Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a traditional French recipe, usually served as a side dish. It’s really great for summer because most of the veggies used are in season! There are a few “correct” ways to make Ratatouille. Julia Child, for example, uses a layering approach, where the eggplant and zucchini are sautéed separately, while the tomatoes, onion, garlic and bell peppers are made into a sauce. The veggies are then layered in a casserole dish and baked. I chose to follow more of Joël Robuchon’s method, where everything is combined in a large pot and simmered.
Ratatouille
I was particularly excited to make ratatouille because I am planning a trip to France this year! I can’t wait to try some fresh ratatouille at a French cafe, right after I have some crepes, of course.
Garbanzo Salad
Alright, summer is here. The thermometer has reached 3 digits today! Any and all of my plans to use the oven has gone out the window! It’s time to utilize the barbecue and eat cold salads, sandwiches and fruit smoothies all the time.
Here is a recipe for an easy garbanzo bean salad. It’s served cold, it’s great for hot days and it makes excellent leftovers! I eat this for lunch by itself or put a couple scoops over a bed of spinach for a salad with more greens.
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Chicken Piccata
Chicken Piccata is a traditional Italian dish that has amazing wine and lemon flavors and is pretty easy to prepare. The word “piccata” means a method of preparing food: meat is sliced, coated with flour, sautéed in oil and served in a sauce. It kind of reminds me of the German dish, Schnitzel. I whipped this up the other day and I had to make it again today so that I could take pictures and share the delicious recipe with you!
There are many variations of this dish, I used cooking sherry in this recipe, rather than a dry white wine like so many recipes call for. You can find cooking sherry in any regular grocery store. It will most likely be near the balsamic and vinegars.
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Tropical Turkey Burgers
Are you tired of the same plain old turkey burgers like we are? Well it’s time to get crazy. We wanted something “different” for dinner the other day and this tropical turkey burger was just the thing we were craving. The meat patty is mixed with mango, garlic and jalepeno and it’s topped with a grilled pineapple slice and homemade mango salsa. We ate it over fresh spinach but I’ll bet this would be GREAT on a fresh onion burger bun as well.
This turkey burger is one of those meals that looks all fancy when it’s on the plate but it’s actually pretty easy to make. I prepared everything on the stove top in my kitchen. You can also take my recipe for two (below) and double or triple it for a great barbecue party food! Read more…
Irish Soda Bread: Video
Irish Soda Bread is my absolute favorite kind of bread to make! To be honest, it’s super easy to make, that’s why it’s my favorite. It is not made with yeast and it does not require time for rising. This is the kind of bread any non-baker can be proud of!
Soda bread is a traditional item on the menu around Saint Patrick’s day, but it’s so good, you can make it anytime of the year! It has a noticeable caraway seed flavor and the raisins add just a touch of sweetness. It goes great as a side dish at dinner or by itself for breakfast.
Check out my latest video about how to make Irish Soda Bread. You can find the full recipe for Irish Soda Bread here.
This is episode number two of my cooking series. (If you missed the first one, you can find it here: It’s about Waldorf Chicken Salad). I hope you enjoy! Stay tuned for more cooking videos in the near future.
Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich
Use avocado instead of mayonaise for a healthier egg salad sandwich!
I’m back! I haven’t posted a new recipe on this blog for a while… Work and vacations and other time-consuming projects have been keeping me busy. It’s not that I haven’t been cooking, I’ve just been cooking a lot of my own recipes that have already been shared, hehe!
I felt that it was appropriate to post an egg recipe on Easter Sunday. You can’t let all of those hard boiled eggs go to waste! Luckily, egg salad sandwiches make for a really good lunch. Especially when you make avocado egg salad sandwiches (avocado makes EVERYTHING better).
This is a super easy recipe that takes no time to make. Enjoy! Read more…
Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Leeks
Bacon. ’nuff said.
I love a good meal with bacon in it, although I wouldn’t call myself a crazy fan, like some people out there. Although I have been using it in my cooking more often recently. Bacon really does add amazing flavor to things like chili, soups and omelets (and Matt is definitely not complaining).
This particular meal is one I would make on special occasions- it’s really easy to make but extremely filling and involves a lot of bacon. And with that said, I dedicate this dish to all you bacon lovers out there.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken and Leeks
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Leeks
- About 8 strips of bacon
- Olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon thyme
- Pepper
To Do:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice the light green part of the leeks (discard the dark green section) into thin rounds.
- Line a baking dish with foil, leaving extra foil on both sides (you will soon cover the leeks with foil as they bake).
- Toss the sliced leeks, thyme, pepper, and a splash of olive oil into the lined baking pan. Stir until the seasonings and oil are spread out.
- Season the chicken breasts with pepper and wrap them in about 4 strips of bacon each (depending on how big the pieces are).
- Lay the chicken on top of the leeks.
- Curl the extra foil over the leeks so they don’t burn while baking.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Serve the chicken on top of the leeks and enjoy!
