Tex-Mex Chopped Salad
With the right ingredients, a salad can be a hearty, delicious, and wholesome meal. Good proteins, healthy fats, and different textures help. So does a homemade dressing. The simple mixture of salsa and ranch dressing lends great flavor and a little kick to this dish. While you could substitute your favorite store-bought dressing, I really…
Root Beer Pulled Pork Tacos with Vinegar Sauce
This pulled pork is a slight variation on my Lean and Mean Pulled Pork which has really become a favorite in our house. While I have always been a fan of tomato-based barbecue sauce, my Southern friend, Lisa, is partial to a vinegar sauce. She shared here recipe with me and it just might win…
Honey Sesame (or Flax) Pork Tenderloin
A little kitchen experimenting yielded fabulous results in this easy-to-make, Asian-inspired recipe that’s become a favorite with kids and adults alike. As cooler weather arrives, I am using our grill less frequently and returning to some of my favorite oven and slow cooker meals.ย The following pork tenderloin recipe is simple yet flavorful and pairs…
Indian-Spiced Broiled Salmon
Many people have mentioned to me over the years that they don’t cook seafood because they can’t tell how long to cook it. While it is difficult to give an exact time to cook fish — as this will vary depending on the thickness of the filet and one’s desired degree of doneness — I…
Pesto Pasta Pizza
A combination of cheeses adds great flavor to this novel crust. Add your favorite pizza toppings and serve with extra sauce, if desired. A few months ago, I started experimenting with “crusts” made from pasta. I tried various binder combinations of eggs, cheese, milk, and olive oil until I hit on this version. …
Pasta Crust
A few months ago, I started experimenting with “crusts” made from pasta. I tried various binder combinations of eggs, cheese, milk, and olive oil until I hit on this version. We love it. The concept is fun, the taste is delicious, and the crust can be a base for all sorts of toppings. While I…
Balsamic Pesto Tomato Sauce
A few special ingredients join forces with ripe tomatoes for a memorable sauce that’s deceptively easy to make. The taste of marinara sauce made with in-season tomatoes is divine. Finding the time to peel and seed the required tomatoes, however, can be enough to make you buy a jar!ย I decided to try a new…
Gorgonzola Noodles
As I was returning from my older son’s cross country meet just in time to run my younger son to swim practice, there was not a whole lot of time for cooking and no leftovers to speak of. As I reached for the eggs–a favorite quick dinner in our house–I spotted a jar of leftover…
Apricot Ginger Shrimp Kabobs
Tender shrimp with Asian-inspired flavor is easy to prepare, quick to cook, and makes a popular appetizer or entree. At a cookout years ago, my friend Judy dished up grilled shrimp that was absolutely delicious: light tasting and tender with just a hint of sweetness. I jotted down the recipe, which was mayonnaise-based…
Pizza with Goat Cheese, Thyme & Honey Lime Chicken
Years ago, a friend who runs a local cooking school called Essen suggested topping a grilled pizza with Manouri cheese, honey, and thyme. Manouri cheese is a Greek goat’s milk cheese with which I was not ย familiar at the time. ย What threw me, however, was the honey. Honey on pizza? ย I like to mix sweet…
Garden Pesto Grilled Pizza (with a family favorite recipe for grilled pizza dough)
A layer of pesto under some fresh mozzarrella makes a simple pizza taste extra special. I love to use my Asiago Pesto Spread and add whatever I happen to have on hand. In this case, it was a few dabs of leftover Summer Tomato and Leek Sauce and Parmesan Zucchini Bites. You may…
Summer Tomato and Leek Sauce
A simple, summer sauce is the perfect way to enjoy a bounty of vine-ripened tomatoes and works beautifully as a light pasta or pizza sauce or as a flavorful topping for chicken or fish. My original plan for this sauce was to use red onion, until I saw some baby leeks at market. Leeks provide…
