A Caprese salad is a quick one to throw together and it tastes like a million dollars. It’s the perfect accompaniment to grilled chicken, steak, fish, vegetables… I remember the first time I had it long ago, I was in heaven at Carmine’s in New York City – I checked their menu and they make it differently than they used to. I’m sure the new salad is good but the regular version… WOW!
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I have always admired the creative ability really good chefs have. They can take a mundane meal and make it over the top, WOW! Have you had a meal somewhere special and were completely blown away by it? The taste, look, texture – everything about it was perfection. Now mine doesn’t look anywhere near the version of the Chef at The Swag – but I tried, and let me tell you, this is darn good! I made this three mornings in a row. It really is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The first day took me a little longer, but after I had my swing down, it went much faster. Of course I had enough pans/dishes to have served Thanksgiving Dinner, but that’s another story…
Continue reading “Avocado Toast with Greens and a Sunny Side Up Egg!”
Storing Cilantro in the refrigerator is no big deal, but if you want it to last – it becomes a deal. I love to use Cilantro in a marinade for grilled chicken (which is even tasty cold the next day!) – but I also love it in a brown rice bowl with homemade guacamole, black beans, homemade pico, a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of pepper jack cheese. It’s also good in your breakfast wrap (corn tortilla, cooked egg, pepper jack, a spoonful of leftover black beans and a sprinkle of cilantro). #whoanellie!
Continue reading “Storing Cilantro in the Refrigerator – the easy way!”
Are you one who thinks that a good salad is a lot of work? It may be easier than you think. Other than the washing and the chopping – you’re done. No stove to use, no oven heating up the kitchen – just a bowl of deliciousness awaiting you after you assemble and let sit in the fridge to chill for a short time. Sometimes unexpected ingredients are a nice twist…
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I love sharing recipes I run across that make life easier. Instead of guessing when a steak is done, this is a good guide to ensure they turn out beautifully. We don’t have steak often, so when we do, it is absolutely amazing – we used to wait for a restaurant for steak, but no more! It’s easier than you think! I chose sirloin steak because it’s lean, so if we’re going to eat beef, I try to keep it on the leaner side.
Continue reading “How To Grill Sirloin Steak – The Easy Way!”
This is a quick meal, and if you grill extra chicken breasts you have it for the next day or two, which comes in SO HANDY, especially when you’ll be out and don’t have a lot of time to whip something up. Using good ingredients (vs. processed or pre-made ingredients) can only make it healthier, right?
Continue reading “Marinated Chicken, Brown Rice, Black Beans, Guac and Pico!”
This pasta salad is one of our favorites for warmer weather – when we grill nearly every day (by “we” I mean “he”) – a tasty vinaigrette pulls this together nicely. I don’t usually use sausage with the feta version, but did so by mistake – it was fabulous! (Olives on top are also nice)! This salad is good right when you finish making it – we have half of it leftover as a side dish for another meal. What you can’t really see are the copious amounts of arugula that this pasta salad is on top of. I like an equal amount or even a little more arugula (or fresh baby spinach). It’s delightful!
Continue reading “A Quick Meal: Bowtie Pasta, Tomatoes, Chicken Sausage, Arugula and a Divine Vinaigrette!”
It’s always good to have a plan for a new somethin-somethin for dinner. We don’t usually eat like this, but it’s a treat once in a while – a nice splurge. My mom has made these au gratin potatoes for years. Instead of making a béchamel sauce – it’s much quicker, which is nice when time is limited as it was this year. I made these potatoes ahead of time since I knew we would be out. Then finished baking when we got home. They were delicious!
Continue reading “Emeril Lagasse’s Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin”
Most omelets in restaurants seem to be 3 eggs. I’ve always made them with two eggs, but thought, hmmm… I like just one, so let me give it a whirl. Wow! It was kind of like a crepe – the thinness was awesome and it had the best flavor and texture. A one egg omelette and 1/2 of an orange was utter perfection!
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I grew up shopping at J.L. Hudson’s – my very favorite store in the world. I loved everything about it, especially their restaurant, Lakeshore Grill. Almost thirty years after I moved to South Carolina, when I would stop in the restaurant, so many of the waitress were there when I was in HIGH SCHOOL. It’s so wonderful to walk in and see people that you remember as a kid! This salad was my very favorite. It’s beyond simple, but the taste will have you coming back for more (and more and more!) – there are so many reasons to up your green intake – and this salad makes that easy to accomplish!
Continue reading “{Recipe} J.L. Hudson’s Spinach Salad – My Absolute FAVORITE!”
Have you ever tasted a dish at a restaurant that quickly became your favorite? Me too! There was a neat little restaurant in Mount Pleasant, SC (several years ago) – I had a curry chicken pasta. It sounded interesting to me. It was fabulous. I was able to duplicate it at home fairly easily. We haven’t had it in years, actually forgot all about it. Then I saw a recipe for Curry Chicken and it immediately brought me back – which prompted making a slightly different chicken salad.
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February 1st, 2023. FEBRUARY! Spring is almost upon us. If you’re looking for an excellent recipe for a shrimp stir fry, look no further. I made this for dinner and it was out of this world. My husband kept saying “this is so good”. #winnerwinner The key to pulling a stir fry together quickly is to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to hit the pan. It goes quickly so there isn’t time to be prepping while you start it. To make this come together quickly I cut the broccoli in smaller pieces so they cook quickly, and I slice the onion in thin strips. They turn out looking like bean sprouts, ha ha. Too good!
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I picked up Southern Living magazine and was reading through it when I came upon this recipe for bean soup. Thank goodness! This recipe came at a perfect time! “Senate Soup” was a delight to make and made the house smell amazing. Not too many ingredients, and the few that are in this recipe come together beautifully. With just two of us here, we should have dinner for several days! #winwin
Continue reading “Capital Hill Bean Soup Recipe (AKA “Senate Soup”)”
I was so excited to make this recipe that I forgot to take a photo of it plated (and it was so pretty!) – That’s OK, the gist of it is in this photo – the salmon. Which couldn’t have been easier. Since I’m just growing up and trying to find my way to loving salmon, I made a mustard dill sauce, which was outstanding! Mix together the mustard dill sauce first so its flavors can be mingling while you prep and bake the salmon…
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