Say Yassss to Spring

Baked Eggs in Harissa Spice Tomatoes Sauce with Quinoa and Kale

Say yasssssss to Spring being around the corner, especially after we had one too many snowstorms this past winter. As I’m writing this, we’re due for another snowstorm (or dusting) the next day. Usually my refrigerator is packed with flour, buttermilk, orange juice, eggs and maple syrup for a pancake breakfast. This time, there will be no pancakes to celebrate another snowflake.

Overlooking the buttermilk, I remove left over red quinoa from a salad made earlier in the week. I find other ingredients for a quick breakfast: Crisp baby kale, a new jar of harissa spice, fresh thyme and plenty of eggs. On a whim, a savory tomato and egg dish with a bit of harissa spice was made.

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Parade.com: Broccoli and Pear Salad with Ginger Yogurt Vinaigrette

Broccoli and Pear Salad with Ginger Yogurt Vinaigrette

After a few years, it finally caught me. A type of cold that makes your muscles ache, gives knock-out headaches, and a non-stop running nose. There’s only so much chicken soup, orange juice and ginger tea I can take until my body starts feeling better. In between all the bland and mushy food, here’s a crunchy salad with sweet pears, lightly steamed cold-fighting broccoli and toasted almonds. Drizzle the spicy and immune building Ginger Yogurt Vinaigrette over the salad to finish this dish. With plenty of sleep and more good eating, I can’t wait to finally end this cold and (hopefully) escape it for a few more years.  Read more

Parade.com: Snow Day? Get Cozy with this Hearty Celery Root and Ricotta Frittata

Celery Root and Ricotta Cheese Frittata

For those of us who live in the Northeast and other wintry areas, the year started out delicious… and frigid as we were hit with a snowstorm. The subways ran local (slow), schools closed, and most area businesses shut down. In our house, we had enough food from New Year’s Day (we enjoyed eating this Black-Eyed Pea and Kale Salad with Chickpea Vinaigrette) to have a relaxing, do nothing-type of day, in which no one had to cook. Read more

A Twist of the Original: Quince Apple Skillet Pancake

Quince Apple Skillet Pancake

The quince apple was hard. Immediately letting me know this isn’t a fruit to eat while running out the door to work or as a midday snack. It needed to be cooked down with a roast chicken, in a cobbler, pie or an apple skillet pancake. It had a beautiful floral and fruity fragrance, a scent that took my memory to perfumes and candles using quince in their blends. One large quince apple was purchased with a bag of organic tart Granny Smith Apples.  Read more

Celebrating Ice Cream in July

Very Vanilla Cherry Pistachio and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
In celebration of July being Ice Cream month, Nielson Massey delivered their Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract to my doorstep. The representative shared a delicious coconut milk based ice cream, too. I’m looking forward to trying it one day. For now, I love a good ice cream with whole milk and cream. It’s still the best source for vitamin D and calcium. Of course, it’s loaded with sugar, but… let’s not have a nutritious scientific data talk. It’s summer. Temperatures are 95° and above. Icy desserts, such as a Very Vanilla Cherry Pistachio and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream should be savored (or devoured). Read more