Greek Kebab Skewers
If you can't travel to Greece this year then bring the flavors and aromas of Greece to you. We are all missing travel right now and looking for ways to stay connected to the world around us. I love watching cooking travel shows on Netflix like 'Feed Phil' and 'Chef's Table' for inspiration and to feel like I've actually been somewhere!
When I was a young twenty something I had the chance to go to the Greek Islands and let me tell you it was an experience I'll never forget and, especially now, ...
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Cheesy Cornbread topped with Jalapeno & Sour Cream
This recipe I made with my cooking club girls in mind. We all love cheese and we all love spice and this little bite of heaven has both of those. The jalapeno part is optional if you don't like spice just leave it off as a topping. The dollop of sour cream adds a little more moisture but you could also do warm honey and butter and that would be delicious, too. So make the cheesy cornbread as base for what you like on top.
When I lived in Berkeley, California - oh so many years ago now ...
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Caprese Cups with Blackened Shrimp
It's summertime and that means lots and lots of summer tomatoes and classic Caprese salads right? Well....it used to. A big ol' platter set out to share with family and friends is a memory from last year. This year it's all about how do I still socialize and picnic with friends but keep things to an individual portion. This is my answer to that. Caprese cups. They can be made individually by each person and best of all the ingredients can be packed up before assembled and brought to ...
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Smoked Salmon Spread
What is the difference between a spread and a dip? In my book, a spread should be thicker (not runny) and a dip should be able to be scooped up and eaten with a chip or a delicate cracker. You don't want your spread dripping through your bread and making it soggy and you don't want your chip to get stuck mid dip - like a tire in the mud. This smoked salmon and cream cheese spread is meant to slather on toast or a bagel for a simple but delicious breakfast. But, I will say, that I did ...
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The Perfect Giant Meatball
Let's face it, there is something really appealing about eating a giant meatball. It's like a feat. Sure you can eat ten smaller meatballs and you are bound to be just as full but there is so much less satisfaction than knowing you conquered the giant meatball, right? And just the presentation alone is worth it, friends. Here's your plate and your one giant meatball. Enjoy. People get a kick out of it. Well...at least I do.
I've made a lot of meatballs in my life and there are ...
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Rosemary Garlic Croutons
Back to the basics. Sometimes we don't have time for a big fancy meal but it's the little touches in an everyday meal that can make a difference. Case in point? Homemade croutons. They take fifteen minutes to make, you can store them use them for a week (or more), but they add something special to an everyday salad. And...you are using up some bread that is going stale and was probably going to get tossed anyway. Win/win.
You can use any kind of leftover bread you have but favorite ...
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Apple-Fennel Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Fall is in the air and that means lots of apples around here. And fresh pressed apple cider is in every grocery store right about now. A classic flavor combination is pork, apples and fennel and a favorite way to combine those flavors is to stuff them into pork chops or a pork loin. But I thought it would be fun to experiment with the same flavors in a different way. Why not a fall salad instead? And instead of pork chops what if I used prosciutto as the pork? That got me excited ...
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Pimento Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Chicken
Pimento cheese is essentially a cheddar and cream cheese mixture with a few spices thrown in there and little bits of jarred pimento, which is just a sweet cherry pepper that has a very mild heat. It's a southern classic and, having spent a few years of my life in the south, one that is nostalgic in the way only Virginia ham biscuits with butter can come close to. It's so easy to make and it keeps well in the fridge. There are probably lots of great recipes out there for this spread but I ...
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Strawberry Gelato
The end of summer. Fresh strawberries. A local farm. Eggs, cream, milk, sugar. The beginning of a new school year. My kids. These are a few of my favorite things. I thought maybe making some fresh strawberry gelato from the strawberries we picked up at the farm down the street could be a new family favorite tradition to mark the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year. And so this year I surprised the kids when they got home from their first day with this little treat. ...
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Wild Cod with Creamy Herb Sauce
Fresh, wild cod is one of those fish that even people who don't really like fish often will eat. It's used in the fried version of fish tacos or fish and chips. I love it and I especially love it just seared with a light and creamy herb sauce on the side. This is one of those filling but calorie friendly meals for the summer. And....it's gluten free. Which for me, my friends, is a new thing I'm trying out. I do have a tendency to add bread and pancetta to every recipe I make so this ...
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