If there’s one dish guaranteed to be on any Indian restaurant menu, it would have to be Chicken Tikka Masala. This popular dish would also be a great way to introduce Indian cuisine to your palate if you have not … Continue reading Chicken Tikka Masala
I seem to be sold on poblanos lately (see my chicken chili verde soup) using these peppers from Mexico. The poblano is a mild chili pepper originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Unlike the jalapeno or serrano peppers, also … Continue reading Pork Chile Verde
If there’s ever a time that I enjoy a nutritious bowl of piping hot soup, it has to be in the winter time. Of course that’s probably everyone’s preference, but I do so enjoy soups in the summer as well. … Continue reading Soup glorious soup (creamy mushroom)
OK so you’ve caught me in the act! Well, those who know me well know that it’s no secret that I do favor Indian spices, so it’s not unusual for me to throw in some pungent and aromatic spices in … Continue reading A layer of East meets a layer of West
Spring on the East Coast of the USA is sure taking its time making an entrance. We’ve had a few “warm teaser days” and then a week later, we find ourselves still warming ourselves by the fire? A few weeks ago we were enjoying the sun, sand and cuisine in Jamaica. I’m sure glad we went when we did, at least we got a taste of that warmth that we hope to experience here any day now (hint, hint). If you haven’t yet read the post on Jamaica, I urge you to take a look at the previous post and be transported to that beautiful island in the sun.
Cauliflower is the new ? Help me complete that sentence would you? 🙂 Start out with a blank canvas and the sky’s the limit on the variety of dishes you can cook with cauliflower. I’ve riced cauliflower, made a pizza base, curried it, steamed it, made many vegetarian dishes with it, but had never cooked it with pasta. Of course it defeats the purpose of adding pasta to a low-carb dish, but believe me on this one, it was absolutely amazing, probably a ton of calories in it too, but hey, one’s allowed to stray off the path sometimes eh?
One of its high nutritional aspects is the elevated daily value of vitamin C it produces in one sitting. It’s also a good source of vitamin K, magnesium and fibre to name a few. I liked roasting the cauliflower and carrots on high heat in the oven before adding it to the dish. It gives it a nice caramelized finish. You can use any kind of cheese instead of fontina mentioned in the recipe. I had a sharp cheddar, but I’m sure fontina would take it up to a whole new level.
Cooking chicken is just so versatile don’t you think? You bake, barbecue, stew, curry it and you get a comforting meal at the end of the process. This particular chicken would be good enough to eat on a weeknight, but also on special occasions or when you invite company. I loved all the colors as I kept adding layer upon layer of taste and tang. Oranges are popular this time of the year, I’m especially partial to the navel oranges, they are always so sweet and tasty. The oranges in this dish definitely upped it a notch and made a beautiful presentation don’t you think?
It seems like I’m forever talking about the weather on my posts, but doesn’t it make such a difference when the weather is “just right”? What exactly do I mean by “just right”? Well, here’s my version of “just right”. Cool mornings, warm and sunny afternoons, beautiful evenings and nippy nights. It seems like we’ve had a lot of that lately in our neck of the woods. However, the down side? The Fall hasn’t been as magnificent as in past years, that’s probably because we’re almost at the end of October, and we’re still experiencing summer temperatures. But soon that will all change I’m sure.
Continue reading “Pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce, Spicy Sausage, Baby Spinach and Sage”
Hello blogger buddies and friends. It was an extra long hiatus from the blogging world for me, do pardon my absence. Our 3 week long vacation found us in England for 10 days and Switzerland for the rest of the time. Our trip to England this time was extra special as we celebrated my mother’s 90th birthday. My mother and family live in England, so it was great to have all the cousins and family together under one roof. Switzerland was just magical – I had often dreamed of going there and was absolutely tickled when that dream became reality. However, I’ll leave Switzerland for another post.
Do you ever give up anything for Lent? Chocolates, alcohol, music, desserts? I believe I did in my youth as we followed a very strict Catholic regimen, but these days I don’t have the will-power nor the drive to sustain these traditions. However, I do try to adhere to the Friday Lenten observation when Catholics do not eat meat on a Friday. In doing so, I do try to come up with various fish or vegetarian dinners on Fridays during Lent. Here’s one example.
A Happy New Year to all the readers out there. May 2017 be filled with lots of yummy dishes in your kitchen. It was a busy holiday season, so unfortunately my blog took a seat on the back burner so to speak. But I’m back again, ready to share some of my own creations and read a lot of yours.
In keeping with the warm Fall colors, this delicious and aromatic cottage pie came to be. Can you imagine my excitement when I saw this orange cauliflower just waiting to be picked at Trader Joe’s? Trader Joe’s is a neighborhood grocery store with amazing food and produce from around the globe and around the corner. The quality is second to none and the prices, very reasonable. The flowers used in this presentation are also from Trader Joe’s – my one stop shop 🙂
Safari of the Mind 