Red Kale & Mushroom Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette

March 13, 2018 No comments

A like to keep a variety of nut oils in my pantry for unique vinaigrettes like this one, but also to drizzle on finished dishes, added right into baked goods, or used in sauces or pasta dishes.  My favorites include walnut oil, almond oil, pistachio oil and hazelnut oil.  For this healthy side salad, I chopped red kale into bite-sized pieces and served it alongside sliced white mushrooms, sweet jumbo raisins, and chopped walnuts to accentuate the nutty flavor of the homemade walnut vinaigrette. This vinaigrette is one of my favorites–in addition to the walnut oil it has white balsamic vinegar and a touch of Dijon mustard; all flavored with salt and pepper and some snipped fresh chives.

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

‘Ziti with Fennel & Italian Sausage’

March 12, 2018 Comments: 2

Recipe Courtesy of Cook’s Illustrated, All Time Best Sunday Suppers Cookbook

This simple pasta (which only contains 6 ingredients!) is in ‘the lazy Sunday cook’ section of a Cook’s Illustrated, All Time Best cookbook I recently purchased.  The entire cookbook is filled with crave-able comfort dishes that just scream for a place at your Sunday dinner table!  This pasta works well with any tubular pasta, and starts with cooking some sweet or hot Italian sausage in a large Dutch oven. Once the sausage is cooked, onions and sliced fennel are added right to the same pan along with tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste.

I have to confess that I also included some sliced garlic and white wine here to deglaze the pan, and highly recommend, just as the recipe states, to reserve some of your pasta cooking water for the sauce. Adding that starchy, warm water right into the pan with the sauce and cooked pasta gives some body to the sauce and really brings it all together.  Adding the cooked pasta to the sauce really allows each and every piece of pasta to be coated perfectly in the tomato-based sauce as well.  Served with grated cheese and some chopped fennel fronds, this will become one of your favorite go-to pasta dishes in no time!

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Matcha Granola

March 11, 2018 No comments
Recipe Courtesy of The Healthy Matcha Cookbook

Recipe Courtesy of The Healthy Matcha Cookbook

My favorite store-bought granola to snack on at breakfast is the Mona’s brand (it is crunchy, flavorful and just sweet enough!), and my favorite homemade version is this recipe for Matcha Granola.  From one of my favorite cookbooks, The Healthy Matcha Cookbook, this simple recipe for homemade granola is flexible in terms of its add-ins, but gets its base flavor from maple syrup and matcha green tea powder.

Filled with concentrated healthy benefits and a great depth of flavor, the green tea powder also lends a nice, unmistakable green hue to the granola.  My favorite add-ins to the rolled oats themselves are flax seeds, walnuts, cashews, dried apricots and dried mixed berries. (But feel free to use whatever ingredients you love and have on hand).  Try this tasty granola over your favorite yogurt with fresh berries, in a parfait for a healthy snack, or as a quick breakfast idea with a touch of almond milk and a sliced, ripe banana.

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

Sea Bass with Asparagus Hash & Horseradish Sauce

March 10, 2018 No comments
Recipe Courtesy of Real Simple magazine

Recipe Courtesy of Real Simple magazine

When you see the word hash in a recipe, you know there are yummy cubes of crispy potatoes involved.  In this recipe’s case, it is a hash of potatoes, asparagus and spring onions.  A lovely spring version of a hash that goes well with your favorite seared fish; the original recipe from Real Simple magazine recommends using cod, but I couldn’t pass up these thick, meaty sea bass fillets at the market.  (Halibut or salmon would work well, too…)  If your fish fillets are really thick like these were, follow the recipe as written, but then bake the fish after searing both sides in the pan, in a hot oven until flaky.   Oh, and not that this dish doesn’t already sound delish, but you serve everything with fresh dill and an easy horseradish dipping sauce…yum yum!

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/cod-asparagus-hash-horseradish-sauce)

‘Raspberry-Mint Gelatin Cups’

March 9, 2018 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.MarthaStewart.com

What a stunningly beautiful dessert!  And, a refreshing ending to any menu—fresh raspberries are folded into a gelatin dessert made with a fresh mint simple syrup, white grape juice (I used a Rose wine instead), and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.  Served with a dollop of lightly whipped cream, the color of the dessert alone will make you smile, but the taste of the dessert will make that smile even wider.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.marthastewart.com/314022/fresh-raspberry-gelatin-and-whipped-crea)

Butter Lettuce with White Wine-Braised Leeks, Tomatoes & Goat Cheese

March 8, 2018 No comments

This French-inspired salad is si merveilleux.  The combination of creamy, crumbled French goat cheese and tender butter lettuce is amazing. Not to mention the warm leek and cherry tomato mixture on top of the lettuce that has been braised in a touch of butter, white wine and a bit of fresh oregano.  Each and every bite of this luxurious salad will transport you and your dinner guests to a corner table in a quaint Parisian cafe…

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

‘Mexican Snowballs’

March 7, 2018 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

To round out a Tex-Mex—inspired dinner menu of chicken chili and stuffed squash, I decided on this simple ice cream dessert.  Reminiscent in taste to the bowls of fried ice cream we all remember eating at our local Mexican restaurant growing up, creamy scoops of vanilla ice cream are rolled in a mixture of toasted, shredded coconut and ground cinnamon before being frozen and served.  The great thing is, you really don’t miss the ‘fried’ aspect of this dessert; the toasted flavor of the coating is crunchy and tasty enough!

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.marthastewart.com/313047/mexican-snowballs)

Pistachio & Mint-Crusted Scallops with Lemon Butter Sauce

March 6, 2018 No comments

Pistachio-Mint Crusted Scallops

These seared scallops were simply amazing! Wanting a unique and flavorful topping and sauce to serve with perfectly sear jumbo sea scallops, I went to the pantry for a bit of inspiration.  I saw a container of roasted, salted pistachio nuts and then whipped around to the herb garden for something green that would both pair well and brighten up the chopped nuts.  Mint it was! Since the mint is slightly sweet, the pistachios crunchy and salty, I decided for a fresh and simple sauce made with melted butter and a touch of fresh lemon juice.  So impressive and literally ready in less than 15 minutes, my recipe for Pistachio & Mint-Crusted Sea Scallops with a Lemon Butter Sauce will quickly move to your list of favorite Spring recipes.

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‘Pork, Mushroom & Artichoke Fricasse’

March 5, 2018 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Magazine

A fricassee is a fancy French way to say that cuts of meat are seared and then braised, usually in a slightly creamy sauce.  This decadent pork fricassee is no exception— a tender pork tenderloin is cut into medallions which are lightly coated in flour before being seared in a saute pan until browned.  Next to the pan comes sliced mushrooms and tender artichoke hearts, both of which are also sauteed until tender; now on to the braising portion of our recipe! The veggies and pork are then finished off in the same pan, in a combination of Dijon mustard, broth and a touch of heavy cream for richness.  Fresh herbs are a lovely way to finish off this dish, which I like to serve alongside creamy risotto or even over whole wheat egg noodles.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.marthastewart.com/1524568/pork-mushroom-and-artichoke-fricassee)

‘Pasta with Kale, Currants, Pine Nuts, and Garlic Butter’

March 4, 2018 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Fine Cooking Magazine

I recommend using a whole grain pasta for this vegetarian main—I think the nuttiness of the whole grain pasta pairs really nicely with the garlic butter and taste of the sauteed kale.  Also included in each bowl of this yummy pasta are buttery pine nuts, balsamic vinegar for tang, and some dried currants (raisins would also work well) for a touch of sweetness.  The recipe doesn’t call for it, but I added cooked chickpeas to the dish as well for a protein-punch.  Finished off with some grated Pecorino Romano cheese and… a healthy and delicious dinner is served!

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.finecooking.com/recipe/pasta-kale-currants-pine-nuts-garlic-butter)

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