It was actually my dad and step-mom that introduced me to this recipe last summer. Super-simple chicken fajita meat that can be made on the grill or in the house, along with grilled peppers and onions, all doused in a bit of the cilantro-laced marinade that makes the meat oh-so-juicy and the peppers and onions full of flavor. The great thing is this dish can be pulled off as a fairly light-feeling summer dinner or a filling fall dish just depending on how much meat you want to stuff in your tortilla. Ba-dum-bum! (more…)

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Cooking outdoors, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Lunch, Mexican by Courtney

I have zero control when it comes to L&L Barbecue’s macaroni salad. I know on a single trip there, I will definitely consume two portions of mac salad, along with the scoop of rice and hefty amount of Kalua pork they serve. As I type, I’m not sure if I’ll make it through this post without running out to get an order. Mmmmmm!

I’ve tried quite a few times, unsuccessfully, to recreate the mac salad since I love it so much. Last week, I think I finally hit the nail on the head. After scouring the interwebs, looking for the divine answer, I stumbled upon a post that noted the secret was the amount of mayonnaise used in the salad. Use a lot. And by a lot, I mean, use more than you think, double that, then put another couple of hefty spoonfuls in. Then maybe just another dab for good measure. (more…)

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Dairy free, Hawaiian, Side Dish, Vegetarian by Courtney

I just got back from visiting the lands of one of my favorite cuisines, Morocco. I love the wealth of spices nearly every Moroccan dish contains, so of course I fell in love with my Food of Morocco cookbook long ago. I was very excited to find that the foods I ate there proved the recipes I had cooked over the years true to the cuisine. Of course, it was a bit better there (an understatement!), with the super-fresh spices abounding from shop after shop after shop.

Moroccan meatballs are something I had cooked previous to owning my cookbook, however, and have long been a favorite of mine. I’ve tried the addition of egg on occasion, and it makes for an über-rich and decadent dinner. This was hands down my favorite meal the entire time we were in Morocco. (more…)

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Appetizers, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Moroccan, Quick and Easy, World traveller by Courtney

It always happens after the big holidays – you have a few leftovers in the refrigerator. At first you work your way through the the prepared foods, simply reheating or making sandwiches from hams and turkeys, but there’s always those extra bits of raw ingredients left over, such as excess vegetables that may not have made their way into the rich dishes you created for Christmas dinner.

Fear not! Instead of simply steaming or boiling these veggies, why don’t you add some spice to your life, making this modern take on vegetable pakora? (more…)

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Appetizers, Dairy free, Gluten free, Indian, Vegan, Vegetarian by Courtney

A few weeks back, I decided to order some specialty meats from D’Artagnan to make a special meal for my husband. I have ordered specialty items in the past as Christmas presents for my hard-to-buy-for family members who love to cook, but it’s rare that I purchase these things for myself. So I went out on a limb and decided to try D’Artagnan, and I was really happy with their variety, shipping rates, and the overall service.

That’s how I came to have these two wild boar shanks sitting in my freezer. When ordering meats online, it seems that whatever fits into the cooler ships for (roughly) the same price. Since D’Artagnan was having a sale on their game meats, I decided to add a couple of wild boar shanks and some venison to my order, which shipped for the $20 my duck alone would have shipped for (well, okay, this is Madd Hatter math… $22 for the duck, $29 for adding wild boar and venison… all in all, we’re in the $20 range). While I’ve had wild boar often at Italian restaurants, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when cooking it. So I decided to go with a preparation similar to what I’d had in restaurants – a wild boar ragu, perfect for coating strands of pasta. (more…)

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Dairy free, Dinner, Italian, Sunday Suppers, Wine pairings by Courtney