Friday, June 29, 2012

Turkey Burgers With Thoughtful Toppings

Turkey Burgs.  It's recipes like this that my husband will always say, "have you blogged this yet?"  I admit that I haven't because it's "just a turkey burger."  But if it's something I'm making often, it's probably worth blogging.  (Note: Coming soon... a whole month worth of "embarrassingly simple" recipes... stay tuned!)

I married a burger guy.  So a patty between two buns enters our menu often, but it doesn't have to be pre-made beef with american cheese and ketchup.   You can do better than that!  And still keep your meat eaters happy.


Saturday, June 23, 2012

Coconut Laksa with Shrimp

Here's a check on your New Year's Resolutions.   How y'all doing?!  We are more than half way through the year.  This recipe was a stab at one of my resolutions: cooking outside my comfort zone.


Every now and then it's good to buy a few ingredients that you are unfamiliar with.   With a little Google and a little courage you can become proficient with a new ingredient and THAT my friends is powerful.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Lentil Salad with Prosciutto, Tomato and Basil

At it again with the lentils.  This time it's in a salad!  Cool, fresh, textured and tangy.   You won't be disappointed.  Nor will your BBQ guests this summer.


This recipe comes from a William Sonoma cookbook.  I took the liberty in adding tomatoes.  I thought it needed just a little more color and the dual acid content (tomato plus the red wine vinegar) keeps things lively on your palate!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Homemade Fresh Pasta with Simple Tomato Sauce

I'm just now surfacing after being out of the loop for about a month. We moved from Oregon back to California in less than three weeks. I've been staring down some archived photos and recipes that I made in our final Portland days. While I continue this exciting transition, cooking has remained a constant medium for me. The comfort of my own knives and the stress outlet of smashing garlic has brought sanity in a unfamiliar kitchen. Things like learning how cold your fridge is, the 1 degree tilt of electric stove burners, identifying the hotspots of your oven... and then there's the "where did I put my baking sheets?" moments of turning your kitchen upside down only to find them in the most logical place.

So as I continue to settle in, you- my faithful food loving readers, can count on two things: some mouth-watering posts and a new blog name coming soon. Keep your carrots eyes peeled!


Do you have any kitchen fears? Something you would love to make but the idea of it scares you? It's the thing you always order out, but never make at home. After much research, contemplation and pushing from food mentors (thank you Diane and Debby!) I finally worked up the courage to try FRESH PASTA!

Debby from A Feast For The Eyes gave me the Pasta Bible last year and after studying it, and wiping up my salivation, I borrowed a hand crank pasta maker from my friend Diane Morgan. I carried that thing home from work like a new born child. What was I thinking? Could I really do this?