this is a page for

Category: Recipes

Pumpkin Waffles

Fall is synonymous with pumpkin. Pumpkin spice lattes. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin soup. Stuffed roasted pumpkin. Pumpkin is the quintessential fall gourd. So I need to apologize for not having made more dishes with pumpkin. Today let me try and make it up to you with this treat. This recipe creates beautifully browned, richly flavored, light and airy waffles to make your breakfast special. And I can’t think of a better way to begin a chilly late fall morning, can you? Save Print Pumpkin Waffles Prep time:  5 mins Cook time:  5 mins Total time:  10 mins Serves: 3   Ingredients ¾ cup all purpose flour 1½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp ginger pinch of salt…

Dark and Stormy

Late November… and typically most nights are dark and stormy (especially last night!).  The weather last night inspired me to share this typical summer drink with you as the Friday cocktail recipe. Surprisingly, since it is chock full of warmth inducing ginger, it is a great late fall cocktail as well. So let it be blustery and wet outside, we’ll enjoy our dark and stormy in the comfort of our abode! Save Print Dark and Stormy Serves: 1   Ingredients 2 parts dark rum (I prefer Blackwell or Seale’s) juice from ½ lime 6 oz ginger beer (I prefer Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew) Instructions Fill a tall glass ½ full of ice cubes. Add the rum. Squeeze the ½ lime into the…

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…

Double Dipped French Toast

Breakfast… Breakfast on a weekend… Breakfast on Sunday morning during football season… Well, for me it has to be tasty and substantial… and a bit special. This French toast recipe meets all those requirements in my mind. And, it is easy to make. So let’s heat up the griddle and make our taste buds and belly happy! Save Print Double Dipped French Toast Prep time:  5 mins Cook time:  20 mins Total time:  25 mins Serves: 1   Ingredients 4 – 5 slices of French bread, approximately ¾ inch thick ¾ cup egg substitute (or 3 large eggs) ¼ cup heavy cream ½ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ½ tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp coconut oil Instructions Preheat…

Cake for One

Tonight, I was thinking I would love to have a nice slice of spice cake for dessert. Trouble is… I did not have a spice cake. Or a spice cake mix. Or the gumption to make a spice cake from scratch for just one piece.  Then I remembered a recipe a dear friend gave me years ago – the 3-2-1 cake and I still had some 3-2-1 cake mix in my pantry! The key to a 3-2-1 cake is to combine 1 angel food cake mix with 1 standard cake mix in a large zip top bag, combining well. Then you simply place 3 tablespoons of cake mix in a microwave safe coffee mug, add 2 tablespoons of cold water and…

Aperol Spritz

I bet everyone thought I forgot about the Friday cocktail post, right?  Well, I did not – I would never do that to you, would I? (wink wink)  Tonight, I am enjoying a light and bright Aperol Spritz. This cocktail is well suited to warm summer days as well as cool fall evenings. Aperol is a nearly century old Italian aperitivo liqueur based on an infusion of selected roots and herbs. The flavor is robust and unique – slightly sweet citrus with a minor bitter note. My take on this drink is easily prepared with readily available ingredients – additional citrus flavor in the form of Grand Imperial with an orange twist and a dry Italian prosecco with a splash of soda in addition to the Aperol. Simply…

Toasted Cheese Appetizers

Let’s get ready for the holiday season by making some simple appetizers based on some earlier recipes. I am going to make a toasted cheese appetizer with two types of cheeses and 3 types of toppings. The mild goat and Madrigal cheeses I am using are left over from the Macaroni and Cheese experiment, and the toppings are the pepper jelly, fig jam, and honey. Appetizer plates are easily extended and augmented with nuts and fruit – pecans, walnuts, almonds, pears, apples, grapes and olives. I kept my plate simple for this blog post, but let your creativity take wing and serve up simply fabulous appetizers for friends and family. Are you ready for a tasty start to your Friday evening? Save Print Toasted Cheese Appetizers…

Bourbon Baked Beans

Here is a throwback recipe I created as a challenge after a ‘Best of the Worst’ Bourbon tasting party I coordinated last year. With several slightly unpalatable bourbons left over, I accepted the challenge of creating recipes to use the leftovers in new recipes as an incentive for attendees to take the leftovers home with them!  Here is the first recipe I created – a simple and flavorful bourbon baked beans. Save Print Bourbon Baked Beans   Ingredients ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup bourbon ½ onion, diced 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil ¼ tsp cloves 6 slices bacon, cut in strips 1 15 oz can of pinto, great northern, or kidney beans (or equivalent amount of dry beans, soaked…

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…