Sunday Picture Post

Tonight I am getting back on track with the Sunday Picture Post on the final Sunday of the month (since I missed last month). Here is a quick review of some of the meals I made this past month that did not become posts, but were picture-worthy at least! Chicken Curry with Cauliflower and Peas over Jasmine Rice Skillet Shepherd’s Pie Pinto Beans with Smoked Pork Jowl and Kielbasa Rice Penne with Sausage Mushroom Tomato Sauce Sous vide Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Drizzle, Sous vide Parsnip Puree with Parsley and Caramelized Cabbage with…

St. Germain Spritz

Tonight’s cocktail comes from playing with the prosecco I used in the Tortellini with Prosciutto, Green Beans, and Red Pepper dish. I paired the dry prosecco with the flowery, unique St. Germain, and a squeeze of lemon juice to produce a delicious drink. Adding a splash of club soda lightened the drink and increased the ‘fizz factor’ nicely. Perfect with the meal above or just for relaxing on a spring day, you should give this drink a try. Of course, I also urge you to play with the ingredients to suit your…

Guinness Lamb Stew

What goes better with fresh baked bread than a hearty stew! Well, fast on the heels of the No Knead Dutch Oven Bread comes this lamb stew with vegetables and Guinness. Yep, that’s right… we are cooking with beer here. I am not much of a beer drinker, but I do like Guinness – so this recipe was a must make. This recipe is a variant of the one on Jenn Segal’s Once Upon a Chef website and scaled down for 2 people (or 1 person and leftovers!). In reality, this…

No Knead Dutch Oven Bread

OK, so this is not exactly a meal for one, but just think of the dishes you are going to enhance with this delicious homemade bread. I have seen several of these recipes and finally settled on replicating this one from Girl Versus Dough. Naturally, you just know I had to play with the recipe. I split the flour between bread and all purpose. And you know what? This bread is beyond description! Crusty on the outside while tender and soft on the inside with an incredible flavor. Are you skeptical about the amount of effort…

Tortellini with Prosciutto, Green Beans and Red Pepper

Are you ready for another pasta dish? This dish is similar to other tortellini dishes I have posted earlier – Tortellini with Prosciutto and Asparagus and Tortellini with Pancetta and Brussel Sprouts with a change up on the light sauce and vegetables used. Also like the other dishes, this one is quick and easier to prepare, perfect for a weeknight dinner. For an intense flavor to compliment the salty and smoky prosciutto and sweet red peppers, I use butter, lemon juice, and prosecco in the making of the sauce for this dish. Kissed with red pepper…

Sous Vide Pan Seared Garam Masala Scallops

I just had to try using the sous vide cooking technique with scallops. Delicate and delicious, scallops usually come out under or over cooked. Under cooked, they are cool and gelatinous. Over cooked, they are dry and rubbery. The challenge is always when to know when the scallop is done. The touch test is most popular, but let’s face it that takes a bit of experience – i.e. expensive trial and error experience. Well, I can say using sous vide took all the guess work out of knowing when the scallops were done…

Sous Vide Szechuan Style Green Beans

One of the many ways I like green beans is spicy. Whether spicy pickled, sauteed with dijon mustard sauce, or Szechuan style, there is something special in spicy green beans. Today, I tried sous vide cooking some green beans in a Szechuan style spicy sauce. The flavors were intense and wonderful – and perfect as a side dish for the pan seared garam masala scallops. So if you ever needed a reason for a second sous vide immersion circulator or water bath, this is it. Vegetables need higher temperatures and longer times than delicate scallops, salmon…