Last October in our cooking group, we each decided to make a different kind of soup. I love pumpkin soup but have never made it myself so I took on the challenge!! I wanted to make it completely from scratch so that meant cooking my own pumpkin puree….yikes! Though that was a terrifying concept, it...
Some things in life are just too good. For me, one of those things is Tzatziki Sauce. I think I could literally eat it by the spoonful. Actually, I know I could eat it by the spoonful because I’ve done it! This authentic Greek sauce is amazing as a dip for vegetables and pita or...
Doesn’t this look delicious? Fresh tomatoes, basil, mushrooms, onion, garlic and toasted pine nuts?? What more would you need for a stunningly healthy dinner? Oh yeah, fresh pasta!! Begin by toasting the pine nuts: evenly spread out nuts on baking sheet or glass pyrex dish and cook in a 400 degree oven for 8 minutes (or until...
I received my very first Farm Box the other day and in it was a 3 pound bag of yams….hhhmmmmm. What to do with all these yams? Yams and sweet potatoes, to me at least, taste very similar even though biologically they are not even closely related. So — as my thinking process went on about...
Bruschetta. Though technically it means “thick slices of bread grilled, rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil” (thanks Webster’s!), to me it conjures up images of summer when there is an abundance of fresh tomatoes and basil. So, as I sit here in mid March with yet another snow storm approaching, I decided to make...
To be totally honest with you, I am a new convert to Brussels sprouts. I grew up in the day where, when your mom served you food, you had to eat it. Couldn’t leave the table until your plate was clean. Let’s just say I spent many long nights at the dinner table because of...
Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!! In honor of this day, my cooking group gathered and cooked up a Mexican fiesta. We made all sorts of authentic Mexican foods (even a chocolate flourless cake spiced with chili powder…amazing). One of my “assignments” was to make shrimp with a chipotle sauce. The most difficult part of this recipe...
In trying to think outside of the box to ignite an everyday dinner, I decided to create a vegetarian version of Shepard’s Pie. It is traditionally made with lamb or beef but I wanted to try seitan, a wheat-based product you can find next to most tofu products. The texture of seitan is very much...
Chicken Piccata is so easy to make having just a few basic ingredients, yet it has a restaurant quality appearance and flavor that will impress family members and dinner guests alike. It also happens to have two of my favorite ingredients: lemons and capers. Together they are a mouth-watering combo not to be reckoned with. Don’t limit...
It’s winter and I make a lot of soups in the winter. Cliche, I know, but hey soups are comforting on a cold night and perfect as leftovers for a hot refreshing lunch (especially after walking my dog through all the snow!). Mushroom Barley is one of those soups that is so satisfying you really...