We could have just stayed in Tuscany (Montepulciano and Montalcino specifically) tasting–ok, drinking–wine, buying cheese, eating lunch, enjoying new friends, window shopping, visiting churches…
Gluten-Free
INSTANT POT: Cream of Pea Soup with Mint, Scallions, and Sharp Cheddar
Stove top version included in the printable recipe below.
A few years ago, next-door neighbor Mike brought over a big dish of peas with pearl onions and fresh mint for the Easter potluck (he did that again this year as peas and mint–mushy or not– are a standout comfort spring bonus with lamb) and Easter Monday I discovered he’d left a big bagful in my fridge. It seemed time for some sort of pea soup and you’ll find that post here. I loved that soup to death, but had sort of forgotten about it in the interim. It wasn’t split pea, though it might have been its third cousin twice removed. Not dark and smokey with bacon, nor a homey thick, tummy full soup you’d want in the thick of winter, this was pea soup gone light and bright–and it was a gorgeous hue. (What are mushy peas?)
Friday Fish: Spicy Tomato-Shrimp Stew (Stove Top or INSTANT POT)
I’ve been on a roll lately adapting a few of my favorite stovetop soup recipes to the INSTANT POT (IP); you’ll have noticed if you’ve been reading along. It’s total fun and I’m hooked.
What’s an INSTANT POT? Click here to learn more.
Continue readingSalmon with Scallion Pesto on Broccoli-Parm Mash–Valentine’s Day at Home
Fat Tuesday/Shrove Tuesday Bacon-Granola Pancakes with Fried Egg
Nothing says lovin’ like something from the…top of the stove. I hope you’re skipping the long wait and perhaps not-so-great-service at the restaurants on Valentine’s Day. Go to your favorite spot some other time and give your best servers a break… Instead, stay home and fix this luscious meal for you and your happiest partner, you and a friend, or just for yourself.
Curried Butternut Squash-Lentil Soup
Later in the evening one night last week, Dave (better know as “the hub”) and I decided to go out for a light dinner and drink. If you wait until 9:00 in Colorado Springs, or maybe in many smaller cities, your choices are often pizza or burgers… or a hop over to one of the all-night breakfast places. One large brewery nearby stays open until midnight and we ran over there, ordering a glass of white wine for me and a beer for Dave, perusing the menu while we nursed our drinks. This particular food list came equipped with calorie counts and, reading through the long list of available food, I was again flabbergasted by the calories involved in meat dishes versus vegetable and grain meals–especially given the holiday time of year.
“Greek” Steak Salad with Quinoa
If you’re lucky enough to have leftover steak, you’re lucky enough. At our house, red meat is well-loved, but kept in its healthy place. So we invest in a good quality product and eat it usually only once a week. If there’s a little left, and it’s steak, there’s usually a next day steak sandwich for my husband, Dave. Occasionally, though, there’s more than a little left and I make a steak salad or tacos for us both. Maybe steak and eggs if we’ve been really good. A tiny bite for the pups could be forthcoming, too.
Cooking with Addie: Chicken Chopped Salad with Blue Cheese Ranch
Watch for upcoming kids’ recipes!
Earlier in the spring, my Facebook friend, cooking student, and More Time supporter/follower Emily Nolan and I talked a little about a summertime cooking class for her daughter Addie (below), who’s a girl very interested in food, nutrition, caring hospitality, and the cooking process itself.
In fact, Addie had attended one of my Healthy Living Cooking Classes at First Congregational Church, Colorado Springs, last year–something I hadn’t remembered! (By the way: Emily’s a an Online Health and Fitness Coach should you need one– pic below.)
One-Pan Salmon on Potatoes and Asparagus with Thyme and Chives–First Fruits of the Front Range Garden
Home gardening in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains is occasionally a joy, but more often a frustration. While gardening is surely those things everywhere, with about 16 inches of precipitation per year in our area (let’s compare it to Williamsburg, Virginia with 48 inches), it’s not only hard to grow anything, it’s sometimes impossible. Very little grows without irrigation and by the time you add sprinkler systems and pay for water, it’s surely easier and certainly less expensive to simply buy what you need. Continue reading
Chicken-Vegetable Soup with Parm and Lemon: Light and Fast
There are days when it’s time to eat light, but well. This is one of those days. Maybe you, like me, have a wedding coming up and a dress you’d like to get into.
One-Pan Barramundi on Greens and Onions with Dijon Sauce
One of my favorite fish preparations is to cook fillets right on top of vegetables. Could be tomatoes and chiles, eggplant and garlic, asparagus, celery and fennel, ratatouille (see below) or, as in this case, a big bunch of tender young greens stirred up with one big sautéed onion. Plain white fish is, after all, plain white fish. Vegetables make all the difference in the world. There’s still lemon, of course.
Below: Ratatouille-Steamed Salmon with Jasmine Rice
