Spiced Pork & Chickpea Stew
February 26, 2011
Soups and stews are great for an easy, worry-free dinner. All you need to do is combine the ingredients and let the pot work its magic. If you have other things to do, or don’t feel like slaving over your stove, I highly recommend making a soup or stew. Me being the spice lover that I am, I like to go buck wild when making mine. You would have to add a LOT of spices to mess up… When in doubt always give it an extra shake. It is also important to taste along the way with soups and stews as well though, just in case the flavor needs to be adjusted. I usually try to wait until the end before adding any salt.
This stew is healthy and delicious. If you were a fan of my Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup, I suggest making this one as well. Many pork stew recipes use hominy, but I opted for using chickpeas because they are packing with nutrients and are much healthier than a corn based product. If you like your stew spicier, add a bit of cayenne pepper to this recipe. This is great serves with a toasted loaf of French bread.
Balsamic Glazed Carrots
February 21, 2011
Do you ever get that feeling where all you want to do for dinner is grill a steak and microwave a potato? Sometimes simple is better, but you don’t have to sacrifice flavor! This recipe is a simple way to add a little extra flavor for those days when your motivation is lacking. It is quick, easy and healthy!
Throwback Thursday: Baked Salmon Filets w/ Tomato Coulis
February 10, 2011
I want to begin this week’s Throwback Thursday by thanking all of my followers, especially anybody who was reading my blog at the time when I originally posted this on Tumblr. I have come a long way in a short time; I am officially a featured publisher on FoodBuzz!
This recipe was one of the first things I made after beginning my weekly cooking lessons with my mom this past fall. It is easy to make and teaches you some culinary basics, such as blanching and peeling tomatoes to make a concasse. This dish is one of my favorite go-to recipes for dinner with guests. It would also be a great surprise for your Valentine this Monday! 😉
Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash
February 8, 2011
I love exploring the flavors of foreign cuisines. Each country has their own unique way of doing things, that gives an exciting new twist to many foods. If you haven’t already, I highly suggest looking into the different flavors from around the world. I think that knowing different flavor combinations helps expand your cooking and keeps you from making the same dish over and over again.
This week I had some squash from my mom’s farm that needed to be used. I was in the mood for something a bit sweeter, so I decided on this Moroccan-style recipe. This dish has the perfect balance of sweet and savory. The raisins are a definite must, I even decided to add a few more to the recipe. It can also easily be made vegan/vegetarian by using vegetable broth and taking out the chicken. This recipe is simple to put together but looks sophisticated, a great idea for dinner guests.
Salmon in Lemon Brodetto w/ Pea Puree
January 23, 2011
I finally had a day off of work, which meant I could finally cook for me! After spending the day cooped up doing homework because of the blowing snow outside, I decided to make a semi-fancy dinner for myself as a reward for all of my hard work. =) This dish is plated kind of similar to the Cajun Salmon w/ Spicy Eggplant Salsa that I made a little while back, but has extremely different flavors. So, if that dish didn’t suit your taste, this one just might!
I have to say this might be one of the better things that I have tasted in a bit. The Lemon Brodetto gives the salmon a nice citrus kick and the pea puree tones it down with a rich flavor. I tweaked the original recipe, from FoodNetwork.com, and lowered the measurements for lemon juice. The lemon was just a tiny bit too strong with the original portions. I love how much flavor there is in this dish, plus it is super easy to make!
Chipotle-Lime Shrimp Taco Salad w/ Cilantro Vinaigrette
January 19, 2011
You know those nights when you have an entire meal planned out in advanced, but when dinner time roles around you just don’t feel like eating that oh-so-exciting dish? Well, last night was one of those nights. As delicious as sun-dried tomato and feta stuffed chicken sounded, I just wasn’t in the mood for those flavors. I wanted spice and citrus. I decided to save that for another night. Instead, this is what I came up with.
The cilantro vinaigrette pulls this dish together. It adds a nice tangy flavor that is a great compliment to the spicy shrimp. Roasting the tomatoes gives them move flavor and juice, making this recipe even more delicious! I was planning on eating this with guacamole and salsa, but tasted it and realized it didn’t need any additions and was perfect as is.
Green Garlic Risotto w/ Parmesan Crisps
January 9, 2011
Now that the new year has started, I’m sure many of you are trying to eat healthier. I have personally been trying to eat more vegetables in my meals. I recently came across this recipe on the Gourmet Traveler blog. It uses a huge amount of spinach, which was great for me since I have a giant Costco bag of spinach at the moment. On a less healthy note, the Parmesan crisps are to die for, but beware they are super addicting! I ate this with my Broiled Lemon and Garlic Shrimp.
Broiled Lemon & Garlic Shrimp
January 8, 2011
I love shrimp, but I feel like it is hard to find new recipes for shrimp so I am usually stuck making the same recipes over and over again. I liked this recipe because it was a bit different, even though it was just another lemon shrimp recipe. Broiling the shrimp gave it a different texture and kept the lemon and garlic flavor really strong. This recipe is quick and easy with great results, definitely one to try.
Cream of Asparagus Soup
January 4, 2011
This recipe is awesome, but is kind of like my lobster recipes in the sense that I cannot afford to make it all of the time, since asparagus is so expensive! I was lucky enough to go to Costco with my Mom this week though (I have the best Mom in the world!), which meant large quantities of asparagus. This soup was a hit among my friends this week, when the weather was well below zero for a few days. It is really good if you serve it with garlic bread!
Chicken Breasts w/ Roasted Red Peppers
December 15, 2010
It is that time of the year again… no not the holidays, the time when everybody you know is broke, waiting for their paycheck or other form of money to come in. A few friends and I wanted to make dinner together, but could not afford an extravagant meal this time. There are so many ways to dress up an ordinary chicken breast. This recipe (originally found on MyRecipes) is perfect for those days right before your paycheck comes in, costing less than $2 per serving!
