Kalamata Olive & Pine Nut-Crusted Rainbow Trout

January 25, 2026 No comments

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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‘Carrot-Asiago Bread’

January 24, 2026 No comments

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)

Baked Plum Tomatoes with Pesto & Goat Cheese

January 23, 2026 No comments

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.

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Baked Trout Amandine

January 22, 2026 No comments

Naturally a mild and flaky fish, rainbow trout is a great accompaniment to a lemony butter sauce studded with sliced almonds. A classic French preparation for trout, my version of Trout Amandine is baked and not pan-fried, making for a more hands-off approach that is equally as tasty.

Simply season your fish and then top each fillet with sliced lemons, chopped parsley, almonds and a couple dots of butter. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until flaky and delicious. I like serving this with a warm lentil salad or even a side of lemony orzo pasta, studded with green peas.

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‘Garden Greens Pizza’

January 21, 2026 Comments: 2

Recipe Courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

This pizza was incroyable!  (Just like the publication that the recipe came from).  Cooking Light magazine is one of my favorite all-time magazines for a multitude of reasons.  First off, the photography is amazing, the recipes are very well tested, and the variety of foods and produce highlighted is both seasonal and diverse.  Some might see the word light in conjunction with food and think bland— no dessert and none of your favorites like pasta or pizza.  But oh no. Light here means a diet of diversity—all types of proteins, a multitude of veggies, and ingredients to lighten everything up.

For example, this decadent vegetarian pizza is lightened up with the use of whole grain pizza dough, tons of veggies, part-skim varieties of both ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese, and the fresh flavors of herbs and citrus.  Those components and also, asparagus tips, sugar snap peas and beautiful zucchini ribbons. Appealing, right? So my recommendation to you is to subscribe to this (now quarterly) magazine if you don’t already, and when you do, to try as many of their wonderful recipes each month as you can!

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‘Moroccan Lamb Chops with Tomato-Olive Relish’

January 20, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Eating Well Magazine

Perfectly grilled to medium, these organic lamb chops are first given a Moroccan flair with a sprinkling of ras el hanout.  A fragrant mixture of turmeric, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, coriander, allspice and cloves, this North African spice blend is incredible on a number of grilled or roasted proteins, but that is also popular in tagines and stews.

These seasoned lamb chops are finished off with a simple relish of fresh tomatoes, briny green olives, olive oil and some chopped, fresh parsley.  The fresh relish is a lovely accompaniment to the mixture of warm spices in the ras el hanout.

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Cheese Tortellini with Pancetta, Mushrooms & Peas

January 19, 2026 No comments

Store-bought, fresh pasta is a wonderful thing to keep in the freezer or fridge for a quick weeknight dinner idea. It has a shorter cooking time than its dried counterpart and can be mixed with just about any sauce and/or seasonal produce you have on hand.  For this dish I used tri-colored cheese tortellini, fresh green peas, garlic, Pecorino cheese, fresh basil, crispy cubed pancetta and some sliced mushrooms.  While the pasta cooks, the sauce comes together in a sauté pan that I deglaze with white wine for added flavor.

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Haricots Verts and Mushrooms with Caramelized Onions & Prosciutto Chips

January 18, 2026 No comments

I like to keep a variety of onions in our pantry at all times: Vidalia for their sweetness, white for their punchy oniony-ness, shallots for their delicate flavor, and red for their brilliant hue. Thanks to the amazing natural sweetness of Vidalia onions, this particular variety of onions caramelizes very well.

To caramelize anything means just what you think it does; cooking something long enough to where its natural sweetness shines through and the finished product has a lovely, deep brown color.  Think of when you sear a piece of meat in a non-stick pan; if you cook it long enough and over the right heat, you get that tasty brown crust; same with seared scallops, roasted acorn squash, the topping on a homemade upside down cake….and the list goes on and on.

With my Vidalia onions this week, I decided to make a big batch of caramelized onions cooked low-and-slow in my Dutch oven along with some olive oil, butter, salt, pepper and fresh herbs.  A splash of white wine towards the end to release any brown bits from the pan and voilà: caramelized onions are born.  For this dish, I served some of the onions underneath roasted green beans, along with some mushrooms and some crispy prosciutto chips. Caramelized onions freeze very well, so that next time you are craving a bowl of homemade French Onion Soup, or even a simple side for a roast chicken or stuffing for a pork tenderloin, defrost away and enjoy!

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‘Blueberry Buttermilk Pie’

January 17, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.SpicySouthernKitchen.com

With leftover buttermilk in the fridge and a ton of fresh blueberries on hand, I went searching for a creamy, fruit-filled dessert.  My search ended with this recipe for a luscious buttermilk pie with blueberries.

Simply a flaky pate brisée pie crust filled with the fresh berries and a simple custard mixture made with buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla, sugar and a touch of flour, melted butter and eggs. The flour and melted butter in the filling add a thick texture and richness which pairs wonderfully with the fresh berries; simply to make yet over-the-top decadent, this pie doesn’t need any accompaniments—just a fork and that sweet tooth of yours.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://spicysouthernkitchen.com/blueberry-buttermilk-pie/)

Green Peas & Cucumbers with Tarragon Butter

January 16, 2026 No comments

Two of my favorite herbs to pair with veggies are fresh dill and fresh tarragon.  They both add a bright note to a variety of vegetables–everything from potatoes, to carrots, radishes, or even a nice sauté of green peas and sliced cucumbers like I did here.  Whether tossed into a salad of freshly chopped veggies, used in a pickling brine, or torn and thrown into a sauté like this one, pairing either herb with a pat of butter and then any of these veggies adds a real depth of flavor.

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