Right now, as I await my connecting flight back to Texas in the frigid, stale airport air, I can’t help but reminisce on warm memories of the fun-filled, long weekend I just spent with my best friend in sunny Florida. The past five days were a little slice of heaven to my soul. We took long walks down the powder-white sand beaches, swam in the cool azure waters, tasted our way through some fantastic restaurants and just enjoyed one another’s company….
Archives for July 2014
Green Bean, Tomato, and Turkey Sausage Orzo Salad
I don’t know about you, but I am a big fan of one dish meals when cooking at home. They are fuss-free, require minimal preparation, and can easily feed a crowd (or a family of 2 for a few meals.) When you have seasonal, jewel-toned produce like these crisp green beans, succulent red tomatoes, and vibrant purple basil, you don’t need much else; the ingredients do the work for you. The cook’s job is to accentuate their natural beauty, so to speak. No need to break your back over a soufflé or distort lovely ingredients into crazy gastronomical experiments (unless that’s what you want!) Keep it simple. You won’t sacrifice any of the flavor; I guarantee it….
Lavender, Honey, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Holy crispy-sweet-savory-tangy-fried goodness, y’all. Sometimes, there is really no way to avoid frying something. I racked my brain and used up every last drop of creative juice I had in efforts to create a healthy, yet delicious recipe with these delicate, amber flowers. While I came up with some decent recipes, I came to realize that squash blossoms are one of those ingredients that are simply meant to be stuffed and fried. I would be doing them a disservice if I tried to cut them up and disguise them in some salad or pasta. So why mess with a good thing? Especially a good thing that only graces our farmer’s markets (or neighbors garden!) for a short window in the summertime. So go ahead. Fry some of these up, pop open a bottle of crisp, cold rose, and savor a warm, summer evening with someone you love. ¡Buen provecho!…
Pimentón Potato Salad
Can you believe it’s July already?! With the holiday weekend right around the corner, I’ve been dreaming up some healthy twists on classic summer dishes that evoke all things America. This “Paprika Potato Salad” is a lightened up version that features Spanish-smoked paprika (aka pimentón) as the star ingredient. It’s the perfect complement to almost any grilled meat, bbq, sandwich, salad, ok- just about anything! However, being more of a potato salad purist, I tend to prefer it all by itself, right out of the container, and I’m not the only one……



