When my husband and I lived in San Diego, we ate Vietnamese food pretty much every week. There was a popular Pho restaurant we would frequent for their delicious (and cheap!) Pho noodle soups, vermicelli noodles and Summer rolls. When I ordered vermicelli noodles I always had it with grilled pork or pork meatballs. The meatballs were so flavorful and juicy, made with fish sauce, sugar and mint, a popular Vietnamese combination. Here is my version of Vietnamese meatballs paired with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce.
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Raw Asparagus Salad with Pecorino and Red Onion
I love asparagus in all forms, grilled, roasted, steamed, baked or pureed. But rarely do we eat raw asparagus. If you haven’t tried making a salad with raw asparagus, you’re definitely missing out! When sliced thin and marinated in olive oil and vinegar, the asparagus turns into something quite refreshing and light. When my husband first tried it, he had no clue what it was but seemed to really enjoy it. In the end I told him what he was eating and he was pleasantly surprised.
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Roasted Pistachios with Fresh Thyme and Paprika
There’s no easier snack to make than roasted nuts. I love the different variations you can do…salty, sweet, spicy, the options are endless. I’ve already made a few different roasted nuts recipes (check out my old posts, here and here) and decided to try pistachios with a mix of paprika. Straight from the herb garden on my balcony I tossed in fresh thyme and then some sugar for a salty and sweet combination.
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Marinated Olives in Garlic and Olive Oil
When friends come over for an impromptu dinner, I never know what to cook. But then I remember my go-to quick dinner involves no cooking at all! Wine, cheese and charcuterie meals are my saving grace for dinners like this and one of my favorites because there’s a nice variety to choose from. One dish you can prepare ahead of time is marinated olives. It’s super easy and takes no time to prepare!
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Watercress and Strawberry Salad with Red Onions and Hazelnuts
This year’s Memorial Day weekend was warm and muggy and all I wanted to eat was something refreshing, yet satisfying to fill me up. So to kick this Summer off, I made an easy strawberry salad mixed with watercress, red onions and crunchy hazelnuts. I love the addition of fruit into green salads, they bring a whole new dimension to the dish. This simple salad takes little time to prepare and will easily go into your list of Summer salad recipes.
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Baked Zucchini Fritters
Last week we visited family, and always right before we head out the door my mom makes sure I bring something home…food-related of course! My family lives in Pennsylvania Dutch country, so they frequent their local Amish market and my mom always buys way more than she needs (hmm, wonder where I got that from!). This time she made me bring home some zucchini which I decided to use for baked zucchini fritters.
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Stir-Fried Asian Greens – An Easy 10-Minute Side Dish
On Sunday we went to Chinatown over in Sunset Park, Brooklyn to gather a few ingredients for the week. Our friend joined us because she needed a few Asian greens to photograph for her upcoming cookbook. She picked up a bit too much and let me have some. I generally like to add Asian greens to noodle soups or stir-fries with steamed rice. Here is a simple recipe for a quick stir-fry that you’ll have ready in only 10 minutes!
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