Recipes »Roasted Branzino with Caper Butter

from Food & Wine

I always assumed roasting a whole fish would be some sort of ordeal outside my limited skills as a cook, but this Roasted Branzino with Caper Butter was super easy and beyond yummy.

With so few ingredients I was worried it might end up bland, but I can’t recommend this preparation enough!

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Posted on May 25, 2011

Recipes »Chicken Papaya Stir Fry

from Food and Wine

I make a lot of stir frys so finding this Chicken Papaya Stir Fry recipe was exciting for the list of unusual ingredients.

I wasn’t sure of the papaya and orange juice would make for a far too sweet dish, but with the salty seasonings and poblanos, they were mellow and delicious.

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Posted on May 22, 2011

Recipes »Scallion Crusted Artic Char

from Epicurious

I know that slathering mayonnaise on food doesn’t appeal to everyone and I admit this turned out looking a little more like a burnt marshmallow than I expected, but I promise this simple three ingredient Scallion Crusted Arctic Char is delicious.

I found the recipe on epicurious after seeing an Iron Chef char battle and wanting to prepare the salmon and trout like fish.

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Posted on May 6, 2011

Recipes »Gai Pad Krapow

from Serious Eats

This excellent and affordable recipe for Gai Pad Krapow, also known as Thai Basil Chicken is totally superb!

The rice, the fish sauce, the basil and the fried egg combines to create a very complex but well balanced dish.

No one would believe how easily it all comes together. This is one I’ll bookmark to make over and over in the future.

Thanks again, Serious Eats.

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Posted on April 30, 2011

Recipes »Spaghetti with Ground Lamb and Spinach

from Food & Wine

This Lamb and Spinach Spaghetti recipe won rave reviews and even though I made a ton, not a strand of pasta was left. Lamb lends an earthy taste and makes for a much less greasy meal than if this called for ground beef. Sunny days are not quite here yet, so take advantage of heavy comfort food weather and make this delicious dish.

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Posted on April 13, 2011

Recipes »Crab Fried Rice

from Serious Eats

I love crab, I love fried rice, so this Crab Fried Rice recipe was a guaranteed hit in my house.

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Posted on April 6, 2011

Desserts,Recipes »Banana Pudding

from Allrecipes

We had lots of bananas in the house after learning they gave our little one gas (one night between was spent gently rubbing his tummy for about an hour). Now, we could do banana bread (and did with a few using that excellent Simply Recipes recipe I recommended) but once our friend Shaun mentioned Banana Cream Pies my mind wandered to less usual treats.

This easy no cook Banana Pudding recipe is classic Americana with it’s Jello pudding mix, Kool Whip, condensed milk and Nilla wafers – and, I imagine, not terribly good for us. But it tastes like the sweetness of carefree youth. I’m just glad we were able to share with friends because the recipe makes a small tub full!

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Posted on April 4, 2011

Recipes »Reuben Sandwich

From Simply Recipes

“Man, a Reuben sounds good” I thought to myself the other night and so I made one. A very good one I might add, partially due to the fact that our local Warsaw Bakery makes a killer loaf of rye and partially because this recipe calls for a quick home made dressing rather than the odd tasting stuff from the bottle.

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Posted on March 23, 2011

Recipes »Cajun Style Blackened Halibut, Collard Greens, Potato Gratin

from Epicurious and Martha

An evening at Astrid and Marcus’ always means we are in for a special meal. They have the patience and attention to detail to offer us friends restaurant quality food with the comfort of friendly gossip while eating off our laps and letting Van chill out on the rug.

Recently we were treated to the best collard greens I’ve ever had, a lovely kicked up blackened halibut and a refreshingly mild, lemony potato gratin. Smoky beers, great wine and a thinly sliced fennel salad (that has me wanting to buy a mandoline slicer) rounded out the delicious meal. Thanks guys, yummy and memorable as always.

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Posted on March 18, 2011

Recipes »Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

from Martha Stewart

Jim, if you can believe it, is trying to add more fruits and vegetables into our diet – yes, even the green ones.

So, I thought this simple, comforting stir fry of Beef and Broccoli from Martha would both fit the plan and warm our bellies.

It’s a mild recipe but not lacking in flavor. Just make sure to use tender cuts of beef and serve over brown rice.

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Posted on March 11, 2011

Recipes »Moqueca

from Simply Recipes

Jim and I were worried about blandness based on the simplicity of the ingredient list for this Brazilian Fish Stew, or Moqueca but they belie incredible flavor and one of the yummiest meals we’ve been surprised by in a while.

We used ingredients we already had on hand so we omitted the rice and cilantro.

This is one of those meals that impresses but actually takes very little effort. Another Simply Recipes gem.

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Posted on February 22, 2011

Desserts,Recipes »Blueberry Pie

from Simply Recipes

Another day, another berry pie. This time, it’s a Blueberry Pie with a hint of vanilla (my own addition to the recipe).

It may seem repetitive after having just made a Blackberry Pie (recipe also from Simply Recipes), but when you’re on to a good thing, why stop?

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Posted on February 16, 2011

Recipes »Homemade Ricotta

from the Barefoot Contessa

Another amazing homemade delicacy from Astrid – creamy, salty Ricotta. The recipe comes from Ina Garten and is far easier than you might imagine.

It puts the store bought stuff to shame and will impress any guests or family.

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Posted on February 16, 2011

Desserts,Recipes »Blackberry Pie

from Simply Recipes

I sometimes forget how easy it is to make a pie (well, with a pre-made crust at least) and with this Blackberry Pie from Simply Recipes, it’s easy to make it delicious as well.

Lemon zest, cinnamon, and almond extract add character to the flavor. Of course, this is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla.

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Posted on February 13, 2011

Recipes »30-Minute Turkey Chili

from the Food Network Kitchens

In a rare moment of culinary inspiration, Jim decided to whip up a pot of 30-Minute Turkey Chili. He must have been subconsciously influenced by the super bowl that was playing in most households other than our own.

While the idea of the recipe might lead you to imagine it is bland either because it uses turkey or takes so little time to make, hence possibly not allowing the flavors to “blend” like they usually would with chili, do not fret. I don’t know how, but this is exceptional.

We’re hoping it’s a bit better for us too, since we are craving it again already.

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Posted on February 8, 2011

Desserts,Recipes »Peat Scotch Truffles

To Die For

My friends are awesome and always bring great goodies to dinner parties, but Astrid really outdid herself with these Peat Scotch Truffles.

She used this earl grey recipe as a basis but used the Peat Scotch in place of tea.

It’s a very sophisticated taste, that is at once chocolatey and boldly smokey (the signature flavor of Peat Scotch). It’s almost jarring at first taste, then quickly becomes addictive.

Having a packet of these in the fridge is proving to be dangerous. Dangerously delicious.

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Posted on February 7, 2011

Desserts,Recipes »Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips

from Simply Recipes

Finally! An excellent banana bread recipe!

While I had some luck with a fancy lemon glazed coconut version a while back, I have struck out twice in the last year with banana bread.

I gave it one last chance tonight facing a few over ripe bananas and decided to wisely go to one of my favorite recipe sources, Simply Recipes this time.

Well, the third time’s a charm – this Basic Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips is sweet, moist, and pretty perfect.

The chocolate is my own addition, and I added a handful of chips after adding and mixing in the flour. You can adjust and add to your own taste (maybe some coconut, walnuts, cinnamon?)

It’s really simple and there’s no need for any mixers beyond your own hands and a wooden spoon.

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Posted on January 31, 2011