Gourmet Meals for Your Unique Tastes
These tender baked plum tomatoes are filled with a homemade basil pesto sauce, creamy crumbles of French goat cheese, and for a bit of crunch–toasted Panko breadcrumbs. A simple yet super flavorful side dish that works well with a roast chicken, served on the side of your favorite soup, or even a top al dente pasta for a vegetarian dinner idea.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Recipe Courtesy of www.MarthaStewart.com
Both the grated carrots and the sour cream in this savory quick bread, make for a very moist crumb. And for the incredible flavor? Melted butter and salty Asiago cheese are the culprits on that front. Not only do you add tasty, grated Asiago cheese into the carrot bread’s batter, but you also sprinkle some on top of the bread (along with almonds) for a toasted crunchy exterior. A wonderful quick bread that is a perfect accompaniment to a bowl of soup, or a light dinner or brunch menu.
(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.marthastewart.com/1521155/carrot-asiago-bread)
Everything about this dish is inspired by classic flavors from the Mediterranean. Flaky trout fillets are coated in a topping of fresh oregano, lemon zest, chopped black olives and buttery pine nuts, baked and then served over a colorful vegetable sauté of squash, Swiss chard and roasted cherry tomatoes. A squeeze of lemon juice both on the cooked fish and on the veggie sauté adds a last minute ‘brightness’ to the entire dish.
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Recipe Courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine
I love serving this unique salad on the side of grilled lamb chops. Something about the combination of the sweet figs and carrots really pairs beautifully with the taste of the lamb. Also present in this healthy dish are protein-packed chickpeas, cayenne-toasted walnuts and some peppery arugula greens. The entire mélange is flavored last minute with a drizzle of a simple honey-balsamic vinaigrette for tang.
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Recipe Courtesy of DairyGoodness.ca
A classic crème brûlée is just about as decadent as decadent gets. A creamy baked custard topped with a crunchy layer of torched sugar…who doesn’t like that? My favorite thing about a crème brûlée is not only its elegance, but its versatility.
If you are a lemon fan, add in some lemon zest and juice; if you are a chocolate fanatic, add in some melted chocolate of your choice; if you have some berries on hand, add them into your baking dishes before you pour in the custard mixture. That is what I did here–plump, sweet blackberries add a perfect sweetness to the custard. And because I love the pairing of blackberries with crème de cassis liqueur (a black currant liqueur), I added that plus some vanilla extract into the custard base as well.
(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.dairygoodness.ca/recipes/blackberry-creme-brulee/)
A fun new way to serve cucumbers is in a smashed cucumber salad like this one. That’s right—you lightly smash the cucumber with a rolling pin or back of a chef’s knife until it just pops open. By doing this you aren’t smashing the cucumber wide open or even into pieces, you are simply tenderizing the cucumber if you will, just enough so that the texture slightly changes and whatever flavorings you add to the pieces of smashed cucumber are more easily absorbed.
For this specific dish, I smashed the cucumber, tore it into large pieces, and served it on a bed of fresh basil with a spicy Asian-inspired vinaigrette. All you need for the spicy dressing is Asian garlic-chili sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. And for a creamy finish, I topped the salad with some crumbled ricotta salata cheese.
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I am all for cooking with the freshest produce of the season, but sometimes you just crave an ingredient that is way out of season! Take this week for example; I had a hankering for this sun-filled lemon and vanilla-scented cake with a decadent raspberry frosting.
A great way to get around buying overpriced berries this time of year for a dessert like this one, is to add crushed, freeze-dried berries to a simple frosting for that burst of (out-of-season) berry flavor! The cake itself is super moist, thanks to the addition of homemade buttermilk to the batter, and oh-so-flavorful thanks to lemon zest and vanilla paste. (And feel free to swap in freeze-dried blueberries or even strawberries here, depending on what fruit catches your fancy.) Happy Baking!
Recipe Courtesy of www.EatingWell.com
With their crunchy outsides and tender, flavorful middle falafel (or Middle Eastern chickpea patties) are always at the top of my order on a vegetarian plate. I was excited to learn how easy they actually are to make at home, and made healthier because you pan-sear the homemade version, as opposed to the deep fried method usually followed in a restaurant.
Forming the patties is a simple blitz in the food processor of not only the just-tender chickpeas, but also red onion, lots of parsley, ground cumin, lemon juice and a touch of fresh garlic. The warm falafel are browned and served on a a fresh bed of Romaine lettuce with cherry tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers and radishes. And the dressing? A simple blend of rich sesame tahini paste, lemon juice, oil and a touch of water to thin everything out. A healthy lunch or dinner idea that is simply delicious.
(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/253015/falafel-salad-with-lemon-tahini-dressing/ )
These fruit-filled bread puddings are incredible! Incredibly easy to make, easy to eat and oh-so-flavorful. I used a store-bought cinnamon swirl bread cut into cubes, that I then soaked in a homemade custard made with farm-fresh eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and a touch of orange liqueur. Baked along with either fresh or defrosted frozen strawberries, the results are perfectly sweet, rich and even more decadent when served with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
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Recipe Courtesy of Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine
On this fine Mardi Gras day, you should embrace the spirit of the festivities and cook a classic Cajun or Creole dish. Do you love gumbo? Go for it! Craving a sweet King Cake? Get to baking! Wanting to use some of those dried beans in pantry? How about a hoppin’ john or red beans and rice like this one?
The beauty of this version of a classic pot of creamy red beans, fluffy white rice and spicy sausage is that is is slow-cooked in the crock pot. The beans need to be soaked overnight of course, but in the crock pot itself this dish will be ready in about 4 hours time. A perfect pairing for any of these classic Louisiana dishes is your favorite Abita beer and of course, a dash (or four) of your favorite hot sauce.
(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.louisianacookin.com/slow-cooker-red-beans-rice/ )