At least that’s what I was feeling yesterday while soaking up a few of the sun’s rays. The clouds finally cleared, and the temperature got up to 80, and while sipping on a bit of pineapple juice, I thought, “I should really make something with some grilled pineapple.”

Lucky for me, I had only used half the pineapple in my juice, so half was left over for grilling. I also had some chicken thighs in the freezer, so I decided a teriyaki chicken bowl with grilled pineapple would be the perfect way to end the sunny day. (more…)

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

A while back, I had some friends over, and I didn’t have the time to concoct any elaborate dessert (or even an easy dessert that takes time, like cupcakes). So while I was at the store, I picked up a bag of sugar cookies and figured those would be just fine set out in a little bowl. Sweet snack done!

Of course, the day of the friends coming to visit, I felt bad that I was just going to throw out some sugar cookies from a bag, no matter how nice of a bowl I sat them in. I remembered I had some chocolate chips left over from some failed magic cookie bars, and an idea struck! I could dip the sugar cookies into melted chocolate, and it would seem a bit more special! (more…)

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Dessert, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian by Courtney

While it’s not traditional Irish fare, I’m so looking forward to asparagus to be back in season so I can create this super-simple, beautifully green soup, so it seemed apropos for this spring day. For this recipe you won’t need vegetable stock, nor will you need to do a lot of chopping. Simply boil the asparagus, onion, and garlic, puree, and top with fried egg, baguette, and a few garnishes of asparagus. Serve with J’s sparkling wine, and you’ve got a match made in heaven. Springy, green flavors all over your palate.

Drooling yet? Then I know you’ll want the recipe… (more…)

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Dinner, Gluten free, Lunch, Soups, Vegetarian, Wine pairings by Courtney

Yesterday, I decided we were way overdue for a rabbit dinner. Rabbit is one of my favorite meats, probably because I don’t get it very often. Since we’re coming up on the Mardi Gras grand finale, I decided to pull out a Cajun recipe from Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen, Smothered Rabbit. The recipe was très simple – pan fry the rabbit, make a dark rous with the leftover oil and flour, add a bit of celery and onion, and mix it all into a boiling pot of stock. So off to the store I went to pick up the vegetables, along with a little TurboDog and Dixie beers to round out the perfect Cajun meal.

On the way back from the store, I decided instead of serving this with white rice or mashed potatoes as suggested, I would whip up a bit of dirty rice instead, which was out – of – this – world! (more…)

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Cajun & Creole, Comfort food, Dairy free, Dinner, Gourmet by Courtney

Between last week’s champagne bar and this week’s warm weather, I’m starting to develop a craving for strawberries. Last year I planted around 4 plants, which yielded my husband and I around 2 miniature strawberries every couple of weeks. While the sweet taste is worth it, I’m going to need a bit more than that to make one of my favorite desserts, Strawberries with Zabaione. This dessert isn’t too sweet, and the zabaione and balsamic complement the strawberries flavor without overwhelming it. It’s the perfect way to enjoy flavorful strawberries from the farmer’s market or your backyard when they start appearing. (more…)

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Dairy free, Dessert, Gluten free, In the Garden, Italian, Vegetarian by Courtney