard first.  This way, the nuts adhere to the scallops while the mustard adds a touch of added flavor as well. The natural sweetness of sea scallops pairs nicely with any nut variety you have on hand,  but I love the buttery taste of toasted pecans the best.  I like serving my pecan-crusted scallops over a simple salad of tender cannellini beans tossed together with peppery watercress— all flavored with lemon juice and some grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

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

‘Cashew-Cauliflower Soup’

May 29, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Real Simple Magazine

There are two ingredients that make this cauliflower soup thick and creamy (and no, neither of them is cream or milk!)  They are 1) buttery white beans and 2) a purée of raw cashews.  The cauliflower florets are cooked along with onions and garlic, and then vegetable broth is added into the pot to finish the cooking of the veggies. Fresh thyme and oregano are the green hints to the soup, and to finish the pureed deliciousness off, you garnish the creamy soup with toasted cashews.  This hearty vegan soup is flavorful and rich, thanks to the natural texture and flavor of both the cashews and the white beans.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.realsimple.com/cashew-cauliflower-soup )

Quick Pickles

May 28, 2025 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…)

‘Baked Beef Meatballs with Sweet Spices’

May 27, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine

These unique beef meatballs are flavored with a touch of white miso paste, Panko breadcrumbs, Pecorino cheese and garam masala.  Garam masala is a mixture of ground spices popular in South Asian cultures–a blend that is both warming and a touch sweet. 

The combination of meatball ingredients make for a tender meatball, and the addition of garlic and sweet dried currants makes for a sweet yet salty combo that is irresistible when paired with a quick sauté of Lacinato kale, radishes and a squeeze of lemon juice,

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/baked-beef-meatballs)

Asparagus-Manchego Soufflés

May 26, 2025 No comments

We all tend to veer towards weeknight meals that are not only deliciously satisfying, but that are also quick-to-the-table. With a plethora of Instagram posts, food websites, cooking shows and publications out there to steer us to just the right healthful weeknight meal, a unique selection is definitely available for every night of the week.

That said, on days where I might have a few extra minutes to plan and prep a tasty dinner for Scott and I, I get excited to make a classic culinary dish that maybe I haven’t tackled in a while. Case and point, these savory, perfectly puffed, golden brown Asparagus-Manchego Soufflés. Flecked with blanched asparagus tips and flavored with a touch of truffle oil, these beauties were a welcomed side to a simple seared salmon with caper-herb butter, and some ginger and jalapeno-glazed baby carrots. Prepare to be wow ‘ed.

‘Strawberry Cake’

May 25, 2025 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)

‘Radicchio & Plum Salad’

May 24, 2025 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine

With all of the wonderful warm weather produce available right now, I find it hard to not include a salad in our dinner menus. This recipe is no exception—especially with its stunning purple-on-purple color presentation, and the tasty combination of crispy bacon, briny olives and sherry vinegar-mustard vinaigrette.  I had a bunch of Castelvetrano olives on hand, so I swapped those in for the black olives suggested.  The sweetness of the ripe plums paired with the crunch and bitter taste of the radicchio is a delight– such a perfect salad to ease into the endless bounty of fresh summertime ingredients.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/radicchio-and-plum-salad )

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