Green Jalapeño Margarita: Go Green on Cinco de Mayo - Here’s a trend I’ve been seeing lately: adding spinach to smoothies, grating zucchini into brownies and stirring pumpkin into soup and pastas. This may sound crazy, but these are all good ways to get more nutrients into our diets, which most of us need! And, they really do taste delicious…or, rather, I should say they […]
Quick & Easy Dinners: Cheese & Chicken Enchiladas - Enchiladas mean different things to different people. To some, they mean spicy chicken or pork, topped with red chile sauce. To others, they’re tangy green chile sauce with cheese. Still others add sour cream or cream cheese, potatoes, peanuts or almonds. And to purists, enchiladas mean simple tortillas heated on a stove-top one-by-one, dipped in […]
Mom’s Margarita Wine Punch - Ever since I found a cake stand that doubles as a punch bowl, I’ve been excited to serve wine punch like my mom used to do back in the ’70s. I remember her as fabulous in her polyester pant suit, hair piled high, serving pretty punch in a gorgeous glass bowl at parties my parents […]
Less Guilt Dessert: Coconut-Lime Tres Leches Cake - If you’re trying to cut calories and fat, you can always adapt dessert to be better for you! One of my favorites is this recipe for chocolate brownies with zucchini, and the other one that’s great for cookouts, birthday parties and even Cinco de Mayo, is this Coconut Lime Tres Leches Cake. Coconut-Lime Tres Leches […]
Baked Alaska Cups: Remaking a Classic 1950s Dessert - If you’re like me, you have nostalgic taste buds and you remember Baked Alaska being a fancy dessert your mom only made for special dinner parties. It went very well with an Old Fashioned cocktail, Beef Wellington and brightly colored polyester pantsuits. She probably learned how to make this dessert from her mom, who impressed […]
Baked French Toast with Apples - French Toast is my favorite breakfast! It’s also my favorite food translation into French: pain perdu or lost bread. I just love the idea of bread that has lost its way and fallen into naughty behaviors like a mounds of milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon. Baking French Toast makes the whole process a lot easier, and […]
Easy Spring Pasta Recipe: Fettuccine with Peas, Leeks & Thyme - Fresh pasta with local, organic spring peas, leeks and thyme for an easy, impressive dinner. Spring has sprung in California – as well as most of the country. To me that means spring vegetable season; asparagus, leeks, peas, artichoke, fennel and fresh herbs are bountiful in farmers markets. Much of this produce is available year-round, […]
Special Easter Ham: Baked Cola-Brined Fresh Ham - Easter ham is a tradition for many people on Easter Sunday. Brining the meat – soaking or marinating meat overnight using a solution containing salt and other ingredients – is also a popular way to prepare meats. But, have you tried a cola-brined ham? In the South, they’ve been brining meat in cola for a […]
Eating Fish on Fridays? Two Easy Fish Recipes - Eating Fish on Friday? Here are two very easy fish recipes to take advantage of during Lent or anytime of the year! Fish Baked In Creamy Milk Sauce with Onions & Herbs Recipe by Very Best Baking Tender fish fillets seasoned with herbs are topped with sautéed onions and baked in a light, velvety creamy […]
Easy Easter Brunch Menu: Enjoy Spring! - Spring is here! And that means time for brunch, spring vegetables and Easter delicacies. You won’t find any cute bunnies or other Easter treats for kids in this Easter Brunch menu; it’s a strictly grown-up affair. You can easily switch out the egg dish, vegetable side dish, coffee or pastry/dessert to come up with your […]