Posted in easy meals, sides, vegetables on Oct 6th, 2011 2 Comments »
“Crunchy Green Beans with Almonds and Butter!” cries the smallest of my small ones. Not that he’s very small any more, as he’s approaching his fifth birthday. This is likely both my children’s very favorite vegetable, yet hell hath no fury if I run out of slivered almonds. The proper name for the tiny french [...]
Posted in chicken, citrus, dressing, salad, sides on Jan 31st, 2011 2 Comments »
This simple salad has been one of my favorites of the year. It requires you to step away from the pre-washed bagged lettuce, but I think Romaine hearts are one of the easiest lettuces to prepare. If you can chop and wash celery, romaine hearts work the exact same way. Adding sliced grilled chicken can [...]
Posted in cheap meals, comfort, sides, vegetables on Nov 17th, 2010 5 Comments »
I never knew so many people struggle with preparing mashed potatoes at home! I frequently hear from readers or friends that they consistently fail with mashed potatoes. And conversely, people (especially my friend Rachel) claim to crave my mashed potatoes. Back in the hey day of my Sunday dinners, I used to make mashed potatoes [...]
Posted in appetizers, chicken, citrus, dessert, events, food to share, herbs, sauce, sides, spinach on Jul 7th, 2010 1 Comment »
The title may be a tad bit misleading, as I’d guess most people wouldn’t call this party an “easy” menu for a child’s 5th birthday party, but I’d say it was certainly elegant. Since I’m just rolling from one party straight into the next, LE’s Fifth birthday party was a combination of two events in [...]
Posted in cheese, comfort, sides, vegetables on May 29th, 2010 1 Comment »
Some potatoes au gratin recipes are cheeseless – simply potatoes made in a cream sauce. When I hear potatoes au gratin, I really hear melted cheese disguised as a vegetable. I always feel robbed if I order them, and the cheese is mysteriously absent. This recipe is adapted from my mac and cheese recipe, which [...]
Posted in breakfast, events, food to share, herbs, sides on Apr 27th, 2010 2 Comments »
This tomato tart recipe might also be called a quiche. It came from a now out of print Williams Sonoma Entertaining Cookbook – where it is deemed a tart. I’ve made a few adjustments to the recipe – the largest of which is that it takes at least twice as long to cook as the [...]
Posted in appetizers, cheese, dressing, food to share, herbs, Italian, sides on Apr 6th, 2010 4 Comments »
Spring is finally here. I swear if I see that groundhog, I’m going to wring his neck. Well not really, because I’m non-violent. But the extra six weeks of winter literally almost pushed me over the edge! These fresh caprese salad crostini are a perfect appetizer or make a great addition to a light and [...]
Posted in chicken, citrus, easy meals, sides, vegetables on Dec 16th, 2009 No Comments »
I’m back! Sorry for the long hiatus in posting. Life has just been beyond busy, and frankly, I’ve been suffering from a lack of inspiration so I’ve been cooking many meals which I’ve already blogged. I’ve been focusing my creative juices in some other places, some worthwhile, some not so much. Anyway, I sought out [...]
Posted in citrus, easy meals, legumes, quinoa, sides on Nov 3rd, 2009 No Comments »
I created this side dish for a different, healthy, light choice to replace our usual suspects. If you haven’t jumped on the quinoa(pronounced keen-wa) bandwagon yet, you should. Are you a vegetarian? Do you tend towards high blood sugar? Are you looking to add iron, folic acid, or fiber to your diet? Are you exploring [...]
Posted in beef, comfort, sides, soup on Oct 28th, 2009 2 Comments »
French Onion Soup has always been one of my favorites. It’s warm, comforting, and a perfect accompaniment for everything from Caesar salad to a giant Ribeye Steak. Traditionally it’s served topped with a crouton then shredded Gruyere as shown in the picture. I’m not a huge fan of soggy bread, but I love dipping so [...]
