Asparagus is one of the first vegetables harvested in the springtime. After a winter full of rain and hardy root vegetables the vibrancy of asparagus is a welcome and longed for sign of better weather and vegetables to come. Whether you purchase the fat asparagus tips or the pencil thin stalks, asparagus is loaded with folic acid, potassium and vitamins such as C, K and B6. For the first week that asparagus is available, I prefer the simplest of preparations. I love asparagus steamed and served unadorned. Asparagus tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted (in a 400F oven for 5-7 minutes) is a close second. To prepare asparagus for cooking, first wash it under cold running water. Then, snap or cut off the tough bottom tips. There is a natural snapping point that occurs when the vegetable becomes more tender. If you want exquisitely tender stalks I suggest peeling the lower half of the asparagus with a vegetable peeler. In the picture I steamed the asparagus then served it chilled on a platter drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Dukkah. Dukkah is an Egyptian spice blend that is aromatic with nuts and spices. You may purchase Dukkah or make it yourself. The recipe is below. I keep Dukkah on hand to serve with olive oil and pita bread. I also have used it as a crust for chicken, lamb and fish. [Read more...]
Asparagus Sprinkled with Egyptian Dukkah
Easter Lily Cake
Growing up, one of my favorite things about Easter was the traditional Easter Lily cake that my Great- Aunt Lily would bake every year. She lived to be 103 and loved to spend her free time baking cakes, cookies and candy. As a kid I loved to bake with her and I think of her when I make her toffee, fudge and these little cakes. My daughter, Lily, is named for her. This is a simple cake that is baked in 4” ring mold and folded into a cone while still hot. When it cools, fill it with sweetened whipped cream and garnish it with a long stemmed cherry.
Enjoy! May these cakes become a tradition in your family as well! [Read more...]
Succulent Lemon and Herb Marinade for Chicken
Sick of winter? Try my all time favorite go-to marinade that I use year round. It’s as delicious on fish and vegetables as it is on chicken. During the doldrums of winter, parsley and lemon combine for an uplifting-lemony bright flavor. During the summer months I love using Basil as the herb for a definitive taste of summer. Paired with grilled ripe tomatoes it is divine. The key is to use both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to boost the flavor. [Read more...]
Gingered Winter Vegetable Soup
Ward off Winter Chills with a Gingered Vegetable Soup
In this world there are salad people and there are soup people. I was born a soup person; On chilly winter days when the wind blows or when I feel a cold coming on I whip up a batch of simple vegetable soup. Over the years I have fine tuned my basic veggie soup to a minimum of ingredients, which I can then embellish with spices and herbs from my pantry. With flu season upon us I love throwing in a chunk of ginger to simmer along with the vegetables to give it a sinus clearing kick. [Read more...]
5 Minute Edible Gifts
I love bringing something wonderful and homemade to friends homes during the Holiday season. Everybody brings cookies, and frankly with two little ones and a third one on the way my cookie making time has been severely curtailed this holiday season. What I’ve been gifting and what my friends adore is my Homemade Irish Cream. I can put it together in the blender in the space of 5 minutes, pour it into a carafe and have something truly yummy to give away and liven up any party. I use an inexpensive whiskey for mine, but you could easily substitute rum for rum lovers or even vodka. [Read more...]
Cranberry Chess Pie
Thanksgiving this year turned out to be a pie baking frenzy. Always on the lookout for new ideas and fabulous desserts, I grabbed one of my favorite “picture books” off the shelf, Williams-Sonoma’s Pie & Tart, circa 2003. Since I was baking all the pies this year, I wanted try something new for our family. Attracted by the photo in the book and the sound of the recipe, I went with the Cranberry Chess Pie. The only change I made to the recipe is I reduced the orange zest to just a 1/2 teaspoon-a personal choice of mine. The pie was fabulous and a home run with the cranberry lovers in the house. [Read more...]
Easy Fall Dinner: Slow-Cooked Beef Stew
As the weather gets colder, chilled foods like salad, coleslaw and gazpacho
quickly lose their appeal. When you come inside after being out in the
cold, wind or rain, nothing sounds more comforting than a bubbling casserole
or a steaming pot of chili, soup or stew. But instead of slaving over the
stove for hours after a long day when all you want to do is dig in to your
dinner, slow-cookers allow you to have food on the table the minute you walk
through the door. [Read more...]
Red Wine Oven Braised Short Ribs
I have always loved the holidays and entertaining. Mulled Cider, cookies, cooler weather, seeing old friends….what could be better during the holiday season? Having kids has definitely changed my entertaining style. I used to spend two days in the kitchen crafting fancy hors d’oeuvres, perfecting dinner rolls and making a fabulous dessert. These days, simplicity rules, and the focus is on enjoying precious time with friends and family instead of burying myself in the kitchen—not that the kids would let me do that anyway! [Read more...]
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Acorn Squash is a fall favorite in our household. They’re always a fun and colorful side dish, but I like to bump them up in status every once in awhile and feature them as the “Main Attraction”. Why not stuff them with all kinds of goodies? I’ve been experimenting the last few weeks on different combinations and finally settled on this one. Try my recipe and see how you like it. You can always play around with your own ideas and see what happens. I’d love to hear all about it. [Read more...]
Easy Homemade Kale Chips
Ever since I bought my first bag of kale chips at the store, I have been hooked! Love the cheesy flavor of the vegan, non dairy kale chips that appear in most health food stores. The issue becomes that they are not inexpensive and one can eat an entire bag as a meal. I have attempted to replicate my favorite brand’s cheesy version with my raw ingredients using dehydration AND baking to produce an adequate substitution with not much luck.
