Easy holiday meals: Independence feast
If you are having company this weekend and you don’t know what to cook, I wrote this for you. An easy three-course meal that won’t stress you out.
Entries Tagged as 'recipes & food'
Easy weeknight dinners: Shrimp, avocado, and corn salad with lime-cilantro vinaigrette
There are certain foods that belong together; Pork chops and apples, prosciutto and melon, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly…. This salad focuses on another great team, shrimp and avocado. Use wild domestic shrimp and perfectly ripe avocado (just barely squeezable) and you can’t go wrong with this one.
Shrimp, Avocado, and Corn Salad: lime-cilantro vinaigrette
My father, in the days before his death
As everyone knows and fears, our final days resemble our first, in their helplessness, in their inadvertent comedy, and in their nearness to an unknowable existence. I am reminded of these patiently waiting realities every time I visit my father, now 95 years old, at the nursing home, and slowly convey to his mouth quarter-teaspoons of pureed rye bread, carrots, ham, and vanilla pudding. [Read more →]
Easy weeknight dinners: Chicken Marsala with local mushrooms
“Nature alone is antique, and the oldest art a mushroom.”
This week the star of my local Farmers Market was undeniably the mushroom! Portobello, Shiitake, Morel, Oyster, Maitake, Crimini….all that and more! [Read more →]
Easy weeknight dinners: Wild Alaskan Salmon with Asian flavors
You should eat Wild Alaskan salmon for three reasons: 1.It is arguably the best tasting salmon in the world. 2. It is packed full of nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. 3. It is an ecologically responsible choice. In fact, the Alaskan wild salmon industry is a model for sustainable seafood practices all over the world. This month, Alaskan King salmon is at its peak. The King salmon is the most highly prized variety of wild salmon. It has a vibrant flavor and color and it is highly nutritious. I recommend purchasing Wild Alaskan King Salmon at the following locations until the end of the season (about 4 more weeks);
Easy weeknight dinners: A girl and her broccoli
I love broccoli. Sautéed, roasted, steamed, mashed, broccoli in all its forms is fine with me. This weekend at my local Farmers Market I was giddy to buy the first broccoli of the season, and it seemed like my farmer friend was pretty giddy to be selling it to me. I went home and made a delicious broccoli soup. Filling, nutritious, and so easy to make, what else could you ask for!? [Read more →]
Easy weeknight dinners: summer veggie burritos
Take advantage of the fresh veggies at the Farmers Market right now when making these simple vegetarian burritos!
Summer Veggie Burritos: Serves 2
Ingredients: One ear of fresh corn (kernels removed from the cob), 4 large flour tortillas, 2 handfuls of shiitake mushrooms (you can substitute another mushroom variety), 2 cloves of garlic, 1 minced jalapeno without the seeds, 1/4 of a red onion, 4 ripe tomatoes, a few sprigs of finely chopped cilantro, salt and pepper, 1 cup of cotija cheese, 2 ripe avocados, and 2 Tbsp of butter or olive oil.
Baked ziti my way: Serves 4
Baked ziti is a pretty universal family favorite. Here I give it a little twist with sharper cheeses and crisp guanciale (similar to bacon, just a little fancier). [Read more →]
Easy weeknight dinners: Get excited, it’s pea season!
It’s pea season everybody! For just about 2 weeks each year we can go out and find the very best fresh, sweet peas at the local grocery store. Peas don’t love the hot weather, so eat them now before they all end up in the freezer section.
When cooking fresh peas, don’t let them turn to mush! Pour your peas into a small saucepan and add just enough water for them to move around in- you don’t want to cover them with water. Then add some salt, pepper, and a little butter. Cook them until they are no longer hard, but still have a bite left in them, kind of like pasta. You will never want to eat canned or frozen peas again!
Easy weeknight dinners: Happy Cinco de Mayo!
There are a few holidays that chefs really like. Cinco de Mayo is one of them. Great Mexican food is so fun and easy to prepare, so go ahead and celebrate with my Shrimp and Avocado on Crispy Tortillas!
Easy weeknight dinners: How to roast a chicken
This is a foolproof guide to the best roasted chicken you’ve ever made. Go out and buy the best whole chicken you can afford (yes! it really does make a difference), then:
Easy weeknight dinners: fried calamari salad
For some reason home cooks are afraid of squid. My best guess is because squid has the reputation of being very difficult to work with and easy to screw up. I disagree. Here is a super easy weeknight recipe for a delicious, healthy-ish version of fried calamari.
Easy weeknight dinners: The Dave Sandwich
My husband is not a big fan of sandwiches. He will do turkey and cheese but not too much else. Several years ago I was trying to find another one that he would enjoy…this is what we came up with and it is now a serious family staple, especially during the busy work-week. I usually make some homemade steak fries and/or a green salad to go with it.
My favorite restaurant: The Good Fork
On March 15, I celebrated yet another birthday. Since food is such a huge part of my life, where to have dinner on my birthday is usually a wrenching decision for me……but not this year. [Read more →]
Easy weeknight dinners: Orecchiette with asparagus, bacon and onions
Asparagus is arguably the best thing about spring. Its peak season only lasts from April to July, so I try to make the most of it.
At the market, choose asparagus stems that are not too thick, and whose flowered tips are tightly closed. When you get your asparagus home, store it in the back of your fridge, away from the light (bright light kills the folate). [Read more →]
The dirty truth about your favorite restaurant
I give you fair warning here, I am probably about to upset you a little bit.
Restaurants are a dirty, disgusting, filthy, mess. Last year, one out of three Americans became ill after eating out, and the real number is much higher than that — many of you just didn’t connect that virus you got with the barista who coughed in your latte. [Read more →]
Easy weeknight dinners: all about artichokes
“Life is like eating artichokes, you have got to go through so much to get so little.” –Thomas Dorgan, writer, cartoonist, New Yorker.
Artichokes are yummy. And good for you too. They have tons of vitamins and nutrients in them, including calcium, iron, and magnesium. [Read more →]
A feast for St. Patrick: smoked salmon salad, chicken with dumplings, colcannon, and soda bread
You won’t find corned beef and cabbage on my St. Paddy’s Day menu (not that there’s anything wrong with that)! Here’s what I’m serving this year. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! [Read more →]
Easy weeknight dinners: grilled lamb chops with mashed sweet potatoes
Locally grown sweet potatoes will only be in season for a few more weeks. Eat them while you can! Besides being delicious, they are one of the world’s most nutritious foods. They’re rich in fiber, potassium, and Vitamins A, C, and B-6. Try to choose sweet potatoes with a darker orange flesh — they are better for you than lighter ones because they have more Vitamin A. [Read more →]
