Persian Almond & Sour Cherry Rice Pilaf

This unusual rice pilaf makes a great side dish for baked chicken or grilled meat. The combination of sweet/savory and tart/buttery flavors is delicious.  I imagine it would even be good using a prepared saffron rice mix (steamed, not boiled as this recipe calls for) in a pinch.  But what I like about making your own [...]

Read Full Post »

Using Leftovers: Mashed Potato Pancakes

I love savory food for breakfast, especially when someone else cooks it.  This morning my husband hit it out of the park with skillet-fried mashed potato pancakes.  They were awesome—fluffy, crispy, and golden all over.  Two bites in, I was already insisting he transcribe the recipe to share with you. Hungry yet?

Read Full Post »

German Potato Salad

Do you ever get really sick of eating rich food? OK, me neither. But sometimes you need something acidic to cut the grease, if you will.  The Germans are masters of balancing heavy, hearty food with pickled dishes that perk things up (sauerkraut, anyone?).  German potato salad is another mouth-puckering example.  No mayo, no fuss; [...]

Read Full Post »

Minimalist Brussel Sprout Salad di Parma

Credit: allotment.org.uk My fellow blogger, Eric Hason (of I Am What I Eat) finally relented and gave me his über-simple recipe for brussel sprout salad, pictured here. 1.  Grate raw brussel sprouts 2.  Dress w/ olive oil, lemon juice, S&P, 3.  Grate in lots of Parmesan cheese

Read Full Post »

Roasted Haricot Vert (Green Beans)

This is one of those dishes where the total is greater than the sum of its parts.  It’s so impossibly simple, I feel silly even offering a recipe.  But these roasted green beans are too good to miss.  Broiling them under high, direct heat imparts a toasty, almost french-fryesque flavor.  I hope you’ll give them a try.  

Read Full Post »

We Ain’t Fancy: Ramen Noodle Salad

Ramen noodle salad (or ”Asian slaw,” if you prefer) is a perfect crowd-pleaser, provided your crowd isn’t full of “foodies.”  (How I loathe that term.)  Actually, the foodies will enjoy this dish too, they’ll just never admit it. I last made this for a Mother’s Day barbecue at my place.  Mom loved it, grandpa loved it, brother loved it, boyfriend (who has [...]

Read Full Post »

So Simple, So Good

<—- This concept is just…wrong.  Much like the McDonald’s Southern Chicken Sandwich (one of their bestsellers). I went to college in the South (Atlanta), and sometimes, I really start missing the food.  I never realized it growing up in Maryland, but much of my family’s homecooking was actually Southern style, too.  As my dad tells it, his mother was [...]

Read Full Post »

Waldorf Cole Slaw

I’m sometimes at a loss for side dishes, especially ones that aren’t starchy and laden with cheese (mmm, cheese).  This is a recipe I came up with after watching the Queen of Butter and Bacon, Paula Deen, make something similar.  Fortunately, it’s relatively light, for anyone with a New Year’s resolution to keep. -3/4 bag [...]

Read Full Post »