Shrimp Pasta with Kale and Garlic (gluten-free)

Outside it was still raining.  Still. Raining.  When I see the sunshine again, I am going to kiss it – it has been away far too long!  In the meantime, dinner is limited to what I can find in the recesses of the freezer.  Shrimp looks good!  What else do we have – lots and… Continue reading Shrimp Pasta with Kale and Garlic (gluten-free)

Pan-Seared, Blackened Flounder

The secrets to a really tasty piece of blackened fish are 1) a really tasty Creole seasoning, and 2) not overcooking the fish.  I use a slightly modified version of  Emeril’s recipe for Creole Seasoning – because he should know, right?  The seasoning is easy to make fresh with your own spices, and it’s really… Continue reading Pan-Seared, Blackened Flounder

“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

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

Peppers Stuffed with Curried Beef

I am overly fond of martabak, a savory, meat-stuffed pancake that one of our nearby Thai restaurants has on the appetizer menu.  It is meaty and a little spicy, with curry, minced onions, and garlic… and wholly addictive.  I’m not sure where this treat originates – according to Wikipedia it can be commonly found in… Continue reading Peppers Stuffed with Curried Beef

Summer Squash Casserole with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Our good-gardener, neighbor Mike brought us some beautiful pattypan squash from his garden, and also a package of heirloom tomatoes that he had sun-dried and put up from another year’s bounty.  I’m so glad I live near a generous person with a green thumb!  Mike suggested cooking the squash in a tomato sauce with some… Continue reading Summer Squash Casserole with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Sirloin Tip Steak with Harissa Marinade

Silly me, I made the mistake of assuming the grocery store would be open on Sunday, as usual.  Rediscovering that it was Easter meant that dinner plans had to be changed, subject to rescuing something from our freezer.  (Maybe there’s an analogy to be made, but I won’t go there.)  In the recesses of the… Continue reading Sirloin Tip Steak with Harissa Marinade

Clams in Wine, Garlic and Herb Broth

Over the last decade (or two), I seem to have developed quite an aversion to crowds of people.  The feeling of being hemmed in, the annoyance of trying to get where I’m going while people stand obliviously in the center of the walkway, frustration with children running over you while their self-adsorbed parents text and… Continue reading Clams in Wine, Garlic and Herb Broth

Oven Barbequed Chicken

…and a product review for Bone Suckin’ Sauce! I love bbq chicken on the grill – especially the bits of crispy skin with sauce, blackened with caramelized sugar from the flames.  However some days grilling outdoors just isn’t going to happen, for instance when the cold winter wind is blowing rain.  Brrr!  Thankfully,  pretty-fine barbeque… Continue reading Oven Barbequed Chicken

Baked Flounder with Lemon-Pepper Seasoning

I grew up eating a lot of flounder – – fried.  Served with fried shrimp and fried hushpuppies.  (If you don’t know hushpuppies, you surely haven’t eaten at a fish shack or BBQ joint in North Carolina.  I love hushpuppies – and I hope I can figure out some gluten-free way way of making them… Continue reading Baked Flounder with Lemon-Pepper Seasoning

Grilled Lemon-Pepper Chicken Wings

In my humble opinion, chicken wings are good any time of the day or night.  You can have them as appetizers, set them out as party food, or make a complete meal of them for dinner.  If there are any leftover (rarely), I will eat them for breakfast!  We were having a craving for the… Continue reading Grilled Lemon-Pepper Chicken Wings

Red Curry Poached Cod

Sometimes dinner is born from what’s on special at the market – and often those dishes turn out to be the most interesting because they are unplanned and must be created from ingredients you have on hand.  We try to have some type of seafood at least once a week, and this week Whole Foods… Continue reading Red Curry Poached Cod

Paprika-Cumin Marinated Sirloin Steak and Medley of Roasted Squash

Adapted from How to Cook Meat Last week we splurged and ordered 40 pounds of grass-fed, grass-finished Angus beef for the freezer.  If you recall, I had to do a major freezer clean-out to accommodate the giant beef back ribs I had previously ordered.  I don’t know how, but we managed to squeeze almost all… Continue reading Paprika-Cumin Marinated Sirloin Steak and Medley of Roasted Squash