My contract gig with POSSIBLE that turned into an extension for a month with Havas Worldwide has come to an end. I’m still looking for work, interviewing and even have some new clients for my career coaching side-gig. So I’m pretty busy but am home more during that day. What does that mean in my world? That I get to be creative in the kitchen. This fluffy, moist and lightened up Raspberry-Ricotta Cake was the perfect way for us to have something sweet while we’re generally trying to eat healthier. Continue reading
Category Archives: Recipes
Easy Salad Dressing Recipe: Orange-Ginger Vinaigrette
I’ve been experimenting with homemade salad dressings for a few years now and this has turned out to be my favorite. I love making my own salad dressing – it’s cheap and it’s fun to experiment with ingredients I have on-hand in my kitchen. I first made this as a dressing for some arugula that I was serving Thai-style fish cakes on. It ended up complimenting the dish so well that I worked to recreate it a few more times to get the ratios just right. Now we have it often and on all kinds of salads. It would even be great as a marinade for chicken or fish. Continue reading
Easy Refrigerator Pickles
Ah, summer produce. It’s here in all its glory and abundance. In past summers, I’ve had great success with cucumbers, often having many more at one time than we could eat. This summer is our first one with a garden at our new house, so it’s been a learning experience on what will grow, where the best sun is in our yard, etc. I’ve still gotten quite a few cucumbers from just a couple of plants but they’ve been very small. I don’t think they’re getting quite enough sun but they’re still tasty.
One of my favorite things to do with “too many” cucumbers to make refrigerator dill pickles. They keep in the fridge for a few months (but are generally best within the first few weeks) and are a great snack. I’ve experimented with a few different recipes and have finally put together the one that I think delivers the most crunch and flavor while being QUICK and EASY! Continue reading
Easy Hummus Recipe
I remember my very first time eating hummus. I was 13 years old and my mom had taken us to a Mediterranean restaurant called Aladdin’s. I remember loving to dip the soft, warm pita into the thick chickpea dip.
Hummus has been a consistent snack in my life since then but up until recently, I always purchased it pre-made from the grocery store. As it grew in popularity, it became more expensive and I found myself wanting to make my own to save money and also experiment with flavors.
After a couple of tries at roasted red pepper and jalapeno-cilantro, I realized I needed to master a good “plain” recipe. I experimented a bit and the final result is great – smooth, slightly tangy and always satisfying. Continue reading
Thai Coconut Curry Soup with Chicken Thighs, Mushrooms and Swiss Chard
Thai red curry, coconut milk, fresh vegetables and delicious spices combine with chicken thighs and homemade chicken stock to make this rich and satisfying soup. There are a lot of ingredients in here and so it does take a good bit of prep time but it’s worth it. Plus, it makes a lot so you’ll have leftovers!
My first two times making this soup I used fewer vegetables and served it over buckwheat noodles. It was good but I prefer it without the noodles and with more veggies. You can try it either way! Continue reading
Sweet and Sour Pork with Steamed Rice
I remember first falling in love with sweet and sour pork at a Chinese restaurant in London’s Chinatown. I loved the sticky, sweet and tangy sauce, the crispy pork, and the special treat of pineapple chunks. Comfort food at its finest.
Fast forward 10 years and my love for the dish remains, although I’m less enchanted with with the overly sweet, vegetable-less versions from Chinese take-out spots. Instead, my husband has a version that his family has been making for years that’s simple yet impressive. We enjoy eating it throughout the year and even making it for guests. This recipe will undoubtedly become a staple in your kitchen, too. Continue reading
Spicy Collard Greens
Before I moved to Atlanta, I had had collards maybe once up north and they were not good. In fact, I’d never spent much time in the South before I moved here and so all the cuisine – and the history, ingredients and traditions that went along with it – were new to me. Collards were an immediate favorite of mine, mostly because I loved how they were different from restaurant to restaurant and home to home. I think those variations are what gives this dish its richness and interest – and I knew I wanted to try to make my own. I’ve received recipes from friends and found some online – this is my compilation of all of that plus the result of trial-and-error in my own kitchen. Enjoy! Continue reading
Orange-Glazed Pork Chops
I still remember the first time Sean made this dish for me. We were up in Helen, GA and we’d rented a cabin for my birthday weekend getaway. It was our first “trip” together and he made these orange-glazed pork chops for dinner one night.
This dish is is special enough for a birthday weekend, but simple enough for a regular weekday meal. Sean made it again recently and we enjoyed it so much I knew I had to share the recipe here. Continue reading