Spicy Smashed Cucumber Salad

May 7, 2024 No comments

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.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

‘Fig & Greens Salad’

May 6, 2024 No comments

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.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

‘Blueberry Buttermilk Pie’

May 5, 2024 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 Blueberry Buttermilk Pie.  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/)

Haricots Verts and Mushrooms with Caramelized Onions & Prosciutto Chips

May 4, 2024 No comments

This week, a (very generous) client gave me a big bag of local Vidalia onions.  Thanks to their amazing natural sweetness, 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 this bag of Vidalia onions, 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!

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

‘Moroccan Lamb Chops with Tomato-Olive Relish’

May 3, 2024 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.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

Cheese Tortellini with Pancetta, Mushrooms & Peas

May 2, 2024 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.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

‘Rhubarb Custard Cake’

May 1, 2024 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine

The moist crumb and custard-like center of this lovely fruit-topped cake comes from the addition of melted butter, sour cream and an extra egg yolk —all of which add richness and flavor to the butter-yellow cake.  The cake base has both lemon zest for a fresh zip of flavor and a bit of dark rum for an extra special kick, all of which pair wonderfully with fresh rhubarb.  In fact, I would be tempted to say that any summertime fruit could stand up to this wonderful custard-like cake base. Pass the cake knife, please!

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/rhubarb-custard-cake)

Turnips with Tarragon Butter

April 30, 2024 No comments

Turnips are a flavorful, low-carb alternative to potatoes.  A bit peppery by nature, turnips are great when roasted, mashed, sautéed or even boiled to tender. For a simple side dish I decided to pair tender cooked turnips with a flavorful compound butter.  What’s in the butter you ask? A mixture of lemon zest, fresh tarragon, salt, pepper and a touch of crushed red pepper flakes.  This compound butter idea would also work well over cooked carrots or steamed baby potatoes.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

‘Mixed Mushrooms with Garlic Butter & Pine Nuts’

April 29, 2024 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.WilliamsSonoma.com

Simple is always better when you are dealing with mushrooms.  With their earthy flavor and tender texture, you don’t want to mask their natural beauty with a lot of extra ingredients; take this recipe for example. A lovely sauté of mixed gourmet mushrooms (any variety will do) in butter and sliced garlic, with a sprinkling of buttery pine nuts and some white wine to deglaze the pan and finish off the cooking.  A lovely side dish for any grilled protein you have in mind—and also a lovely vegetarian pasta sauce idea for your favorite shape of al dente pasta.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/mixed-spring-mushrooms-with-garlic-butter-and-pine-nuts.html)

Fresh Fettuccine with Squash & Saffron Ricotta

April 28, 2024 No comments

Fresh pastas are wonderful with a number of sauces, but for me, something about their soft, eggy texture just screams for a creamy sauce companion.  With half of a container of organic, whole milk ricotta cheese in the fridge, I settled on a fresh fettuccine tossed with roasted summer squash, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and a creamy ricotta sauce. To liven things up a bit, I actually added some warm saffron-infused olive oil into the ricotta cheese for added flavor and color.  And to top it all off with some crunch, I crisped up some thin slices of prosciutto in the oven and crumbled them on top of everything.  Buon appetito.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

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