Mediterranean Cuisine Recipes
Shortcut Blender Tomato Sauce
Great tomato sauce is so easy with this simple technique. The recipe may be doubled or halved based on the amount of tomatoes you have. Simply blend larger quantities in batches and choose a pot that accommodates. Freezes well! It never fails. Every summer I anxiously await the first of the red, ripe tomatoes…
Prosciutto Fig Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella, Arugula & Manchego
Like many of you, I frequently use the “a little of this, a little of that” approach to cooking. But when writing for this blog, I keep pencil and paper beside my mixing bowl and precisely measure or weigh every ingredient. Oftentimes, however, ingredients really can be eyeballed. So I encourage people to use certain…
Greeked-Out Gorgonzola Dressing
Blue Cheese Dressing was the first salad dressing I ever tried at a restaurant, at a long-shuttered establishment called The Rose Bowl. It became a favorite and still is. Nowadays, I often pass it by because–tasty though it is, it’s so laden with fat. Happily, the following recipe is an option that is every bit…
Baked Mozzarella Sticks
I’m a snacker. Though I never miss a meal, I still get hungry between those meals. Like many, I’m most prone to absent-minded grazing in the hour or two before dinner, when salty or savory high-carb snacks seem irresistible. Baked Mozzarella Sticks are a pre-dinner nibble I love for several reasons. First, the protein in…
Caprese Style Baked Eggs
This protein-rich meal is delicious any time of day and can be enjoyed straight from the baking dish or piled on a piece of crunchy toast. “Caprese” refers to something that comes from or is in the style of Capri, an Italian island off the coast of Italy near Naples. Insalata Caprese, or Caprese Salad,…
Crispy Baked Eggplant
Perfect all by themselves or dipped in your favorite marinara sauce, these tasty bites often vanish straight from the baking sheet in our house! My family always felt lukewarm towards eggplant…until this recipe. And it’s easy! Simply dredge slices of egg-dipped eggplant into a flavorful combination of Parmesan, crumbs, and seasoning. Then roast the…
Favorite Thin Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
When planning a recent extended family birthday dinner, my sister-in-law joked that we are a pathetic bunch with the combined list of food restrictions. Gluten-free, dairy-free, seafood allergy, vegetarian, and allergies to soy and a few other common foods thrown in for good measure. Picky eaters are the least of our worries! But in all…
Leftover Spaghetti Pizza
An easy way to stretch leftovers into a deliciously new dinner, this family-friendly meal is quick to prepare and sure to become a favorite. Economical and easy to customize, too! People often ask me if I spend my days cooking away in my kitchen. It’s a logical question. After all, I write…
Amazing Parmesan Garlic Bread
Spaghetti for dinner is always a hit here. If I take a few extra minutes to make this special garlic bread, the smiles are twice as wide! For ease, I usually make the fried garlic a night or two before for this broccoli side dish. But as mentioned below, roasted garlic may also be used.…
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
This meaty sauce is easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. The yield is a generous 3+ quarts, so there’s plenty to freeze or to share! This meaty sauce is the ideal foundation for a winning spaghetti dinner. It’s also perfect for sharing with a friend (or two) while having enough for your family as…
Parmesan Mushroom Polenta
A former White House chef shares his recipe for a versatile side dish, which can be easily transformed into a winning meal. A must make! Early in my marriage, my husband was amused by how I could read a cookbook as though it were a best-selling novel. Well, I recently discovered a cookbook that…
Overnight Lasagna (Turkey and Greens with Options)
If you prefer a saucy lasagna with a light ricotta layer, this recipe is for you. Plus, there’s no need to precook the noodles and the recipe makes one for now, one for later—or one to share with a friend! I love a good lasagna, but it always seems like a big production. I hit…
