While perusing Pinterest not long ago, I noticed a photo of this brilliant idea, an idea so brilliant that I couldn’t believe no one had ever thought of it before. It was labeled “Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers”. And from that moment on I knew I had to have them.

Of course, my idea of the perfect Philly cheesesteak is a little different. My favorite version is from a little shop in a strip mall near Lenox Square in Atlanta. Actually, I have no idea if the strip mall or the shop is even there anymore. I remember being in middle school and going down for back to school shopping. One of the highlights of the trip was going to this cheesesteak shop for their Pizza Cheesesteak. Layers of yummy beef, onions, peppers, provolone, with a bit of marinara mixed in.

In college, when I was still able to find Steak Ums, this is the way I would always make my cheesesteak sandwich. So I knew my recipe would have to include the marinara, and I’m glad it did. (more…)

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Comfort food, Dinner, Gluten free, Lunch by Courtney

At the end of last week I shared with you what is quickly becoming my favorite roast chicken recipe, and I promised a follow up post with a chicken soup that could be made with the leftovers, if you had any. While you could just as easily make a traditional chicken noodle soup following the same instructions, I decided I wanted to give my soup a little kick this time around with a few Asian flavors – ginger, lemongrass, and just a hint of Thai chile. It sounded like the perfect match for a chicken and rice soup, and I agree even more so with that sentiment now that I’ve devoured a large potful of it. (more…)

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Asian, Comfort food, Dairy free, Gluten free, Soups by Courtney

A few month’s ago, while in Carmel, I had what might be the best roasted chicken I had ever had out on the town at Hog’s Breath Pub. Maybe it was just because my husband and I were enjoying a weekend away together, maybe it was the wine, but either way, I couldn’t get the perfectly crisp skin, flakes of salt, and fresh vegetable succotash out of my head. So of course, I decided to recreate the meal at home.

Of course, I didn’t actually know what constituted a succotash. I assumed corn, because every succotash I had ever seen had corn. Making this meal was a little on the fly, as I noticed the grocery store had a large bunch of fresh corn in. So I wandered through the produce section, picking up some okra and zucchini, because it looked good. Only later did I learn that succotash also includes lima beans, by definition. So we’ll call this Courtney’s sort-of-succotash, sans beans, but you won’t miss them.

For the chicken recipe, I decided to try Thomas Keller’s simple roast chicken. (more…)

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Comfort food, Dinner, Gluten free, Side Dish, Sunday Suppers, Wine pairings by Courtney

I’ve made oh-so-many of these pies over the years. As has my mom. And my grandmother. They’re what sustained me through the first half of college (and much of the second half). I lived off Mt. Dew and brownie pie. And while I personally wouldn’t recommend the diet (though I did stay skinny with my sugar tremors), I do highly recommend that you whip up one of these this instant! Two of the main reasons this became my go-to sweet: 1) all of the items were generally already in my pantry or refrigerator, 2) I could literally whip this up before the oven pre-heated. Twenty minutes plus pre-heat time, and I had instant sweetness gratification. (more…)

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Comfort food, Dessert, Gluten free, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian by Courtney

Bolognese sauce is one of those foods that is always very similar from recipe to recipe, but with slight differences that seem starkly different. A while back I posted my recipe for Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese, whose recipe was meat heavy and included a bit of prosciutto in addition to the beef, pork and pancetta. It was made with red wine and tomato paste for a rich flavor.

This recipe goes a bit toward the lighter route. White wine, tinned tomatoes, and a bit lighter on the meat portions. Lighter doesn’t mean less flavor, though. It leans on the richness of chicken livers and milk to bring this pasta dish to life. The result is a nuanced sauce that allows the tagliatelle to shine through.
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Filed under:
Comfort food, Dinner, Italian by Courtney