Broccoli with Garlic Sauce

When I was growing up, broccoli was the go-to vegetable in our house. Sure we ate plenty of other vegetables, but broccoli was our standby.  When in doubt about what to serve as the vegetable part of a meal, broccoli was usually the answer – even if conventional culinary wisdom would dictate otherwise.  Need a side dish for spaghetti?  Broccoli works.  Can’t figure out what vegetable to serve with tacos?  How about broccoli?  More often than not, broccoli did, in fact, go pretty well with whatever we were eating.  To this day, it is still a running joke in our family.  Can’t decide what vegetable to serve for dinner?  Go with broccoli.

Despite having eaten so much broccoli growing up, it’s still a favorite vegetable of mine.  Especially if it’s been stir-fried and coated in a delicious sauce – like today’s recipe for Broccoli with Garlic Sauce.  I tried this recipe for the first time a few days ago, and it is sure to be a repeat player in our kitchen.  All you have to do is whisk together a few ingredients for the sauce, then quickly cook your garlic and broccoli.  You can have the whole thing on the table in less than 15 minutes.  That alone would make this recipe a winner in my book, but the flavor sends it over the top.  The broccoli is crisp-tender and bathed in a savory sauce studded with garlic and full of mouthwatering Asian flavors.  The recipe make four servings, but Stan and I devoured it all in one sitting.  I served it with an Asian-inspired meal, but I think you could easily serve it with any number of things.  After all, broccoli goes with everything.

Brussels Sprouts with Apples, Onions and Bacon

I was all set to tell you about my new favorite dessert today – a dessert that is fast, easy, and perfect for a weeknight treat.  So why, I’m sure you are asking, am I telling you about Brussels sprouts?  Because I made this recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Apples, Onions, and Bacon last night, and it rocked my world.  So much so that it jumped right to the head of the line.  You’re just going to have to trust me on this one.  (And trust that the dessert recipe won’t remain a mystery for long.)

But I digress.  Back to my new favorite veggie recipe… It all starts with a little bacon – just enough to make the whole dish smoky and incredible tasting.  Diced granny smith apples and red onion come next, cooked in the bacon drippings until they are softened and sweet.  Finally, shredded Brussels sprouts are mixed in, along with some great flavor from apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard.  All in all, the combination of flavors and textures is, as I said, kind of world-rocking.  At least for a vegetable recipe. 

Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons

In Dayton, Ohio, where I grew up, there’s a well-known steakhouse.  I’ve never actually had a steak from there, but every once in awhile, when we got really lucky, my dad would pick up their burgers on the way home from work.  As I’m sure you can imagine, burgers from a steakhouse are pretty darn good.  However, the burgers weren’t my favorite part of the takeout order. 

What I looked forward to (and often ordered double servings of) were the stewed tomatoes.  They were warm, a little sweet, and a little tangy.  They were also topped with cubes of toasted bread that were crunchy on top and a little soggy where they touched the tomatoes.  Those stewed tomatoes rocked my world.

Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything similar since I moved away.  Surprisingly, it never occurred to me to try to make stewed tomatoes myself.  It wasn’t until I came across today’s recipe for Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons that my cooking wheels started turning.  And then my friend and I made the recipe for lunch one day.  And I nearly fainted – in a good way.

These Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons are warm and bubbly.  The tomatoes are sweet and savory and a little tangy.  The homemade croutons add fantastic texture and crunch.  The Parmesan cheese, while not a part of the tomatoes of my youth, adds a lovely (and I think, optional) richness.  All in all, I’m in love with this recipe.  It reminds me of childhood and takeout burger nights with my family.  It’s a good thing.

Caprese Pasta Salad with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette

There are many things I love about summer in Nashville.  (The heat is not one of them.)  I love going to the drive-in and seeing two new-release movies for $7.00.  I love driving downtown to get milkshakes on weeknights.  I love Friday night happy hour on the patio at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  I love seeing sunshine past 5 pm.  And I LOVE the Amish produce sold at the farm stand a few blocks away from our house.

The farm stand is the primary source my summer culinary inspiration.  It’s where I purchase squash and eggplant and peppers and tomatoes.  And oh, let me tell you about the tomatoes.  They are insanely good.  There are many varieties, but I like the heirlooms the best.  They come in colors I never saw growing up.  Last weekend I bought orange tomatoes, purple and green swirl tomatoes, and I even got one that was yellow with green and red swirls.  Not only are they beautiful, the heirlooms taste amazing – sweet and juicy and nothing like the tomatoes found in supermarkets in the middle of winter.  Needless to say, I’ve been buying and eating a lot of tomatoes.  The season doesn’t last long, so I’m taking full advantage while I can.

Since I have a lot of tomatoes to use up, I’ve been trying out all kinds of new recipes.  Last night, I made this Caprese Pasta Salad with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette.  In it, campanelle pasta (or whatever kind you like) is coated with a thick, rich, and tangy dressing flavored with sundried tomatoes, capers, and garlic.  The pasta is then tossed with cubes of fresh mozzarella, juicy fresh tomatoes, salty olives, and ribbons of basil (or arugula, if like me, your basil isn’t looking so hot).  It looks and sounds like a lot, but the whole recipe comes together in barely more time than it takes to cook the pasta.  And it is good – rich and savory, but still light and fresh.  We ate the pasta salad as a light entrée, but I couldn’t help thinking it would make a great side dish alongside some grilled chicken.  Either way, it’s certainly a dish I will be making again and again – as long as I have my farm-fresh tomatoes at the ready.

Edamame Succotash

I know I’ve been giving you a lot of vegetable recipes lately.  I’m sure you’re wondering where the sugar and bread and meat have gone.  Or maybe where you live it’s also 123 degrees every day, and you can’t think much past lighter, veg-heavy dishes either – especially if they’re jazzed up with the good stuff.  Lately we’ve had vegetables with goat cheese, vegetables with Pecorino and almonds, and most recently, we’ve had vegetables with bacon.  You can handle another veggie recipe if it contains bacon, right?

I hope so, because today’s recipe for Edamame Succotash is a good one.  Succotash is a dish traditionally made with corn and lima beans, and sometimes tomatoes and bell peppers.  This recipe swaps out the usual lima beans for edamame – the bright green soybeans you eat straight from the pod at Japanese restaurants. 

This dish is quick-cooking, easy to make, and packed with great flavor and texture.  Fresh corn from the cob, juicy tomatoes, crunchy red bell pepper, sweet Vidalia onion, and those bright green soybeans come together in a colorful and delicious combination.  The crisp bacon and fresh basil added at the end take the succotash from ordinary to something pretty darn delicious.

Succotash is a great summer side that works well at barbecues and picnics since it doesn’t contain any mayo or dairy.   And, since edamame packs a big protein punch, you could also serve the succotash as a light entrée, with some great bread alongside.  However you serve it, I think you’ll like it.  I mean, c’mon, there’s bacon in there!

Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

When it comes to weeknight cooking, fast, easy, and delicious are my favorite buzzwords.  Are you with me on this one?  If so, you are going to love today’s recipe with a capital L.  Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes and Goat Cheese – what’s not to like?  Just the name has my mouth watering.  (If you haven’t noticed, I kind of have a thing for goat cheese.)

This recipe uses fresh asparagus – plentiful, inexpensive, and in-season at this time of year.  The asparagus gets a quick cook (we’re talking 2 to 3 minutes) in boiling water before getting an incredibly flavorful topping.  To make the topping, halved grape tomatoes are quickly cooked with a little garlic and balsamic vinegar.  That sounds simple enough, but the flavor produced is anything but.  As the tomatoes cook, they get soft and sweet and a little tangy from the vinegar.  After a couple of minutes, the tomatoes take on an almost jam-like consistency.  It is “lick the pan” good.  And it takes about 5 minutes.  The fact that creamy goat cheese tops every off is the icing on the cake. 

A few notes: this recipe originally called for using whole asparagus spears.  I had intended to prepare mine that way as well, but my asparagus was on its way out the door, and the tips weren’t looking so hot.  I decided to trim them off and go for bite-sized pieces instead.  Not as pretty, perhaps, but nice and easy to eat.  Also, while this recipe is delicious made with asparagus, I think it would be equally delicious using any number of vegetables, especially green beans, spinach, or roasted broccoli.  The balsamic tomatoes and goat cheese would also make an amazing topping for bruschetta, polenta, or even pasta.  However you tweak it (or make it as it), this recipe is a spring and summer weeknight winner.

Jalapeño-Baked Fish with Roasted Tomatoes and Potatoes

There are certain recipes that just aren’t that pretty. They might be incredibly delicious, but they won’t win any beauty pageants – or food styling contests. If you were telling your friends about these recipes, you might say they “have a great personality”. And while “a great personality” might be code for something less than desirable in a blind date, it’s not at all a bad thing on your dinner plate.

Take today’s recipe: Jalapeno-Baked Fish with Roasted Tomatoes and Potatoes. It’s not really a looker. One glance will not have you drooling on your keyboard. One taste might. This is one of those deceptively delicious dishes. It looks like tomato sauce on top of fish on top of sliced potatoes. It tastes like a mouthwatering, tomato-based sauce flavored with garlic, cilantro, and pickled jalapenos layered on top of moist, perfectly cooked fish on top of thin slices of tender potatoes. Sounds more drool-worthy that it looks, right?

Would you drool even more if I told you this is an easy, quick-cooking dinner? If so, grab a napkin my friends, because this recipe is indeed weeknight friendly. And relatively inexpensive. And just oh so good. Oh, and everything cooks in one dish, so there are barely any dishes to wash. Just thought I’d throw that one in there, you know, in case you weren’t already sold.

Pepita-Crusted Mahi with Maple-Ginger Mashed Rutabagas and Cranberry Salsa

Today we’re mixing things up a little bit, and I’m going to do something I don’t normally do here. I’m going to share three recipes in one post. See, it’s kind of important that I give you all three recipes at once because they all go together to make one heck of a dinner. If I only gave you one recipe at a time that would make me a tease, and no one wants to be labeled a tease – am I right? Maybe we shouldn’t go there…

The star of this post, and the main component of the meal, is Pepita-Crusted Mahi. Pepitas are pumpkin seeds that have had their outer shells removed. They have a mildly nutty flavor that makes a great base for a flavorful “crust” when ground up and combined with crunchy panko bread crumbs, lime zest, cumin, and smoked paprika. The flavors in the pepita coating are the perfect compliment to mahi’s flaky, meaty texture and mild taste. All together, it’s a pretty delicious piece of fish.

To go with your entrée, you’re going to need a side dish, and Maple-Ginger Mashed Rutabagas are an excellent accompaniment to the Pepita-Crusted Mahi. In this recipe, the rutabaga is roasted in the oven with fresh ginger, maple syrup, and just a pinch of cinnamon until it is tender and caramelized. It is then mashed (or puréed – your choice) until smooth and creamy. If you’ve never tried this often overlooked root vegetable, this is definitely a good recipe to introduce you to it.

Finally, to add a bright pop of color to your plate, we have Cranberry Salsa. While I’ve had fruit-based salsas before (mango, pineapple, peach, etc.), cranberries in salsa form was a new one for me. Let me just say – so, so good. The extreme tartness of the fresh cranberries is tempered with sugar, tangy lime juice, and the kick of heat and savory flavor from jalapeno, fresh ginger, green onion, and (optional) cilantro. The salsa tastes delicious on its own, but it also works well to tie everything on the plate together. Try a bite of fish with salsa, a taste of fish with rutabaga, some salsa with rutabaga – you get the idea. However you load your fork, your mouth will be happy with this somewhat unusual and intriguing mix of flavors.

Red Lentils with Stewed Tomatoes

I try to keep the language clean and family-friendly around these around these parts. I never know who might decide to stop by and check out my little piece of the internet – don’t want to scare anyone off, of course. Not that I’m a total potty mouth or anything. I just like to keep it safe enough for my Grammy or my mother-in-law to read. I imagine you’d do the same.

That being said, it is with some difficulty that I describe today’s recipe to you. Stan’s exact words were, “This is freaking phenomenal.” Except he didn’t say freaking. I’ll let you use your imagination to guess what he really said. (Yeah, so maybe he’s the potty mouth in the family.) Language aside, Stan was right. These lentils are, indeed, freaking phenomenal.

This recipe is one of my favorite kinds – those that take little time and little effort and produce huge flavor. Dinner can be ready in 15 minutes (plus however long it takes water to boil where you live). When it’s done you will have bowls of warm, fragrant lentils, redolent with Indian spices, and studded with chunks of juicy stewed tomatoes. Ladled over rice or served with Naan, this healthy meal will have you going back for seconds… and possibly having to watch your language, too.

"Best" Beans and Rice

As I’ve told you before, I have a terrible habit of throwing quick meals together without bothering to write down what I’m doing or taking pictures along the way. Sometimes that’s for the best. I get cranky when I’m hungry and can’t always be bothered with taking pictures, lest I become a crazy, hungry beast. And no, I am not pregnant. Just hungry.

Sometimes, however, my spur of the moment recipe creations are so drool-inducingly good that I kick myself for not taking the extra few minutes to capture what I was doing. For some reason, I seem to do this most often with last-minute pasta dinners and thrown-together-with-odds-and-ends weekend lunches. The latter was the case with this recipe, pulled together with random leftovers from the fridge and pantry staples. And man, oh man, was it good. So good I wished I had taken pictures along the way. Since I didn’t, I immediately typed up a post and the recipe before I could forget it. And then I forgot to make it again… for an entire year.

And let me tell you how stupid I feel about that. I could have (and would have) been eating this regularly for the past year. I don’t often repeat recipes, but I will be making an exception for this one all year long. I call this recipe “Best” Beans and Rice, not necessarily because it’s the best beans and rice I’ve ever had (though it is certainly up there), but rather because it’s the best version of beans and rice I’ve ever made. We always have canned beans and rice hanging out in the pantry, perfect for throwing together meals in a hurry. Over the years, I’ve tried many different variations to spice up those basic ingredients, and while they were always good, they were never really worth sharing with you. This time, however, I think I nailed the recipe on the head.

The combination of whole and ground cumin seeds adds smokiness and spice without heat. The diced green chilies add a slight kick of heat without overpowering the flavor of the other ingredients. Black and pinto beans add body and creaminess, while the rice sort of ties everything together. This dish makes for a savory, flavor-packed meatless entrée, side dish, or burrito filling. Plus it’s simple and inexpensive to make. In my book, it really is the “Best”.

Baked Risotto with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

Risotto is delicious. It is creamy, dreamy, Italian rice goodness. It also requires at least 20 minutes of near constant stirring. And while I currently have more free time than I know what to do with, I am well aware that most people have better, or at least more important, things to do than stand over a stove stirring a pot of rice for 20 minutes. But what if you didn’t have to stir your risotto? What if you could have perfect, rich and creamy risotto with almost none of the work? Would you be tempted to make risotto all the time?

Folks, get ready to be tempted because you can bake risotto in the oven.

For a basic baked risotto, all you have to do is combine Arborio rice, chicken broth, and white wine in a baking dish. Cover it up and bake it until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is creamy, yet still a bit toothsome. When the rice is done baking, stir in some butter and cheese to make it extra luscious. Season it up with a little salt and pepper and you are good to go without ever breaking a sweat.

From there you can flavor it up any way you like, simply by stirring in some fun ingredients at the end. The possibilities are endless – roasted butternut squash, bacon and onions, sun-dried tomatoes and basil, or one of my personal favorites – mushrooms and goat cheese. The combination of earthy mushrooms and tangy goat cheese makes this baked risotto extra special. And it’s still easy enough for any night of the week – no lengthy stirring required.

Curried Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard

For the last few days, Nashville has been gray. All day. The sky is pretty much the same color from sunrise to sunset – and let me tell you, it is not such a pretty color. Where is the warm and sunny South I’ve come to love? I tell you, I think it’s hibernating for the winter. And really, that’s what this weather is making me want to do too. Put on some sweats, cozy up under a pile of blankets with the remote control, and hibernate ‘til spring.

Since giving up on leaving the house for the next few months isn’t really an option for most of us, I offer you up the next best thing – a warm and cozy meal that will help you through these chilly nights and give you lunch leftovers to look forward to on an otherwise dreary day. My cure for the gray-day doldrums? Curried Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard.

This sweet and savory dish may not be the most glamorous looking meal you’ve ever made, but I promise you, its taste more than makes up for its looks. Imagine, if you will, creamy sweet potatoes, hearty lentils, and tender Swiss chard cooked together with garlic, onions, and just the right amount of spice. Take that flavor combo, brighten it up with lime zest and juice and a healthy dose of cilantro and scallions, and you’ve got a flavor power punch coming your way. Admittedly there are a lot of ingredients in this dish, but don’t let that dissuade you. The prep work is easy and most of the cook time is hands-free so you can sit back and enjoy a glass of wine… or head to the couch and curl up under a blanket.

French Onion Soup Stuffed Mushrooms

In my last post I mentioned how we stayed in for New Years this year. What I neglected to mention was that while we had an intimate gathering of five people, I made enough food for at least double that many. Four appetizers, a big entrée, and a dessert that serves sixteen. I realize that may sound nuts, but I don’t often have a reason to try out so many new recipes. Since it’s just the two of us, it takes us awhile to get through food. Stan eats enough for two, but we can still be eating the same dinner for two or three nights in a row. Having a party gives me a chance to experiment and try new things – and make a tiny dent in my ever-expanding file of recipes to try.

One of the big winners from our New Years dinner was these French Onion Soup Stuffed Mushrooms. A fun twist on a cocktail party classic, these savory babies combine two delicious dishes into one. Slow cooked onions are seasoned with traditional French onion soup flavorings and stuffed into juicy mushrooms. The mushrooms are then topped with nutty Gruyère cheese and baked until tender and bubbling. A sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley finishes them off, and then you are ready for the big ta-da moment.

And you will get a moment for these gems. Whether you use big mushrooms or small, they will disappear in an instant. If you are making them for a party, I recommend sneaking a few in the kitchen before you serve them, just to make sure you get to try them! If you don’t want to wait for a special occasion (and I don’t think you should), these stuffed mushrooms are easy enough that they’d also make a fun side dish at your next family dinner. I’m thinking they’d be fantastic alongside a steak or even a roast chicken. However you serve them, I think you’ll love them.

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon

Friends, I am in trouble. Big, calorie-laden, gut-busting trouble. You see, I have learned how to make baked macaroni and cheese in a whole new way. A you don’t have to cook the noodles, you don’t have to make a cheese sauce kind of way. And best of all, it is crazy delicious.

All you need for this miraculous mac and cheese is a blender – and your oven, of course. You take some milk and cottage cheese (weird I know, but trust me), whirl them up in a blender with some seasonings, and pour the mixture over dry pasta. All that’s left to do is stir in some cheese and bake it in the oven. That’s pretty much it.

Before trying this recipe, I’ll admit I was skeptical about how the finished product would turn out. Would the pasta be cooked all the way through? Would it be overcooked and mushy? Would the cheese sauce thicken up the way a proper baked macaroni and cheese sauce should? Yes, no, and yes. I don’t know how it happens, but this process, quick and easy as it is, results in some rockin’ macaroni and cheese.

You can use this basic method to make pretty much any kind of macaroni and cheese you desire. Stick with basic sharp cheddar cheese and standard seasonings for classic mac. Switch up the cheeses and spices for a French or Italian twist. Or try it out this way, with a little garlic and a smoky chipotle kick. The bacon on top is purely optional. I used turkey bacon because real bacon grease kind of freaks me out. All together, the flavor combination is so good I have had to force myself not to make it every week. Try it yourself and see what I mean. You may never make traditional baked macaroni and cheese again.

Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is one of those things I only typically think about around Thanksgiving time. No particular reason for that, just tradition I suppose. I grew up eating cranberry sauce only one time per year… maybe twice if we were lucky enough to have leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. However, even if we did have leftover cranberry sauce, until very recently, chances are good it was from a can.

Let me tell you friends, all of this cranberry sauce tradition is going to change. First of all, no more waiting all year for a day or two of cranberry sauce goodness. Why should it have to be such an infrequent treat, especially when it’s so easy to make? And that brings me to my second point. Never again will I willingly serve canned cranberry sauce. While I grew up loving, and if I’m being honest, requesting, jellied cranberry sauce complete with can ridges, I’d like to think my palette has matured a bit. I can handle, and indeed love, fresh cranberries and all the juicy things you can make with them.

And making cranberry sauce? It’s ridiculously easy. Take some fresh cranberries, some sugar (white and brown for this recipe), and some orange juice. Stir them together in a pot, and heat it all up until the cranberries pop and everything magically turns into sauce. Seriously folks, this is easier than waiting in line at the grocery store. And the taste is so much better than anything you can find in a can. The sauce is a perfect balance of sweet and tart. The orange flavor adds dimension without overpowering the cranberries, and the color is incredible. While there are some family traditions that I would never mess with, reserving cranberry sauce for one day a year isn’t one of them. If you’re with me on this one, I strongly suggest you don’t wait until next year to give this recipe a try.