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Category: Main Dish

Creamy Acorn Squash Soup

As I mentioned in a previous post, Autumn is a perfect time to spend some time making soup for dinner. To me, there is something relaxing about cooking and preparing a soup is probably the most relaxing culinary endeavor for me (except maybe baking…). This soup is a sweet and savory meal highlighted by warm spices (ginger and cloves), brown sugar, and thyme packaged in a velvety cream. To give the soup some ‘tooth’, I add crispy linguiça sausage bits and the renderings to provide a salty aspect. Enjoy this soup on a chilly fall evening with a some warm rustic bread and I think you will agree it is a winner worth the effort.   Save Print Creamy Acorn Soup Prep time:  20…

Arroz con Pollo

Here is another popular recipe at my place. Guests that enjoy this dish regularly ask for the recipe – so now I am sharing it with you! This recipe makes a healthy portion of arroz con pollo goodness, but don’t panic. It has plenty of vegetables to round out the dish nicely.  Like every arroz con pollo dish you have ever had in a restaurant, this one is simply my take on it and I believe it works well.  Give it a try and then you can let me know how it worked for you! Save Print Arroz Con Pollo Prep time:  10 mins Cook time:  20 mins Total time:  30 mins Serves: 1   Ingredients ½ lb chicken breast or tenders…

Sous Vide Beef Pho Experiment

Today was a day for experimenting in the kitchen. I decided to make Pho from scratch using the sous vide cooking method. Sounds wild, huh? Well this experiment was fun, challenging, slightly anxiety inducing, and utterly delicious!  I won’t post the recipe yet as it needs a bit of refinement, but let’s just say I am already looking forward to my next sous vide pho effort.  Here are some photos to whet your appetite for that next effort too! Save…

Salisbury Steak

This recipe was triggered by watching ‘That ’70’s Show’ late the other night. In the episode, Midge has left Bob and Bob, heartbroken and lacking culinary skills, is at the supermarket buying a stack of Salisbury Steak TV dinners. A woman, Joann, approaches and makes fun of the hapless Bob and the Salisbury Steak dinners. Now I thought… “Hey, don’t disrespect the delicious Salisbury Steak! Make fun of TV dinners all you want, but let’s enjoy the tasty dinner Salisbury Steak can be!”. So without further ado, let’s make Salisbury Steak and you can judge for yourself! Save Print Salisbury Steak Prep time:  10 mins Cook time:  20 mins Total time:&nbsp…

Spicy Beef Noodles with Asparagus

Today I had a hankering for noodles – tasty spicy fried noodles. With that desire and having asparagus available from earlier this week, I decided using thin sliced beef and red pepper would be perfect for my fried noodles. I picked up a package of Fortune Yakisoba Hot and Spicy Stir Fry Noodles at the local store to use as the base for my spicy fried noodles. These noodles are available in the refrigerated section and are simple to prepare – simply soak in hot water, drain well and stir fry. The rest of this recipe is a basic stir fry with one twist – I added Tom Yum Paste to the sauce mix. Are you ready to prepare something delicious and healthy in less than 30 minutes…

Creamy Cheese Ravioli with Artichoke and Asparagus

This recipe is something I crafted from ingredients I had at home after a recent short trip. It is said ‘necessity is the mother of  invention’. If so, then ‘hunger is the motivator to recipe creation’!  From a few fresh, frozen, and pantry ingredients, this recipe came into being. It is simple and quick to prepare – something perfect for times when patience alludes you, like when I came home the other night!  Well, it isn’t going to make itself, so let’s get cooking! Save Print Creamy Cheese Ravioli with Artichoke and Asparagus Prep time:  5 mins Cook time:  10 mins Total time:  15 mins Serves: 1   Ingredients 8 oz fresh ravioli 1 6oz jar…

Goulash (Beef Stew)

With the colder, rainy weather of fall here in the Pacific Northwest, I typically add a few of my favorite soups and stews into my recipe rotation. This recipe is adapted from my mom’s goulash recipe, another wonderful memory from my childhood. Easy to prepare, this recipe produces a hearty and tasty beef stew that you won’t mind having leftovers, if there happens to be any!  Add slices of a baquette with fresh cream butter warmed in the oven and you have a heavenly meal in front of you.  So… let it rain and be gray, we’re enjoying a flavorful hot stew tonight! Save Print Goulash (Beef Stew) Prep time:  15 mins Cook time:  90 mins Total time:&nbsp…

Farfalle with Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Alright everyone, say it with me… paaaaaahhhhhhhsta!  To me, pasta is a wonderful comfort food and this dish is a delight to the eyes as well as to the tastebuds. Switching from a tomato based sauce to a roasted red pepper sauce adds a piquant vibrancy you won’t want to miss out on. I helped the sauce along with a spicy Italian sausage cooked in the casing, then sliced and added back in to gently simmer in the sauce. The bright and intense color of the sauce is a treat for the eyes, especially when fresh basil chiffonade and pale shredded Italian cheese is dancing on top. A simple recipe that is visually engaging and delicious, what else can you ask for?   Save Print Farfalle…

Knackwurst, Roasted Rosemary Garlic Potato Slices, and Braised Bacon Caraway Cabbage

Here is a fast and easy meal, either for dinner or lunch. One of my favorite wursts to eat are knackwurst and there is a warm feeling of family when I have this dish. I ate these wurst all the time as a kid and it was one of the first meals I prepared for myself when learning to cook as a youngster. And you will see why it was easy and why I love to eat these distinctive wursts. Achtung baby, let’s get cooking! Save Print Knackwurst, Roasted Rosemary Garlic Potato Slices, and Braised Bacon Caraway Cabbage   Ingredients 3 knackwurst 4 cups of hot water 1 tbsp bacon drippings (or vegetable oil) Instructions In a medium saucepan, add the hot water and heat over…

Yellow Curry Fried Rice

As part of the planning, I knew I would have Thai basil, ginger, and cilantro left over from the Drunken Noodles meal, so it was time for me to make one of my favorite dishes – fried rice. Fried rice is one of the ultimate dishes in that you can make it so many different ways with whatever ingredients you have on hand. But tonight, it is not just any fried rice, but yellow curry fried rice.  I have had several different variations of this dish at restaurants; some with pineapple, some without, some with Thai basil, some without, etc. Tonight I am making the version without pineapple just because I have so many vegetables planned. Again, the key to this dish is prior preparation. I find my…