What is more American and comforting – especially on a cold winter’s day – then tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches? But this is no ordinary tomato soup. It starts by making my stellar marinara sauce (so actually it’s 2 recipes in one) then liquifying it with broth, and bringing the flavor and texture over […]
Archive | lunch
How to Clean, Stuff and Eat an Artichoke
The artichoke is a vegetable that many people love but have little idea what to do with. Maybe it’s because it can be tough to get the tough leaves tender. Or maybe, unless you’re shown how to prepare them, cleaning and cooking fresh artichokes lacks an easy, intuitive response. When it comes to handling the […]
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes topped with Black Beans
It’s the season, once again, for sweet potatoes, and we never tire of good ways to cook this delicious vegetable. These stuffed sweet potatoes can be served for lunch or brunch or as a sweet side to dinnertime meals. Even finicky kids who don’t like to eat their veggies will love this dish, as sweet […]
Pan Fried Polenta with Sautéed Mushroom
Growing up, I thought polenta was strictly an Italian peasant dish. Later, I discovered that it was the darling of chic restaurants everywhere. But it’s just cornmeal, a common staple of nearly every ethnic group across the globe from Africa to Asia, Europe to South America and the American South (where it’s used to make […]
Vegetable Napoleon – Family Style
Normally I make this dish as individual servings which can be quite elegant for a dinner party. This time however I wanted to make it family style so that it would be easier to feed a number of people at the same time. I made this for a summertime girls night in. I grilled the […]
Swiss Chard Salad – Mediterranean Style
When it comes to healthy greens, it seems like kale is still the darling. And in all the hoopla it’s easy to overlook it’s colorful cousin…swiss chard, which is actually a member of the beet family and is rich in vitamins A K and C as well as minerals, fiber and protein. Chard, which comes […]
An Easy Crazy Good Veggie Burger
A few years ago I worked for a friend who has an awesome organic cafe. Together, we embarked on a quest to create the ultimate veggie burger and yielded great success. However, this tasty little meatless burger was so time-consuming that it never really took off until my time at that cafe was over. These days, since […]
Sautéed Succulent Shrimp Rolls
I was out of ideas as to what to make for dinner the other night. But then I remembered the amazing lobster rolls from my recent trip to Block Island (a small island off the coast of Rhode Island). As good as a lobster roll can be, many are loaded with mayonnaise which I think […]
Sweet Potato Cakes
Growing up, I knew we were in for a treat when my mother made potato cakes from leftover mashed potatoes. She had to hide them because they’d be gone in a nanosecond if she didn’t. I often made them for my own children, and at family gatherings someone always requests them, so this past weekend […]
A Simple Summer Salad
As much as I like cooking a fabulous meal to share with friends and family, there are many nights when I just don’t feel like messing around in the kitchen. I want to get dinner on the table fast … but it’s still has to be good. I found a great way to a quick […]
