For the past few months I’ve had a craving for pimento cheese. While I’ve found it in the grocery here in the past, I wanted a homemade pimento cheese, because I remember it being so much better than something out of a plastic tub.

A friend had posted about pimento cheese a while back, so I asked for his recipe. I have to say while it sounded wonderful, it missed on one main note for me — it called for scallions, the green parts. I didn’t remember any green in my pimento cheese, so no matter how tasty (or how may scallions I have in my garden right now), it wouldn’t do. So his recipe was my jumping off point, and I started tasting, adding, and came up with this recipe. (more…)

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Appetizers, Comfort food, Gluten free, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Sandwiches, Southern, Vegetarian by Courtney

It’s that time of year again! When tomatoes start ripening, and the basil grows big and bushy. Of course, I’ve killed my basil and I only have one ripe San Marzano thus far, but that isn’t holding me back. My CSA was full of Roma tomatoes and basil this week, and what better to make than the classic combo — tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella — a Caprese salad.

During summer I eat these every chance I get. Breakfast, snack, lunch, appetizer, between two slices of bread if I need more sustenance. While you could simply throw the three ingredients together and it would taste wonderful, there are a couple of additions that I like to add to take this over the top. Want to know what they are? (more…)

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Appetizers, Gluten free, In the Garden, Italian, Quick and Easy, Salad, Vegetarian by Courtney

In less than one year, I’ve finally made it to 100 posts! Since this seemed quite the milestone, I decided this post needed to be something special, but what to write about? After a little thought, it hit me: I should write about one of my favorite lazy Sunday lunches. It’s the lunch that, in tandem with a blog post, kickstarted the idea to start a food blog (more on that in this first post).

The lunch – spicy cig kofte and stuffed zucchini blossoms. It’s a lazy Sunday lunch not because it’s a quick and easy meal, but because it’s one of those meals that you savor and enjoy while sitting under the sun, shaded by umbrellas, while sipping sparkling water and good wine. It’s not how I first enjoyed kofte, but I’ve done it since, and decided it may be superior.

So what is kofte? This dish is raw lamb, minced with numerous spices, and served with pita. I first enjoyed this dish at a Lebanese restaurant in Dubai while I was on my honeymoon. Upon ordering the kofte, which was listed on a menu page with “RAW” written not only at the top but down the side, the waiter said, “But ma’am, that is raw”. Yes sir, but I like to live on the wild side!

Long story short, I loved the kofte and long after arriving back in the States, I craved the dish. With some birthday money, I picked up a couple of cookbooks from Greg Malouf, one with Lebanese and Syrian dishes, and one with dishes inspired by Turkey. Low and behold, the Turkish one had a kofte recipe! (more…)

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Appetizers, Dinner, Lunch, Mid Eastern by Courtney

Chile Pepper Magazine featured these potato skins in a 2006 story about tailgating fare, and I’ve drooled over them ever since. Potato skins have always looked like a lot of work to me, so I put off making these for over 4 years. When I finally decided to tackle this recipe, I wondered why I had put it off for so long. Yes, it takes a while to bake then scoop the potatoes, but there’s a lot of downtime during baking, and really, this recipe ends up not being much more effort than some of my weeknight meals. And they taste so much better than any frozen version you’ll get; the effort is definitely rewarded!

Since I like a hit of habanero, I quadrupled the amount called for in this recipe (Come on, 1/2 a habanero for 40 skins? Craziness!! Toss a couple in there, and keep the seeds in, unless you’re a wuss 😉 ). (more…)

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Appetizers, Gluten free by Courtney

Yep, it’s that time of year, folks. The time when buzz begins about which commercials were banned, which team will win, and of course, which food we will serve! So let the countdown to Sunday begin! And let me help you with that most important part — what food to serve to your guests or take with you to the party.

We’ll start by looking back at the recipes that have been posted so far, and the rest of this week I’ll pull in a few more ideas to help you in your countdown to party time. Let’s throw a few ideas out there:

• Cheesy Nachos with Guacamole and Salsa – There’s really no explanation needed for this one. Make the recipe just like it is, and enjoy! If you’re headed to a party and don’t have access to an oven, simply make the guac and salsa and serve as a dip with chips. It’s a hit every time!
• Courtney’s Vegetarian Chili – chili is always a crowd pleaser, and if you have any vegetarian friends in the crowd, they’ll surely appreciate this hearty dish.
• Mozzarella-stuffed Meatballs – Make the meatballs in this recipe with the marinara, but instead of serving over spaghetti, serve them up on buns. Who doesn’t love a meatball sandwich?? Well, except the vegetarians, who are already covered with the chili above. (more…)

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Appetizers by Courtney