This month’s Kitchen Bootcamp challenge was to make a dish using the humble potato. While it may not be difficult to come up with something to make that utilizes potatoes, I hoped that the challenge would inspire some creativity. And, it did! I was thrilled with the recipes that everyone came up with, and I look…
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Tags: #KitchenBootcamp, bacon, bread, dijon, Dutchess potatoes, garlic, gnocchi, Gruyere, Kitchen Bootcamp, parmigiano reggiano, potatoes, roast, roasted potatoes, sweet potato, twice baked, whole wheat
I’ve been meaning to share this quick and easy pasta recipe with you for a few weeks. I debated about whether or not it was too simple to share. And, it is a very simple recipe. But, it’s recently become a favorite at my house, and after making it for dinner the fourth week in…
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Tags: asparagus, bell pepper, easy, meatless, parmigiano reggiano, pasta, simple, spaghetti, squash, vegetables, vegetarian, whole wheat
This time of year we start to get kale in our CSA boxes on a fairly regular basis. I know a lot of you have probably tried the ever-popular baked kale chips, and you may love them… But, I really can’t say that I’m a fan. Sure, if you add a lot of oil and…
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If you ask me, summer just isn’t the same without some fresh pesto… You can’t beat a fresh piece of crusty sourdough bread slathered with some pesto. I could eat that for dinner… And, I think I have on a few summer evenings! We all love basil pesto… It’s a classic. But, there’s no reason…
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Tags: almonds, cheese, CSA, fennel, garlic scapes, Grana Padano, herbs, nuts, olive oil, parmigiano reggiano, pecans, pesto, pine nuts, pistachio, spinach, Swiss chard, walnuts, WFMW, Works For Me Wednesday
Black plates on a wedding registry… Who does that?! Well, you’re reading her blog… And, you’ve probably seen said plates in many photos over the past few years! Yes, my wedding registry included black dishes… Plates, bowls, a creamer set, and even a few platters. I definitely got a few raised eyebrows and lots of questions as the…
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Tags: basil, bell pepper, CSA, garlic scapes, Grana Padano, mushrooms, parmigiano reggiano, pasta, portobello, primavera, tomato
Ever since I had my first taste of garlic scape pesto last summer, I have been obsessed. I couldn’t wait for garlic scape season to roll around so that I could make more pesto. So, as soon as I found a stand at the farmer’s market that had bunches of garlic scapes, I stocked up…
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It’s been downright chilly around here lately. Granted, it’s not nearly as cold as it is in Boston, Chicago, or Minneapolis… But, it has been cold!
So, when I have been thinking about what to make for dinner each night, soup is constantly the first thing that comes to my mind. I guess that it’s handy that soup is the theme for this month’s Kitchen Bootcamp challenge!
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Tags: #KitchenBootcamp, chicken, garlic, Italian, kale, Kitchen Bootcamp, oregano, parmigiano reggiano, roast, sausage, soup, thyme, tomato, white bean
Are you a leftovers fan? I’m not. Not at all.
There’s just something that happens to leftovers once they enter my refrigerator. They change somehow and become completely inedible to me. It happens with even my favorite foods… They enter the “cold zone” and are never the same.
I don’t like to be wasteful, though… And, I also bad making my husband eat all of the leftovers (though, he doesn’t have the same issues that I have). So, I tend to re-purpose my leftovers. For reasons I can’t understand, when I view leftovers as ingredients instead of just food to be reheated, I have no trouble using them up. It makes no sense, I realize.
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Tags: easy, Grana Padano, leeks, leftovers, parmigiano reggiano, prosciutto, simple, soup, sweet potato, Thanksgiving, yam
Do you ever start to tire of certain items in your CSA box from week to week?
Though I always do my best to find creative uses for all of the produce that we get each week, this year I have definitely started to have my fill of a few things – especially mini orange peppers and collard greens. I’ve never been much of a greens person, so that’s always one of my big CSA challenges. We get kale, chard, collards, and lots of varieties of lettuce. While they may all be good for me, I have to admit that I usually end up going back to the same things over and over when it comes to cooking with them.
One of my tried and true flavor combinations for greens is to pair them with spicy Italian sausage. I know I’m not the first person to utilize that flavor combo and I’m certain that I won’t be the last, either. Though I have revisited the flavors a few times (like this butternut quiche a few weeks ago…), I do try to find ways to incorporate the flavors into new dishes.
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It feels good to finally get around to writing this blog post! I originally intended to post this recipe last Thursday, but life got in the way.
I will admit that I am not always the best at coping with the curve balls that live throws at me. In fact, I am often prone to getting caught up in the drama and getting myself worked up and overwhelmed. But, in the end, things always seem to work out and I get through. So, at this point, I’m trying to put last week behind me and move forward. The first step? Finally forcing myself to sit down and write this blog post!
Last week before my week went haywire, I made this spaghetti squash dish. I saw the cutest little spaghetti squash at the store, and I knew I just had to have it. I didn’t really have any grandiose plans for the squash, but I knew I’d come up with something… I was betting on the fact that inspiration would strike eventually, and it finally did.
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