Salmon with Orange Pistachio Chimichurri

17 Aug 2014

Life has been pretty crazy this summer, and I have gotten WAY off track with the blogging! I wish I could say that things will slow down, and I will be posting as often as I used to– but the truth is, life is only going to get crazier from here on out, as we anticipate some big, exciting changes! But if there is one thing I have learned from taking a step back, and prioritizing my time, it’s that quality is always more important than quantity. So although I won’t be posting as MANY recipes, the ones I do post from here on out will be much better!!
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Chicken Bryan Risotto

29 Apr 2014

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Those of you who know me, or have followed my blog for some time, are aware of two of my addictions– 1. To Carrabba’s Italian Grill and 2. To cooking risottos– so it was only natural for me to create this Carrabba’s style Chicken Bryan Risotto. Their Chicken Bryan is their most popular chicken dish–with a lemon butter sauce, goat’s cheese and sundried tomatoes on top, it has the perfect combination of tangy, tart, salty, sweet and citrusy! It’s divine. I decided to make my absolute favorite, creamy, cheesy heavenly risotto recipe, and combine the Chicken Bryan with it into one DELICIOUS dish. I was imagining it to be pretty spectacular, but, it turned out even better than i’d hoped! It’s rich, creamy and cheesy with the perfect balance of sweet, and tart and salty! I know it’s quite a bit of work, but it’s oh so worth it!
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Salmon with Coconut Lime Sauce

27 Apr 2014

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This week my little guy asked if we could have salmon for dinner, and since he rarely makes requests that don’t involve mac n cheese or pb&j’s, I jumped at the chance to make it! My instinct was to default to my mothers classic lemon and butter recipe–but I decided to get out of my cooking comfort zone and try something a little bolder and more creative–and came up with this coconut lime recipe. It was sweet and salty and citrusy, and probably the best salmon I have ever made! I am absolutely in love with this recipe, AND so were my whole family! It’s so rare to find a recipe that both my husband and I and my kids all love–so this is definitely one I will be keeping close by! It’s healthy, quick, easy, elegant and delicious! I wanted to serve it up with some rice–but I forgot to put it on in time, so I defaulted to my favorite orzo recipe. I also decided to serve some delicious parmesan asparagus fries with them– {recipe to come!} Let me know in the comments some of your favorite things to serve with salmon! I hope you guys love this recipe as much as my family does!

Braised Lamb Shanks with Pomegranate

23 Apr 2014

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I brought these lamb shanks last week thinking I would cook them around Easter–but we ended up spending the entire easter weekend with my husband’s family, which was fabulous! I didn’t have to worry about a thing {besides the church talk I have to give on Easter Sunday!} But since the lamb shanks had to be used by today, I decided to cook them up for no special reason or occasion… just a regular old tuesday evening {made a little less regular by this delicious dinner!} I know braised meats and pomegranates are often associated with winter time, so this recipe is a little “out of place” but to me, there is no better way to cook lamb shanks–than in a delicious, rich flavorful gravy, that makes the meat so tender it falls right off the bone! I loved the sweet pomegranate with the salty carrots and meat–and it also “dressed it up” adding some much-needed color with the thyme. So if you guys are thinking of making some lamb before it goes out for the Easter season for no special reason at all, or even for a nice, sunday dinner–you guys should give this recipe a go! You will love it.
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Olive Tapenade Devilled Eggs

15 Apr 2014

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I tried my first ever olive tapenade a few months ago–until then, I had never even heard of one, so for those of you in the same boat, a tapenade is basically a spread consisting of chopped olives or capers or anchovies with olive oil! A reader of mine also commented he uses figs in his, which would be delicious! My mother in law found a pre-made tapenade from costco, spread it on some flat bread and topped it with prosciutto, fresh buffalo mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, and we were all obsessed. I have been thinking of ways to use tapenade ever since…. in pretty much everything.