In honor of Bastille Day, I thought I would share one of my new favorite summer salads, Salad Niçoise. I had been pretty hung up on creating this salad as soon as my green beans started coming in. Of course, by the time they were ready to be picked, the summer heat had become somewhat unbearable, and the last thing I wanted to do was slave over a hot stove inside the house. So instead, I decided to grill most of my Niçoise components, including the salmon, which is not the traditional fish for Niçoise, but given its freshness, was probably much more delicious than tuna ever thought of being. (more…)

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Dairy free, Dinner, French, Gluten free, In the Garden, Lunch, Salad, Wine pairings by Courtney

Upon receiving my bounty of salmon last week, I knew just what I wanted to make with it. Earlier in the week I had picked up a copy of Saveur magazine on a whim. It promised delightful Corsican foods and bread recipes that I could make. Buried deep inside the issue, though, was a gem of an article on Senegal feasts, with recipes ranging from fritters and stews to magnificent salads. Upon seeing these salads I headed right back out to the store, picking up the ingredients and making them that evening. (more…)

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African, Dairy free, Gluten free, Lunch, Salad, Sunday Suppers, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wine pairings by Courtney

This recipe has to be one of my favorite weeknight meals (or weekend meals if I’m super-hungry). It comes together quickly, with a few ingredients, and I feel somewhat healthy and light with the salad portion replacing my usual baked potato and garlic bread side for steak.

To start, select your favorite cut of beef – filet, strip, ribeye, and sirloin would all work here. Season it simply with salt and pepper after you’ve rubbed with a bit of oil to keep it from sticking to your grill or grill pan. (more…)

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Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Quick and Easy, Salad, Wine pairings by Courtney

My first crop of kale finally came in (from the Red Russian plant) and while I had anticipated making something summery, like the Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad, it’s been so cool and rainy here that I decided to instead do a favorite that I never got around to this past winter (has winter really passed given that it’s been 60 and rainy?). I stumbled upon this recipe for Braised Lacitano Kale with Tomato and Anchovy Soffritto in the A16 cookbook, and it was the first way I ever made kale. I fell in love and didn’t branch out trying other recipes for quite a while.

This is the perfect meal for a chilly night. It feels somewhat healthy, but it’s hearty at the same time and will be sure to fill you up. (more…)

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Comfort food, Dinner, Gluten free, In the Garden, Italian, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wine pairings by Courtney

After a hard day’s work of cleaning the backyard up and readying it for summer, I decided what better way to celebrate than with a good meal cooked over charcoal, enjoyed at my outdoor dining table with a nice glass of red wine (because we still have chilly nights here). I consulted with the hubby on what we should have (because he’d been working hard all day too), and he came up with, “Beef – something like stir fry, where beef’s not the main attraction. Or shrimp.” Hmmm, stir fry on a grill?

Instead, I decided on kebabs, since what he mainly wanted was a big dose of vegetables. Surf and turf would be good, over rice. While perusing the store I saw a huge display of oranges which spurred the idea for a ancho chili and orange marinade. (more…)

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Cooking outdoors, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Wine pairings by Courtney