Recipes

Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Shallots

Roasting or frying Brussels sprouts until they become crispy on the outside and tender on the inside provides a satisfying crunch that many people enjoy. This crispy texture contrasts beautifully...

Slow Cooked beef brisket

When cooking beef brisket, it’s important to give it plenty of time to break down the collagen and become tender. Slow, low-temperature cooking methods, such...

Winter Panzanella Salad

Salads are good all year long because greens can serve as the base for seasonal vegetables.  For more heartiness, you can add lots of seeds, nuts and cheeses and the...

Butternut squash and carrot soup

Nothing like a bowl of savory soup to warm the soul.  You can make this a vegan version by using coconut milk rather than whole milk, and vegetable broth or...

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Though grilling shrimp is a bit fiddley given there are so many little pieces, this recipe is easy to prepare.  You can also choose to...

Grilled summer squash with feta

Move over tomatoes because squash is coming through….and boy are they good in the summer.  This salad allows the flavors of the squash shine with fresh ingredients that create a...

Berry Skillet Cobbler

What’s summer without a dessert using the fresh berries that are so abundant.  If you don’t have a skillet for the recipe, you can use...

mini root beer floats

Sometimes you just want a little shot of sweetness at the end of the meal, and this recipe is a great solution.  You will bring smiles to everyone around the...

remoulade for everything

The ideal sauce for meat, fish, shrimp or chicken which just brings an extra tangy flavor to everything!  You can also adapt the recipe to...

Pickled red onion

Pickled onions go with everything but taste fantastic with a burger.  You can also add them to salads for an extra pop of flavor.

the perfect hamburger

When enjoying a hamburger, don’t skimp on taste for some idea that less calories are important.  The meat to fat ration of 80-20 applies and results in the juciest hamburger. ...

Greek lamb kebabs

Kebabs are a staple across the Mediterranean, North Africa, and Middle East diets and come in many forms. 

Melissa Clarks’s Sole Meunière

This is a classic French dish that has few ingredients and requires the best of the best in fresh fish.  You may see many choices of different types of sole...

Classic Caesar salad

I love salads, and a Caesar salad is rather basic and delicious.  We think of César Ritz, the Swiss hotelier who founded the Hotel Ritz in Paris.  But that association...

Insalata mista

The ingredients in most parts of Italy are so delicious and fresh that most of the salad and vegetable dishes are very simply prepared.  You don’t need a lot of...

Lemon meringue pot de creme

Lemon is pure happiness.  It’s bright, colorful, and with a bit of sugar makes the ideal dessert.  When I saw this recipe, both from Nigella Lawson and New York Times...

Cauliflower fried rice

This recipe is ideal to whip up in a hurry, and also to use left over vegetable.  I recommend carrots and peas as the base...

Mexico: Chicken Pozole soup

There are many variations of Pozole with different meats and ingredients that create red, white or green broths.  It's the Mexican culture, and flag, in a bowl.  The most traditional...

southeast asia: Laska soup

I’ve heard about this soup from friends of mine from India and living in Singapore. Both said it was the most amazing soup, ever!

korea: Kimchi Noodle Soup with Shrimp

Korean is know for its many soup options. One of the more popular ingredients, of late, is kimchi. A somewhat sour, almost funny concoction of fermented cabbage that is good...

Cilantro lime chicken

Delicious, delicious, delicious!  This is recipe is great on so many levels because it is really easy and the flavor is fantastic. 

Liza’s pico de gallo

Liza's recipe takes a bit of a twist on this classic, fresh salsa by using cherry tomatoes which add more sweetness and color. 

Liza’s guacamole

There are many different recipes for guacamole, and ingredients vary depending on the region of Mexico. This version by food blogger and cookbook author, Liza Cannata, is a similar to...

heirloom tomatoes with herb ricotta

Don’t get turn off with the idea of making fresh ricotta.  It’s easy and sooooo delicious.  If you can’t get yourself around the idea,  buy a fresh version from a...

oaty peach cobbler

The oatmeal in this cobbler turns it into a less traditional version of a classic.  I recommend adding a bit of basil to the peaches...

Crispy, crispy kale

Kale is great anytime of the year, and eating crispy kale makes it feel like an indulgent treat.  I like to serve on the side of many different grilled meats...

grilled zucchini ribbons

The simplicity of cooking seasonal, fresh zucchini is hard to beat.  In the summer, you can grate or thinly slice for salad and they need...

Plum and frangipane tart

Oh my goodness, this tart is full of good flavors, you just may want to eat the whole thing in one sitting. Frangipane sounds fancy but is so easy to...

What’s in season Spoon Cake

t's super simple to whip up and goes well with any type of ice cream, though vanilla is a classic.  I renamed the recipe because it's all about eating the...

orange bundt cake

The cake is baked and then soaked with orange juice, and then gets another punch of flavor with an orange glaze.

Fish en Papillote

The fish is wrapped in parchment paper, in a cooking method known as “en papillote” which gently steams the fish. 

An Apple Galette

There's almost no dessert more classic than a galette.  You can make this with berries, peaches, pears or apples, or even try a combination of different fruits. 

torta della nonna

How can you not love a tart named after a grandmother, “torta della nonna” or Grandmother’s tart?

ricotta cheese & spinach filling

A very easy ricotta cheese based filling that can be used to for eggplant rollatini or pasta shells.  It’s super easy to make, and adds great flavor to Italian style...

Pork and chive dumplings

Yum! Biting into a juicy dumpling with the pop of savory pork flavor scented with chives is so satisfying. Dumplings are a great thing to...

Classic Onion Soup

Nothing like a super satisfying bowl of this savory soup oozing with cheese on a cold winter’s night. Julia Child perfected the recipe in her cookbook, Mastering the Art of...

shredded Brussels sprouts salad

Brussel sprouts are a vegetable that can take some time to acquire the taste to enjoy, and usually are not a favorite of kids.  I never liked them growing up...

roasted butternut squash soup

Nothing says winter like a warm bowl of butternut squash soup.  Serve this to start to a winter meal, or as a full on meal maybe with a large hunk...

Carrots with carrot top pesto

Carrots are often not a common vegetable to serve alone.  You usually find them snuggled next to a roasted potato or alongside a cucumber on a crudité tray.  But with...

Thai green curry

Jamie Oliver is one of my favorite foodie personalities, or should I say celebrity chefs.  His approach to food is not fussy or complicated, and his recipes are fool proof. ...

Shrimp with orzo and spinach

This is a take on the classic recipe of shrimp scampi.  I have never loved shrimp scampi and this recipe cuts through the richness of...

roasted sumac cauliflower

A very simple side dish from Naz Deravian in the cookbook, Bottom of the Pot.  With just five ingredients you have a delicious side dish in 35 minutes. photo:  from...

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

October is all about pumpkins, and this recipe is great to take advantage of the seasonal harvest.  There is something about a warm cookie that...

rainbow root riata

A simple different take on the more traditional riata that adds beets and carrots to the yogurt and cucumber mix. 

Eggplant Pilaf

This recipe is really a meal in itself.  The spices make it flavorful and satisfying.  It can be served alone, with any type of protein or a fresh green salad. ...

delicious Italian spaghetti & meatballs

There is almost nothing as comforting as a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.   Nothing sophisticated or too complicated but a plate of warm, satisfying pleasure that is almost a hug...

sweet potato fries

A healthier alternative to regular potato fries, sweet potato fries contain Vitamin A, C and E.  Oven roasting at a high temperature allows them to crisp up but the interiors...

Summer salmon burgers

Anything on the grill for summer is always a great idea. You can feed a crowd and still be social while grilling away meats and vegetables.

Grilled shrimp tacos

You can stuff many things into a taco to make it delicious, and spicy grilled prawns are not an exception. I love them because the...