Summer Sausage Creole

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One of my favorite one-pot wonder meals is this hearty sausage creole. It’s thick, spicy, and smoky and serves great with a side of freshly grilled summer corn, boiled red potatoes and steamy rice mixed right into the stew. The simplicity in this dish is finding a great creole seasoning spice mix you can keep stocked up in your pantry, like Cajun’s Choice or Old Bay Seasoning. This is a great “base” dish that can easily be developed into a Cajun meal served with a cold beer, so don’t be afraid to try different hot sauces or proteins to create your own signature style! I tend to use Field Roast plant-based sausages which crispy up nicely and have a variety of sweet and savory flavors that add a smoky depth to the dish, but any sausage of your choice would work well in this simple meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 14 oz can kidney beans, drained
  • 1 lb (or package) sausage of choice, cut into slices
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 TB creole seasoning
  • 2 TB olive oil
  • 1/4 lemon
  • 1/2 cup parsley, diced
  • Salt and pepper to flavor
  • Hot sauce of choice to flavor

In a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion, peppers and celery in olive oil over medium heat until vegetables are tender and the sausages are browned and crispy. Next add diced tomatoes and kidney beans and toss to combine. Stir in your creole seasoning and mix. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. You can add more creole seasoning, salt and pepper, and hot sauce to flavor. Serve with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

French Summer Bistro Salad

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Nothing says al fresco dining than a classic French bistro salad featuring a combination of leafy lettuces topped with a light tangy dressing and served with creamy poached eggs or warm quiche on the side! This beautiful and inspired summer salad features just four simple ingredients that are complex in flavor and vibrant in color and texture. Delicate frisee, peppery radicchio, thinly sliced fennel, and hints of bright fresh mint are tossed with a zesty lemon vinaigrette, making for an elegant brunch side dish or main staple for your evening picnic at the park. It pairs perfectly with assorted cheeses, sliced fruit, eggs, crusty French bread, and a clink of wine or champagne to enhance your tasteful meal that everyone is sure to devour. A votre sante!

Ingredients

  • ½ fennel bulb, stalks and base removed and slivered into very thin half moons
  • 4 cups chopped radicchio
  • 5 cups frisee (or curly endive lettuce)
  • ½ cup French mint leaves, torn into small pieces

Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Juice of ¼ lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Mix salad ingredients together in large salad bowl. In a small side bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside on the counter for 1 hour prior to allow time for shallots to marinate. Toss salad well with vinaigrette when ready to serve.

Photos from a recent visit to Mackinac Island, Michigan with my mom… my first vacation in years!

Creamy Miso Tahini Ramen

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With the recent turn in cold weather following the first day of Spring, I was craving a hot bowl of soup rich in Asian flavors. This savory miso tahini broth absolutely nailed it! Tahini has this creamy nutty sesame flavor that marinates into a delicate creamy soup base enhanced by the salty miso paste without adding any cream or butter. A fresh array of roasted shiitake, oyster and baby bell mushrooms add a deep umami earthy flavor. If you don’t have the Japanese seasoning nori fumi furikake, it is an absolute must have for your spice cabinet that contains toasted sesame seeds, nori seaweed bits, salt, sugar, and miso powder that adds authentic Japanese flavors to any dish. Stir in a simple block of ramen noodles right from the packet before serving, or for a low carb and low calorie version try shiratake noodles which are readily available at in the refrigerated section near the tofu. Top with sliced hard boiled eggs for serving. This really is a truly no-fail recipe that will impress your family with endless possibilities for ramen night!

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups of vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 3 TB white miso paste
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds of mixed mushrooms, roughly torn or chopped (I used shiitake,
  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 2 cups bok choy, chopped
  • 4 – 6 hard boiled eggs
  • 1 block of tofu, cubed
  • Furikake seasoning, or use a scissors and cut up a sheet of maki seaweed for topping
  • Sliced carrots and green onions, for serving
  • Asian chili paste, optional

In a large soup pot, combine the broth with water, soy sauce, vinegar, tahini, miso paste, ginger and garlic. Set over medium heat, then bring to simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, toss your your mushrooms in 1 TB olive oil and roast at 400 degree for 20 minutes. Add mushrooms and tofu to soup and simmer another 10 minutes, then add ramen noodles to broth and let simmer another 3-4 minutes. Stir in spinach and bok choy, then serve immediately topped with eggs, sliced carrots, green onions, furikake, and Asian chili paste. I also added air fried tofu and hard boiled eggs for protein. Even my kids loved this!!

Roasted Cauliflower with Herb Tahini

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Ingredients

  • 1 head of cauliflower, leaves removed and bottom trimmed
  • 1 – 15 oz can of chickpeas
  • ½ cup green olives
  • 2 TB olive oil
  • 1 TB paprika
  • 1 TB cumin
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ cup of slivered almonds

Herb Tahini

  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 cup fresh parsley and cilantro combined
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 – 5 TB water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Slice the cauliflower into ½’’ slices down the middle (rather than in florets) and place flat on a nonstick sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and coat generously with paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder. Roast in oven 25-3 minutes. While roasting, mix the chickpeas and green olives in a separate bowl and set aside. These will be served fresh, not roasted. Meanwhile toss your raw slivered almonds in a nonstick pan on medium heat, turning frequently for about 4-5 minutes until golden brown then remove to cool. The herb tahini sauce can easily be prepared in a food processor or Vitamix by combining all ingredients and blending until it is smooth and creamy with a vibrant green color. This sauce will last all week in the fridge and makes a great marinade or dressing. Once the cauliflower is browned and crispy on the bottom, remove from oven and arrange on your serving platter. Pour your chickpea olive mixture over the top, sprinkle with some fresh parsley, then top with your crunchy pan roasted almonds. These add an unexpected nutty bite to the creamy herb dressing and the sweet roasted cauliflower – a perfect vegetable side dish or main attraction!

Here are cats in the winter:

Gracious and Kind

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Last week I visited Costco for the first time in over a year. As I pulled in to the packed parking lot late on a Saturday morning I immediately regretted my decision and developed a paralyzing sense of agoraphobia. For those of us that have been holed up online shopping for the past year, this reaction should be expected and the notion of “exposure therapy” came to mind. My mantra today was to be gracious and kind as I maneuvered through the manic highway of Costco shopping carts that simultaneously drive at full speed AND park in both directions of the main aisles. So I parked the end of the lot, masked up, and set out to navigate the sea of tantalizing packaged goods.

After a fruitful hour, I proudly pulled up to the check-out aisles, arriving at the same exact moment another woman with her two young daughters pulled up to the same spot from another direction. I said I was waiting in line to check-out, and she quickly shouted “NO you weren’t I was here FIRST!” and then pushed her cart closer to push mine out of the way. Gracious and kind. Gracious and kind. Deep breath. I asked her to move up then so I could pass to another line on the side. “OOOH” she continued. “Nope. I’m not gonna move for you.” The way she snapped and stared at me with those piercing eyes in her tight pink jogger shorts, white sneakers and white fitted hoodie as her two pretty little girls watched on. The way she held up her pointer finger and punctuated “not gonna move FOR YOU” in this decisive and precise moment of putrid hate. I immediately regretted my mantra. “It’s common courtesy, you know?” I said, raising my voice a little. “You’re blocking the aisle” I pointed to an elderly couple trying to push through to the vitamin aisle from behind her. They were watching me with pleading eyes. It was like Disneyland on Christmas Day but with no joy. “Go around the aisle!” she said to me, pushing her cart to block me even more, but this was said loud enough so the elderly couple behind her sadly pushed their cart backwards for a long way to get and around another aisle before disappearing into the abyss.

I swiftly jumped to an opening in an aisle that suddenly shortened to my left, defiantly keeping my back to her even as I awkwardly held two large storage bins in my left arm held up with my knee while pushing a cart full of groceries with just my right hand. If I’m going to go down, I’m going to do it with a dancer’s ease. But before I knew it I was already putting my items down and swiping my credit card and she hadn’t even moved one inch in her line. “Mommmyyyyyy!” I heard one of her girls whine. “She’s checking out before us!” I could feel the searing heat on my back. I heard this above all the noise of the cashiers beeping and the chip bags rustling and the credit card swiping and the shopping carts rattling and the hundreds of voices in the cafe ordering pizza. I finished checking out in silent victory and I looked back to give her a quick shrug and a smile. Gracious and kind, right?

GREEK BLACK LENTILS

Lentils are an excellent pantry staple because they are quick-cooking and work well in almost any type of cuisine. Beluga lentils, also known as black lentils, have a shiny round black shape that often remind people of caviar but with a delicate earthy flavor and are an excellent source of protein. This dish combines the Mediterranean flavors of a vibrant Greek salad with earthy lentils with and is finished with a sunny and bright lemon and mint dressing. This is a hearty dish for Fall that lasts all week in the fridge.

Salad Ingredients

  • 2 cups beluga cooked lentils
  • 1 (14-oz) can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • ½ seedless cucumber, diced in quarters with skin on
  • ½ pint of cherry tomatoes, diced in half
  • ½ cup chopped parsley 
  • ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, whole
  • ½ cup fresh feta cheese

Mint Lemon Dressing

  • Juice from 2 large lemons
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (flavored oils make a great addition to this dressing)
  • 3 TB fresh mint, diced
  • Salt and pepper to taste 

Bring a medium pot of water to boil then and add lentils. Turn down to medium heat and cook for 25 – 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain and let cool to room temperature. In a large serving bowl, add salad ingredients to lentils, then pour the dressing over and toss to mix. Let salad rest for 30 minutes before serving to allow the lentils to soak up the flavors. 

Farmer’s Market Farro Salad

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There is something magical about shopping for farm-fresh produce, cheeses, baked goods, and flowers from your local farmer’s market, and now is truly the best time of year to explore these markets and road-side stands because there is such an enormous bounty of produce in season. I love a no-lettuce salad, and this simple Farmer’s Market Farro Salad combines the flavors of warm grilled vegetables, salty olives, fresh sweet peaches, and tangy citrus dressing. Farro is my favorite quick-cook grain as it’s high in fiber, protein, and nutrients and has a delightfully chewy and nutty flavor that makes it ideal for warm or cold recipes. This dish is highly adaptable depending on whatever ingredients you pick up at the market, so don’t be afraid to experiment with produce and herbs and throw in what you have! 

SALAD INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound of Farro, cook al dente according to package in a medium pot or rice cooker (typically 10-15 minutes)
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained
  • 3 cups mixed grilled vegetables (this week I used eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, asparagus)
  • 1 cup mixed pitted kalamata and green olives
  • 1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 TB fresh parsley, diced
  • 2 peaches, chopped
  • 1 TB extra virgin olive oil

DRESSING

  • 2 large lemons, juiced
  • 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 TB Dijon mustard 
  • ½ tsp maple syrup
  • ¼ tsp salt

Cook Farro according to package and then let cool to room temperature. Chop vegetables into 1” cubes and toss to coat with olive oil, then grill on a sheet pan in oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or grill over BBQ in large slices then chop smaller once fully cooked. Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add warm vegetables, fresh peaches, chickpeas, and parsley to a large bowl with Farro, drizzle with dressing then toss well with to coat. Serve immediately, and salt to taste.

We celebrated our 13th anniversary last month with a museum visit to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit, vegan and fish sushi, cocktails, cupcakes and a hike!

Father’s Day with a back yard knight’s templar scavengar hunt and escape room activity! More fun for dad than kids methinks, but still a fun find on Etsy. Managed to find some to relax and in the heat.

Roasted Corn and Snap Pea Salad

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These last few weeks have brought a lot of emotional milestones to our lives. Last day of school. First time eating at a restaurant. Good-byes to friends who are moving, but also hellos to family we haven’t seen in 15 months. And also… summer weather!

I would like to introduce you to my new favorite summer recipe that has been buzzing around the internet lately – the Roasted Corn and Snap Pea Salad. This addictive and versatile dish can be whipped up in less than 10 minutes for a quick and easy standalone meal or served as the perfect side dish to your summer BBQ. Warm sweet roasted corn, cool and crunchy snap peas, and salty feta are all combined with a lush orange citrus vinaigrette that demands you sit outside and bask in that summer garden sun! This easy recipe is full of unexpected flavors and will quickly become your new go to shareable summer salad.

Salad Ingredients 

  • 2 ears of corn
  • 1 bag of sugar snap peas, sliced
  • ½ cup crumbled feta
  • 1 TB olive oil

Vinaigrette

  • Juice of 1 naval orange OR 2 mandarin oranges
  • 1/8 cup champagne vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 TB olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Slice snap peas taken fresh from refrigerator and place in a salad bowl. Using a knife, remove kernels from the fresh corn cob and sauté in pan on medium heat with olive oil, turning constantly until slightly caramelized. Alternatively, you can grill the corn, carefully turning until fully toasted and then slice off cooked kernels. Add warm corn kernels to the snap peas and top with the crumbled feta. In a small bowl, whisk together the champagne vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, and garlic, then toss salad to coat with the vinaigrette. Top with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper and serve fresh.

  • Chef Everett makes rice and tofu (with sous chef Dad) for family dinner night.
  • Illustrated menu included.

Pomegranate Mint Citrus Salad

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Pomegranates represent eternal life and fertility in ancient Greek and Roman mythology, but over the centuries this divine red fruit has also come to symbolize power in cultures across the globe. Today, pomegranates play an important role in Middle Eastern and even Chinese cuisine and their juices have been used in everything from Oriental carpet dyes to the Indian Ayurveda system of traditional medicine because of their rich vitamin and antioxidant healing properties. Pomegranates are even consumed during the Jewish New Year as the fruit supposedly contains the mystical number of 613 seeds corresponding with the commandments in the Torah. With all this rich history of symbolism throughout history, this often underrated fruit also happens to add a delightfully sweet and tart crunchy bite to any dish. You may want to double up on ingredients if you are serving a crowd!


INGREDIENTS:
1 ruby red grapefruit
1 navel orange
1 blood orange
2 clementines
1 handful of fresh mint leaves, diced with a few sprigs for serving
¼ cup of chopped pistachios, unshelled and salted
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
2 TB honey

Working with one fruit at a time, slice into 1/4’’ thick rounds, discarding the top and bottom and
trimming off the peels with a sharp knife to remove all the bitter white pith. Arrange these rounds into a colorful overlapping pattern on a platter, then drizzle with honey and sprinkle with pistachios, pomegranate seeds, mint, and salt. Chill in fridge for about an hour before serving.

Polenta and White Beans with Homemade Marinara

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Polenta is an Italian dish that refers to the traditional preparation of coarse ground cornmeal cooked
steadily over medium heat into a mildly creamy porridge. It is typically made fresh, but if you’ve ever
wondered about those polenta rolls sold in grocery stores I am here to tell you that they are marvelous
and will quickly become your new favorite staple in the kitchen. Because they are pre-cooked, you
simply slice and reheat by roasting, sautéing or even grilling to caramelize the outside and then pair with
any sauce that you would otherwise throw on pasta.


The secret of this rustic yet sophisticated Polenta with White Beans and Homemade Marina dish is the
dreamy marinara that is full of vibrant tomato flavors and made with only five simple ingredients. Best
of all you can add in any grilled vegetables or protein of your choice to the polenta base for a new twist
on Italian night.

INGREDIENTS

1 tube of polenta

  • 14-oz can cannellini beans
  • 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved
  • 2 large garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
  • 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 handful of fresh basil or parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

In medium saucepan combine the entire can of tomatoes along with the halved onion, garlic cloves, 2 TBS olive oil and oregano. Bring the sauce to a bubble then turn down to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the entire onion after 30 minutes and discard or reserve for another recipe. Use a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes and smash the garlic cloves against the side of the pot.  This should result in a slightly chunky and flavorful sauce. Add salt to taste. Meanwhile, slice the tube of polenta cut into ½ ‘’ rounds. Preheat large pan on medium heat, add the remaining 2 TB olive oil and cook polenta rounds 4-5 minutes per side until soft and golden.  Serve warm polenta rounds on a plate then spoon over the homemade marinara and top it off with white beans, freshly diced basil or parsley, and parmesan cheese.

At Home

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As we come up on the one-year anniversary of being at home during this pandemic I have a lot to reflect on. These past twelve months we have chosen to not dine at restaurants, travel, go to the grocery store regularly, participate in camp, in-person school, after school activities, social outings or even pods.

This meant that, like many others, my “me time” at the nail salon, hair salon, and gym went away. It meant no longer attending or hosting birthday parties or holidays. It has meant essentially being parents, teachers AND friends to our children. So our days are very very long. But we are incredibly fortunate we have maintained our full-time jobs and have the ability to work from home.

With every challenge and pushback along the way, there also presented a new opportunity. This year has meant learning to love and honor myself differently, to enjoy my quiet time. And for the four of us to downsize those celebrations and enjoy each others company. It’s given us all a laser focus on how to simplify and enjoy what we do have. My husband I have a ritual now of drinking too much during happy hour by our fireplace and decompressing from the day. We also all happen to like each other so I guess we were willing to push that boundary as far as we could.

Being home also meant recognizing when our fourth grader’s mental health was struggling with virtual learning and withdrawing him from public school and switching to homeschool. This has enabled him to drive his own curiosity and excel at academics. And I have a much greater appreciation for teachers and curriculum planning! These last two months we did hire an-home tutor to ensure our second grader catches up to his reading and math grade level, which is of course a sign of privilege that we can afford to do this. We’ve had a few play dates with a wonderful family who are in the same boat as we are but unfortunately live over an hour away, so visits are scarce but our boys enjoy the ease of their online gaming and we have thankfully maintained their friendship.

I say all this not as a point of pride or even contention, but as a reflection on just how much has truly changed for all of us this past year and how we have adapted. It still surprises me.

But today I feel sad. My biggest lesson has been acknowledging that not every day is great. The sunshine is out, the snow is melting, my house is clean and my fridge is full. I’m not wanting for anything. And yet there is sadness. For my children growing up without seeing family for a year. For the things that are out of my control. And for the things that are in my control, wondering whether I’m doing it right, or enough, and also not wanting to be vulnerable enough to hear people’s criticism – of which there is PLENTY.

Let’s let this pandemic anniversary be a recognition of all we’ve learned, gained, and how we’ve changed forever. How we can come together while being apart. Many have suffered greatly this year from the pandemic, natural disasters, domestic violence, lack of education and work. This year ahead will be a year of healing for many. So for today, I focus on gratitude. And I will enjoy my day at home.