Category: Appetizers
Garlic Tomato Crostini with Ricotta
Poor ricotta cheese. It’s usually made with the leftover whey from making other cheeses but is rarely a destination food unto itself. Really, ricotta cheese is highly underrated and underutilized. Generally left to tango with marinara in baked ziti or spread on lasagna noodles all whipped up with egg and Parmesan or sweetened and piped [...]
Indian-Spiced Tomato Lentil Soup with Basil Yogurt Drizzle
This soup is five years in the making. No, really. I created and tested the initial recipe five years ago, and then it wasn’t published. It needed something to polish it off — something to take it from good to great. That yogurt drizzle? Totally did it. Let me back up a little bit. Five [...]
Roasted Garlic, Lemon and Walnut Hummus (Eat. Live. Be.)
Every so often, we’ll be eating dinner at our kitchen table and Will will look up and say “Mommy, you’re a good cooker.” It warms my heart. Most of the time, he loves what I make (of course, there will always be a few duds … and we usually agree on those). A lot of [...]
Lemon Rosemary White Bean Dip
This dip, made in a mere 10 minutes or less, made me want to kiss Mark Bittman in gratitude. Not in a creepy way, but more in an oh-wow-you-just-saved-my-day way. Let me back up. This morning I roasted a whole cauliflower with garlic and rosemary. It filled the house with this wonderful aroma that left [...]
Hot Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip
Family birthdays and Sunday dinners are sacred for our extended family. It’s a time when we all get together around the table and share food, laughter and smiles. And some of the best family conversations happen as we linger before dessert, after eating delicious foods. But our dinners (and appetizers too) aren’t without some degree [...]
Shredded Chicken and Black Bean Nachos
Leftovers are a challenge in our house. If it’s pasta, you can pretty much guarantee that if there’s anything leftover (and usually there isn’t) then the kids will be all over it. It’s perfect for warming up and packing into Will’s lunchbox. But soup? It’s 50-50. Sometimes that’s great for lunch too but other times [...]
Grilled Quesadillas with Pea Shoots
Every so often, a new ingredient gains popularity and you wonder why no one was cooking with it sooner. That’s how I feel about pea shoots. They have that fresh, just-picked flavor and pleasant cool crunch — similar to bean sprouts. When I saw a package of them in Trader Joe’s I couldn’t wait to [...]
Garlic Scape Marinated Roasted Red Peppers
Grilled slices of Tuscan bread. Thin slices of fresh mozzarella, melted onto it. Garlic scape marinated roasted red peppers. Hang on, I need to wipe away the drool. This open faced sandwich was so good. I ate this for lunch last week, whipping it up in just a few minutes over the grill. It’s a [...]
What to Make for the Super Bowl (and Chili Cheese Dip)
The Super Bowl is this Sunday, and whether you are a football fan or not, it’s a perfect time to throw a party and invite a few fun friends. Before I go any further, I have to confess that I feel like the Super Bowl should have been played weeks ago since I have been [...]
Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Crostini
Intellectually, I know it’s December. The Christmas carols are playing on repeat in the local Macy’s and the front of the grocery store is filled with wreathes, poinsettias and other greenery. The Christmas cards have begin arriving. But all the same, I have this feeling of “Oh my goodness, it’s DECEMBER!” Like how did that [...]
