Are there foods that you suddenly have an powerful desire for? I’m sure this happens to us all, whether it is for chocolate fudge or Chex Mix (ahem). I wonder what drives those cravings. Is it simply the power of suggestion, or is there some physical or psychological need that is begging to be filled?… Continue reading Spring Rolls with “No-Peanut” Sauce
Category: Entrees
Chicken Tamale Casserole (with Roasted Tomatillo, Cilantro and Green Chile Sauce)
When we are in Santa Fe, I like to attempt at least one Southwestern-inspired dish, and with that, hopefully add an ingredient that is new to me. This recipe for Chicken Tamales sounded interesting and included tomatillos – a tart little tomato-like fruit that I have not cooked with before. However, I didn’t want to… Continue reading Chicken Tamale Casserole (with Roasted Tomatillo, Cilantro and Green Chile Sauce)
Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Breast
Outside of winter holidays, we rarely have turkey. For some reason, I never think about turkey – and for the two of us, even a small whole turkey is too much. A 2-3 pound turkey breast, however, is just right for a meal or two, plus a couple of sandwiches. I ordered this boneless, skinless… Continue reading Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Breast
Seared Tuna Steaks with Spicy No-Carb “Miracle” Noodles
Last week a wise reader alerted me to a zero carb, low-calorie noodle called “Shirataki de Konjac” – well, that’s what they are called in France. (Thanks, Donna!) I did a little research and found that shirataki are are thin, translucent, gelatinous noodles made from the konjac yam (also known as elephant yam or devil’s… Continue reading Seared Tuna Steaks with Spicy No-Carb “Miracle” Noodles
“Great Balls of Fire” Bourbon Mustard Sauce
Hat tip to Pork n Whiskey blog! Bourbon, mustard, and pork…great combination! Oh look, the recipe says to flambé the bourbon. “I can do that”, I think to myself. “This will make a great photo for the blog”, I tell James. I set my phone on the butcher block, in camera mode. I want to… Continue reading “Great Balls of Fire” Bourbon Mustard Sauce
Ground Pork with Spicy Thai Noodles
I love noodles, and I love peanut sauce. However trying to stick with a quasi-Paleo diet means eating no gluten and avoiding legumes, which knocks out a lot of noodle possibilities and also peanuts (which are legumes, not nuts). I’m not going to discuss why these common foods could be bad for you – there… Continue reading Ground Pork with Spicy Thai Noodles
Roasted Pork Shoulder with Winter Spices
Modified from The Splendid Table The traditional menu for New Year’s Day here in the Southeastern United States is pork, black-eyed peas, and greens. As the saying goes, “Eat poor on New Year’s and eat fat the rest of the year.” These foods are supposed to bring you prosperity in the coming year – the… Continue reading Roasted Pork Shoulder with Winter Spices
Honey Walnut Shrimp
My memory is not always the best. I often hear people reminiscing with such detail about their past – details that I can never muster from my foggy brain. What they wore on their first day of school, their thoughts on the first time they saw the ocean, where they were when they first heard… Continue reading Honey Walnut Shrimp
Pot Roast with Balsamic Onion Gravy
Recipe modified from For the Love of Cooking There were more important things to tend to than spending long hours in the kitchen – for that afternoon we were picking Brian up at the airport to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with us. It was also his first visit to what we hope will soon be… Continue reading Pot Roast with Balsamic Onion Gravy
Roasted Kabocha Orange Squash
So…I think there was something big going on in the last week and I never got around to posting about this delicious squash. Something about an election? Thank goodness that’s over! Last year I “discovered” delicata squash and I’ve been keeping an eye out for it at the market, but no luck so far. Time… Continue reading Roasted Kabocha Orange Squash
Shrimp Fritters aka Shrimp Puppies (gluten-free)
When shrimp meet hush puppies…. As I’ve mentioned before, I rarely fry anything. Me and a hot vat of oil just don’t get along. Every once in awhile, however, I get this craving for crispy battered objects and out comes the cast iron pan and the clip-on thermometer. Who doesn’t love fried shrimp…and who doesn’t… Continue reading Shrimp Fritters aka Shrimp Puppies (gluten-free)
Roasted Cauliflower Soup (gluten-free, dairy-free)
Inspiration: Puree of White Bean Soup from Brasserie le Coze This week I got a blender, a powerful one, something that incredulously was missing from my arsenal of cooking tools. I could not wait to take it for a spin. After making a couple of smoothies, I thought I had the hang of it. Let’s… Continue reading Roasted Cauliflower Soup (gluten-free, dairy-free)
Seared Sea Scallops with Fig-Balsamic Glaze
Scallops are simply wonderful for a quick meal – they only take a few minutes to cook and there are many simple ways to serve them. I love them seared and served on a bed of creamy risotto and roasted asparagus, with a trickle of balsamic glaze over the top. This is the essence of… Continue reading Seared Sea Scallops with Fig-Balsamic Glaze
Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes (gluten-free and grain-free)
Recipe from Nourishing Days Mr. “He Cleans” requested pancakes for breakfast this weekend, and I was happy to give them a try. I haven’t made pancakes since we went gluten-free and I wasn’t too sure how they would turn out. My experience with almond flour is that it holds up pretty good unless you get… Continue reading Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes (gluten-free and grain-free)
she cooks...he cleans 