YOU’LL ALWAYS FIND A JAR OR TWO OF RED SAUCE IN OUR PANTRY. We think of it as a starter kit, something to tweak into dinner quickly on a busy weeknight. And to use up fresh veggies or whatever in the fridge. Last week, after returning from a few days in Detroit, we were pleased to see that a half-pound of baby bella mushrooms were still beautiful and fresh, perfect for a red sauce dinner. Continue reading “Jazzing up jarred red sauce for weeknight-quick deliciousness”
Fresh basil, lemon and garlic add bright, lively flavor to easy-to-make roast chicken thighs. Recipe below.
BASIL IS A REGULAR FEATURE IN OUR GARDEN. Easy to grow, it most often sees action in batches of pesto in our kitchen—some consumed the day they’re made as part of a summery pasta, many more batches frozen for enjoying a taste of summer in the dead of winter. Looking for another way to use our bounteous basil, we remembered some chicken thighs lurking in the fridge. Continue reading “Weeknight-quickish Chicken Thighs with Basil and Lemon”
Arugula and mushrooms team up in this slightly peppery, umami-rich vegetarian quiche. Recipe below.
ONE OF LIFE’S LITTLE PLEASURES FOR US is looking in the fridge and seeing leftover quiche, ready to be gently reheated or, honestly, just eaten cold. We’re experiencing that now, thanks to my recent urge to actually make a quiche. Continue reading “Arugula Mushroom Quiche”
No-cook Curried Chicken Salad is a lively take on classic chicken salad, perfect for warm summer days. Recipe below.
IN TOO-HOT-TO-COOK SUMMER, this Curried Chicken Salad is an easy, delicious main course. You use leftover cooked chicken (or store-bought rotisserie chicken), so no need to turn on the stove. And you serve it chilled, perfect because summer also provides us with too-hot-to-eat days. Continue reading “Too hot to cook? Curried Chicken Salad”
Tamarind paste and fresh orange juice create a lively, sweet/sour, caramelly, smoky glaze for roasted chicken thighs. Recipe below.
TAMARIND’S INTERNATIONAL APPEAL is what caught our eye first. The tamarind tree is native to Africa, but is now grown all over Asia and in Mexico. According to The Spruce Eats, the dark, sour, sticky paste made from its fruit is a common ingredient in Thai, Indian and Mexican cuisines, as well as Vietnamese, Latin, and Caribbean cooking. Here, it teams up with orange juice to bring a bright, citrusy freshness to oven-roasted chicken thighs. Continue reading “Tamarind-Glazed Chicken Thighs”
A mix of olive oil and butter (and not too much of either) gives Shrimp Scampi with Fettuccine its classic rich, indulgent flavor.
LAST WEEK’S SHRIMP CUCUMBER STRAWBERRY SALAD HAD US WANTING MORE SHRIMP. And the abundant parsley in our garden made us think of shrimp scampi. It’s a perfect summery pasta dish—garlic, white wine and parsley brighten it up while butter gives it a luxurious finish. But too many recipes go way overboard with the butter, making it heavy and calorific. Continue reading “Just buttery enough Shrimp Scampi”
Shrimp, crisp cucumber slices, juicy strawberries, fresh basil, chives and a slightly sweet vinaigrette create a cool, summery light meal. Recipe below.
WHEN SUMMER COMES IN HOT AND HEAVY, you don’t want your food to do the same. This light, flavorful Shrimp Cucumber Strawberry Salad is as easy to make as it is to enjoy when it’s really hot out. Continue reading “A cool dish for a hot summer day: Shrimp Cucumber Strawberry Salad”
The Dill Dijon Sauce on this Seared Salmon Fillet tastes rich, calorific and sinful, but is in fact 100% fat free.
SUNDAY DINNERS USED TO BE A REGULAR THING WITH US. First, with a rotating cast of friends, and then as we had kids, with family and the occasional friend. Then the girls grew up and moved to other cities, and Sunday dinners became much less frequent. Ironically, the pandemic revived them for us. Continue reading “Sunday dinner memories and Seared Salmon Fillets with Dill Dijon Sauce”
There are many versions of the Northern Italian dish osso buco. This one uses slow oven braising to make the meat flavorful, fork tender and moist.
A RECENT DINNER IN AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT reminded us how much we like actual Italian cuisine. We’re also fans of Italian-American cuisine, but it is something slightly different. Continue reading “Classic Northern Italian Osso Buco”
Roasted mushrooms combine with polenta and Parmesan to create a creamy, earthy, cheesy vegetarian meal. Recipe below.
THE OTHER DAY, SOCIAL MEDIA OFFERED ME A VIDEO of someone making what he called Mushroom Polenta Bake. It was one of those super short, super telegraphic videos, the sort of airy thing that breezes past the nonsense side of cooking—measurements, timing, a lot of the ingredients—in favor of a quick, charming impression. But, as with so many of these sort-of-cooking videos, the information may have been ridiculous, but the visuals were alluring—so very alluring. Continue reading “Baked Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms”